The 2009 NDIA Small Arms Systems Symposium, Exhibition, and Firing Demonstration was as busy as its host city of Las Vegas.  For three days, May 19-21, participants from all aspects of the small arms defense community, sharing the common goal of servicing the warfighter, met to exchange ideas, view vendor products, and go hands-on with the latest and greatest hardware.  The 2009 symposium was truly notable due to its tremendous size, with over 700 attendees, yet the exceptional organization throughout the event is a reminder of the hard work of the NDIA small arms committee and operations team that for months prior made arrangements, checked schedules, organized papers, and then consistently stood ready to respond to any changes.

The hosting hotel, Bally’s of Las Vegas, proved to be an ample facility with a large display floor and conference room for the myriad of exhibits and briefings presented.  With a preview reception on the evening of the 18th, it did not take long to realize why the NDIA event is a choice symposium for the domestic and international small arms defense community.  The combination of vendor exhibits, intensive topic papers, and excellent live fire demonstration effectively combine the hands-on and academic aspect of equipment and technology assessment like few other events can.  As the event opened, Sam Campagna of NDIA initiated the symposium sessions by relaying the words of NDIA CEO, LTG (ret) Lawrence Farrell: “We’re here to support the troops.  It’s all about the troops.”  With that humbling beacon to focus in thoughts, so the event began.

A Notable Keynote
The morning of the 19th saw a routine that occurs annually at the NDIA Small Arms Symposium; a keynote speaker addressed the crowd and set the tone for the event.  This year was unique in that Mr. Anthony Melita, Acquisition Technology and Logistics, Land Warfare & Munitions, from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD), held the keynote title not to reminisce as some speakers have in the past, but to update attendees on a current small arms effort within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) known as the JAT, or Small Arms and Ammunition Joint Assessment Team.

The JAT was formed in response to a topic that had heated the 2008 symposium; the aging fleet age and technical limitations of the current U.S. Military small arms fleet in comparison to available emerging technologies in both friendly and threat countries.  Mr. Melita’s meticulous explanation of the effort was given with every caution reminding the crowd that a mere four months had past since the change of administration within the U.S. Government and that there are many aspects regarding the future that have yet to be mapped.  What was certain however, is the work the JAT has already accomplished to include developing a working group to implement the JAT effort with Mr. Melita emphasizing the goal, “Ultimately to look objectively at small arms and determine if we are doing the right thing.”  With that concept of unbiased objectivity in mind a guiding formula was established:

– Collect all relevant documents and requirements
– Identify common capability gaps
– Assess material and non-material solutions for the identified gaps
– Compile quad charts for each identified area
– Compile industry input
– Establish conclusions

Notably, industry too was invited to participate and offer insight through NDIA with over ninety companies and individuals responding to the call.  With such an intense effort, the JAT effort produced eighty-five findings with six major conclusions.  Though identified capability gaps, findings, and conclusions were not fully detailed for obvious national security reasons, some major themes arose regarding how to analyze the conclusions and develop future courses of action:

– Develop measurable standards to support requirement documents
– Apply the new standards to the factors and challenges that impact system optimization and decisions regarding potential material and non-material solutions
– Assess the impact of training on small-arms effectiveness
– Identify available Commercial-off-the-Shelf (CotS) and National Defense Industry (NDI) material solutions

Clearly the JAT effort has just begun and though some aspects of the effort and its future are unclear, it is reassuring to see such an effort underway and making substantial progress.  It is a compliment to those involved that the effort has encompassed such a wide group and signals that some of the previous days of keeping industry in the dark may be passed.  The JAT effort is truly collective and has the potential to vitalize numerous industry efforts; well worth watching in the months to come.

Ashbury International’s Asymmetric Warrior’s most notable design change since 2008 is the addition of a rail bearing carbon-fiber heat shield.

PEO Soldier, U.S. Army
Following Mr. Melita, BG Peter Fuller, Program Executive Officer, Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, took the podium to address the current state of PEO Soldier, which has changed commanders since the 2008 symposium when BG Brown served as PEO.  As with last year, the Soldier-as-a-System (SaaS) concept has rightfully remained a guiding principle in development of all soldier systems.  The SaaS principle simply views the Soldier integrated with his/her weapon, ammunition, sensors/lasers, and training, as a single system achieving a combined effect.  In the big picture, PEO Soldier uses SaaS as an overarching concept to achieve the goals of increasing Soldier combat effectiveness, saving Soldier lives, and improving Soldier quality of life.  In regards to small arms Fuller emphasized, “There’s lots of ambiguity out there… (But) the Army recognizes the Soldier is the center piece of our organization”.  Fuller reiterated that PM Soldier Weapons uses the SaaS model, working with the U.S. Army Infantry Center (USAIC), when determining the nature of small arms development.  As often is the case with Army briefings, training was emphasized as one of the most significant force multipliers in the model regarding combat application of small arms.  Despite this, some end-users in the military infrastructure and various industry personnel have cautioned that training is not capable of addressing material failures and have warned against any entrenching mindset that may cause stagnation fielding material solutions.

Of particular interest in the previous 2008 symposium was the now infamous “carbine controversy” brewing between advocates and critics of the small arms development and procurement process/system in which the operational performance of the M4 Carbine became a spotlight issue.  Despite the intentions presented by COL Robert Radcliffe of the USAIC at last year’s symposium to continue with M4 procurement and “pure fleet” the Army with the system, radical changes over the past twelve months were reinforced by BG Fuller proclaiming that the Future Carbine Competition, which was preceded by an Industry RFI in November, 2008, is still the focus of future plans.  In the meantime, the Army plan is to service the fleet of nearly 1.3 million M4s in the inventory to sustain continuing combat operations as well as push to fielding the new “green ammo” optimized to the M4 operating system as a replacement to the current issue M855 (SS109).

Fuller commented on the milestones already reached by PEO Soldier since last year’s symposium to include general fielding of the M320 Grenade Launcher, formerly the XM320, after several years of hold ups and changes.  Wayne Webber, president of Heckler & Koch Inc., speaking from the H&K exhibition booth acknowledged that significant shipments of M320s were delivered in the month of May and many more are forthcoming.  The first receiving units will be in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Another notable development elaborated by Fuller is a soon to occur user assessment of the XM25 25mm grenade launcher.  Meant to be an individual, user programmable airburst, precision anti-personnel weapon, the XM25 is an offshoot of the original airburst module of the OICW program prominent several years ago.  The premise behind the XM25 concept is to deprive the enemy of covered positions, whether material barriers or defilade, by circumventing the requirement of overcoming the barrier with direct-fire, line-of-sight, weapons.  Unlike current issue 40mm HE and HEDP munitions which require an impact to detonate, the XM25 ordinance allows the user to range his target (or the cover obscuring the target) and exploit the vulnerable areas through pin-pointed airburst detonations.

