Since 2006 there has been a small but efficacious little defense show held in Fayetteville, NC, home of Fort Bragg and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).  The SpecOps East Warfighter Expo, held congruently this year with the Special Operations Symposium at Fayetteville’s Crown Convention Center, brought fifty-five defense industry exhibitors under the same roof as troops, representing the “tip of the spear” in the current global struggle against terrorism providing for an ideal environment of casual networking without the chaos or crowds of a larger venue like the SHOT Show.

Present and Accounted For
With fifty-five vendors in a show designed to cover the entire array of Special Operations mission sets, it was pleasing to find that the small arms industry had some visibility.  Some of the big players like Colt and FNH were no shows, but the time was redeemed well with industry regulars like Sabre Defence, Rock River Arms, and Glock as well as some less familiar faces who were showing some impressive products.

~~~Eye-Catching ARs in the Hall~~~

Sabre Defence
Sabre’s exhibit was eye catching this year with guns on the table that just weren’t quite the same as the ones I had seen in the past.  Those who are familiar with Sabre Defence will recall that not only are they one of the number of manufacturers of AR-15 type platforms, but they are the only “small” privately held company to hold DoD contracts for M16 rifles and they even produce barrels for the M2 .50 cal. “Ma Deuce” on government contract.  They produce quality products.

Sabre Defence showcased some impressive systems at SpecOps East to include the Sabre Gas Piston Rifle (top) and the company’s 6.5mm Grendel Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (center).

So what was on the table out of the AR norm? First, the Sabre Defence Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) chambered for the 6.5 Grendel cartridge.  It’s no surprise to see such a configuration, as Sabre’s Dave Power explained to me, since Sabre is a barrel supplier to Alexander Arms, the flagship company of Bill Alexander, the father of the 6.5 Grendel round.  The rifle itself is in its first year and is available in barrel lengths of 14.5, 18, and 24 inches.  The twist rate is 1 in 7.5 inches and the barrel itself is chrome lined in typical Sabre fashion.  The system has some undeniable potential.  6.5 Grendel itself is supersonic out to 1,000 yards in some loads and platform configurations, and is a notoriously flat shooter.  Only time will tell just how this system is received.  Rumor has it that it saw some use in the USASOC/JSSOC sponsored shooting match held recently but details are not forthcoming.

As Dave Power discussed the DMR, two business partners from Adams Arms, James Granger and Aloysius Donovan approached eager to show the Adams Arms joint venture with Sabre Defence: the Sabre Gas Piston Rifle.  The platform is much like what any industry regular would expect, a gas piston solution to the problems encountered in a standard AR type direct impingement (DI) operating system (an alternative M4 type operating system).  Having been exposed to quite a few piston operated AR based platforms in recent years it’s quite easy to follow the evolution taking place in the designs and separate the well thought out products from those that are immature, or problems waiting to happen.  As explained to me by James Granger, the Sabre/Adams system bears the trademarks of engineering, testing, and design work that one would expect to see in a half decade after the type appeared on the scene, taking into account the different obstacles and problems known to be common in piston designs and incorporating material solutions to counteract them.  Some notable operating features include:

1. A one piece bolt carrier that contains relief cuts for stress reduction and specially designed rear carrier to combat the vaunted bolt cant/tilt issue.
2. Ion bonded and blown finish on the operating rod, bolt group, and upper receiver for sustainable durability and operability.
3. Mechanical actuation feature (gas cut off) for single shot operation.
4. Gas escape between the plug and sleeve that pushes gas away from the operator and gas flow cycle that reduces thermal wash out under NVGs and low light conditions.
5. Precise engineering of moving parts based on the range of motion of the piston meant to alleviate unnecessary stresses from competing physical motions inside the weapon.
6. Free floating gas piston negating the harmonic effects on the barrel caused by the function of the operating system.

The Sabre Gas Piston Rifle is currently intended for more than commercial success; Dave Power acknowledged the system is in fact the current Sabre/Adams vision for the Army’s M4 Improvement Program and the up and coming Carbine solicitation.  It is wise to keep a close eye on this system and product.  The Sabre Gas Piston Rifle is a unique “from scratch” design and a joint venture between Sabre Defence and Adams Arms.  It should not be confused with other piston upgrades available from Adams Arms.

James Granger of Adams Arms explains the operating mechanism on the Sabre Gas Piston Rifle. The Adams Arms’ free floating piston is designed to negate effects of piston movement on barrel harmonics while providing reliable operation and simplistic take-down.

Rock River Arms
Mark Hanssen at the Rock River Arms (RRA) table bore an air of enthusiasm that was quite uplifting; he was speaking while holding RRA’s new rifle before a crowd of interested Special Forces attendees.  What is it called?  For now it seems to simply be “Prototype Rifle #01”.  This gun is a serious departure from the conventional AR.  It is small, compact, and has a side folding stock.  The charging handle is ambidextrous and moved to the forward part of the weapon over the barrel.  As for the buffer tube, well, there isn’t one.  This gun would make a great PDW or compact carbine once proven – the size-to-performance ratio being achieved through several departures from conventional AR designs as follows:

An easy access piston operating system; the operating rod being integral to the bolt carrier.  Another appropriate name for the operating rod would be “operating chunk of thick sturdy metal.”

A redesigned recoil spring.  The new spring looks familiar in concept to other firearms, but is radically different than the typical AR buffer spring.  It is fully contained in the upper receiver and allows for elimination of the buffer tube all together allowing the use of a side folding stocks: a handy thing to have where a compact individual weapon provides a useful platform in vehicle and Airborne operations, MOUT/FIBUA, cave/tunnel clearing, along with a myriad of other uses that require the improved ergonomics that come with a small package.

Rock River’s prototype features a forward ambidextrous charging handle located over the barrel of the weapon system which operates independently from the standard rear AR-15 type charging handle (which has been retained in the design). The dual charging handle design will help prevent muscle memory mishaps from veterans institutionalized on the standard AR platform.

A shortened bolt carrier.  This is a reminder of the old ZM design and is necessary to achieve buffer tube elimination.  This comes with a classic problem however; how do you trip the auto sear with a bolt group that is half the length?  Currently you don’t, but that doesn’t mean this nut won’t be cracked.

There is no real performance data on RRA’s new gun as of yet and I speculate the verdict will not be out for some time.  One thing is certain, it is refreshing to walk even the smaller shows and see the flurry of innovation that is occurring in the area of individual weapons.  It’s not just the big kids of the small arms industrial base that are bringing new concepts and designs to fruition.  Prototypes are appearing here and abroad in what seems to be record numbers; a sign of a healthy industry and of governments that are recognizing it is time to turn a page and bring new hardware into service.  As for the American market, the U.S. Army Carbine solicitation we’re all waiting for should make for some tough competition.

