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WILL STILL BE DIRECTING
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CONTENTS
MARCH 2025 | VOLUME 79, ISSUE 3

40

MB47,
CLASSIC AK
MEETS MODERNITY
A Collaboration Between Century Arms and Sharps Brothers Oleg Volk

8 NEWSSTAND
News for the
Firearms Community

Cover photography by Oleg Volk

14 GUN POLITICS
50 ATF Director Under Trump
Will Still Be Directing
Unconstitutional Agency
David Codrea

18 CARRYING CONCEALED

56
Fanny Packs Are…Back?
James Tarr, Field Editor

24 MUSINGS FROM THE 56 THE COLT MODEL

AMMO BUNKER 607 CARBINE
Italy’s 6.5x52mm The DIY Guide for Building
Carcano in Review One of the Rarest M16
David M. Fortier, Executive Editor Variants Ever

66 28 IN HUSHED TONES
66 GERMANY’S MG42
Will Dabbs, MD

Surefire’s
SOCOM556-RC3: An Influential General Purpose
The Yardstick Machine Gun

76
Patrick Sweeney Leroy Thompson

76 SINGAPORE’S CIS
34 NFA COLLECTING SAR-80: THE ANGLO-
The M-10 Submachine Gun ASIAN AR-18
Will Dabbs, MD The SAR-80: A Simplified
Version of the ArmaLite
50 THE JACOB GREY AR-18, Manufactured in
TWC BLACK PISTOL Singapore and Built for
Bond Should Have Been Battle, Has Some Strong
facebook.com/ twitter.com/ instagram.com/ So Lucky Connections to Europe
FirearmsNewsMag FirearmsNewsMag firearmsnews Patrick Sweeney Pierangelo Tendas

4 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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NEWSSTAND — NEWS FOR THE FIREARMS COMMUNITY

HOUSE DEMOCRATS DEMAND ACTION

ON LAW ENFORCEMENT SELLING RESTRICTED FIREARMS
By Darwin Nercesian,
News Field Editor

Shutterstock / sirtravelalot
A
nytime I write about a CBS
investigation, the topic is
hardly the investigation itself
but rather the abject stupidity of the
people conducting it and the com-
placency and arrogance by which
they openly discuss the violation of
Americans’ Constitutional rights.
The latter half, one could argue,
stems from a lack of education in the “They’re using their access as law guns really more dangerous because
firearms debate. However, I contend enforcement officials to gain access to of their select fire capability? For
that it is a concerted effort to desen- things that otherwise wouldn’t be on perspective, a military issue M4 has a
sitize Americans and promote a sense the market… In the most egregious cyclic rate of 700 rounds per minute.
of normalcy regarding the loss of cases, there were battlefield weapons,” A practiced shooter can perform a
our liberties. In the wake of a recent Cauchi says. “Bill Drill,” drawing a gun and firing
CBS investigation alleging widespread The investigation’s key focus is six rounds semi-automatic in two
illegal sales of restricted firearms law enforcement personnel drafting seconds. Eliminating the draw time to
from members of the law enforcement law letters allowing them to obtain keep things equal, the six shots can be
community across the country, House post-sample machine guns, and then fired in one second for an estimated
Democrats have rattled their sabers selling those firearms to unauthorized cyclic rate of 360 rounds per minute.
once again, demanding the ATF hold individuals. Post-sample machine While this may sound like a lot of
agencies and individuals accountable guns are fully automatic weapons firepower, remember that a typical
even though their source is shoddy at manufactured after May 19th, 1986 AR-15 magazine only holds thirty
best and rhetoric is conspicuously not (or imported after 1968 Gun Control rounds. This means that the firearm
in line with the founding traditions or Act went into effect) and are restrict- can be emptied in about five seconds
values of this country. ed to law enforcement and Federal before having to change magazines in
It’s safe to say that when you repre- Firearms Licensees (FFLs) that pay a semi-automatic, whereas it may take
sent yourself as investigating a matter, the Special Occupational Tax (SOT). closer to three seconds on the equiva-
you should have an informed foun- Machine guns otherwise produced lent machine gun. More importantly,
dation on the subject. Erin Cauchi, a before the cutoff date are known as how many targets could be acquired
CBS News Crime and Public Safety transferables, and any person who is in three seconds? The truth is that a
Unit producer, apparently didn’t get legally permitted to own a firearm can shooter is far more effective manually
the memo. The key premise of the purchase one, however, limited avail- firing their weapon from target to
investigation is that the guns being ability since the Firearms Owners’ target due to having increased control.
sold are “weapons of war,” according Protection Act (FOPA) amended the That control means less recovery time
to the network, a made-up term used National Firearms Act (NFA) in 1986 between target-to-target transitions.
interchangeably by politicians and the has caused prices to skyrocket out of Manipulating a firearm in this man-
media whenever they think a firearm the reach of most Americans. You can ner also means you still have most of
is too scary for civilians to own. But thank Ronald Reagan for that. your ammunition left in the magazine
we know better, don’t we? They don’t What is the difference between a to acquire additional targets before
want us to own any guns, or more machine gun manufactured before needing to reload. Individuals can
accurately, any means of defending and one manufactured after 1986? only carry so many magazines, with
ourselves from subjugation. Not a damn thing. Are machine the higher end of a combat loadout

8 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 AFFORDABLE
DOESN’T MEAN CHEAP.
Every law-abiding citizen regardless of their budget, has
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NEWSSTAND

ranging from 210 to 240 rounds or Just to give you a sense of what kind current machine gun and sawed-off
between seven and eight magazines. of weapons these are, these could take shotgun and rifle regulations and en-
All of a sudden, big scary numbers out an armored tank, they could go forcement mechanisms, jeopardizing
like 700 rounds per minute don’t seem through a building at the other side, public safety by enabling the prolif-
so scary anymore, do they? hit a target eighteen football fields eration of dangerous weapons, often
Because of this, it is a fact that away, they can take out a military he- into the hands of international traf-
soldiers equipped with fully automatic licopter,” Cauchi continued, making fickers and organized crime groups,”
rifles like the M16 or M4 very rarely an absolute mockery of herself. the letter reads.
use that capability, as it is mostly a What Cauchi is saying is not only The arbitrary nature of the NFA
great way to run out of ammunition untrue, but it is so far off that it ex- serves as a reminder that we should
in a gunfight while sacrificing the ceeds even the most remote margin of never budge an inch with the left
ability to accurately put rounds on error. As detailed already, SBRs and because it is much more difficult to
hostile targets. You are more likely to SBSs are considerably less powerful have your freedoms restored than it
see automatic fire used to keep enemy due to their anemic velocity, while is to preserve them. I hope we’ve all
heads down to cover the movement machine guns do not vary in power learned by now that no compromise
of teammates as they maneuver into a from their semi-automatic counter- exists that will satisfy the left short of
more advantageous position. parts, only in cyclic rate. stripping Americans of all firearms,

The Arbitrary Nature of the NFA Serves as a Reminder That We Should

Never Budge an Inch With the Left Because It Is Much More Difficult to
Have Your Freedoms Restored Than It Is to Preserve Them.

Aside from post-sample machine In response to the CBS News report, which is their ultimate goal. I refuse to
guns, most of the other firearms House Democrats have called for the entertain the idea that these firearms
identified in the investigation are clas- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms should be under any restriction in the
sified as short-barreled rifles (SBR) and Explosives (ATF) to answer for first place, a belief grounded in the
and shotguns (SBS), also having no the lack of accountability and over- founding documents that politicians,
business being restricted in America. sight that has apparently led to at least judges, federal, state, and local officials
In the case of these weapons, most 50 alleged cases of law enforcement have sworn their oath to yet brazenly
states allow ownership, but the federal personnel conducting illegal sales of scorn in open defiance. Creating a law
government regulates these items the restricted firearms. California Rep- to circumvent the Constitution makes
under the NFA, like machine guns, resentative Robert Garcia, serving on you a criminal. Being in a position of
but without any cutoff date. Citizens both the House Oversight Committee power such that no authority is willing
can purchase or construct an SBR or and the Homeland Security Commit- to arrest you for it doesn’t make you
SBS by filing applicable paperwork tee, penned the letter to ATF Director any less of a criminal. To be clear, I
with the ATF and paying a $200 Steven Dettelbach, joined by New am calling any lawmaker, judge, or
government extortion fee known as York Representative Dan Goldman enforcement authority who does not
a tax stamp. And what makes these and Florida Representative Maxwell comply with the plain text of the Sec-
firearms so much more dangerous? Alejandro, citing “grave concerns ond Amendment a criminal, and their
Not a damn thing. An SBR simply around troubling reports of certain actions against any American who is
means the rifle’s barrel is shorter than law enforcement officers exploiting not otherwise breaking the law are
16 inches, with an SBS denoting a their positions to acquire and illegally nothing more than unchecked criminal
shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches. distribute firearms.” The letter also aggression. Full stop.
Neither is particularly concealable, highlights recent ATF data stating that —
and even someone with a novice ed- nearly 26,000 guns have been traced Darwin Nercesian is a long-time
ucation in ballistics understands that back from American crime scenes to gun rights advocate and shooter of
these weapons bring with them an government agencies, law enforcement, targets far, far away. As a News Field
inherent reduction in effective range or the military between 2017 and 2021, Editor at Firearms News, Darwin
and lethality over their higher veloci- and requests the agency respond to writes about the Second Amendment,
ty, longer barrel counterparts. their inquiry by January 15, 2025. firearms, and related gear. Follow him
“These weapons are usually deemed “Reporting suggests that there may on Instagram, X, and YouTube @
too dangerous to be on the streets… be serious systemic vulnerabilities in DTOE_Official. [Cont. to page 12]

10 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

NEWSSTAND
[Cont. from page 10]

ANTI-SECOND AMENDMENT LAWFARE

AND STATE ABUSE OF PROCESS By Darwin Nercesian,
News Field Editor

R
ules for thee, but not for me. a regulatory or enforcement agency. 2005, Congress enacted the bi-parti-
This should be the official They are a manufacturer subject to san Protection of Lawful Commerce
motto of the left. As most specific regulations applied to their in Arms Act (PLCAA) due to a need
Americans take care to stay on the industry by lawmakers. Anti-Second to reinforce well-established com-
right side of the law, even when Amendment politicians, however, are mon law recognizing that companies
we disagree or have our civil rights trying to encumber the company with conducting business under full legal
violated, conservatives remain at a duties that fall under government pur- compliance cannot be held responsi-
constant disadvantage as anti-Second view, thus relieving themselves of the ble for outside criminal behavior. Not
Amendment leftists spend a great deal blame for any lack of enforcement and exclusive to any industry, this princi-
of their time trying to circumvent the failure to secure their communities. ple protects vehicle and kitchenware
law. This phenomenon is not exclusive Additionally, purposeful use of vague manufacturers, alcohol companies,
to individual rights, however, as these language, prohibited by the Constitu- and many others from exposure to
groups have long since used lawfare tion’s “void for vagueness” doctrine, vexatious litigation. The reason be-
against the firearm industry, unabash- allows these seditious weasels to apply hind Congresses specific codification
edly declaring that if they cannot have charges based on the whimsical flatu- for firearms companies stems from
their way legally, they’ll simply bank- lence of their imagination, even to the the fact that anti-Second Amendment
rupt businesses through misuse of extent they do so retroactively. activists felt they were above the law
the judicial system. In the last week,
attorneys general for Minnesota and
New Jersey filed conspicuously similar “A Couple Centuries of Common Law Has
lawsuits against firearms manufactur- Established That Manufacturers of Goods Are
er Glock while also joining fourteen
more attorneys general to collude in a
Not Responsible for the Criminal Misuse of
multistate coalition aimed at attack- Their Lawfully Produced and Sold Products.…”
ing the entire firearms industry.
Let’s start with actions filed against The legal principle behind the “void in their predatory quest to bankrupt
Glock. Minnesota and New Jersey for vagueness” doctrine states that a the industry through the enormous
claim the manufacturer’s firearms are law is considered invalid if written so expense of litigation, even if they
too easy to modify illegally, violating vaguely that an average person cannot could not obtain rulings in their favor.
state law. The coordinated attack, understand what specific conduct “A couple centuries of common
undoubtedly bolstered by the Biden is prohibited, failing to provide fair law has established that manufactur-
administration, disregards Glock’s warning, which would lead to viola- ers of goods are not responsible for
compliance with applicable laws, tions of due process rights and arbi- the criminal misuse of their lawfully
instead demanding the company trary enforcement. Essentially, these produced and sold products. But
abide by arbitrary laws requiring attorneys general wish to impose because that wasn’t sufficient to keep
“reasonable controls” aimed at pre- ever-shifting goalposts regarding how the disingenuous legal arguments of
venting misuse of its products. Under they may burden the firearms industry gun grabbers at bay, congress passed
these strategically vague provisions, without having to pass new laws or the Protection of Lawful Commerce in
complying with regulations and pro- enforce existing criminal statutes. Arms Act to prevent this very sort of
tocols set by lawmakers is inadequate, It shouldn’t come as much of a bad faith litigation—and the massive
holding firearms manufacturers to a surprise that leftists choose to trample associated costs—from bankrupting
standard by which they must have a this Constitutional doctrine as any the American gun industry,” says Bill
crystal ball to anticipate how crimi- part of our founding documents Sack, Director of Legal Operations for
nals may misuse their products and they can not pervert they outright the Second Amendment Foundation.
then institute measures to prevent disregard. Perhaps they would be It was only a matter of time, howev-
criminal behavior. more amenable to Congressional er, before the parasitic left would once
How incredibly convenient for the protections. I’m just kidding. They again sidestep the law in favor of their
state. Let me explain. Glock is not don’t care about those laws either. In anti-American agenda. In the wake of
[Cont. to page 86]

12 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

GUN POLITICS By David Codrea | Political Field Editor
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights
advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. In addition to being a regular featured contributor for Firearms
News, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts onTwitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

ATF DIRECTOR UNDER TRUMP

WILL STILL BE DIRECTING UNCONSTITUTIONAL AGENCY

“A.T.F. Braces for a Likely

Rollback of Its
Gun-Control Efforts,” The New York
Times reported ruefully in mid-
December. “President-elect Donald
J. Trump is almost certain to choose
a gun-rights advocate as director of
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives or to simply
leave the job vacant.”
The post has been vacant before,
lots of times. Per NPR at the time
of his nomination hearing, “If
confirmed, [current Director Steve]
Dettelbach would be the first perma-
nent director of ATF in seven years.
The position often faces pushback
from gun rights groups and has only Shutterstock / chrisdorney
had one Senate-confirmed director in
the past 16 years.” LET’S LOOK AT THE TOP NAMES, MASTERS,
That was B. Todd Jones who took FORCELLI, AND KEANE, AND SEE WHAT
over after Acting Director Ken
Melson had presided over an agency
CLUES THEIR PASTS CAN POINT US TOWARD
embroiled in the Operation Fast and WHAT WE COULD EXPECT.
Furious “gunwalking” scandal. In
the time since Jones left in 2015 for
a better paying gig with the NFL, ond Amendment” and gushing praise the head of the gun manufacturers’
four acting heads filled the chair until from then NRA-ILA head Chris Cox, trade association; and several current
Dettelbach won out after the Biden turned out to be an unacceptable pick and former top A.T.F. officials, includ-
administration’s initial pick, ATF who had supported Sonia Sotomayor ing Robert Cekada, Daniel Board and
Agent and zealous Giffords flack for the Supreme Court, Eric Holder Rick Dressler,” the NYT article says.
David Chipman, was rejected by the for Attorney General, and presided Let’s look at the top names, Masters,
Senate after loud and sustained gun over an FOP that opposed national Forcelli, and Keane, and see what clues
rights and industry objections. concealed carry reciprocity. their pasts can point us toward what
There was one other prominent “Those said to be under consider- we could expect.
failure to launch before Dettelbach, ation are: Blake Masters, a far-right First, absent from the list of likely
during Donald Trump’s first term. In conservative in Arizona who is close picks is self-nominated “AK Guy”
2019, he nominated Kenneth Charles to the financier Peter Thiel and who and narrowly defeated Congressional
Canterbury, Jr., past president of the mounted a failed bid for a House seat; candidate Brandon Herrera, whom
Fraternal Order of Police who, despite Peter J. Forcelli, a former bureau many gun rights activists have cheered
the promise that ,“I take a back seat official who wrote a book on the “Fast for because he has promised to “hack,
to no one in my reverence for the Sec- and Furious” scandal; Larry Keane, slash, and cripple that agency in ways

14 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

GUN POLITICS

it could never recover from.” He

may be a popular choice, but a quick
glance at his LinkedIn profile (“Gun
Manufacturer/YouTube Personality”)
doesn’t really speak to the experience
required to effectively manage spe-
cialized employees in complex legal
environments. Then again, take a look
at half the Democrats in Congress…

Blake Masters
“Blake Masters under consideration
to become Trump’s top gun regulator,”
global news platform Semafor reports.
The venture capitalist “met with the in- Shutterstock / DCStockPhotography
coming president’s transition team on
Thursday and is interested in helming Larry Keane piracy, counterfeiting, and treason)
the regulatory agency.” While “he lost NSSF’s Larry Keane may be the and put the brakes on all the “rules”
two races for Congress in Arizona, this most experienced organizational man, and changes to previous classifications.

WHOMEVER THE PRESIDENT SELECTS TO HEAD ATF WILL NEED TO

FOCUS ON DANGEROUS CRIMINALS…AND PUT THE BRAKES ON ALL
THE “RULES” AND CHANGES TO PREVIOUS CLASSIFICATIONS.

past fall and in 2022, while running as and one with the best insights into It’s a no-win assignment until the laws
a Trump loyalist… Masters may appeal industry concerns and the legal are changed, so the best we can hope
to pro-gun Republicans, though, hav- environment his member compa- for is ATF doing minimal damage and
ing campaigned as a pro-gun Senate nies operate in. The thing is, while knocking off its mania for redefining
candidate.” they can closely match, gunmaker parts as firearms, inciting the media
and gun owner priorities can be mob to spook the herd on “ghost
Pete Forcelli two different things. Keane proudly guns,” destroying FFLs for paperwork
Former agent and whistleblower hailing FixNICS, NSSF’s industry glitches, and persecuting gun owners.
Pete Forcelli is the candidate with the protection-motivated “partnership” As far as positive changes are con-
most experience in how ATF works, (“The firearm industry’s campaign cerned, a nice place to start would be
its internal weaknesses and institu- to strengthen the background check to knock off the stonewalling ATF is
tional corruption, and the problem- system”) leaves Second Amendment notorious for—from defying Congres-
atic relationship with the Department absolutists wondering why we’d want sional inquiries to answering Freedom
of Justice sandbagging investigations someone who gushes over prior of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
into serious criminals, which is where restraint infringements that open the The new director could also advise
he would put his focus. In the interests door to gun registration. on orders to rescind, such as George
of full disclosure, I reviewed Forcelli’s Alternatively, Trump could select H.W. Bush’s import ban on 43 types
book, The Deadly Path: How no one and leave an “acting” caretak- of semiautos deemed not compliant
Operation Fast & Furious and Bad er in charge. Just look at Ken Melson with the 1968 Gun Control Act’s
Lawyers Armed Mexican Cartels, and and Fast and Furious to see the prob- “sporting use” requirement, and the
interviewed him about his career, his lems weak and uncertain leadership previous Trump export ban on over-
investigation into the smuggling of can encourage. 32 round magazines.
grenades into Mexico being sabotaged Whomever the president selects to The new guy needs to understand
by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and head ATF will need to focus on dan- all this and have the AG and the
more. To his credit, he knew his words gerous criminals (but don’t forget that president‘s ear to make sure they do,
would be judged by a gun owner read- even that can still usurp Constitutional and to restrain their past-demonstrat-
ership and he pledged from the start authority for a federal government ed impulses to ignore the words “shall
that no questions would be off limits. that was supposed to confine itself to not be infringed.”