LTC Chris Lehner, manning the PEO Soldier exhibit took the time to explain the perceived battlefield advantages of the XM25 and nature of the coming user assessment.  “Ever since men have used direct fire weapons, whoever was getting shot at has learned very quickly to use cover… We’re taking away that concept (with airburst munitions) forever.  Every time an enemy goes to cover they give us an opening because they had to get into that position to begin with.  XM25 will exploit that opening.”  The user assessment will be focused on stateside (CONUS) use with a limited safety release that allows shoulder firing, as the current firing sequence of XM25 is limited to stand firing.  The limited end-user assessment will be used by PEO Soldier to evaluate the system’s advantages and limitations while gauging the perceived effectiveness by the user.  LTC Lehner and PEO Soldier are optimistic that Soldiers, once exposed to the XM25’s capabilities, will want to add those capabilities to their organizations and will offer valuable insight regarding the current configuration.

Progressions in individual weapons were not the only gains showcased by the Army; crew served weapons have seen several advancements make their way towards combat fielding in both the performance and weight reduction arena.  Having seen use for a number of years by SOCOM, the MK 48 7.62 mm light machine gun has found its way into the Regular Army (RA) as part of the ongoing effort to reduce weight burdens on troops bound for the relentless terrain of Afghanistan.  Resembling a “beefy” M249, the MK 48 is a stop gap measure providing light weight 7.62 fire power until another PEO Soldier program, the M240L, comes to maturity.  The M240L appears at first glance to be a standard issue M240B configuration, but upon picking up the weapon one quickly appreciates that at the heart of the system is a light weight titanium alloy receiver which sheds nearly six pounds of total weight.  The M240L can also be coupled, in M240E6 configuration, with a light weight folding tripod in place of the venerable but hefty M122 series.  Heavier crew served weapons also continue to see improvements with the continuation of programs such as the XM806 light weight .50 BMG machine gun and the near fielding of the M2A1 enhanced “Ma Deuce” with fixed head-space and a quick change barrel features, as well as further development and implementation of the CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapon System) as a tool to remove gunners from the IED vulnerable positions on in-theatre vehicles.

Joint Services Small Arms Synchronization Team (JSSAST)
Chaired by the Army’s COL Carl Flynn, the JSSAST Session routinely serves as a quick reference to the various services small arms paths; a useful tool for industry personnel to reference the current trends among the force.  Preceding the various speakers representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and SOCOM, as well as non-lethal developments, Flynn took time to reiterate some of the common goals the JSSAST has been pursuing.  As with several years past, LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technology) continues to occupy a prominent place among JSSAST ventures.  Alternative material casings as well as caseless ammunition are still being developed and tested with some degree of success and coincidently relate nicely to the trend of the past six months of making rapid adjustments in order lighten the weight burden of military personnel in theatre.  There has been some criticism in the LSAT arena particularly focused on the feasibility of caseless ammunition, with its associated complexities, as born out during the ACR program of the 1990s, but polymer and metal alloy casings have seen praiseworthy progress which could reduce the weight ratio for the number or rounds carried by an approximate twenty percent.  Though there are some material challenges ensuring LSAT alternative materials are capable of handling the extreme pressure of firearms discharge without rupture or case head separation, the program is an effort that, if successful, could radically benefit light infantry, airborne, and special operations warfighters.  Other current focuses of the JSSAST include advanced fire control systems to increase the “lethality” of legacy and developmental weapon systems.

SADJ: How you got started in shooting?  

Westrom:  My father was a master gunsmith, so from my youngest days I’ve been around firearms and technology.  I bought my first pistol at the age of 16.  It was a Ruger Mark I .22 caliber pistol.  I had a nice little coin collection, but there was a fellow at the coin show with this pistol, so I became a pistol shooter.

SADJ:  You traded your coin collection?  

Westrom:  Yeah.  We both got good deals on that.  In those days, I would drive up to the Ankeny, Iowa Police Department and they would allow me to sign out the key to their police pistol range.  I’d drive out to the pistol range, and I would put up targets and I would shoot and, by accident, I put myself through a good training program.

SADJ:  Did you have formal training?  

Westrom:  I had a little training at Boy Scout camp, under the tutelage of a Marine Corps NCO, and a little training from my father.  I graduated high school enrolled at Iowa State University, joined ROTC, and started competitive shooting on the university pistol team, which was sponsored by the ROTC.  I was already a pretty sharp pistol shooter.

I was commissioned in 1973 into the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps, and in 1976 was picked up by the All-Army Pistol Team.  I shot with All-Army for a number of years.  In the ordnance world, I was a rare creature; I was an armament maintenance officer.  They don’t even have that specialty anymore.

SADJ:  What were you shooting at the time?  

Westrom:  M14s.  After leaving the Army, I entered Civil Service, and the Army Reserve.  At the time, I switched to shooting rifles competitively.  While shooting in the Reserves, it became apparent that it was time to switch to an M16 Match rifle.

I started an ad hoc, unfunded program at Rock Island to develop a rifle that could be used as a National Match gun, or as a designated marksman’s rifle.  In those days, there was huge resistance to the M16 rifle.  I did not think the M16 could compete with an M14 in service rifle competition, but I thought we needed try it.

In 1994, I was offered the chance to buy ArmaLite.  I bought the company and I carried my ordnance project into the company.  That became the basis of our National Match M16 rifle.  Basically, all of the other modifications on the market are because of the things we did at that time – the two-phase trigger, the free-floating barrel, and the Match sights.

Eventually the Army Marksmanship Unit picked up on what the Army Reserve Rifle Team was trying to do.  They carried the rifles forward into stunning victories from 1994 through 1997.  We got a head start on the other services.

SADJ:  The other services were still using M14s.  

Westrom:  Yeah, the other services were still using M14s.  Now, if you want to win the national matches, you don’t shoot an M14.  You’re at a disadvantage with an M14.

SADJ:  You bought ArmaLite in 1994.  Tell me about that experience.

Westrom:  When I bought the company in January, 1994, there were 6 employees.  We were under threat of an assault weapons ban.  I bought the company, and in September 1994 the assault weapons ban was enacted.  How’s that for bad timing? (laughs)

The assault weapons ban turned into a great opportunity.  Once I took over, we went to work on building a strong development program.  There were times that we went to the SHOT Show with more new models than anybody else at the show.  After starting out with the AR-15, I brought the AR-10 back.  After the AR-10, I went on to the AR-50, ArmaLite’s second bolt-action rifle.

