The Modern Day Marine Military Exposition has, since its inception in 1981, been one of the leading innovators in the annual showcasing of military equipment and systems.  That tradition continues with the event’s 29th edition, which will be held at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA this September 29th through October 1st.

Because the Marines are continually seeking improved small arms; air, ground and sea-based fire support; and mobility platforms – both ground and air – the exposition has become one of their leading sources of information and insight on what is being produced or planned to equip them for the future.

Several thousand Marines, as well as members of the other Armed Forces and key civilian federal employees attend the event each year to see what is available and what will be available for an organization that must be primed and well-equipped for rapid-response and forced entry operations at all times.

The expo was the first military trade show to present, as part its opening ceremony, the landing of a fixed-wing aircraft in the parking lot of a downtown civic center.  That was at the first edition of the exposition in Tucson, AZ, in 1981.  More recently, it became the first defense exposition to establish an improvised explosive device pavilion to inform attendees about the latest in IED-defeat equipment and systems.  Last year, the expo became the first military trade show to place a ground robotics obstacle course on-site for attendees to observe unmanned ground vehicles navigating a series of complex barriers and mobility challenges.

In addition to outdoor display areas, the Modern Day Marine Expo has several thousand square feet of covered space in three large tents adjacent to the base headquarters at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA.

Among innovations for this year will be an Expeditionary Force Aviation Pavilion spotlighting Marine Corps aviation.  Emphasis will focus on modernization of the Corps’ air combat element and its role in an amphibious force continually engaged in, or preparing for, expeditionary operations.  The pavilion will showcase a broad spectrum of aviation equipment, including support and service systems designed and produced specifically for the air combat element of Marine air ground task forces.

As they have for thousands of visitors during each of the past 28 editions, representatives from leading companies from throughout the U.S. and allied nations will exhibit products that support all of the ground, air and sea operations of expeditionary forces.  However, the new Expeditionary Force Aviation Pavilion will be a special display area emphasizing modernization of the Corps’ air arm.  This will also include displays illustrating the many tasks carried out by Marine Corps aviation personnel, including force protection of the aviation element’s assets and infrastructure.

In the recent past, the Marine Corps introduced vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing aircraft into the U.S. Armed Forces and the tilt-rotor aircraft now in service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As Marine Corps planners develop methods for transitioning their current 13 “legacy” aircraft types to seven new platforms, U.S. and allied industries use the exposition to show how they are prepared to contribute to better-equipped and even more formidable expeditionary fighting teams of Marine air-ground task forces, than those now serving around the world.

Members of the Armed Forces preparing for deployment to combat zones, or just back, comprise a large percentage of the attendees who take advantage of simulators and the hands-on aspects of the Modern Day Marine Military Exposition to learn about what is available or on the way for force modernization.

Companies producing the finest small arms in the world will be at the exposition, in strength, as they are each year, as will be companies producing special aiming and night vision devices, and small arms maintenance equipment and systems.  Marines and other attendees will be able to describe to the men and women who produce that equipment their own personal experiences in employment of small arms during recent combat operations.  These interchanges and stories of lessons-learned are a value-added by-product of the exposition for manufacturers seeking ways to improve upon the weapons and systems they now produce.

Because of the exposition’s emphasis on innovation each year, it has also become an event that has enjoyed not only growth but industry recognition within the trade show industry.  Last year, Trade Show Week, the global exhibition industry trade magazine, honored the Modern Day Marine Military Exposition with one of its “Fastest 50” awards.  The award is based on growth of an event and was created to recognize the people and organizations whose innovations and hard work have improved the overall growth and vitality of the trade show industry.

Endorsed by the Marine Corps Aviation Association, the Modern Day Marine Military Exposition is sponsored by the Marine Corps League, a Marine Corps 70,000-member veterans’ organization, and co-sponsored by Marine Corps Systems Command and Marine Corps Base, Quantico.  Much of the equipment now being employed by Marines, in the air and on the ground, in Iraq and Afghanistan, was first seen by military leaders, operations planners, acquisition managers, and the end users – air and ground combat Marines – at previous editions of the exposition.

Exhibits at this year’s exposition will fill three large display tents as well as outdoor exhibit areas.  In addition to getting a hands-on, close-up look at much of the latest in equipment and technology now in service, there will be video presentations, models or prototypes of items soon to become available for use in combat and combat support operations.  The defense contractors from around the world who exhibit at the event will also be available to discuss their products and services, respond to questions, and listen to input from the men and women who employ expeditionary warfighting gear.

Ground mobility equipment, in research and development or newly entering Marine Corps service, is prominent among the hundreds of items of equipment presented at the Marine Expo each year.

Quantico is home of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, which develops Marine operational concepts and determines the Corps’ capability requirements for doctrine, equipment, organization, training, education and support.  The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, also at Quantico, is part of the Development Command and is responsible for improving current and future naval expeditionary warfare capabilities.  Also headquartered at the base, the Marine Corps Systems Command is the Corps’ principal agency for acquisition and sustainment of systems and equipment used to carry out the Marines’ warfighting mission.

The uniformed Marines and civilian employees, who staff the Development Command and Systems Command, as well as Marine officers and staff non-commissioned officers attending the Marine Corps University’s professional development schools at Quantico, will be joined by military and civilian personnel from other U.S. and allied forces.

A special by-invitation-only Report to Industry will be presented by Marine Corps general officers closely associated with all aspects of the Corps’ equipment and systems research, development, testing and acquisition programs and policies.

The Report to Industry will be followed by Marine Corps Systems Command Program Group Director Exhibitor Meetings in which members of the defense industry will receive direct input from the men and women who manage the programs through which Marines acquire and field weapons and equipment for the Corps’ expeditionary missions on the ground, in the air and at sea.

Another of the exposition’s special activities will be an Enlisted Awards Parade honoring distinguished enlisted Marines and sailors from units around the world with awards sponsored by the Marine Corps League.  Additionally, a Modern Day Marine Military Exposition Grand Banquet and Awards Dinner will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Pentagon City section of Arlington, VA.

Modern Day Marine Military Exposition Point-of-Contact:
Charlie Baisley at charles.baisley@nielsen.com or (703) 812-2741

Media Contact:
Carl White at carlwhite@expomediaservices.com or 540-351-1691

Little is known in the Western world of the Soviet silent pistols utilizing special silent ammunition. The package consists of the model PSS (Pistolet Sptsialnyj Samozaryadnyj) silent pistol and the special SP-4 captive piston ammunition. The testing performed consisted of evaluation of the basic handgun, the special ammunition, sound pressure measurements, muzzle velocity, and terminal performance.

In this report, a mixture of English and metric parameters are used. All linear and circular dimensions are metric (millimeters). All weights are grains simply because the convention we use are to weigh bullets and powder in grains. Velocities are English and in feet/second because those are the units of our chronograph. Sound levels are decibels (reference zero dB as 20 micropascals). Temperatures are dual units (F/C) and barometric pressure is in millimeters of mercury.

PSS Pistol
This finely crafted semiautomatic handgun is a magazine-fed weapon utilizing a single stack magazine that holds 6 rounds and a last-round slide hold-open device. The pistol is well finished, and all parts carry the pistol’s serial number. With the finish and serialization of all parts, it appears that during factory assembly on all examples seen by this author, all parts were hand fitted. It is issued with a brief instruction manual (in Russian) and a somewhat flimsy tan leather shoulder holster.

The PSS and its specialty SP-4 ammunition were specifically designed for elimination of live targets without risking discovery of the operator. Unlike predecessor captive piston handguns, the PSS is capable of semiautomatic fire. Although there is a definite advantage to rapid follow-up shots, the disadvantage for the covert operator is that it ejects (and leaves) spent cases at the scene. These spent cases are exceptionally distinctive, and almost anyone with an even passing familiarity with this weapon will be able to identify its use from the spent cases.

The author has just fired the PSS, and the slide has locked back on an empty magazine. (Photo by Dan Shea)

It is not obvious where either the PSS pistol or its SP-4 ammunition is manufactured, but other clandestine special purpose weapons have been built at Tula Arsenal, and it is suspected that Tula may well be the origin of the PSS. The weapon carries absolutely no markings other than a low four digit serial number. The PSS was developed for special personnel of the Soviet KGB and for elite elements of the Spetsnaz of the Soviet Army and was introduced around 1983. It is currently used by many elite Russian anti-terrorist teams. It is far more compact and has a quieter action than the more common Soviet PB (silenced Makarov) and Chinese Type 67 silenced pistols.

