“On accessible terrain he who occupies the High Ground and ensures lines of supplies will fight to advantage” -Master Sun Tzu

High Ground Defense is a relatively new name to the defense and small arms industry, but not the people involved. The HGD engineers have many decades of experience with small arms, and in specific, successful M134 series designs and manufacturing. They have spent the last several years preparing a pallet of solutions in small arms.

Aside from the M134HGD Gatling Gun system, HGD offers some very innovative, lightweight, belt-fed machine guns that include  evolved variants of the M249/Minimi in 5.56x45mm, 7.62x51mm, and 6.5 Creedmoor. Their company offers other services:

• Weapon System Design
• Land/Sea/Air Mounting Solutions
• Electrical/Avionics System Design/Integration
• Rapid Prototyping

The M134 “Minigun” series of Gatling guns are electrically driven, mechanically operated automatic machine guns. The distinction in description is important. If there is a belt of ammunition and the barrel cluster is rotated, the ammunition will cycle through the mechanism and fire when presented to full lock up to the barrel. This can be a very dangerous situation around persons unfamiliar with this cycle of operation.

The M134 was a downsizing of the M61 20mm Vulcan six-barreled automatic cannon that was made in 7.62x51mm for use on rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft during the Vietnam War. General Electric (Yes, the “GE Brings Good Things to Life” General Electric) was the design and build contractor. GE in Vermont designed and built many weapon systems in that time period in its skunk works in Burlington. See our interview with Bob Chiabrandy, designer of the M134 among others, “The Man Who Designed the World’s Fastest Gun” on smallarmsreview.com. The interview was done by George Kontis, small arms engineer extraordinaire, who worked with Bob at GE before George became FNMI’s chief engineer.

The M134 has gone through a number of upgrades by different manufactures, each trying to deal with some of the idiosyncrasies of the system. HGD’s engineering staff have many decades of experience in this area, and prospective end users should discuss the new delinker-feeder systems, variable rate of fire FCU, lightweight battery packages, caliber changes, and many other seriously functional upgrades.

High Ground Defense’s delinker-feeder loading system (above) is unique and truly easy to use. Sliding the ammunition belt into the delinker-feeder is generally a three-handed job even with some of the newer open-door types. The HGD system allows the belt to quickly be held in position to start feeding, with one hand locking in place, then the doors can be closed. Clearing a link jam is also much easier with the amount of access provided.

HGD’s feed cover (above) replaces the old assembly and safeing sector. The safeing sector’s job is to complete the elliptical path the bolts are traveling in, and when opened, interrupt that path, and keep the bolts from going into battery with a live round. Remember, this is a mechanically operated gun. If the bolt goes into battery on a live round, it will fire. Period. This is where many accidents and several deaths have occurred. The safeing sector must be opened before working on the gun, and it takes several minutes to do. With the HGD cover, the path is interrupted with one hand motion. Once the levers have been activated, no bolt can go into battery.

One of the newest designs that High Ground Defense is presenting is the ADVANTAGE 7.62x51mm Gatling Gun (above). It is a three barreled design, and very lightweight. The basic M134 gun weighs 85 pounds (39kg) and there have been some lighter models, however, there were issues. HGD’s ADVANTAGE is nearly half the weight, it weighs 46.45 pounds (21kg). A key feature is the mechanical barrel cluster rotational lock for absolute safety when the system is in the SAFE condition. It has similar barrel spacing, bolt assemblies, and bolt cam path as on existing M134 platforms, but uses an alternative ammunition feeding, delinking, and transfer mechanism. The drive system uses a brushless DC servo motor with closed-loop positional feedback for precise control of all rotating components. The gun has a longitudinal bolt searing safety mechanism, self-contained hardware barrel clamp with a threaded adapter for various muzzle devices. It has integrated suspension lug mounting provisions, as well as multiple feed inlet locations for optimal feed chute orientation. It’s 41.2 inches long (1046mm) and 8.5 x 7.7 inches in diameter (215mm x 195mm). 