The AR-50 was inspired by things that my wife Judy and I saw at the SHOT Show.  The V-block bedding and the receiver, mounting the receiver in the stock, use of the metallic stock – those were all suggested by things we saw at SHOT, although nobody was doing those things.  The muzzle brake came later.  I first sketched the AR-50 out on the back of a napkin.  And with only two real changes, that’s what went into production.

SADJ:  Who was making .50 caliber rifles at the time?  

Westrom:  Barrett; and a couple other companies were making .50 caliber rifles.  They were very inexpensive firearms.  To a degree, you still see the same tradition in the .50 caliber market.  Manufacturers are making very simple guns.  We went with an expensive design with a powerful receiver.  The receiver was designed to accept the 12.7×109 cartridge, the standard Soviet Bloc cartridge so that we could pursue overseas sales.

After the AR-50, we brought the AR-180 back, and then later we scaled the AR-50 down into the AR-30.  We have a heavy emphasis on product line expansion of our guns.  ArmaLite’s focus and reputation has always been on new product developments and advanced armament concepts.  Everything ArmaLite did was advanced in its day – the AR-5, the AR-7, AR-10, the AR-15, AR-17, and the AR-18.  They all were all groundbreaking projects.

Brands are both powerful tools and powerful limitations; you have to live up to your brand.

SADJ:  Where do you see the market headed in the future?

Westrom:  Right now, the firearms market is similar to the computer industry 20 years ago, where you had local computer shops that would build up computers out of a standard palette of parts.  Most of the outfits making semiautomatic firearms today don’t actually make the parts.  They buy parts and assemble rifles.

One of the advantages of doing your own technical work and your own manufacturing is the development of technical experience that you can’t when assembling a rifle from parts.  It’s intensely important.  If you stop and think about it, you never know when your rifle design is fully finished: if you aren’t doing the engineering, you never know what the design really entails.  That’s proven to be a substantial technical advantage to us.

SADJ:  What are your thoughts on the current M4 controversy?  

Westrom:  The criticism of the M16 family of rifles comes from basically two places.  One, it comes from commercial guys who bad-mouth the weapon so that they can sell their product.  The other comes from weak maintenance – things as simple as bad magazines.  Virtually all of the problems with M16 rifle malfunctions could be solved by throwing away bad magazines.

When I was assigned to Rock Island, I hated the M16.  And I had a lot of time on my hands, so I initiated a study of the M16.  I had access to the technical library at Rock Island, and researched deeply into historical documents that hadn’t been accessed since the 1960s.

Eventually, I threw up my arms and had to admit that I understood the concept.  The concept ensures reliability, supportability, and cost.  It’s a logical choice.  Despite my initial prejudice, I came over to the M16, came over to the dark side.  One of the things that bothered me with the M16 was that gas tube.

I’ve since realized that the gas tube is a brilliant piece of engineering.  People talk about going to a piston gun.  The M16 is a piston gun.  The piston on an M16 is in the bolt carrier, but the M16 system is still a piston gun.  The gas tube system keeps recoil forces in a straight line.  The M16 gas tube system does not have an issue with moving masses that arise when using a connecting rod or a piston.  The gas tube system is a brilliant design, but I didn’t like the dust, dirt, and carbon that was deposited in the receiver.

The carbon in the receiver – that bothered me.  I took two M16 rifles that were properly cleaned and lubricated.  Over two days, we conducted heavy firing of these two rifles, with no cleaning, and no lubrication.  The rifles fired at 2,000 rounds per rifle with no malfunctions.  I couldn’t argue with the results.

The problem with the Army is that they have a white-glove mentality, and they want their rifles clean.  It’s easy to tell when the rifle is absolutely clean.  It’s hard to tell when the rifle is clean enough.  That white-glove mentality is a powerful influence within the U.S. armed forces.  Soldiers don’t realize that wiping down and lubing the rifle components is enough on an M16.  Instead, they overdo it.

What’s the purpose of the gas tube?  To get the bolt carrier moving.  What’s the purpose of the piston?

SADJ:  To get the bolt carrier moving.

Westrom:  How does the bolt, or any other part, know how it got moving?

SADJ:  It doesn’t.  It has a force applied to it.  

Following is a brief case study on the tactical success of a bayonet charge in Basra, Iraq in May, 2004 by British soldiers.  It was written by Edwin Halpain and Justin Walker at the Urban Warfare Analysis Center and released on January 27, 2009.

We should all stand and cheer our British comrades.  When the odds were against them, they prevailed due to training in, and execution of, the Spirit of the Bayonet.

For those of you unfamiliar, let there be no ambiguity: The Spirit of the Bayonet is to kill.

Bayonets in Basra – A Case Study on the Effects of Irregular Warfare
This report is a brief case study on the tactical success of a bayonet charge in Basra, Iraq in May 2004 by British soldiers.  As a case study, the findings are not intended to automatically apply to other situations in different locations.  Nonetheless, this incident marks a helpful contribution to the larger study of irregular warfare.  The research is based on open source reporting combined with collaborative discussions about the incident by military, social science, and technology analysts at the Urban Warfare Analysis Center (UWAC).  Interviews with the actual participants in the battle would be a logical next step to better understand the dynamics and significance of this event.

Executive Summary
In May 2004, approximately 20 British troops in Basra were ambushed and forced out of their vehicles by about 100 Shiite militia fighters.  When ammunition ran low, the British troops fixed bayonets and charged the enemy.  About 20 militiamen were killed in the assault without any British deaths.

The bayonet charge appeared to succeed for three main reasons.  First, the attack was the first of its kind in that region and captured the element of surprise.  Second, enemy fighters probably believed jihadist propaganda stating that coalition troops were cowards unwilling to fight in close combat, further enhancing the element of surprise.  Third, the strict discipline of the British troops overwhelmed the ability of the militia fighters to organize a cohesive counteraction.

Aerial view of Amarah and Route 6.

The effects of this tactical action in Basra are not immediately applicable elsewhere, but an important dominant theme emerges regarding the need to avoid predictable patterns of behavior within restrictive rules of engagement.  Commanders should keep adversaries off balance with creative feints and occasional shows of force lest they surrender the initiative to the enemy.

Overview of Bayonet Charge
On 21 May 2004, Mahdi militiamen engaged a convoy consisting of approximately 20 British troops from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 55 miles north of Basra.  A squad from the Princess of Wales regiment came to their assistance.  What started as an attack on a passing convoy ended with at least 28 militiamen dead and just three British troops wounded.  The militiamen engaged a force that had restrictive rules of engagement prior to the incident that prevented them from returning fire.  What ensued was an example of irregular warfare by coalition troops that achieved a tactical victory over a numerically superior foe with considerable firepower.