While the PSS resembles a somewhat large conventional blowback pistol, it is definitely unique. It will accept no ammunition other than the SP-4 silent cartridge. Other than the ammunition used, the most obvious is it has a two-part barrel. The separate distal rifled part is fixed to the frame. The breech portion (consisting of the chamber) is allowed to recoil inside the frame for a short length against its own return spring. This increases the mass of the moving parts at the initial stages of recoil, and also slows the slide on its final stages of movement, resulting in dampening the sound of the slide hitting the stop on the end of the recoil cycle.  The slide return main spring is housed in the slide, above the barrel, and the spring guide rod is part of the slide retaining assembly. The PSS firing mechanism is single/double action with open hammer and slide-mounted safety/decocker of conventional Makarov design. Sights are fixed.

We were granted the opportunity to extensively examine (including total disassembly), photograph, and fire the PSS at a discrete Southwest Asian military arsenal. To the best of our knowledge, there are no examples of this weapon in the United States at the time of writing. There are known to be several examples in the United Kingdom. Distribution through the former Soviet satellite countries is unknown but presumed to have been issued to clandestine units in these countries. Total production is unknown.

Because all products of combustion are contained within the spent cartridge, there is no powder fouling or possibility of corrosion from powder residues. Interestingly, this also means that the operator’s hands will not be contaminated with powder residues, which may be of interest in the forensic community. Maintenance consists simply of light oiling of the weapon and wiping the external surfaces with an oily rag.

We do not have available to us at this time a factory breakdown of parts. Because of this, the names we use are based on apparent function and similarity to parts in more conventional pistols. Field stripping for basic cleaning and lubrication can be accomplished with no tools other than a section of cleaning rod. Before starting, the magazine must be removed and the hammer cocked. Although not photo detailed, the accompanying pictures show a slot cut in the front assembly locking piece, which also appears to function as the slide stop. This engages a cut in the front of the recoil spring, limiting rearward motion of the slide. To field strip, a section of cleaning rod is inserted into the recess in the top rear portion of the slide, and the recoil spring guide rod is pushed forward until the locking piece/slide stop clears the front end of the barrel. At this point, the locking piece can be slid upward to disengage from the front of the recoil spring guide rod. The slide then removes to the rear, but the forward end of the slide must be disengaged upward from the rear of the floating chamber, before it can be fully removed. Re-assembly is the reverse.

While we completely disassembled the PSS, we can most definitely recommend that the user never do more than simply field-strip the weapon for maintenance. Total disassembly is quite difficult and is by no means intuitive. It is also totally unnecessary. Re-assembly is even more difficult. We speak from experience.

The front assembly locking-piece/slide-stop has been removed from the barrel and the groove in the front of the recoil spring guide rod. This is the first step in field stripping. At this point, the slide can be removed to the rear. (Photo by author)

SP-4 Ammunition
Captive piston ammunition is a unique, special-purpose cartridge that is designed to be intrinsically quiet as compared to conventional ammunition. Essentially, the SP-4 silent cartridge consists of a reinforced steel cartridge case containing a small powder charge enclosed in a cup-like piston in the rear of the case. This piston rests against the base of the projectile; a cylindrical bullet made of mild steel and fitted with a brass driving band at the front. The SP-4 cartridge was adopted by the Soviet KGB and Spetsnaz units in 1983 along with the PSS host pistol.

The ammunition is issued in plain white boxes of twelve cartridges each. The only markings on the box are what appear to be a lot number. This is enough to charge both magazines. There are 20 boxes in a hermetically sealed SPAM tin and two tins in a wooden crate. The tins are marked with the cartridge designation, lot number (that correlates with the number on the boxes), and some other markings of unknown meaning.

Many prior designs, such as the SP-3 and PZAM silent cartridges, utilized 2-part (or 2-stage) piston that extended beyond the end of the cartridge case. While this permitted greater acceleration of the projectile, it also was incompatible with cycling in a semiautomatic host weapon. These older silent cartridges from the late 1970s and early 1980s utilized the standard 7.62mm M43 projectile loaded in the AK 7.62×39 rifle cartridge.

When fired, the primer ignites the powder charge, and the rapidly expanding gases drive the piston forward at a high acceleration. The piston, in return, drives the projectile. When the driving piston reaches a shoulder at the end of the case, the piston is somewhat violently stopped by a shoulder on the front of the cartridge case. Having been accelerated, the projectile engages rifling in the short barrel and exits the weapon toward its target. The high pressure propelling gases are contained (and trapped) in the spent cartridge and gradually leak out over a period of several weeks. Because the propelling gases are not released into the atmosphere, there is very little sound generated.

“As proud as we are of our ability to move quickly and react to the sound of the gun, we are equally as proud of our ability to move ahead of the sounds of the gun.  And, if possible, keep that sound from occurring at all….  In the end, we know we will not simply kill or capture our way to victory.”  – Admiral Eric Olson, Commander, US Special Operations Command

Olson, the first US Navy SEAL with the honor of leading USSOCOM, the world’s largest and most diversely capable assembly of counter-terror operatives, knows what he’s talking about.

Delivering the keynote address on the first of three days of the National Defense Industrial Association’s yearly February gathering of key government, military and private sector attendees, the combat-seasoned Admiral commanded the attention of several hundred high level attendees in Washington, DC’s stately Marriot Wardman Park Hotel with a tough and pragmatic look at the realities of what has come to be known as “Persistent Conflict.”

Left unspoken but understood by most in the audience are the underlying reasons behind recent disfavor of the term Global War On Terror and its decidedly bland replacement in official jargon, underscoring the likelihood of years and perhaps decades of struggle ahead.

While strongly affirming the continuing necessity for immediate “kinetic” solutions to specific challenges best met with direct action to kill or capture, Olson emphasized the long-term payoffs from “soft power that brings real and tangible value….”

“Decisive, enduring results,” the four-star former SEAL declared, come from “indirect approaches by contributing to (host nation) capabilities through advising, training, equipping, and transferring technology.”

As a result, America’s top Special Operator explained, a substantial percentage of USSOCOM’s 63,000 personnel are deployed to as many as 70 countries for a variety of missions including augmenting local military training, providing medical aid and humanitarian support.  “They’re building long-term relationships…in every region in the world and we need them there for a long time.”

Boeing’s A160T HUMMINGBIRD unmanned rotorcraft, developed in cooperation with Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), is under evaluation by USSOCOM for both video reconnaissance and armed strike missions with pylon mounted Hellfire missiles. About 35 feet from nose to tail, the 2,500 pound airframe can carry 2,500 pounds of fuel plus a payload 1,500 pounds. Endurance is said to be 18 + hours and its top speed is in excess of 190 mph. www.boeing.com (Boeing Media)

Devil in the Details
Seven panel discussions followed, reinforcing Olson’s observations on the harsh realities of long-term commitment to a wide spectrum approach for strengthening the ability of cooperating nations to combat destabilization from insurgencies, terrorism, narcotics smuggling and other criminal activities.

(Editor’s Note:  Bullet point slides from panel participants and selected “white paper” presentations are posted for public access at www.dtic.mil/ndia/2009SOLIC/2009SOLIC.html).

Leading off the first panel, “Regional Views,” was the Operations Officer for SOCCENT (Special Operations Command Central), an area notable for a combined population of 650 million under heavy Islamic influence of which 40 percent make up the prime military demographic of males ages 15 to 29.

Although this is the best known theater of operations given the prominence of ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, Lt. Colonel Chuck Miller, Jr. surprised few with the assertion that Pakistan, strategically vital for many reasons including its importance as a major land route for resupply to Coalition operations in Afghanistan, is “the world’s most dangerous place.”

Miller cited a combination of factors including Pakistan’s nuclear-capable, military-dominated Islamic government that has little power in the Swat Valley and other vast and rugged provinces bordering Afghanistan.  There, impoverished people with strong tribal loyalties provide safe havens for a variety of militants with decidedly anti-Western sentiments.

Special Operations forces are taking an “enduring approach, paced out over time,” Miller said, in training and equipping the Pakistani Army for counterinsurgency.

