Like any project, having the right tools makes it so much easier to complete a job. It can make a two minute task turn into an hour or more if you don’t have the proper tools! The Black Rifle is the most popular rifle in America by a long shot and many people decide to build their own rather than go into a gun shop and pick one off the rack. So of course these guys are going to need the tools to assemble them. As an armorer school instructor myself, this author understands how much proper tools play into proper assembly of a rifle. If not done properly, the rifle will not function, components may be damaged or parts may come loose. Traditionally, the M16 had a basic combination tool, barbaric aluminum barrel clamps and if you were lucky a bolt catch punch. The slave pin punch was made in your shop to be able to insert tiny pins. Over the years, this author has come across several tools that are considered a must have for one who works on these rifles on a regular basis. There is really a one shot stop to obtain all the tools featured and that is Brownells, Inc. SAR would like to thank Roy Hill from Brownells for making this article possible by providing all the tools for test and evaluation as well as the instructions to use them.

If you are a police or military armorer who works on AR15/M16/M4 rifle on a regular basis, there is a complete kit that I recommend to my students. In fact many gun manufacturers purchase these kits and sell them to their customers overseas and train them on this kit. Brownells offers what is called the AR-15/M16 Premium Armorer’s kit (080-001-292). The Premium Kit contains all the tools necessary to repair and maintain the M16 and M4 carbine. The kit come in a custom-fitted, hard-side tool box from Pelican that’s made from nearly indestructible molded polymer resin and meets mil-spec MIL-STD-810F. This kit does not contain all the tools discussed in this article but enough to make your job working on this rifle very easy. It does contain all of the roll pin holders, roll pin punches as well as the bolt catch pin punch. It comes with the proper torque wrench for the barrel nut and receiver extension as well as headspace gauge and firing pin protrusion gauge. Every armory should have at least one of these kits in their shop.

The roll pin holders makes installation of the small roll pins an easy task. For many years, armorers would construct some type of device for this purpose. This set handles all the roll pin sizes used in the AR15 weapons platform.

Starting right off is a very basic set of roll pin holders. Working with such small roll pins is tedious, especially when you have size Sasquatch hands. Brownells offers a set of 5 (080-685-000) that takes care of all the small pins. They are specifically designed for the black rifle. The 1/16 has a cut out to clear the rear sight drum when installing the rear sight pin. These roll pin holders secure the gas tube pin, trigger guard roll pin, bolt catch pin to name a few.

To go along with the roll pin holders is a set of roll pin punches to drive and remove roll pins. Brownells offers a set specifically to deal with Black Rifled called Roll Pin Punches (230-112-105). On the end of these punches is a small rounded surface in the middle which sits inside the roll pin to keep the punch in place. When using a standard roll pin punch with a flat base, the punch can slide off the roll pin damaging the receiver. Using the Brownells Roll Pin Punches, the pin is secure and driven easily in and out. There are 5 pin punches in 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 3/32 and 5/64 inch.

When the need arises to remove the gas tube, it can be a tedious task. Due to carbon freeze the gas tube may not want to come out. So you grab a pair of pliers to try to pull it out of the gas block. But you end up chewing the gas tube up with the pliers. In some cases you may even destroy it. Brownells offer a excellent tool to remove the gas tube without damage. The tool is called a gas tube removal tool (133-100-015) and it is made by Mark Brown Custom. The tool clamps onto the gas tube and as the tool is tightened, it secures the gas tube. Now you may either rotate the tool to break it free from the gas block or you may tap the tool with a hammer to drive the gas tube straight out. I haven’t yet come across a gas tube that I could not remove and then reuse when using this tool.

The new gas block alignment pins. This is the easiest method out there for aligning a gas block without a fixture.

Disassembly of the bolt can be a bit tricky. This is commonly done to replace the ejector and ejector springs. The Army TM tells you to put the tail of the bolt in a vice and drive the roll pin out. This can damage the bolt and may also be dangerous! When you remove the roll pin punch from the bolt, the ejector and ejector spring will launch never to be seen again. Young Manufacturing sells a bolt disassembly tool through Brownells (939-000-003) that fits this bill. Manufactured out of aluminum, the tool can be secured in a vice. The bolt is located in a slot that lines up the ejector pin with a hole in the tool. You rotate the plunger which depresses the ejector, just push in slightly to relive the stress of the ejector pin. Now tap out the pin. Now back out the plunger slowly and remove the ejector and pin. Simply reverse to install an ejector.

The legacy Armorers wrench is primitive by today’s standards and in some ways obsolete. The original wrench grabs the barrel nut at 3 locations. On a stubborn barrel nut you can easily break three scallops on the barrel nut right off. One of the finest armorer’s wrenches in the industry is manufactured by Smith Enterprises and available through Brownells (851-000-068). This item has a NSN# 5855 01 506 5750 and is in use in the US military. This wrench has one side to grab the traditional 3 points but the other grabs 14 points! This gets a firm grip and will break free the most stubborn barrel nuts. The wrench has a large handle providing plenty of leverage by hand. Also on the wrench are wrenches for the flash suppressor as well as rifle receiver extension. The wrench has a 1/2 inch square drive opening for a torque wrench and breaker bar.

Not often does the carrier key have to be replaced but sometimes the carrier key screws will break or come loose in not either properly torqued or staked in place. At the factory, a hydraulic press is used to properly stake the carrier key screws. Traditionally if one wanted to stake a carrier key, they would use a center punch and stake the carrier key screw in three places each. This is a grueling task trying to make sure the center punch does not slide out of place damaging the screw or weakening the carrier key. Brownells designed a tool just for this task and is a must for anyone who wants to stake a carrier key. It is called the AR-15 Carrier Key Staking Tool (080-000-0015). The tool is held in place by a vice (if wanted). The carrier key slides in the tool and the top ledge is held secure by a screw. On each side there are two screws with pointed ends on them. Inserting an Allen key in the screw and rotating clock wise peens the carrier key material into the screw. This is repeated for the remaining 3 screws. Now the carrier key is properly staked ensuring it will not come loose at an inopportune time. With heavy use the screws will break, so Brownells offers a 4-pack replacement set (080-001-118).

Shown is the Geissele Reaction Rod. Notice the end which locks into the barrel extension.

The next tool one may think of as common and basic but when this author visited an armory in Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan it was clear that it is not as common as one would think. In fact the tools in use at the armory were substandard to say the least. Most were improvised tools. The bolt catch is a part that is not often removed. But when assembling new rifles and replacing broken bolt catches on used rifles, the shape/contour of the lower receiver make it difficult to use a standard roll pin punch to drive out the bolt catch pin. Brownells offers a custom Bolt Catch Pin Punch (080-216-012) which is a slab sided punch that fits with the flat contour of the front left side of the receiver/magazine well. Also there is roll pin guide on the center of the punch to ensure the punch does not slide off the roll pin. The receiver is not damaged or scratched. Using a standard roll pin punch will damage the finish as well as damage the aluminum where the roll pin is inserted. Some Armorers will grind down a standard punch for this job but it is easier sometimes to just get the right tool to begin with.

When installing gas blocks without a jig, it can be sometimes difficult to properly align the gas port on the barrel with the front sight base. Many people these days like to use gas blocks which are held in place with set screws rather than the mil-spec drill and pin. Most of these are just gas blocks with no sight tower. So trying to center the gas block can be a pain. You get out to the range, start firing the rifle and get short strokes due to it being out of alignment. HB Industries came up with the most simple and fool proof way to get it right the first time. The Gas Block Aligner pins are sold by Brownells (100-015-040) and are awesome. You break off one of the plastic pins. The pin is in two attached sections. You drop it into the gas port on the barrel. Now slide the gas block over the barrel and into place. Turn the barrel upside down and wiggle the gas block until it stops. That is the pin falling into the gas port hole on the gas block perfectly aligning the gas port on the barrel either the one on the gas block. Tighten (Loctite) the screws down. Flip the barrel back over. Now take a cleaning rod and push it through the barrel. This will snap the aligner pin in two and allow it to fall out the muzzle. Now your gas system is perfectly aligned the first time.

Installation and removal of the barrel can be a difficult task. The upper receiver must be held secure. There have been many different fixtures rigged up. However, many of these fixtures have their issues. For instance the clamshells, when you apply torque you are putting all the torque directly on the aluminum receiver. This can sometimes cause damage to the receiver, especially if it is over torqued. The second is the receiver is secured by the two slots for the front and rear takedown pins. This is not such a good idea since you are putting the entire load on two soft aluminum tabs. In this author’s experience, the best way to torque a barrel is to take the entire load off the aluminum receiver. The Geissele Reaction Rod (100-011-315) does just that. The upper receiver slides over the vice mounted Reaction Rod and into the end of the rod is inserted into the barrel extension where it lock in position with the extension. When torque is now applied, all of it goes to the steel barrel/barrel extension. Installation is easy and no damage occurs physically or cosmetically to the barrel or receiver. The Reaction Rod has found a home with many Original Equipment Manufacturers in their assembly lines due to this being the ideal way to install/remove the barrel. For those who are building up 7.62mm AR10-type rifles, Geissele makes a Reaction Rod for that as well.

The Geissele Reaction Block used to remove and install the receiver extension nut. It can also be used in place of the magazine well block.

Installation of the standard Mil-Spec receiver extension is often done using a magazine well block. When the receiver extension nut is torqued, the torque is applied to the rear of the aluminum receiver. If improperly done, one can bend the aluminum or in some cases snap the rear of the lower receiver right off. This is even more true with the new generation of polymer lower receivers. Once again Geissele to the rescue with their Reaction Block (100-016-578). The receiver extension (Mil-Spec) can be slid into the block in four different orientations. Once the receiver extension is practically slipped in, the receiver extension wrench is inserted and the extension is torqued to spec. Instead of the torque being placed on the rear of the delicate aluminum frame, it is now placed on the receiver extension itself. This safely and without trouble torques down the receiver extension nut. After tight, remove the wrench and slide the receiver fully into the Reaction block. Now you can stake the receiver extension nut in place without putting the hammer force of the center punch on the aluminum receiver but on the receiver extension and the block. Many Original Equipment Manufacturers have adopted this tool for installation of receiver extension nuts. I is the safest and most efficient way to install this component in the industry.

Another task we often do not think about until it is a problem is removal of the ejection port dust cover. Normally this is removed/installed before the barrel is installed so everything can be slid right in or out of place. If the barrel is in place, the ejection port cover cannot be removed from the front of the receiver. To remove it from the rear requires the removal of the tiny “C” clip on the end of the rod. Not difficult, just get a pair of needle nose pliers. However, putting the “C” clip back on is a real pain. If you have a really good set of needle nose pliers that is small enough it may go on. Hopefully during the process you did not scratch up the receiver. Brownells just released a new tool by Rotor Clip called the Ejection Cover Hinge Pin Clip Tool (100-013-629). This makes this process simple and with no damage to the receiver. The “C” clip snaps into the end of the tool. The tool is placed over the hinge pin and pushed down so the “C” clip snaps right into position. Also if you are an Original Equipment Manufacturer, this tool would save a lot of time and effort when installing the “C” clip on the hinge pin preparing for assembly of the ejection port cover assembly.

For one who is trying to build a precision AR, you want the best barrel as well as the best upper receiver and so on. There are many little things you do to make a rifle accurate. For example we put in a precision trigger, adjustable stock so you can be comfortable making that precision shot as well as a good muzzle brake. Often over looked is how the barrel extension fits against the upper receiver face. If that face is not true, the barrel extension will not sit flush which could have an impact on that precision shot. For just this occasion, Brownells developed an AR-15 Receiver Lapping Tool (080-000-182). The tool fits into a drill on one side. On the other is the cutting surface. Lapping compound is placed on the front of the receiver and then the tool is inserted. Light pressure is applied and the aluminum face is made smooth and true so the barrel extension will sit perfectly flush. There are no burrs of anodizing anomalies that will cause any issues with correct seating of the barrel in the receiver. Does every build require such attention? Absolutely not but when precision is required, all these little things play into the equation

For the shooter who wants to get the most accuracy out of his rile, the Brownells upper receiver lapping tool is used to true up the front of the receiver ensuring the barrel extension sits flush with the receiver.

For the average builder, he can do with some of the bare bones tool. For the professional, the military or law enforcement armorer, serious shooter, gunsmith and weapon manufacturers, these tools can save a lot of time and that turns into saving money. It can also mean the difference between a fun building experience instead of an annoyed upset bad experience. Due to the popularity of the Modern Sporting Rifle, there has been a demand for tools from all walks of life. Brownells is without question the industry leader in Gunsmithing tool and parts. They not only stock tools manufactured by other very talented vendors but design and make tools themselves. All of the featured products are available through Brownells

One of the newest tools on the market is the “C” clip installation tool for the ejection port cover hinge rod.

Shown is the Brownells bolt carrier key staking tool.

The roll pin punches make easy installation and removal of roll pins. The tip on the end centers inside the roll pin to ensure the punch does not slip off the roll pin.

Shown is the gas tube removal tool in action. Tapping the tool with a hammer easily removed the most stubborn gas tube.

Shown is the Brownells bolt catch roll pin punch in use. The flat side make for easy installation and removal of the bolt catch pin.

The Young Manufacturing bolt disassembly tool allows easy removal and installation of the ejector. Mounting the tool in a vice makes the task much easier than one you have to hold in your hand.

Small Arms Defense Journal first visited the Caracal factory in Abu Dhabi in February, 2011 when the new production of the Models C and F were coming off the newly constructed production lines. That article was in SADJ V3 No 3 and is online. Here, five years later, SADJ writer Chris Bartocci returns to see the amazing growth of not only the factory, but the scope of Caracal’s ambition and production.

The Gulf region has always been dependent on foreign nations to provide their security forces with small arms and ammunition. The region exports oil, mining products, and some agricultural items, but that is really about it. That can be a dangerous situation, depending on foreign nations for all of your war materials. It’s especially difficult when diplomatic relationships are so fragile in the region. One day the US State Department approves the license to send small arms, spare parts and ammunition but the next time the license is applied they may deny it if there are any political issues between the two nations. The United Arab Emirates has decided this is unacceptable and has taken steps to make the UAE self sustainable by creating small arms and small arms ammunition manufacturing right in Abu Dhabi. This is a major challenge for many reasons. The Middle East is not populated with a large work force trained in modern engineering and manufacturing. American firearms manufacturers are generally surrounded by machine shops and “job shops” that specialize in various manufacturing process that are used in the manufacturing of small arms. This would include shops that mold polymer components, heat treat, perform chroming, hammer forging, casting and forging aluminum receivers. The Middle East, these do exist but are quite limited. To make the same firearm there you must have a manufacturing facility that can do all these processes in house. That is just what happened with a relatively new company, Caracal. The company first produced two pistols; the 9x19mm models C&F. This was well suited for them to build up their manufacturing capability to produce complete firearms in-house. They have rows of modern CNC machines, modern lathes and deep hole drilling for barrels, hammer forge for barrel production, heat treating, anodizing, polishing, cryo stress relief, MIM and other capabilities.

The first Gulf region built assault rifle, the short stroke piston operated CAR816 manufactured in Abu Dhabi, UAE by Caracal. Just like the M4, the rifle will accept any accessory from optics, bayonet, bipod or anything else which may be required.

Now, the company is set out on their next goal, to develop an assault rifle they could sell not only in the UAE but to all the Gulf nations. This would surely put Caracal in a position where if they made as good if not a better assault rifle than their American and European competition, these nations would prefer to buy from a GCC ally where they eliminate the higher costs, logistical issues and eventual political issues that can interrupt the flow of necessary military gear into the countries. In all reality, they might prefer to equip their forces with a home grown product rather than one from abroad.

Caracal set out to design this rifle for their part of the world. They needed to have a first rate engineering and manufacturing staff. They recruited engineers and manufacturing experts from countries such as the US, Germany, Russia and India to name a few. The design leads would come from two of the most well known companies in the industry, Heckler & Koch and Sig Sauer. Robert Hirt was with Heckler & Koch through several programs, most notably the HK416 as well as with SIG Sauer as the VP of Special Weapons Group/engineering/Defense Systems and is the inventor of the 516/517, MPX and MCX programs. Robert is now the Chief Operating Officer of Caracal. Chris Sirois was an engineer with SIG Sauer where he worked on the SIG 516, 517 and the MCX programs. Chris is now the head of research and development at Caracal which include the Design Group, Prototype Shop and Special Weapons Development. The engineers Caracal hired just happened to be the ones intimately involved with the HK416 and the Sig MCX rifles. The CEO of Caracal, Hamad Salem Al Ameri, is not your typical CEO or businessman. He is an active duty UAE Army Special Forces officer who was commissioned in the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, UK. Being an end user, he presented the challenge to both engineers. He said to each if they had it to do all over again on each weapon system, what would you do differently to make the guns even better? They both said they had some ideas. Then he set them free to build “that rifle” which resulted in the Caracal CAR816. This rifle is not another black rifle copy. This was designed from the ground up. Particular emphasis was put on the performance of the rifle in the environment at hand. The desert, with the most unforgiving sand or better said powder that is the nemesis of anything with moving parts. This is the environment these weapons are specifically designed to function in.

The aspiration of Caracal is to have a majority of weapon production in house and Caracal is working diligently to achieve this. At present some major components are brought in from high end suppliers but it is clear that the Caracal goal is ultimately to produce a 100% indigenous rifle. By importing components from the US, the ITAR restrictions make sales of the rifle outside the UAE very difficult. With the rifle being made 100% in the UAE, they are free to sell throughout the world with no issues.

The CAR816 is a selective-fire (SAFE, SEMI and AUTO) 5.56x45mm gas-operated via short stroke piston assault rifle. The standard barrel length is 14.5 inches. The barrel also has a bayonet lug. The rifle is equipped with a Caracal made free float handguard system with quad Mil-Std-1913 rails. They cyclic rate is between 750-950 rounds per minute. The overall length with the stock extended is 34.6 inches and with the stock collapsed is 31.37 inches. The weight without a magazine is 7.71 pounds.

The Caracal Personal Defense Weapon with a 7.5 inch barrel. The product lineup of Caracal CAR816 rifles is available in 7.5, 10.5, 14.5 and 16 inch barrels.

Starting at the rear of the rifle, the receiver extension permits 6 positions for the stock. The Magpul STR or CTR stocks are found on the rifles this author has seen. According to Caracal, the stock will be based on the customer request. This too will eventually be a Caracal design in the not so distant future. The buffer differs from the legacy models as well. Unlike the norm, Caracal does not use sliding steel and tungsten weights in the buffer; they use tungsten powder. Current rifles will be found with a standard A2-type pistol grip. This is being replaced now with a Caracal designed pistol grip which resembles a Magpul MOE grip. The texture is different and there is a compartment inside the grip. On the receiver extension endplate is an attachment point for a HK-style hook sling. By nature of the design the attachment point is ambidextrous. The lower receiver is a Caracal design with additional features. The magazine well is flared well for inserting a magazine in low to no light conditions. There are gripping grooves on the front of the magazine well to assist in adverse conditions. Rifles used in this environment can have an ambient temperature well exceeding 100°F before a shot is fired. Once a few magazines run through the rifle the handguard may become uncomfortable to hold. Several of the prototype rifles seen at the factory have Manta rail covers. This is certainly a way to deal with a hot handguard. Caracal has not yet settled on one particular rail protector.

The selector is standard on the left side. Caracal will provide an ambidextrous selector if requested. The bolt catch and magazine catch are standard also but again upon request of the customer will make this ambidextrous as well. Providing a standard ambidextrous rifle is more costly than a standard rifle. It is better for Caracal to offer a standard model and have the flexibility to provide ambidextrous features upon request. The trigger is a standard selective-fire trigger. Caracal will soon be offering a semi-auto only trigger group. The trigger weight is specified between 7.5 and 11.5 pounds. The lower receiver will accept any Mil-Spec upper receiver.