Atmosphere Preceding the Attack
After a period of relative calm, attacks escalated after coalition forces attempted to arrest Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.  British soldiers in southern Iraq said they were “stunned” by the level of violence near Basra.  In particular, Mahdi militiamen conducted regular ambushes on British convoys on the roads between Basra and Baghdad.  Frequent, uncoordinated attacks inflicted little damage, although precise data is unavailable in open sources.  Since the Scottish and Welsh troops arrived in Basra, Shiite militias averaged about five attacks per day in Basra.

The Bayonet Charge
The battle began when over 100 Mahdi army fighters ambushed two unarmored vehicles transporting around 20 Argylls on the isolated Route Six highway near the southern city of Amarah.  Ensconced in trenches along the road, the militiamen fired mortars, rocket propelled grenades, and machine gun rounds.  The vehicles stopped and British troops returned fire.  The Mahdi barrage caused enough damage to force the troops to exit the vehicles.  The soldiers quickly established a defensive perimeter and radioed for reinforcements from the main British base at Amarah – Camp Abu Naji.  Reinforcements from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment assisted the Argylls in an offensive operation against the Mahdi militiamen.  When ammunition ran low among the British troops, the decision was made to fix bayonets for a direct assault.

The British soldiers charged across 600 feet of open ground toward enemy trenches.  They engaged in intense hand-to-hand fighting with the militiamen.  Despite being outnumbered and lacking ammunition, the Argylls and Princess of Wales troops routed the enemy.  The British troops killed about 20 militiamen in the bayonet charge and between 28 and 35 overall.  Only three British soldiers were injured.

Why the Bayonet Charge Was a Tactical Success
The bayonet charge by British troops in Basra achieved tactical success primarily because of psychological and cultural factors.  It also shows that superior firepower does not guarantee success by either side.  In this case, the value of surprise, countering enemy expectations, and strict troop discipline were three deciding characteristics of the bayonet charge.

Surprise as a Weapon
The Mahdi fighters likely expected the British convoy to continue past the attack.  Previous convoys of British vehicles had driven through ambush fire.  British military sources believe the militiamen miscalculated the response of the convoy and expected the Scots to flee.

TOP: US M4 Colt Carbine with US M7 bayonet with stock extended. BOTTOM: British SA80A1 Carbine with standard bayonet. (Photo by Dan Shea courtesy LMO Working Reference Collection)

Although the raid is a well-honed tactic practiced by jihadist and Arab irregulars, the surprise raid has been an effective tool against Arab armies, both regular and irregular.  Irregular fighters usually are not trained in the rigid discipline that professional counterparts possess, and the surprise attack exploits this weakness.

Enemy Expectation that Coalition Troops Would Avoid Combat
Propaganda by Sunni and Shiite jihadists regularly advertised the perception that American and British soldiers were cowards.  Similar rhetoric increased after the battles of Fallujah in April 2004, perhaps to steady the resolve of militia fighters in the face of aggressive coalition attacks.  In addition, British convoys did not engage significantly during previous ambushes, which probably validated the narrative for many Mahdi militiamen.  Because many of the Mahdi fighters were teenagers, it is also likely that the Mahdi army used these ambushes for training and recruiting.  The attacks were an opportunity for young fighters to use weapons in combat with little risk of serious reprisal.

In short, the bayonet charge not only surprised the Mahdi militiamen, it also debunked the perception that coalition troops were reluctant fighters seeking to avoid conflict.

Strict Discipline
A crucial distinction during the bayonet charge was the professional discipline of the British troops in contrast to the disunity and confusion of the militia fighters.  Irregular militia often fight with passion and benefit from knowledge of the local terrain.  Professional soldiers, however, formally trained in tactics and squad unity can often overcome these and other obstacles.  During the bayonet charge, the soldiers rarely lost their nerve and not a single soldier lost his life.  Many of the militiamen fled.

Discipline is a tool that can be leveraged in irregular warfare against troops that lack professional training.  The individual commander needs to recognize which tactics capitalize on troop discipline and then exploit the enemy’s weakness in this area.

Conclusion
In irregular warfare, Western military forces have options beyond just superior firepower.  The bayonet charge in Basra by British troops showed the value of spontaneous surprise attacks under the right conditions.  The attack also refuted the jihadist narrative in the area depicting coalition troops as cowards afraid of tough combat, probably swinging the psychological advantage back to coalition troops.

Other nonconventional means of fighting could achieve similar results as the bayonet charge.  Drawing from “lessons learned” across areas of operation and from historical case studies could produce multiple options for small unit tactics with minimal changes to operational structure.  All irregular warfare methods, however, must be carefully studied for possible second-order consequences.

For example, the use of attack dogs by coalition troops could provoke fear among some militia fighters, but also infuriate local public opinion by giving the impression that U.S. soldiers care more about their dogs than other human beings.

At the least, this case study suggests the importance of changing tactics and procedures to keep enemy fighters off balance.  Even within restrictive rules of engagement, commanders should seek periodic “spike” actions that prevent coalition procedures from becoming routine and easily predictive.

Sometimes actions as simple as unexpected changes in appearance or shows of force can regain the initiative.  At the same time, commanders must weigh all operational actions in the larger context of persuading the local civilian population to support the consistent, constructive, and stabilizing actions of the coalition as a whole.

About the Urban Warfare Analysis Center

The Urban Warfare Analysis Center produces innovative research and analysis of irregular warfare conducted in urban environments.  We bring together personnel from diverse analytical disciplines – including science and technology, social sciences, linguistics, and military studies – to create unique insights across the full range of military operations.  The UWAC serves clients in the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and broader national security arena.  For additional information, please see the UWAC website at www.uwac-ok.com or search “UWAC” at www.intelink.gov.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders are an infantry regiment of the British Army with a rich history.  It is one of Scotland’s oldest fighting forces.  It is best known for forming the legendry “thin red line” at the Battle of Balaklava in the Crimean War against Russia in 1854.  It later fought with distinction in World War I and World War II, including intense jungle warfare in Malaya.  After Iraq, it served in Afghanistan before returning home in 2008.

All Scottish units were amalgamated into one unit in December 2004 but each unit retained their old regiment name, i.e. the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders became the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland and were part of the 16th Air Assault Brigade.

Country: United Kingdom
Branch: Army, 16th Air Assault Brigade
Type: One of six Scottish line infantry regiments
Role: Air assault-Light role
Motto: Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (No One Assails Me With Impunity)

“This award validates our pursuit of new international growth opportunities that are transforming ATK into a world class integrator of global defense systems…. ATK’s supply chain expertise enabled us to offer affordable quality products from geographically dispersed regions to satisfy these emerging customer requirements.”

Mark DeYoung
President, ATK Armament Systems

Long time aerospace and defense contractor Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) is on the move in the non-traditional small arms field.  Non-traditional for US companies, that is.