16 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

CARRYING CONCEALED By James Tarr | Field Editor

FANNY PACKS ARE…

BACK? Tarr had vaguely

I
been aware that
’m old enough to remember when fanny packs were
fanny packs specifically designed for making a come-
back, but it wasn’t
the concealed carry of firearms were until his son in the
introduced. The first one I remember Army came home
is the DeSantis Gunny Sack (maybe for Christmas rock-
ing a G19 in this rig
because it has a clever name?). A num- that he knew for
ber of holster makers put out various sure it was true.
models of fanny packs for carry. They
were well made, usually of heavy-duty
Cordura, and likely had some sort of
easy access pouch (Velcro, oversize
zipper pull tab, etc.) for you to get to
your gun. I owned a Gunny Sack and
used it, because it worked.
However, as a general rule, Amer-
icans don’t believe in the concept of
“too much of a good thing.” Those
first-generation fanny packs designed
for guns grew, and got big enough
to hide an entire rotisserie chicken
from Costco. I specifically remember
the U.S. Customs agent with whom I
shot on a weekly bowling pin league.
Off-duty, he carried his duty weapon
in a DeSantis Gunny Sack with, I
think, a spare magazine and maybe
cuffs. His duty weapon was a Beretta
96, which means that fanny pack
was the size and weight of an airline
carry-on.
Right about the time the gun-centric
fanny packs started getting comically
huge (and coincidentally not “dis-
creet” at all), fanny packs themselves
started to fall out of fashion, and for person I’ve seen with a fanny pack half of everyone is wearing tights or
a few decades you didn’t really see any lately, they seem to be the new fashion pajama pants in public (dear God
out in the world, but now, apparently, accessory for both men and women. don’t get me started on that) which
they’re back in fashion. So, here is the final installment of the don’t have pockets and/or a belt, a
My son just came home from the series I didn’t plan to write on various small strap-bag truly comes in handy.
Army and what do I see him carrying? types of “bag carry.” It is far more convenient and practical
A cheap/fancy leather fanny pack, In the modern era, when everyone than lugging around a backpack.
into which his Glock 19 just barely has a big smart phone and wallet and Most of the people I’m seeing
fits. And he’s not the first young(er) keys and assorted other stuff, and with fanny packs/belly bags aren’t

18 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

NOW SHIPPING
CARRYING CONCEALED

actually wearing them around their DeSantis is still making

waists, they’re either carrying them the Gunny Sack, as well as a
or they have them slung crossbody number of variations. Falco
over their shoulder like miniature Holsters sells both fanny
sling packs, the bag over their chest. packs and small crossbody
That’s how my son was carrying his. bags specifically meant for
Back in the day, nobody was doing the concealed carry of hand-
that, fanny packs all stayed on the guns. Galco Holsters sells
waistline, and you would have drawn many variations of their
attention to yourself if you put it over FasTrax PAC Waistpack.
your shoulder. Interestingly, I see they only
If you look at the websites of most make them for compact and
holster manufacturers, fanny packs subcompact pistols, which
are back on the menu. However, means the packs stay small
today’s packs, for the most part, are and unobtrusive and don’t
better constructed, and either have scream “GUN!”. Viktos is a
more features or the same or better newer tactical clothing com-
features while being smaller. pany launched in 2017 that’s The Gunny Sack from DeSantis was one of if not
the first fanny pack meant for concealed carry of
If you’re the kind of person who been steadily gaining market a firearm. The front of the bag is held on by Velcro
hates wearing any gun larger than share with quality prod- and you peel it off to reveal the holster/gun.
what would fit in a pocket, a fanny ucts, and they offer their
pack might be right for you. As a rule, Upscale Hip Pack, which
any gun is better than no gun, and is about the size of the big old-school Velcro-backed holster at whatever
a fanny pack is going to allow you fanny packs without the same tactical position/angle you want.
to carry something larger and more footprint, which is exactly what you Vertx has a huge presence in the
powerful than a simple pocket gun. want if you’re trying to go “gray man.” tactical bag market, and their fanny
At a minimum, they are all spacious They specifically state it’s also built for pack/mini sling pack offerings are
enough to accommodate something slinging across your shoulder. a perfect example how modern
the size of a Glock 19 and maybe a Compared to thirty years ago, products have been improved. Their
spare magazine, although I will tell the materials and construction in products are purpose-built for tactical
you, from personal experience, that these modern packs is far superior, use while looking like unremarkable
once you start adding to your loadout but they also offer better features. commercial units, and offer specific
(spare magazine, knife, whatever) it’s Some of them have built-in holsters, upgrades—pockets for comms, or
the weight that will bother you, not and some have Velcro panels onto for discreet carry of phones that
the bulk. which you can slap an appropriate you’re using to do video surveillance,

Guns in bags should have their trigger guards covered, and

using your holster means if you decide you want to ditch Most “tactical” fanny packs, like this Large Bum Bag from
the bag and carry on your person, you’re already good to go. Falco Holsters, are large enough to accommodate some-
This is a Vedder IWB holster in Kryptek. thing at least as large as a Glock 19.

20 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 One Gun,
One Gunsmith

The Agent 2

Hand Fit Billet Steel

in a World of Plastic

877-268-4867
www.nighthawkcustom.com
 Premier Body Armor sells
various bundles which
include a top-of-the-line
pack or bag combined
with a precision cut pan-
el of body armor. Here is
the Vertx SOCP Tactical
Fanny Pack Bundle,
which includes a soft IIIA
armor panel.

Velcro-covered internal panels for

mounting holsters or mag pouches, etc.
Just as interesting is the long-
standing partnership Premier Body inside the pack. The panel
Armor has had with several of the slides into a hidden pocket
above companies, including Viktos between the built-in holster
and Vertx. I’ve written up Premier and the back of the pack,
Body Armor products before in these right against your body.
pages. They’re best known for their The SOCP itself, with all
soft body armor panel inserts meant the straps and internal
for backpacks, but they also make pockets (some of which are
them for smaller bags/sling packs, and removable) weighs a pound,
they offer packages. and the armor panel weighs
From Premier Body Armor, I half a pound. The SOCP
secured a Vertx SOCP Tactical Fanny Tactical Fanny Pack has an Modern fanny packs offer features just not found
Pack Bundle which includes the MSRP of $99.99. If you in the originals. The interior back wall of this
Vertx SOCP Tactical Fanny Pack buy the bundle from Premier Vertx SOCP Tactical Fanny Pack is all Velcro, and
you can adjust the provided strap holster any way
(in “Rudder Green”) and a Level Body Armor, the pack plus you want. The Premier Body Armor panel is in a
IIIA soft body armor insert—and the IIIA armor insert is hidden pocket behind the gun.
let me say, THIS is exactly what I’m $145.00, which I think is a
talking about when I say that modern great deal.
SOURCES
products have features that simply Having a pistol with
DeSantis Gunhide, DeSantisHolster.com
weren’t available back in the day. A you is good, and bag
precision cut-to-fit body armor panel? carry allows you to equip Falco Holsters, FalcoHolsters.com
Whether you’re wearing the SOCP yourself with something Galco Holsters, GalcoGunLeather.com
around your waist or slung over your a little more capable than Premier Body Armor, PremierBodyArmor.com
chest, where that 8.5" x 5.5" armor what would fit in a pocket. Vertx, Vertx.com
panel is right over your heart, it gives Having that pistol, plus an
Viktos, Viktos.com
you protection even if there’s no gun armor panel? Better.

22 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 ©2023 O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.

|
M O SSB ER G 5 9 0 ® SH O C K WAVE ®

BAD GUYS
DON’T
RING
DOORBELLS.

SCAN CODE FOR

MORE INFO u

SAFETY TIP
Store firearms securely, inaccessible
to children and unauthorized users.
Consult and comply with any and all applicable federal, state,
and local: laws, regulations, requirements, and/or restrictions,
including but not limited to those regarding the purchase,
ownership, use, transport, and carrying of a firearm.
Not all products are available in all states or jurisdictions.
MUSINGS FROM THE AMMO BUNKER By David M. Fortier | Executive Editor

An influx of surplus Carcano rifles, like this

M1941, has spiked interest in the 1891
vintage 6.5x52mm Carcano cartridge.

ITALY’S 6.5X52MM
CARCANO IN REVIEW
With Surplus Rifles Hitting the American Commercial
Market This Old Cartridge Is Popular Once Again!

I
nterest in an old 19th Century action, which fed from Mannlicher’s 6.5x52mm Modello 91, which was de-
Italian rifle cartridge, the 6.5x52mm en bloc clip system. This is a boon veloped by Salvatore Carcano of the
Parravicini-Carcano, has spiked in for collectors who enjoy all the little Turin Army Arsenal in 1890. A manu-
recent years due to a glut of surplus nuances of different models. ally-operated bolt-action repeater, it
rifles and carbines hitting the US com- The 6.5x52mm Carcano series of ri- has two horizontally opposed locking
mercial market. This old 6.5mm was fles, and carbines, served Italy through lugs and a simple hook extractor. The
fading into obscurity when Royal Tiger both World Wars along with a variety bolt design is extremely simple and
Imports (RoyalTigerImports.com) of colonial escapades. The first in the very easy to take-down and maintain
suddenly unearthed a wide variety of line was a long rifle designated the in the field. While the strength of
Italian Carcano rifles and carbines. the Carcano action has long been
Suddenly, surplus military rifles were called into question, they are actually
“back on the menu” and both shoot- robust, safe, and made of high-quality
ers and collectors snapped them up. steel. Loading is simple as it feeds
This, of course, led to interest in the from six-round en bloc clips, rather
cartridge they were chambered for, the than Mauser style stripper clips.
1891 vintage 6.5x52mm “Carcano.” Like other European countries, Italy
Growing up in the 1970s, I distinct- was driven to develop and adopt a mod-
ly remember surplus Italian rifles and ern smokeless powder rifle cartridge fol-
carbines, like French military rifles, lowing France’s fielding of their famous
taking a backseat in popularity to 8x50mmR “Lebel” in 1886. The Reale
most other countries. Many collectors Laboratorio Pirotecnico di Bologna
and shooters turned their noses up at (Royal Pyrotechnical Laboratory of
them. Times change, and I’m happy Bologna) was given the task to partic-
to see many enjoying this surprisingly ipate in the major arms race sweeping
diverse family of rifles and carbines. The 6.5x52mm Carcano cartridge the world. It’s interesting to note they
The Italians made an oddly large served through World War I, a number developed a number of cartridges for
of colonial wars, and through World
number of different models all based War II despite a 7.35x51mm cartridge evaluation ranging in bullet diameter
upon the basic M1891 Carcano being developed to replace it. from 6mm all the way up to 8mm.

24 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

MUSINGS FROM THE AMMO BUNKER

Unlike the 1897

vintage semi- TigerImports.com) offers new produc-
rimmed 6.5x50mmSR tion ammunition loaded with 0.268-
Arisaka, the inch bullets on their website loaded by
6.5x52mm Carcano
is a modern rimless Milsurp Munitions. Steinel Ammu-
design which feeds nition Co. (SteinelAmmo.com) offers
from Mannlicher a number of lead and jacketed loads,
six-round
en bloc clips. and Prvi Partizan (PPU-USA.com)
offers two loads. Norma (Norma-
Ammunition.com) offers cases and
some nice 0.264-inch hunting bullets.
Many, but not all, of the world’s ballistics was poor and their terminal On the downside, some individual
great powers went with cartridges performance proved lacking. specimens will shoot well with the
ranging from .30 caliber to 8mm. Combat after-action reports during factory ammunition and/or handloads
The US Navy and USMC fielded the fighting in Italian North Africa featuring common 0.264-inch projectiles
6mm Lee Navy, Japan adopted the (1924–1934), and later in the Second while others do not. Ammunition loaded
6.5x50mmSR Arisaka, Norway and Italo-Abyssinian War (1935–1936), with 0.267- or 0.268-inch projectiles may
Sweden fielded the 6.5x55mm Swede, indicated inadequate performance of provide tighter groups, but you have to
the Romanians, Dutch, and Portu- the standard 6.5x52mm ball cartridge. try it to find out. I suggest doing your re-
guese Navy adopted the 6.5x53mmR, Rather than taking the logical route search carefully before starting to hand-
and the Greeks adopted the and designing a modern spitzer load this caliber; it can be a bit more
6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schönauer. projectile to improve both the exterior complicated than others. Gain twist
The Spanish marched to their own and terminal ballistics, like other rifling, deep grooves, and what your
drum with their 7x57mm Mauser. An countries did, the Italians retained the rifle’s actual bore diameter and projectile
Italian ordnance officer, by the name outdated projectile design. While they diameter can all be factors in finding
of Major Antonio Benedetti, firmly attempted to field a new 7.35x51mm an accurate but safe load. I also suggest
felt the small-bores held an advantage cartridge, war overtook them and keeping your loads mild. However, that
and used his influence to see a 6.5mm the 6.5x52mm soldiered on with its doesn’t mean they can’t provide a great
cartridge adopted. obsolete 1891 vintage round nose deal of fun or put meat in the pot.
The rimless bottleneck cartridge projectile. Due to this the 6.5x52mm I find it interesting that when it
adopted by Italy in 1891 features a rim cartridge, unlike the 6.5x50mmSR comes to hunting, the 6.5x54mm
diameter of 0.451 and a base diameter Arisaka and 6.5x55mm Swede, never Mannlicher-Schönauer has a cult
of 0.449 inch. Case length is 2.067 attained its potential performance. following and is known as an “ele-
inches with a shoulder diameter of phant slayer” while the 6.5x52mm
0.431 of an inch and a neck diameter Carcano is looked down upon. Yet,
of 0.297 of an inch. Bullet diameter they are surprisingly similar. Even with
should be noted as its 0.267 of an inch its sedate velocity, when teamed with
rather than 0.264 of an inch like most good modern expanding projectiles,
6.5mms. Overall cartridge length is the 6.5x52mm Carcano is an effective
3.012 inches and maximum pressure is white-tail cartridge inside 200 yards.
41,340 PSI. The original load drove a This cartridge can handle a variety of
162-grain jacketed round nose projec- bullet weights with 140-grains perhaps
tile at approximately 2,300 fps from being the sweet spot. Heavier 156-grain
While 6.5x52mm Carcano ammunition
the M91’s 30.7 inch long barrel. When is not as plentiful as I would like, there expanding bullets (or heavier) provide
fired from a shorter barreled carbine, are a number of loads available like deep penetration, just as they do with
velocity dropped to the 2,170 fps range. this 139-grain FMJ from Prvi Partizan/ the Mannlicher-Schönauer.
PPU. (Photo courtesy of PPU)
The projectile adopted was a very I have a Fucile di Fanteria Mod.
long for caliber 162-grain round 91/41 in very nice shape, which I enjoy
nose design. While the G1 ballistic For the collector and shooter today, shooting. With its 27.2-inch barrel,
coefficient for this design was fair- the 6.5x52mm Carcano offers a lot of it is handier than the original M91
ly low, at approximately 0.275, the fun. It is at home both on the range while having greater velocity than the
sectional density was quite high at and in the hunting field. On the plus short barrel carbines. With the large
approximately 0.330. The full metal side factory loaded ammunition, number of Carcano rifles now on the
jacket projectiles were capable of components, dies and data are readily market, I hope we see more factory
deep penetration, but their exterior available. Royal Tiger Imports (Royal loads become available.

26 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

IN HUSHED TONES By Patrick Sweeney | Suppressors

The old SOCOM556-RC,

SUREFIRE’S
getting a workout on the
state LE patrol rifle course.

THE YARDSTICK
O
K, first things first. Yes, it is tor. Okay, it depends on
called the SOCOM556 because their proprietary muzzle
it is listed in the government device, but so do a lot of
inventory as an issuable item. Surefire others. The trick here is
has been making the SOCOM556 line simple: the Surefire muzzle
for quite a few years now, and they are device (they make several
determined to satisfy their clients, who versions of it) has a short
The new RC3, top,
are (for the most part) the bearded collar at the rear. The collar acts in tan, compared to
gents who work in dusty places. As a as the locking flange, and its front the old RC, in black.
result, the Surefire approach emphasiz- face has a bevel machined into it.
es some details over others. First of all, On the bottom of the mount there is a
the SOCOM556-RC3, like its prede- small tab. The rear of the SOCOM556
cessors, will be a tad on the heavy side (and the other calibers and model des-
for their size. At just over six-inches ignations from Surefire) is an off-center
long, and seventeen ounces, you know rotating collar. Start with the collar
just from hefting it that the insides are rotated open, as it should be that way
The RC3 (left) has a deeper front cap
filled with heavy-duty goodness. since it last left the rifle. As you slide the exhaust opening, and the appearance
That means high-temperature alloys SOCOM556 onto the muzzle mount, lets you easily tell one from the other.
such as Inconel, along with various rotate it until a slot in the SOCOM556
steels. Which ones? How much? Where? lets the little tab on the mount slip in.
Really, you expect Surefire to just lay That indexes your SOCOM556. Then The mounting system is fast and
it all out for you? No, they have trade press all the way back and rotate the secure, and by using the indexing tab,
and engineering secrets that they won’t collar. The ratchet will clickety-click as the silencer is mounted the same way
even tell me, but I don’t mind. the off-center collar now rotates its edge every time. Now, this does require that
The Surefire mounting system is, in behind the flange, locking the SOCOM the mount be secured to your barrel in
the suppressor world, the apex preda- onto the mount. a proper manner, but that is something

28 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

IN HUSHED TONES

The rear cap, the mount assembly

with the notch for
indexing on
the mount,
are clearly
visible.