The upper receiver of the CAR816 looks standard but there is a modification to the face of the receiver above the barrel nut extension. It is machined to allow the sleeve for the operating rod. The upper receiver has both a forward bolt assist as well as a fired cartridge case deflector. There is a standard ejection port dust cover which is essential for survival in the sandy Middle East environment. The charging handle shown on the prototype rifles to SADJ is a Vltor ambidextrous charging handle. Production guns will have a Caracal made standard charging handle unless the ambidextrous is requested. The Vltor charging handle is certainly an upgrade and is useful by right-hand shooters as well.

The CAR816 has a three position gas regulator. The three is a little sticky, a projectile tip may be used to rotate it.

positions are normal conditions, adverse conditions and suppressed fire. The regulator is adjusted by depressing a lock and rotating the regulator. If it The barrel itself is manufactured by Caracal in-house. The barrel is cold hammer forged and QPQ finished. Caracal feels this is a much better option than chrome plating. The standard barrel is 14.5-inches and it has a 1 turn in 7-inch right hand twist with 6 lands and grooves. Caracal also provides a 7.5-inch PDW variation as well as a 10.5 and 16 inch barrel. The chamber is modified so the rifle is over-the-beach capable. This is an important feature in the Gulf region for operators working in maritime conditions. This is one area where the American M4 has always fallen short. This has to do with the construction of the chamber and other key areas. However, this is not a flaw in the M4 carbine. It is a manufacturing issue. There are several direct gas impingement rifles that are over-the-beach compatible. Colt had two rifles which they submitted during the SCAR program. In fact, Caracal manufactures the Caracal CAR814 which is a direct gas rifle which is also over-thebeach compatible. The barrel has a standard A2-type compensator but with standard ½-28 UNEF threads, the customer can put any muzzle device they choose.

The free-floating handguard is also designed and manufactured by Caracal. It has quad Mil-Std-1913 rails. The top rail of the handguard is 7.22-inches with an overall top rail length of 13.3-inches. The two side rails provide 9.2-inches of rail and the bottom rail provides 8.7-inches of rail. There are four quick detachment sling mounting points. They are on the front and rear of the side rails on both sides. The handguard is manufactured from 6064 T6 aluminum and hard coat anodized black.

The gas system looks rather simple. The gas regulator has three positions. The first is normal conditions. The second is for abnormal conditions. This includes underpowered ammo or if the rifle is filthy from excessive operation without maintenance. The third setting is for suppressed fire. This reduces gas intake so the cycle rate will not significantly increase due to suppressor use. This is important for the longevity of the rifle components. The regulator is housed in the gas block. The regulator positions are moved by depressing a spring loaded plunger and rotating the regulator. If it is sticky, a projectile can be inserted into the tip of the regulator to give additional leverage. The piston located on the end of the operating rod has two gas rings. The piston, operating rod and operating rod spring are a single assembly that is not disassembled during routine maintenance.

The bolt carrier is also unique to this rifle. The carrier is one piece and machined in-house at Caracal. The back has several ribs cut which assist in water and extremely dirty conditions. Due to the fact that this is operated by a short stroke piston there are “ski’s” located on the bottom of the rear of the carrier to limit the effects of carrier tilt. There has been a significant amount of metal removed from the overall bolt carrier. The bolt is
pretty much standard.

The magazines used by Caracal are standard aluminum GI-type magazines. However, visiting the research and development section the rifle was tested with many others for compatibility.

The rifle just before it was fired. Sand was in every tiny crevasse.

Small Arms Defense Journal got a very rare and exclusive inside look at both Caracal and the actual performance of the Caracal CAR816 rifle. Chief Operating Officer Robert Hirt took the time out of his busy schedule to do a sand durability test on the rifle. Robert is one of the most respected design individuals in the industry. He was intimately involved with the Heckler & Koch 416 rifle program. The test rifle was pulled from the production line. The rifle was lubricated generously on the bolt carrier, bolt and inside of the upper receiver.

The rifle was function fired with a thirty round magazine. The ammunition being used was also quite interesting. The M855 ball ammunition is manufactured in the same building complex as the rifle. Caracal Light Ammunition is one of the only locally run munitions factories in the entire Gulf region. The actual projectiles are manufactured for 9mm and 5.56mm ammunition by Caracal Light Ammunition. They buy copper cups and raw lead. They draw the projectile, fill them with lead and in the case of the M855 the make the lead plugs and assemble the drawn jacket, penetrator core and lead plug. Cartridge cases come in as brass cups for both 9mm and 5.56mm and the entire cartridge case is made in-house. The primers and powder are not made in the UAE, they are purchased elsewhere. They use ultra modern loading equipment and are up to par with any western military grade ammunition manufacturer in production capability as well as quality control. Unfortunately, this ammunition is not available in the West.

After the rifle was tested, a new magazine was inserted and a round loaded in the chamber. We went out into the 115°F steaming desert. Robert dropped the rifle in a mound of sand on its left side with the ejection port cover closed. Then he continued to drag the rifle through the sand, cover the rifle so it could not be seen in that powder sand. Then he flipped the rifle over and did the same. To add to even more authenticity, Robert took one for the team and commenced a 20 or so foot low crawl in the burning hot sand. Robert got up, smacked the rifle a few times on both sides. We walked into the research and development range. He placed the rifle on semi-automatic and fired off 10 rounds with no malfunctions. You could clearly see sand/dust flying out of the rifle almost as if every time the rifle fired it cleaned sand out of its action. Robert then placed the rifle on automatic and fired the remaining 20 rounds with one long burst. Not a single malfunction. The rifle was “cold” and the cyclic rate was around 750 to 800 rounds per minute. Robert then handed the rifle to me and I continued to put 4 magazines through the rifle without lubrication or cleaning. There were others who shot another four or five magazines without any malfunctions. Once the rifle got hot the cyclic rate increased slightly but never exceeded 900 rounds per minute. According to Caracal the rifle is designed to handle cyclic rates up to 1,200 rounds per minute. This author has witnessed this same test with standard M4 rifles and I have to say I never saw a direct gas rifle make it through a test like this. This is the real environment this rifle is to operate in and one which is the worst environment you can put small arms in. Or any mechanism with moving parts for that matter. The test was not over. Robert took the rifle to the research and development department where he tore the rifle down. Soaked and swooshed the upper and lower in a 55 gallon drum of water. He did the same with the bolt carrier group. He then took a compressed air hose and dried all the components off. He put a generous amount of lubricant on the inside of the upper receiver and bolt carrier group and put the rifle back together. He inserted a clean 30 round magazine into the rifle and chambered a round. Then this he cut a ditch in the sand with his boot heel and threw the rifle in and once more doused both sides with sand. The only difference was this time he left the ejection port cover open, exposing the bolt carrier and surrounding area to the pesky powder sand. Once again he took that painfully hot low crawl through the sand to ensure the rifle was thoroughly covered. I really felt sorry for Robert, it really looked like a painful crawl and I felt worse he did this for my benefit! Robert got up, smacked the rifle on the sides a few times and walked into the range. Flipped the selector to semi-automatic and fired 10 rounds with no malfunctions. Then placed it on automatic and finished the following 20 rounds with no issues. The rifle was passed around and additional 8 or so magazines were fired on mostly fully automatic fire. The rifle never hiccupped once. Due to the limited 25 yard indoor range we were unable to do any accuracy testing. You would think there would be no lack of shooting spots in the middle of the desert. However laws in the UAE on transporting and use of firearms are very restrictive. We were unable to get the clearance in short notice for the outdoor ranges. Giving it was 115°F with blowing sand, I was not that disappointed.

The rifle being fired immediately after being pulled out of the sand by Caracal COO Robert Hirt. The first 10 rounds were fired on semi-automatic and then the rifle was placed on automatic fire and the remaining 20 rounds fired. There were no malfunctions of any sort. After the initial magazine, an additional 8 full 30-round magazines were fired without cleaning. The rifle experienced not a single stoppage. This author has seen M4 carbines fail this test on a regular basis. This was a tremendous testament to the durability and reliability of this rifle in the most unforgiving environment on the planet.

This test demonstrated a lot. Many who have followed Dust Test Three saw the numerous malfunctions the M4, HK416, FN SCAR and the XM8. The methods and conclusions of this test were questionable to say the least. They tried to duplicate desert conditions. Well, this test witnessed by SADJ was not an attempt to recreate anything but a real test in the real environment. This was real sand/moon dust and not a synthetic substitute. It was not just sand blowing in the rifle in a chamber but the rifle was covered, dragged and sand was smashed into every crevasse. This rifle shot without malfunction. What all this says is the military sales market in the Middle East is about to have a newcomer to the game and it is for sure to be an important one. This rifle will compete with the best the United States and Europe have to offer. This rifle is also made in the region where Caracal will be able to provide uninterrupted production, shipping, spare parts, technical assistance and work with customers on refinements per their needs. There is no doubt this rifle is for real. It was developed my some of the finest minds in the industry and backed by a company that will spare no expense to build the finest rifle they possibly can. The CEO, Hamad Salem Al Ameri is a soldier (Officer) in the UAE Army. He fully understands the consequences of a small arm failing in combat. To him there is no business decision or profit making changes that will compromise the soldier’s
life that carries his gun.

In 1985 a legend was retired. The highly regarded M1911A1 pistol was replaced with the Italian designed Beretta 92F chambered in the now NATO standardized 9x19mm cartridge. This caused ripples in the small arms community on many fronts. Perhaps the most significant was the replacement of the combat proven .45 ACP cartridge with the 9x19mm. Although the 9x19mm has seen just as much, if not significantly more combat throughout the world, its reputation as a “man stopper” was less than the venerable 45. The 124 grain full metal jacketed projectile often passed right through the target and kept on going, requiring multiple shots. The 45 ACP’s reputation was that any place the enemy was hit would bring them down. Playing the devil’s advocate, that perception is more than a bit unrealistic, and the U.S. was the only country in NATO to use the 45 ACP cartridge. There was a huge push to standardize all NATO countries with the same ammunition for all small arms. The M1911-series had significantly more recoil that the 9x19mm caliber pistols and held half the magazine capacity. The facts are that 9x19mm is the NATO standardized cartridge, it is easier to shoot and it carries double the ammunition without reloading.

The new US service pistol program was called the XM9. The XM9 competition had participants from all of the major American gun manufacturers including Smith & Wesson, Colt as well the foreign firms of Heckler & Koch, SIG Sauer, Beretta, FN, Walther and Steyr. On September 18, 1984 the Army eliminated three of the five finalists. The Heckler & Koch P7M13, Walther P88 and the Smith & Wesson 459M were eliminated leaving the finalists, the Beretta 92SB-F and the Sig Sauer P226 as the only “technically acceptable” candidates. The final award would be a combination of the scores based on the candidate’s performance as well as price. When the dust settled, Beretta U.S.A. was awarded the M9 contract. The price was extremely close between Beretta and Sig. In fact the guns cost the same. The deciding factor was on the cost of the magazines and spare parts. Beretta came in slightly under Sig on the cost of the magazine and spare parts package. The fact that Beretta had a manufacturing facility in the US helped out this decision greatly. On January 14, 1985 the formal announcement was made by the Department of the Army announcing a five-year multi-year fixed price contract of 315,930 M9 pistols. There were terms in this contract, in particular where the pistols were to be manufactured. The first 52,930 pistols could be manufactured in Italy. The next 56,000 M9 pistols would have to be assembled and tested in Accokeek, Maryland. After that, all the M9 pistols must be manufactured in the American plant in Accokeek, Maryland. Based on this author’s research, the Beretta and Sig pistols performed equally as well. There was no quality compromise by purchasing the Beretta over the Sig.

The standard US service pistol since 1985, the Beretta M9 pistol. Basically a Model 92FS but with US Government markings. There have been several attempts to replace this combat proven pistol but it still stands. We’re all curious to see the outcome of the Modular Handgun System, will it come up with a suitable replacement?

The competitors were not ready to go quietly into that good night, as Dylan Thomas had raged against. Beretta was to have the final signed contract in February but this was delayed by a lawsuit brought on by Heckler & Koch, Smith & Wesson and SACO. At this time a retrial was to be conducted as requested by Congress. Claims were made by competitors that Beretta used hand-selected pistols for the trials that were not an accurate representation of their production pistols. The request for test samples went out on May 10, 1988 inviting any contractor to submit candidates for government testing. Only Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger submitted weapons. Randomly selected M9 pistols from the most recent Beretta U.S.A. production were used in this re-competition. The competition got their second trial and perhaps regretted it. During the testing both the Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger candidates failed to meet some of the mandatory requirements as well as the minimum performance requirements. On May 22, 1989 the Department of the Army announced that the Beretta M9 won the retrial, Beretta’s M9 was still the winner.

Based on testing done by Beretta U.S.A., the average rounds between stoppages of the M9 pistol is an incredible 17,500 rounds. During one test, twelve 92F pistols fired 168,000 rounds without a single malfunction. U.S. Army tests established the average durability of the M9 slides at over 35,000 rounds and the frame was over 30,000 rounds, the point at which testing ceased. This is over 7 times the contractually mandated service life of the pistol. The M9 pistol was assigned the stock number NSN 1005-01-118-2640.

The slide is very unique as well. The entire top of the slide is open, basically preventing the possibility of a failure to feed or eject. Beretta 92-series pistols are legendary for their reputation of reliability. The first article this author ever did was a 20,500 round endurance test on a Beretta 92FS. Throughout all that ammunition there was not one single failure to feed, extract or eject. The only failure was due to an underpowered cartridge which caused the slide to short stroke. The locking block failed on this pistol at just over 19,000 rounds. Based on the pitting on the right wing of the locking block there was evidence this was going to happen. Normally, once these signs are seen on inspection, you would replace the locking block but this was a torture test and was meant to push the limits. As per the military specification, the M9 slide, barrel and locking block are proof tested and magnetic particle inspected to ensure there are no stress fractures before they are shipped to the U.S. Govt.

The M9 service pistol (top) compared to the proposed replacement pistol by Beretta, the M9A3 (bottom). Notice the different colors between the two. The modified trigger guard and Mil-Std-1913 rail pop right out as defining improvements.

Once the pistol went into service the Navy SEALs had found an issue with the M9. One SEAL unit broke seven slides, causing a catastrophic slide failure. The slide cracked and separated in the location of the locking block causing the rear of the slide to come off the rear of the pistol and the slide striking the shooter in the face. No serious injuries were caused but this alarmed the military. Safety notices went out mandating changing out M9 slides at very low round counts as safety precautions while the investigation was underway. So, what was to be determined was if this was a problem with the pistol, the ammunition or the operator. The SEALs immediately felt it was due to the poor quality of the pistol. They stopped using the M9 in favor of the Sig Sauer P226. Beretta has never seen this condition with more than a million of pistols they had produced. Upon completion of the investigation it was found the culprit of the problem was ammunition. The major contributing problem was that the ammunition was +P+ ammunition, which the pistol was not designed for. The first runs of M882 Ball ammunition exceeded 50,000 PSI, which was significantly hotter than proof loads. The pistol can handle limited numbers of this ammunition but it is not recommended that any alloy frame pistol fire a constant diet of submachine gun ammunition. This same ammunition cracked frames of Sig P226’s. Another contributing factor was the extremely high round count on these SEAL pistols. The broken slides had between 4,500 to 30,000 rounds through them. After the investigation was concluded, the restrictions on slide and barrel replacement was halted.

Due to the fact that this ammunition existed out in the field, the military decided they wanted a safeguard in case this was to happen again, so the shooter would not get injured. Beretta felt it was important to correct the safety risk by getting proper spec ammunition and that the pistol could be designed with a slide stop safety. At the request and on the dime of the government, Beretta designed a slide overtravel mechanism that if the slide were to fail it would not come off the frame of the gun. Beretta enlarged the head of the hammer pin on the left side of the gun, then a recess was machined under the slide on the left side where the hammer pin would sit underneath. The recess cuts off at a specific distance. If the slide were to come back farther, the hammer pin would stop the slide’s rearward travel protecting the shooter. Beretta retrofitted a quantity of pistols and they worked it into new production (92FS). Beretta did offer slide and hammer pin upgrades to customers who anticipated high usage but never offered this as an across the board upgrade to commercial or law enforcement customers due to the rareness of the problem. Currently, slide failures are normally seen in training units where the same pistols are used to train troops day after day and the pistols wear out. It is extreme round counts and heavy use that causes this condition. The military was much slower to respond to absolve Beretta of fault of the slide failures than it was to criticize them. In fact Beretta’s reputation was damaged enough that Beretta sued the government and won. The claim was settled out of court.

The M9A3 arrives suppressor ready with a threaded barrel along with a thread protective cap.

The locking block used on the M9 is similar to the one utilized in the Walther P38. Unlike most recoil operated pistols where the barrel drops down to unlock, the M9 barrel stays in line with the shooter. The locking block drops down allowing the slide to recoil. This alters the felt recoil of the M9 compared to many other conventional military pistols. The recoil is more of a “push” than a “snap”. This helps the controllability of the pistol during rapid fire. Every locking block manufactured for the M9 pistol as per specification is proof tested and then magnetic particle inspected. The final locking block will have “PM” marked on the top front of the locking block, indicating the part was proof tested and then magnetic particle inspected. If one were to say there is a weak link in the original M9, I would have to say it would be the locking block. It must be clarified that Beretta has had three generations of updates to the locking block since the adoption of the M9. The original locking block had a service life of between 8 to 10,000 rounds. The second version of the locking block main changes were the radial relief cuts near the locking surface of the block to relive stress increasing the serviceability of the part to 17 to 22,000 rounds. Now there is a third generation. When a locking block fails, it is almost always the left wing. This is due to the torque caused by the right twist of the barrel. The locking block seldom breaks without warning. There are warning signs that if heeded prevent this from happening at an inopportune moment. One will see pitting on the face of the wings on the locking block from wear. Once this is seen in the M9 pistol, it is time to change it out. The third generation locking block increases the surface contact area of the locking block so much that it has to use a modified plunger as well as a change in shape. This further increases the service life. The M9 pistol would not see any of these enhanced locking blocks. Due to the government approved Technical Data Package, the pistol must adhere to the original drawings. They never approved any of the updated versions of the locking blocks. However, there were several contracts over the years where the government bought commercial off the shelf (COTS) versions of the M9 which did have the updated components. The new Marine Corps M9A1 for instance was a COTS pistol and shared all the new improvements. The M9 had developed some bad situations in the Global War on Terrorism due to failing locking blocks. Most of this was caused by defective locking bocks manufactured by sources other than Beretta U.S.A., they were not made to specification and broke relatively early.

The barrel itself is 4.92 inches long and rifled with 6 lands and grooves and a right hand twist. As per military specification, it has a chrome bore and chamber. This is common on most of Beretta’s pistols and shotguns. This prevents pitting, which is caused by corrosion and it aids in extraction and ejection. The barrels are proof tested and magnetic particle inspected to ensure quality and integrity (Marked PM on the left side of the barrel).

The M9 utilizes a 15-round double stack magazine. The magazine is black and has an aluminum follower. It should be noted that Beretta switched over to a more reliable polymer follower years ago. The US Government subcontracted this magazine out to Checkmate Industries as spare parts. During combat operations in Iraq it was found the sand would stick in the finish causing failure of the shot column to rise resulting in failures to feed. Troops who were deploying learned very quickly to look for Beretta marked magazines.

The backstrap of the M9 (top) and M9A3 (bottom). The M9A3 is equipped with the more slender handgrips intended for users with smaller hands.

The Marine Corps Updated the M9 pistol to the M9A1

In the spring of 2005, Beretta U.S.A. was awarded a contract for the United States Marine Corps for 3,480 M9A1 pistols along with 6,960 PVD nickel plated improved magazines as well as 3,480 M9A1 pistol holster systems. The M9A1 was designed with specifications provided by the Marines. The M9A1 pistol is a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) firearm being procured by the Marines. Basically what that means is the pistol does not have to conform to the M9 Technical Data package. In other words the Marines were able to make changes to the pistol without going through the political small arms procurement establishment and get exactly what they wanted. Also, these are not marked with U.S. government markings nor proof codes. No rights nor TDP will be provided to the government.