High Ground Defense’s machine shop (above) features the DN Solutions (Doosan) DVF 4000 vertical 5-axis machining center (CNC). It has a 40-tool automatic tool changer which expands to 120 tools, allowing HGD to work with complex prototype designs and production. The DVF 4000 was chosen for its versatility. With linear scales on X, Y, and Z axis and rotary scales on the B and C axis, they can program extremely accurate positioning and repeatability. Manufacturing Engineer Jay Goodrich is intimately familiar with DN (Doosan) systems, having been involved in specifying, selling, and installing CNC machines in the past. The Lynx 2100LSY­ horizontal lathe is another DN Solutions offering. A highly accurate CNC turning machine, it has wider support structures for the X and Z axis, as well as the tailstock traverse. It’s very stable, allowing for very accurate prototyping and production of parts. Like many modern manufacturers, HGD is heavy on engineering and quality prototyping with these capabilities, while sub-contracting some parts and operations to trusted vendors.

The HGD 249 is standard size, (above) and the HGD 249CQB (not shown, but we were enamored of it) has an ultra compact receiver. Born from the M249 Para-style machine guns, the CQB system in 5.56x45mm has an overall length of 32 inches (813mm), a barrel length of 9.75 inches (248mm), and a weight of under 14 pounds (less than 6.35kg). The shortened steel receiver has an ArmorLube finish and a hard chrome-lined quick-change barrel. There is an optional folding stock. The rate of fire is around 800rpm. With the short barrel, the effective range is claimed as 800m. The 249 variants can be ordered without the magazine well capability. 

The HGD 7.62mm SAW is a belt-fed 7.62x51mm NATO light machine gun. There is no magazine feed, just the M13 disintegrating links. HGD also offers this in 6.5 Creedmoor as well as with suppressors. The steel receiver has an ArmorLube finish and the quick-change barrel is hard chrome-lined. It uses a mono-block gas system.

1970s–1980s

By Robert Bruce

In the course of decades of researching various sources including military and museum archives, Robert Bruce has acquired a treasure trove of photos of what might be considered “odd and unusual weapons.” Here is a follow-on to earlier oddities that appeared in previous issues.

 Now, with apologies for some of these rough-looking images—presented as they were found—SADJ takes a look at some interesting developments in the tragic aftermath of the Vietnam debacle as U.S. and Allied forces pivoted to other Cold War conflicts and “brushfire wars” around the globe.

When the Democrat-dominated U.S. Congress cut off funding and other military aid to America’s South Vietnamese allies, a Communist victory was assured. Saigon fell in 1975 to a combined North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) assault spearheaded by T-54/T-55 tanks supplied by Communist China.

Although badly shaken by what many bitterly considered a betrayal of an ally and callous disregard for the sacrifice of more than 211,000 dead and wounded Americans, the U.S. Armed Forces regrouped and refocused on the harsh realities of conventional—and likely escalating to thermonuclear—warfare with the Soviet Union; a formidable and nearly equal enemy. Joined by NATO Allies (not including the French, that’s another story) “force modernization” became a priority for rapid upgrades to ships, aircraft, tanks and all types of weaponry. Leaving the big stuff to others, we’ll concentrate here on just a few notable man-portable arms that were driven by a determination to equip fighting forces with better guns and ammo—some of which were already in the RDT&E (Research, Development, Test & Evaluation) pipeline when Saigon fell.

West German Partisan Pistol: VP70M with Buttstock and Carrying Sling

CREDIT:  HK GMBH

First produced in 1970 in the height of the Cold War, Heckler & Koch’s (HK) Volkspistole 70M (literally “people’s pistol”) was intended for civilian partisans in the wake of an almost-certain USSR/Warsaw Pact invasion of West Germany. Inspired by the multitudes of cheap and simple weapons dropped by U.S. and Allies behind German lines in WWII to arm resistance forces, it was much more capable than the single-shot OSS “Liberator” pistol and even the quick-takedown British MKII STEN submachine gun. The VP70M is a highly concealable, 9mm 18-round capacity, semiautomatic handgun that instantly converts into a 2200 RPM three-round burst-fire machine pistol with addition of its buttstock/holster. Notably, it carries the distinction of being the first production-run polymer-framed handgun.

Underwater Revolver: Gun, Underwater Defense, Mk 1 Mod 0

CREDIT: ROBERT BRUCE

Like the one seen here, locked away for posterity in the arms vault of the Naval Historical Society, the Mk 1 Mod 0 was developed late in the Vietnam War for use against enemy swimmers and continued in service with men of the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams and SEALs in the Cold War. It’s a seriously updated techno version of the multi-barrel “pepperbox” revolver of the 1800s. The removable barrel/chamber cluster holds six sealed Mk59 cartridges, each loaded with a wickedly long, needle-like tungsten dart.

