Naming origins aside, what makes these rechambered AK type rifles interesting is that they are able to chamber and fire both the standard 7.62 x 39 mm cartridge as well as the 7.92 x 33. The bore diameter is left unchanged – 7.92 mm projectiles are simply squeezed down to 7.62 mm upon firing. This increases pressures, but not so much as to create a critical problem (though it is likely to cause headspacing issues in the weapons over time).

The chambers are reamed to accept the 7.92 x 33 cartridge, which is short enough that doing so still leaves enough intact material around the case mouth for the chamber to adequately headspace a 7.62 x 39 cartridge. The rear end of the chamber remains larger than the 7.62 x 39 case – 11.95 mm vs 11.3 mm – but the case head is held in place by the bolt face. This is unlikely to be considered as “safe practice” by many experienced shooters in other countries.

Perhaps the closest to this type of rechambering in Western use is a relatively similar technique used to rechamber .303 barrels to accept the 7.62 x 54R mm cartridge. For some owners of Bren and Vickers guns, investigating a way to use cheap and available surplus ammunition instead of the much more scarce and expensive .303 round, 7.62 x 54R was attractive since both cartridges use .311 bore diameter, and both use rimmed cases. The conversion requires running a 7.62 x 54R reamer into a .303 chamber. Both rounds headspace on the rim, but 7.62 x 54R ammo fired in such a reamed chamber will exhibit a double shoulder.

In addition to a double shoulder, a 7.62 x 39 case fired in a Pakistani 44 Bore rifle, as in the photo below, will expand all around the body of the case because of the larger diameter of the 7.92 mm chamber.

Originally published on September 8, 2014

The owner, ‘U‘, says he purchased the pistol a few months ago from a contact within the Supreme Security Committee (SSC), a branch of the Libyan Ministry of Interior tasked with providing security within Tripoli following the 2011 revolution. U believes that the pistol was bought and issued to the SSC by the Libyan government before it was sold to him by an SSC officer. While the supply of arms to Libyan security forces is permissible under certain circumstances outlined in the UN arms embargo, this case highlights the challenges of controlling these weapons once they arrive in Libya.

Pistols are a rare commodity in Libya, and command a significantly higher price than long arms. U paid LYD 5,000.00 for his Caracal F (over USD $4,000.00), a price he says was actually about 1,000 LYD below the going rate. This Caracal F is chambered for 9 x 19 mm ammunition; U had loaded his magazine with cartridges produced in 1978 by FN Herstal, in Belgium. As well as being scarce, the 9 x 19 mm ammunition is also expensive in Libya. ARES Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones has previously documented the prices of small calibre ammunition in Libya; in February 2012, 9 x 19 mm ammunition cost around LYD 8.00 (more than USD $6.00 per cartridge). In 2014, U has been paying around LYD 5.00 (more than USD $4.00) per round – but U and fellow shopkeepers are happy with the economic trade-off of these weapons; whilst rifles are much more commonly available and relatively inexpensive, he says they “opt not to go for heavier weaponry, to avoid attention.”

Interestingly, certain production batches of the Caracal F were recalled in October 2012, with the manufacturer citing a potential problem with the trigger assembly. The recall included all Model F handguns bearing serial numbers beginning with “L”, like this example. It is unknown if this Caracal F has been returned or repaired since the recall.

The Caracal F, and the rest of the original line, was replaced by the CP660, CP661, and CP662 models which feature redesigned slide assemblies. The Caracal F (full-size model) has the following selected technical characteristics:

Slide length: 178 mm
Barrel length: 105 mm
Height: 137 mm
Width: 30 mm
Weight: 750 g
Calibre: 9 x 19 or 9 x 21
Magazine capacity: 18
Trigger system: ‘Short Double Action’
Trigger weight: ~2.3 kg

This article is reproduced courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES) – www.armamentresearch.com

In January 2014, various journalists, aid workers, and others have documented the presence of brass shotgun slugs in the streets of Kiev. An eyewitness (interviewed by ARES) described one such projectile as having been fired into a crowd he was standing with. Two images (IMG #1 and #2 right) depicting the fired projectiles were posted on Twitter by Christopher Miller and Oleksandr Aronets, both on the 22nd of January, 2014.