Surefire also covers. The mounts come

with spacer washers, Rocksett goo and
an indexing wheel along with instruc- When you get a Surefire mount, they leave nothing to chance. Washers, wrench,
tions. Clean the threads, spin the mount instructions, Rocksett, and more.
on, see what the indexing wheel tells
you, add washers as needed and try
again, and once correct then disassem- though I’m not a piston advocate) an inch longer, by the way) is done in
ble. Degrease, add Rocksett, assemble, because that was the one advantage tan Cerakote, and the locking ring is a
torque up (in the instructions) and leave piston-driven rifles offered; less gas. slightly different shade.
it alone for a day. My earlier SOCOM, a fourteen- A quick magnet test tells me that
This is all well and good, but why the year-old RC (no numeral) looks the ring is steel, but the body of the
“3” in the RC3? Simple. As good as the pretty much like the RC3 next to it, RC3, and the RC, is not attracted to
previous generations of the SOCOM556 with a few minor cosmetic differences. a magnet. Hmm, this would indicate
were, there were drawbacks. I am lucky Peering in the mount area, they have that Surefire makes the whole silencer,
enough to have a previous generation made some changes to the blast baffle, except for the locking ring, out of
SOCOM556 one hand. I have had it but otherwise it appears the same. On Inconel and other non-ferrous metals.
parked on an SBR for most of that the exit, the exit hole of the RC-3 is No wonder it is a tad portly, as Inconel
time, used as a loaner in LE patrol rifle larger, and the front cap has a decided has some 9% greater density than steel.
classes, and pounded mercilessly in depth to it. I would be fascinated to The muzzle devices for the
classes, practice and drills. It has never see the computer modeling of the gas SOCOM556 are an interesting set.
failed, never given problems, and never flow dynamics, but alas, that is highly There are three- and four-prong flash
been anything but good. But. It, like so unlikely. (And even if it happens, I’d hiders. There’s the Warcomp, and the
many earlier designs, pushed enough no-doubt be sworn to secrecy about Warcomp Sport. Well, the Sport isn’t a
gas back that “suppressor face” was it.) My old one is black, with the mount for a suppressor, but it is a very
something to be aware of. It spends rotating collar the same black shade. effective comp and flash hider combo.
most of its time on a piston gun, (even The RC3 sent (which is an eighth of For them that wants them, there are
a similar pair of pure comps, one a
mount and one not. The Warcomp is
a special beast. Most comps dampen
recoil by blasting the shooter next
to you, and they are usually flash
enhancers. Flash hiders do nothing to
dampen felt recoil (with some modi-
fied A2 flash hiders as exceptions) but
they do kill flash. What Surefire has

The tab on the

mount to slip
into the indexing
slot in the
SOCOM556.

The indexing wheel, so you can use the correct washer to set your mount ready
for the proper amount of torque.

30 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

IN HUSHED TONES

The old mount

that the new RC3
fits right on. It’s
carboned-up, but
you can see the
tab, the collar,
and there are
even wrench flats
in case you don’t
want to use the The new RC3, settled in on the SBR, ready for the next
Surefire-supplied series of LE Patrol Rifle classes. Now even quieter, and with
wrench. less (or no) gas.
The Warcomp, showing the gas ports to
dampen muzzle rise. How do you know
this is government-approved? There’s a
National Stock Number right on it.

done with the Warcomp is to make a

combo that kills flash and dampens
upward rotation due to recoil, without
being flashy. It doesn’t seem to do as
much for the rearwards component of
recoil, but who cares? You’re getting
two out of the three things you want,
Surefire has banks and banks of machines, precision-producing all their products.
when you are shooting unsuppressed.
Off to the range, I tried the RC on
the SBR. (An equally old LWRCI and weeks of low-light shooting with of gas, I have the perfect candidate (and
piston model) yep, shoot it left-handed various loads under all kinds of con- pairing) to conduct the next test: cyclic
and I can sniff the whiffs of gas and ditions, something the boss isn’t going rate. The range I can shoot select-fire
other evil components of smokeless to give the okay to (budget-wise), so on won’t be available for a bit, so be
powder combustion, but not a lot. I I’ll have to take their word for it. Since patient, but when it is, I’ll be checking
have to admit, the piston helps here. On they were spot-on regarding the gas what the decreased back pressure of
a DI gun (which I don’t have a Surefire reduction, I’ll go with that. Oh, and the RC-3 does to cyclic rate. I suspect,
mount on, but that will soon change) they did all this extra goodness while not add to it much, if at all, but the
the gas is often oppressive, even more taking an ounce off of the weight of numbers then will tell. Until then, get
so with other brands of silencers. Some my RC, 17 oz. vs. the 18 oz. of my old yourself a Surefire SOCOM556-RC3,
even-older non-Surefire designs leave one. And the RC3 is backwards-com- and be happy.
your face blackened from the gases. patible to all the earlier mounts, so if
On went the RC3. Pop a few rounds, you have (like me) an ancient setup, SOCOM556-RC3
and I had to stop. Where’s the gas? No the new RC3 will fit right on. SPECIFICATIONS
gas, so I went on for the day having Which leads me to two things. One,
OAL: 6.3 in.
fun and not breathing the fumes of the price of the SOCOM556-RC3
Net Added Length: 3.8 in.
the underworld. Once home, I checked seems a little on the high side, if you
the info, and I found I had kinda-sorta compare it to “Bob’s Gun Muffler” Diameter: 1.5 in.
elided over the spec data. Surefire says silencers. Which is like comparing the Material: Aluminum,
the RC3 has 60% less back pressure sticker price of an econobox sedan stainless steel
than the RC2. Since I was shooting to a tough-as-nails SUV. The entry Weight: 17 oz.
and comparing the RC3 to an RC, I price of the Surefire SOCOM556-RC3 Finish: Cerakote,
was a generation behind even that. (guys, you couldn’t have come up with black, or tan
Where I had been expecting a great a more-compact name, to go with your Calibers Available: 5.56
diminution of gas I had been thinking very compact suppressor?) gets you a Full-Auto Rated: Yes
RC3-to-RC2, not 3 to none. The Sure- lifetime product. Go ahead and invest
Mount System Surefire QD
fire info, and my conversations with in multiple mounts, and swap it from Available: mount system
the experts there, also proudly offers rifle to rifle, the RC3 isn’t going to care.
MSRP: $1,799
up better first-round flash reduction, This is a suppressor with a service life
and that’s a good thing when you need measured in barrels, not round-counts. Contact: Surefire.com,
(800) 828-8809
it. Testing that would require weeks And now that I’ve seen and felt the lack

32 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 I ‘Bearly’ Made It Out Alive
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NFA COLLECTING By Will Dabbs, MD

THE M-10
SUBMACHINE

The MAC-10 is one of the

most common privately-

I
owned automatic
t was a crisp February Tuesday in in Jackson who operated out of his weapons in America.
1987 in the Mississippi Delta. I auto body shop. It had taken months That’s not because
it is a particularly
recall that the sky was clear, and of toil to accumulate the $650 purchase great gun. It was
the weather was pretty. It was my 21st price along with the onerous $200 trans- just available at
birthday, and I was finally legal. fer tax. Three months of fevered waiting the right time.

I’ve never smoked a cigarette, and later, my best friend and I drove the 2.5
I don’t know what beer tastes like. hours down to Jackson to pick it up. I
None of that stuff ever held much got him to drive on the way home, just
allure for me. However, I was still so I could drool over it. That pre-owned Model 6, an open bolt .45ACP SMG
nonetheless rabid to turn 21. That was MAC-10 was the gateway drug to a life- with vaguely Thompson-esque lines.
the day I could drop the Form 4 for time’s worth of chasing these things. The Model 6 was built around an
my first registered machinegun. inexpensive drawn steel receiver and
Back then you had to get the local Origin Story sported a curious two-stage fire selector
chief law enforcement officer to sign The M-10 was the brainchild of the built into the trigger akin to that of
off. I presented to his office at 0800. legendary Gordon Ingram while in the Steyr AUG assault rifle. The M-6
This was a small town, and he was a the employ of the Military Armament found some modest success with police
family friend. After a little unrelated Corporation. The company never departments and prisons, but the SMG
small talk, I got the signatures. I drove used the term “MAC-10.” We gun market was saturated back then. 23,000
straight from there to the post office. geeks came up with that. copies were produced over three years
I had purchased the gun, a lightly- Ingram was a WW2 veteran and a before the gun burned itself out. How-
used RPB M-10 in 9mm, a couple gifted gun designer. His first commer- ever, the Model 6 laid the foundation
months before from a Class III dealer cially-successful effort was the Ingram for Gordon Ingram’s masterwork.

M-10 SMG
Ingram began work on the M-10 in
1964. His intention was to produce a
reliable, compact, pistol-caliber sub-
machine gun as cheaply as possible.
The original M-10 was offered in
either 9mm Para or .45ACP. It
incorporated some remarkably
prescient engineering for its day.
For starters, the M-10 fired from the
open bolt via advanced primer ignition.
The Military Armament Corporation The bolt telescoped over the barrel in
originally produced the M-10 sub-
machine gun with an eye toward the manner of the Uzi, the most-
winning military contracts. produced submachine gun in history

34 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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The Military Armament Corporation M-10 was niche, you really shouldn’t be able to
the culmination of a lifetime’s worth of effort find an M-10 outside of a museum.
for Gordon Ingram. It represented the state
of the art at the time of its introduction. The MAC company tried and failed
to sell the M-10 to the US Army as a
replacement for its aging M1911A1
pistols. Thank the Lord they were
not successful. There’s no telling how
many defingered former Army Pri-
vates would be wandering about had
they pulled that one off.
MAC filed for bankruptcy in
December of 1975, and their assets
were liquidated at the most epic gun
auction in human history. One pallet
of one hundred M-10 submachine
with more than ten million copies MAC, and you’ll never do it again. guns sold for $600. Tragically, I was
in service. The MAC magazine fed On rock and roll, the gun is both fast nine years old at the time. Sigh…
through the pistol grip, and the gun was and vigorous. The trigger rates a solid RPB Industries rose from the ashes
selective fire via a rotating lever on the decent. Lean into it, always run the and sold a pile of M-10 SMGs using
front left of the receiver. The end result gun with the stock deployed, and pay original MAC parts until they also went
was heavy at 6.3 pounds empty, but it attention to the trigger. Do so, and you defunct. Smaller companies located in
collapsed down to a paltry 11.6 inches. can keep your rounds on a pie plate at New Jersey, and Stephensville, Texas,
across-the-room ranges so long as you sold a few as well. Nowadays, the price
Trigger Time limit your bursts to four or five rounds. of a MAC is driven by its parentage.
The M-10 is indeed an acquired Anything past that is just going to MAC SMGs were available and very
taste. Little about the gun is comfort- ventilate the countryside. The MAC cheap during the critical years prior
able, though it has a certain undeni- is, however, a blast to shoot so long as to the accursed 1986 machinegun ban.
able sex appeal. The front sight is a you have plenty of ammo. The M-10 subsequently formed the
pressed steel tab. The rear is a hole foundational bedrock of the quirky
drilled through the back of the frame. Hitting Above Its Weight world of transferable machineguns in
They’re just there for looks. You fire a The M-10 is really a specialist’s America. Most everybody who is into
MAC simply by aiming roughly over weapon, not a general-purpose SMG. this ungodly expensive hobby starts
the top of the gun and paying close This nifty little bullet hose should have with a “MAC.” Editor-in-Chief of
attention to trigger control. come and gone without making much Firearms News, Vincent L. DeNiro,
On semiauto, the open-bolt design is of a splash. Original production run did and bought two used consecu-
clunky and awkward. Fire maybe three wrapped up in the 70’s. Given its narrow tive serial-numbered RPB M-10 sub
rounds on semiauto out of a full auto

The M-10 was designed to be inexpensive and From left to right we have the
easy to mass produce. As much of the gun as 9mm M-10, the .380ACP M-11,
possible was formed from steel stampings. and the .45ACP M-10.

36 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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NFA COLLECTING

The original 2-stage SIONICS suppressor,

shown here on a .45ACP M-10, required
wipes for optimal performance but was
exceptionally effective. State Department
regulations preventing the exportation of
The 9MM these sound suppressors diminished
M-10 shoots foreign sales of the M-10 and helped
REALLY fast. doom the company.

machineguns in 1988, both came

The M-10 is with Cobray two-stage suppressors.
fairly effective… The price? Only $500 each WITH the
at close range silencers included (he was licensed
with appropriately
disciplined dealer at the time).
technique. Original Powder Springs MACs are
the most desirable, followed closely by
the RPB parts guns. The Jersey and
Texas MACs are at the bottom of the
The M-10 is
best utilized food chain. However, a cheap Rolls
with a sound Royce still costs a fortune. According
suppressor in to MachinegunPriceGuide.com, as of
place and the
buttstock the 2nd quarter 2024, actual selling
extended. prices for MAC-10 SMGs ranged
from a low of $8,200 to a high of
$15,800. They averaged about $12,500.
Prices on transferable machineguns
never go down. They will be more
expensive by the time you read these
words. Second only to my wife, that
$650 MAC I bought back in 1987 has
turned out to be the arguably best
investment I have ever made.

The MAC saga spans several different manufacturers. This 9mm RPB version was built from parts obtained at the 1975
MAC auction. Note that the RPB overstamp is not terribly well executed.

38 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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40 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025
A Collaboration Between Century Arms and Sharps Brothers

C
entury Arms collaboration with Sharps Later, they worked with demilled parts kits and
Bros. is called MB47. It’s as old fashioned some American components. MB47 is an effort
an AK as it gets in one way—the milled to make an all-American AK47 that would
steel receiver, but as modern as possible in others beat the original in performance. In case of
such as the side rail and Ultimak Picatinny gas the USSR, ammunition and barrel quality was
tube offering many optics mounting options. such that the extra rigidity of the receiver didn’t
While USSR replaced the milled AK47 with the produce much of an accuracy benefit. That fit
stamped AKM as soon as they figured out the fine with the Soviet military doctrine, in which
technology, countries like Yugoslavia continued AK47 was originally considered a more powerful
to manufacture both. Stamped rifles and light submachine gun rather than a rifle replacement.
machine guns were for the mainstream troops, American shooters have better ammo available,
while more rigid milled receivers formed the along with better optics.
basis for specialist sniper rifles like the M76. The rifle comes with a free-floated MLOK
In the US, Sharps Bros. manufactures milled forend, 30-round polymer magazine, and a
receivers for shooters who like their AKs to be a grooveless grip, all by US Palm. Adjustable
little more accurate. The thickness of the black stock is by Magpul, the muzzle compensator
phosphated billet receiver doesn’t just benefit was internally developed by Century. Ultimak
optics mounting and mechanical accuracy, it also rail completed the ensemble. At 8.4 pounds, the
permits incorporating QD sockets. Originally, rifle is hefty even with lightening contouring on
Century Arms imported military surplus AKs. the receiver. Once side optics rail and LPVO are

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 41

MB47, CLASSIC AK MEETS MODERNITY

MB47 has the classic AK47 look and feel.

added, the total is over ten pounds, but most of the weight
is towards the back. This makes for a very stable shooting muzzle. The one unusual component is the bolt carrier,
platform and low felt recoil. Khyber Customs flat-faced with a cutaway top for weight reduction.
two-stage RAK-1 trigger breaks at five pounds, with While the 16¼-inch chrome-lined barrel isn’t light in
sufficient crispness for accuracy. Going with a red dot profile, it is fluted for weight reduction and increased cool-
on the forend saves weight but shifts balance towards the ing surface. The standard 5/8x24 muzzle threading gives
plentiful options in brakes, sound suppressors, and flash
hiders, the included compensator is efficient for controlled
rapid fire, not overly concussive, and doesn’t vent flames
The thickness upward. It does project a rather noticeable fireball forward
of the black- though. Low-bore axis, compared to other AK models,
phosphated billet also improves control when shooting fast. Felt recoil is
receiver doesn’t
just benefit already minimal, and ejection is as energetic as expected
optics mounting from this platform: about six feet forward and right. While
and mechanical standard AK graduated rear sight is included, the front
accuracy, it also
incorporates sight is part of the gas block, gaining robustness at the
QD sockets. expense of sight radius. Considering
the preeminence of optics, shorter
sight radius might be a small sacrifice
for the more robust backup sighting
system. For faster and more accurate
shooting, I tried a variety of red dot
sights. Low profile varieties, like the
Aimpoint T series, is definitely a win
here. For real accuracy testing,
magnified optics were needed.
Originally, I tried a Hi-Lux 1-4x
scope with BDC for 7.62x39. That
design sports a useful range finding
reticle for 7.62x39, and it’s modestly
sized. Unfortunately, I ran out of
windage adjustment to the left before
The rifle comes
with a free-floated achieving zero. For physically larger
MLOK forend. LPVO scopes, like Vudu 1-6x FFP,
medium height rings are needed for
the zoom ring to cleat the dust cover.

42 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

A grooveless grip and 30-round polymer

magazine, both from US Palm.

The Magpul DT carbine stock is compatible with a

raised cheek rest needed for a consistent sight picture. I
ended up approaching accuracy testing brute force style
with a Meopta 6-24x precision scope zoomed all the way setup—with high magnification and adjustable focus for
in. This isn’t how I would run this rifle in the field, but this parallax-free sighting—makes it unlikely that any reticle
misalignment would affect my groups.
In my recent tests with other 7.62x39 rifles, I’ve seen
very inconsistent results due to ammunition quality. An
excellent CZ527 bolt action rifle gave drastically bigger
groups than several years prior. I’ve seen AK and vz58
rifles give wildly differing groups from shot string to shot

The muzzle
This adjustable compensator was
stock is by Magpul. developed by
Century Arms.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 43

MB47, CLASSIC AK MEETS MODERNITY

An Ultimak rail completes the ensemble. The robust Warsaw Pact standard optic rail.

The one unusual

component is the
bolt carrier with a
cutaway top for
weight reduction.

The Khyber Customs flat-faced two-stage RAK-1 trigger

breaks at five pounds.
comfortable. Here’s how different ammunition stacked up
fired from a bench at 100 yards:
string. Fired off a sandbag, MB47 proved pleasantly Considering the results from a typical AKM hover in the
consistent. The trigger was good enough to facilitate small 4–5MOA range, a shade over 1.5MOA with budget-priced
groups, though the reset was more noticeable than I found ball ammunition is quite respectable. That, in itself, justifies

44 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

Videographer Daria Melnikova fires a flashy shot.

Rear sight is graduated for

AKM sight radius, so longer-
range settings would hit Front sight integrated into
Ejection pattern is consistently forward and right. higher than marked. the gas block.

the extra weight and cost of the milled

receiver. In addition to being more
accurate than others, Belom was also
slightly hotter, impacting about an
inch above the others at 100 yards.
Earlier, I fired other ammunition from
prone at 70 yards, with the following
results. The results were consistent
with the more formal bench testing.
• Bulgarian-made Global
Ordnance lacquered steel case
shot very consistently at 2.5"

A 1-6x Vudu Scope on a

RS Regulate side mount.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 45

MB47, CLASSIC AK MEETS MODERNITY

CENTURY ARMS MB47 AT 100 YARDS

Load Group 1 (in.) Group 2 (in.) Group 3 (in.) Average (in.)

Igman 123-Grain FMJ 3.4 3.1 3.5 3.33

Belom 123-Grain FMJ 1.75 1.8 1.05 1.54
My bench setup for testing with
Federal Fusion 123-Grain JSP 1.9 3.4 2.8 3.1
Benchmaster X-block support.

Best Groups from Each: Igman 123-Grain FMJ. Belom 123-Grain FMJ. Federal Fusion 123-Grain JSP.

(3.6MOA), perfectly respectable for and right side of the magazine print fairly
the price. tight but distinct groups. Each group is 1MOA
• Winchester white box with PPU or tighter, but the two groups are offset from
headstamp and red-sealed primers each other enough to push the overall spread
shot 1.75" (2.5MOA). to 3MOA or more. This has to do with car-
• PPU blue box FMJ shot 1.75" (2.5MOA). tridge alignment in the chamber resulting from
Considering the origins, it’s no surprise that the relatively loose lockup of the two bolt lugs,
the two loads showed similar performance. and it’s likely that
• Wolf polymer coated ball shot 3" (4.3MOA), physically wider cases Standard AK
bolt face.
decent for that load but obviously the least and bullets are less
accurate of the lot. susceptible to this
• Federal Fusion soft point shot 2.3" (3.3MOA), issue. Using a single-
a bit of a surprise considering near-match past row magazine,
performance. Federal ammunition showed a such as a drum,
prominent example of a typical AK accuracy removes this
problem in which ammunition from the left phenomenon.

