This was the fifth year in a row that the ISDEF show was put on in Tel Aviv.  It shows strong growth and the show has expanded from last year.  What started out as a show sponsored by large contractor TAR Ideal Concepts, Ltd. to gather their associates and customers together, has turned into a small but increasingly world class event.  We booked SADJ in for 2013’s show, of course.  The promoters have decided to switch to an every two year format, like many other military shows.  This gives the attendees time to work on their contacts and prepare for the next show.  Show date has also been switched to June 2013.

Tel Aviv is an excellent location for this show as there is plenty of infrastructure to handle the convention traffic.  The weather is excellent, and the hotels are used to international travelers.

Coming to ISDEF allows both the attendee and the exhibitor an opportunity to interface with regional suppliers of defense and LE material, as well as see the latest in hi-tech rescue equipment.  The Israeli military and police are under constant stress due to the regional conflicts they’ve been involved in since the start of their country, and the training expertise is on display at ISDEF along with the hardware.  While some of the larger international contract groups were present, the home-grown Israeli variety was predominant.  The electronics arena was a place where there are almost daily leaps of technological and doctrinal advance, and soldier communications was a major feature at the show.

An interesting anecdote regarding a Chinese made demilled 81mm Mortar that was used as a show-stopper in a booth:  A PLA Major General and his staff were looking at the 81mm.  The General asked “Where did you get this?” someone responded; “Captured from Fateh.”  To which the general sagely nodded his head and replied; “Ah, they must have stolen this from us.”  Everyone had a good, but slightly uncomfortable laugh.

The visitors at the show included many embassy and military personnel from a variety of nations. Shown here are a number of Generals and their staff from the Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army). This group was very interested in the soldier integration systems for field control and communication, and the multi-media/integrated environment training simulation programs from CTI (Computech International). CTI has a long history of integrating their computer solutions onto vehicles for the U.S. and other international customers.

– Highlights of Attending Companies Not Shown –

Barnes Bullets
Barnes Bullets, well known for their high-quality, extremely accurate hunting ammunition, moved into accurate military/LE ammunition a few years ago.  Thad Stevens, Lab Manager at Barnes, had a booth set up at ISDEF, and experienced first-hand the quality customers at the show in his discussions with knowledgeable snipers and other end users.  Barnes’ products are up-and-coming on the world scene for military snipers.  www.barnesbullets.com

Eltics
Eltics, Ltd. is an Israeli company that has developed a stealth technology that works towards defeating thermal imaging, night vision, and heat-seeking missiles.  An active thermal signature is generated so that an armored vehicle is invisible to thermals, or appears to be something else.  www.eltics.com

WMD Tech
WMD Tech is a U.S. based company that presents training for bomb technicians, among other skill sets.  They offer most of the tools of the trade, with a very inclusive catalog of electronic and mechanical devices.  At ISDEF, WMD Tech also represented Snake River Machining’s combat shotguns which have a very intriguing 8, 12, or 16 round feeding capacity, and HTG’s full line of firearms suppressors that are user maintainable for disassembly.  www.wmdtech.com

Morris Peterson, President and CEO of Ashbury International Group, shows an Israeli military customer their Modular Rifle Chassis System. He and his son Matthew presented their accurate sniper systems, along with Ashbury’s RPDA Tactical Ballistic Computer System. (www.ashburyintlgroup.com)

60 year-old Israeli manufacturing company Englander, Ltd. is a well known tool and die maker, and has been supplying OEM weapons manufacturers with steel M16/AR-15 type magazines, as used in the Tavor rifles as well. These high strength magazines are offered in 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-round configurations. The high-resistance anti-corrosion coating withstands more than 96 hours in salt-spray tests. (www.englander.co.il)

Israeli arms supplier Zev Kaptowsky from Contact International (Kalia) expanded his booth this year, and presented Taser’s line as well as a variety of new manufacture products. Zev was also offering surplus M2 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless rifles and a variety of police trade-in handguns. Contact International- Zev Kaptowsky (contct@netvision.net.il)

Gilboa rifles are from the Israeli company Silver Shadow. This is the same group making the Corner Shot round-the-corner platform for handguns, short carbines and 40mm launchers. The Corner Shot is now pretty well known. Perhaps the most interesting information was that IMI’s weapons designer Efraim Yaari is now with the Firearms Laboratory Development group at Silver Shadow. The two most important things in this writer’s opinion are their 7.62x39mm piston operated M16 clone with AK magazines, and the APR.