~~~~~~~Other than ARs~~~~~~~ 

Glock, Inc.
Glock was in attendance with the highly publicized “Gen4” model.  Touted in a number of publications quite a bit lately, but as Glock’s Tony Musa put it, “these are the most changes to a Glock in a really long time,” which in itself merits that it be readdressed.  Gen4 is nice; fired earlier this year at SHOT Show, it handled well and the claimed improvements in my opinion are realized.  There is no secret to the reengineering to the platform, the most radical of which is the redesigned dual recoil spring which produces a 10% reduction in felt recoil, but also your industry standard features such as interchangeable back straps and a true fully reversible/ambidextrous magazine release lever.  There are a couple of things that should be noted: the Gen4’s dual recoil assembly is not interchangeable with any other pre-Gen4 Glocks.  Furthermore, the laws of physics just won’t allow the previous generation Glock magazine to interchange in the Gen4 frame when configured for a left side magazine release as the mag body does not possess the magazine catch on the left side like the Gen4 upgrade (righties are in the clear).  This all said, most interesting is the Gen4’s extended life cycle claims as they do not stem solely from the dual recoil spring assembly as Musa explained; the small springs in the gun have also been “revamped” for improved life expectancy and durability.  This is all pretty impressive for a legacy firearm that possesses such a record for longevity and by this time next year I expect some end-users will have put the Gen4 to the test and there will be plenty of data to sift.