46 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

The free floated forend stayed cool throughout the range

sessions and proved rigid enough for mounting lasers.

Enhanced safety has

a notch for manual
bolt hold-open.

Drum magazines lock in and work well.

The MB47
magazine
As a more practical test, I shot Federal Fusion at a release.
hostage and perp steel target set at 105 yards. All five shots
impacted close to the center of “hostage taker” head. The CENTURY ARMS MB47 RIFLE
rifle, properly sighted and carefully aimed, can be used for Action Type: Semi-automatic, Long-stroke piston
consistent silhouette hits to the limit of the cartridge effec- Cartridge: 7.62x39mm
tiveness at 300 yards. Free float rail combined with rigid re- Magazine: One 30-Round US Palm included
ceiver means the gun may be mounted on a bipod without (any standard AK-type magazine)
point of impact deflection typical of RPK solution. Barrel Length: 16.25 in.
Everything about the rifle other than the safety is easy.
Muzzle: Threaded 5/8x24, with Chevron
The safety lever required a substantial effort to move on Compensator
or off but should be adjustable for tension once taken off
Overall Length: 35–38 in.
the rifle. The flapper magazine release is comfortable, so
are the stock and the pistol grip. Mechanically, I and the Receiver: Milled steel
other shooters have had zero malfunctions shooting a wide Weight: 8.4 lbs.
variety of steel and brass cased ammunition during testing Sights: Front: Adjustable post,
and photoshoots. With the rifle intended more for short- Rear: Range Adjustable to 800m
range self-defense than paper-punching, MB47 weight and Finish: Black
compensator combine for a very flat-shooting rifle suitable Origin: Made in USA
for effective rapid fire. Reliability has been 100% with every MSRP: $1,699.99
kind of fodder I fed this weapon. It’s what you would
Contact: CenturyArms.com
expect from an AK, right?

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 47

 The empty has just gotten
started leaving the TWC
Black, and the muzzle is barely
up, yet recoil is all done. This
is a fun pistol to shoot.

THE JACOB GREY By Patrick Sweeney

TWC BLACK PISTOL

Bond Should Have Been So Lucky

W
hat used to be a competition pistol is now the the manufacturing process. The JG TWC Black (and the
hottest thing in everyday carry pistols. That is, a other Jacob Grey models) uses a dual-assembly lower, and
1911-based double-stack magazine-fed 9mm a 1911-like upper slide assembly. The slide first.
pistol with a red-dot on top. The Jacob Grey TWC Black The commander-length slide and its barrel are given a
is just such a pistol, and if you are willing to pack the black nitride finish. This comes after the slide has been
weight (admittedly, not that much) you can have it all. machined with a set of aggressive cocking serrations, fore
Okay, construction. It should be a familiar setup by and aft, that provide a secure grip for working the slide.
now, but there are still shooters who are unfamiliar with The slide also has suppressor-height iron sights on it, the

50 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

The Jacob Grey TWC Black is a The TWC Black has an ambi
full-featured double-stack 1911 thumb safety, and single-sided
in 9mm, which is like saying the everything else, appropriate on
Mona Lisa is a nice painting. a 1911-based pistol.

better to clear the base of which red-

dot optic you mount on it. Oh, and the
TWC Black comes with plates for all the popular optics.
The barrel is a bull barrel, so there’s no bushing out front,
and the stainless steel of the barrel has been given its own
black nitride finish, to match the slide and frame.
Since there is no bushing, and the barrel fits the interior
of the slide up front, the recoil spring assembly is held in
by means of a reverse plug. That is, the retainer doesn’t get
assembled from the front, as you would with a 1911 using
a barrel bushing. To explain, I’ll go through the disassem-
bly first, not later. Unload. Lock the slide back, push the The frontstrap is lifted, and the trigger guard relieved, so
slide stop pin out, and then remove the slide assembly your hand gets as high as possible on the firing grip.
from the frame. Usually, on reverse-plug setups with a
guide rod, you have to fish a bent paperclip tip in under
the barrel and snag the tip of it into the hole drilled in the
guide rod. Well, the TWC Black does things differently.
The guide rod has a spring-loaded and hinged lever. Push
the guide rod to compress the spring, then press the lever
to turn it cross-ways to the rod. Now, while holding the
lever open, ease the rod back. (This will take some practice
to do it without slamming parts into each other.) When the
rod moves back enough to bear on the lever, it stops. The
recoil spring is now captured, and you can proceed to the
rest of the disassembly. The metal frame has an accessory rail machined into it, in
This is a clever setup, and it means you can disassemble case you want a light or laser there.
the TWC Black whenever and wherever, and not be in a
fix if you have forgotten your paperclip. On reassembly
push the guide rod forward a small amount. Once it stops
bearing on the guide rod disassembly lever, the spring in
the assembly will pop the lever back flush with the rod,
and you’re good to go. This is such a clever setup I can see
custom pistolsmiths already scheming to knock off their
own copy.
The frame is a two-piece assembly. The rails and firing
mechanism section is a steel rail that has been machined to
be the upper half of a 1911 frame. The rail/frame section
provides a place for the slide to cycle, and the barrel to be The slide is machined for red-dot optics, just remove the
linked down and back up again, and the steel frame is also filler plate and get to work mounting the dot of your choice.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 51

THE JACOB GREY TWC BLACK PISTOL

The aluminum
grip assembly,
bolted to the The Jacob Grey TWC Black comes
metal frame, is with double-stack magazines of the
checkered for a 2011 pattern, but better.
non-slip grip.

slotted for the integrally-ramped barrel to have clearance.

This part of the pistol has to be metal, as polymer just isn’t
Made by Checkmate, the up to the task yet. Someday some clever chemist will come
magazines do not (like in the
old days) require tuning to up with a formula that permits it, but until then we still
run 100%. have steel. And on the TWC Black, the rail is
aluminum, not that you could tell just by look-
ing at it. Jacob Grey machines this from a billet
of 7075 aluminum. At the rear, the rail section
contains the hammer, sear, disconnector and
thumb safety, all kept in place by the grip safety.
So far, all very 1911-like.
One change from the originals (1911 and
2011) is the forward part of the frame. There,
Jacob Grey machines the frame to include
an accessory rail. Now the interesting thing
about this is that the dimensions of the rail are
greater than the customary width of the frame.
So, Jacob Grey continues the width of the rail
There is no bushing up front. The
barrel is a bull barrel, and locks directly back behind the slide stop pin hole, to provide
to the slide at the muzzle end. greater width at that point. The 1911 never had
problems with the slide stop pin sidewalls being

There are adapter

plates (with rear
sights built in) for
common red-dots,
with the installa-
tion screws and
instructions.

The recoil spring

assembly uses
a reverse plug
design, required
because of the
lack of a bushing.

52 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

To remove the recoil Then press the small

too thin, but the extra width covers spring, push the lever to engage the
the interior end of the recoil spring whole assembly guide rod lock, and
tunnel. That’s a place it is not at all forward. the spring will
be captured.
uncommon to see high-mileage 1911s
cracked. Not gonna happen here,
that’s for sure. The extra thickness on
the left side continues back to and
around the slide stop lever, so both
sides get support in that prone-to-
cracking area. Below that, where the
stresses are not nearly so great, the
frame is a reinforced polymer shell
that is bolted to the aluminum rail section. The stainless
bolts are given their own Black Nitride finish, to match the
rest of the pistol. The polymer portion holds the trigger,
magazine catch and magazine. It also contains the main-
spring housing, which drives the hammer.
The end result of this construction, as we have known
about now for some 30 years, is that there is no need for a
set of grips. The housing is strong enough to hold the mag-
azine, and can be sculpted to be a good grip and not be
You can remove the assembly from the slide and clean it
bulk. The generic term for this is now a “2011” but Jacob and the rest of the TWC Black without springs launching
Grey goes beyond the original. themselves across the room.
The original grip of the design was boxy, square, one
could even call it “two-by-fourish” and not be far off the
mark. The Jacob Grey TWC Black (all the JG models) compare to (it was quite common to attack the grip
has softened edges on the grip, and the result is a lot with a belt sander, back in the day) and the JG TWC is
friendlier to your hands than the old ones. I have some a marked improvement. The grip gets a full wrap-around
oldies, and I haven’t modified them so I’ll have originals to textured pattern.

Once apart, cleaning is easy, and the only small part you risk losing is the Recoil is soft (it’s a 9mm after all) and the sights
slide stop. So don’t lose it. come right back on target.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 53

THE JACOB GREY TWC BLACK PISTOL

JACOB GREY FIREARMS TWC BLACK

CHRONOGRAPH AND ACCURACY DATA
Ammunition Best / Avg
Bullet Velocity
ES SD Group
Weight (gr.) (fps)
(in.)
Black Hills
100 1,264 35 14.6 1.5 / 1.2
Honey Badger
SIG FMJ 115 1,185 23 11.6 1.7 / 1.4
American Eagle
124 990 26 10.9 1.8 / 1.6
Suppressor FMJ
Hornady Critical Duty 135 1,026 23 10.5 1.5 / 1.3
CCI/Speer Gold Dot 147 957 24 10.4 1.7 / 1.5
Accuracy results were to be averages of three, five-shot groups at 25
yards off a Champion shooting rest. Velocities are averages of 10 shots
measured on a Labradar chronograph set to read 15 feet from the muzzle.

The Jacob Grey TWC Black delivered consistent

and excellent results.

Hornady can always be counted on for excellent accuracy.

All-copper bullets are the hot thing (even if they aren’t new)
and the TWC Black delivers the Honey Badger bullets into
tight groups.
The grip also has the area behind the trigger guard
deeply relieved, so even those of you with short fingers
The frame has the bottom of the mag well flared for can reach the trigger without having to reach around the
faster reloads, aided by the taper of the double-stack corner. The grip is relieved in a small groove on the left
magazines that come with it. The bottom of the trigger side leading to the magazine release button, again so you’ll
guard has been lifted and sculpted, so your hand can get have clearance to reach there as well.
as high as possible on the frame. The thumb safety is an The rear of the TWC has an ambi thumb safety and a grip
ambidextrous one, with levers on both sides of the frame, safety as one would expect on a 1911-based pistol. The thumb
so left-handers are going to be fine with it. The trigger safety is nicely fitted, with a distinct click up and down. I
guard on the TWC Black is squared, but this is more for found the right-side lever to be tapered enough that it cleared
appearance than anything else. Squared trigger guards my hand. Longtime readers will be familiar with my pecu-
were the hot thing in IPSC competition back in the 1970s. liar grip, developed back about the time Jimmy Carter was
(Yes, back when we were dancing during the Bicentennial considering the wisdom of wearing a cardigan on TV. My
to Wild Cherry and “Play that funky music.” Shudder.) right knuckle rides so high on the frame that some wide-lever
We also quickly learned that it didn’t help, and those of us ambis don’t clear my hand. You won’t have that problem here.
who hadn’t too-deeply built the grip, left our finger off the The trigger is flat, and is about medium in length, so
front of the trigger guard. But it sure looks good, doesn’t again, no problems here for most of you. As an interesting
it? The companion pistol, the TWC 9, has a rounded trig- detail, Jacob Grey machines the trigger as one piece out of
ger guard, if that’s the way you roll. aluminum. Called the CRT, or controlled radius trigger, it

54 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

FALCO HOLSTERS LOW RIDE OWB (FALCOHOLSTERS.COM)

Falco makes an
excellent holster Once holstered, the TWC Black has
(they all are) for the hammer held back, and the trigger
the TWC Black. The covered, as all proper
thumb-break strap is holsters must.
not a problem at all
for speed in an
EDC holster.

N ot everyone likes to have a holster that sucks the pistol up to,

or sometimes it seems, into your side. And, those of us with
long arms often find that a hi-riding holster makes it tough to
draw smoothly. Some holsters, it seems as if I’m going to have to
yank the back of the list right up into my armpit to clear leather.
Or kydex. The Falco Low Ride OWB solves both of those problems. The belt loops are part of the
back of the holster, and while
It sits just a bit out from the body, and there’s just enough drop not adjustable, the whole back can be
that my long arms don’t have to be nearly-dislocated to get the replaced, should you feel the need.
pistol out.

eliminates the need to pin or epoxy a trigger face to the then it stops. Three pounds, nine ounces later the hammer
trigger bow. Now, when it comes time to plunk down the falls, with a minimum of overtravel. There’s a positive reset,
credit card and spend this much on a semi-custom pistol, the so those who work on that can count on it.
trigger snob in all of us comes to the forefront. When you are
putting the cost of as much as fifteen cases of practice ammo
into buying one pistol, you expect a nice trigger. No, a superb
JACOB GREY FIREARMS TWC BLACK PISTOL
trigger. Jacob Grey does not disappoint in the TWC Black.
Type: Hammer-fired semi-automatic
The promised weight is three-and-a-half pounds, and my
gauge measured it at three pounds, nine ounces. That’s close Caliber: 9mm
enough for me, and the best part is that it behaved exactly as Capacity: 17+1 rounds
we expect a top-end 1911 trigger to behave: a clean take-up, Barrel: 4.25 in.
Overall Length: 7.75 in.
Weight: 30 oz.
SOURCES Finish: Black Nitride & black anodized
Black Hills Ammunition, Black-hills.com, (605) 348-5150 Grips: n/a
Hornady Ammunition, Hornady.com, (800) 338-3220 Sights: Fixed front & rear
SIG Sauer, SIGSauer.com, (603) 610-3000 Trigger: 3 lbs. 9 oz.
Federal Ammunition, FederalPremium.com, (800) 831-8100 MSRP: $2,999
Falco Holsters, FalcoHolsters.com, (800) 490-7147 Contact: JacobGreyFirearms.com, (888) 877-7212

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 55

 The Colt 607 saw limited
combat use in Vietnam
in the mid-1960’s. It was
a steppingstone toward
greater things to come.

THE COLT MODEL 607

CARBINE
By Will Dabbs, MD
The DIY Guide for Building One
of the Rarest M16 Variants Ever

W
hen I was a kid, the world was awash in
war toys. There was no orange paint on
the muzzles, and many of them actually
shot stuff. They could often pass for the real
steel in dim light. Apparently, there were not
quite so many plaintiff’s attorneys back then.
TV had about three channels when the
weather was nice, and the accepted treatment
for ADHD was exercise. As such, most every
afternoon after school, the neighborhood hoo-
ligans would congregate in the nearby vacant War toys when I was a kid were both realistic and ubiquitous. This
plastic M16 (bottom) carried me through many a neighborhood military
lot, divide into two teams, and proceed to shoot campaign. Made by the famous Marx toy company, was a pretty decent
the bejeebers out of each other with toy guns. rendition of the rare and exotic Colt 607 carbine.

56 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

From top to bottom we have the Colt 601, 602, and 603. The Model
603 was a close approximation to the familiar M16A1.

We rightfully consider Gene Stoner to be the father of the

M16 family of rifles. However, the development of this Origin Story
remarkable weapon system was actually a team effort. Disclaimer: The historical details that follow are fairly
arcane and tedious by any reasonable metric. If you are
like me (and if so, you have my pity), you should find it
Dirt clods pulled double duty as hand grenades, and a thoroughly captivating. By contrast, if you are a normal
grand time was had by all. When one team would secure a person with friends, pets, and sensible hobbies (like golf)
decisive victory we’d generally mix everybody up, swap out you might want to skip a bit. That won’t hurt my feelings.
weapons to keep things spicy, and go at it again until our Developing the rifle that led to the M16, and subse-
moms stepped out on their respective back porches to call quently the M4 carbine, was a collaborative effort. Starting
us home for dinner. Repeat as necessary… out with the 7.62x51mm AR-10 battle rifle as a founda-
My personal weapon of choice was a plastic M16 appro- tion, Gene Stoner and Company shrunk everything down
priately scaled for little hands made by a company called to accommodate the smaller, faster, lighter .223 cartridge,
Marx. Pulling the trigger produced a satisfying burst of faux itself also a Stoner design. At the time, Stoner and his
automatic weapons fire. Miraculously, I still have that thing. team were working for a very small subsidiary of the
The weapon in question bore all the hallmarks of Fairchild Aircraft Corporation called ArmaLite.
Gene Stoner’s epic assault rifle. However, it looked like ArmaLite was not configured for mass production.
somebody had crushed it front to back in a vise. I always They were essentially a brain trust. As a result, ArmaLite
assumed this was just a byproduct of having had the real farmed out actual production of these zippy little rifles to
weapon transformed into a child’s plaything. Then I Colt. Colt took the design and ran with it.
matured into a serious gun nerd and came to appreciate Colt engineers hoped to develop the M16 rifle into a
that it was actually something way more elegant. system of weapons that could be sold to the military and
make everybody filthy rich. They envisioned standard rifle
versions, a heavy-barrel support weapon, a belt-fed light

The Colt Model 607 was indeed a most

curious little Frankengun.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 57

THE COLT MODEL 607 CARBINE

The barrel on the Colt 607 was half as long as that of the standard infantry rifle.

Palmetto State Armory offers some of the most delightfully

exotic retro lower receivers. They actually sell one that is
specifically marked to represent a late-model 607.

The standard open-tipped three-prong flash suppressor was

brutal in action. The stubby little moderator helped mitigate
the noise somewhat.

machinegun, and a stubby carbine variant. The design

evolved along a fairly discrete path.
The original ArmaLite AR-15 fed from a straight
Most, but not all, of the pistol grips on the 607 carbines
25-round box magazine and sported a trigger-looking were cut down at roughly the end of a 20-round magazine.
charging handle located within the carrying handle. The
subsequent Model 601 featured a chromed bolt carrier, an
early duckbill open-tipped flash suppressor, and a slick- three-pronged flash suppressor and a captive front pivot
sided lower receiver with a removable front pin. It also take-down pin. There was no fencing around the magazine
came with a “waffle” magazine. The 602 was a similar release. The Model 603 had the same general morphol-
weapon with a slightly modified (for strength) “forked” or ogy as the familiar M16A1 to include the forward assist

The sliding solid buttstock was unique to the 607 carbines.

These things are tough to find. I tracked this clone 607 buttstock down on GunBroker but had to pay a premium for it.
The brake securing the stock in place was built into the buttplate.