The projectiles shown are specialised armor-piercing (AP) 12 gauge shotgun projectiles, believed to have been developed and produced by the Spetstekhnika (Specialized Equipment) design bureau, a facility located in Kiev and associated with the Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs. The projectiles are comprised of either a brass or aluminium slug and a core of (likely hardened) steel, designed to act as a penetrator. The design of the projectile has been optimized for stopping vehicles, and the cartridge is referred to as a “car stopper.” (IMG #4 opposite page center), provided by a fellow IAA member, shows an example of a complete cartridge, an unfired projectile, and a wad column. It should be noted that the cartridge case pictured, with a headstamp indicating production by Baschieri & Pellagri Spa of Italy, is commercially available and does not indicate where the loaded cartridge was produced. Shotgun shells are particularly difficult to identify from headstamps alone, as a range of third-party producers can be involved in the supply of shotgun cartridge cases (hulls and brass heads) to manufacturers of complete cartridges. Shotgun shell cases supplied on government contracts often follow commercial marking practices, making them difficult to distinguish from cartridges used for civilian purposes.

Contrary to some information circulating online, these slugs are not Blondeau-type projectiles. Additionally, the larger “end” of the projectile is the forward portion. There also appears to be some confusion as to the purpose of these cartridges, with some sources claiming they are primarily used as breaching rounds. Unlike dedicated breaching cartridges, which typically make use of frangible projectiles of sintered metal powder, these slugs are not intended to disintegrate upon impact.

Suffice to say, these projectiles are lethal, and would not generally be fired in the course of a crowd-control action. Firing such cartridges against human targets certainly constitutes lethal force and, whilst effective within range constraints, would be an unusual choice. Other cartridge types would be more readily available, cheaper, and more effective if lethal force was required.

This article is courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES) – www.armamentresearch.com

Armor-piercing (AP) 12 gauge shotgun projectiles fired in Kiev. Christopher Miller.

Armor-piercing (AP) 12 gauge shotgun projectiles fired in Kiev. Oleksandr Aronets

From left to right: a complete cartridge, an unfired projectile, and a wad column. Confidential source

An interesting video was released by the Ukraine Military TV YouTube channel (http://youtu.be/PA34D9AVN30). The video shows pro-Russian separatists being captured by Ukrainian forces, and documents the man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) allegedly seized with these combatants. It shows a Polish-made PPZR (Przenosny Przeciwlotniczy Zestaw Rakietowy; portable anti-aircraft missile system – sometimes written simply “PZR”) Grom MANPADS.

The Grom (Polish for “thunder”, and sometimes stylized “GROM”) is a Polish-designed MANPADS drawing its design cues from the Soviet 9K38 Igla (NATO reporting name: SA-18). It is widely believed that Polish agents were able to purchase the original plans for the 9K38 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Work on the Grom began in 1992 and was conducted at several state-controlled design bureaus in Poland. Whilst the capabilities of early Grom missiles were largely identical to the 9K38, the system has continued to improve and later models are more advanced. The Grom continues to be offered for export by MESKO S.A., part of the BUMAR holding group.

Markings on a PPZR Grom MANPADS missile tube in Ukraine. (Ukraine Military TV YouTube channel)

The example shown in the video is fitted with a Russian-made 9P516 gripstock (without IFF; the IFF version is designated 9P516-1), designed for the 9K38. Whilst ARES has not seen Russian or Polish sources that explicitly state that the 9P516 gripstock is compatible with Grom missiles, it would not be surprising to learn as much, given their shared origins. The battery coolant units (BCUs) in the video may also be of Russian origin.

Markings on the missile launch tube indicate that it was produced in 2007. Interestingly, one of the few known foreign exports of the Grom was to Georgia, who is believed to have purchased 30 launchers and 100 missiles in 2007. Russian forces are known to have captured some of these, and Poland later accused Russia of planting materiel from this contract in Chechnya for political reasons. Whilst far from concrete evidence of supply, it is interesting that missiles from the same year as those ordered by Georgia and captured by Russian forces should turn up in the hands of pro-Russian separatists, fitted with Russian produced gripstocks. Of course, it is also possible that such systems were exported to other parties in the region. ARES will be sending an official tracing request to the Polish and Russian governments, as well as the manufacturers of the missile tube and gripstock.