One major change to the pistol is the addition of a Mil-Std-1913 rail to the front of the frame for attaching a flashlight. Another addition to the frame is that the vertical gripping grooves of the M9 pistol would be replaced with a checkering pattern to further enhance the ability to grip the pistol under adverse conditions. Additionally the trigger guard was re-contoured to better accept various tactical lights on the market. The identifying mark is on the left side of the frame which states “Type M9A1”. Next to that is the serial number which has the non-military “BER” serial number prefix.

The components of the M9A1, with the exception of the frame, are all compatible with the M9 service pistol. The same components are used so there is no logistical burden of using special components that needed added into the inventory. The slide is marked with commercial marking and no proof or magnetic particle inspection marks are present. The Marines opted for a three-dot sight system instead of the standard M9 two-dot system. The M9A1 uses the third generation improved locking block as well.

The magazines have been improved as well. There is a special PVD nickel finish placed on the magazine to increase their reliability in the desert by eliminating the need for lubrication. The magazine body has been improved to make it more durable and reliable. The ribs built into the magazine body reduce fouling from sand and dirt environments by allowing the debris to trickle down the internal sides of the magazine tube. The improved plastic followers are used. These are more reliable due to the fact that dirt and sand do not stick as easily to them as the aluminum followers and they are corrosion resistant.

Perhaps the most monumental change is the improvement to the safety. Complaints have been heard that if one charges the M9 pistol (top) by grabbing the back of the slide and pulling rearward, the safety would inadvertently engage (Bad idea). The M9A3 (bottom) has changed the angle of the safety lever allowing one to easily retract the slide without accidentally engaging the safety.

US Military Solicits for a New Service Pistol: The M9A3

In January of 2013 the army released the requirements for yet another handgun replacement program which would be between 250,000 to 550,000 pistols. This Request for Information would be called the Modular Handgun System (MHS). This is by far not the only program started to replace the M9 pistol. There have been many in the more than 30 years the M9 has been in service. The program was to provide a handgun with improvements such as various grip configurations, additional magazine capacity, have a Mil-Std-1913 rail for mounting flashlight and laser modules, be fully ambidextrous, make use of a sound suppressor and have a finish of a non-reflective neutral color. They are also looking for possible increases in accuracy and dispersion out to 50 meters, modularity, durability, and reliability in all environments. For accuracy the gauge is being able to hit a 4-inch circle 90% of the time at 50 years throughout the life cycle of the pistol. It must be ergonomically viable for use with soldiers with smaller hands such as many females. Reliability threshold is 2,000 mean rounds between stoppages, 10,000 mean rounds between failures and 35,000 round service life, which is really not that much more than the current M9 pistol.

The most interesting thing, in this author’s opinion, is that this request is not caliber specific. They want improved terminal performance than is provided by the M882 ball round. This makes a world of difference for the tried and true 9x19mm. With the use of modern ammunition (Federal HST, Hornady Critical Defense, etc….) it can change the entire terminal performance possibilities of the 9x19mm to the point there is little if any need to replace the caliber. Some companies are expected to introduce the .40 cal and for sure some will try to bring back the all American 45 ACP caliber.

Beretta USA wasted no time. In December of 2014 they introduced a new pistol by way of an Engineering Change Proposal in accordance with the terms of the in effect M9 contract. It was a highly modified version of their Commercial Off The Shelf M9A1, a pistol that they felt would meet almost all of the MHS requirements at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, they had already made the considerations of costs for the government to procure a new pistol; cost of pistols, magazines, spare parts, training, time to replace current inventory for both pistol and ammunition and they offered the Army a way to get everything they wanted with a very low cost. This pistol they coined as the “M9A3.” The only government approved M9 pistol is the standard M9 pistol. Both the M9A1 and M9A3 are named by Beretta.

The US Marine Corps Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) M9A1 pistol. Notice the enhanced trigger guard, Mil-Std-1913 rail and removable front and rear sights.

This new Beretta M9 pistol design uses the basic configuration of the M9A1 frame. This includes the 3-slot Mil-Std-1913 rail and reinforced trigger guard. The frontstrap and backstrap of the pistol grip have an improved grip pattern. The pistol sports two grip configurations. For small handed individuals there are two thin grip panels and for those users with larger hands a wrap-around grip manufactured by Hogue is offered. The magazine release button is still ambidextrous but has been made larger, which makes its actuation much easier.

The slide has several improvements over the standard M9. The front and rear sights are now both removable permitting easy sight replacement as well as easy configuration of night sights or whatever else may be required. The M9A3 comes standard with tritium night sights. One of the most frequent complaints was that due to a slide mounted safety, when the slide was retracted the user could inadvertently actuate the safety and engage it when the rear of the slide was grasped. Beretta now has given the lever a slight angle which would basically eliminate this. Beretta also redesigned the slide to be “universal” and allow the unit armorer to easily replace the “F” safety/decocker with the “G” decocker only lever… with a simple change of parts.

The barrel remains the same with the addition of threading for easily mounted sound suppressor. Also the most recent revision of the locking block is being used which significantly increases the life of the locking block over that of the TDP original Mil-Spec M9 pistol.

The magazine is similar to that of the PVD finished magazine of the M9A1 but the capacity has been increased from 15 to 17 rounds of 9x19mm ammunition.

The frame is anodized a Flat Dark Earth tone and the slide and barrel are Cerakote™ finished in a Flat Dark Earth color. For all intents and purposes this pistol meets the MHS criteria.

Going through Beretta’s line-up you notice the M9, M9A1 and M9A3. Where is the M9A2? Beretta had this part figured out for Uncle Sam as well and proposed it in its ECP. Beretta could upgrade all M9’s in the inventory to almost the M9A3 configuration, hence the “A2” monicker. The MIL-STD-1913 rail would be permanently attached to the frame (instead of integrally machined), and the grip would remain standard M9, but otherwise all other improvements would be introduced to this “upgraded” M9. The current guns could be modified or have replacement frames issued. Also a majority of the parts in current inventory can still be used. Basically the barrel, sights, safety and grips would be added to the inventory. Refinishing of slides can be done by an armorer. Taking all this into consideration there is a tremendous amount of savings to the US government and taxpayers.

Shown is the disassembled M9 pistol. Both the M9A1 and the M9A3 disassemble and clean in an identical manner to the standard pistol of more than 30 years issue. Pistol is disassembled for maintenance without the need for any tools.

The M9A3 provided to SAR is what has been described. The only difference is the way the slide is marked. It has the commercial Beretta Stylized PB on the slide. It was provided in a plastic tan ammo can-type case with three 17-round magazines. Double action pull was 8.75 pounds and single action was 4.25 pounds
on the T&E pistol.

The M9A3 was tested with a SilencerCo Octane sound suppressor. The threads on the M9A3 are .5×28 inch and that was the required spec from SilencerCo. The length of the suppressor is 7.50 inches with a diameter of 1.37 inches. The suppressor weighs 10.8 ounces and is manufactured from aluminum and stainless steel. The suppressor is user disassembled for maintenance guaranteeing long service. The baffles are manufactured from stainless steel and use the SilencerCo CTA™ or Click Together Assembly baffle system. This particular suppressor is full-auto rated and can be used with everything from .380 ACP, 9x19mm, .357 Sig and 300 Blackout ammunition. The MSRP is $918. According to SilencerCo the Octane has a muzzle decibel average of 127.0 dB.

In testing there were 200 rounds of IMI Samson 9x19mm 124gr NATO ball fired for function. There were 100 rounds of Winchester 147gr FMJ subsonic and 100 rounds of Hornady Custom 147gr XTP (Extreme Terminal Performance) rounds fired with no malfunctions of any sort. Throughout the 400 rounds of ammunition the pistol was never cleaned. Moderate lubrication was applied before testing began.

The Army in the end rejected the Beretta proposal in favor of conducting the MHS program. Was this a wise move? If in fact the Army decides to stay with the 9x19mm cartridge this is without a doubt a very good option for them. No matter what a new pistol does, it will not offer enough benefit to warrant the expenditure. If they opt for a different caliber, then that is a different story. In this case, these costs are unavoidable. Going with modern hollow point ammunition technology in this author’s opinion will enable the 9x19mm caliber to be extremely effective and be the right military caliber. If still restricted to M882 ball though, perhaps a new caliber will be in order. Beretta USA has come up with an excellent alternative that would benefit both the US soldier as well as the US taxpayer.

SADJ first visited the at the time brand new Caracal firearms manufacturing facility in 2011 and the article by SADJ Editor-in-Chief Dan Shea can be read online at: www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=889. It’s interesting to see the growth and evolution of direction of this innovative company over the past 5 years.

When one thinks of the Gulf region they may think of oil and wealth. This is true in many areas. But oil is one of the very few exports of the Middle East countries. In the defense industry throughout the region, for the most part all military small arms and ammunition are procured from other countries making the defense of the region dependent upon the shipping schedules and the political views of the government of their vendor at any given time. There are reasons for this. One of the biggest is not having the labor and skill force needed to design and test weapons as well as those who can operate modern CNC and other modern machines. Unlike the US and Europe, there are not machine shops or manufacturing support companies throughout the region. Separate companies that do aluminum forging, deep hole drilling, hammer forging, polymer mold injection, heat treating as well as anodizing to name a few. To make a successful small arms manufacturing facility in this part of the world, you would have to be self-contained, and have basically all needed manufacturing processes in-house. If such a company was to exist the Middle East would have a place to go to procure small arms that is in their back yard. Not dependent on foreign countries, but Arab built military grade weapons for law enforcement and military use.

Such an company is steadily up and coming in the United Arab Emirates city of Abu Dhabi. It’s called Caracal, LLC. Caracal aspires to be a self contained military small arms manufacturer that will make the UAE less dependent on foreign military equipment and will be able to equip law enforcement in the UAE as well as their Arab neighbors with Arab made small arms. Caracal wishes to be a defense enterprise with global wide sales to military, law enforcement and commercial markets. Plans are underway to invest in a manufacturing facility in the US. Currently there is a Caracal office in the US.

Shown are the rows of brand new state-of-the-art CNC machines on the manufacturing floor of Caracal in Abu Dhabi UAE.

In 2004 a team of UAE weapons experts collaborated with European weapons designers to develop a range of modern combat pistols. In 2006 the first prototype of the Caracal F & C models were made. Perhaps the biggest milestone is the test certificate being issued to Caracal in May of 2006 which apparently fully certified that the Caracal pistols to be compliant with the test criteria of NATO CD14 standards, TA police standards and the Federal Armed Forces Technical Purchasing requirements. The 1st CEO was Hamad El Niyadi and the company was run by a group of investors. With the initial prototypes plans were made to gradually increase the number of parts manufactured in the UAE until the entire pistol was made in-house. At first pistols were mostly made from vendor parts outside of the country. Going through the development process helped Caracal to determine what processes needed to be brought in house and which ones just made no sense. In 2008 they improved and began molding and manufacturing of the polymer pistol frames.

As the most modern CNC machines, mills, hammer forge machine, heat treating station, anodizing line, barrel manufacturing stations, stress relieving stations, polishing, development of quality control programs and so on Caracal had to deal with the biggest problems they would face as an arms maker in the Middle East. First were resources. They cannot call a local tool shop and have tools next day mailed to them. Getting tools and materials had to be bought in large quantity to keep production going. Getting tools could be months away. Keeping these necessary resources on hand is critical. The second is who was going to run these high tech machines? There is really no industrial capability in the area. Caracal brought veteran arms design experts and manufacturing experts from countries including the US, Germany, Russia, Australia, England and India just to name a few. The team was able to get everything up and running and to get technical training schools to train the UAE work force to run these machines.

Caracal really only offered two products from 2004 to 2013; two pistols. The Caracal F (Full Size) and C (Compact Size) 9mm pistols were sold. This was by design, to get their manufacturing expertise and logistics down to be able to support new projects and larger scale production. They sold these pistols locally in the UAE as well as to customers on the American market. However in 2013 Caracal discovered that an extremely low percentage of pistols experienced discharge upon being dropped. The decision was made immediately to recall all of the pistols. Caracal felt the safety of their customers was the first priority. They offered customers a new pistol or a refund. To Caracals testament, the vast majority of customers wanted the new gun. They experienced some customers they had difficulty getting the guns back from because the customers were fond of them. Recalls are not unusual for any company in any industry let alone the firearms industry. Caracal was slightly more visible due to it being their first product. Given the background of what was going on with Caracal in Abu Dhabi, one can see the difficulty they had that American and European firearms manufacturers did not.

Caracal does all anodizing in-house as well on their CS514 and CS518 M4-type rifles and the receivers for the CS308 long range rifle. Also Cerakote finishing is available upon request.

Today in 2015 Caracal has had a drastic transformation into a self contained small arms manufacturing facility in a place that can make it almost impossible to do so. This is a state-of-the-art facility which would put some of the greatest names in firearms manufacturers into shock. Rows of brand new CNC machines, new barrel cutting machines as well as mold machines for the polymer pistol frames are found. The complex has sections for assembly, testing; heat treat and another capability to manufacture hammer forged barrels up to 18 inches long in any caliber. Between the button cut and hammer forged lines they make calibers 9x19mm, 5.56x45mm, 7.62x51mm and 338 Lapua Magnum barrels. They finish their own with anodizing, manganese phosphate and Cerakote. The only finish they send out for is QPQ. The company is now led by Hamad Salem Al Ameri. He is not your typical CEO or businessman. He is an active duty UAE Army Special Forces officer who was commissioned in the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, UK. He has seen combat tours in numerous locations throughout the world and has been decorated for bravery in those missions. Hamad brings an end user sense of need and the urgency of high quality military weapons from the perspective of a combat soldier. He permits no corner cutting or compromise in the manufacturing or the quality of the weapons made at Caracal. Combine this with the fact that Hamad is a very astute businessman and the company has a strong presence in its CEO. As of this writing Caracal weapons are in service in the UAE as well as some other Gulf countries and many other Caracal rifles and pistols are being tested throughout the region. Hamad assures the quality to the military small arms industry and they will be facing stiff competition in the Gulf and globally. The Caracal cat has a firm paw print in the sand of the Gulf region.

The most well known product in Caracals lineup are the 9x19mm pistols models F and C. As of this writing the pistol is 85% made in the UAE. The F is the full size duty pistol that is being seen in holsters of military and Law Enforcement in the UAQ. First look at is you may think it is just another Glock clone. But that would be the farthest from the truth. The frame is manufactured in-house at Caracal and is steel reinforced. The pistol is striker fired with a firing pin block safety. The grip angle is probably the most significant feature of the pistol. The slide sits very low with the bore axis right in line with the shooting hand giving perhaps the softest recoiling pistol this author has fired. The muzzle flip is noticeably less than anything this author has fired in 9x19mm caliber. During testing the muzzle flip was compared to some other high quality name combat pistols and the video clearly showed this to be true. The trigger pull is a short .314 inches resulting in quick accurate firing. The barrel is hammer forged with a QPQ finish. The barrel of the F model tested is 4.09 inches and was tested at Caracal with a proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected. The slide is manufactured from steel and is also QPQ treated. The first Generation was recalled in 2013 due to the possibility of the pistol discharging if it was dropped. The Gen 2 or upgrade pistol exceeds the military specification drop test to ensure the pistol is in compliance and they give their customer the safest gun possible. The pistol weighs a light 1.65 pounds and has a width of 1.10 inches. The magazine catch is ambidextrous. The magazine is manufactured from steel and holds 18 rounds. The pistol disassembles similar to that of a Glock. With an empty chamber the trigger is pulled and the slide lock is pulled down from both sides and the slide is slid right off the front of the frame. The recoil spring is captured and the spring is flat giving a long service life. The pistol is constructed to be rated for +P and +P+ ammunition. There is a slide stop on the left side of the pistol similar to that of a Glock. The author was able to test fire the Caracal F 9mm pistol at the Caracal Shooting Club; an impressive facility in its own right with extremely modern indoor air conditioned 25 meter and 10 meter ranges located in the middle of Abu Dhabi. The pistol was fired with 1,100 rounds of UAE produced 9mm 124gr FMJ ammo. There were no malfunctions of any sort regardless of attempts to cause them. There was in fact a string of 8 (18 shot) magazines fired as fast as the trigger could be pulled. Impression of the pistol was this is at least as good as any pistol put out by the top brands in the US and Europe. The Caracal is a newcomer so its reliability and durability record is not really known. Every day more and more of these pistols find their way into military and Law Enforcement hands in the UAE and the Gulf Coast region. This pistol will be a force to be reckoned with for
Middle East sales.

The first Caracal product was the F pistol chambered in 9x19mm. Shown is the new generation 2 variant. Notice the extremely low bore axis on the grip which gives the pistol very little muzzle flip compared to any other pistol of its sort. The pistol magazine holds 18 rounds of 9x19mm ammo.

Caracal is also offering a modern 9mm carbine called the CC10. As of this writing, they are shipping their first 1,000 CC-10 semiautomatic 9mm carbines to the US for commercial sales. Caracal aspires this to compete with their competitor, the Beretta Cx4 9mm carbine. They wish to compete in price but not take away and quality or reliability. The stock is synthetic and has a pistol grip. On the backstrap of the pistol grip is a grip safety similar to that of an older UZI. The trigger pull is approximately 3.3 pounds. The rifle fires from a closed bolt, blowback operation. The non reciprocating cocking handle is on the left side of the receiver. The barrel is hammer forged and 16.1 inches long with no muzzle devise. A short barrel 9 inch model is available as well. On top of the rifle is a continuous Mil-Std-1913 rail and on the bottom of the fore end is a small rail segment allowing for the attachment of a vertical grip or bipod. There are also fixed iron sights on the carbine. The magazine itself is the standard 18 round pistol used by the Caracal model F. The 15 round magazine of the Caracal C is interchangeable. This carbine was also made available to SADJ for test fire. Approximately 100 rounds were fired with no malfunctions. At 25 yards 18 rounds was kept just a hair over an inch group. This gun will certainly have a future in the US commercial market.

To fill in the portfolio Caracal also offers a tactical sniper rifle that is manufactured 100% in-house in the Abu Dhabi manufacturing facility. The rifles are offered in 7.62x51mm (CS308) and .338 Lapua Magnum (CS338). The chassis is manufactured from a billet of 7075 T6 aircraft grade aluminum. Attached to the receiver are an A2-style pistol grip and a fully adjustable stock. The stock is sort of complex but extremely high quality. The stock is adjustable for length and cheekweld. Attached to the bottom is a monopod. The bolt is manufactured from stainless steel. The rifle is fed from a detachable box magazine which is available in 5 or 10 round capacity for the 7.62x51mm and 5 rounds only for the .338 Lapua Magnum. The two stage trigger is adjustable by the user from 1-6 pounds. The barrel is made in house and is button cut. The barrel is manufactured from stainless steel and is match grade quality. Each barrel is test fired with 2 proof cartridges and then magnetic particle inspected to be sure there are no stress fractures. The 7.62x51mm barrel is 26 inches long with a 1 turn in 12 inch right hand twist. The .338 Lapua barrel is also 26 inches with a 1 turn in 12 inch twist. The muzzle is equipped with a Caracal designed muzzle brake on both models. The barrel is held into the receiver with a barrel nut which is attached to an aluminum handguard. This handguard has a long rail segment of Mil-Std-1913 rail which will allow for thermal/night vision optics. The 7.62x51mm caliber rifle weighs in at 15 pounds and has an overall length of 49 inches. The .338 Lapua Magnum caliber rifle weighs 18 pounds and is 49.5 inches long. These are for government contract only.

The Caracal CC10 9x19mm carbine uses the Caracal F and C pistol magazines. The carbine has been designed for the commercial market. Notice the grip safety on the back strap of the pistol grip.