February 2009, SOLIC, Washington, DC. Front and center at MSA’s exhibit are these accessories that transform standard-issue helmets into futuristic whole-head protectors. www.msanet.com. (Robert Bruce)

The SOC Pacific perspective came from Lieutenant Colonel Brian Petit, 2nd Battalion commander in the Army’s 1st Special Forces Group.  The Green Beret officer cited evidence of strong Red Chinese efforts to increase influence throughout the Asia-Pacific Rim, an enormous operational area containing more than 60 percent of the world’s population.  He also noted positive developments arising from special operations assistance in a variety of forms to the Philippine government and military in the perennial struggle against Moro separatists and newer Islamic-influenced insurgencies.

Simmering conflicts in Central and South America don’t have the prominence of those in hot spots elsewhere.  While speaking favorably of relationships with Brazil, Argentina and Chile in efforts to combat a range of organized criminal activities and official corruption, SOC South’s J3 (Operations Officer), Navy Commander Victor Hyder, revealed some troubling signs in Paraguay.  Noting the disturbing presence of Lebanese operatives from the notorious Hezbollah and Hamas organizations, he believes that “all the networks a terrorist organization could use are in place in the region.”

Meanwhile over in Europe, NATO is standing up its new Special Operations Forces Coordination Center.  French Navy Captain Bruno Julien de Zelicourt, SOFCC J3, noted its recent transition to an operational focus in Afghanistan.  Looking ahead to the next decade, he detailed a list of global security risks including increased extremism and terrorism, nuclear proliferation, cyber war, plus the growing power and influence of overtly criminal organizations.

Technological Solutions
The panel discussion that followed, “Technology and Persistent Conflict,” was long on philosophical assertions and surprisingly short on hardware revelations.  In contrast, Air Force Colonel Jim “Hondo” Gertz, program manager for fixed wing aircraft at USSOCOM, noted progress toward the goal of acquiring up to sixteen new C-27 SPARTAN aircraft configured as gunships.

SADJ sees this as a particularly interesting development in light of steady progress with Boeing’s game-changing Advanced Tactical Laser for gunship applications, a program set in motion several years ago with an eye to replacing AFSOC’s fleet of aging C-130 flying firebases.

The session closed with a provocative paper on Lockheed Martin’s extensive experimentation with collection, processing and dissemination of practical intelligence derived from networked UxVs (land, sea and air robots).  We highly recommend Dr. Miles Libby’s paper, “Special Reconnaissance/Unconventional Warfare – How about an UxV for a Teammate?” available in its complete form with text and illustrations at the DTIC website noted above.

February 2009, SOLIC, Washington, DC. Lockheed Martin’s SMSS (Squad Mission Support System) is both a “smart” robot and a human-driven tactical platform. This 4,000 pound all-terrain six wheeler can be configured as a supply and support vehicle as seen here or weaponized for armed recon. www.lmco.com (Robert Bruce)

Operational Realities
Navy Captain Tom Brown, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group One, was the first presenter on Panel Three, “Views from the Practitioners,” adding to the impact of Libby’s observations by citing the favorable cost to benefit ratio of the Scan Eagle recon fixed wing.  Originally developed to spot large schools of tuna for commercial fishing operations, Brown called it a “poor man’s Predator.”  He also noted with favor the plans to upgrade combatant craft capabilities with new medium and heavy boats that are stealthier and have greater endurance.

US Army Green Beret Colonel Sean Mulholland, 7th Group Commander, detailed a classic “hearts and minds” strategic vision for counterinsurgency operations, Air Force Colonel Joseph Clem noted the success of a self-deployment exercise to Africa of four AFSOC CV-22 tilt rotor aircraft and Marine Major Mike Brooks cited MARSOC’s increasing involvement with FID (Foreign Internal Defense) activities, particularly in coastal regions.

Subsequent panels examined more esoteric aspects of Special Operations including the Human Dimension, Strategies, Training and Education, as well as Interagency Perspectives: this last one featuring representatives from Director of National Intelligence, Project on National Security Reform, and the State Department.

Target America
Those who stuck with the program to the very end got a special reward from retired General Barry McCaffrey, who is now free to speak the truth as he sees it.  His address combined geopolitical realities with informed speculation, revealing certain things that may be officially denied but tacitly affirmed.

While there should be little argument with McCaffrey’s assertion that the growing number of nations with weapons of mass destruction, along with the spread of WMD technology, remains the principal threat to the American people, it’s hard to understand his apparent belief that global animosity toward the US will appreciably lessen under the Obama administration.

More controversial statements followed, particularly in a pair of bullet-point slides headed “Looking Toward the Future.”  Among their provocative predictions: Russian hostility toward the US will grow, North Korea will implode and Iran will go nuclear, forging an alliance with Sunni Arabs to further destabilize the region.

February 2009, SOLIC, Washington, DC. A close look underneath the flexible, light-hiding skirt of L-3’s new AN/PVS-24 Clip-on Night Vision Device-Image Intensified. www.l-3com.com. (Robert Bruce)

The former commander of US Southern Command also foresees confrontation closer at home with a politically and financially destabilized Venezuela and that Cuba’s totalitarian regime will lose its grip after Castro dies, unleashing a flood of a quarter-million refugees on the US.  And right on our southern border, he cites a “desperate” situation caused by Mexico’s violent criminal drug cartels in Mexico.

Last but not least came the chilling prediction that “terrorists will strike at America during the (Obama) administration’s first term.”

Exhibit Hall
Because this event strongly favors the interests of senior military leaders, a large percentage of the sixty exhibitors are major players in the defense establishment.  Their often elaborate displays usually feature high end items recently adopted and fielded or those that are moving through the procurement bureaucracy.  Extra interest accrues to the proponents of goods and services favorably mentioned by speakers in the symposium.

For example, such things as Boeing’s A160T HUMMINGBIRD UAV, the multi-national consortium’s C-27J SPARTAN tactical cargo plane, General Dynamics’ submersibles, Lockheed Martin’s UxVs, and tactical radios from Thales Communications and Harris Corp., attract the lion’s share of attendees.

Gun Guys
While there was plenty more to see that represents a wide spectrum of things applicable to worldwide special operations, SADJ’s interest is primarily with individual and crew-served weaponry.  So our first stop was at NAVSEA Crane’s Special Missions Center (SMC) display booth to catch up on the latest developments in ammo, arms, and accessories.

SMC supports the Department of Defense joint capability areas of Special Operations, Irregular Warfare and Maritime/Littoral/Expeditionary Operations.  They’re the go-to source for elite warfighters including SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewmen.  Kevin Banker, a Senior Engineering Tech, was holding down the fort and he proved most helpful in our quest.

Banker walked us through specifics on the three representative weapons on display starting with the 5.56mm MK 16 Mod 0 (FN’s Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle-Light), the newest member of the NAVSPECWAR family.  SCAR-L was the first to be deployed in a family of modular weapons from FN that now includes a 7.62mm version and an innovative clamp-on 40mm grenade launcher.

The late 1980s and early 1990s were a time of change for Poland; shaking-off the results of 45 years of Communist rule.  Polish small arms development tried to cope with the challenges of modernity, while interacting with profound political and economic changeover of the era.  By taking several far-fetched blind bets, the domestic small-arms industry was able to cobble up a weapon system more or less capable of satisfying requirements at that memorable time.  The problem was, the history took such a fast pace, that the requirements kept changing faster than the rifle itself.

The Warsaw Pact enforced small-arms standardization to a degree never dreamed of by the NATO STANAGs.  In the ammunition field the Soviet rule was complete and unwavering – Soviet cartridge types were the only ones that each and every of the Warsaw Pact countries’ martial small-arm could fire.  There was but one concession in that: the Czech Skorpion SMG chambered for the .32 ACP.  This was for a long time a painful thorn in the Pact’s side, and finally in 1982 a “proper” Skorpion vz.82 model in 9mm Makarov was prepared – but then never manufactured, because the arm itself was already considered obsolescent at the time.  More concessions were made in small-arms manufacture: Czechoslovaks, Poles and Hungarians were allowed to have their own handguns and SMGs, and Czechs even had their own rifle and GPMG.  All of these were to be on the verge of extinction, however, with the coming standardization of the 5.45x39mm M1974 ammunition, and matching small-arms system, consisting of AK-74 rifle (with it’s folding butt stock versions, the AKS-74 and AKS-74U carbine) and the RPK-74 LMG (with a folder sub-variant RKPS-74).  GDR and Bulgaria dutifully acknowledged the Moscow’s dictate and footed a traditionally outrageous bill for the AK-74 license, but Poland, Rumania and Czechoslovakia opted for their own rifles in the new caliber.  Of these, Poland had chosen to go the most ambitious way, claiming her industry capable not only of making its own rifle and carbine (codenamed ‘Tantal’ and ‘Onyks’), but also the ammunition (codenamed ‘Cez’).  These ambitious goals were set with mostly one purpose in mind: no more Soviets muzzling export sales the way they suppressed the license-built AKM sales, denying export licenses on “recipient’s possible political instability” grounds, only to sell their own rifles at discount prices a month later or so.  If the Polish industry would have a rifle of their own design, shooting their own ammo, the license-right holders would have nothing to say about the export – at least on the license rights grounds.