PPZR Grom MANPADS advertising flyer. Note different design in gripstocks. (MESKO S.A.)

Special thanks to Eliot Higgins for the link, and a technical specialist who wishes to remain anonymous.

(This article is reproduced courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES) – www.armamentresearch.com and was originally published May 20, 2014)

Unknown handgun #2. (Original source unknown)

The shared name of these weapons, inscribed on the slide, is ‘TACTICAL-HULK PT11-PRO’, accompanied by the inscription ‘?????? ????NYATE’. This appears to use a combination of Cyrillic and Latin alphabet letters, and may be a poor attempt to approximate foreign markings. Handgun #2 appears to be visually similar to a blank firing model produced by Aral Weapons Ind. Co. of Turkey. It may be that the ‘TACTICAL-HULK’ range are based on different converted blank firing weapons.


Markings indicate the weapons are chambered for 7.65x17mmSR (.32 ACP), a rather weak handgun calibre, especially when fired from the short barrels seen in these models. The fit and finish does not seem much better than many of the blank firing weapons produced in Turkey, particularly on Handgun #3. The slide markings seen on Handguns #1 and #2 may indicate production in 2012. The presence of a serial number, printed on a metal plate and exposed through a cut-out in the frame, belies a relatively sophisticated and expensive manufacturing process, and likely indicates that the weapons are intended to be sold in a jurisdiction requiring externally visible serial numbering.


The relationship between the design of Handgun #1 and #2 is unclear, but given the existence of the Zoraki, it would seem to represent an evolution of that basic design, or an attempt by another to capitalize on the name and reputation of the Zoraki. The name ‘PT-11 PRO’ recalls Taurus or Kel-Tec, but neither version owes anything to either of those designs. This appropriation of legitimate firearm branding on dissimilar types is reminiscent of the products of illicit Croatian factories, though we have no evidence to confirm the nationality of these designs beyond Libyan source claims of Balkan origins. The weapons may equally be of Turkish origin.

Unknown handgun #3. (The Libyan Firearms Market’ Facebook page)

The third pistol shares design cues with, and is apparently a full-size companion to Handgun #2. They both possess a chunky polymer frame styling, a distinctive grip texture, and the same characteristic circular designs on the dust-cover. Handgun 3 also has matching circular cut-outs on the slide itself, and an unusual control mounted on the left side dust-cover, likely a take-down lever. It was being offered for sale on The Libyan Firearms Market for 4,800 Libyan Dinars (LYD), or approximately $3,900 USD.
(Thanks to Alexander Diehl, N.R. Jenzen-Jones, Hassan Morajea, and Paul William for their input.)


This article is reproduced courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES) – www.armamentresearch.com and was originally published February 19, 2014

Another version of Handgun #3, this model was being offered for sale on The Libyan Firearms Market for $2,800 LYD, or approximately $2,275 USD. (The Libyan Firearms Market’ Facebook page (??? ??????? ??????? ??????))

Unknown Handgun #2. (Original source unknown)

Unknown handgun #1. (Original source unknown)

The Fabrique Nationale d’Herstal (FNH) FN 303. (Zuma Press)

The Fabrique Nationale d’Herstal (FNH) FN 303 is a purpose-designed, semiautomatic weapon that uses compressed air to propel projectiles approximately 100 meters. It functions primarily as an impact weapon, although several of the available (FN-proprietary) projectiles have secondary effects, as described below. The weapon is constructed primarily of polymer, and is relatively lightweight at 2.2 kg. There is a Picatinny rail along the top of the receiver, and folding front and rear iron sights. An EOTech holographic sight, specifically calibrated to match the FN 303’s ballistic profile, is also available. The FN 303 is fed from a 15-round detachable drum magazine, which features a clear polymer back plate to allow for rapid identification of round count and type. Magazine changes can be accomplished in a few seconds, and magazines can be reloaded in around 30 seconds. The weapon is factory-set to a muzzle velocity of 86-91 metres per second. Compressed air canisters are factory-specified, and the user manual warns against using other containers. One full tank should last for at least 100 shots.