Heavy Duty Grenade Gun: 40mm Philco-Ford CROW

CREDIT: NAVAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARCHIVES

Because grenade machine guns firing the M79 “Blooper’s” low-velocity 40mm grenades proved inadequate in Vietnam, logic demanded a weapon that could fire the newly developed, powerful and long-reaching 40mm M384 and M385 High Velocity ammo. But how to tame this hot round’s formidable recoil in a grenade machine gun (GMG) of manageable size and weight? In 1970, Philco-Ford’s Aeronutronic Division got a developmental award for their Counter Recoil-Operated Weapon (CROW) concept: “… the principle of converting kinematic energy of the round into potential energy. The energy stored in various springs is released during the counter recoil stroke to open the barrel, eject the spent round and feed the next round.” The resulting 35-pound GMG demonstrated effective operation at rates of fire up to 400 RPM. Nice try, but the prize went to Naval Ordnance Louisville’s MK19, which is still serving today.

SAW Contender: Rodman Laboratories XM235

CREDIT: U.S. ARMY ORDNANCE MUSEUM

This interesting mini machine gun was entered in the Army’s 1975-1976 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) trials. Chambered in the Army’s specified 6x45mm experimental cartridge, its novel operation system—enhancing full-auto accuracy—was patented by its government design team as the Modular Lightweight Squad Automatic Weapon System, “… having symmetrical forces applied to recoiling parts by use of two parallel gas pressure rods acting in unison. An integral sprocket feed system is actuated by the recoiling parts and avoids gross asymmetrical movements about the weapon’s center of gravity resulting from shifting ammunition weight. A dual tube receiver and dual gas system is featured in the weapon.” In the end, the Army chose FN’s Minimi in 5.56x45mm NATO, serving now as the M249 light machine gun.

Fire and Forget It: TRW’s Low-Maintenance Rifle

CREDIT: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

It isn’t PC to assert that many if not most Third-World troops are culturally indifferent to properly maintaining their weapons, so we’ll just present this one as an interestingly cheap and simple shoulder weapon for U.S. counterinsurgency forces to arm certain soldiers. Responding to a 1971 Army requirement, the Thompson Ramo Wooldridge group (TRW) offered this 7.26-pound, 34-inch-long, 450 RPM, 5.56mm Firestick, only externally reminiscent of the superlative, sophisticated WWII German FG 42. Its equally simple and cheaply printed 1973 Tech Manual dryly notes in typewritten prose: “… a 5.56mm magazine-fed, gas operated, air cooled, shoulder weapon … designed for use as an automatic weapon and functions from the open bolt position. … The rifle is fabricated from corrosion-resistant materials and is semi-permanently lubricated by the dry film process.” Less than a dozen were made, and the project was abandoned. After all, millions of uncannily reliable AKs were available worldwide—super simple, dirt cheap and with mountains of 7.62x39mm ammo.

Piggyback Projectiles: Frankford Arsenal’s Folded Ammunition

CREDIT: U.S. ARMY ORDNANCE MUSEUM

Some engineers—ever eager to explore even marginal improvements to conventional cartridges—have produced some genuine oddities. Not the least of these is presented in a “Feasibility Study of 5.56m Folded Ammunition System,” published in September 1976 by the Munitions Development and Engineering Directorate at the Army’s Frankford Arsenal. Citing advantages including efficient stowage, higher performance in less overall space, weight reduction, etc., it boasts: “The shorter ammunition length shortens the weapon bolt stroke required to feed the ammunition and extract the case after firing. This feature enables a shortening of weapon length in the chamber/breech location.” So, what has transpired in some 4 decades since? Most notably not Frankford’s folded ammo but the HK G11’s molded brick caseless and AAI/Textron’s lipstick-tube cased-telescoped ammo.

BULLPUP MASHUP

“The EM-2, a British rifle fleetingly adopted in the UK in 1951 as ‘Rifle, No. 9,’ was the first attempt in the world to field a general-issue military shoulder weapon based on the ‘compact’ or bullpup system.” (R. Blake Stevens in the introduction to Thomas B. Dugelby’s 1980 Collector Grade book, EM-2 Concept and Design—A Rifle Ahead of its Time.)