Caracal has entered the assault rifle market as well. These military grade direct gas and short stroke piston M4-type rifles are military grade and will surely step up the competition for the Gulf Coast market for the American and European small arms manufacturers. Caracal has hired lead design personnel from backgrounds in Heckler & Koch and Sig Sauer. These minds created the Caracal CAR814 (Direct gas) and CAR816 (Short Stroke Piston) rifles.

The CAR816 has been purchased locally in the UAE and as of this writing production is ramping up. The barrels are offered in 7.5, 10.5, 14.5 and 16 inches. These are colt hammer forged barrels which are 1 turn in 7 inches and chrome lined. Caracal expects under normal use the barrel to have a life of 20,000 rounds. This is the configuration of choice for Caracal in the Middle East region due to heat. Ambient temperature for a rifle in this environment can well exceed 100°F. Once a few magazines go through the rifle, it will heat up very rapidly. By using a short stroke piston, the heat is not transferred back into the receiver or bolt carrier group. Also due to the fine sand in the region, the rifles are subjected to another major environmental factor. By using the short stroke piston, fouling from the firing mechanism is not introduced into the bolt carrier group and receiver. This will increase reliability when the mechanism is exposed to sand. The gas valve on the rifle has three positions. First is the normal operating conditions, two is for harsh conditions and the third is for use with a sound suppressor. The rifle uses a buffer that differs from the norm. Standard M4/M16-type rifles use steel and tungsten sliding weights to cope with bolt carrier bounce and to delay opening of the bolt. Caracal uses Tungsten powder. The receivers are made from 7075 T6 aluminum forgings and are machined right in the Caracal manufacturing facility in the UAE. They are also anodized in the same plant. The grip is a standard A2 pistol grip with a standard selective fire trigger group (SAFE, SEMI and AUTO). The trigger pull is 7.5-11.5 pounds. The stock is a six position stock and Magpul CTR and STR stocks are used. The handguard is an aluminum handguard with quad Mil-Std-1913 rails and 4 quick detach sling mounting points. The rifle is provided with folding back up iron sights. Cycle rate of the CAR816 is 750 to 950 rounds per minute with an average of 800 rounds per minute. The rear of the bolt carrier has “skis” on the bottom to assist with proper bolt carrier alignment in the receiver extension to minimize the effects of bolt carrier tilt. The carrier is one piece with a ‘tombstone” on the top to serve as the impact area of the operating rod. The carrier is lightened compared to many other s this author has seen. The overall length of the CAR816 with the stock extended with a 14.5 inch barrel is 34.6 inches. The weight without a magazine is 7.93 pounds.

The Caracal CS308 rifle is a uniquely manufactured rifle with a 7075 T6 aluminum billet cut receiver. This rifle is 100% manufactured by Caracal in the UAE. Notice the fully adjustable stock with monopod.

The CAR814 is the direct gas version of the Caracal assault rifle line. This rifle is available with barrel lengths of 11.5, 15.5 and 16 inches. This rifle is offered with a pinned on standard front sight base. It is also selective fire. The handguard is not free floating but similar to a KAC Rail Adapter System. It has 4 quick detachment points for a sling adapter. It also uses the tungsten powder buffer. This model is not made in large quantity and it is likely to become the most popular export model- especially in semi-automatic. Caracal was keen to mention that, like some high end competitive models, the CAR 814 is Over The Beach test compatible which is impressive for a direct impingement rifle.

With Caracal coming online as a self contained small arms manufacturer, the small arms sales market both in the middle east and globally could have a drastic change. For any Gulf or Asian country, it might make more sense to procure their small arms from a local country rather than one overseas. The logistics of transportation and getting spare parts as well as access to technical factory assistance is made downright simple. Caracal has capabilities many western firearms manufacturers do not have on site. They manufacture truly military grade weapons and will be able to offer at a price and maintenance package that western companies would be hard pressed to match. Caracal at this point has everything to prove, they are a new company. With the current leadership and business plan they are on fast track to be a force to be reckoned with in the Gulf and ultimately worldwide.

Two UAE soldiers carrying Caracal assault rifles. The soldier on top carrier the short stroke tappet operated CAR816 and the soldier kneeling has the Caracal direct gas impingement CAR814.

The left side view of a Caracal CAR816 short stroke tappet rifle which is similar in appearance to the M4. It will take a bayonet and the handguard which is also manufactured by Caracal has quad Mil-Std-1913 rails for mounting any needed accessories.

The Caracal CAR814 direct gas operated assault rifle.

Shown is the cold hammer forge machine used to make 9mm and 5.56mm barrels. All operations are done in-house.

The gas system of the CAR816. Quite a simple system really. There is a gas plug an operating rod assembly which contains the piston and operating rod spring. The regulator has 3 adjustable settings for normal, abnormal and suppressed conditions.

When one asks who makes one of the best military/law enforcement grade pistols in the world, one of the first names put out is SIG Sauer. Their reputation is spotless with emphasis put on their utter reliability and durability. In the beginning, SIG Sauer pistols were designed in Switzerland by what was at that time SIG Arms AG and the pistol was manufactured in West Germany by EckernfÖrde which was a subsidiary of J.P. Sauer und Sohn GmbH. The original SIG P220 was adopted by the Swiss Army in 1975 to replace the single action SIG P210. The P220 designation in the Swiss Army was the Pistole 75 or P75. This pistol, like the SIG P21 before it, was chambered in 9x19mm.

The pistol operating mechanism is the locked breech short-recoil designed by John Browning. The slide and barrel are locked together. When the pistol is fired, the slide moves rearward after pressures have dropped and the projectile has left the barrel, disengaging the barrel hood from the slide. This permits the slide to move rearward. The extractor has hold of the rim of the cartridge case pulling it out of the chamber. As the slide continues rearward the base of the cartridge case is struck by the fixed ejector throwing the cartridge case out of the ejection port on the slide. Once the slide meets its full rearward movement, the recoil spring returns the slide forward. The bottom of the slide pushes the next cartridge out of the magazine. Upon further movement the rim of the cartridge slides up the breech face under the extractor. The round is now fed and chambered into the barrel. With the last part of movement the barrel is cammed upward and the hood reengages the front of the slide, locking the barrel and slide together.

The P220 chambered in 10mm (top) is visibly larger/longer than the 9x19mm P226/Mk25 (bottom). This is especially noticeable in the grip of the frame. P226 is noticeably wider. The complete stainless steel frame and slide made the pistol much heavier.

The slide of the original pistol is manufactured from a heavy gauge sheet metal stamping. The front of the slide is welded. The barrel bushing is part of the slide itself rather than another separate component. The actual breach is a separate component that is pinned into the slide and held in place by two spring pins. One is driven into the center of the other. The breech face itself was not hardened. Another unique feature of the SIG pistol was the passive firing pin block that remained engaged until the trigger was pulled all the way to the rear.

The frame was manufactured from an aluminum forging. After machining and deburring, the frame is hard coat anodized black. The magazine release is located on the butt of the pistol. The single column magazine held 9 rounds of 9x19mm ammunition. The pistol’s trigger is a double/single action trigger with no manual safety. The double action trigger specifications are from 12 to 14 pounds. After the first long double action pull the trigger is single action, which was half of that, approximately 6 pounds. The pistol is equipped with a decocking lever on the left side of the gun. When the pistol is in the single action mode with the hammer back, the lever is pulled down and the hammer is slowly decocked. The hammer cannot strike the firing pin and rests off of it.

The barrel is 4.4 inches in length. The recoil spring is manufactured from braided wire to increase service life. Many of the SIG pistols have an extremely small compartment for the recoil spring. This means that you cannot use a longer spring which would be required for more durability. By using a braided spring, you can extend the service life greatly over the same length spring with a single coil.

The P220 in 10mm (left) is noticeably longer than the P226/Mk25 in 9x19mm (right).

Basic disassembly of the pistol is simple and requires no tools. After removing the magazine and ensuring the pistol is empty the slide is held to the rear by retracting the slide and pushing up on the slide lock located on the left side of the frame behind the decocking lever. Now with the slide locked to the rear, the disassembly lever which is also located on the left side of the frame is rotated downwards. Now the slide release is depressed or the slide is pulled fully to the rear and the slide is slid off the front of the frame. Next the slide is turned over and the front portion of the spring guide is pushed inward towards the muzzle and the spring guide/recoil spring assembly is lifted out of the slide assembly. The barrel can now be lifted up and out of the slide.

The P220 would enter the United States by way of Browning Arms as the Browning BDA or Browning Double Action between 1977-1980. The pistol was offered in 9x19mm, 38 Super (very rare) and the All American 45 Auto. Browning discontinued the BDA after only a few years due to poor sales.

With the introduction of the SIG P220 in 1984, there was very little interest in the lower 9 round magazine capacity compared to the P226 with 15 rounds. The P220 would really be known as the 45 Auto caliber SIG. At the time of its introduction into the market, the P220 was one of a very select few companies offering a modern double action pistol chambered in 45 Auto.

The P220 in 10mm has the tradition SIG-type controls. Notice the disassembly lever, de-cocker and magazine release button.

The 10x25mm or 10mm Automatic round is one of the highest power auto loading pistol calibers in the industry. Developed by Jeff Cooper along with the Bren pistol in 1983, the round was developed to exceed the ballistic performance of the 45 Auto and to have better knock down power than the 9x19mm. Once the initial ammunition went into production by Norma, the ballistics were improved to bring the 10mm to the power level of the 41 Magnum revolver cartridge. The 10mm has a flat trajectory with significant power as well as recoil. The pistol it was designed with, the Bren Ten, was based off of the proven Czechoslovakian CZ75 double action pistol. The Bren Ten suffered from many mechanical problems. Some were design flaws and others were the difficulty in firing such a high power cartridge. Many pistols chambered in 10mm have suffered from durability problems. In 1986, production of the Bren Ten ceased. At the time this was the only pistol firing this cartridge in the industry. The cartridge was saved in 1987 when Colt introduced their Delta M1911 pistol chambered in the 10mm Auto. This saved the 10mm from becoming just another wildcat cartridge. Other companies went on to make pistols chambered in the 10mm Auto such as Smith & Wesson, Glock and in 2015 SIG introduced their P220 chambered in this caliber.

The 10mm cartridge has a projectile with a diameter of .40 inches or 10.17mm. Projectile weights can vary from 155 to 220grains in weight. The cartridge case has an overall length of .992 inches or 25.2mm and uses a large pistol primer. The cartridge overall length is 1.250 inches per SAAMI specifications. Maximum pressure per SAAMI Specifications is 37,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. Factory ammunition is manufactured by almost all the major manufacturers including Federal Premium, Remington, Winchester, Double Tap, CCI, SIG Ammunition, Buffalo Bore and Underwood to name a few. Most common projectile weights are 180 and 200 grains. Projectiles include full metal jacket, hard cast lead, Gold Dot, solid copper, bonded hollow point, Hydra-Shok, Hornady XTP/Critical Duty, jacketed hollow point, Black Talon. Double Tap ammunition is particularly well known for their wide offering of 10mm options. The typical 180 grain projectile has a muzzle velocity of approximately 1,030 to 1,275 feet per second. Many of the target loads (Remington UMC 1,150 FPS, Hornady 1,077 FPS) are loaded to a lower velocity. When you look at the same projectile weight of 180gr loaded by other manufacturers (Buffalo Bore 1,350 FPS, Double Tap 1,305 FPS, Grizzly Ammo 1,300 FPS and Underwood 1,300 FPS) they are to much higher velocities. The other popular weight is 200 grains. These velocities average between 1,050 and 1,200 feet per second. Some of the lighter 155gr projectiles have muzzle velocities from 1,265 to 1,500
feet per second.

The P220 chambered in 10mm disassembles into the same basic components in the same way as the entire SIG family of non-polymer pistols.

The first real acceptance for the 10mm Auto cartridge was by the FBI. After the 1986 FBI Miami shootout where 2 FBI agents were killed and 5 wounded by 2 serial bank robbers. The agents were equipped with 38 Special caliber revolvers, S&W 459 9mm pistols and Remington 12 gauge shotguns. The agents were pinned down by fire from a Ruger Mini-14 rifle used by one of the suspects. Although the suspects were shot multiple times from the 38 Special revolvers they kept fighting and killing. The aftermath of that lead to the FBI researching a pistol caliber with more “stopping power”. The results were the Smith & Wesson 1076 chambered in 10mm. With all of the benefits of the high power cartridge, the pistol proved to have too much recoil and was hard to train agents on. The pistol and ammunition combination had a short life with the FBI. The result was the reduction in power of the 10mm which would become the .40 S&W caliber. In the end the caliber never really caught on in the industry. It found its place with hunters as a primary and secondary back up pistol. Some liked it for competition.

In 2015, SIG announced their first pistol chambered in the 10mm Automatic caliber. The new pistol debuted at the 2015 SHOT Show. This project is a difficult one to take on. Given the history of durability issues with 10mm pistols SIG had to make it stronger and more durable than the competition. The P220 was the most logical platform. The larger frame plus the single column magazine were a great starting point. Within 6 months they had their pistol. The new pistol is made in the Exeter, New Hampshire factory. SIG offers the pistol in three different configurations as of this writing. The Match Elite Reverse Two-Tone which has a stainless steel frame with a black Nitron® coated slide, P220 Stainless Elite which is a complete stainless steel pistol and the P220 Stainless Elite Nitron® which is completely black. The last is the P220 Hunt Ready which is Kryptek® Banshee color. The weight of the pistol is 39.1 ounces. Overall length is 5.5 inches and overall width of 1.5 inches. The barrel length is 5 inches with a sight radius of 6.8 inches. The single column magazine holds 8 rounds of 10mm Auto ammunition.

Starting with the frame, the frame is manufactured from block of 416 SST stainless steel. This is important with the use of the 10mm Auto caliber. The traditional P220 uses an alloy frame. This would just not hold up to the abuse of the potent cartridge. The underside of the frame in front of the trigger guard has a section of MIL-STD-1913 rail making it compatible with a flashlight or laser device. Like all of its predecessors, the pistol has no manual safety. The left side of the frame has a slide lock lever and magazine release button. The pistol is equipped with the traditional SIG de-cocking lever. The grip panels are an extremely comfortable and sharp looking Black G-10 Piranha grip. Even with my large hands the pistol was comfortable and the gripping surface all around the grip gave a solid no-slip feel. With the exception of the locking insert, all of the internal parts are interchangeable in the frame with P220 45 Auto caliber components. The single action pull of the test and evaluation pistol were 5 pounds single action and 11.5 pounds double action. The double action felt heavy but it was easy to fire accurate shots once I got use to it.

The slide is manufactured from 416 SST stainless steel as well. The slide is offered in raw stainless steel, black Nitron® as well as the Kryptek® Banshee color. Most of the internal components of the frame are interchangeable with the P220 chambered in 45 Auto but the extractor, locking insert (Feed ramp is part of the locking insert which is the reason it had to be changed). The slide, like all of its predecessors, is equipped with a passive firing pin block safety. This is perhaps the one most important feature one can have on a pistol. This is a spring loaded plunger that blocks the firing pin from any forward movement. The only way the firing pin can move is to have the safety lever push it up and disengage it. The only way the safety lever disengages the firing pin safety is if the trigger is pulled all the way to the rear. As the trigger is pulled to the rear, just prior to the trigger bar releasing the hammer the trigger safety moves upward pushing the firing pin block out of the way. This prevents unintentional discharges from the pistol being dropped. There are gripping grooves both on the rear of the slide as well as the front. The pistol comes standard with SIGLITE® Night Sights.

The barrels is made of carbon steel coated in black Nitron®. The barrel is 5 inches long. The recoil spring should be changed out every 2500 rounds.

With the Buffalo Bore 200gr full metal jacket ammunition, the pistol shot about 1 3/4 inches at 25 yards. The gun certainly shot better than this author. All ammunition tested in this pistol shot right in this same area. This included the Buffalo Bore 220gr hard cast projectiles.

According to SIG, they expect the service life of the pistol to be approximately 10,000 rounds. They have tested several pistols to and above 10,000 rounds. This is a lot of rounds considering the wear and tear this cartridge puts on the gun. The test and evaluation pistol was well made, just what you would come to expect from SIG. It came with two magazines. The pistol was tested with a variety of rounds. These included 175gr Hornady Critical Defense, Hornady 155 and 180gr XTP, SIG V-Crown 180gr JHP, Double Tap 200gr FMJ, Buffalo Bore 220gr lead and 200gr FMJ and Federal American Eagle 180gr FMJ. In all, more than 300 rounds were fired through the pistol with no malfunction of any sort. Accuracy was excellent. The best group was achieved with Buffalo Bore 200gr FMJ with just over an inch at 15 yards off hand. But all the ammunition fired was just about the same. The pistol was not sensitive to ammunition at all. I am sure if the pistol was put in a vice, groups would have been tighter. But standing in the hot Texas sun, I was quite pleased with the results off hand.

The 10mm cartridge is mainstream now. Ammunition is made by all of the major manufacturers. There are several companies who are well known for their 10mm loadings. Word to the wise, be very careful with some of the hotter loads, they may meet but they also exceed SAAMI specifications. Target ammunition is not overly expensive. Particularly Federal American Eagle and Remington UMC. Some of the other excellent loads you would want to contact the manufacturers directly such as Buffalo Bore and Double Tap to see where they have stocking dealers. The 10mm Auto cartridge is an excellent choice for a hunting handgun for medium game. It is also an excellent choice for a backup gun when hunting large dangerous game. The SIG pistol has the range and accuracy to do the job. As far as a self defense gun, if the shooter is well trained and practiced in handling it, the P220 will be an excellent self defense pistol as well. The FBI spent a lot of money to find out this caliber is not good for everyone. But for those who train with it and get comfortable with it, there is no reason why you cannot carry it for personal protection. The P220 has all the features you would want for a defense firearms as it has been carried in various calibers by military, LE and security personnel for many years in some pretty terrible places!

The First Ever Large Scale Sale of a 6.8x43mm Caliber Rifle to a Military

Back in 2001 a new cartridge concept was thought up by 5th Special Forces Group MSG Steve Holland. He wished to increase the firepower of the Special Operations soldier by providing a much more effective round than the 5.56mm. He felt it lacked the stopping and penetration power needed by a battle rifle. Starting with a .30 Rem cartridge cases, MSG Holland created a wildcat cartridge that would function in an AR/M16 platform rifle and would only require changing of the barrel, bolt and magazine. This prototype cartridge was handed over to the United States Army Marksmanship Unit headed by Troy Lawton. This product would be funded by Remington’s Sean Dwyer, who claimed Remington wanted to do their part in the Global War on Terrorism. Remington began final development of the cartridge in the fall of 2001 using the concept wildcat cartridges made up by MSG Holland which were in effect shortened .30 Rem brass. Auto CAD drawings of the cartridge case were prepared by Cris Murray of the Army Marksmanship Unit. Remington’s final task was to standardize the dimensions. The first production of the new 6.8x43mm Rem SPC cartridge was in 2002 with full production beginning in 2003. Right up to the 2004 time period this cartridge was kept very secretive by all the companies involved. Some of the first rifles were manufactured by David Dunlap of Precision Reflex, Inc. At SHOT Show 2005, many manufactures were quick to produce rifles chambered for the new cartridge before ammunition was even available. However, even after initial release the cartridge was still under development to maximize its potential. SAAMI accepted the new cartridge and some other manufacturers got on board with manufacturing. The finalized 6.8x43mm Rem SPC required a slightly modified chamber than the original, hence the Spec 2 chamber. It was found with the fully optimized ammunition, it was not safe to load it in the original Spec 1 chamber. The primary load was a 115gr Sierra open tip match projectile at a velocity of around 2,650 feet per second. Loads available are from 77 to 135 grains in weight.