58 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

607’s ever produced. Serial number assessments put that

number closer to 400. However, out of an overall produc-
tion run of around eight million M16’s, the 607 none-
theless represented a drop in the ocean. Considering this
handful of guns was essentially bodged together from bits
and parts available at Colt, there was little standardization.
For starters, Colt engineers cut the standard 20-inch
barrel in half. To accommodate the shorter top end, they
took standard triangular M16 handguards and chopped
them down as well. Some of the forearms were cut from
the front, and others from the rear. Those cut at the rear
used a custom tail cap to interface with the standard slip
ring. Those cut at the front required a larger nose cap.
Lower receivers came in two broad flavors. Some were
built on Model 601 lowers that had a removable forward
push take-down pin and no fencing around the magazine
release. These were typically either crudely marked with
nothing but a serial number or were designated 607. Later
versions featured the retained forward pin without fencing.
These were typically marked GX-5857. The 607’s usually
had a slick-sided Model 601 upper, while the GX-5857’s
included the forward assist upper of the M16A1.
The Colt 607 saw limited action with Navy SEALs and Army
Special Forces in Vietnam. Early guns included the stubby three-prong tapered flash
suppressor of the Model 602 and XM16E1. However, the
muzzle blast from the abbreviated ten-inch tube was simply
upper and full fence around the magazine release on the mind-boggling. As a result, Colt engineers developed a 3.5-
lower receiver. (A pre-603 transition model, designated as inch moderator that helped tame the chaos to a degree. These
the XM16E1, had only a partial fence, and still retained a moderators were not silencers in any sense of the word, but
chrome bolt carrier of the 602 except that it had “teeth” for the BATF nonetheless still required NFA registration.
the added forward assist.) All of these weapons featured The pistol grips were standard M16A1 fare. They cut the
skinny 20-inch barrels with a 1:12 twist save the very earli- grips on early versions down even with the bottom of a stan-
est examples (prototype and 601 models) which were 1:14. dard 20-round magazine before sanding them flat. However,
The Army still needed something more compact than the most striking aspect of the 607 was its buttstock.
the full-sized M16 for dog handlers,
aviators, Special Forces, and the like.
In 1965, Colt engineers went to work
designing a carbine version of their
revolutionary service rifle. The result-
ing Model 607 was actually described
in their marketing materials as a
submachine gun.

Design Details
Convention dictates that a true
submachine gun actually fire a pistol
cartridge. However, we can forgive
the Colt guys for their exuberance.
The Colt 607 carbine actually paved
the way for the entire family of M4
carbines so commonly encountered
today. This quirky little rifle was really
little more than a prototype.
Most illuminated gun historians
agree that there were only about fifty By all accounts, the Colt 607 was well-received by the troops who used it.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 59

THE COLT MODEL 607 CARBINE

Building a 607 clone is fairly easy. Accumulating all the parts you need is a bit harder.

I cut the bayonet lug off of

the front sight base with a
Luth-AR sourced the slab-sided upper receiver. cutoff wheel on a table saw Drilling and mounting up the front
The nearly period-correct lower came from before dressing it by hand sight base took a little effort, but it
Palmetto State Armory. with a Dremel tool. was not unduly difficult.

These stocks were crafted from existing Model 602 Where Do I Get One?
furniture mounted on a proprietary collapsible skeleton. Building up a period-correct Model 607 is an undeni-
Mounting those originals required drilling and pinning ably arduous undertaking. The physical build is no more
the lower receiver. They included a lever mechanism in onerous than might be the case with any M4 parts gun.
the back that acted as a brake to secure the stock either However, sourcing the specific parts takes diligence and a
opened or closed. When extended, the stock length mim- little cash. We started with Luth-AR for the basics.
icked that of the standard M16 rifle.
The original locking levers were not marked. As such,
it was easy to extend the stock, fail to lock it in place, and
then have it collapse on the first round fired. The end result
was nonetheless compact and handy.
A handful of these 607 carbines were shipped to Vietnam
for operational testing with Army Special Forces and Navy
SEALs. While the compact size of the weapons was
appreciated, the buttstock was both complicated and
heavy. The handguards were also not terribly robust.
Photographic evidence shows one Model 607 brought
back from Vietnam with battle damage from a Combloc
7.62x39mm round that struck the left handguard. Feed-
back from those early trials led to the subsequent XM177
These reproduction buttstocks are essentially handmade
family of carbines. All of these cut-down weapons had and run around $800. An original can set you back a few
their bayonet lugs ground away. grand, or more.

60 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

THE COLT MODEL 607 CARBINE

upper receiver, the three-prong flash suppressor,

and the sundry sights and barrel components. I
carefully cut the bayonet lug off using a cutoff
wheel on a table saw and then touched up the
front sight base with a Dremel tool. A little cold
blue left this component looking factory new.
I sourced the ten-inch barrel from a vendor
online along with a fake 3.5-inch moderator
for comparison purposes. (NOTE: Phoenix
Weaponry has NFA reproductions.) Palmetto
State Armory (PSA) produces slick-sided lower
receivers with the correct GX-5857 markings.
Depending upon the specific model you wish to
recreate, they sell lowers with both captive and
removeable front pivot pins. PSA has become
the go-to guys for exotic retro AR parts. Their
wide array of vintage lower receivers is simply
intoxicating. I have built dozens of guns from
PSA parts and found them to be of great quality
The Colt 607 runs like a scalded ape. This compact little gun is
incredibly loud, but it is handy and easy to carry, if a bit back heavy. at a reasonable price.
It doesn’t take a great deal of talent to build
this gun, but mounting the front sight base does
Randy Luth is one of the nicest guys in the gun industry. require a drill press. The stubby barrel has a heavy M-4
Randy was the first guy to graft a rail onto an AR-15. If profile rather than the original skinny version, but it was
you have ever taken an AR to the field hunting you have markedly cheaper. Mounting the front sight base involves
Randy to thank for that as well. Randy Luth is the most seating it in place, locating the holes with a center punch,
influential small arms innovator you have likely never clamping everything securely, and then drilling the holes
heard of. His company, Luth-AR, offers a wide array of for the pins. I broke a couple of drill bits on this chore, as
top-flight parts for both modern black rifle variations as the barrel material was fairly hard. However, mine is
well as retro guns. essentially a wood shop, not a tool and die facility. The
Luth-AR offered the stubby triangular handguards, the real challenge, however, is that blasted weird buttstock.
internal parts to include the bolt carrier, the slab-sided You can land a 3D-printed facsimile online for not a
lot of money. The decent hard-use replicas of the vintage
originals are essentially handmade using original M16
buttstocks cut to length. I found mine on GunBroker,
but it was astronomically expensive—like $850. However,
originals can easily run into the thousands. Another source
is Ordnance Research, which has them for $800.
This replica 607 stock is a great rendition of the original
with a few improvements. The locking lever is marked,
so you can keep up with whether it is locked or free. The

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS
COLT 607 CARBINE
Load Group Size (in.) Velocity SD
Best/Avg. (fps)
Federal 55-gr. FMJ 1.0 /1.4 2,587 30.1
Remington 55-gr. FMJ 0.4/1.1 2,692 47.5
SIG SAUER 55-gr. FMJ 0.4/0.7 2,402 52.9
Group Size is taken from three five-shot groups fired off of
The Colt 607 shoots fairly straight given its compact a sandbag rest at 25 yards. Velocity is the average of fifteen
dimensions. These groups were fired from a sandbag rest rounds measured by a Garmin Xero C1 chronograph.
at 25 yards.

62 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

RUBEN MENDIOLA
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Uppers for AR15 or M16 Platforms.
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We are Always in the Market to Purchase Quality Machine Guns. We will never sell guns until they have been received and
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THE COLT MODEL 607 CARBINE

The 607 moves like a sports car.

The trigger is typical for a rack-grade
AR, and the muzzle blast will indeed
reliably clear your sinuses. As the
607 was designed as a submachine
gun-sized weapon, we did our tactical
shooting at 25 yards. We had no stop-
pages. The gun shot straight for its
genre and looks frankly adorable.

Ruminations
The end result is undeniably expen-
sive if done up properly. However,
amidst a sea of modern M4 variants,
The Colt 607 was actually an exceptionally well-executed little rifle.
a period-correct semiauto Model 607
clone SBR will undoubtedly make
stock internals have also been redesigned to allow mount- you some new friends at the local
ing without drilling the lower receiver, though the PSA range. The PSA lower has some very cool period markings,
Model 607 lower comes pre-drilled. and the gun is a bit more palatable with the 3.5-inch
As the barrel length is substantially shorter than the muzzle attachment in place. The Luth-AR components
legal sixteen-inch minimum, the receiver had to be form the basis for a quality build. Bizarre, exotic, handy,
registered as a short-barreled rifle prior to construction. and just sexy cool, the Colt Model 607 was a steppingstone
That process, which involves and ATF Form 1 (and $200), to much greater things to come.
is a royal pain, but the details are available online. While
paperwork approval turnaround times in the past have
flirted with a year, I have some buddies who recently TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
saw theirs come back after being electronically filed in a COLT 607 CARBINE
week. Weird.
Type: Gas-operated Direct Gas Impingement
Caliber: 5.56x45mm
Trigger Time
The end result is surprisingly butt-heavy, particularly Barrel: 10 in.
with the stubby three-prong flash suppressor in place. The Overall Length: 26 in. Retracted / 28.7 in. Extended
faux moderator is itself fairly substantial and balances the Weight: 5.3 lbs. (Gun/Gun with Mount)
rifle a bit better while directing some of the chaos forward. Finish: Black Anodized
The gun is extremely compact, and the triangular forearm
Sights: Flip Rear Peep/Front Post
interfaces nicely with the human form.

SOURCES
Luth-AR
Internal parts, three-prong flash hiders,
short triangular handguards.
Luth-AR.com, (763) 276-1145
Ordnance Research, Inc.
Model 607 reproduction stocks.
OrdnanceResearch.com,
(717) 738-6941
Palmetto State Armory
Retro upper and lower receivers, waffle
magazines, misc. parts.
PalmettoStateArmory.com,
(877) 560-7229
Phoenix Weaponry
Working reproduction moderator/
The Colt 607 (top) ultimately evolved suppressor for the model 607.
into the XM177E1 shown here that PhoenixWeaponry.com, (720) 340-2496
eventually led to today’s M4 carbine.

64 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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 MG42 on a tripod and
with a pair of 50-round
belt drums. (Courtesy of
Morphy Auction Service)

GERMANY’S
An Influential General Purpose
Machine Gun By Leroy Thompson

T
he MG34 laid down withering fire during Germany’s
Blizkrieg victories early in WWII, but it was the
MG42, designed to replace that MG34, that has had
the greatest influence since the end of that war. As good
as the MG34 was, it was too expensive and production
too time consuming for Germany’s wartime needs. Already
by 1937, designs for a replacement were being evaluated.
As a result, the MG42, which was less expensive to
produce, entered production in 1942. Even though the
MG34 remained in production until the end of the War,
about 75,000 more MG42s were produced. Although the
MG42 was still a well-made weapon, there was not as
much precision machining as with the MG34, which aided
reliability in dust, snow, mud, etc. One of the most
noteworthy features of the MG42, especially among
those who faced it in combat, was its high cyclic rate:
1,200 RPM!
As was the MG34, the MG42 was recoil-operated and
air-cooled. However, it employed a recoil-operated roller
locking action. In simple terms, the bolt incorporated roll-
ers; when the bolt entered the barrel extension, these rollers
locked into grooves on the barrel extension. When the ex- The MG42 was light enough that a soldier could carry it
pansion chamber in the MG42’s muzzle device forced gases during an advance. (Bundesarchiv)

66 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

Right side view of an MG42. (National Army Museum)

Left side view of an MG42. (National Army Museum)

back against the locked barrel and bolt, the rollers were
cammed out of their locking grooves allowing the bolt to
move rearward to cycle the action. Also, the MG42 made
use of pressings and stampings from carbon steel with
spot welding and riveting wherever possible. As a result, an
MG42 took about half the man-hours to complete as an
MG34 and required about 60% of the raw materials.
Prototypes when tested proved to be more rugged and The MG42’s roller locking system; at left the rollers in locking
reliable than the MG34. The MG42’s quick-change barrel position and at right in position to allow movement of the bolt.
could be switched out quickly (four to seven seconds by a
skilled assistant gunner), but the system was not well-suited
to switching of MGs installed on armored vehicles as Pan-
zers were produced with mounting points designed for the
MG34. Also, the MG42’s barrel had to be changed through
the side of the jacket, which was difficult within the confines
of armored vehicles. Because of the MG42’s high cyclic
rate, the barrel heated up more quickly, thus barrel chang-
es were frequent. However, in combat, ability to utilize its
quick-change barrel was necessary; so MG34’s remained
standard for many vehicles. Continued use of the MG34,
which showed a propensity for jamming, caused complaints
later from some Panzer officers on the Eastern Front.
Early in 1942, the new machine gun was officially
adopted with manufacturing taking place at Großfuß AG,
Mauser-Werke AG, Gustloff-Werke, and Steyr-Daimler-
Puch, and MAGET (Maschinenbau und Gerätebau
View of the MG42’s stamped barrel shroud after firing a long
GmbH, Berlin-Tegel). burst; note the weapon’s sturdy bipod, which helps keep the
Once the MG42 was deployed, it showed its reliability in MG42 stable when firing.
the sands of North Africa and the ice, slush, and snow of
Russia. Even after the MG42 had proven itself in combat,
German engineers continued to experiment with making
the MG42 quicker and less expensive while retaining its
effectiveness. However, as Germany went on the defensive
in all theaters, there was little interest in tinkering with
assembly lines.
It is interesting that MG42 gunners were trained to fire
the weapon from the hip by pressing the stock against the
body with the bicep and grabbing the folded bipod with the
support hand. Presumably, the sling was used unless the
gunner was very strong. This is especially the case when Close-up of the MG42’s muzzle brake and expansion chamber.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 67

GERMANY’S MG42

found that recoil and vibration became

noticeable when firing longer bursts.
An MG42 quick-change barrel; the MG42 offered the fastest barrel change of any Due to the fact that a large propor-
machine gun in use during WWII. tion of German infantrymen during
WWII were armed with bolt-action
98k rifles, the Wehrmacht issued more
An MG42 on a tripod
with multiple quick- machine guns to a typical infantry
change barrels. company than did the Americans.
(Courtesy of Rock While a German infantry company
Island Auction Service)
(circa 1944) consisted of 150 men, the TO&E
(Table of Organization and Equipment) called
for 15 general purpose machine guns (GPMGs).
By comparison, a US Infantry Company con-
sisted of about 200 men and fielded five BARs
(Browning Automatic Rifles) and two M1919A4
machine guns in a Light Machine Gun Section.
Additionally, a US Infantry Company had a
mortar section with three 60mm mortars.
As can be seen, the German Infantry
Company, even though only about ¾
fatigue from combat and the size of a US Infantry Company,
lack of hot food have taken had more than twice the number of
their toll, though adrenalin automatic weapons, and the bulk of
might kick in for firing a those in the US company were BARs.
couple of bursts. Normally, I have seen references to the fact that German doctrine
however, in most battlefield was that the infantry supported the machine guns more
scenarios the gunner would than the machine guns supporting the infantry. A good
Waffenampt mark for an
MG42 manufactured by be firing off the bipod illustration of this is as follows:
Grossfuss. while prone or from cover
off the tripod. From what Six-Man MG42 Crew:
I’ve read, German gunners 1. Junior NCO/Gunner: armed with a pistol
were trained to use five-to ten-round bursts in most combat or MP40.
situations. German gunners were also trained to fire up to 2. Loader/Assistant Gunner: in charge of feeding
15 well-aimed bursts per minute. Based on my experience ammo into the MG, armed with a pistol.
firing the MG42, I would agree that this is a reasonable 3. Crewman: carried spare quick-change barrels and
tactical use of the weapon, especially given its high cyclic ammo (usually two 300-round cans), who also
rate, which would likely degrade control on longer bursts. I acted as a spotter, armed with an MP40.
4. Crewman: in charge of transporting the tripod
and giving close protection of the weapons team,
armed with an MP40.

British soldiers firing an MG42 captured from the Afrika German machine gunner firing his MG42 from the prone
Korps in Tunesia. (IWM) position. (Bundesarchiv)

68 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

Thompson firing five- to ten-round bursts from the MG42 at

targets at 200 yards; in combat there would normally be an A US Infantry Company had two M1919A4 machine guns
assistant gunner that helped keep the belt feeding properly. compared to 15 for a German infantry company. (NARA)

5. Crewman: carried entrenching tools and ammuni- mobility of the MG42 was invaluable, as they would fre-
tion, armed with a 98k rifle. quently be moved among pre-dug firing pits to confuse the
6. Crewman: carried gun cleaning gear and more enemy about their numbers and locations. Another tactical
ammo, armed with a 98k rifle. advantage granted to a German Infantry Company by the
number of MG42s was the in-depth wall of bullets in those
German battlefield doctrine for use of the machine gun 15 MG42s could create for their enemy to cross. Although
stressed surprise, fire and movement, coordinated fire, the name “Hitler’s Buzzsaw” was sometimes applied to
conserving ammo, and moving to alternate firing positions. the MG34, more often, because of its high cyclic rate, the
These would normally be applicable on the offense or designation was used by Allied troops for the MG42.
defense. However, when on the defensive, the MG42 was On the negative side, MG42 teams became bullet mag-
normally mounted on the tripod. When covering German nets for enemy artillery, mortars, snipers, and machine
troops who were advancing, positions on high ground guns. As the war progressed, the Germans were severely
that allowed the MG42 to cover troop deployments were outgunned. For example, between 1939 and 1945, Ger-
chosen, focusing on enemy strong points or centers of re- many produced 159,000 artillery pieces, while the Allies
sistance. If the enemy launched a counterattack the MG42 produced 914,600, more than half of those by the Soviet
would be used to break it. As German troops advanced Union. Germany produced 674,280 machine guns during
through or past resistance, the GPMGs would follow and that period while the allies produced 4,744,484. (Stats from
move to a new commanding position. Whether on the Chris McNab’s MG34 and MG42 Machine Guns, Osprey
attack or defense, the MG42s were sited to lay down enfi- WEAPON series.) As good as the MG34 and MG42 were,
lading or crossfire against the enemy. On the defense, the and as well-trained as their crews were, overwhelming

An MG42 crew in action firing their ma- Tools, spare parts, and an optical sight for an MG42.
chine gun from a tripod. (Bundesarchiv) (Courtesy of Rock Island Auction Service)

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 69

GERMANY’S MG42

The MG42 used by Thompson An MG42 gunner in action; note how he is pushing the weapon forward against the bipod;
for shooting tests. his assistant gunner seems to be spotting for him. (Bundesarchiv)

fire could be brought against them; not to mention that liked about the MG34 remained with the MG42: the good-
during the later years of the war, Allied air power could sized cocking handle, and the butt stock well shaped for
be used to strafe or bomb them at will. More and more, placing the support hand when firing the MG42. Unlike
German machine gun crews had to use hit-and-run tactics the MG34, there is not the option of firing semi-auto. Giv-
to survive. en the high cyclic rate that makes placement of a shot or
For this article, I got a chance to do a lot of firing with shots on a non-area-target more difficult. In fact, that high
the MG42. Actually, I fired the MG34 and the MG42 cyclic rate, which may have seemed useful for hosing down
on the same day, so I got a chance to compare the two. large numbers of advancing troops on the Russian Front,
I’ll admit I found the MG34, with its slender ventilated was the major disadvantage of the MG42. I found I had
jacket, more “elegant” in appearance than the MG42 with trouble firing fewer than five shots before I could “get off
its thicker, squared, stamped jacket. Most controls were of ” the trigger. Maybe with practice, I could get that down
similar, no doubt so that troops who had trained on the to three or four shots. Firing at three silhouette targets at
MG34 could quickly transition. A couple of features I 200 yards, I managed some hits on the targets, but under

The MG42 gave German Fallschirmjae-

ger (Paratroopers) a lot of firepower. Thompson getting into position to commence firing with the MG42 and making
(Bundesarchiv) sure the belt is not kinked.