The Tantal project initiated in 1981 led shortly thereafter to a functioning prototype of the wz.81 Tantal rifle – but as it turned out the privilege of having an indigenous rifle called for many more years of hard work before it was finally fit for service.  By 1989, when Tantal was at long last ready for introduction, both People’s Republic of Poland and the whole Warsaw Pact were on the brink of collapse.  The General Staff’s ambitious plans to replace the 7.62×9 weapons with domestic 5.45 rifles stood no chance of fulfilling at that time.  Despite that, both projects were pressed on with regardless; and even a third one was initiated when Precision Mechanics Institute with ZM Dezamet of Nowa Deba commenced work on modern bullet trap rifle grenades system codenamed ‘Fosforyt’.

Cross-section of the 5.56mm wz.96 Beryl assault rifle: 1. butt plate; 2. upper buttstock strut; 3. lower buttstock strut; 4. buttstock hinge; 5. POPC attachment pin; 6. stock; 16. pistol grip; 17. receiver cover; 18. hammer spring; 19. hammer; 20. receiver strut; 22. receiver strut rivet; 23. recoil spring assembly; 24. barrel socket; 25. barrel retaining pin; 26. sight base; 27. upper handguard; 28. gas tube; 29. gas piston; 30. handguards attaching ring; 31. barrel; 32. gas chamber; 33. front sight post; 34. front sight post base; 35. front sight post socket; 36. muzzle device; 37. bipod; 38. lower handguard; 39. receiver; 40. follower; 41. magazine body; 42. follower spring; 43. spring pressure plate; 44. magazine bottom; 45. sight; 46. magazine catch; 47. trigger guard; 48. trigger.

The outcome of the June 4, 1989 election made it clear that Poland wanted neither communism, nor the Warsaw Pact any more.  At first, the path to NATO seemed a long and arduous one.  With the Soviet Union still waiting for Yeltsin, and 40,000 Soviet troops still stationed in Poland, it seemed that the best thing possible under these circumstances would be some kind of neutrality, with maybe a distant hope to join NATO sometime in the far future.  Plans were afoot to use the defense industry left over from the Communist times to achieve a position similar to the pre-war Czechoslovakia: one of an “arms purveyor to the Third World,” where Polish small arms enjoyed a reputation for good quality at reasonable prices.  The Radom Lucznik factory was at that time still capable of manufacturing 70,000 rifles and 5,000 pistols per year, far more than the Polish Army, even if counting 400,000 soldiers at that time, was able to utilize.  Export seemed the only way to save the factory, but for a chance to secure the more lucrative contracts, Polish industry had to go beyond the Soviet-influenced part of the world.  The only way to get these was to offer models chambered for Western ammunition.  That’s why the Radom’s R&D Center (Osrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy, OBR) started their first serious conversion programs; after the 1970s attempts at re-chambering the PM-63 for 9 mm Luger.  Then, in 1989, the OBR started to develop the PM-84P (Glauberyt SMG chambered for 9×19) and Tantal/Onyks variants chambered for 5.56×45 SS109.  The ‘export Tantal’ was to achieve 90% part interchangeability with basic wz.88 Tantal rifle.  Design for the 5.56mm wz.1991 Tantal rifle was ready by 1991, and a year later a 5.56mm wz.1992 variant of the Onyks carbine was also ready.  Three prototypes of the former and five of the latter model were manufactured and exhibited during the 1992 MTB Arms Fair in Sopot.  Unfortunately, that was all, as later on the program was suspended for three years because of lack of money to buy enough military-grade 5.56mm ammunition for further testing.

Turmoil All Around
All the while this part of Europe was undergoing an intensive overhaul, in both political and economical plane, actuated by both domestic and foreign influenced factors.  On February 25, 1991 an agreement was signed in Prague to suspend the military cooperation within the Warsaw Pact as of March 31, 1991.  On July 1, 1991 the political structures of the Pact were dissolved, too.  During the night of August 18/19, Gennady Yanayev staged a die-hard Communists coup in Moscow.  The Yanayev putsch failed because of the overwhelming sentiment of the Muscovites led by the then president of the Russian Federation, Boris Yelsin.  He led to the eventual suppression of the coup and then used it to wrench the remnants of power from the hands of the last President of the whole USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev.  The process leading to dissolving of the Soviet empire was crowned by the December 9, 1991 Viskuly agreement abolishing the USSR, and replacing it with a loosely-cut structure called the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).  The new CIS started the withdrawal of the Soviet forces garrisoned abroad, including the Northern Group stationed in Poland.  The last Russian Army soldier left Poland on September 17, 1993, right on the anniversary of the Soviet back-stabbing invasion in 1939.

The forend of the Beryl wz.2004 with a permanent fore grip and side Weaver rails. Note the way the POPC front prongs fit into cut-outs in the sight base.

All through this time the Central European countries repeatedly announced their readiness to join Western military and political structures to shrug off the last ties with the period of the Soviet dominance.  The first time NATO responded to that was in March 1992, in Warsaw, when NATO Secretary General, Manfred Wörner declared that, “NATO doors are open for you.”  It took almost two more years before in October 1993 the Pact launched the Partnership for Peace program, duly promulgated by the January 1994 NATO summit in Brussels.  From that point in time on, the future NATO-partnership for ex-Warsaw Pact countries was granted.  With that, the fate of Tantal was finally sealed.

LWRC (Land Warfare Resources Company) began as Leitner-Wise Rifle Company.  The company was a research and development firm dedicated to making large bore direct impingement M16-type rifles.  The rifle was chambered for the large .499 LWRC cartridge, which gained the interest and a developmental contract by the U.S. Coast Guard.  In an attempt at making the .499 more reliable, a short stroke gas piston system was developed; its basic architecture similar to the WWII G43.  That was not enough to produce a reliable large bore rifle as the large bore straight walled .499 cartridge was not optimal for feeding or extraction reliably in the M16 receiver.  Mid development, the company was faced with a dilemma.  There was no future military use for large bore cartridge M16 but saw huge potential in applying the operating system to the NATO standard M4 5.56mm carbine.  The company had to figure out a way to introduce something different than the standard rifle.  Around this time (early 2000), Heckler & Koch began showing their HKM4, now their 416 weapon system – a piston operated version of the M4 carbine.  This is basically an AR18 type piston system.  Heckler & Koch concentrated on military and law enforcement sales and decided not to serve the commercial market with their piston-operated rifle.  LWRC would not dismiss any potential market or customers.  Several prototypes later, they had working rifles.  The goal was not to re-invent the wheel and change the entire M4 Carbine, but to make the M4 work cleaner and more efficiently and make it more reliable in adverse conditions.  The company was about to go through a major change from an R&D company, to a firearms manufacturer.  The company was bought in a management buyout in early 2006 and the company changed the way they conducted business.  The company name would remain LWRC, but to reflect the change in management the company would be known as Land Warfare Resources Corporation.  In the spring of 2008, LWRC was having difficulty meeting the explosive demand for their rifles.  LWRC sought a partner familiar with mass manufacturing for large and small government orders.  Majority share of the company was sold to RifTech in an asset buyout.  RifTech is a company whose same shareholders own MaTech and several other significant defense product manufacturing companies on the eastern shore of Maryland.  LWRC also added International to their name to reflect their efforts to manufacture for allied countries.  The new CEO, Mr. Richard Bernstein, former CEO of L3 Communication’s Aerospace division, brings the experience and leadership required to take the company to the next level.  Moving forward, the new team at LWRC International feels this partnership between the design and development crew at the old LWRC and the manufacturing experience of the new crew will give the company a competitive edge with potential U.S. and foreign government contracts.