During the May 2009 NDIA Small Arms Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada, SADJ was able to speak with Karen Davies, VP and General Manager of ATK’s Small Caliber Systems including the U.S. Army’s Lake City Ammunition Plant.  Also present were ATK’s Business Development guru Keith Enlow, and ATK Media contact Amanda Covington.

With ATK’s recent acquisition of Eagle Industries that is expected to put $80 million USD into the sales of the parent company, the award of the $75 million USD foreign small arms ammunition procurement for Afghanistan, and ATK’s rumored involvement in many more non-standard weapon and ammunition ventures, SADJ wanted to bring the readers a better understanding of what is going on here.

Zastava Arms’ NSV Infantry model in 12.7x108mm is a link fed (NSV links are different from the DShKM link) machine gun that was previously relegated to tank mounted role only, and has recently been redefined as an infantry heavy machine gun as well. The buttstock with trigger and FCU system, lightweight tripod, and optics are all geared towards fast transportation and durable use. This is typical of the innovative new products that ATK is working to bring to the Afghan and Iraq forces as part of the new programs they are bidding on. This Model is called the Model 02, a variant of Zastava’s M87 NSV. (Photo by Dan Shea courtesy Zastava Oruzje, Serbia)

Essentially, the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan presented some logistical nightmares for U.S. and Coalition forces.  The training and arming of indigenous forces, as well as the supply and training of U.S. Forces in non-traditional weapons systems has been difficult – primarily due to the attrition of individuals with the institutionalized knowledge of these systems leaving the U.S. Military and Intelligence services over the last several decades.  This left a void in the knowledge pool, and as the U.S. Government geared up to procure these non-standard items they had to rely on unusual channels to find the required weapons and ammunition.

What followed were some successful years of procurement through reliable international arms suppliers and factories, and then a number of high profile and very embarrassing incidents culminating in the fairly recent AEY debacle, where hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign weapons contracts ended in a terrible mess for all involved.

Reasonable contractors were shocked to see contracts awarded that were so far underbid that it was obvious something was wrong with the picture.  As the situation unraveled, soldiers on the battlefield suffered because of this profiteering and supply of substandard or flat out illegal weapons and ammunition.

Examples of some of the non-typical (for U.S. suppliers) ammunition that ATK has had available to supply in the newly awarded Afghan supply contract. Left to Right: 57x348mm HE round for self-propelled AA gun S/60 and S/68, 40x365mm HE for L/70 Bofors AA machine cannon, 37x252mm for 37mm AA gun M39 (SU), 30x220 mm HE for 30mm 30/2 M53, M53/59 machine cannons, 30x165mm TP-T for 30mm 2A72, 2A42, and 2A38M machine cannon, 30mm M93P1 green colored HE and M93TP white practice round for BGA-30 (AGS-17/30) Automatic Grenade Machine gun, 20x110RB Oerlikon ammunition- HEIT, 20x110mm Hispano cannon ammunition, 20x110 Hispano AP-I, VOG-25 HE – Frag M03 grenade for the BGP-40 (GP-25/30) underbarrel Russian style front loading 40mm grenade launchers. (Photo by Dan Shea, courtesy Sloboda Mfg, Ĉaĉak, Serbia)

Investigations abounded, and legitimate suppliers were vetted out to ensure these problems never occurred again.  If someone opened a history book, they would understand this is not the first time that sentence has been written.

Under the ensuing oversight, the U.S. Government has entered a new phase of searching for ethical, viable, and reliable contractors who can supply these unusual needs.  Clearly, multi-hundred million dollar contracts require a significant infrastructure and knowledge of not only the products needed, but the methodology of government paperwork and “How it works.”

Enter ATK
Karen Davies, General Manager of ATK’s Small Caliber Systems programs, has committed a full set of resources and the focus necessary to bring the strength of ATK’s decades of experience in controlling programs like this.  Echoing the government’s request, she told us that, “ATK hopes to fulfill the very role that the government needs; an ethical, reliable and very stable contracting company that can follow through on the needs of troops and our allies in their need for weapon systems.”

SADJ will be visiting the Lake City Ammunition Plant in the near future for a site review to bring information to our readers on the updated facility and programs there.  In the meantime, we will be covering the non-traditional ammunition program as it moves forward.

ATK is a premier aerospace and defense company with more than 17,000 employees in 21 states and approximately $4.6 billion in revenue.  News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.

Norm was well known within the small arms manufacturing community as an expert with over 50 years of engineering expertise.  Norm spent most of these years at Saco Defense, Saco, ME as a senior manager on the production and engineering teams responsible for the M60, M60E3, M60E4/Mk43, M2 Flex, and Mk19 weapons systems.  Norm spent seventeen of his years at Saco helping to set up and then maintain their large U.S. Government firearms production lines.

Norm joined the U.S. Ordnance team in 2000 as Senior Manufacturing Engineer shortly after General Dynamics first licensed U.S. Ordnance to produce the M60.  Norm was ideally suited for this role as he had already performed this task several times prior to this at Maremont Corp, Saco Defense, Inc. and General Dynamics.  During his nine years at U.S. Ordnance, Norm was Senior Manufacturing Engineer on the M60 product line; company President, and most recently Senior Manufacturing Engineer on the U.S. Ordnance M2HB program.

Norm was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Richard.  He is survived by the love of his life, Jackie with whom he would have celebrated 60 years of marriage; brother George W. of Parkville, MD, sister Jean Devlin of Wilmington, MA; children Susan Gendron and husband Mark of Raymond, ME; Sandra Savage and husband William of Sandwich, MA; Norman E. Justice, Jr. and wife Tody of Gorham, ME; and Scott Justice of Chadron, NE; eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

The United States Government (TACOM) has just announced an order has been placed with U.S. Ordnance, for 548 M2HB Flex .50 caliber machine guns. SADJ is pleased to bring the story of US Ordnance’s “Ma Deuce” to our readers as the US Government is gearing up its inventory.

U.S. Ordnance is a woman owned manufacturing defense contractor located in McCarran, Nevada, just outside of Reno.  U.S. Ordnance is rated as a small business, and they are “cutting chips” daily and manufacturing is in-house.  Among their other products such as the M60E4/MK43 machine guns, they manufacture their M2HB .50 caliber machine guns in their new 68,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.  With newly purchased state-of-the-art equipment and an indoor firing range, U.S. Ordnance has the ability to accurately and efficiently produce and test their products to the industry’s highest standards and the company is ISO 9001:2000 certified by DNV.  Using the latest manufacturing techniques, U.S. Government monitoring and responsible sales ethics, they deliver reliable and comprehensive products and services to their customers.