Peak Beam
Whenever one thinks of weapon lights, names like Surefire, First Light, and Stream Light come to mind, but Peak Beam was a new one and needed investigation.  Peak Beam’s Maxa Beam MBPKG-WM-AX3S CSWL is their flagship product and is designed to answer the need in the critical area of crew served weapon lights, particularly for the M2 .50 cal. machine gun.  Weighing in at 4.5 pounds and requiring a power supply with a NATO slave receptacle or two BA5590 lithium rechargeable batteries (as used in the ASIP radio) this ruggedized system may not be the right choice for the M4 MWS, but has all the features needed for a weapon light small enough yet powerful enough to exploit the potency of a crew served weapon like the M2 BMG.

The current CSWL is a Gen II development of the original Maxa Beam CSWL and has been enhanced to meet certain requirements established by the U.S. Army.  The system utilizes the standard M1913 Picatinny type rail mount adapter and must be coupled with the MBA-ATSSMKVIII rail adapter for the M2 machine gun.  Other standard features include a lockable IR Filter, shock-resistant lens and lamp (1,500 hours service life), and a control toggle that allows for full off/on mode operator control.  The lamp itself is powerful and you would certainly not want to look straight at the beam as the system is capable of generating 12,000,000 candle power with a white light visibility out to 3,500 meters (1,400 IR).  Furthermore, this light will grab the attention of just about anyone with its strobing feature, which gives the operator the ability to use the CSWL as a non-lethal visual device and hopefully dissuade the complacent war zone civilian from inadvertently driving up too close to the business end of a light bearing M2.

The End State
Lodestar’s SPECOPS East show may not be very large as shows go, and certainly not an all out small arms expo, but it has merits as a tiny venue that serves the warfighter first and foremost.  Any military or industry personnel that can make it down to Fort Bragg for the event might well consider it as a premier venue that hosts the very best audience our country can furnish in an atmosphere that is conducive to one-on-one relationship building.

The 2009 NDIA Small Arms Systems Symposium, Exhibition, and Firing Demonstration was as busy as its host city of Las Vegas.  For three days, May 19-21, participants from all aspects of the small arms defense community, sharing the common goal of servicing the warfighter, met to exchange ideas, view vendor products, and go hands-on with the latest and greatest hardware.  The 2009 symposium was truly notable due to its tremendous size, with over 700 attendees, yet the exceptional organization throughout the event is a reminder of the hard work of the NDIA small arms committee and operations team that for months prior made arrangements, checked schedules, organized papers, and then consistently stood ready to respond to any changes.

The hosting hotel, Bally’s of Las Vegas, proved to be an ample facility with a large display floor and conference room for the myriad of exhibits and briefings presented.  With a preview reception on the evening of the 18th, it did not take long to realize why the NDIA event is a choice symposium for the domestic and international small arms defense community.  The combination of vendor exhibits, intensive topic papers, and excellent live fire demonstration effectively combine the hands-on and academic aspect of equipment and technology assessment like few other events can.  As the event opened, Sam Campagna of NDIA initiated the symposium sessions by relaying the words of NDIA CEO, LTG (ret) Lawrence Farrell: “We’re here to support the troops.  It’s all about the troops.”  With that humbling beacon to focus in thoughts, so the event began.

A Notable Keynote
The morning of the 19th saw a routine that occurs annually at the NDIA Small Arms Symposium; a keynote speaker addressed the crowd and set the tone for the event.  This year was unique in that Mr. Anthony Melita, Acquisition Technology and Logistics, Land Warfare & Munitions, from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD), held the keynote title not to reminisce as some speakers have in the past, but to update attendees on a current small arms effort within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) known as the JAT, or Small Arms and Ammunition Joint Assessment Team.

