However, in the late 1950s a rifle was designed by Eugene M. Stoner at ArmaLite, Inc. called the AR-10.  ArmaLite was a division of Fairchild Engine and Aircraft located in Hollywood, California.  This revolutionary rifle was truly “Tomorrow’s Rifle Today,” that was more true than anyone knew back then.  Although it never had a chance to compete head-on with the M14 for the next U.S. infantry rifle due to Army politics, as well as the deep rooted thought of a rifle having to be made from steel and wood, the AR-10 did get noticed.  During its limited testing it was known to be the most accurate auto loading rifle made as said by the testers from Ordnance Corps.  Limited numbers of AR-10 rifles were manufactured in the Netherlands by Artillerie-Inrichtingen.  They were manufactured for Dutch Army trials as well as sold in limited numbers to some other countries including, Sudan, Cuba, Italy, Guatemala and Portugal.  As predicted, the M14 was adopted and the AR-10 was tossed in the Ordnance Corps scrap heap.  The requirement came down to scale the AR-10 down to a .22 caliber and the AR-15 was born.  The rights were sold for the AR-15 as well as the AR-10 to Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company.  Colt went on to produce the AR-15 but ignored the AR-10 design.  That was left for other companies to capitalize on.  To trace the AR-10 lineage to today’s most advanced sniper rifle we must skip ahead nearly 30 or so years ahead to 1991.

In November of 1991, a Mission Needs Statement was drafted for an Enhanced Sniper Support Team Weapon (SSTW).  This was written by Lt. Col. David Lutz while serving as the Program Manager for Infantry Weapons at MARCORSYSCOM at Quantico, VA.  This documentation was an effort to restart a cancelled Designated Marksman Weapon program (DMR) based on the M14 which could not be made to do all the things needed in a logistically supportable package acceptable to the Fleet Marine Forces.  Its requirement document was weak because it totally lacked objectivity in doing a mission analysis or seeking other viable solutions.  At the time, the current SSTW was the M16A2 rifle.  This weapon supported the M40A1 sniper rifle in the two man scout sniper team.  The M16A2 SSTW was used to engage close-up targets and provide rapid fire suppressive fire if needed.  Some noted deficiencies were the M16A2’s poor interface with the soldier when having optics mounted, including night vision.  The current issue M855 ball ammunition did not meet the accuracy specifications of a SSTW.

USMC snipers firing the Mk11 Mod 0 on the range. Note the use of the suppressor as this is commonly used on the rifles in the field.

The enhanced SSTW would fill the role of a 0 to 600 meter intermediate range sniper rifle.  It would have ammunition interchangeability with the M40A1 7.62x51mm sniper rifle and it would have the ability to mount a sound suppressor.  Optics would be mounted in-line with the shooter’s eyes for a comfortable mount.  This rifle will also have to overcome current problems with the unit, direct, general, and depot support problems (availability and maintainability) long associated with the hand-built and Marine Corps customized M40A1.

Lt. Col. Lutz recalls that he knew of (5 each) Dutch NATO AR-10s that were in a bunker at Picatinny Arsenal from when he was stationed there during 1980-83.  So he had one of his successors, USMC Liaison Officer Maj. Dody Knootz, pick out one that shot the best and “temporary loan” it to them at Quantico.  Several modifications were made with the most significant being the carrying handle cut off and a weaver rail attached to the upper receiver.  The AR-10 had some of the improved M16A2 components added to it including the pistol grip and handguards.  All this was to make it look like and use A2 service rifle parts and training.  Additionally, they removed the AR-10’s faux muzzle, which incorporated a grenade launching spigot, exposed its skinny barrel and threaded muzzle.  Lutz recalls sending the upper to Phil Seberger to have a suppressor made & fitted to it.

As recalled by Lutz, as a concept demonstrator it was a success.  “When my general came out to fire it he brought with him his Australian Army Liaison Officer, a full colonel.  My general was reluctant to fire the weapon as I presented it to him, and handed if off to the Australian Colonel.  Offhand, the Colonel hit a steel gong at 100 yards with 20 of 20 shots (suppressed).  When he handed the rifle back to my general, he said “General, this is the finest rifle I have ever fired.”  When the General handed the rifle back to me, he said “Dave, you have a program.”  I guess the rest is history…”  Though the concept was sound, the Marines or big army were not ready for a semiautomatic sniper rifle, at least not yet.  So the AR-10 lay dormant once again until the early 1990s.  Even though the original DMR program failed, the STSW maintained life in the requirement and allowed Rifle Team Equipment builders at Quantico to produce more prototype M14 based variants as “interim measures.”  This eventually took on a “life of its own,” and an M14 based program eventually found traction as the M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle (EMR).  However, the M39 is one of the weapons being replaced by the Marines recent purchase of M110s.  The M110 was inherently able to meet the STSW requirement for mounting of Night Vision without lose of zero, sound suppressor integration, M16 ordnance maintenance and training commonality, supply system commonality and cross-service weapon commonality.