70 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

GERMANY’S MG42

Thompson found
the MG42’s oddly
shaped stock
well designed
for shooting with
the support hand
grasping the
depression at
the bottom.

Close-up of the
MG42’s pistol
grip and cocking
handle.

Top cover of
the MG42 open
prepared for
inserting a belt.

50%. I will admit, though, that even when firing longer The MG42’s “V” notch rear
bursts the MG42 was reliable. The simple “V-notch” rear sight is usable, though not
and post front sights did not enhance accuracy. The MG42 well designed for precision
shooting; of course, as the
was an area fire weapon, and it could saturate that area. MG42 is full auto only,
Barrel changes are quick, though we did not try them neither is it.
with a hot barrel since there is not a handle as on many
other GPMGs and we didn’t have heavy canvas gloves. As
I found with the MG34, the bipod of the MG42 is sturdy,
which helps with the vibration of the MG42 when firing
Another view
longer bursts. Loading the first rounds onto the feed tray is of the MG42’s
easy and sure, which would have been useful in combat. rear sight.
I actually prefer the MG34 to the MG42 for its slower
cyclic rate and ability to choose single shots. However, the
MG42’s reliability and ease of production made it a better
choice for the combat Germans forces faced during the
later years of WWII.
Obviously, the MG42 holds an important place in the
history of the GPMG, especially given the extensive com-
bat it saw during WWII. The MG42 is also important
for the influence it has had on later GPMGs. Many
countries produced variants of the MG42 during the
post war years. When the West German Army (Bunde-
swehr) was re-constituted in 1955, the MG3 version of
the MG42 was their GPMG. Yugoslavia manufactured
the MG42 as the M53 and later Steyr produced the
MG74 as a modernized version of the MG42. I will be
doing follow-up articles on the M53 and MG74 in the
future. Captured MG42s, or those purchased by arms
brokers after WWII, have turned up in various conflicts
during the post-WWII years.
Use of the roller locking system has also been in-
fluential in later weapon designs. Heckler & Koch has
especially employed roller delayed blowback operating
systems in its G3, HK33, and MP5 among other weapons MG42’s front sight flipped up for use.

72 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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GERMANY’S MG42

Left-side view of an
MG42 on a tripod. Muzzle view of a tripod mounted MG42.
(Royal Armouries) (Courtesy of Rock Island Auction Service)

Close-up of the MG42’s muzzle brake/flash hider and

compression chamber.

Close-up of the MG42’s

cocking handle.

like the Spanish CETME,

which also used this system.
The Swiss Stgw57 is another
roller delayed blowback
design that saw service use.
In WWII, Germany
found itself facing greater
and greater numbers of
enemies with declining Anti-aircraft sight
Thompson firing a 10-round burst with the MG42; note: due manpower and resources. for the MG42.
to vibration of the weapon the photo is slightly blurred. The MG42 was an effort
to more effectively use
resources and to compensate for superior numbers and
firepower of its enemies. It may have been Hitler’s “Buzz-
saw,” but to push the analogy there were too many trees in
the forest!

SPECIFICATIONS MG42
Action: Recoil Operated, Roller-Delayed Blowback
Caliber: 7.92x57mm
Overall Length: 48 in.
Barrel Length: 20.9 in.
Weight: 25.6 lbs.
Feed Device: 250-round Belt, 50-round Belt Drum
Sights: Rear—Notch, Front—Post, Optical Sights
and Anti-Aircraft Sights Available
Post-war West German Mechanized Infantry troops with the Cyclic Rate: 1,200 RPM
MG3, descendant of the MG42.

74 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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 Engineered in Great Britain in
the late 1970s and manufactured
in Singapore starting in the early
1980s, the SAR-80 assault rifle is a
very peculiar variant of the AR-18
design, whose market “success”—if we
can call it that—is tied to the international
markets more than the national military.

SINGAPORE’S By Pierangelo Tendas

THE ANGLO-ASIAN AR-18

The SAR-80: A Simplified Version of the ArmaLite AR-18,
Manufactured in Singapore and Built for Battle, Has Some
Strong Connections to Europe. It Was Designed in Britain, Saw
Service in the Balkans in the 1990s, and It Is Now Available on
the European and U.S. Civilian Markets as a Semi-Auto Rifle.

T
he history of this gun dates back to the establishment August 1965) to become completely independent in the field
of CIS—Chartered Industries of Singapore (Pte.) Ltd., of small arms and ammunition for national defense.
a wholly Singapore government-owned organization, The first firearm manufactured by CIS was the M16-S1,
officially registered with the Registrar of Companies in Janu- basically the Colt M16A1 produced under license, to re-
ary 1967 with the goal of allowing the Asian city-state (which place the L1A1 SLR rifles that the former British colonists
had gained independence from the Federation of Malaysia in had left behind in Singapore and Malaysia. However, the
licensing from Colt and the authori-
zations from the US Department of
State only allowed CIS to produce
the M16-S1 for the Armed Forces of
Singapore. Nearing the end of the
Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) production run, CIS found themselves
started manufacturing the M16A1, as the
M16-S1, under license for the Singaporean with a largely unused firearms man-
military in 1967. (Photo by Morphy Auctions) ufacturing plant on their hands that

76 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

This is an example of the commercial ArmaLite AR-180

manufactured in Costa Mesa, California during the late
1960s to early 1970s. (Photo by Patrick Sweeney)

The author’s own CIS SAR-80 rifle. This “demilitarized”

sample is a select-fire rifle converted to semi-automatic
operation only for civilian sales in Europe.

CIS SAR-80 rifle, seen from the right side:

the AR-18 based layout is evident.

they were still required to keep running to satisfy the needs The Sterling Connection
of the Singaporean government (such as spare parts or Designed by Eugene Stoner and Arthur Miller in 1963,
potential new batches of rifles), but whose cost-to-benefit and first introduced in 1967 as a production offering, the
ratio could soon become economically unsustainable. ArmaLite AR-18 assault rifle can be considered at the
Their only chance was to enter the global market for same time the least successful and the most influential
military firearms. Civilian-grade firearms aren’t con- 5.56x45mm caliber platform of its era. Originally con-
templated at all by Singaporean laws (even for export), ceived to be “the AK-47 of the western world,” a service
but manufacturing the M16-S1 for export would require rifle that would be relatively easy to manufacture by
CIS subjecting themselves to authorization from the US countries with little industrial base by making use of a
Department of State for every potential foreign sale, thus simplified working system and largely made out of steel
handicapping the company’s capabilities to compete on the stampings. It came too late to be a serious competitor to
global markets. The company had learned this the hard the M16, simply due to the fact that the US Government
way with the hurdles it had to go through when they sold was keen on handing out thousands and thousands of
30,000 M16-S1s to Thailand. CIS needed another platform M16 rifles to friendly countries for pennies on the dollar.
they could market, but with very little in terms of internal You can’t compete with something that the American
engineering capabilities, they had to search for one outside taxpayer is footing the bill for.
of Asia. And they found what they were looking for, of all ArmaLite thus decided to license out the AR-18 (and
places, in the country of their former colonists, England. its semi-automatic, civilian counterpart, the AR-180) for
production to foreign manufacturers.
Initially, the Howa Manufacturing
The markings on the company in Japan received the first
SAR-80 are simple and
stamped on the right side contract, but when Japan passed new
of the lower receiver, on restrictive laws concerning the export
the magazine well. On the of firearms, Howa had to relinquish
same side are the charging
handle, which is recipro- the licensing agreement. In 1976,
cating (and also works as Armalite found a new partner in the
the bolt release lever and Sterling Armaments Company, head-
forward assist), the ejection
port, and a large, fenced quartered in Dagenham, Essex, UK,
magazine release button. famous for being the manufacturers

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 77

SINGAPORE’S CIS SAR-80

The CIS SAR-80 has a sliding dust

cover located behind the ejection port; The selector lever is located on the left
it can be opened and closed manually side of the lower receiver, at easy thumb The curved, checkered black polymer
to prevent dirt or debris from entering reach: with three positions (“Safe,” pistol grip of the first- and second-
inside the gun when operating in a “Semi” and “Auto”) it is essentially a generation SAR-80, like many demilita-
hostile environment. replica of the M16 selector. rized rifles sold in Europe, the author’s
rifle is a mishmash of components
from various generations. More specifi-
cally a third generation SAR-80 with
some first- and second-gen parts.
It’s not uncommon for distributors
who buy machine-guns to convert to
semi-automatic, for the European
civilian market, to use some of them
The SAR-80 came with a birdcage-style as sources of spares to keep the
flash hider. marketable samples running.

The handguard on the author’s SAR-80 is slightly chipped,

but that doesn’t influence the operation; if anything, it’s a when CIS approached the company in its search for a 5.56mm
sign of the long and tormented history of this one gun. rifle design to manufacture, the LAR design was available.
Frank Waters, with the support of CIS, would refine the proj-
ect, polishing both the outer design and the working system,
of the L2A3 sub-machine gun (SMG), aka the Sterling, and making it compatible with an AR-18 trigger group. The
known at one time the world’s best overall and one of the final result, called the SAR (“Sterling Assault Rifle”), was put
most valid for decades after that. in production by CIS in 1984 as the SAR-80.
At the time, Sterling had already taken a keen eye on
the AR-18 design, going so far as developing a simplified A Simple Battle Horse
version of the system entirely on their own, This was The CIS SAR-80 is a select-fire, gas-operated, rotating
under the guidance of their chief engineer, Mr. Frank bolt rifle, built around two heavy-gauge deep-drawn stamped
Waters, a former sergeant of the 2nd Para Regiment of steel receivers, painted in a plastic-based matte black finish
British Army, who had been trained by George Patchett, over a “Sunkorite 259” phosphate casing that gives the gun
the inventor of the Sterling SMG. With Sterling obtaining the typical “crackle” finish of Sterling submachine guns. Far
a license to manufacture the AR-18, the internal develop- from being just a cosmetic feature, the “crackle” finish is
ment, designated the Sterling LAR for “Light Automatic glare-proof and extremely resistant to wear and corrosion.
Rifle,” became redundant, and was shelved. The lower receiver of the CIS SAR-80 rifle hosts very little
The licensing agreement with Armalite didn’t allow Sterling in term of controls, outside of the trigger: a magazine release
Armaments to re-license the AR-18 design and patent, but located on one of the two sides depending on the generation
and a three-position selector (safety, semi-automatic,

Another optional available for the SAR-

80 was a dovetailed top rail for optics
such as the L2A2 SUIT Trilux sight;
not all SAR-80s came issued
with one, though.
As an option, (Chester County
the SAR-80 Armory photo)
was offered
with a Galil-style
side-folding stock
for paratroopers
and armored units; it didn’t help with sales, and only
four trade show folding stock samples were ever produced.
This rare example was offered for sale in the U.S. as a “pre-May”
dealer’s sample by Chester County Armory. (ChesterCountyArmory.com)

78 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

The receivers of the SAR-80 are held together by a

rear takedown pin and a front pivot pin; upon pivoting
the rifle open, the tip of a cartridge can be used to
release the spring-loaded retaining pin that keeps
the recoil springs and their rods in place.

full-automatic) located to the left side,

slightly above the grip and at easy thumb reach.
Realizing, and partially correcting, the mistake
of the original AR-18, the CIS SAR-80 takes
standard USGI M16/AR-15 magazines, the ones
currently known in some circles as “STANAG
4179.” The grip and buttstock of the SAR-80
are made of black plastic, the same material is
used by the quite futuristic-looking, two-halves
handguard, with an inner aluminum heat shield.
As with the AR-18, only the upper portion of
Presto! the SAR-80 is stripped. The charging handle is simply slotted
the handguard can be removed by the operator in place in the bolt carrier group and comes out by itself when the bolt
to access the gas piston. carrier group is freed from the return springs and their guide rods. In
Original factory literature mentions the SAR- normal operation, it sits too low to come loose by itself. This is indeed
an AR-18, and an extremely simplified one at that.
80 being also available in a folding-stock version.
This stock was made out of metal, coated in a
polymer-based paint, and vaguely inspired by the to some sources, to no more than five demonstration sam-
Galil folding stock. (This version is featured in Gary Paul ples. A few SAR-80s, built from parts kits exist today on
Johnston’s and Thomas B. Nelson’s The World’s the US civilian market with folding stocks—these are how-
Assault Rifles, page 815.) However, the grand total of fold- ever original Galil stocks adapted to the SAR-80 receiver.
ing stock SAR-80s ever manufactured amounts, according The upper and lower receivers of the CIS SAR-80 rifles
are held together by two captive pins;
a rear takedown pin and a front pivot
pin, and the disassembly for cleaning
and maintenance is as easy as sliding
off the takedown pin, breaking up the
gun, and sliding the bolt carrier group
(BCG) from the rear after removing
A view of the trigger group of the CIS SAR-80 rifle. Since the bolt carrier and BCG the charging handle.
are unmodified, all modifications to convert the rifle from select-fire to semi-
automatic were done here for the Italian model, which included re-manufacturing The bolt carrier group itself is un-
some components. Since they’re basically all pieces of cut stamped steel, it mustn’t mistakably of AR-18 lineage, squared
have been much of a deal. in shape, with a full black parkerized
finish, two twin guide rods and return
springs, and a rotating bolt with seven
positively locking lugs. It strikes the
author as odd that Sterling and CIS,
Once the BCG and the return springs and guide rods are removed, the top handguard wishing to simplify the AR-18 itself,
can be pulled back and out to reveal an AR-18 type gas piston. The rifle is really all here. didn’t decide to go with the three-lugs

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 79

SINGAPORE’S CIS SAR-80

The SAR-80 was never adopted as the main service rifle of the Armed
Forces of Singapore, and only issued to rear-line logistics units and
law enforcement. It saw, however, combat in Europe, particularly
during Slovenia’s Ten-Day independence war.

Slovenia purchased quantities of both SAR-80 rifles and

bolt by Maltese-Australian engineer Charles Giorgio (a.k.a. Ultimax 100 LMGs, almost all issued to the “1. specialna
Charles St. George), who used it for his take on the design, brigada MORiS” of the newly formed, independent Slovenian
specifically the Leader Dynamics T2 Mk.5 rifle, and the Army. Some of them later ended up in Croatia, whose war
with Serbia was much longer and more grueling. The SAR-
Bushmaster M17-S bullpup. It makes sense, however, that 80 rifles from Slovenian stock are the ones being converted
CIS may have wanted to retain the seven-lugs design as they to semi-automatic for civilian sales in Europe and cut into
were already geared up to manufacture it for the M16-S1. parts kits for the US market.

The SAR-80 is a short-stroke piston-driven rifle; the gas

piston is fixed to the rear of the gas block, which also dubs as The charging handle is housed in a slot on the right side of
the front sight tower. As the gun is fired, gas enters into the the BCG body, is of course reciprocating, and can be used as
cylinder piston, activating a rod which impinges on the bolt a forward assist if necessary; a prominent guide is cut on the
carrier, starting the rearming cycle. The gas piston is a direct right side of the receiver to allow it to reciprocate, and comes
copy of that of the AR-18 but features a front regulator with with a sliding dust cover on its rear portion that is vastly
four positions—three for different conditions of operation, simplified from the folding type found on the AR-18.
plus a fourth position marked 0 that closes the gas valve to The dust cover has to be manually closed off after firing
allow the use of rifle grenades with blank cartridges. (to prevent debris from entering the receiver via the bolt
handle slot), it was also one of the most fragile elements
of the rifle, and tended to be lost, break, or fall off upon
disassembly very often. The CIS SAR-80 does indeed
feature a last round bolt open device, but no independent

Pierangelo Tendas running an Ultimax 100 light machine-

gun in its Mk.8 version at the 2020 SHOT Show. Designed
by the great American firearms innovator L. James Sulli-
van, and manufactured by CIS first (later by ST Kinetics)
starting in 1982, the Ultimax 100 is probably one of the
best-engineered 5.56mm squad automatic weapons, but
its sales were plagued by the relevance of best-established
competitors, such as FN, on the market as well as CIS’s lack Firearms News Editor-in-Chief, Vincent L. DeNiro, doing the
of marketing and presence within the defense industry. The “chin test” demonstration for USSOCOM in 2001. Firing in
Ultimax 100 Mk.2 would be introduced two years before the this way features this Ultimax 100 Mk.3’s unique constant
SAR-80, and is a prime example of how, in its early days, recoil system, which can be found in all variants. DeNiro
CIS was dependent on support from foreign designers to was the importer for Singapore Technologies for 10 years
keep its small arms business running. and was responsible for the development of Mk.4 version.

80 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

Three Generations,
Little Success.
No official information concerning
the exact number of SAR-80 rifles has
ever been released. Estimates are that
the overall production numbers never
exceeded 20,000, but this can’t be
independently verified. All through its
production run, the SAR-80 would in-
carnate in no less than three different
generations, with small differences.
GEN I
The first generation is more easily
One CIS customer who purchased SAR-80 rifles in the 1980s was Mohammed
Siad Barre’s Somalia. After the country’s collapse in the early 1990s, those SAR- identified by the words “STERLING
80s found their way in the hands of numerous militia and insurgent groups all ASSAULT RIFLE” stamped on the
through Africa. These rifles can still be found there, mostly still operational, left side of the receiver. The protective
albeit a little bit worse for wear and lacking plastic components such as the
stocks. (ARES—Armament Research Services) metal wings of the rear sight housing
are short and rounded, there are rein-
forcement discs on both sides of the
bolt release catch (same as the AR-18/180): when the bolt receivers, a sling swivel mounted on the gas block, a barrel
remains open on an empty magazine, upon slapping a new cut for an M16-style clamp-on bipod, and a lever-style
magazine in, the user must pull the bolt handle slightly pivoting magazine release on the left side of the lower.
backwards to manually load it. GEN II
The trigger group of the SAR-80 is an exact copy of The second generation changes the latter to a tear-
that of the AR-18 with no significant difference. Cyclic drop-shaped magazine release button to the right side of
rate in full-automatic fire ranges between 600 and 800 the lower, at index finger reach, with a frontal fencing.
rounds per minute. The SAR-80 comes with a 4140 The short, round rear sight housing protective wings are
Chrome-Moly steel, 18-inch chrome-lined barrel, featur- changed to a larger, pyramid shape; and the reinforcement
ing a birdcage-style flash hider, a matte black manganese disc is located only on the left side.
phosphate finish, a lug compatible with the M7 bayonet, GEN III
and four right-hand grooves with a 1:12 twist rate, making Finally, the third and final generation shifts the sling
it compatible with 5.56×45mm M193 55-grain ball. swivel to a rotating collar on the barrel, eliminates the
The sights on the SAR-80 are likewise very simple: a bipod cut, and changes the original, slightly-curved pistol
front post, adjustable for elevation, and a two-position peep grip with a front sling swivel hole to a straighter design.
aperture rear, adjustable for windage—both are protected by Third generation SAR-80s would no longer be marked
metal wings, basically the same sights as the CIS M16-S1. “STERLING ASSAULT RIFLE.”
Optionally, the SAR-80 was available with a dovetailed op- Numerous generations would seem to indicate a certain
tics mount for an L2A2 SUIT (Sight Unit, Infantry, Trilux) degree of market success, but the SAR-80 had very little, if
manufactured by AVIMO Ltd. in the UK, which is the same any. Although tested and certified by the SAF (Singapore
sight used by many British Commonwealth forces on their Armed Forces), the Asian city-state was already well-stocked
L1A1 SLR rifles. with M16-S1s, and procured only a marginal number of

In the late 1980s, CIS – now part of the Singapore Technologies company – tried to modernize the SAR-80 design as the SR-
88 rifle, then the SR-88A rifle and SR-88A Carbine; both sported brand-new looks, a progressive right-hand twist rate barrel
that would stabilize NATO-standard 5.56x45mm ammunition. The SR-88A rifle and carbine ditched the AR-18 style short-
stroke piston in favor of an AKM-type long-stroke system. Outside of a handful of sales to island nations in the Pacific area,
both were unsuccessful. (Chicago Regimentals Co., Ltd.)