U.S. Ordnance manufactures and provides firearms that are extensively tested, safe, and battlefield proven effective.  In April 2000, U.S. Ordnance was licensed by Saco Defense (now General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Inc.) to manufacture the complete line of M60 machine guns.  The initial licensing agreement transferred the contractor owned technical data, processes and procedures, contractor owned tooling, gages and fixtures to U.S. Ordnance.  In February 2006, the balance of the required Government owned production tooling used on the M60 machine gun was transferred from Saco Defense to U.S. Ordnance.  Since then, U.S. Ordnance has manufactured thousands of complete M60 machine guns (models M60E4, M60E3, and M60D) for the U. S. Government and other commercial and foreign contracts.  Starting in early 2007, they started developing their M2HB machine gun.

Standard U.S. Ordnance M2HB shown with M3 tripod. (US Ordnance)

All U.S. Ordnance products are developed and tested to NATO specifications and made to the original technical data package.  A critical consideration for the company was maintaining those original specifications.  U.S. Ordnance customers benefit from extensive environmental endurance testing, such as drop tests, ice, mud and water immersion, to deliver the most reliable firearms.  Each U.S. Ordnance machine gun produced undergoes proof firing, as well as function and accuracy testing before it leaves the factory.  This 100% testing ensures quality control.  Due to the success of their firearms worldwide and current production for the U.S. Government, U.S. Ordnance can assure availability of replacement parts in the future.  In addition to their M2HB and M60 line they offer the M16/M4 variants, M203 grenade launcher, and M40A3 sniper system.

M2HB Background
The M2HB .50 caliber (12.7x99mm) is an air-cooled, belt-fed, machine gun that fires from a closed bolt, operated on John Browning’s venerable short recoil principle.  This weapon system first went into design in the early 1920s, and was in full use by the mid-1930s.  Affectionately called “Ma Deuce,” it fought through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, countless wars and conflicts around the world including Iraq and Afghanistan today.  The current iteration of the M2HB is capable of both sustained automatic and accurate single shot fire.  The M2HB machine gun is used extensively as a vehicle, boat, helicopter or aircraft mounted weapon by the United States and most NATO countries.  Ammunition may be fed from either the left or the right side of the gun making it suitable for use by both infantry and in armored vehicles.  The M2HB is in service with the U.S. Military and the armed forces of over 23 nations and is the world standard in heavy machine guns.

U.S. Ordnance flaming Bomb logo and 1NZN0 acage code on a newly manufactured M2HB machine gun receiver. (U.S. Ordnance)

Key Features of the U.S. Ordnance M2HB

• Parts interchangeable with M2HB machine guns produced in the United States,
• Can be fitted to all types of armored, light and heavy vehicles, patrol boats, helicopters and aircraft,
• Fires all types of ammunition: Ball, Tracer, AP, API, APIT, AP and Multipurpose rounds,
• Left or right hand ammunition feed and cocking,
• Can be fired manually or by solenoid.

Available Options and Improvements

• Improved quick adjustment sighting system with Integrated M1913 Picatinny rails for mounting optics and laser aiming devices,
• Optional positive safety selector for the trigger mechanism to prevent accidental discharges when they are traveling over rough terrain while manning the weapon system,
• Optional flash reducer/suppressor,
• M2QCB – Quick Change Barrel option also available.

U.S. Ordnance understands the importance of ensuring interchangeability for mature weapons systems such as the M2HB.  They have already successfully demonstrated full interchangeability for the M60 weapons system with those produced by Maremont Corporation and Saco Defense.  Their ISO established processes, procedures, quality assurance controls, production testing, and methods of manufacture ensures the level of quality required for all components of the M2HB machine gun are also maintained.

Newly manufactured U.S. Ordnance M2HB receiver components just prior to riveting. (U.S. Ordnance)

Production Capabilities
In 2007, Norman Justice (see sidebar) and U.S. Ordnance senior management agreed to fund development of a U.S. Ordnance M2HB weapon system.  The initial stage involved designing and building the necessary tooling and fixtures required to assemble the various components and design and ordering of the tooling to produce the required castings and forgings.  This process required four full-time tool and die makers to develop and build tooling and production fixture and inventories of $2.5 million worth of weapons grade material, castings, and forgings were ordered.  In 2007, the economy was booming, metal prices were at an all time high, and weapons grade metal castings and forgings took 28 weeks from order to delivery.

In October of 2008, U.S. Ordnance took occupancy of its company owned, 68,000 square foot facility in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center.  This custom building included expanded capabilities, such as an automated Phosphate Coating System, and an indoor live fire test range that can handle full auto .50 caliber Standard Ball Cartridge and .50 caliber High Pressure Test Cartridges, and a high security customs bonded warehouse.

This building expansion occurred at just the right time because over $5 million worth of new equipment dedicated to their M2HB production was starting to arrive.  Their prior facility did not have sufficient floor space for this larger equipment and they had exhausted their available electrical supply.  This new equipment under Norman Justice’s guidance and prior experience was grouped into cells and dedicated to their M2HB and/or M2HB subcomponent production.  In layman’s terms this translates into very accurate volume production.  In most cases these cells run 20 hour shifts, five days per week.

In September 2008, U.S. Ordnance received a contract from TACOM-RI for 859 Non-standard M2HB for Afghanistan.  This contract had an aggressive delivery schedule with the first delivery occurring just 60 days later in November.  While actual monthly production figures are confidential SADJ was able to confirm that U.S. Ordnance delivery schedule of 100 per month is current.  In addition to this they have supplied several foreign allies with undisclosed quantities of M2HB weapon systems on DSP-5 export license as part of their direct commercial sales program.

Downrange view thru the U.S. Ordnance improved weapons sight. (U.S. Ordnance)

Process and Product Improvements
As part of their continuous effort to improve the M2HB weapon system, U.S. Ordnance has perfected the fabrication process associated with the barrel extension to mitigate cracking of this critical component.  Cracking of the barrel extension is a common problem with the M2HB after prolonged use.  Within the last year, an improved barrel extension was provided to Special Tactical Services and used in the course of their training programs.  Over 120,000 rounds were fired with no degradation of the barrel extension.  The changes made reflect modifications to the manufacturing process while the resultant design completely conforms to the M2HB TDP

Another product improvement developed by U.S. Ordnance is their improved sighting system.  With its simplicity of use, the user can concentrate on the target allowing for rapid target acquisition.  The large heads-up ballistic compensation knob can quickly be changed without losing eye contact with the target, and can be accomplished even while wearing gloves.  An integrated Mil-Std 1913 Picatinny rail allows for mounting optics, IR or visible lasers.  The front and rear sight fold out of the way for a clear sight picture when using optics or aiming devices.  Any U.S. made M2HB can be retrofitted with the U.S. Ordnance improved sighting system.