The name Eugene Stoner, although not as well known as Browning, is just as significant in the history of the gun.  Stoner’s design is the longest service rifle in U.S. military history.  During Stoner’s ArmaLite days his goal was to develop 7.62x51mm weapons.  He was very fond of his direct gas system.  After the M14 was selected, the future was only in the smaller caliber round so Stoner went on to develop other rifles to fire the 5.56mm cartridge including the AR-18 and the Stoner weapon series.  He never quite forgot his AR-10.  In the early 1990s, Stoner went to work with C. Reed Knight, Jr., the president of Knight’s Armament Company.  The union spawned the rebirth of the AR-10.  This would be the SR-25 (Stoner Rifle-25 (15+10)).  This rifle would be an AR-10 but would take on the advancements of the M16A2 rifle and maintain 60% parts compatibility.

Right side of the M110 rifle receiver. Notice the ambidextrous bolt release above the magazine release as well as the ambidextrous safety lever. The U.S. markings are on the magazine well.

Released in the early 1990s, the SR-25 Match Rifle was equipped with a 24-inch Remington 5R match grade barrel – the same barrel blanks used on the M24 sniper rifle.  The heavy barrel was free floating with a fiberglass handguard.  The rifle was equipped with a flat top upper receiver with the Mil-Std 1913 rail and the receivers were made from aluminum extrusions.  The rifle was equipped with a 2-stage match grade trigger.  The bolt carrier group kept with the original AR-10 in that it was chrome plated and it also sported the captive firing pin retainer pin.  These were not mass produced rifles.  The uppers and lowers were mated together and had matching serial numbers to identify them.  They were specifically designed around the 168gr OTM Match cartridge.  Using this factory load, the ogive of the bullet set right on the rifling.  This is something match shooters want to accomplish due to not wanting the bullet to “jump” into the rifling thus maintaining control of the projectile right from the moment of chambering.  The original rifles used the standard “waffle” pattern 20-round magazine and later a steel magazine that looked more like an M16 20-round magazine in appearance.  The SR-25 was sold initially through commercial channels that funded R&D.  Every SR-25 was test fired at the factory and provided with a target.  Knight guaranteed that this rifle would fire 1 MOA or under with factory ammunition.  Gene Stoner would work with Knight up until his death in 1997.

The SR-25 quickly gained its reputation for precision accuracy and reliability and its versatility and benefits were appreciated right away by the special operation forces.  SOCOM liked the idea of having a semiautomatic rifle that held 20 rounds of ammunition and rivaled the M24 and M40A1 bolt action rifles.  They also liked that you could engage multiple targets in less than half the time they could with a manual bolt action rifle.

After more than 40 years, the AR-10 would have its day.  In May of 2000, the U.S. Navy and SOCOM adopted the SR-25 as their new Mk 11 Mod 0.  This would be follow by another contract in 2007 for 9.9 million dollars with the need from the Global War On Terrorism.  The Mk11 had some departures from the original design.  Designed to meet the SOCCOM requirement, the rifle was designed to fire the M118 and M118LR match grade 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition.  The Remington barrel was replaced with an Obermeyer barrel and was shortened to 20 inches and equipped with a mount for a quick detachable sound suppressor also developed by Knight’s Armament Company.  The 11.35-inch Rail Accessory System free floating handguard provided quad Mil-Std 1913 rails enabling attachment of any given number of accessories including night vision, lasers, tactical lights and bipods.  The standard M16A2 stock and pistol grip are used for parts commonality.  A flip up front sight was added to the gas block as well as KAC’s fully adjustable back-up iron sight was added.  The rifle was equipped with 20-round magazines, a Leupold Vari-X mil dot scope with detachable rings and a Harris bipod.  The Mk11 weighs 15.3 pounds unloaded and has an overall length of 45.4 inches.  The Mk11 would see action with U.S. Special Operations troops all over the world.  The weight of the complete Mk11 Mod 0 with the Leupold 3.5×10 scope & SIMRAD adapter, bipod adapter with LM type S Bipod is 13.7 pounds.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~~~~~~Other than ARs~~~~~~~ 

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

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

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

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