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 81

SINGAPORE’S CIS SAR-80

Slovenia had to get what was avail-

able… and what was available were
the SAR-80 assault rifles and the
Ultimax-100 machine-gun. Those
would remain in service with the
Slovenian military until they were
Finally, in 1999, CIS—rebranded as replaced with the FN F2000-S assault
STK, or Singapore Technologies Kinetics,
and today known as STELS, or Singapore rifle and the FN Minimi light
Technologies Engineering Land Systems—launched machine-gun at the turn of the 21st
the SAR-21 bull-pup assault rifle; it became, and still is, Century. Some SAR-80 rifles were also
the standard service rifle of the Singaporean military, and was exported to
military customers of seven Countries as well as to law enforcement agencies sold to Croatia, whose war against the
of many other nations, including the US. (ST Kinetics) Serbian government was longer and
substantially more grueling.

SAR-80s to equip rear-line logistic units and, to a lesser In Civilian Clothes.

degree, law enforcement. Better, but not stellar, sales were The CIS SAR-80 rifle has being recently reaching the
achieved to some island countries in the Pacific, and to American civilian market due to the availability of parts
Somalia. Somali samples are still floating around (some kits from surplus rifles coming in from the Balkans. For
missing their buttstocks) among militant groups in Africa. the author, who lives in Italy, there’s a step less: his gun is a
Historically speaking, however, the most significant sales “demilitarized” sample.
of SAR-80 rifles were made from existing stock at a time Those who are familiar with Italian gun laws (see “Gun
when it was already out of production, and those went to laws and gun ownership in Italy,” Firearms News, Volume
the Balkans. During and after the Ten-Day War of 1991 77, Issue 3, February 2023) will remember that a “demil-
that brought independence from a crumbling Yugoslavia, itarized” firearm (“Arma demilitarizzata” in Italian) is
Slovenia was left with very little in terms of armaments; not the same thing as a U.S. “Demil.” Italy does not have
the whole Balkan Wars had, after all, started when the a “once a machine-gun, always a machine-gun” BATFE
Serbian government decided to disarm the Territorial De- rule there is no need for a full-auto receiver to be destroyed
fense Forces of the constituting states of what was then the and then put back together/re-manufactured in Italy. As
Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. The goal was such, authorized companies (firearms manufacturers and
aiming to make the Yugoslavian National Army (JNA), distributors, the equivalent of a SOT in the United States)
largely hegemonized by Serbs, as the sole armed force of can legally acquire full-automatic firearms and convert
the country. them to semi-automatic operation only for distribution on
the Italian civilian market, as long as
the National Proofing House of Italy
approves the conversion procedure.
A substantial amount of SAR-80
rifles has been converted to semi-auto
for the Italian civilian market since
2015 by Nuova Jäger S.r.l., best
known as NJ Arms, which is also the
company that brought “civilized”
Beretta PM-12 sub-machine guns and
AR-70/90 rifles to the average Italian
shooter. All come from former Slove-
nian stock, and almost all show mild
signs of external wear (the author’s ri-
fle is slightly chipped on the rear right
portion of the upper handguard) but
are otherwise mechanically perfectly
functional, and very smooth shooters.
The SAR-80 is a very simple rifle –
perhaps too simple. The author found
A bunch of SAR-80 rifles, manufactured in the USA by TTE Precision Metal his SAR-80 easier to field-strip than to
Works, ready to ship. All rifles are 922(r) compliant. (Photo by Troy T. Ess) put back together, as the reinforcement

82 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

Even with newer ammunition, such Winchester’s 55-grain Target FMJ loads
The author’s CIS SAR-80 performed as Fiocchi’s 50-grain EPN Performance returned similar results, with no out-
well at 50 meters (approx. 54.6 yards) Line hunting loads with an expansive lying flyers. Maybe it’s the gun, maybe
with open sights. This group was polymer nose bullet, the SAR-80 it’s the shooter. No, just kidding, it’s the
obtained using remanufactured performed quite well. As the author gun. Due to the 1:12 twist rate, the au-
surplus 5.56×45mm M193 ball could see with a borescope after thor was limited to lower-weight loads.
ammunition from SM Chemnitzer cleaning the barrel, the rifling on On second thought, however, maybe a
Sportwaffen-und-Munitionsfabrik this sample is absolutely pristine test with 62-grain loads is in order to
GmbH of Chemnitz of Germany. (conducive to good accuracy). witness some keyhole galore.

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS sentially nothing that made them substantially inferior to

SAR-80 — 100 METERS most of their competitors. If anything, the sheer simplicity
Load Group Size Velocity and the low cost would make them appealing to a long list
(in.) (fps) of potential buyers. However, at this specific time in histo-
SM Chemnitzer 55-gr. M193 1.96 2,821 ry, with the world divided in rival geo-political blocks. The
Fiocchi EPN Performance Line criteria by which countries armed themselves were essen-
2.12 2,690 tially national interest (local manufacturing was privileged)
50-gr. Plastic Tip
Winchester Target 55-gr. FMJ 1.73 2,850 and political alignment to one of the two blocks, and those
countries that were not aligned, and/or didn’t have the
necessary industrial base to manufacture their own small
disc inside the receiver makes it somewhat difficult to slide arms, were often courted by the two sides with cheap, or
the bolt carrier group back; and the spring-loaded hold- free, giveaways in terms of weaponry in an attempt to
open lever detent seems to be prone to sliding out of its bring them on board. Again, it’s difficult to compete with
seat in the receiver, although not completely. However, that tens of thousands of M16s (or AKMs) given away by a
last issue is probably due to the rifle’s natural wear and tear global superpower for next to nothing, or nothing.
rather than to issues with the rifle’s design or its execution. Additionally, even for those countries that could have
While perfectly functional, this is still a forty-year-old bought firearms from a third party, the SAR-80 didn’t have
sample that has seen a lot in its life and has not always been the appeal of a big name behind it. CIS was a relatively
treated well. The state of wear on the crackle finish and the new and unknown arms company at the time especially
plastic furniture proves that. with companies such as Heckler & Koch and its roller-
Nevertheless, the SAR-80’s lack of success prompted delayed revolution; gone were the days of Sterling Arma-
Sterling and CIS to try and improve the design, first with ments’ primacy on the field. The AR-18 may very well be
the SR-88, then with the SR-88A rifles: apart from outside the most influential assault rifle design ever, although some
cosmetics, those rifles shifted from an AR-18 short stroke of its derivatives shared the same sad fate of the original.
piston design to a long-stroke AK-type system. None of
them, however, was more successful than the SAR-80, Shooting Impressions
and neither saw adoption by the Singapore Armed Forces, Testing took place in Sardinia (Italy), on a warm spring day.
which would not replace the M16-S1 until the turn of the This allowed for shooting from a typical standing position at
century, when CIS—later rechristened STK, or Singapore ranges between 25 meters (82 feet) to 50 meters (approx.54
Technologies Kinetics, and today known as STELS for yards), all the way to 100 meters (approx. 109 yards). The
“Singapore Technologies Engineering Land Systems”— chosen location provided plenty of freedom of action to
introduced the SAR-21 bullpup rifle. experiment with quick reloads and moving while shooting.
Ultimately, the reason for the lack of success of the Sin- Let’s start right away with saying that shooting the SAR-
gaporean/British AR-18 rifles is tied to their times. These 80 will be a pretty unremarkable experience for anyone who
rifles were rugged, perfectly functional, and there was es- is used with the AR-18, AR-180, or Brownells BRN-180

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 83

SINGAPORE’S CIS SAR-80 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

The rewelding work of the SAR-80 receiver manufactured by TTE Precision Metal Works is superb. (Photos by Troy T. Ess)

The TTPMW SAR-80 rifle carries a retail price of $2,995,

which is about half the cost of many similar 5.56mm Cold
War collector retro rifles of that era, such as the HK93,
Valmet M-71/76, Galil, etc. (Photo by Troy T. Ess)

Now that a limited edition SAR-80, built from parts kits,

platform. The rifle itself has a whole “retro-futuristic” is available in the USA from TTE Precision Metal Works
feeling to it due in no small part to the shape of the (TTEPrecisionMetalWerks.com, 763-478-2027), I highly
handguard. Those who have been into it will appreciate a recommend that the reader gives one a shot. It is not a mod-
nostalgic feeling, a reminiscence of times when service rifles ern rifle by contemporary standards—it must be considered
made of light alloys, stampings and plastic were a thing of a retro, or a classic, that will work perfectly as a sporting,
the future instead of a boring every day reality. defensive, or ranch rifle. If it is respected and used for what
This said, despite the size, both of the rifle and of the it is. Any attempt at modernization would need to be seen
author (a pretty short individual by American standards), more like a desecration than anything else. It is simple. It
the SAR-80 handles very well and is superbly controllable, is accurate and reliable enough for a service rifle of the late
with a soft, dull recoil feeling that is modest even by 5.56mm Cold War. It is what it is, and it certainly is a rare addition
standards. This must have been the feeling that made Amer- to any gun collection. What’s not to like?
ican soldiers look down to the first M16s as toyish concoc-
tions when they first fired them. I am too young to have lived CIVILIAN CIS SAR-80 SEMI-AUTOMATIC
that moment first-hand, but then again, one can be nostalgic
Type: Semi-auto rifle
for eras that they didn’t live in. The SAR-80 a gun made
Caliber: 5.56x45mm (M193)
to be used by soldiers, and soldiers of any physical build,
including shorter Asian conscripts. And it shows. Capacity: Any AR-15-type magazine
No malfunction was recorded all through the test. That’s Operation: Gas-operated, rotating bolt, short stroke
a remarkable feat. It has to be pointed out that reliability is piston driven
not really the forte of demilitarized firearms; depending on Weight: 8.2 lbs.
the type of gun and the extent of modifications necessary Finish: Matte black over “Sunkorite 259”
to turn it into semi-automatic only—the average ratio of phosphate casing (“crackle” glare-proof)
malfunctions is generally higher than average. The SAR-80 Grips: Vertical, polymer
had none (not with different types of ammunition, nor Sights: Fixed front post, adjustable rear; dovetailed
with different types of magazines, including modern Mag- rail for optics on some samples
Pul P-MAGs, something that other demilitarized firearms Barrel Length: 18 in.
are somewhat allergic to). This a testament to the general
Overall Length: 38 in. (fixed stock model);
reliability of the AR-18 design and of the solid simplicity 29.1 in. (folding stock model with stock folded)
of Sterling’s and CIS’s take on it. Maybe it is too simple to
Trigger: Single-action
“eff ” up with extensive modifications?

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 85

NEWSSTAND

[Cont. from page 12]

the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy with the Foreign Agents Registration endeavor saw more than 2,000 guns
of 2012, with full-throated support Act. I’ll bet you they are not. sold to criminals with ties to Mexican
from the Obama administration, “We’re still seeing tortured legal drug gangs, weapons ultimately used
plaintiffs sued Remington Arms premises that purport to fit within in crimes on both sides of the border,
under claims that the firearm narrow exceptions of the PLCAA, including the December 2010 killing of
manufacturer violated a state law like Mexico’s suit blaming Smith & U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
prohibiting false advertising. This Wesson for drug cartel violence in Mexico did not pursue legal action for
abomination of the legal process Mexico, and now multiple states violence associated with the trafficked
alleged that the company marketed aiming to blame Glock for the weapons, nor did Everytown for Gun
its firearm with the knowledge it criminal modification of their Safety or any other of the usual
would appeal to a mass shooter. firearms by downstream end users,” suspects. No surprise.
What’s worse was the collusion of added Bill Sack. With American citizens voting
the Connecticut Supreme Court in In addition to all of the lawfare in favor of conservatives for the
allowing the lawsuit to proceed outlined here, a coalition of sixteen incoming 2025 government and
despite the admission that such a attorneys general in California, electing a pro-Second Amendment
novel application of the law had Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the majority, perhaps it’s time to revisit
not been proven. This failure of the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, the PLCAA and give it teeth that
judicial system led to a $73 million Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, eliminate perceived loopholes and
settlement with the families to avoid Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, provide consequences for those who
litigation expenses and the bankrupt- Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont think the law does not apply to them.
cy of a company deeply rooted in recently formed a multistate alliance Automatically awarding legal fees to
American firearms history. intending to coordinate civil liability companies dragged into such lawsuits
In Chicago, a similar lawsuit is laws against companies operating may be an excellent place to start.
pending against Glock by the advoca- within the firearms industry. They Requiring plaintiffs to secure a surety
cy wing of Everytown for Gun Safety, seek to hold manufacturers, distrib- bond before a court will hear a case
a group that is so unconcerned about utors, and sellers liable when their that challenges PLCAA protections
its defiance of Congress, disregard business practices result in unlawful could be another deterrent for those
for the law, and abuse of process that sales, trafficking, or any outcomes looking to disregard or circumvent
it openly publishes a manual on how that create a risk of public danger. the law. Sanctions and fines wouldn’t
to sue companies within the firearms “Gun violence tears our commu- be a bad idea either. We can not keep
industry. While the methods and nities apart and threatens Maryland creating laws to reinforce those the left
reasoning behind the suits are absurd families’ safety. The companies that chooses to ignore because they will
on their face and lack legitimate legal make up the firearms industry must violate those as well, and the judicial
standing, well-funded and seditious do their part to help us address this system is not meant to be weaponized
criminal groups like Everytown life-threatening epidemic. This as a form of financial bullying, suing
understand that it is impossible to partnership ensures that if those adversaries into destitution.
predict how or by what means a companies prioritize profits over “The point of all this gamesman-
criminal might abuse the design and people, we will hold those businesses ship is transparent: If they can’t take
intent of a weapon for illegal use. accountable,” according to Maryland away your guns at the individual level,
Another pending case currently Attorney General Anthony Brown. they will try to take them away at the
before the United States Supreme Laws have long since been in place to point of acquisition. Bankrupt the
Court is Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., prevent unlawful sales and trafficking gun industry and make it hard for
et al. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, of firearms, and neither manufactur- the average peaceable American to
in which U.S.-based anti-Second ers, distributors, or sellers are able to acquire their constitutionally
Amendment groups are colluding operate without detailed compliance protected arms,” concluded Bill Sack.
with foreign officials to bring suit with these regulations. The last time I —
against American firearms manu- recall such laws brazenly violated was Darwin Nercesian is a long-time
facturers for violent acts committed under the authority of the Obama gun rights advocate and shooter of
by the very cartels that Mexico has administration and then U.S. Attorney targets far, far away. As a News Field
allowed to thrive within their borders. General Eric Holder during Operation Editor at Firearms News, Darwin
Since we are playing fast and loose Fast and Furious, which took place out writes about the Second Amendment,
with the existing law, I wonder if any of the Phoenix office of the Bureau of firearms, and related gear. Follow him
of these organizations aiding Mexico Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and on Instagram, X, and YouTube @
in this endeavor are in compliance Explosives (ATF). This reckless DTOE_Official.

86 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

MILITARY GUN TRAINING

IN POLISH SCHOOLS SHOW NATION PROGRESSING
AS ‘PROGRESSIVE’ U.S. STATES GO BACKWARD
By David Codrea,
Political Field Editor

“T
he Nicolaus Copernicus
School in Skarszewy,
Poland, is a normal primary
school with students from the 1st to
the 8th grade,” a mid-December “Fo-
cus on Europe” video report by Axel
Rowohlt from German Public Broad-
cast Service DW News documents.
“Weaponry class is now mandatory in
Polish schools and could soon become
a favorite,” he elaborates.
A gun instructor teaching a young boy how to shoot a semi-auto 9mm carbine rifle at
While the 13-to-14-year-olds stu- a shooting range in Warsaw, Poland back in August of 2022. (Shutterstock/Poppy Pix)
dents “don’t use live ammunition but
lasers,” they enthusiastically embrace
the training as “fun” and “really cool,” who “want to be on the right side of in U.S. “blue” states. The Democrats’
and “18,000 schools across the country history, to defend our country, and to well-publicized objective is to expand
will get the equipment as part of their be patriotic.” And naturally, the idea restrictions nationwide and have a
safety training,” the report explains. is supported by a nearby gun shop long-documented goal of banning not
Unlike in the land of the Second owner, who cites Poland’s relatively just politically “disfavored” rifles, shot-
Amendment, where gun prohibi- “liberal laws” saying, “Procedures are guns, and pistols, but ultimately, all
tionists who demand avoidance and very easy going and, in a way, it is handguns. Poland has set its trajectory
ignorance label themselves as “com- much easier to obtain the gun license in the opposite direction, but there’s
monsense gun safety advocates,” the in Poland than driving license.” still some pushback.
training is embraced by educators, Citing and linking to Polish sources, “There is very little protest against
politicians and parents. In a way, it’s Wikipedia summarizes: “Polish law shooting lessons for pupils,” Rowohlt
reminiscent of an earlier time in this allows modern firearms ownership confirms, before presenting “dissenting
country, in the days before “mass on a general shall-issue basis under voices that complain it’s “really sad,”
shootings,” when school rifle teams police-issued permit for people who that “there’s already so much violence
and training were not uncommon, provide an important reason. Hunting, and now they’ve introduced this you’re
including in urban areas like Chicago. sport shooting, training, and collecting afraid to go outside,” and that children
“With the state of the world today, are the most popular reasons and re- “aren’t mature enough yet. Teaching
I think this training is very valuable” quire membership in suitable organiza- these skills could backfire.”
the school’s principal elaborated, tions. Self-defense permits for civilians A mostly positive attitude toward
referencing Russia’s invasion of “next are chief exceptions to the rule, where training is a world apart from the
door” Ukraine and the threat felt by a may-issue based permit is required… politically fueled hostility we typically
Poland. “They’re not too young to Firearm owners are subject to mental encounter in the U.S., as usual, the
shoot because the passion for shooting health and domestic violence confisca- “antis” offer no solutions. Their ob-
like any sport develops from an early tion laws resembling U.S red flag laws.” jections are a reflection of the childish
age,” the Mayor of Skarszewy echoes. It’s not “shall not be infringed by a character of those who conflate “com-
The same goes for two mothers in- long shot, but in many ways reflects the monsense gun safety” with pretending
terviewed, both proud of their children laundry list of prohibitions imposed that what they don’t want to face can

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 87

NEWSSTAND

be ignored, and who angrily attack

anyone who challenges their suicidal
“no means of defense” orthodoxy. It’s
lazy, cowardly, parasitical if you think
about it, and unworthy of the sacrific-
es that have been necessary “to secure
the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity.”
—
David Codrea is the winner of multiple
journalist awards for investigating/de-
fending the RKBA and a long-time gun
owner rights advocate who defiantly chal-
lenges the folly of citizen disarmament. at “The War on Guns: Notes from the
Polish citizens shooting an M16A1-
In addition to being a regular featured Resistance,” and posts onTwitter: @ type rifle, and other firearms, at a
contributor for Firearms News, he blogs dcodrea and Facebook. public range. (Shutterstock/Poppy Pix)

ANTI-GUN DEMOCRATS BECOMING REPUBLICANS

NOT THE GODSEND WE’RE BEING SOLD
A Republican Label No Longer Means Commitment to
Republican Ideals of Past Years. By David Codrea, Political Field Editor

“C
ongratulations to Hillary
Cassel for becoming the
second State Representa-
tive from the Great State of Florida
to switch her Party affiliation from
Democrat to Republican, once more
expanding the GOP Supermajority
in the State House!” Donald Trump
posted to Truth Social in late Decem-
ber. “I would further like to invite
other Disillusioned Democrats to
switch Parties, and join us on this
noble quest to Save our Country
and, Make America Great Again—
GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE.
THANK YOU HILLARY!”
The second one? The first was State
Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out who the Republican is and who the Democrat is.
Rep. Susan Valdés, who quit the (Shutterstock/StunningArt)
Democrat party weeks earlier after
losing a bid to become chair of an
influential committee. because she didn’t want to be “ignored Per Democrat House Minority
As for Democrats jumping ship in a caucus whose leadership expects Leader Fentrice Driskell, Valdés has
and changing uniforms, will it “make me to ignore the needs of my commu- “elevated her own aspirations” and
America greater than ever before”? nity.” “[S]he didn’t expect to agree with “has consistently and publicly shared
For gun owners? ‘my fellow Republicans’ on every issue, that she feels the Republican Party
In Valdés’ case, per WMNF Commu- but ‘that in their caucus, I will be wel- does not adequately represent her
nity Radio, she says her motivation was comed and treated with respect.’” constituents or beliefs.”