The JAT was formed in response to a topic that had heated the 2008 symposium; the aging fleet age and technical limitations of the current U.S. Military small arms fleet in comparison to available emerging technologies in both friendly and threat countries.  Mr. Melita’s meticulous explanation of the effort was given with every caution reminding the crowd that a mere four months had past since the change of administration within the U.S. Government and that there are many aspects regarding the future that have yet to be mapped.  What was certain however, is the work the JAT has already accomplished to include developing a working group to implement the JAT effort with Mr. Melita emphasizing the goal, “Ultimately to look objectively at small arms and determine if we are doing the right thing.”  With that concept of unbiased objectivity in mind a guiding formula was established:

– Collect all relevant documents and requirements
– Identify common capability gaps
– Assess material and non-material solutions for the identified gaps
– Compile quad charts for each identified area
– Compile industry input
– Establish conclusions

Notably, industry too was invited to participate and offer insight through NDIA with over ninety companies and individuals responding to the call.  With such an intense effort, the JAT effort produced eighty-five findings with six major conclusions.  Though identified capability gaps, findings, and conclusions were not fully detailed for obvious national security reasons, some major themes arose regarding how to analyze the conclusions and develop future courses of action:

– Develop measurable standards to support requirement documents
– Apply the new standards to the factors and challenges that impact system optimization and decisions regarding potential material and non-material solutions
– Assess the impact of training on small-arms effectiveness
– Identify available Commercial-off-the-Shelf (CotS) and National Defense Industry (NDI) material solutions

Clearly the JAT effort has just begun and though some aspects of the effort and its future are unclear, it is reassuring to see such an effort underway and making substantial progress.  It is a compliment to those involved that the effort has encompassed such a wide group and signals that some of the previous days of keeping industry in the dark may be passed.  The JAT effort is truly collective and has the potential to vitalize numerous industry efforts; well worth watching in the months to come.

Ashbury International’s Asymmetric Warrior’s most notable design change since 2008 is the addition of a rail bearing carbon-fiber heat shield.

PEO Soldier, U.S. Army
Following Mr. Melita, BG Peter Fuller, Program Executive Officer, Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, took the podium to address the current state of PEO Soldier, which has changed commanders since the 2008 symposium when BG Brown served as PEO.  As with last year, the Soldier-as-a-System (SaaS) concept has rightfully remained a guiding principle in development of all soldier systems.  The SaaS principle simply views the Soldier integrated with his/her weapon, ammunition, sensors/lasers, and training, as a single system achieving a combined effect.  In the big picture, PEO Soldier uses SaaS as an overarching concept to achieve the goals of increasing Soldier combat effectiveness, saving Soldier lives, and improving Soldier quality of life.  In regards to small arms Fuller emphasized, “There’s lots of ambiguity out there… (But) the Army recognizes the Soldier is the center piece of our organization”.  Fuller reiterated that PM Soldier Weapons uses the SaaS model, working with the U.S. Army Infantry Center (USAIC), when determining the nature of small arms development.  As often is the case with Army briefings, training was emphasized as one of the most significant force multipliers in the model regarding combat application of small arms.  Despite this, some end-users in the military infrastructure and various industry personnel have cautioned that training is not capable of addressing material failures and have warned against any entrenching mindset that may cause stagnation fielding material solutions.

Of particular interest in the previous 2008 symposium was the now infamous “carbine controversy” brewing between advocates and critics of the small arms development and procurement process/system in which the operational performance of the M4 Carbine became a spotlight issue.  Despite the intentions presented by COL Robert Radcliffe of the USAIC at last year’s symposium to continue with M4 procurement and “pure fleet” the Army with the system, radical changes over the past twelve months were reinforced by BG Fuller proclaiming that the Future Carbine Competition, which was preceded by an Industry RFI in November, 2008, is still the focus of future plans.  In the meantime, the Army plan is to service the fleet of nearly 1.3 million M4s in the inventory to sustain continuing combat operations as well as push to fielding the new “green ammo” optimized to the M4 operating system as a replacement to the current issue M855 (SS109).