Many manufacturers decided to stay with the SAAMI spec chamber which was the original Spec 1. Others went ahead and upgraded to the Spec 2. Ammunition manufacturers did not really want to make a cartridge that would not be safe in some guns that were out there so they mostly stayed with the SAAMI Spec 1 chamber. They could be sure that their ammunition would be safe to shoot in all existing rifles. One company did take on the Spec 2 load and that was Silver State Armory. It would be safe to say that Silver State Armory has done more product development of 6.8x43mm ammunition than anyone out there other than Remington. Their Spec 2 chamber ammo is specifically marked.

Shown is the complete left side of the SIX8-UCIW. Notice the Magpul pistol grip and 6.8x43mm magazine. The rifle is equipped with LWRCK Skirmish folding backup sights.

The path of the 6.8x43mm Rem SPC cartridge is quite disappointing to say the least. USSOCOM looked at it and they were less than thrilled, more than likely not due to its performance capabilities but due to ammunition compatibility. This would also be the introduction of a non-NATO standardized cartridge. Feeding was an issue. Designing a magazine that would fit an M16/M4 lower receiver proved to be a difficult task. The cartridge did get a following in the commercial market. Several companies manufacture rifles in this caliber. The cartridge is ideal for medium game hunting and is quite popular for deer and hog. Few ammunition companies really took it on. Of course Remington offers a good line of ammo. As previously stated Silver State Armory specializes in the 6.8x43mm Rem SPR cartridge offering more loads than any other company. Ammunition is also offered by Hornady, Corbon, Federal, Seller &Bellot, Double Tap and Barrett.

Shown is the right side of the M6 PSD rifle chambered in 6.8mm SPC. This is the configuration of the rifle that went to the Mid-East special operations unit. The only thing missing is the EOTech sight. Notice the ambidextrous bolt catch and selector lever.

Of all the manufacturers of modern military arms, LWRCI has come to be best known for producing military grade rifles chambered in the 6.8x43mm Rem SPR cartridge, releasing their rifle in 2007. The company is known for producing rifles with their proprietary short stroke tapped piston 2that adapted a 6.8 barrel, modified bolt and magazine. Magazines are produced mostly by CProducts Defense and Precision Reflex, Inc. They are now also made by D&H Tactical. In an industry that had pretty much given up on the caliber, LWRCI always believed in its potential and continued to improve their rifles. LWRCI is also in the international market and sells arms throughout the world. Of course their primary sales are all 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm. However in 2010, LWRCI met with a special operations group from a Middle Eastern country. Due to contractual agreements they are not at liberty to divulge the name of this unit. This group was looking for a short barreled rifle that packed a heavy punch. LWRCI looked at their requirements and though that this would be ideal for the 6.8x43mm Rem SPC. It was the same size for the most part as a short 5.56mm rifle but packed a lot more punch. The customer was quite interested. LWRCI imported some of their 6.8x43mm rifles in country to do demos. During negotiations LWRCI was told the order would be more than 30,000 weapons. With that kind of number they decided to make a real bold move. They understood the potential feeding issues and the sandy environment could complicate things, so they decided to team up with Magpul and create a proper magazine that would be optimized for the 6.8x43mm Rem SPC cartridge. Logically this means the magazine well must be made wider, which they did. The magazine looks like the familiar PMAG with Maglevel windows and holds 30 rounds.

Shown is the complete left side of the commercially produced SIX8-UCIW . Notice the Magpul pistol grip and 6.8x43mm magazine. The rifle is equipped with LWRCK Skirmish folding backup sights as well as a EOTech holographic sight.

The rifle presented to the Middle Eastern Special Operations unit was the PSD MKII. The rifle has a short telescopic stock which is of LWRCI design. With the stock extended the overall length is 26.73 inches and with the stock closed it is 23.97 inches. The weight of the rifle without a magazine is 6.39 pounds and fully loaded with 30 rounds 7.71 pounds. The barrel is 8.5 inches in length with a flash hider installed to the end. The rifle is selective-fire (Semi- and fully-automatic) and magazine fed. The rifle has quad Mil-Std-1913 rails and comes with LWRCI folding Skirmish back up sights. The rifle is fully ambidextrous with ambi selector, magazine release and bolt catch. Without suppressor the cyclic rate is roughly 700 rounds per minute and with suppressor roughly 1,000 rounds per minute.

Before we delve into the specific features of the rifle there is one very important component to this particular weapon system, the ammunition. Due to the short 8.5 inch barrel there were issues with reliability in adverse conditions. In normal 6.8 loads the port pressure is not at its peak until it is around 8 or so inches. This means the 8.5 inch barrel has low port pressure using standard ammunition. Also the current ammunition is commercial grade, lacking the flash inhibitors in the powder of military grade ammunition. So LWRCI in partnership with ATK Federal went on to develop a round that would be optimal for use in an 8.5 inch barrel. Basically a propellant that was faster burning that would get the port pressures back up to where they would need to be to cycle the rifle reliably. In testing the PSD MKII, this author tested more than 9 different loads. The rifle would only function properly with the specified load. All commercial off the shelf ammunition caused the rifle to short stroke. The load used is called XM68GD. The projectile is a 90 grain Speer Gold Dot projectile with an approximate muzzle velocity of 2420 feet per second and with a muzzle energy of 1181.6 ft lbs. Impressively, the maximum range of the rifle is 500 meters at a point target. Currently all ammunition made for the Middle East customer is ATK. LWRCI ammo has been sourced and tested by Seller & Bellot, Hornady, ATK and Silver State Armory. The PSD MKII is the only rifle that requires this ammunition. The Six8-UCIW which is the current commercial off the shelf rifle will work with standard ammunition. Modifications have been made to the gas system for it to run reliably.

Examining the weapon system the only differentiation between the military PSD MKII and the SIX8-UCIW will be the ammunition compatibility. All other features are the same.

The proprietary Magpul magazine is designed for this weapon system. This magazine was specifically designed to feed the 6.8x43mm cartridge properly and reliably.

Starting with the lower receiver assembly, the rifle is equipped with the LWRCI produced short stock. There are 4 positions. There are two quick-detach mount sockets on the stock, one on each side. The buffer and spring are designed specifically for the 6.8x43mm Rem SPC cartridge. The lower receiver itself is proprietary and not compatible with industry standard receivers. It is manufactured from a 7075-T-6 aircraft grade aluminum forging. The receiver is hard coat anodized as per Mil-Spec to a flat black color. Primary difference is as we mentioned, the magazine. The joint effort LWRCI and Magpul magazine looks like a standard PMag but on steroids. It holds a full 30 rounds and has high visibility orange magazine follower and lock plate. The geometry of the magazine is optimal for this cartridge. So the magazine is wider than the standard magazine. Therefore the receiver is wider. The selector lever is ambidextrous and also made by LWRCI. The lever is easy to grab and manipulate even with gloves. The pistol grip is the very comfortable Magpul MOE. The lower receiver is fully ambidextrous. On the right side, right above the trigger is the ambi bolt catch. It looks the same as the one on the left side and is actuated in the same manner. The magazine catch is in the normal location on the right side of the receiver. On the left side the ambi mag catch is located right behind the catch and is easily manipulated by either a left or right handed shooter. The hammer, trigger, disconnector and automatic sear are all nickel boron coated. The trigger pull is the Mil-Spec 5.5 to 8.5 pounds.

The upper receiver is also manufactured from a 7075 T6 aircraft grade aluminum forging and is proprietary to the PSD MKII 6.8x43mm SPC lower receiver. It has the traditional forward bolt assist, fired cartridge case deflector and ejection port. The handguards have quad Mil-Std-1913 rails. The bottom handguard is held on by a collet over the barrel nut. The top handguard is removed for maintenance of the gas system by two pusher screws. The locking nut itself is non-indexing. The barrel nut is self-locating and guides the operating rod through the upper receiver.

The 8.5 inch barrel is cold hammer forged right at LWRCI. Just at the time the PSD MKII went into production, LWRCI bough their own hammer forge machine. LWRCI has always been very convinced of the benefits offered by the hammer forging process. 41V45 steel-alloy and then treated with NiCorr™ surface conversion technology. This process is deemed superior to using standard chrome plating. The barrel has a 1 turn in 10 inch right hand twist.

The process of drilling and pinning of the gas blocks onto the barrels. LWRCI makes extensive use of custom assembly fixtures throughout their production lines of rifles.

The bolt carrier is a one piece carrier with a machined “tombstone” which is the impact area of the operating rod. The rear of the bolt carrier is flutes which accomplishes two things. One, it deals with and eliminates bolt carrier tilt caused by the off center movement of the bolt carrier in turn caused by the operating rod striking the top of the tombstone. The second is with egression of dirt, fouling and whatever else may find its way into the mechanism. It is nickel boron coated.

The bolt has enhancements over the standard. The extractor, similar to that of the LMT Enhanced bolt has a whale-tale shaped extractor utilizing dual extractor spring with a more aggressive extractor claw. The extractor claw engages more of the surface area of the rim of the cartridge case than the norm. The bolt face fully supports the rear of the cartridge case. This helps prevent case head failure unlike the standard M16/M4 bolt which has a large cutout to allow for insertion of the extractor. This helps to prevent case head failures from high-pressure situations like firing with water in the barrel. The geometry of lugs 1 and 7 has been redesigned to make these lugs much stronger and stress relieved, preventing breakage. Also the face of the bolt has a “crud” groove cut around the perimeter of the inside of the bolt face. This permits crud such as brass shavings, carbon and primer sealant a place to go that will not affect the function of the rifle.

The gas system is made of 4 components. Pinned to the barrel is the gas block/nozzle, then the intermediate rod, piston cup and operating rod are installed. Once the projectile passes the gas port, gas goes up the gas port and into the nozzle, pushing the piston cup, intermediate rod and operating rod rearward. The operating rod gives a hammer-like blow to the tombstone on the bolt carrier driving the bolt carrier to the rear. The bolt unlocks and the extraction and ejection process commence. The spring on the operating rod returns the operating rod, intermediate rod and piston cup forward ready for the next shot. Hot gasses escape at the front of the gas system. This eliminates hot and dirty fouling entering the carrier group. The bolt carrier remains cool as well.

A box of receivers ready to assemble into PSD MKII carbines for the Middle Eastern customer. Notice the use of UID code labeling. These receivers are fully ambidextrous.

For the Middle East contract the PSD MK11 was put through a gamut of testing. This includes mud, sand, water, salt spray and temperature extremes. The gun was tested up to 40,000 rounds. Keep in mind the Mil-Spec acceptance testing for the M4 carbine is but 6,000 rounds. The first rifles were delivered in 2012/13. This sale is a landmark in the history of the 6.8x43mm SPC cartridge. It documented the first large sale order (30,000+ rifles) in the industry. The cartridge was designed by MSG Holland as a Special Forces cartridge. Although it never saw US military service, it was adopted abroad. The customer appears to be very pleased with the performance of the rifle. They possess the most firepower of any military for a rifle that size. For the desert environment, the 500 yard range is also a plus. Part of the rifle’s requirement is that it shoots sub MOA at 100 meters. This is an excellent example of quality of the system (rifle and ammunition), especially for an 8.5 inch barrel. Every rifle sold to the customer is ready to install a sound suppressor as well.

The author was provided with 500 rounds of the Federal XM68 ammunition from LWRCI along with one PSD MK11 and one SIX8 with a 16 inch barrel. Also brought to the range was 6.8mm Rem SPC ammunition manufactured by Silver State Armory, Remington and Hornady. Projectile ranged from 90 to 115gr. The range was limited to 25 yards so accuracy testing was limited. The optic chosen was the EOTech holographic sight which is the one provided with the PSD MKII to the middle eastern customer. With the PSD MKII, the accuracy was clover-leafed at 25 yards which was expected with the XM68 ammunition. All other ammunition tested in the PSD MKII did not cycle properly. The rifle would continuously short stroke. This was expected due to the entire reasoning around the development of the XM68 ammunition in that short 8.5 inch barrel. When the 16 inch Six8 barrel was installed on the lower, all ammunition brought functioned flawlessly including the XM68. Between the 8.5 and 16 inch barrels more than 800 rounds were fired. I have to say, this author has tested 6.8x43mm SPC rifles in the past and has never experienced this type of reliability. With all the standard mags tested they just never were combat reliable. The LWRCI rifle using the proper designed PMag for this cartridge worked without issues. LWRCI really took a gamble on designing a “Not industry standard” receiver platform to optimize the use of this caliber and it certainly paid off. This author is quite surprised the industry has not followed in building rifles in this caliber.

The LWRCI sale to the Middle East is a true milestone in the book of the 6.8x43mm SPC cartridge. Is this the ideal military caliber? Could be. NATO standardization will always be a major factor in anything adopted. This may always have and continue to prevent this cartridge from ever going prime time. Sometimes being better is just not good enough. You always have the politics that get in the way. For special operations units who can request and purchase their own gear, this is a very viable option for a high performance firearm. This sale to this undisclosed Middle East country is a perfect example of this. American hunter, target shooter and enthusiasts use this caliber every day. No question that the caliber has its following.

Assembly of the barrel, flash suppressor and piston system.

The bolt of the PSD MKII chambered in 6.8x45mm Rem SPC. Notice the whale tail shaped enhanced extractor as well as the two extractor springs.

The nickel boron coated bolt carrier group of the PSD MKII chambered in 6.8x45mm Rem SPC. Notice the carrier itself is one piece and the flutes on the rear of the carrier.

This 6is how each and every of the rifles shipped to the Middle Eastern customer was packed. Over this station was a video camera which took a photo of each completed box. This was if something was missing in the box, LWRCI could look up the serial number and pull up the picture to verify if the product was missing at the time packing.

ABOVE: The Colt 9mm-pattern carbines never achieved the success they should have. They were never really pushed by Colt sales due to Colt not wanting anything to compete with their own M4 carbines. However, this is an excellent 9mm weapon system. Shown with SWAT Officer Mike Magri, this modernized 9mm SMG has all the versatility of its 5.56mm big brother.

Although the 9mm carbine/SMG is rarely found in U.S. law enforcement, it is still found throughout the world: the Caribbean, India, Central and South America, to name a few. In the early 1980s, Colt decided to get into the 9mm business. At the time, the majority of the 9mm SMG business was owned by Heckler & Koch with their MP5. Colt put one of the finest engineers in the industry, Mr. Henry “Hank” Tatro, on the project. His product development spawned some very interesting prototypes. Hank had to work around an important requirement: to keep as many parts in common with the M16 as possible. The first model was actually an open bolt operated SMG. The bolt was one piece with a slightly modified extractor. The barrel was cut down to around 10 inches. There was a two-piece magazine well adapter, which permitted the use of a slightly modified UZI magazine. The ejector was mounted into the rear adapter and a feed ramp was attached to the forward adapter in the magazine well. One of the more interesting features is that the SMG had a grip safety, similar to that of the UZI as well. Initial testing showed two things. First, that Hank needed to completely rework the extractor and second, the open bolt mechanism he had was not reliable. Even with the grip safety, if the SMG was dropped it was prone to release the bolt and unintentionally fire a round or two.

So the decision was made to go with a closed bolt mechanism. The operating dynamics of a 9mm are quite different from that of the 5.56mm cartridge. The faster burning pistol powder causes a higher cyclic rate and needs to be slowed down. The closed bolt mechanism chosen is a blowback operation. Once the trigger is pulled and strikes the firing pin, the mass of the bolt, action spring and hammer spring provide enough resistance to keep the breech closed until pressures drop enough to safely extract and eject the fired cartridge case. The buffer is made out of steel and is comprised of two pieces with three rubber disks in between them. This not only provides the proper amount of mass, but also prevents bolt carrier bounce on fully-automatic fire. When firing, early rifles showed that un-burnt powder would strike the shooter in the face and it would sometimes burn the shooter. To correct this, Tatro designed a gas deflector to be added to the rear of the ejection port. Many misconstrued this for a fired cartridge case deflector. Due to the ejection mechanism, left-handed shooters would not be struck by fired cartridge cases. The ejection port dust cover was cut in half so the gas deflector would fit.

This is a early model of the Colt 9mm SMG. Notice the lack of threads on the muzzle but, more importantly, the grip safety on the back of the pistol grip. This early Colt Gun Room model fired from the open-bolt mechanism.

The lower receiver is a standard M16/AR-15 lower receiver. Another modification made to the trigger mechanism was the use of stainless steel trigger pins. Due to the high bolt velocity, the hammer would get “slapped” down quite hard and break the standard hammer pin. The standard 2-poition receiver extension was used with the mentioned 9mm buffers. Also introduced was a cost effective 1-piece buffer for use in semi-auto-only carbines.

The early magazines were UZI 32 round magazines with a mag catch slot cut for the AR mag catch. Later Colt went on to develop its own magazines, manufactured by Metalform. For a short period of time Colt used magazines manufactured by C Products, but later switched back to Metalform. Colt sold both 20- and 32-round magazines.

The first open-bolt prototype used a modified M16 extractor. This proved problematic and was quickly abandoned (so was the open bolt mechanism in favor of a closed bolt blowback operation). Notice the stamp on the magazine well, “Colt Gun Room,” indicating it was a prototype.

Colt went on to introduce the commercial 16-inch AR-15 9mm carbine (R6540), which was for the most part identical to the R0635 with a few changes. The upper and lower were the commercial large diameter front pivot pin, which used a screw and collet. The bolt was a semi-auto-only version. Next to market was the Pre-Sporter rifle that was updated with a lower made from an A2 forging. Added to this rifle was the magazine BOSS. There was a transition from the screw and collet to the MIL-SPEC pin with a screw on the left side to the use of a captive pivot pin. It was around this time when Colt switched to the 1-piece mag well adapter. First versions were secured by way of a tensioning screw. This did not work out well because, when overtightened, the magazine well would be flared and ruined. The final design was the 1-piece mag well adapter drilled and pinned into the receiver. Then came the Colt Sporter 9mm, which Colt voluntarily modified. The bayonet lug was removed and the telescopic stock was replaced with a fixed stock. The fire control group was modified to use 0.170-inch large pin hammer/trigger pins instead of the standard 0.154-inch pins, then an automatic sear block was machined into and pressed into the lower receiver. Then came the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. To comply with the law, Colt removed the flash suppressor and hence created the Match Target 9mm Carbine (MT6430).

After the sunset of the ban in 2004, the AR6450 was sold to the commercial market. In late 2008, a change was made to go back to standard 0.154-inch hammer and trigger pins. The AR6450 no longer had the restricted marking. Colt released a new model, the AR6451. The difference was the use of a flattop upper receiver. Colt usually has one run a year of the 9mm.

Close-up views of the prototype receiver. Notice a standard M16 lower with the mag well adapter pinned in. This photo shows a close up of the grip safety as well.

Like its 5.56mm big brother, the 9mm carbine has been taken on by numerous companies. These companies have dedicated large sums of money to enhancing the carbine design, not only in the areas of reliability, but in making it just as modular as the M4. You can now basically configure the 9mm in the same way you can the M4. This includes the use of rail systems, enhanced fire control groups, stocks, pistol grips, buffers and backup sights. Any of the modern military grade optics can be used on it as well. For this article, this author built a modern 9mm carbine out of hand-selected components which he felt were a massive improvement over the standard legacy 9mm carbine. As a disclaimer, this is like an Erector Set, there are endless things you can do and this is but one vision of the ideal 9mm carbine.

Perhaps the most significant development in the 9mm AR (since it came to market by Colt) was designed by Jon Beaudry of Double Diamond Law Enforcement Supply. Jon designed and manufactured a dedicated 9mm lower receiver. Unlike all the ones before it, which were all based on the standard lower receiver and use a magazine well adapter or have the well cut to accept the 9mm magazine, such as the CMMG, the DDLE lower is manufactured from a billet which permits it to have the magazine well cut back to the proper size of the 9mm magazine. Not only does it look better, it is lighter because the design got rid of unused aluminum. Beaudry put a nice flare on the bottom of the well for low-level light reloading. The trigger guard is integral with the lower receiver. To deal with the ejection problems, Beaudry developed a free-floating ejector that aligns properly with the bolt to ensure against failures to eject. He improved on the bolt catch as well, there is more gripping surface to ensure positive bolt lock. DDLE offers the receiver in both 6061-T6 as well as 7075-T6 aluminum. There is also an adjustment screw to adjust the tightness of the upper and lower receiver. DDLE broke off with their partner in late 2014 and former partner Russ Klawunn opened up his own shop, Quarter Circle 10.