The test and evaluation rifle was fired more than 1,500 rounds. The rifle is equipped with Magpul CTR Stock and MIAD grip. The optic is a Insight Technology ISM-V combination red dot and laser and M3X tactical illuminator with its pressure pad mounted on a Knights Armament Company vertical pistol grip. The rear sight is the GI issue MaTech BUIS. The magazines are coupled Lancer L5 translucent magazines.

LWRC has been actively competing for weapons contracts.  As of this writing, LWRC is entering a submission into the Marine Corps Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) program.  This is a highly modified version of their proven piston system with the addition of a closed bolt semiautomatic operation and an open bolt fully automatic operation.  They will undoubtedly be challenged by Colt Defense, Knights Armament Company, FNMI and H&K.  Their rifles are seeing use in all three markets (commercial, law enforcement and military).  Their piston system is not unlike any other piston operated firearm.  A short-stroke tappet system uses an operating rod that impacts the face of a highly modified carrier key to drive it rearward.  Then the operating rod would reciprocate back into the receiver.  What is truly unique about the LWRC system is how it releases excess gas from the moving piston.  The HK416 bleeds excess gas out the front of the gas block with a valve.  The Colt LE1020 bleeds gas from the sides.  The LWRC vents it under the handguard.  The piston itself directs the excess gases forward preventing any gas from getting near the receiver and bolt group while the operating rod pushes rearward, strikes the carrier key retracting the bolt.

The LWRC system can retrofit an existing impingement gun as well as they make many different rifles of their own.  With their own rifles, they use some of the most high-speed accessories to enhance their weapon. They provide the Magpul CTR stock and MIAD adjustable pistol grip.  They are provided with Magpul PMags, which are a synthetic magazine that might just be the most durable and reliable M16-type magazine on the market.  The rifle looks very much and feels like an issue M4.  In fact, the lower receiver is the same.

Shown is the top rail with the two captive pusher screws unscrewed.

The three sample LWRC rifles have excellent fit and finish.  They were equipped with Magpul CTR stocks (6-poition), enhanced trigger guard and MIAD grip.  The safe and fire position was ambidextrous and used hieroglyphic marks similar to H&K.  The LWRC piston guns all use the H2 buffer (2 tungsten and 1 steel weight) that are the same weight as a standard rifle buffer.  Two rifles each came with a 2-stage match trigger and the third used the standard trigger group.  Controls are identical to any other GI M16/M4 family of weapons.  The M6A2 rifle was provided with the proprietary LWRC olive green anodized receivers, MIAD pistol grip and CTR stock.

Three of the sample rifles had the LWRC monolithic Rail Adapter System upper receiver with quad Mil-Std 1913 rails.  The top rail is removable by two set screws on the face of the rail to enable access to the operating system for maintenance.  Like the standard rifles, the M6 series of carbines have a forward assist, fired cartridge case deflector and ejection port dust cover.  The M6 and M6A1 use standard front sight bases.  The M6A2 is basically the same as the M6A1 with the major change being to the barrel and handguard.  The standard front sight assembly is removed in favor of a low profile gas block and the handguard/rail extend past the gas block giving additional length of available rail for mounting accessories.  The M6A2 model utilizes a folding front sight.  The M6 rifle has standard M4-type removable two piece handguards.  The M6 rifle looks nearly identical to that of the standard M4 carbine.  As of the 2008 SHOT Show, several manufactures are introducing rail systems that can be used with either the standard gas tube or the various piston operated weapons.  This would be the LWRC equivalent to the standard issue M4 carbine.  One M6A1 rifle was equipped with a Canadian hammer forged 15.9 inch SFW barrel, Trijicon ACOG sight with a mounted red dot sight.  The back-up sight was the Government Issue MaTech BUIS.  The M6A1 rifle used for test and evaluation was equipped with a 16-inch heavy barrel in the free floating LWRC M6A1 upper receiver.  The accessories used on the rifle were an Insight Technology M3X flashlight with a pressure pad activation mounted to a Knights Armament vertical pistol grip, Insight Technology ISM-V red dot/laser sight module and a LaserMax UniMax green laser sight.  The fully automatic testing was conducted with this rifle’s upper receiver placed on a Colt M4 lower receiver equipped with a Magpul UBR stock and a H2 buffer.

Top rifle is the basic M6 rifle. This model is their basic M4-style rifle using a standard M4-type upper receiver, handguards and front sight base. The middle is the M6A1 rifle. This is the model that utilizes the LWRC proprietary free floating rail system but retains the standard rifle front sight base. The bottom rifle is the M6A2 rifle that uses a cut down gas bloc with a extended rail system.

The bolt carrier has a similar look to the standard M16 but with some changes.  First to notice is the carrier key is totally different.  The key on the LWRC bolt carrier is hardened super alloy and locked in place by a dovetail fit.  The rear of the carrier is flared outward leaving a larger diameter at the rear than the rest of the carrier.  The purpose of this is to keep the carrier in alignment with the buffer extension.  Due to the use of a piston, when the carrier is struck and it begins to move rearward, it is also moving on a slight downward angle.  The flare aligns the carrier with the buffer extension and prevents any damage to the buffer extension from the bottom edge of the carrier.  The interface between the piston rod and carrier key is mated with a beveled face of the carrier key and a rounded profile of the piston rod.  This keeps the piston rod centered at the moment of impact with the carrier key.  Also noted is the removal of the gas exhaust ports.  Due to this being a piston system, there is no gas to be bled off.  This also will prevent any dirt from entering the inside of the carrier.  Originally, the carriers were black and coated with a DuPont Teflon finish.  As of April 9, 2007, LWRC changed to a Teflon Nickel coating that is matte gold in color.  This finish has excellent lubricating properties and is more durable than the previous DuPont Teflon coating.  For $29.95 and a return of your black carrier, LWRC will send you out a new carrier with the updated finish.

LWRC has also introduced a new bolt for their family of weapons.  The LWRC Advanced Combat Bolt looks similar to the Lewis Machine and Tool Enhanced Bolt but with a few changes.  Like the LMT bolt, the LWRC Raptor extractor has a “lobster tail” appearance with dual buffered extractor springs.  There are no undercuts on the lugs adjacent to the extractor.  The bolt is manufactured from “Unobtanium” (i.e., proprietary metal LWRC does not want you to know about).  The bolts can be used in standard direct gas/impingement guns as well.  The bolts from LWRC all use gas rings.  The purpose is ease of assembly and it keeps the bolt in good alignment with the barrel extension.

LWRC M6A1 rifle equipped with a Canadian SFW barrel. Notice the Magpul CTR stock, MIAD grip and PMag. The rifle is equipped with a Trijicon ACOG rifle scope, MaTech BUIS and a SureFire tactical flashlight hooked up to a pressure pad mounted to a vertical pistol grip.

LWRC offers a wide variety of barrel lengths including 8, 10.5, 14.5 and 16.1 inches.  All rifles feature the M4-type extended feed ramps on the barrel extension as well as the upper receiver.  Both civilian/law enforcement semi-auto only as well as selective fire rifles are available.  LWRC sells the rifles in both black and flat dark earth colors.  The M6A2 DMR (Designated Marksmanship Rifle) is a match grade rifle equipped with either a Magpul PRS (Precision Rifle Stock) or a UBR (Utility Battle Rifle) stock.  The barrel is match grade and comes in 16 and 18 inches in length and to add to the solid feel of the rifle, the Magpul MIAD pistol grip and Enhanced Trigger Guard.  The trigger is upgraded to a Rock River two-stage match trigger.  This model is offered in 5.56x45mm as well as 6.8 SPC.

The M6, M6A1 and M6A2 are offered with an array of barrel lengths suited for nearly any combat scenario.  With the market place being what it is, the LWRC rifles can literally have most any design update, BUIS, optic, flashlight, pistol grip and stock enhances and trigger upgrades as that of the standard M16 and M4 carbines.