Fuller commented on the milestones already reached by PEO Soldier since last year’s symposium to include general fielding of the M320 Grenade Launcher, formerly the XM320, after several years of hold ups and changes.  Wayne Webber, president of Heckler & Koch Inc., speaking from the H&K exhibition booth acknowledged that significant shipments of M320s were delivered in the month of May and many more are forthcoming.  The first receiving units will be in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Another notable development elaborated by Fuller is a soon to occur user assessment of the XM25 25mm grenade launcher.  Meant to be an individual, user programmable airburst, precision anti-personnel weapon, the XM25 is an offshoot of the original airburst module of the OICW program prominent several years ago.  The premise behind the XM25 concept is to deprive the enemy of covered positions, whether material barriers or defilade, by circumventing the requirement of overcoming the barrier with direct-fire, line-of-sight, weapons.  Unlike current issue 40mm HE and HEDP munitions which require an impact to detonate, the XM25 ordinance allows the user to range his target (or the cover obscuring the target) and exploit the vulnerable areas through pin-pointed airburst detonations.

LTC Chris Lehner, manning the PEO Soldier exhibit took the time to explain the perceived battlefield advantages of the XM25 and nature of the coming user assessment.  “Ever since men have used direct fire weapons, whoever was getting shot at has learned very quickly to use cover… We’re taking away that concept (with airburst munitions) forever.  Every time an enemy goes to cover they give us an opening because they had to get into that position to begin with.  XM25 will exploit that opening.”  The user assessment will be focused on stateside (CONUS) use with a limited safety release that allows shoulder firing, as the current firing sequence of XM25 is limited to stand firing.  The limited end-user assessment will be used by PEO Soldier to evaluate the system’s advantages and limitations while gauging the perceived effectiveness by the user.  LTC Lehner and PEO Soldier are optimistic that Soldiers, once exposed to the XM25’s capabilities, will want to add those capabilities to their organizations and will offer valuable insight regarding the current configuration.

Progressions in individual weapons were not the only gains showcased by the Army; crew served weapons have seen several advancements make their way towards combat fielding in both the performance and weight reduction arena.  Having seen use for a number of years by SOCOM, the MK 48 7.62 mm light machine gun has found its way into the Regular Army (RA) as part of the ongoing effort to reduce weight burdens on troops bound for the relentless terrain of Afghanistan.  Resembling a “beefy” M249, the MK 48 is a stop gap measure providing light weight 7.62 fire power until another PEO Soldier program, the M240L, comes to maturity.  The M240L appears at first glance to be a standard issue M240B configuration, but upon picking up the weapon one quickly appreciates that at the heart of the system is a light weight titanium alloy receiver which sheds nearly six pounds of total weight.  The M240L can also be coupled, in M240E6 configuration, with a light weight folding tripod in place of the venerable but hefty M122 series.  Heavier crew served weapons also continue to see improvements with the continuation of programs such as the XM806 light weight .50 BMG machine gun and the near fielding of the M2A1 enhanced “Ma Deuce” with fixed head-space and a quick change barrel features, as well as further development and implementation of the CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapon System) as a tool to remove gunners from the IED vulnerable positions on in-theatre vehicles.

Joint Services Small Arms Synchronization Team (JSSAST)
Chaired by the Army’s COL Carl Flynn, the JSSAST Session routinely serves as a quick reference to the various services small arms paths; a useful tool for industry personnel to reference the current trends among the force.  Preceding the various speakers representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and SOCOM, as well as non-lethal developments, Flynn took time to reiterate some of the common goals the JSSAST has been pursuing.  As with several years past, LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technology) continues to occupy a prominent place among JSSAST ventures.  Alternative material casings as well as caseless ammunition are still being developed and tested with some degree of success and coincidently relate nicely to the trend of the past six months of making rapid adjustments in order lighten the weight burden of military personnel in theatre.  There has been some criticism in the LSAT arena particularly focused on the feasibility of caseless ammunition, with its associated complexities, as born out during the ACR program of the 1990s, but polymer and metal alloy casings have seen praiseworthy progress which could reduce the weight ratio for the number or rounds carried by an approximate twenty percent.  Though there are some material challenges ensuring LSAT alternative materials are capable of handling the extreme pressure of firearms discharge without rupture or case head separation, the program is an effort that, if successful, could radically benefit light infantry, airborne, and special operations warfighters.  Other current focuses of the JSSAST include advanced fire control systems to increase the “lethality” of legacy and developmental weapon systems.