Shown is Colt’s production model 9mm SMG (R0635). This is the most commonly sold Mil/LE version of the Colt 9mm family of firearms. Notice the 10.5 inch barrel, standard carbine handguards and A1 carrying handle, as well as the gas deflector behind the ejection port.

The upper receiver is a custom VLTOR MUR (Modular Upper Receiver) with a modified side plate. The fired cartridge case deflector was ground down and the gas deflector and ejection port cover were added. The barrel is manufactured by Yankee Hill Machine. It is a fluted barrel and attached to the end is a Vortex flash suppressor manufactured by Smith Enterprises, Inc.. The handguard chosen is manufactured by Centurion Arms, the C4 10-inch free floating rail (part number: 060910). It does not require any special barrel nut and provides quad MIL-STD-1913 rails. On the left, right and bottom rails are Manta advanced rail protectors. They are unmatched in heat (and even cold) protection.

The bolt is a standard selective fire Colt bolt. The charging handle is the VLTOR Gunfighter charging handle which has a high-profile extended latch, making for easier actuation. For folding backup sights, the A.R.M.S., Inc. #40L rear and #40L-F front sights were used. These are metal sights of the highest quality.

The Colt 9mm weapons are extremely reliable and durable. Shown is a mud test conducted by the Indian Special Forces. The SMG functioned flawlessly when fired.

Blitzkrieg Components provided two of their buffers for testing. One is a hydraulic buffer, which has the proper overall length for the 9mm, so no spacers are needed. This buffer made a significant difference on perceived recoil. In fact, this buffer is left in the carbine after testing. Hydraulic buffers have been around for a while and the problem has always been their reliability. Like the 9mm carbine/SMG, they have also evolved. The other buffer tested was the Blitzkrieg Components 9mm AKTIVE Buffer. This is also the proper length and offers some cushion as well to reduce recoil, certainly several steps ahead of the standard buffer, but not quite as good as the hydraulic.

The magazines chosen were the time-tested Colt Metalform 20- and 32-round magazines, as well as 20- and 32-round magazines by Ammunition Storage Components. The Metalform magazines use a metal follower and the ASC magazines use a bright orange follower made of polymer. All of these magazines have witness holes to see how many rounds are in them.

The Colt 9mm SMG, shown doing a water test by the Indian Special Forces (Octopus).

This rifle was tested with two different types of ammunition. First is Winchester 9x19mm NATO M882 ball. This is the standard U.S. government-issue ammunition with a 124gr full metal jacket, firing at 1,185 feet per second. This velocity would be considered a +P by SAAMI standards. The ammunition procured was from their Law Enforcement ammunition line (part number RA9124N). The second is manufactured by Black Hills Ammunition. No malfunctions encountered in nearly 1,000 rounds.

As previously stated, this is but one variation of the countless number of accessories that are out there. With the selected gear, anything you would want on a M4, you can place on the 9mm carbine. The 9mm carbine has come a long way since the initial design Hank Tatro did in the 1980s. The one great thing about the boom of manufacturers of this platform is that each company will try to improve upon the products to make them just that much better. In fact, they compete with each other to see who comes out with the better mousetrap.

Close-up view of the receivers (right side) of the Colt SMG (R0635). Notice the SMY has semi as well as full auto capability, this SMG has a 20-round Metalform 9mm magazine, A1 carrying handle and rear sight, as well as the gas deflector behind the ejection port.

The 9mm dedicated lower receiver (Jon Beaudry design) offers several enhancements over the Legacy design. Notice the actual feed ramps in front of the magazine (right) compared to the smooth ramp of the legacy (left). Also notice the Beaudry-designed free floating ejector (right) compared to the Legacy (left), which requires adjustment after assembly. Also notice the Beaudry design has a dedicated 9mm magazine well, not a converted M16/M4 magazine well with an adapter.

Around the same time as the build of the custom 9mm carbine was completed, a brand new magazine hit the market, manufactured by X Products. This is a rotary 50-round magazine that is quite durable and manufactured from aluminum. The bolt used in this 9mm carbine build is a Colt newer-generation enhanced bolt. The portion which picks the round up off of the magazine is smaller than the other ones, which are based on the earlier Colt 9mm bolts. There may be compatibility problems if you have this older-style bolt. Quarter Circle 10 is now offering a bolt which is compatible with the X Products drum and Glock magazines.

The Colt-pattern/UZI 9mm magazines are very difficult to load and will give you an extremely sore thumb. If you have one of these systems, the Maglula UpLULA for the Colt 9mm SMG mags is an absolute must.

One of the more significant advancements recently in the 9mm carbine arena is the hydraulic buffer. The recoil on the 9mm is more stout than that of the 5.56mm rifle due to the heavy mass of the 9mm bolt. Shown are two of the buffers tested (both manufactured by Blitzkrieg Components, LLC). The top is the hydraulic 9mm buffer, which is made longer to avoid bolt acceleration before the bolt impacts the bolt catch, keeping the trigger compartment covered to prevent cartridge cases from entering the trigger compartment. The bottom is the 9mm AKTIVE buffer (it’s not hydraulic, but it still cushions the blow of the 9mm bolt to the rear).

At this time in 1967, a congressional sub-committee headed by Senator Richard Ichord convened to investigate the AR-15/M16 and all of the issues surrounding the procurement, rights to the technical data package, chain of events to milestone decisions and malfunctioning. Colt engineers went to work making a version of their AR-15/M16 rifle that would make use of the (perceived) more reliable long stroke piston of the AK47.

The first external piston version of the M16 series rifle is the Colt Model 703. Careful examination shows that Colt engineers knew in the 1960s that to correctly make an external piston operated version of the rifle a completely new upper receiver was required and the rifle had to be designed as an external piston rifle and not converted.

The Colt Model 703 was the first external piston operated rifle of the platform. For all intents and purposes the Model 703 left the ergonomics of the AR-15 and stuck an upper on it designed around a piston operated rifle. The lower receiver remained the same as the new upper receiver could retrofit any stock lower receiver. The prototype had the Foster Sturtevant designed four-position selector offering the shooter safe, semi-auto, auto and 2 or 3 round burst.

The Colt engineers back then realized the best way to make an external piston operated rifle was to redesign the upper receiver, not to take the current one designed for direct gas impingement and turn it into a host for an operating system it was not designed for. The bolt carrier has the long stroke operating rod/piston pinned to the top of the bolt carrier. The bolt carrier has two longitude grooves on the side that fit into two slots in the upper receiver acting as guides to keep the bolt carrier group moving straight back and forth in the receiver (no carrier tilt).

The gas system utilizes a gas regulator allowing the shooter to tune the rifle for any combination of ammunition type or environmental condition. Self-regulating gas systems are more finicky due to extremes of ammunition types, propellants, as well as weather and atmospheric conditions. Allowing this all to be regulated is an excellent solution. The problem is if an untrained user messes around with the regulator not knowing how to adjust it properly, the rifle may not function, and may beat itself up from over gassing or function unreliably. It has always been a double edged sword whether to permit the soldier access to adjust gas or take a self-regulating system and try to control the ammunition that goes into it.

Then next generation Colt model LE1020 is based on the Type-C SCAR rifle but many refinements were added built on comments/criticisms of the Type C rifle. This would include making the gas system easily removed for maintenance and cleaning, elimination of the UCT finish and a simpler way to attach the carrier key to the bolt carrier, which did not require machining. Later, the steel insert would be added to the rear of the cam pin, which prevented damage to the receiver seen in all other external piston AR-series rifles.

Colt issued a report in May of 1969 titled Colt’s Automatic Rifle Model 703. The lead off into the report stated, “It is Colt’s belief that Colt’s Model 703 will demonstrate better performance and superior durability when compared to the M16/M16A1 rifle.” Nobody can be sure, all of the engineers who worked on this project are gone, but evidence points to the fact Colt was both involved in the investigation of what was in fact going wrong with the AR-15/M16 rifles in Vietnam but they also wanted to be ready with a solution if the problems pointed to the operating system of the AR-15/M16. It appears as though the Model 703 was a proactive step on Colt’s part.

According to the report, “Prototype Number 1 features a closed, adjustable gas system which is completely housed in the front sight assemble. This allows the user to optimize his weapon’s efficiency according to conditions dictated by climate or ammunition. No gas deposits are permitted to enter the breech mechanism and the result is a cleaner operating weapon. In addition, a larger extractor, a failure-free extractor spring and increased dwell time before unlocking have been incorporated.” The report also stated a list of features of the Model 703:

Better extraction through delayed unlocking and stronger extractor.
Top and side sling capability.
Adjustable gas system.
Burst control (2 or 3 rounds).
Buttstock stowage of cleaning equipment.
Simplified handguard disassembly.

Field stripped Colt Model 703. Note how the bolt carrier has rails on the side that fit in a groove inside of the upper receiver. This prevents carrier tilt. Also notice the long stroke piston operating rod connects right to the top of the bolt carrier.

Also listed were Model 703 Advantages:

Gas is exhausted behind the front sight rather than into the bolt group thereby reducing the frequency of cleaning.
Weapon can be slung over the shoulder in the assault-ready position.
Adjustable gas system compensates for ammunition and climatic conditions.
Rate of fire remains relatively constant (within ± 15 rounds/minute) at any setting.
The rifle’s upper receiver was very cumbersome when compared to that of the direct gas rifle although it weighed only 4 ounces more. All stats were comparable to the M16/M16A1. However, this rifle was never let out of the gate.

At the same time, there was another organization looking to change the direct gas operating system to a short stroke tappet system. The contract, DAAG25-68-C-0742, was awarded to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation’s Winchester Western Division with the mandate to create a system to retrofit existing upper receivers with “The object of this contract is to improve the combat and operating effectiveness and reliability of the existing M16A1 rifle by developing a short-stroke gas system.”

The program objectives consisted of:

Determining the functioning characteristics of 25 unmodified M16A1 rifles.
Designing a test rig to establish parameters for a short-stroke gas system.
Testing and developing two prototype short-stroke gas systems.
Conducting a 6,000 round test, with Government surveillance, on three Short-Stroke models for delivery to the Government.
Fabricating ten Short-Stroke Models for delivery to the Government.
Estimating contractor cost for retrofitting M16A1 rifles with short-stroke gas system.

The Colt Model 703 was built as a long stroke piston operation design. (Courtesy of Gary Paul Johnston)

“It is concluded from this program that the short-stroke gas system is functionally a practical system for the M16 Rifle and will significantly enhance the operating effectiveness and reliability of this rifle.”

The control rifles were 25 government furnished M16A1 rifles with the new and improved sliding weight buffers and the early non chrome lined bore/chambers. It should be noted a major issue with the reliability of the M16 in Vietnam was in fact due to the non-chroming of the chamber of the rifles. The corrosion and pitting caused a majority of the failures to extract, which were catastrophic in combat. The only way to remove the stuck cartridge case was to knock it out with a cleaning rod. Once the chamber was corroded there was not enough cleaning possible to correct the failure to extract. The barrel would have to be replaced.

The gas cylinder location was to be located 5.5 inches forward of the bolt face. The original gas port location was not used for several reasons including the need for a complete redesign and replacement of the already pinned on and costly front sight base. Additionally, a long flexible gas piston would be susceptible to damage in handling and usage, the gas piston falling outside of the handguard cap and forward portion of the handguard and probably most important was the gas to be tapped at an inconsistent low pressure portion of the pressure-time curve. The shorter gas system would permit a short and sturdy gas system and tap consistently high pressure portion of the pressure-time curve. The new gas block would be pinned to the barrel for stability and durability under the hand guard. The gas block consisted of gas cylinder housing, housing plug and utilized a plain piston. There was a new gas port drilled. The bolt carrier was modified with a solid carrier key that was reinforced by a carrier key pin that was copper brazed to the carrier key. The pin is inserted into the existing gas hole in the carrier and the carrier key screws were torqued and staked. A chamfered cam pin or a steel insert in the receiver is required to overcome peening of the receiver at the rear corner of the clearance cut for the cam pin rotation. This peening is the result of the cam pin impacting on the cam in the bolt carrier after bolt pickup and rotating into the receiver. The final design omitted the chamfer of the cam pin and opted for the steel insert, which is basically a steel screw that prevents the cam pin from damaging the aluminum receiver. There is a hole drilled in the upper receiver, on the left side where the hump is, where the cam slot is on the receiver and the screw inserted.

Shown is the way Winchester-Western dealt with the damage from the cam pin cutting into the receiver right behind the cam slot in the upper receiver by using a hardened steel screw. Colt would later adopt this concept with their steel insert they added to their receiver in late 2008 and would later be used on all of their monolithic upper receivers.

The result of the study concluded that material cost per rifle was $4.16 and labor costs (excluding burden) would be $4.13 per rifle. The value of machinery, tools and gages required (incl. benches, heat treatment and Parkerizing equipment) would be $2,064,000 and the contractor start-up costs would be $205,000. The conclusion of the contract is as follows:

The dynamic operating characteristics of the M16 rifle can be duplicated with a short-stroke gas system.
The short-stroke gas system will substantially eliminate those malfunctions associated with fouling, i.e. failure to fully open and fully close.
The M16A1 rifle with a short-stroke gas system is capable of firing a significantly larger number of rounds without cleaning and lubricating than the standard M16A1 rifle.
Information to date indicates that functionally the short-stroke gas system is a practical system for the M16A1 rifle.
Certain functional characteristics, including “fail to fire” and “fail to eject” are independent of the operating energy source (gas system), but are sensitive to other mechanical conditions.
A substantial amount of data has been generated that would be useful in further analysis of the M16A1 rifle system.

Like the results of the Colt Model 703 development, the retro fit program was quite viable. However, neither system was destined to replace that of the AR-15/M16 rifle. The findings of the numerous investigations showed what the root causes in the malfunctions were in Vietnam. In reality it was not a deficiency in the rifle system, in fact it was a good viable system destined to become one of the most prolific combat rifles of all time. It was found that the major problem, failure to extract, was caused by a combination of failing to chrome plate the chamber as well as lack of cleaning tools to maintain the rifle. Along with this there was no instruction on maintenance of the rifle. The other major issue was the untested and quantified decision to switch from IMR to Ball powder against the advice from both Gene Stoner and Colt’s. In a nutshell, the rifle could work reliably with ball propellant if it was in fact modified to do so, which is what was done: the change from a basic spring guide to a buffer that had sliding weights to prevent light strikes due to bolt carrier bounce and shot peening the bolts to increase its strength due to the higher cyclic rate that cause bolt breakage. Also, the firing pin was lightened and the disconnector strengthened. With all of these modifications there was little to no benefit in going backwards to the external pistol. The direct gas system would go on to prove itself in the late 1960s right up through the introduction of the M4. There was no further military interest in a new gas system. Although Rhino offered a retrofit kit for commercial sales in the 1980s, it never really gained momentum.

The lower handguard is removable on the LE1020 for the attachment of the M203 grenade launcher.

Right after the initial years of Gulf War 2, combat missions by Special Forces showed the newly introduced M4 carbine was about to go from a back-up rifle for those who had jobs that did not require the full length rifle but needed more than a pistol could provide, to a preferred primary combat rifle by SOCOM as well as regular Army. In the early days, SOCCOM began to experience failures of bolt breakage, and barrels rupturing, as well as failure to extract. Oddly enough, regular Army was not seeing the same issues. These reports let way into the HKM4/HK416 program that claimed to create a retrofit kit as well as a new rifle touted to “improve” combat reliability of the M4 by use of a short-stroke tappet operating mechanism. So literally the HKM4/HK416 upper receiver conversion was designed initially for SOCOM to help with their perceived problems with the M4. SOCOM had decided they needed their own rifle, not one that the Department of the Army was project manager of, which included the XM-29 program that would later be whittled down to the XM8, but one they fully controlled. SOCOM in no way wanted a weapon that was an Army weapons program – hence the commencement of the SCAR Special operations Combat Assault Rifle Program. It was also no secret that the Army did not want the SOCOM SCAR rifle; they wanted the XM8. With both rifle programs running consecutively, there was a race to get the SCAR rifle adopted before the Army could get the XM8 adopted. In the end, the XM8 program was cancelled. Any manufacturer of firearms who wanted a piece of the government sales knew the M4 was sole source from the U.S. Govt. to Colt and that the Army was happy. The only way to get into the U.S. military market was to say what they had was deficient and to open up the market to non-Colt M4 rifles.

Everybody knew that SOCOM was looking for an external piston operated rifle although it was not written that way. Colt was willing and ready to partake in the competition. They, however, would introduce and submit 3 rifles to the competition; two of which were their well proven and tested direct gas variations and the third would be Colt’s first external operated piston rifle since the Model 703 and that was in 1969. At the same time, both the government and Colt were looking into the issues with the rifle failures that SOCOM had. Was it a defect in the rifle design, quality, or was it user induced. Regardless of this outcome SOCOM wanted their own rifle.

Right side of the Colt Type-C SCAR rifle. Note the VLTOR modstock, the M1911-like ambidextrous selector lever, the Colt 1-piece upper receiver as well as the SOCOM mandated tan color. The gas system was held in place with a roll pin. One of the few criticisms SOCOM had on the rifle was the lack of ease of disassembling the operating system for maintenance and cleaning. This problem would be corrected on the next generation LE1020.

Colt submitted three rifles to the SCAR competition. Both types, A and B, were based on their combat proven direct gas system. The Type C was based on the short stroke tappet piston system. The system is simple and robust. There is an operating rod with a return spring attached, a piston and a gas cylinder sleeve. All this was held into the Type C rifle with a roll pin. Due to time constraints the roll pin was not removable for cleaning at the user level. The piston head had a tapered cone shape to it rather than the conventional flat shape. The upper receiver was the newly developed monolithic upper receiver with removable bottom rail to allow installation of the M203 grenade launcher. The carrier key was solid with no gas holes and part of the bolt carrier was machined to install the carrier key. The entire rifle was coated in UCT (Ultra Chem Tech), which is a nickel boron coating and then painted tan as per the specification. The piston operating system required an H2 buffer. The rifle used a unique and patented short throw ambidextrous selector lever and a Norgon ambidextrous magazine catch. There was an Otis Technology grip cleaning kit installed and a VLTOR modstock. The front sight base had a folding front sight that engaged and disengaged by a detent.

The Type C faired very well in the competition. Sources claim it was number two in the selection. The winner was the FN rifle. There were lessons learned by Colt from feedback on the Type C rifle that would assist them in further refinement of their piston rifle. The industry was calling upon Colt to produce an external piston operated rifle. There was growing demand in the international market for something to compete with the HK416.

The unique selector lever on the Type C SCAR as requested by SOCOM. U.S. Patent US 2005/0241470 A1 was granted on Nov. 3, 2005 to Colt’s Paul Hochstrate and the late Michael LaPlante. This was only used on the SCAR rifles.

In the secrecy that Colt is known for, they went to work on their next generation piston rifle in the 2007 time frame. This new rifle would be called the LE1020. The first major change was to have a way the operating rod and grooved piston could be removed at the user level for cleaning. On the front sight base was added a captive pin similar to that of the takedown and front pivot pin. This made it simple to remove and install. Also, to cut down on parts that could be lost, the piston was attached to the operating rod. The carrier key was simplified as well. A dowel pin was added so a standard bolt carrier could be used. The dowel pin went into a hole drilled into the gas slot in the top of the carrier and drilled into the bottom of the carrier key and the carrier key was held in place by two carrier key screws. The intent of the dowel pin was to take all of the stresses off of the carrier key screws. Barrels were offered in 10.5, 14.5 and 16.1 inches. The lower receiver went back to the standard lower receiver. The UCT finish was dropped in favor of standard Mil-Spec hard coat anodizing as well as manganese phosphate on the bolt carrier group and barrel. From 2007 to 2010, the LE1020 made its way into all the major trade shows in both the military and commercial arena. The LE1020 got a significant amount of attention from both attendees and press at SHOT Show and Colt was flooded with phone calls from customers regarding the high demand for the Colt piston rifle. At this time the controversy was in clear swing as to the question if the U.S. military is giving their warriors the best small arms available in the world. Colt’s resources were heavily involved in that fight. It is this author’s opinion that Colt higher management felt that if they introduced an external piston operated rifle, it would be an admission that their M4 was inferior. Perhaps in hindsight this author feels the better way to look at it would have been to give the customer what they asked for rather than give the business away to another company.