FN 303 ammunition has also been documented in Turkey with 18mm (.68 calibre) glycol-based impact munition for the FN 303. Other available projectiles include powder-based impact, impact plus indelible marker paint, impact plus washable marker paint, and impact plus irritant powder. The munitions all contain a bismuth payload to provide weight for impact, and are fin-stabilised to provide accuracy at longer ranges than many other less-lethal launchers. All have the primary effect of incapacitating the target or degrading his or her will to fight through force of impact.

Marker rounds have the secondary effect of assisting authorities in identifying potentially threatening individuals. The irritant projectile contains a synthetic
capsaicin known as PAVA (for pelargonic acid vanillylamide; also known as nonivamide), which delivers a disruptive or incapacitating effect. At close range, these projectiles have been known to penetrate sheetrock, hollow-core doors, and auto glass and still affect the target behind cover. FN Herstal estimates the range for point targets at 50 meters, but the weapon can be effective out to 100 meters against area targets, such as crowds. FNH USA estimates the minimum engagement range at 1 meter, but U.S. DoD policy forbids engagement at ranges less than 5 meters.

Turkish law enforcement personnel photographed wielding the TAC 700 riot gun. (The Atlantic)

As with other impact munitions such as rubber bullets or 37/40mm impact projectiles, it is essential to engage targets in the limbs or torso to avoid serious injury. The FN 303 manual warns that, “Death or serious injury may result from projectiles striking the head or neck.” It is important to remember that there are risks inherent to the use of all less-lethal systems; this is precisely why there is a trend towards the use of the term ‘less-lethal’ rather than ‘non-lethal’. Comparatively safe systems, such as the FN 303, are often a preferable alternative to the use of live rounds or other, more dangerous less-lethal solutions.

It appears that the Turkish police tested the FN 303 in 2008, and introduced it into service in 2010. A 2010 article from Dünya Bülteni, a Turkish news site, suggests the use of both washable (pink) and indelible (yellow) marker projectiles. (www.dunyabulteni.net/index.php?aType=haber&ArticleID=122880, published July 26, 2010). Damien Spleeters has more on the presence of FN 303 launchers in Turkey at his excellent site, Damspleet (www.damspleet.com/post/52814245459/trying-to-quell-protests-turkish-police-uses, published June 12, 2013). The FN 303, in particular, seems to be the cause of frequent confusion when it comes to identification. In one particularly egregious example from The Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1374315/Gaddafis-letter-Barack-Obama-calls-end-unjust-war.html, published April 7, 2011), an FN 303 seen in Libya was described as an ‘American
submachine gun’.

The other two systems sighted are the TAC 700 riot gun, produced by PepperBall, and the Tippmann LE-900. Both of these are essentially repurposed paintball guns, operating in a similar fashion and firing a similar projectile. Unlike the FN 303, the TAC 700 and LE-900 air cartridges can be refilled without the need for special equipment. They are selective fire weapons, capable of semiautomatic fire, three-round burst, and fully automatic fire at rates of up to 700 and 900 rounds per minute, respectively. PepperBall describe the TAC 700 as target accurate out to 60 feet (approximately 18 meters), or for area saturation out to 150 feet (48 meters). Both systems are chambered for .68 calibre paintball-type projectiles. Tippmann, a well-known manufacturer of paintball markers, ammunition, and equipment, produce a range of .68 calibre markers. It should be noted that PepperBall-branded systems are also based on Tippmann paintball markers.

A man firing the 37/38mm Penn Arms PL-8 rotary launcher. (AFP)

A wide range of projectiles are available for the systems. PepperBall lists several of their branded projectiles on their website, including inert, marking, water-filled, and glass-breaking (solid nylon) varieties. Additionally, there are the eponymous ‘PepperBall’ projectiles, available in ‘Live’ and ‘Live X’ formulae. The Live projectiles are filled with Capsaicin II, whilst the Live X range contain PAVA, described by PepperBall as “10x hotter than Live projectiles.” Numerous other .68 calibre paintballs are available from other retailers, including a variety of pepper, chili, and PAVA-filled examples. One South African website, Xtreme Paintball, (www.paintballguns.co.za) lists its solid nylon projectiles as ‘Skull Breakers’.

(This article is reproduced courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES) and was originally published by them December 4, 2013. www.armamentresearch.com.)