Small Arms Readiness Evaluation Team with Repair (SARET-R)
U.S. Ordnance offers their customers a Small Arms Readiness Evaluation Team with Repair (SARET-R) program.  U.S. Ordnance technical experts supplement existing customer SARETs by assisting in the inspection and maintenance of their small arms.  As a manufacturer, U.S. Ordnance can supply just-in-time components necessary to maintain and repair their customer weapons systems.  “Ensuring proper function and safety of our customer’s military equipment is an essential part of our service offering,” said Daniel Fassler, Director of Operations.  “We have assisted our customers in developing SARET-R programs around the world and have helped to dramatically increase their overall weapons readiness.”

U.S. Ordnance has achieved large-firm M2HB manufacturing capability while maintaining the small-firm customer focus that has made their M60 program so successful.

The Soviet Union and its current iteration, Russia, have long been known for innovative weapon development; only some of which has seen the light of day in the Western world.  There is a long history of effectively “keeping the lid” on new weapons until someone on the other side runs into them in the field and reports on them.  Rumors of a new cartridge and both a submachine gun and silenced sniper rifle utilizing this ammunition have leaked into the general Western military communities for many years, some have been on display at shows, and there have been several Western military personnel and firearms writers who have studied these and written some information on them.

None of these unique weapons have been seen by the general military population other than in isolated news clips, especially from the recent unpleasantness in the former Soviet State of Georgia.  When Russian military forces crossed into the northern provinces of Georgia and swiftly cut them off from the south, much of the world recoiled in horror and voiced platitudes about how the Russians must stop this assault.  Within a short period, the Russian military forces brilliantly transitioned into the “Peace-keepers” in the region, and photos leaked out to the Western press and intel communities showing strange Dragunov-looking weapons that were clearly too short to be in 7.62x54R caliber, and also very clearly integrally suppressed.  Pandemonium ensued as all resources were called upon to ID this weapon and the threat it represents.

There have been some excellent but isolated references on the 9x39mm ammunition and firearms, and Internet resources are limited of course to the writer’s experience with the weapons – usually non-existent other than in computer games.  Real time, take-it-apart, pull the trigger, hands-on testing has been very rare and certainly not widely reported.  Charles Cutshaw’s excellent book The New World of Russian Small Arms and Ammo (ISBN-10: 0873649931) does an excellent job and should be on everyone’s bookshelf, but his 1990s treatise is limited to Marshall Goldberg’s line drawings for illustration and he was not allowed to disassemble the weapons.

The MA “VIKHR” submachine gun is in reality a compact assault rifle since the 9x39mm cartridge it fires maintains its energy beyond 400 meters, even with this barrel length. It is not designed to be fired at distances anywhere near that, but the little powerhouse has that capability built into the ammunition. The VIKHR is designed for reliable full automatic fire, it is compact, can use either 10- or 20-round magazines but the 20-round is designed for this weapon. Note the over-folding sheet metal stock, the hinged top cover, and the tubular striker firing system. At only 2 kg, (4.4 lbs) the VIKHR is a briefcase sized fist full of power.

Two of the Small Arms Defense Journal writers were granted the opportunity to examine in detail both the weapons and the ammunition in the field at a discreet location in Southwest Asia.  In addition to extensive disassembly and photography, we were also given the opportunity to test fire both the VSS silenced sniper rifle and the VIKHR submachine gun with our meters ready to conduct scientific testing.  We wanted to be as thorough as possible with this unique opportunity.

There are some myths and assumptions made that we will try to gently correct, or at least provide another point of view on.  The first being that the MA “VIKHR” (Whirlwind) submachine gun is the same as the VSS “Vintorez” (Thread-cutter) with the exception of the buttstock and suppressor.  This is not true as the receivers are similar, and some parts will interchange, but they are not the same receiver with one simply being suppressed.

As is their standard procedure, the Russians had several factories competing to manufacture the 9x39mm weapon systems they required.  The end product offerings are as follows:

TsNIITochmash:

• MA “VIKHR” (Whirlwind) unsuppressed miniature assault rifle.
• AS “VAL” (Rampart) based on VIKHR, side folding stock, not a “Take-Down”.
• VSS “Vintorez” (Thread-cutter) based on VIKHR, removable stock, “Take-Down”.

Tula KBP:

• A-91 offered in a number of calibers, can operate with or without the suppressor.
• VSK-94 sniper model of the A-91, in a case, could have wood (early) or polymer stock and fire without suppressor installed.

Our concern today is with two of the offerings from TsNIITochmash, the VIKHR and the VSS.

The VSS “Vintorez” is based on the VIKHR, but the receiver has notable differences and they do not interchange. The VSS is the weapon most readily identified in Georgia, and the system will not operate for more than one round with the suppressor removed as it was not intended to be fired with the suppressor removed. The exposure of the ported barrel alone would be a dissuader. The VSS weighs 2.6 kg (5.7 lbs) with suppressor, optic, and empty magazine. It can be broken down into component parts – suppressor, receiver, optic, buttstock, magazine, and packed into a very small space. It is quick to reassemble. The system does not use a standard hammer utilizing the tubular striker instead, and has very little in common with a Kalashnikov other than the appearance of some controls, and the fact that it is gas operated.

The AS-VAL is .1 kg lighter (.2 lb) than the VSS, and is about one inch shorter, but it can not be broken down for discreet use. The visual identifying signature of the VAL is the side folding stock. Other than that, it has very similar characteristics to the VSS.

SADJ did a complete comparative photo series, but space does not permit the publishing here. These two photos should show the similarities between the VSS and the VIKHR parts, and how minor differences make most parts incompatible. Aside from the VIKHR lacking an optical mounting rail, the receiver has a different shape at the rear. This is partly to facilitate the different types of selector used: the VIKHR is a push-through type while the VSS has a more tactile sniper-friendly lever behind the trigger. The interior fire control is basically the same other than the physical block differences. At first glance, the bolt carriers look identical, and they are very close, except that the VSS uses a charging handle on the bolt carrier while the VIKHR uses a forward ambidextrous system with a push-rod.

The VSS has been seen issued with the 1LH51 second generation night vision device (not shown), among other optics, but the PSO-1 variant shown here is standard with the IM2-1 marking. Note the “Hammer & Sickle” USSR marking. While the optic gives the appearance of being the same as a Dragunov scope, the stadia lines are different - estimating range only to 400 meters, and no adjusting Point of Aim chevrons. The optic has an illuminated reticle with remote power capability.