Bullpup??!! Most simply defined as the term applies to small arms, a “bullpup” design puts the magazine and firing chamber behind the pistol grip/trigger group that’s typically located about midway along the length of the weapon. Why? For compactness, balance and quick handling.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this arrangement, kicking off all manner of controversy between proponents of traditional configurations and cocky challengers. Evidence of resistance to change is readily seen in the fact that the first promising young litter of Brit bullpups died from neglect. But that didn’t end the breed, so let’s zoom in for a closer look at some bullpups born in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

U.S. Air Force Arm Gun: Colt’s Lightweight Submachine Gun

CREDIT: U.S. ARMY ORDNANCE MUSEUM

Seen here circa 1969 in what’s likely a conceptual drawing from a presentation of the remarkable IMP-221 (Individual Multi-Purpose), this unique bullpup pistol, firing hot .221 Remington Fireball cartridges, was intended to be a compact and deadly efficient survival weapon for downed aviators. Credited to engineer Dale Davis of the USAF Armament Laboratories, it evolved from the more conventional Colt SCAMP (Small Caliber Machine Pistol) into an ergonomically unique solution to the challenges of producing an ultra-compact weapon with acceptable stopping power and practical range. Its bullpup design provided good balance, and the receiver with magazine along the arm provided some stability, swiveling to accommodate right or left handers.

Colt IMP

CREDIT: U.S. ARMY ORDNANCE MUSEUM

For a variety of reasons—not the least of which was the absurd difficulty of accurately shooting the thing—the USAF-Colt IMP initiative was ultimately rejected. But independent gun maker Gwinn Firearms apparently appreciated its novelty and saw potential for civilian or perhaps law enforcement sales, producing the Bushmaster Arm Pistol around 1972. It’s a very close version in .223/5.56 NATO, economically utilizing a lot of standard AR-15/M16 components such as Eugene Stoner’s familiar multi-lug, rotating bolt.

Brit Bullpups: Evolution of the “Rifle, No. 9”

CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Seen on the far right is a well-worn trials version of the “EM-2” that soon followed the No. 9, likely chambered for an experimental 6.25x43mm “intermediate type” cartridge. To its left are later variants of the design; the first is identified as an XL60 in .280/4.85mm, and the more recent SA80 A2 (L85A2) in 5.56mm NATO. All of these bullpups are a radical break in British Army rifle tradition, with the SA80 series officially adopted as standard in 1987.

Intermediate Cartridge Showdown: .280 vs. .223

CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

On the left is the .280/4.85x49mm, the Brit hopeful in NATO’s weapon and ammo trials of 1978-1979, standing side-by-side with what became the NATO standard .223/5.56x45mm (right). The difficulty of “herding cats” applies here with each of several nations offering their favorite rifles and cartridges with the goal of standardizing to the extent possible for “interoperability.” What emerged was each nation kept its preferred rifle though chambered for America’s mandated 5.56mm fed from America’s M16 mags.

SA80/L85

CREDIT: BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

2001: A steely-eyed Royal Marine Commando proudly cradles his newly upgraded L85A2 bullpup (topped with a well-used SUSAT day sight) while providing security for a nuclear-armed submarine during Operation Veritas. Cheaply and poorly made in Britain in the beginning by RSAF Enfield, the rifle was plagued with reliability problems, and only a radical rework by the German firm HK in the early 2000s and subsequent manufacture as the A2 version rescued it.

“Bugle” Blaster: The French FAMAS

CREDIT: U.S. AIR FORCE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

As a member of NATO, the French participate in defense of Europe and occasional forays overseas. So a certain amount of interoperability is evident in the distinctive FAMAS G2 (Fusil d’Assaut de la Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne) assault rifle including 5.56mm chambering and M16 standard magazines. The French’s quirky penchant for home-grown designs led to this delayed blowback-operated bullpup with the nickname “Le Clairon” (“The Bugle”), entering service in 1978. Interestingly, the bugle has blown its last notes, and France’s soldiers now carry the superlative German HK416. Sacre bleu!