All the test rifles functioned flawlessly without lubrication.  The M6A1 rifle was fired more than 1,500 rounds.  More than half was fully automatic fire.  The accuracy was up to par with any M4-type carbine and the overall system was flawless.  Three Beta C-Mags were fired to test reliability.  All three magazines were fired in a single 100-round burst.  Again, the rifle functioned flawlessly.  During testing it was a conscious decision not to use lubrication as this author believes the Teflon Nickel coating of the bolt and carrier significantly enhanced the performance without lubrication.  The finish on the bolt carrier made only a rag necessary to clean it.  It has been my experience that piston operated versions of the M16/M4 weapon system experience slightly sharper recoil than the direct gas guns and the LWRC guns were no exception.  This sharper recoil is the result of the piston striking the top of the carrier key and that pushes downward on the bottom rear of the bolt carrier.  This changes the felt recoil of the normal in-line construction of the direct gas guns.  With the direct gas guns, the recoil energy is distributed evenly in the rear of the inside of the bolt carrier driving in rearward in line with the buffer and the shooters shoulder.

The M6A1 upper receiver (top) and the M6A2 upper receiver (bottom).

Noted arms expert, trainer and former Delta Operator Larry Vickers endorses the LWRC family of weapons stating he feels this is the best piston operated M16 variant commercially available.  This is a very bold statement of the quality of the LWRC family of weapons.  LWRCI is certainly a company to be taken seriously for potential military contract competition.  The management of LWRCI has clearly demonstrated they are committed to quality, durability and reliability.  Is the piston operated rifle the future?  That is unknown.  Many companies have come out with piston operated rifles due to it being customer driven.  Thus far the U.S. Army has made its position very clear on the issue believing that the existing M4 and its proven direct gas system are working well and are the weapon of choice by our American warfighter.  Nevertheless, there my be an open competition for the U.S. armed forces next battle rifle over the next few years.  There is no question the battle proven M16A4 and M4 carbine will be the baseline and the weapons the competitors will try to beat and those weapons to challenge the mainstay will undoubtedly be piston operated rifles.  You can rest assure piston operated entries will be entered by Heckler & Koch, Colt and FNMI.  But do not be surprised to see a LWRC International entry to compete for the gold.

Chambering the Black Rifle in .308 Win. (7.62x51mm NATO) is anything but a new idea.  From the early ArmaLites to the current selection of workhorse rifles on the market today, this caliber has fared well in giving the end user the extra knock-down power at extended ranges while keeping the feel, fit and function of America’s primary service rifle for well over 40 years.  As mission objectives change we must adapt to the new tasks at hand, and welcome the addition of POF-USA’s C.R.O.S. (Corrosion Resistant Operating System) technology with this combat proven caliber.

All have outperformed the claims by the manufacturer and the innovation in the weapon systems continues to evolve at an amazing pace.  The latest rifle in the POF-USA product line is the P-308, a larger 7.62x51mm version of their P-415 weapon system.  It combines the larger caliber of the early AR-10, Knight SR-25, DPMS LR-308, Remington R-25, and others, with the piston driven operating system used in the POF rifle family.

Upgrades and Options
A quick glance at the P-308 we are testing may look like a shortened version of any of the aforementioned rifles but it takes a close look to reveal some of the details that make the P-308 stand out.

The 12.5-inch barrel is fluted to increase surface area for strength and cooling.

The POF barrel nut is several times the size of a standard barrel nut and is made of Aluminum with the intended purpose of quickly drawing heat from the chamber and barrel at a faster rate without any meaningful additional weight gain.

The fire control group has been designed to the exact specifications of a standard AR-15/M16/M4 allowing the user to utilize any of the numerous upgraded trigger systems available for that popular weapon system.

The new upper receiver and rail mechanism have been integrated into the latest version of what used to be referred to as the Predator Rail System.  This latest design, the Modular Railed Receiver (MRR) extends completely over the gas block to the area above the charging handle providing a long, continuous Mil-Std M1913 Picatinny rail measuring over 16 inches in length, even with the tiny 12.5-inch barreled version.

The lower receiver has a heavily reinforced and deeply beveled magazine well and an ambidextrous bolt drop mechanism.  With the positioning of the bolt release directly above the magazine release, the operator can empty a magazine, drop the empty magazine, insert a new magazine and drop the bolt to recharge the rifle, all without breaking the cheek-weld or taking the right hand off the pistol grip.

The POF-USA C.R.O.S. system is the same as used in the 5.56mm rifles and will serve to enhance the function, performance, durability, and duration the P-308 will function for.  With little to no carbon build-up due to the piston-driven operating system, combined with the silicone nickel coating on all major moving components, the reliability factor is levels above a traditional system.  The P-308 utilizes the addition of the new NP3 Finish and will eventually replace the original as the C.R.O.S. Plus.

The largest physical change may be the least visible without close inspection.  The trigger group had been designed to meet the exact dimensions of all the guns in the .223 rifle series.  This means all of the original existing trigger system’s components and parts are interchangeable with the POF-USA P-308.  All the new adjustable triggers and even the latest drop-in trigger systems can be used with the P-308, greatly increasing the gun’s versatility.

The POF-USA BC-A5 muzzle device. The contact points give it a unique look and aid in functions such as breaking glass while lessening the possibility of damaging the end of the barrel.

Built Tough
Since the current primary operating environment for US battle rifles tends to be in hot, desert environments, the P-308 has been designed to combat the adverse effects of both heat and sand while requiring little downtime for standard maintenance when the necessity for a working rifle is the greatest.

Several factors have gone into increasing the reliability without major weight increases.  The barrels are built from 4150 Mil-B-1159F Vanadium alloy with heavy machine gun fire in mind.  Without sacrificing accuracy, if heavy fire is necessary the operator doesn’t need to worry about overheating or overworking the barrel as much as with a standard barrel.  Optional 5R Polygonal barrels can also be purchased.  These barrels are case hardened and heat treated to 70 Rockwell, twice the hardness of mil-spec and hammer forged barrels.  All barrels are threaded 5/8×24 and provided with the BC-A5 muzzle brake.

The bolt carrier key is integral to the billet machined steel bolt carrier, not an “add-on” part.  The bolt carrier and the bolt are heat-treated and chrome plated.

Both the upper and lower receivers are machined from 7075 T-6 aircraft aluminum alloy.  The upper receiver is a Modular Railed Receiver (MRR) with a continuous monolithic top rail extending from the gas block to the charging handle.  The upper receiver is coated on the interior with silicone nickel and the standard exterior finish on both receivers is black hard-coat anodized.  The receiver and muzzle brake of our test rifle is finished with the Robar NP3 finish giving the receiver a non-reflective grey appearance.  The black and grey combination lean more towards the “Urban Camo” style when compared to other finishes.

Full left-side view of the POF-USA P-308. This .308 powerhouse is small enough to be used is tight quarters but still provides the ability to be effective at long distances if necessary.

Magazine Compatibility
The POF-USA was manufactured to utilize a common .308 magazine rather than designing a new proprietary feeding device.  After testing several systems, the decision was made to go back to the beginning of the big-bore black rifles and use the original ArmaLite AR-10 magazine design.  This means you can use the following magazines with the P-308:

– Original (Waffle-Type) ArmaLite AR-10 magazines
– Knight SR-25 magazines
– DPMS Steel and Composite magazines
– POF-USA 25-round steel magazines
– C-Products 20-round stainless steel magazines

POF-USA Piston Operating System
Just like the POF-USA P-415 and P-416 rifle systems, the P-308 uses a gas piston mechanism instead of the direct gas impingement system.  While the basic mechanism remains the same, a few parts are eliminated from the direct gas impingement system and are replaced with only three different parts to compose the piston system.  The parts removed; the gas tube, the gas key and the gas rings include the parts that carry the hot gasses and excess carbon back inside the fire control mechanism and add greatly to the buildup of the material responsible for malfunction over prolonged use.  With the POF-USA piston system, the gas rings are completely eliminated since they are no longer necessary for the system to function.  This greatly decreases friction between the bolt and the bolt carrier making the mechanism much easier to cycle.  A gas plug, gas piston and an operating rod and added and the system is complete.  The gas plug has two positions: one for use with the rifle as shipped, and the second position is used in conjunction with a sound suppressor.  This second position decreases the amount of gas volume used due to the additional backpressure created when using a sound suppressor.  This combats excess recoil, gas blowback and an unwarranted rate of fire increase while suppressed.  A simple 180-degree rotation is all that is necessary to change the gas plug position.

Trigger Time
Two things immediately come to mind when mentioning a 12-inch barrel and rifle cartridge in the same sentence: accuracy and muzzle velocity.  Both were tested on a sub-freezing day in central Maine.  Since it was unlikely that the mercury would rise any higher in the following weeks, a decision was made to conduct the testing in these frigid conditions, hovering around 0° F, often falling into the negative numbers.  The average temperature for all shooting was only 5° F.