88 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

In other words, Republican values anti-gun Emily’s List. And she makes Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsyl-
have nothing to do with her decision her position clear: “We … recommit vania, and Maine “moderate” Sen.
and it’s all about self-interest. Just a ourselves to taking action to reduce Susan Collins, and Quislings who
look at her Facebook page, still post- gun violence in Florida and across voted for Biden’s “Bipartisan Safer
ing photos of Valdés lauding Kamala America by demanding that our Communities Act” to side with Dem-
Harris, Joe Biden, and a host of other elected officials put aside partisanship ocrats against much-hoped-for (by
Democrat agenda issues, making it and immediately pass common-sense gun owners) nationwide reciprocity
fair to question just what she’ll bring reforms to keep us safe, like back- and hearing protection bills.
to the MAGA table. A photo of her ground checks on all gun sales, a ban Diluting something makes it weak-
on the Equality Florida (“The largest on assault weapons and expanded er, not stronger. And the enemy inside
civil rights organization dedicated risk-protection orders. None of these the gates is much more dangerous
to securing full equality for FL’s measures should be controversial. All than the one kept at bay. No amount
LGBTQ community”) page speaking of them will save lives.” of crowing and acting like welcoming
with Moms Demand Action activists With “Republicans” like these, who people who’ve proven their disloyalty
“about the importance of gun safety needs Democrats? is a net plus will change that.
on campus” clinches what’s in it for Especially in Florida, where Senate To paraphrase the character Fletch-
gun owners. Per the Vote Smart politi- President Ben Albritton, from a er in The Outlaw Josey Wales, Mr.
cal summary, she’s “rated 0% by NRA” solidly Republican district and who’s President, don’t **** down our backs
and has voted against permitless carry, got his seat until ‘28, is on record and tell us it’s rainin’.
church carry, and authorizing firearms saying he’ll continue to vote against
on school campuses, and “was rated open carry legislation because “I trust —
100% by LEAP Forward,” a group my law enforcement officials. They
that “tracks and grades legislation oppose it … and I stand with them David Codrea is the winner of multiple
and lawmakers from a progressive today in opposition.” How will Cassel journalist awards for investigating/de-
fending the RKBA and a long-time gun
perspective on a variety of issues.” and Valdés do anything but bolster
owner rights advocate who defiantly chal-
Okay, but what about Hillary that opposition?
lenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
Cassel? She’s the one Trump was So, too, anti-gun Republicans work In addition to being a regular featured
gushing over. against the Second Amendment and contributor for Firearms News, he blogs
She’s all grins on her Facebook Donald Trump’s grandiose campaign at “The War on Guns: Notes from the
while posing with Joe Biden and pub- promises at the national level. Look Resistance,” and posts onTwitter: @
licizing her endorsement by the leftist to politicians like Giffords endorsee dcodrea and Facebook.

ILLINOIS PASSES LAW

TO SEIZE FIREARMS WITHOUT DUE PROCESS By Darwin Nercesian,
News Field Editor

What Are You Going

to Do About It,
President Trump?

O
Shutterstock / J.J. Gouin

n January 6, gun control

advocates from Illinois used a
reprehensibly corrupt legisla-
tive procedure to pass Karina’s Bill,
requiring authorities to seize firearms
and ammunition without due process
from individuals who are subject to
an order of protection. Although the

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 89

NEWSSTAND

state is embroiled in a litany of Second to strip them of their own rights. While Karina’s Bill enjoys the
Amendment lawsuits following its non- Moving to the substance of this un- support of Democrats across the
adherence to the 2022 United States constitutional dumpster fire, Karina’s state, the “representative” who saw
Supreme Court ruling in New York Bill advocates for the use of ex parte to its passing is Senator Celina
State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. hearings to obtain orders of protec- Villanueva, standing upon the graves
Bruen, its lust for tyranny is unphased, tion, immediately triggering a warrant and suffering of victims only to
as both the substance and the manner to confiscate the subject’s firearms and fulfill her party’s lust for disarming
of passing this bill should offend even ammunition. Ex parte, a Latin phrase law-abiding Americans through
the most novice Constitutionalist. meaning “on one side only” or “by or the abuse of such laws. Truly, the

To Truly Understand the Depths of Democrat Legislative Depravity, Let’s

First Look at the Method by Which the Bill Was Passed.

To truly understand the depths of for one party,” refers to a legal pro- Founding Fathers understood the
Democrat legislative depravity, let’s first ceeding by which one party commu- mechanisms of tyranny when they
look at the method by which the bill nicates directly with a judge without wrote the United States Constitution,
was passed. House Bill 4144 amends notice to or knowledge of the other which subversives like Villanueva
the Environmental Protection Act party, removing the respondent’s regard as historical toilet paper.
to address water supply disruptions, ability to be represented or present “Karina’s Law ensures that firearms
requiring public water distribution their side of a case prior to being are removed from the hands of
entities to notify affected fire depart- stripped of their rights and property. abusers when survivors need
ments and dispatch centers at least 14 While ex parte proceedings are un- protection the most. This legislation
days before a disruption event. The deniably unconstitutional in their very is a life-saving step forward for
Illinois House passed the bill, which nature, advocates will tell you they are Illinois families… Karina’s Law
then moved to the state Senate. So, only permitted when a party requires closes a dangerous loophole and
what does this have to do with due emergency relief, as in cases of domes- sends a clear message: Illinois
process or the Second Amendment? tic violence, child custody, or stalking. prioritizes the safety and dignity of
Not a damn thing, until… However, it has become an exceedingly survivors,” says Villanueva.

Adding Insult to Constitutional Injury, an Individual Whose Due Process,

Right to Bear Arms, and Property Rights are Taken from Them,
Obliterating the Second, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments, Must
Later Petition Law Enforcement to Regain Said Rights and Property.
Just six minutes before the scheduled demostrable fact that these orders have I spoke with Richard Pearson,
commencement of the Illinois Exec- come to be used as a tactical maneuver, Executive Director of the Illinois State
utive Committee, the bill was posted, especially in family court proceedings, Rifle Association (ISRA), an organi-
having been stripped completely of its and can cause irreparable harm to zation on the front lines of education,
language after the enacting title and those they are levied against unjustly. training, and promoting firearm safety
replaced with what is called “Karina’s Adding insult to Constitutional to law-abiding gun owners across the
Bill.” The move, executed before the injury, an individual whose due pro- state. ISRA is also party to legislative
sitting “Lame Duck” session, is called cess, right to bear arms, and property efforts and numerous legal challenges
a striking amendment, which differs rights are taken from them, obliterat- defending the Constitutional rights of
from a floor amendment proposed in a ing the Second, Fifth, and Fourteenth Illinois citizens who face a daily uphill
legislative chamber in that it removes Amendments, must later petition law battle with leftist leaders who have all
everything after the title and inserts enforcement to regain said rights and but destroyed the state’s semblance to
a whole new bill. This was obviously property. In the meantime, Karina’s anything American.
a plan from the beginning, begging Bill holds agencies completely without “We’re opposed to this because it
Americans to ask why their money is liability for damage or destruction to allows for ex parte hearings, and we
being spent on deceptive games meant property while it is in their custody. believe that to be unconstitutional…

90 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 FIREARMSNEWS.COM

We have two lobbyists down there all Deutch, talked about “limitations on the subject, let us not forget the short-
the time, and so, the Illinois State Rifle the Second Amendment,” of which comings of our last go around with
Association, I’m really proud of us, there are none in the Constitution, President Trump, lest they continue to
we’re carrying the load. To give you simultaneously urging the President define his true position on subjects of
an idea, to pass this bill, the other side to help ban firearms he considered to due process and the Second Amend-
hired thirteen lobbyists,” says Pearson. be “weapon[s] of war.” ment rather than fade away as the
Guess who pays those thirteen lob- “The fact is, a lot is up to the missteps of a politician uneducated
byists to dismantle your liberty. You states. And that’s good… You may on the debate.
do, and that is the tragic reality be- be different and have a very good “…take the firearms first and then
hind the reason the left always needs thing for your state. I don’t think the go to court… A lot of times by the
just a little more of your hard-earned states have to be the same.” President time you go to court, it takes so long
money. Although ISRA is still dis- Trump responded. to go to court, to get the due process
cussing what its next move will be, I No, Mr. President, it’s not good. procedures. I like taking the guns
would bet, based on track record, that You can’t ride the fence when it comes early… To go to court would have
we will see a legal challenge to HB to the Constitution and the Bill of taken a long time… take the guns
4144 in the future, an unfortunately Rights. But riding that fence has first, go through due process second,”
long and drawn-out process in the become a place of solace for the Trump told Mike Pence during the
judicial system as there is no recourse President as a means of seeking 2018 roundtable.
to be found in such a compromised approval from both sides rather than I’m sorry that due process rights
Illinois legislation. standing firm on principle and the are so inconvenient to you, President

With the Incoming Trump Administration, Hopes are High that We

Will See a Resurgence of Support for the Second Amendment, but to
Achieve That, We are Going to Have to Hold the President Not Only to
His Word but to His Past Poor Judgment.
HB 4144 passed the Senate Monday foundational values upon which Trump, but you cannot be for the
and is headed back to the House for America was built. His position rule of law while you set aside the
concurrence. regarding the Second Amendment supreme law of the land when it suits
sounds troublingly similar to that of you or brings you praise by those
What Can/Will President Trump Do? his position on abortion. who generally plot against you. I am
With the incoming Trump admin- “My view is now that we have elated to see the Biden administration
istration, hopes are high that we will abortion where everyone wanted it packing their bags and thank God that
see a resurgence of support for the from a legal standpoint, the states Kamala isn’t getting an office upgrade,
Second Amendment, but to achieve will determine by vote or legislation, but remember, we have been here
that, we are going to have to hold the or perhaps both. And whatever they before. With the 2025 inauguration
President not only to his word but to decide must be the law of the land. In around the corner, now is not the time
his past poor judgment. In his last this case, the law of the state… Many to celebrate great changes to come
round, we saw the President surround states will be different… Many will but to act in a manner that holds feet
himself with the likes of anti-Second have a different number of weeks, or to the fire of promises that have been
Amendment Attorney General Wil- some will have more conservative than made to gain our trust, our loyalty,
liam Barr, an offense much more dif- others, and that’s what they will be. and our vote.
ficult to forgive with the selection of At the end of the day, this is all about
—
Pam Bondi this time out, the former the will of the people,” said President
Florida Attorney General and red flag Trump in a 2024 post on his social Darwin Nercesian is a long-time
queen of confiscation. media platform, Truth Social. gun rights advocate and shooter of
In 2018, President Trump sat next The two subjects, however, cannot targets far, far away. As a News Field
to Dianne Feinstein during a White be conflated as the Second Amend- Editor at Firearms News, Darwin
House round table discussion on gun ment is codified in the Constitution writes about the Second Amendment,
policy with members of Congress in and placed in such a manner that firearms, and related gear. Follow him
the wake of the Parkland, FL, school highlights its necessity “to the security on Instagram, X, and YouTube @
shooting. Then-Congressman Ted of a free State.” And while we are on DTOE_Official.

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 91

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MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 93

AD RACK / CLASSIFIEDS

Better than New!

Gun Parts For Sale S5500 Gun Parts Wanted S5501 www.pmdgunsmithing.com
Call 330-240-5960 to receive FREE
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or email us at: Indian Relics - B.C.

[email protected] $2.00 for a Large Color Catalog.
Indian, P.O. Box 246
[email protected] Independence, KY 41051
Reloading Components S5800
For Sale
BRASS FOR RELOADING
9mm at $5.00 per 100
40 S&W at $5.00 per 100
38 Special $10.00 per 100
www.buyscopemounts.com 45 ACP $12.00 per 100
223/556 at $12.00 per 100

94 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

 308 $25.00 per 100
Need a Specific Caliber
NEW YORK STATE SPORTSMEN ASSOCIATION, LLC.
Call Chuck 623-341-9122
RELOADERS
All Pistol & Rifle Calibers,
ALBANY GUN SHOW
Inspected & Polished.
817-834-5716
[email protected]
JANUARY 25-26, 2025
POWDER, BRASS-BULLETS:
Powder: WC844 (223) Virgin surplus 159.00,
EMPIRE STATE PLAZA
4+156.99, WC860- 69.00, 4+64.00, SALE CONVENTION CENTER | ALBANY, N.Y.
WC872-WC867 48.00 Surplus, Unfired
Primed LC 223 from ammo 500-79.99,
1000-149.99; 223 LC military 60m, 45 Auto,
Tumbled 1000-89.99, 308 LC Primed Unfired
450 TABLES
Brass, from ammo, 500-140.00; See web for OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
other Military-Commercial Brass: SATURDAY 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
New and Fired
BULLETS: 308 IMI M-80 147gr. FMJ-
SUNDAY 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
500-89.00, Sierra 224-77gr. Special match
500-118.00, WOLF 224 55 FMJ 1000-79.99,
DAILY ADMISSION $10.00 PER PERSON
Hornady 224 55gr. PSP-FMJ 94.99m, Children under 12 free - Must be accompanied by Adult • Senior Citizens $8.00
Federal 223 55 FMJ m193 - 94.99m;
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tracer, Military Surplus-99.00m; 50 API
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see web for current Prices: Syracuse, NY
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74880 Johnson Run Rd.
MARCH 15-16, 2025

Six Foot Tables - $70.00 Each (Members),

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Exhibitors only may set up 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. Friday Night;
8:00 - 9:00 A.M. Saturday
DEALERS MUST HAVE VALID N.Y.S. SALES TAX NUMBER.
GUARDS ON DUTY 24 HOURS DAILY.
FOOD AVAILABLE AT SHOW — PLENTY OF PARKING.

All Firearm Laws WILL Be Observed.

All cartridge guns entering, within, or leaving the show must be
tied in such a way that they cannot be loaded!
New York State law requires that a National Instant Background Check must be completed
prior to all firearm sales or transfers, including sales or transfers of rifles or shotguns.
The sale or transfer of a firearm, rifle or shotgun at a Gun Show without first conducting a
Background Check is a crime. It is also a crime to offer or agree to sell a firearm, rifle or
shotgun at a Gun Show and then transfer it at another location for the purpose of avoiding
a National Instant Criminal Background check.
Sellers of all modern firearms must provide a gun locking device suitable
for said firearm, with written instructions, at time of sale.

PAYMENT AND SIGNED CONTRACT MUST ACCOMPANY RESERVATION

PAYABLE TO: New York State Sportsmen Association, LLC.
SEND TO: Marc Loveland, 564 Leon Drive, Endicott, N.Y. 13760
PHONE: (607) 223-8486
1:00 - 5:00 PM WEEKDAYS

MARCH 2025 | FIREARMS NEWS 95

AD RACK / CLASSIFIEDS

Reloading Components S5800

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
For Sale

Kimbolton, OH 43749
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330-833-4360 For Questions: Please Call 309-679-5064
Fax No. 740-492-0063
Web: PatsReloading.com
CATEGORY _______________________
SARCO, INC. - FLECHETTE DARTS: (For a list of available categories - Please Call 309-679-5064)
1 inch long military flechettes in stock.
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610.250.3960. Visit
________________ ________________ ________________
www.sarcoinc.com for a vast 1 2 3
wealth of goodies !!
Reloading Equipment S5821
________________ ________________ ________________
Wanted 4 5 6
RELOADING EQUIPMENT & Gun
related stuff WANTED! Attention Estates, ________________ ________________ ________________
Gun Shops, Collectors! Sell me your no 7 8 9
longer used reloading equipment, casting,
gunsmithing equipment & tools. Presses,
dies, molds, Stocks, grips and Misc. parts too. ________________ ________________ ________________
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guns. Gladly travel for large collections.
Please use additional sheet of paper for larger ads.


Call Rick (330)806-4169 or email

[email protected]
MAIL COMPLETED FORM TO:


Surplus Gear For Sale S5880 Firearms News, Dept. CL, 2 News Plaza, 3rd Floor Peoria, IL 61614
OR EMAIL AD AND ALL INFORMATION BELOW TO:
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__________ X 8pt plain @ 40¢ = ______________
or
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replacement inert head installed. Great for __________ X 12pt bold caps @ $2.20 = ______________
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X ______________ # of issue(s)
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for a vast wealth of goodies !!
Continue running until notified
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Very limited! NAME______________________________________________________________
Sarco Inc., 610.250.3960
Visit www.sarcoinc.com for a ADDRESS____________________________________________________________
vast wealth of goodies !!
CITY______________________________________ STATE _______ ZIP__________
ATLANTA, GA - April 25-26,
Atlanta Antique Gun & International Military DAYTIME PHONE______________________________
Show, IAMAW Local 709 Union Hall,
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Friday 12-5pm, Saturday 9am-4pm. METHOD OF PAYMENT (payment due with ad placement)
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ƒCheck/Money Order Enclosed ƒMasterCard ƒVISA ƒDiscover ƒAmerican Express
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CARD # _________________________________________ Exp. Date _____________
Info: Carolina Trader Promotions,
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www.TheCarolinaTrader.com Charge will appear as “Bowhunter Magazine”

96 FIREARMS NEWS | MARCH 2025

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