LEFT: The VSS is shipped in its own wooden chest, along with the following accessories: (Top left) Accessory/cleaning kit pouch. (Center) Oil bottle, WTH*, cleaning rod, screwdriver tool, remote battery cable and sling. (Right) Weapon carrying case suitable for weapon in tear-down state. (Lower left): Optic cover. Note: WTH* is a “What the Heck” because we have no idea what this round, scalloped sheet metal piece is or does, but it was in the chest, so is included here. RIGHT: The magazine for the VSS, VAL, and VIKHR all interchange. They are made of polymer with a standard style metal spring and are either 20 or 10 rounds. The 10-round magazine is basically for the VSS to lower the profile. The 20 round is for the VIKHR, but it is more concealable with a 10 round for carry. Doctrine appears to have evolved that operators use whichever they want.

The barrel of the VSS is approximately 12 cm longer that the Vikhr barrel, but the last 9 cm features barrel porting. The porting consists of six rows of nine ports spiraling along the rifling grooves. The twist rate is 1:210 mm (1:8.3 inches). Each port is approximately 2 mm diameter. The non-ported length of the VSS barrel is the same as the barrel in the Vikhr, which would lead one to believe that the muzzle velocities will be comparable. On the range we subsequently showed this to be the case. Visible in the second picture are the ports on the VSS barrel, as well as the large thread bushing that matches the interrupted threads on the trunnion for fast rotation of the suppressor on or off. This part is readily removable and should be cleaned, but if lost the suppressor will not mount or align properly, and will certainly put the weapon out of commission.

The silencer is exceptionally simple, especially when compared to Western designs, and bears more than a passing resemblance to the suppressor on the Soviet PB silenced Makarov. The entire silencer is unscrewed from the firearm after depressing a small button latch on the front of the frame of the firearm. This reveals the ported portion of the barrel. As shown in the accompanying photos, the stack is made entirely of spot welded sheet metal. The three baffles are punched and bent from a strip of 0.8 mm steel and are in the form of slanted “washer-type” oval baffles with the first and third slanting approximately 30 degrees (from perpendicular) one way and the middle slanted opposite. The strips, functioning as tabs, are spot welded to two longitudinal strips with a flat washer-baffle spot welded at each end. Reassembly consists of reversing disassembly.

What many readers may not be fully aware of is the Knight commitment to preserving the history of modern small arms.  Mr. Knight has been involved not only in the design of many modern weapon systems, but he has devoted a significant amount of time, money, and energy into the study of these systems and expanding a reference library of these weapons and their development.

The Hall of Modern Arms started as a reference library of Stoner family weapons; AR-10, AR-15/M16 series, AR-18, Stoner 63, etc., but after 30-plus years of growth, it has become one of the finest collections in the world chronicling the weapons used by modern armies, and the development phases of these weapons. Here the crowd is guided through a section of WWI and WWII US weapons.

In recent years, what had been a personal passion that Mr. Knight shared with a few other like-minded individuals and used in his daily research, turned into a quest to put together what many are now calling the finest and most inclusive military small arms and vehicle collection in the United States.

Mr. Knight has always shared the knowledge and learning experiences with others, but in recent years the ability to acquire more collections of small arms, vehicles, tanks, and cannon had created such an overflow situation that the KAC facility was beginning to fill.  This inspired a new commitment to building the collection into a usable and sustainable museum, and in typical Knight fashion this would not be done in a half-hearted manner.

The Hall of Modern Arms is mutely guarded by 17th century suits of armor at its entrance.

Over the years it had become harder and harder to find qualified, trained people who would work in small arms because the US doesn’t really have any educational focus on these things.  It became increasingly evident to Mr. Knight that in order to fulfill his destiny of sharing the knowledge and pushing others to excel in theirs, he must form an educational entity.  Thus, the idea of the Institute of Military Technology was born.  The Institute had to be formed with open ends on the knowledge pool to work with, and the collection was honed to fill those requirements.  (For more information on the Institute, and how you can participate in this new American think-tank or make donations to help support this massive endeavor, go to www.instmiltech.com.

Once the final form of the Institute was put together, the ideas started to gel as to what the displays of the collection might look like.  Approximately six months before the SHOT Show of 2009 in Orlando Florida, Mr. Knight realized that this was the perfect opportunity to launch the Institute, and to share his vision with the small arms community.

Guests gather round to hear the presentation on the tank part of the collection.

Mr. Knight’s son, C. Reed Knight, III, “Trey” to his friends, was tasked with putting the vision of the Knight Museum together and making it a reality.  To add to the pressure, the SHOT Show was scheduled in nearby Orlando, Florida, for 2009.  In recent years, during the infrequent appearance of SHOT at Orlando, KAC would sponsor a wonderful party at their facility in Titusville and bus the invited attendees to and from the facility as well as feeding them a local Florida type meal, and giving them the grand tour of the collection.  What was becoming a tradition for Knight’s, now offered the opportunity to launch the public perception of the collection to a new level and it was up to Trey to oversee the new displays and expansion.

In all, over 30,000 square feet of display space was put into place in less than six months.  Friends and employees worked for months to get the tank and cannon displays organized, and the entire organization was in a frenzy to put their best foot forward in time for the SHOT Show attendees.

Guests in the Hall view the backlit section of US weapons from the World War II era. Visible immediately on the right (top to bottom): US M1A1 Thompson, US M1928A1 Thompson, US 1928 Colt Thompson with 100-round “C” drum, US M3A1 “Greasegun,” US M3 Greasegun, and US Model 55 Reising submachine gun.

When the launch day occurred, KAC and the new Institute of Military Technology had approximately 2,500 people show up.  They registered on-line and if pre-accepted by Knight’s, were organized into custom bus coaches that departed from the SHOT show to the facility, and they proceeded to show the collections and serve up a wonderful BBQ and had live music for entertainment.  The event was a tremendous success and will be talked about for years in the small arms community.  Of course, that was the point.  The Knight legacy is fast moving into place: a legacy of quality merchandise, responsiveness to the customer, support of the community, and the sharing and furtherance of knowledge in our small but essential community.  The Institute and the collection will help our martial history live on and to help new generations understand where their freedom came from.

A Knight Armament Company volunteer gives a guided tour of the collection to the guests.

The people who put this outstanding Florida shin-dig together were C. Reed Knight, Jr., C. Reed Knight, III, June Wetherbee (replacing Ginger Vossen Roberge during this time, as she was out on medical leave) as well as Bonnie Werner (who did a big part of coordinating and scheduling volunteers, etc.) plus a host of other people – approximately 100 volunteers (KAC personnel) that helped make this event a success.  Mr. Knight would like to thank them all for helping to make the event such a success.  There are some others who helped put this production on that deserve thanks: Joe McClain of the Historical Military Armor Museum who helped tremendously with the shipping in and organizing the tanks along with Gary Perry, VP of Quality for KAC.  Mr. Knight would also like to thank Daniel Mattozzi and Dave Hoerig for helping Joe McClain in getting the tanks moved in and ready for the Open House.