In 2009, Colt released for sale their first monolithic upper receiver but in the direct gas configuration called the LE6940. As expected, the rifle was an instant success. It also was the first new rifle introduced by Colt since the LE6920, which was
in the late 1990s.

In 2010, Colt introduced to the military market their refined LE1020 as the APC or Advanced Piston Carbine and for the LE market as the LE6940P. The biggest change between the LE1020 and the APC/LE6940P is the operating rod/piston. The new system was called an articulating link piston. This pivoting piston and op-rod connection compensates for deflection of the barrel during firing and due to thermal expansion. It also reduces recoil and muzzle climb during firing with the piston system closer to the bore. On the end of the piston are gas rings to seal the expansion chamber. The face of the piston is flat rather than tapered cone shaped as
was the LE1020.

The operating rod/piston, removed from the Type C SCAR upper receiver, is simple and robust. The operating rod would continue to be improved for the next two generations. The gas plug can be seen as well as the hole in the front sight base for the roll pin that held it in place. The rear sight was cut from a detachable carrying handle to make as compact and light as possible.

Added to the upper receiver is the steel insert behind the cam slot to prevent damage to the receiver. This is the same in concept to what Winchester-Western did in 1968 but Colt further refined the design to make it that much more effective
than the original.

After getting customer feedback, Colt modified the folding front sight base with a sliding lock. Customer comments came in that if they were to bump the front sight the sight would disengage causing them issues with engaging targets. Colt put a durable sliding lock that prevented this from happening.

Further testing on durability showed that the current bolt carrier design could be improved. Heavy usage showed that even with the dowel pin locating the bolt carrier key on the bolt carrier, upward recoil stresses on the carrier key screws allowed them and the dowel pin to break. Colt decided to switch to an integral bolt carrier/carrier key design with the impact area of the operating rod being on the face of the shortened integral carrier key portion of the bolt carrier. This eliminated this problem from happening.

The APC was submitted to the Individual Carbine competition. There were modifications to the lower receiver to make the rifle fully ambidextrous. The lower receiver was the new 7.62x51mm modular LE901 lower receiver with the ambidextrous bolt and magazine release. The front of the receiver was cut back to a 5.56mm configuration. The Colt entry was one of the finalists but the Individual Carbine program was cancelled due to nothing showing a significant increase in reliability over the standard M4. It is this author’s opinion that the testing in the IC program was flawed. They tested to the same 6,000 round protocol as they used for the M4. Of course they will see no major improvement. Perhaps if they pushed it out to 12,000 rounds they may have seen some significant improvements. But as the saying goes, the best is the enemy of good enough. According to the Army the M4 with its product improvement features is fully suitable for the Army. There is no requirement for anything to exceed those specifications.

The operating rod was modified to accept a larger return spring as well as the piston is now part of the operating rod. The gas cylinder is now removable by a detent pin identical to that of the takedown and pivot pins of the lower receiver.

The current APC/LE6940P rifles are what you have come to expect from Colt – durable workhorses that one can bet their life on. The APC will surely have a future in the international market and is in fact involved in testing in several countries. Unfortunately, it is the new kid on the block competing with piston operated AR rifles that have been in the field and refined for more than a decade. In time the Colt rifle will achieve a combat record and prove itself the way all of its predecessors have for the last 50 years, on the battle field.

Evolution of the piston rifle bolt carrier groups. On top is the Type C SCAR. This is UCT coated and notice the modifications required to install the carrier key. The second is also UCT coated but a simple sheer pin was added to the carrier key so any standard bolt carrier group could be used. The “skis” on the rear of the carrier were welded on the first two versions. The one shown is an early UCT coated carrier but production ones were made in standard manganese phosphate finish. The third carrier is a carrier designed specifically for the piston gun. The gas port holes removed and the “skis” machined as part of the carrier. The bottom is the final design that is a 1-piece carrier increasing the strength of the key thus extending service live dramatically.

Finalized gas system including the operating rod, the articulating link piston removed from the operating rod as well as the gas plug.

The LE1020 piston that is pyramid in shape. Bottom: The final production LE6940P uses a flat piston with the articulating link.

Current production LE6940P/APC (Advanced Piston Carbine). This refined LE1020 sports the proprietary Articulating Link Piston rod, the cam pin slot protector as well as the final production 1-piece bolt carrier. The rifle is offered in 10.5, 14.5 and 16.1 inch barrels as well as selective fire of semiautomatic only.

A historic depiction of the development of the Colt short stroke tappet system: starting on top was the original proof of concept designed by Art Daigle in a Greek hotel room. The second is the Type C SCAR system, the third is the Colt LE1020 system and on the bottom is the final LE6940P/APC system. Note the main changes had to do with the ease of disassembly and decreasing of number of components. The final two major designs was the change in the piston shape and then the implementation of the articulating link piston.

The captive pin that allows for the removal of the operating mechanism. This is probably the easiest of any of the piston operated rifles in the industry to remove/install. Start the pin inward with a cartridge or suitable tool and pull out to detent. The heavier return spring pushes the system right out of the front sight base where it is easy to grab and remove.

The accuracy of the AR-15/M16 has always been top rate. For the longest time, when one would think of a long range designated marksman rifle (DMR) you would think of something in 7.62x51mm NATO and more than likely bolt action. During the Vietnam War, it was seen that there is a benefit to having a semiautomatic DMR-type rifle so the accurized M14 appeared. In the calm of the Cold War, little attention was paid to small arms; money was going into nuclear weapons and advanced aircraft. Since the Vietnam War, U.S. troops encountered little combat and small arms would remain virtually unchanged. After 9/11 all that would change. Now with the Global War On Terrorism, infantry battles would be back rather than the high tech air war, which really was the First Gulf War. Prior to that, former Army Colonel Mark Westrom, former President of ArmaLite, Inc. conceived a 5.56x45mm SPR (Special Purpose Rifle); originally envisioned by Westrom to be in 18 inch, 20 inch and 22 inch barrels. The SPR as initially designed was to be an upper receiver that would be adaptable to current M4/M4A1 carbines that would fill two roles. First as a light sniper rifle and then, if need be, it could be used as a light machine gun. There was again no one rifle or carbine available that would fit this particular role so SOCOM would build it. Unfortunately it stopped, at least for a short period of time.

The concept sat dormant for years until SOCOM revived the concept in the 1990s as an initiative by the 5th Special Forces Group. They envisioned the SPR as a Special Purpose Receiver that drops on a standard M16/M4-type lower receiver. This receiver was to be highly accurized and would shoot a new type of 5.56x45mm round – one that would go on to be the most accurate 5.56mm cartridge in the world. The SPR upper receiver would provide a lightweight, compact, long-range precision fire and light support capability to the small Special Operation Forces groups that were not in a position to receive support from aircraft or artillery.

Modified M12 Mod 1. It has the fixed A1 stock replaced with an LMT SOPMOD stock with a six position receiver extension. Although the MK12-series SPRs all came with fixed stocks from Crane, Indiana, once the rifles went to their assigned units modifications were made by the users. Also the Ops, Inc. sounds suppressor is attached. Note the Harris bipod.

SOPMOD Programs Office at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Indiana, drafted the requirements desired and went to work soliciting and testing the concept at hand. In late 1998 and throughout 1999, the 5th Special Forces Group collaborated with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at Fort Benning, Georgia, to develop initial prototypes of this new requirement. During the program, SOPMOD funded several prototypes that were made and tested by the USAMU working closely with the 5th Special Forces.

The first SPR prototypes were tested with handloaded ammunition and the concept was solidified with the requirements being realistic and achievable. Several match grade projectiles were tested with weights as high as 88 grains. After rigorous accuracy testing, the 73-grain boat tail match open tip bullet manufactured by Berger was chosen for the SPR program. However, due to the immediate requirement for ammunition to go along with the SPR upper receiver, the Berger factory was in the process of moving and could not deliver the bullets in the needed quantities. With this kink in the chain, a new bullet was needed to fit the requirement. The new bullet would be the Sierra 77-grain Boat Tail Match King. Jeff Hoffman, president of Black Hills Ammunition was charged with designing and producing the ammunition that would both maintain match accuracy and combat reliability of theM16A2 rifle. Based on these findings, in October of 1999, the SPR was validated as part of the SOPMOD requirement. First requirements called for the drop-in SPR for the M4A1 carbine along with the match grade ammunition. Conceptually, there would be a modified M4A1 carbine that would have precision match grade accuracy in a lightweight rifle that could provide semi- or automatic firepower on demand. The rifle is designed as a match grade rifle but if the need would arise the heavy barrel would provide fully automatic suppressive fire.

Finalized MK12 Mod 1 rifle. Note the M16A1 lower receiver that would be equipped with a Knight’s Armament two stage selective fire trigger group. This rifle differs from the Mod 0 with the handguard and backup sights. The handguard used is the Knight’s Armament M4 Match Free-Floating Rail Adapter System (KAC part number 99167) and the KAC rail fore end flip-up front sight (KAC part number 99051). The Mod 1 also uses the KAC 600 meter flip up rear (KAC part number 98474).

All first production SPRs were assembled at NSWC Crane, Indiana. The first 150 receivers utilized 18 ½ inch barrels manufactured by Krieger (50), Douglas (50) and Snider (50 polygonal). Interestingly, the initial rifles used a 20-inch barrel. When it came time to procure, the Navy would not procure a 20-inch barrel because one already existed – the 20-inch M16A2/M16A4 barrel. So a new barrel could be procured to conform with the requirements. The length was reduced to 18.5 inches and that was ok to procure due to it not already being in the inventory. The barrel would use a standard rifle length gas system. The Douglas barrels, primarily based on performance as well as cost, became the barrel of choice. These barrels were attached by an aluminum free-floating handguard to an ArmaLite flat top (M1913) rail upper receiver. Added to the upper receiver was the Swan #38 sleeve rail or Swan Sleeve. SOCOM found that the ArmaLite as well as Colt receiver was approximately .005 too tall and caused some problems. To keep parts commonality with parts available in the supply chain, SOCOM eventually went with as many existing parts in inventory as possible. There were two main triggers in use. Due to the fact the SPR would have to perform as both a sniper rifle and a light machine gun, a match grade trigger was required but also with the capability to fire fully automatic. The first trigger implemented was the Knight’s Armament Company two stage selective fire trigger and the second was Accuracy Speaks single stage trigger. Based on research, it appears that the last production rifles used the Accuracy Speaks single stage selective fire trigger group.

When the MK12 was finalized, the acronym would remain the same but what it stood for would be different. SPR originally meant Special Purpose Rifle; however now it would stand for SOF Precision Rifle or Special operations forces Precision Rifle. Within 12 months, Crane took all their gained knowledge and used it to develop 24 second generation prototypes that were more adaptable to production on a larger scale. As originally envisioned, the upper receiver was designed to be dropped into the M4A1 lower receiver. For any number of reasons, this really was not a good idea. By building a dedicated rifle, it could be designed as an accurized rifle – for instance having a match trigger installed and a longer stock that would be more comfortable than the telescopic stock of the carbine. The host weapon would be the older and outdated M16A1 rifle due to the lack of availability of the M4A1 carbine at the time and a large number of obsolete M16A1 rifles were being turned in to Crane by National Guard and Reserve Units for destruction. In order to achieve the full performance requirements of the SPR, more was needed than just a drop in upper receiver.

A: On the left is the Sierra MatchKing 77gr OTM as first used in the Mk262 Mod 0 ammunition compared to the current Mk262 Mod 1 load on the right with the addition of the cannilure. B: Ballistic gel tests of the Mk262 Mod 1 ammunition provided by Jeff Hoffman, President of Black Hills Ammunition. C. On the left is the early Mk262 Mod 0. Note the 77gr Sierra OTM projectile. On the right is the current Mk262 Mod 1. Note the addition of the cannilure to the 77gr projectile. There were several improvements made to the ammunition from its initial to current load.

In October of 2000, formal testing of the first SPR rifles began at Thunder Ranch in Texas. Combination of operational and technical experimentation showed the remaining weakness that would be corrected before the production run of the second generation SPR rifles. During winter of 2000 and 2001, all the final changes were made and deficiencies were corrected. The first 100 Limited User Test (LUT) was set for large production runs. The plans called for these LUT rifles to be deployed with SOCOM operators overseas by the summer of 2001. These initial deployments allowed the users to evaluate and make suggestions for improvement before the final production run. Most of these initial 100 rifles were called into service due to Operation Enduring Freedom in September 2001 so the field trials were conducted in just that, the field. The SPR has been used with great success with Special Operations Forces engaged in combat in Afghanistan. The SPR is responsible for an extremely high percentage of enemy soldiers engaged and killed with precision rifles. The SPR rifle was now to be named, the Mk 12. There would be two basic models of the Mk12, the Mod 0 and Mod 1.

The Mk 12 Mod 0 and Mod 1 use the same lower receiver. The M16A1 lower receiver is fitted with a selective fire match grade trigger; the Knight’s Armament 2-stage selective fire trigger or the Accuracy Speaks single action trigger. The rifle is designed as a precision shooting rifle, however if needed, with the flip of the selector, the rifle can put down a heavy volume of fire. The barrel would be done as a match barrel after heavy automatic fire but that can be easily replaced if a high volume of fire was needed to save lives. The rifles may or may not be found with the ergo-grip manufactured by Falcon Industries, or with the standard A1-style pistol grip. Many of the lower receivers will have ambidextrous selector levers as well as ambidextrous Norgon magazine catches. Once rifles got to their units/end users, they were also customized for the unit or end user. Various pistol grips may be found and also seen has been telescopic stocks on Mk12 rifles. Due to the rifle length gas system and shorter 18-inch barrel, along with the heavier profile of the barrel, it was found the Mk12 would not run reliably on full automatic with a carbine buffer but would with the standard stock and buffer. However, some felt the shorter stock was worth the tradeoff of difficulty with automatic fire. During research, photographs have been found with Mk12 rifles built on M16A2 lower receivers as well with the 5/8 of an inch longer stock.

Finalized MK12 Mod 0 rifle. Note the M16A1 lower receiver that would be equipped with a Knight’s Armament two stage selective fire trigger group. The rifle uses Precision Reflex carbon fiber free floated handguard with a A.R.M.S., Inc. Swan #38 SPR sleeve and rear sight as well. The front sight is Precision Reflex and the Harris bipod is attached via A.R.M.S. #32 bipod adapter.

The upper receivers for the SPR/Mk12 series rifles utilize the standard flat top upper receiver with feed ramp cuts for use with a barrel extension also cut with extended feed ramps. Early production rifles would use a standard M16A4 flat top upper receiver (no extended feed ramps) and the feed ramps would be cut into them with a Dremel tool. The feed ramps were necessary so the thin jacketed 77-grain MatchKing bullets would not be damaged while feeding. The upper receivers in use are mostly produced by Colt that also includes upper receivers made by Diemaco/Colt Canada. Colt purchased Diemaco May of 2005 renaming the company Colt Canada. Prior to this acquisition, Colt purchased Diemaco manufactured upper receivers for both production M4 carbines as well as spare parts.

In the development stages, three manufacturers of barrels were used and tested; these would be Douglas, Kreiger and Schneider. In final selection, the Douglas barrel was chosen for a combination of accuracy, quality and cost. The barrel is made of high quality 416 stainless steel. This barrel utilizes a 1 turn in 7 inch twist with six lands and grooves and a right hand twist. The 1/7 twist was necessary to stabilize projectiles from 77 to 100 grains (subsonic). The end of the barrel has an Ops, Inc. muzzle brake, which has threads for mounting the silencer. The silencer is made by Ops, Inc. as well. Both incorporate Harris bipods. The rifles may also be found with various sound suppressors. The muzzle brake was very effective but also very loud. Due to complaints about the loud muzzle blast a screw-on flash suppressor was designed. This makeshift flash suppressor slid over the muzzle brake and screwed onto the threads. The concept was excellent and worked well but never really made it out of the prototype stages.

Update done to the Mk12 Mod 0 rifles by Precision Reflex, Inc. in July of 2007. Note the shorter 16-inch barrel and the rail mounted front sight. The rifle has the PRI Gen III forearm and ACE M4 SOCOM stock.

Both versions of the rifle utilize the PRI made Gas Buster charging handle, which is designed to prevent any gas from the upper receiver exiting out of the rear. The Gas Buster charging handle seals the rear of the receiver so the shooter will get no gas in his face. Some operator were known to put rubber ATV around where there were gaps in the fit between the charging handle and receiver to further seal that area from escaping gas.

Both rifles utilize the same main optical sight: the Leupold TS-30A1 and the TS-30 A2. Both are a 3x to 9x variable scope. The A2 model has the option for the operator to use an illuminated reticle. The intensity of the light may be adjusted by the knob on the top rear of the scope. This was the standard optic but you will encounter numerous types of optics in use.

The MK12 Mods 0 and 1 are designed for the Ops, Inc. sound suppressor. In order to accept the suppressor, the Ops, Inc. muzzle brake and suppressor collar are installed on the barrel. On the bottom was an experimental flash suppressor attachment. It was screwed onto the muzzle brake converting the muzzle brake into a flash suppressor. Many users requested this due to the extreme muzzle flash seen with the use of the muzzle brake. It never went to production but was an excellent solution to the problem at hand.

The Mk 12, Mod 0
NSN 1005-01-504-3275

The Mk 12, Mod 0 is carried by the U.S. Army Special Forces Rangers. The Mod 0 has a weight of 11.70 pounds. The major difference in the Mod 0 and Mod 1 is the handguard assembly and the back-up sights. The Mod 0 uses the A.R.M.S., Inc. #38 SPR Mod. Swan Sleeve with the PRI (Precision Reflex Industries) Ged III Freefloat Forearm, which is made from aluminum and carbon fiber materials. The Swan Sleeve goes from the handguard and covers and protects the rail on the upper receiver. At the rear of the rail is the SWAN #40 Stand Alone Flip-Up rear sight. The gas block is made by PRI and has a folding front sight. The front sight post is adjusted for elevation by a dial on the front sight assembly. If the optic was lost, by turning the two throw levers on the scope mount, the scope can be removed and both back-up sights can be engaged and the rifle will be ready for action.

The optics (light sources, bipod, etc.) are attached by A.R.M.S., Inc. throw lever mounts that allow for quick detachment if there is an immediate need to go to iron sights. For scopes, the throw lever mount #22M is used. Both Harris bipods as well as Versa-Pods are used. The upper receiver provided for this article was one of David Dunlap’s original uppers he built towards the beginning of the project. David Dunlap is the President of Precision Reflex, Inc.

The front sight base of the MK12 Mod 0 contains a folding front sight that is adjustable for elevation only.