Because there was over 3 feet of snow on the ground with no sign of thaw for a few more months, our standard rifle ranges could not be utilized for these tests so an improvised range was established.  A portable bench was set-up and standard B-27 silhouette targets were deployed at 100 yards and 200 yards with the assistance of a Bushnell laser rangefinder.

Accuracy Testing
Shooting for accuracy was the first order of the day and the P-308 system was topped with a BW Optic Y-TAC scope for this phase of testing.  Targets were engaged at both 100 yards and 200 yards and 5-shot groups were recorded at each distance with 5 different types of ammo.  We feel that the groups were quite “lose” compared to their real potential given the temporary range conditions and frigid temperatures.  Retesting will be conducted at a later date to test this theory.

Ammo tested included Lake City M118 Special Ball 173gr. (FMJ), Federal Gold Medal 168gr. (BTHP), Wolf Gold 150gr. (SP), Remington Match 168gr. (HPBT) and Wolf Performance Ammunition 150gr. (FMJ).  The tightest groups at 100 yards were fired with the Federal Gold Medal and the Remington Match.  Both types gave us 4-shot groups under 1.25 inches but when the first “cold round” was factored in, the groups both measured just larger than 3 inches.  Next was the Lake City with a 4-shot group of just under 1.5 inches and when factoring in the first “cold round” the 5-shot group came in at 2.85 inches.  The Wolf Gold put 4 rounds in just under 2.25 inches and when adding the first “cold round” increased to 2.9 inches.  The Wolf Performance Ammunition came in at 3.6 inches for the 4-round group and measured 4.25 inches when adding the initial “cold round.”

Throughout the years, flashlights were considered a separate entity from firearms – something to be held in the other hand.  Around the time U.S. military personnel entered combat operations in Somalia, troops began to realize it would be advantageous to have the flashlights mounted to the rifle to keep the other hand free to reload the weapon, clear malfunctions or whatever else might need be done.  So, troops began to tape small flashlights to the handguards of their weapons.  Two specific needs were shown at this point.  One was a method to mount accessories to the rifle with some type of rail system.  The other was a secure way to mount a flashlight amongst other accessories to the rifle.  The first inspired A.R.M.S., Inc. to develop their Rigid Frame System (later evolved into the SIR) and C. Reed Knight, Jr. to introduce his first RIS (Rail Interface System) and later RAS (Rail Adapter System).  With the final standardization of the Swan/Mil-Std-1913 rail and the then RIS system, now flashlights could be easily mounted to the handguards of the M16/M4 series of weapons.

In 1988, Insight was founded in a basement workshop.  Early products were rail mounted lasers and illuminators.  One of the first prestigious contracts for Insight Tech-Gear would come from a revolutionary program of the newly developed United States Special Operations Command.

Illumination 101
There are many applications for illumination in a tactical situation.  It may be for illuminating an entire room, outdoor use where higher brightness is needed, or perhaps infrared for covert use.  The most common form of light is incandescent.  This consists of a bulb utilizing a filament.  There are several variations of this type of bulb that make it brighter and have more life.  Filament is fairly cheap making it easy to maintain. The filaments used with Xenon gas is somewhat less expensive than the LED (to be discussed later).  The tint offered off of a filament bulb has a yellow-orangeish color to it making it a little friendlier for identifying features of a person at a quick glance.  Probably the most serious downfall to the bulb is that when this type of power is utilized (70+ Lumens), the bulbs burn pretty hot – enough that if accidentally left on in a nylon bag, it could melt the nylon.

The other and growing popular illumination option is called LED or Light Emitting Diode.  This technology became widely available in the late 1990s.  This technology, although slightly more expensive, offers major benefits.  The diode is much more durable with a life of 50 to 100,000 hours and the LED components are difficult to damage with external shock.  LED has overtaken the efficiency standard of incandescent lighting systems.  LEDs produce more light per watt than incandescent bulbs.  The battery life is slightly better than the incandescent bulb and does not get anywhere near as hot.  Due to these factors, it is not necessary to have back-up bulbs on hand.  The LED has one minor trade off.  They are more sensitive to malfunction under extreme ambient temperatures.  There must be a proper heat-sink to maintain operating temperatures.  The light from the LED is a bluish color.  The bluish color can hide features of a person’s face as well as color of skin identification at a quick glance.  Colors in general may be perceived differently with LED illumination that would not be altered with sunlight or incandescent illumination.  However another incredibly useful use for the LED is target disorientation.  When configured to do so, the LED can function in a strobing manner which when aimed at a target will disorient them and often will give just enough time to subdue the target before they can get their eyes refocused to do harm.

The H3X Regulus tactical LED light. This is a high powered LED light that gives continuous illumination or strobe at the user’s discretion. It is powered by three Duracell 123 3v batteries.

Insight Tech Gear Flashlights and Tactical Lights
Insight Tech Gear offers both incandescent as well as LED flashlights and tactical lights.  Many models are manufactured of aluminum and are hard coat anodized for tough handling in all sorts of weather.  Insight offers some different hand held LED flashlights.  The H1X Proxima uses one Duracell Ultra (123) lithium battery with an LED output of 80 Lumens.  This light is compact and could easily fit on one’s pocket or on a utility belt.  The sample light put out an incredible amount of light for such a small package.  The Proxima has settings for constant light, momentary as well as strobe capabilities.  The H2X Arcturus is a rechargeable LED light.  The H2X has an LED output of 120+ Lumens and the H3X Regulus has an astonishing 160+ Lumens of output.  This model utilizes three Duracell Ultra (123) lithium batteries.  All models have an activation button in the rear that activates and selects momentary, constant, strobe and dim settings.  The LED flashlight provided for test and evaluation was the H3X Regulus.  This LED flashlight can be held as a flashlight or placed on a mount and mounted to a rifle or any other type of long arm.  There is a pressure activated button on the rear for moment or continuous illumination.  The Regulus has settings for strobe, momentary, lock-out and continuous use of illumination.  The LED output is 200+ Lumens of light and is powered by two 123 6volt batteries.  The run time for the batteries is approximately 90 minutes on high power versus 400 hours on low power.  The case of the light is made from aluminum alloy and is hard coat anodized to a black, tan or olive drab finish.

LWRC M6A1 piston operated rifle equipped with an Insight Tech ISM-V optic and an M3 tactical light with a pressure pad mounted to a KAC vertical pistol grip. Additionally, the rifle is loaded with two coupled Lancer L5 magazines, Magpul CTR stock and MIAD pistol grip. The rifle uses a Matech BUIS.

Additionally, the XTI Procyon is a module which will attach to the rail of a pistol or long arm which puts the LED into a tactical light.  This gives a minimum LED output of 125 Lumens.  A toggle switch on the rear allows the LED to perform in constant, momentary and strobe modes.  There is a significant tactical application to the strobing features whether it be a LED in a flashlight configuration or weapons mounted.  The strobing LED light will disorient a suspect for up to 2 seconds.  This could take the place of a flashbang grenade (which serves the same purpose but on a much larger scale) under many entry circumstances.  When taking a hostile suspect into custody, the strobing light could disorient them long enough to get them in cuffs and stop them from being a threat without the use of pepper spray or deadly physical force.  The body is hard coat anodized aluminum for added strength.  The rail interface is adjustable to fit any of the currently produced Mil-Std 1913 rails.  The sample light was placed on a .45 Auto caliber Beretta Px4 pistol.

Insight has a host of various incandescent illumination lights.  The M3 and M3X have a peak output of 90 and 125 Lumens respectively and can be attached to either a handgun or a long arm.  This is as simple as switching the back plate.  Pistol will utilize toggle steady-on or a contoured pistol remote back plate.  For use with a long arm, a long gun back plate is used which has mode switch with three positions (off, mom and on).  A pressure pad is plugged into the rear of the back plate.

The XT1 Procyon Tactical LED is mounted to the rail (Mil-Std 1913) of most any pistol on the market. The T&E unit was mounted to a Beretta Px4 Storm .45 Auto caliber pistol. This unit enables an officer to use either constant LED illumination or strobeing to disorient a suspect to safely take into custody.