Armee-Universal-Gewehr: The Austrian Steyr AUG

CREDIT: AUSTRIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE AND SPORT

With its rakish profile including integral optic and streamlined polymer housing, the AUG would seem perfect for arming starship troopers in most any sci-fi flick. Entering Austrian Army service in 1978, the Sturmgewehr 77 (assault rifle) is a truly modular weapon that can be immediately configured without tools from a standard version with a 20-inch barrel into a short-barrel submachine gun, carbine, heavy-barrel sniper rifle or a squad auto weapon firing from an open bolt. While firing 5.56mm NATO ammo, early versions were fed from proprietary waffled translucent polymer mags, an interoperability problem corrected in later NATO versions, also fitted with Picatinny accessory rails. The AUG proved enormously successful and was purchased in quantity by numerous countries, most notably Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Leap Ahead Assault Rifles: Advanced Combat Rifle Program

CREDIT: ROBERT BRUCE

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 1989: Soldiers at a press preview showcase the “final four” candidates that will travel to Fort Benning, Georgia, for sudden-death playoffs on a super high tech instrumented, combat simulation range. From top left and clockwise: Steyr ACR firing flechettes telescoped inside polymer tubes; Colt ACR, a modified M16A2 firing “duplex” (two stacked bullets) in conventional brass cases; AAI ACR firing brass-cased flechettes; and the HK ACR firing 4.73mm caseless cartridges. While marching underneath the ACR program banner of “doubling hit probability,” in reality the Army was grasping for something better than its somewhat serviceable M16 rifles and NATO 5.56mm ammo. Formally launched in 1986, it flamed out 4 years and $300 million later because none reportedly achieved the stated goal. Since then, GIs have wondered if their M16s and M4s really are the best they deserve, a doubt lingering for 30 years that may be set aside by the winner in the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon trials.

Brick Firing Bullpup: HK G11

CREDIT: HK GMBH VIA WIKIMEDIA

Undoubtedly the most radical concept—not only in the ACR program but in any previous practical pairing of gun and ammo—this wunderkind is an engineering and tactical tour de force, birthed in the 1970s from the marriage of West German companies Dynamit Nobel and Heckler & Koch. Among its most striking attributes is its little, brick-like rectangular caseless cartridges made from a nearly magical propellant, compressed and formed with a skinny 4.73mm projectile nestled snugly in a tunnel. On detonation in the oscillating chamber, the bullet zips downrange and everything else disappears, needing no extraction or ejection. It fires in semiauto, auto (460 RPM) and three-round bursts at an astonishing 2,100 RPM. This last intended to maximize accuracy and multi-hit lethality because the third bullet is well on its way before any muzzle jump. The engineering wizardry required for this comes from a vertically oriented, disc-like “chamber” that feeds at 12 o’clock and rotates 45 degrees to align with the barrel at 3 o’clock to fire. Perplexed? Do a Wiki search for details on this German military marvel. A brilliant live-fire demonstration, starring the late, great Jim Schatz in the G11 gunner role is readily available on YouTube. Search “G11K2 Demonstration—Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 1990.”

Dynamit Nobel’s Caseless Cartridge

CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA

A near miracle in chemical engineering and ultra-modern manufacture, the G11’s remarkable ammo is seen here with its components. The HITP (high ignition temperature propellant) is shaped into a tiny 1.3-inch long brick, hollowed out to hold a cup-shaped primer/booster and a 4.73x33mm projectile, held centered by a plastic cap. Resistant to moisture, crushing and cook off, it kicks out its 51-grain FMJ bullet at 930 m/s with scant recoil.

Caseless LMG

CREDIT: HK GmbH

Although unknown if this ever went beyond its conceptual drawing, the HK G11 system with Dynamit Nobel’s caseless brick ammo could almost certainly have been developed as a SAW/LMG in at least prototype form. Presumably, the vexing problem of cook off from overheating in fast, sustained firing would be solved in some manner, but would this work with a rotating disc chamber? Other caseless contemplations included a handgun-like personal defense weapon. In the end, West Germany’s plan to adopt the G11 died of monetary starvation because of many financial and other problems after the Soviet Bloc crumbled and “reunification” followed with its impoverished Eastern brethren.

NEXT TIME

In the next installment of Ordnance Oddities we’ll give a nod to the next 2 decades with such well-intentioned efforts as the U.S. Army’s Land Warrior initiative. What were they “imagineering” for 21^st century soldiers?