In July of 2007, Precision Reflex, Inc. rebuilt 12 Mk12 Mod 0 rifles at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. These rifles deviated from the standard Mod 0 in 8 ways:

Replaced the barrels and bolts with a 16” Douglas, 1:8 twist 5.56 barrel – PRI #06-681BB
Removed the barrel mounted front sight with a PRI Rail Mounted Flip Up Front Sight – PRI #05-0028
Added a new gas block with intermediate length gas tube – PRI #05-075-01
Replaced the forearm with a new PRI Gen III Rifle Length Forearm – PRI #05-073-03
Replaced the old OPS Brake and sleeve with a New Ops Brake and Sleeve
Added a new ACE M4 SOCOM stock
Added an Accuracy Speaks full auto trigger
Replaced the Old PRI Gas Buster Charging Handle with new PRI Gas Busters – PRI #05-0031. (Old ones quickly “disappeared” to other users)

The rear sight for the MK12 Mod 0 is the A.R.M.S., Inc. #40 backup sight that has both long and short range apertures and is adjustable for windage only. RIGHT: The Mod 1 also uses the KAC 600 meter flip up rear (KAC part number 98474), which is adjustable for windage only. OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: The Mod 1 uses the KAC rail fore end flip-up front sight (KAC part number 99051) which is adjustable for elevation only.

The Mk 12, Mod 1
NSN 1005-01-504-3276

The Mk 12, Mod 1 is carried by U.S. Army Rangers, U.S. Navy SEALS and the U.S. Air Force Special Tactical Teams. The Mod 1 has a weight of 10.80 pounds and uses many of Knight’s Armament Company’s (KAC) components. The Mod 1 uses the KAC Free Floating RAS (Rail Adapter System) that has full length quad Mil-Std 1913 rails. This rail system does not use a sleeve like the Mod 0. Optics would be mounted right to the upper receiver or the rails on the Free Floating RAS. The KAC folding back-up sight is used on the rear of the upper receiver rail and a folding front sight is used. The gas block is made at Crane. The Mod 1 uses A.R.M.S. #22 High scope rings that attach right to the rail. The Mk12 Mod 1 upper receiver used during the research of this article was provided by Lamont LeClair, active duty SEAL and owner of Centurion Arms. Monty was able to provide much insight to how the Mk12 is used and what it really brings to the table for SOF units.

The New Improved SOCOM 5.56x45mm Cartridge

In 1999, SOCOM requested that Black Hills work with them jointly to develop the MK12 Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) weapon system. SOCOM was to develop the rifle and Black Hills Ammunition was to develop the ammunition the new rifle would shoot. This rifle was to be accurate out to 600 yards. The load would use the proven Sierra 77-grain open tip match projectile of the AMU. To meet the requirements the cartridge must be “militarized.” This included switching from .223 Rem. to 5.56mm cartridge cases, loading to the increased 5.56mm pressures, crimping and sealing the primers and adding flash retardant to the powder blend. Black Hills Ammunition has developed the first 5.56mm sniper cartridge, the MK262 Mod 0 cartridge adopted in 2002.

During evaluation of the new round, issues came up with reliability when the temperatures dropped and the guns got dirty (external dirt, not ammunition). Issues with short stroking when the rifles were in these conditions without sound suppressors were encountered in the cold with the SPR, which uses a 2 inch shorter barrel than the original 20-inch M16A2 gas system the SPR was built on. Black Hills got right on the problems and through switching to a slower burning powder with a pressure curve tweaked for the 18-inch SPR barrel, the MK262 Mod 1 was born. Later during extremely rigorous function testing at Black Hills, when the weapons were fired at rates greatly exceeding the 12 to 15 round spec rate of fire for the M16/M4 weapon system, it was found that the new propellant was more sensitive to heat from the chambers of hot weapons. This resulted in the increased pressure and increase incidences of failure to extract. Black Hills notified NSWC-Crane and set out to work again to improve the load. By working on a powder blend with higher heat tolerance and improving the brass, these issues were overcome. Another issue that needed to be addressed during the product improvement was Black Hills desire to have Sierra manufacture a cannulure on the 77-grain OTM projectile. Sierra feared this would affect the accuracy of the projectile. Black Hills knew that this round is being used in an autoloading rifle and wanted to avoid the possibility that a rough feed could cause the bullet to push back or telescope back into the case, resulting in a malfunction. Sierra agreed to produce the cannilured version of the projectile. The new and final round was named the MK262 Mod 1 in 2003 and with the correction of the temperature sensitive powder the specification changed but remained the Mod 1.

The Mk262 Mod 1 has gone on to be the most sought out ammunition in the 5.56mm line up for the U.S. military. Primarily used Mk12 SPRs, it has also proven to increase the accuracy and lethality of the 14.5 inch M4 as well as the Mk18 CQB with a 10.5 inch barrel. This author has shot a Mk12 Mod 1 at a silhouette steel target at 850 yards consistently, which is way out of the range of a standard 5.56mm/.223 Rem. caliber rifles and ammunition. The combination of rifle and ammunition has served admirably in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Special operations troops have great confidence and there is an interest in clones of this rifle in the commercial market. For someone looking to build a Mod 1, Centurion Arms offers a complete upper receiver down to the last detail including a Douglas barrel. If one wished for a Mod 0, the upper receivers are built and sold by Precision Reflex, Inc.

Issue box of the highly regarded Mk262 Mod 1 ammunition that was designed with the Mk12 SPR.

Events in the Ukraine have shocked the world and have had a major rippling effect. The Russians have invaded and taken Crimea and threaten to continue into the Ukrainian mainland. Ukrainian forces have massed and engaged Russian troops in the eastern and southern regions of the Ukraine. After being under Soviet rule during the USSR government, the Ukrainian people do not want to live under the oppression of the Russian rule again and are willing to fight for it. The Ukraine is at a severe disadvantage and is a true underdog in this conflict. Almost all of their weapons are pre-1991 Soviet produced weapons they received while under the rule of the USSR. There were only two munitions manufacturing facilities available to the Army, one in the Ukraine mainland and the other in Crimea. However, the one in Crimea is now under Russian control. There is now only one and it does not produce nearly enough ammunition to sustain a war with Russia. There are limited quantities with obviously no resupply by the Russians. The Ukraine has begged for NATO and UN intervention. The sanctions put on Russia are hurting the Russian people but not the Russian military. Like the times of the USSR, Putin is putting a majority of the finances of Russia into the military and leaving its populous to suffer. The threat to the security of the Ukraine is no less than pre-sanctions.

The Ukrainian army is purely conscript, same as their Russian adversary. All males at the age of 18 are required to serve. This time, they generally receive their training and head to the troubled eastern and southern regions of the Ukraine to deal with the enemy at the gate, Russian troops. As of this writing, the Ukrainian Army has suffered more than 5,000 casualties and the Russians have been minimal. Low supply of ammunition and aging weapons is a major hurdle for these freedom fighters as well as the pre out-datedness of much of their military equipment compared to that of the Russian troops.

This author spent some time in the Ukraine in December of 2014 working with the Army on small arms maintenance with Otis Technology in an effort to prolong the life of their current fleet of small arms as well as increase durability and reliability. Getting a firsthand look at their equipment, their entire fleet seen is older Soviet-era small arms. Although durable and reliable many were tired to say the least.

The primary small arm for the army is the AK74-series rifle chambered in 5.45x39mm. They do have some old stocks of 7.62x39mm rifles in storage but the primary weapon is the 5.45x39mm model. The standard AK74 with wooden furniture and a polymer pistol grip were the most common. This 16.3 inch chrome lined bore and chamber barrel is topped off with an extremely effective muzzle brake. The magazine holds 30 rounds of 5.45x39mm ammunition. The magazines are either made of a Bakelite material or of a polymer (later produced magazines). The cycle rate is approximately 650 rounds per minute. This can be slightly affected by temperature conditions. The reliability is excellent and on paper to bolt weights to velocity show to be a more balanced and reliable mechanism than its 7.62x39mm granddad. The overall length of the rifle is 37.1 inches. On the range, we were hitting targets at 300 yards but not much beyond that. This is significantly better that the 7.62x39mm AKM rifles. Many tested did not continuously hit targets at 200 yards.

The AKS-74 was also quite common, the only difference between this and the AK74 is that it possesses a folding stock making it more compact and easier to deploy out of armored personnel carriers and other sorts of vehicles. These tended to be more in use by combat troops and the older AK74 rifles were used in training. With the stock extended the rifle has an overall length of 37.1 inches and with the side folding stock closed an overall length of 27.2 inches.

The author firing a AK-74 (notice cartridge case catcher) at the Ukrainian small arms training range in Kozelets ‘kyi rayon in Chernihiv, Ukraine.

Combat units also were equipped with the newest AK-74M. This is a modernized AK74 with several improvements – the most notable change is the furniture is now made of black, glass-filled polyamide. The stock has the same shape as the standard AK74 but folds to the left side. Some other improvements have been a lightened bolt and carrier assembly. The muzzle brake is improved as well as a stronger receiver cover. Also, a redesign of the guide rod return spring retainer that allows the firing of the GP-25, GP-30 and GP34 grenade launchers without having additional receiver cover fastener. All AK-74M rifles are now equipped with a bracket for mounting an optic.

The RPK-74 is also in use. This is a highly strengthened AK-74 rifle with a more durable receiver. The magazine well is reinforced with steel inserts. The recoil spring and spring guide has been updated as well. The barrel is a longer 23.2 inches. This boosts the muzzle velocity from 2,953 feet per second in the AK-74 to 3,149 feet per second in the RPK-74. The barrel is topped off with a flash suppressor rather than a muzzle brake. The normal magazine for this rifle is a 45-round magazine but the standard 30-round AK-74 magazine is perfectly compatible. This weapon also fires at a rate of 600 rounds per minute. The overall length of the fixed stock version is 40.9 inches with the side folding stock variations 71.7 inches with the stock extended and 33.3 inches with the stock folded. The various models weigh between 10 to 11 pounds.

Also seen were the RPK-74M, which like the AK-74M uses furniture now made of black, glass-filled polyamide. The stock has the same shape as the RPK stock but folds to the left side. These too are equipped with a side bracket for mounting optics. This was the model seen at the training range in Kozelets’kyi rayon training base.

The Ukrainian Army relies on the firepower of the PKM to fulfill the purpose of general purpose machine gun role. This is a Kalashnikov design that fires the 7.62x54mmR round from non-disintegrating belts. This was particularly challenging design for Kalashnikov since most modern machine guns push the round through the link to load. This could not be done on the PKM due to the fact the 7.62x54mmR cartridge has a rim on it. He had to make the design so it would pull the cartridge out of the belt and reroute it to the chamber. He made the needed changes to make a reliable and durable machine gun. The machine gun has some pretty unique quirks about it. First, most modern machine guns feed from the left and eject from the right. The PKM feeds from the right and ejects to the left. The belts hold 25 rounds and the belts can be linked together to whatever the desired length may be. The ejection port has a cover that opens only when the cartridge case is ejected. The cocking handle is on the right side of the machine gun receiver. There is a standard AK-pistol grip with a thumb safety on the left side. The barrel can be easily changed by sliding the lock lever inward, and then by grabbing the handle on the barrel, the barrel can be pulled free of the receiver.

The primary small arms for the Ukrainian security forces are the AK-74 (top) and the RPK-74 (bottom). The rifles may also be found in the later polymer furniture as well.

The operating system of the machine gun is identical to that of an AK-type rifle, just upside down. The gun fired from the open bolt position. This is highly desirable due to the severe heat of the gun due to rapid fire. By having an open bolt the cartridge only enters the chamber long enough for the bolt to lock and the round to be fired. This eliminates the possibility of a cook-off like you would encounter in a closed bolt weapon. There is a bipod mounted onto the front of the gun but no lower handguard. The lack of the lower handguard makes the machine gun difficult to fire from a standing position. This has always been a major critique of the machine gun.

The barrel is 25.4 inches in length and chrome lined. The rear of the barrel is externally chrome plated for easer cleaning, installation and removal from the receiver. There is a flash suppressor on the end of the muzzle.

The weight of the PKM is 16.53 pounds with the bipod. The overall length of the PKM is 46.9 inches with a cyclic rate of 650 to 750 rounds per minute. Due to the heavy power of the 7.62x54mmR cartridge, the maximum effective range is 1,000 meters. Belts come in 100, 200 and 250-round boxes. The ammunition box may be attached to the bottom of the machine gun’s receiver. The belts can be reduced or extended to whatever length the machine gunner requires. The machine gun can use either iron sights or be mounted with various optical or thermal type sighting systems. There are no tools required for disassembly for cleaning.

The PKM machine gun was seen mounted to trucks, on top of tanks, inside helicopters as well as carried by Ukrainian machine gunners. The soldiers seem to like the gun and are very confident in the reliability. Like many before them the gunners wished for a handguard so the gun could be more easily fired while standing. The PKM fired by this author was an older Soviet produced one with no way of knowing how many rounds have been through it. The machine gun experienced one malfunction where the cartridge was pulled out of the belt, but when moving forward in the receiver got jammed in place. The malfunction was not quick to clear. However, looking at the belts that are used over and over in training could have been the culprit as they showed extreme wear.

Ukrainian sniper/sharpshooters mostly depend on the SVD Dragunov. This rifle was designed by Yevgeny Dragunov and put into service in 1963 as a squad support weapon. It does not possess the long range accuracy of a M110 or L129A1 sniper rifle.

A training PKM machine gun at the Ukrainian small arms training range in Kozelets ‘kyi rayon in Chernihiv, Ukraine. This is a pre-Soviet break up production machine gun.

The rifle is a short stroke piston operated rifle that fires from the closed bolt (three locking lugs). From outward appearance it looks like a Kalashnikov but upon closer examination it is different. Accuracy can potentially be improved by going with a short stroke piston rather than a long stroke piston. Also, weight can be decreased as well as recoil, especially with such a long powerful cartridge as the 7.62x54mmR. The rifle has a two position gas regulator.

The stock provides a pistol grip and is what is referred to as the “skeleton” stock. There is a cheek piece that can be folded away to enable use of the iron sights. The stock is short for anyone of large stature. This author has long arms and found it uncomfortable to shoot. The safety is the same type as the AK-type rifle but only has a safe and fire position. One of the most notable changes is that when the last round is fired, the bolt remains locked to the rear. This is unlike the AK-series where you hear a click from the hammer falling to tell you the weapon is empty. To reload, the empty magazine is removed, a loaded magazine is inserted and the bolt is pulled to the rear and let go to chamber a round.

The magazine holds 10 rounds of 7.62x54R ammunition. This feeding mechanism posed a challenge for the designer Yevgeny Dragunov. It is very difficult to get cartridges with rims to function in a magazine though he was able to do it and get it to function reliably. The magazine is manufactured from steel. It is inserted in the same rocking fashion as that of the AK-family of weapons. In trying to reload the SVD, the author found it quite awkward and time consuming. Perhaps one who is trained on the SVD can do this magazine change with much more speed and ease but it was challenging compared to the American M16/AR-10-type rifles.

The barrel length of the standard SVD is 24.4 inches in length. The barrel profile is quite thin to save weight. The bores have been seen both chrome and non-chrome plated. According to most documentation, the original twist on the SVD was 1 turn in 12.6 inches. According to a Russian Dragunov manufactured in 1965, this author measured 1 turn in 13.25 inches. In the 1970s the twist rate was changed to accommodate newer heavier projectiles. The twist rate was changed to 1 turn in 9.4 inches. This author measured a Russian Tiger carbine and this rifle had a 1 turn in 9.6 inches. If these barrels are button cut, that may explain some of the differences but if broach cut, there really is no explanation from the measured rifles versus the specification. The faster twist was required to force new munitions such as tracer, armor piercing and armor piercing incendiary ammunition. This did have an adverse effect on the use of the standard sniper ammunition. Supposedly the long range accuracy was reduced by 19%. The barrel is provided with an excellent flash suppressor that would assist the shooter with concealment in low level or dark conditions by hiding his flash signature.

Three of the standard Ukrainian small arms, the SVD Dragunov, PKM machine gun and AK74 assault rifle. The author was demonstrating Otis cleaning systems to show the Ukrainians how they may prolong the life of these weapons by routine maintenance.

The rifle has iron sights similar to that of an AK but are designed for back up use only. The optic is put in a mount that attaches to a rail on the left side of the rifle. The standard issue optic is a PSO-1 optical sight. This scope has neither focus adjustment nor parallax compensation control. The optic features a bullet drop compensator for the 7.62x54mmR round in 50 meter or 100 meter increments out to 1,000 meters. The bullet drop compensator must be matched for rifle and ammunition combination by the factory. There is a floating element designed in the optic to help the shooter determine distance. This is called a stadiametric rangefinder. This optic would be considered primitive compared to the optics in use today by the U.S and NATO countries.

The SVD is not in the class of rifles with the M110 or the L129A1 rifles or most other modern semiautomatic sniper systems. Its potential fills more of a designated marksman role than that of an actual sniper. The SVD has significantly more recoil than most of the semiautomatic 7.62x51mm rifles in the industry. But at shorter ranges, this is a weapon to be reckoned with. The Ukrainian Army makes heavy use of these rifles.

The standard pistol for the Ukrainian Army is the 9x18mm Makarov pistol. The pistol is designated as “PM” which is translated into English as Makarov’s Pistol. This pistol entered service in 1951. The 9x18mm cartridge is about has high power as one can go with a blowback operated pistol in this size.

The pistol fires the 9x18mm cartridge. The cartridge case is manufactured from steel and fires a 94 grain ball cartridge. They can be found in copper or steel jacket. The round produces a muzzle velocity of 1,030 feet per second compared to a 9x19mm firing a 124 grain projectile at 1,185 feet per second. The pistol’s magazine holds 8 rounds of
9x18mm ammunition.

Getting ready to train, these Ukrainian soldiers are loading AK74 30- and 45-round 5.45x39mm magazines, loading SVD Dragunov magazines as well as loading the non-disintegrating belts for the PKM machine gun. Notice on the far right the 40mm caseless grenade fired from a GP-25 grenade launcher. This training was conducted at the Ukrainian small arms training range in Kozelets ‘kyi rayon in Chernihiv, Ukraine.

The pistol fires from the straight blowback method of operation. The barrel is 3.68 inches in length and chrome plated (mostly). The barrel is secured into the frame of the pistol. The trigger is a double action/single action trigger meaning with the hammer in the forward position and safety off, the trigger pull will have a long heavy pull; then when the pistol extracts, ejects, chambers and feeds a new cartridge into the chamber the hammer will be in the shorter and lighter single action mode of fire.

The slide has a decocking lever and manual safety. On the left side of the slide is a lever. When pulled to its downward position the hammer will safely decock and the safety is engaged. By flipping the safety upward, the safety is disengaged. The trigger can be pulled through or the hammer cocked. When the safety is on the hammer cannot be manually cocked back.

The pistol weighs a light 26 ounces with an overall length of 6.36 inches. The width of the pistol is 1.16 inches. The sights are a fixed blade front sight with a rear sight adjustable for windage. It is drift adjustable. The maximum effective range of the pistol is 50 meters to one very proficient with the pistol. Though replaced in 2003 in Russia by the Yargin PYa pistol (Grach) chambered in 9x19mm (17 round capacity) the Makarov remains in service by many countries. In the Ukraine, many officers carry the pistol but several others were seen with these as well. It did not appear there was any specific rule as to who had them.

The Ukrainian Army does have weapons that are proven to be among the best in the world for many years. Many go back to the late 1940s and up to the early 1990s. However, their weapons are older and have not been updated since the fall of the Soviet Union and they have not received the updates found in many Russian weapon systems that have modernized their current systems. The real crisis relates to ammunition in the Ukraine. With only one functioning ammunition facility they are buying munitions from foreign countries. Hopefully they will be able to get the needed weapons and be able to keep the Ukraine a free and independent nation.

The author firing a Soviet produced SVD Dragunov sniper rifle. This semiautomatic 7.62x54R rifle is the standard sniper rifle of the Warsaw Pact countries. Fairly accurate but not enough so the author would give up his AR-10.

The SVD Dragunov operates similar to that of an AK-type rifle but utilizes a short stroke piston rather than that of the long stroke piston of the AK-series rifles. The rifle’s major hurdle that was overcome by designer Yevgeny Dragunov was stacking the rimmed 7.62x54R cartridges in a magazine and having them feed reliably. Shown is a more modern Russian version using polymer furniture instead of traditional wood.