The X2/X2L Series Xenon tactical light is designed to be installed on rails of sub compact pistols.  The activation switch is a toggle style and is powered by a single CR2 3 volt battery.  The peak output is 40+ Lumens.

The M2 UTL (Universal Tactical Light) was designed for H&K for use with their USP pistol.  This mount is designed specifically for the USP pistol and utilizes two 123 6-volt batteries for a peak output of 90+ Lumens.  This was the first rail-mounted tactical light in the industry that offered blinding illumination which was actuated by a single finger and was rail mounted and installed without tools.

The vast majority of the Insight Tech-Gear’s LE/military lines of lights are tactical lights.  This means the lights are designed to be mounted on the firearm.  There are models specifically for mounting the lights on handguns as well as ones which will mount on any Mil-Std 1913 rail.

We thought it appropriate to focus and profile one of the exhibitors at Partner 2008, and Kompanija Sloboda from Ĉaĉak, Serbia seemed a good choice since most weapons users are familiar with them.  Sloboda was started in 1948, and has a reputation for being able to produce almost any small arms ammunition above 14.5mm.

SADJ readers will recognize the name Sloboda as the company that hosts the Living History live fire events that are held at their ranges several times a year by JNJ Import Export.  These Living History events allow industry, military and collectors to spend a week in southern Serbia and experience the culture, visit some of the arms factories, and fire the weapons used in the Balkan region since the First World War.  This is truly an amazing six day experience, firing everything from Tokarev pistols and Yugo Mausers up to PKMs, AGS-17, NSV, DShK, shoulder fired rocket launchers, and crew served weapons.  It would be a mistake to think this is all Sloboda does: this is just an interesting corollary to their main businesses.  Sloboda has an arms production section, as well as producing some items for civilian, household use.

The factory is located about 140 km from Belgrade in the city of Ĉaĉak.  Ĉaĉak (Cha-Chek) is a city of over 100,000 people, and it is a heavily industrialized area in the mountainous region of Serbia.  There is an excellent labor pool of skilled workers, many of them second or even third generation workers at the Sloboda plant.

We toured the facility several times during and after the first Bosnian War, as well as just before the 1999 NATO bombing, when US missiles were dropped onto the facility.  Much of the wreckage still remains, but it was not the critical parts of the facility that were damaged.  The spirit of the factory is strong and production is very highly regarded as some of the best quality controlled munitions in the region if not the world.  We have had several visits to the factory since then, most recently in 2008, and they are in full production on a range of artillery and grenade products including the VOG-25 series and 40x46mm rounds.

Sloboda is known for its engineering staff, as well as the fact that they have a full testing facility and certifications that are up to any standard in the European community.  They are qualified in the ISO 9001:2000 category, and the production is strictly overseen by government inspectors.

Sloboda has a lot to be proud of, and is looking forward to many years of service to the military and police communities.

Foreign sales:
Kompanija Sloboda
Ratka Mitrovića bb, 32000 Ĉaĉak
Serbia
Phone: ++381 32 26 21 41
Fax: ++381 32 22 63 90
E-mail: slobcom@ptt.yu
www.sloboda.com

US or US Contractor sales:
Defense Munitions LLC
631 N. Stephanie St #371
Henderson, NV 89014
Tel: (702) 566-9811
Fax: 702-558-1728
Email: info@defensemunitions.com
www.defensemunitions.com

Oerlikon Heaven. A full bin of brand new, unprimed 20x110mm Rebated Rim Oerlikon brass, ready for loading. Sloboda is one of the few places on the planet that is still supplying ammunition for this reliable old workhorse of a legacy system. There are numerous countries from Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America where the 20mm Oerlikon is operational, and finding modern made, high quality ammunition like that made at Sloboda is important.

Proper holding procedure for launching a barrel launched grenade with the sling across the chest taking the brunt of the recoil force. Operator sights over the top of the grenade though in this case he does not have the sight installed. Whether the operator uses a full grip on the pistol grip or holds off to the side is a personal preference dictated by experience. Barrel launched grenades have a recoil that is unforgiving at best.

American military customer performs test firing on the BGA-30 at the range. The BGA-30 is factory referred as the ABG-30 but it depends on translation. This is Zastava’s well made version of the AGS-17 and AGS-30 30mm fully automatic grenade launcher. Range is out to 1,700 meters with this system, which weighs half as much as a MK19 or GMG which are in 40x53mm and have a range of 500 more meters. The BGA-30 is an intermediate anti-personnel and anti-material weapon that is very reliable and accurate.

Display wall in Sloboda’s impressive conference room. The General Director keeps a full inventory of products on display for the customers to peruse.

One of Sloboda’s favorite products, while a relatively inexpensive one, is their trip flare. It provides 10,000 candlepower for 15 seconds, with a 115 dB report.

SADJ Senior Editor Robert Segel fires a DShK 38-46 at the Sloboda range.

30mm offerings for automatic cannons from 30x165mm and 30x210mm.

Sloboda’s 57x348mm anti-aircraft bodies are prepared for their fuzes just prior to loading. At this point they are not in a state where detonation can easily occur. These are for the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, S60 or S68.

Front loading the BG40 launcher with an M03 HE round. VOG-25 type grenades do not use a case and are muzzle loaded into the launcher, making them exceedingly fast for the operator. Those made at Sloboda are actually the A1 type with self-destruct timed fuze, and Sloboda does manufacture the VOG-25P series of “bounding” grenades that self elevate after landing to increase fragmentation distribution in anti-personnel scenarios. The launcher being used is the Zastava BGP-40, the Serbian made variant of the GP-30 grenade launcher. The original GP-25 launchers made in Russia had a firing pin “sticking issue” that resulted in many damaged fingertips on loading during the Russian fighting in Afghanistan in the 1980s, and the GP-30 series corrected that issue. Zastava makes a highly respected GP-30 variant the BGP40.

Each year, when MSPO in Poland is announced, there is a “Lead Nation” chosen. This “Lead Nation” is responsible for setting a tone, putting their best foot forward and showcasing their products and support for the Polish defense industry and MSPO. For the meeting in 2008, Sweden was chosen, and Swedish companies were out in force on the display floor.

In 2007, there were 364 companies from 24 countries present and the US contingent represented 31companies. In 2008, there were almost 400 companies from 28 countries present, and 2009 is expected to exceed that high watermark.

MSPO has grown into the largest military show in Eastern Europe, and its prominence in the defense industry is growing every year. Along with the trade show and live demonstrations, there are several days of seminars on arms and military subjects. MSPO is fast becoming a  “Must attend” show for those in the international arms trade, and SADJ heartily recommends attending.

The Bumar Group represents most of the Polish arms manufacturers as the export group and is the sponsor of many of the booths at MSPO.  www.bumar.com

The side-shuttle styled WKM-B “NSV” 12.7mm machine gun is here adapted to the ground mount “Infantry” configuration. There are knee supports for the shooter to add to tripod platform, and a shoulder support similar to the Vinghog M2HB softmounts. www.zmt.tarnow.pl

By far one of the most interesting finds at the show was the UKM 2000D variant of the PKM. With its side folding buttstock making it more paratrooper friendly, and the fact that it is in 7.62x51mm NATO caliber were outstanding. This author tried to get a better look into the mechanism, but the staff there would not permit it. They insisted that this model utilizes not only the NATO 30 cal, it uses the standard M13 disintegrating metallic link, the same as the M60 and the M240 series use. This is a radical change from the offerings that most companies are trying in this caliber, usually requiring the end user to switch to PKM pull out non-disintegrating metallic belts. Expect a deeper report on this item. UKM2000P is the standard infantry version, UKM 2000D is the folding stock version, and UKM 2000C is the tank version. P and D versions have Picatinny style rails. www.zmt.tarnow.pl

Poland has excellent production facilities for the famous ZSU-23-2, the workhorse Anti-aircraft system from the old ComBloc. It’s been modernized with electric controls and in the KG configuration adds two GROM missiles. The old ZSU (Type) 23 (Caliber 23mm) and -2 (2 guns) carries the ZUR configuration in Poland. The “T” configuration has no missiles, but an onboard fire control system that allows for air targets and ground targets with automatic integration of ballistics for various ammunitions used.

The PM98 is a modernized version of the 1984 made PM84 closed bolt submachine gun. Top: PM-98 with open front sight, flashlight forend, and standard rate of fire. Bottom: PM-98s with 770rpm.