Mike Shklyar, International Sales Manager for Newcon Optik, presented two of the company’s newer offerings along with their standard line. The LRB6000CI 7x50 laser range finder gives excellent range identification up to 6 km and is gaining in popularity due to that accuracy. The NVS33 clip-on night vision unit mounts either forward of the regular optic on the front rail or it can screw in to the front of the optic. (www.newcon-optik.com)

Guenter Schrotzhammer from Surefire with customer in the Surefire booth. Surefire’s tactical lighting series and their military/LE suppressor line were quite popular with attendees. (www.surefire.com)

Ryan McMillan, VP of McMillan Group International, had the TAC-50 on display and there was a lot of interest in this rifle, as well as their smaller offerings. Considering that the IDF has recently moved towards .338 Lapua Magnum, this interest in the smaller platforms is to be expected. Perhaps the most interesting item shown was McMillan’s new compact rifle that disassembles into a very small package for portability and discreet deployment. (www.mcmillanusa.com)

Nammo’s line of Initiators was offered at ISDEF. This is a well-thought out product line, based on a Starter unit. The explosives tech can spec the Starter and build from there according to his needs.

Dave Hallaran from US Ordnance showing some IDF soldiers around the US Ord product line. Dave and Steve Helzer (not shown) presented the US Ordnance QCB .50 BMG M2 and full product line, with special attention to the US Ordnance MK43 Mod 1 (M60E4) as shown. In this picture the compact package of firepower in 7.62x51mm can really be seen, as the option of the Elcan Optic on the rail top cover, and the AN-PEQ2 on the forward side rail complete the package. (www.usord.com)

SADJ met with Tomar Avnon, CEO of TAR, who is a very interesting man. TAR bills themselves as a one-stop-shop for all defense related products from training to material to weapons, and their offerings bear this out. The ISDEF conference started as a TAR private show and over five years has expanded significantly, and is now a highly respected military trade show. (www.tarideal.com)

Compact Personal Weapon
During our last visit, we were able to see the newest offerings from the ST Kinetics Small Arms Division.  The CPW, or Compact Personal Weapon, was the first item we looked at.  We were impressed with the ergonomic design, the light weight, and the multiple caliber concept.  On this visit, we got a deeper look at a matured design that is coming to market.  The choice was made to stay with 9x19mm due to the prevalence of the caliber in the world market, as well as the proven ballistics and terminal performance.  ST engineers have experimented a lot with some of the newer “PDW type” calibers, but chose to stay with the marketability of 9x19mm.  The CPW is now ready to move into production and they are working towards production now.

The final version of the CPW; the Compact Personal Weapon. Note the translucent rear grip panel, which allows the operator to visually inspect the rounds in the translucent magazine, without removing the magazine.

Felix Tsai, Senior Engineer on the CPW project, explains the disassembly process to Dan Shea. The CPW is a modular design, breaking down into distinct component groups.

Felix Tsai explains the construction method used in the receiver and barrel of the CPW to Dan Shea, and then on to the cam recoil mitigation system that draws out the impulse – making for smooth firing – this is not just another straight blowback system.

CIS-40 AGL
ST Kinetics has two Automatic Grenade Launchers they are offering: the first is the CIS-40 AGL, and the second is a lightweight AGL that SADJ covered in the article available online from our last visit.  The CIS-40 AGL and MK2 product improvements are the focus of our visit, along with seeing the continued application of the Air Bursting Munitions programming systems.

Nan-Sang Chin, Principal Engineer on the AGL MK2 project, came in to explain the operation of the MK2 improvements.

Nan-Sang Chin, Principal Engineer on the AGL MK2 project, explains the new improvements to the AGL. Here he discusses the quick change barrel and the interface to the bolt and feeding mechanism. This system has been somewhat simplified, and made very user friendly. It also allows the MK2 to break down into a smaller package for transport.

ST Kinetics’ AGL MK2 broken down into its five basic component groups (the feed chute adapter at center is not a component, these change according to use): operating group, barrel, receiver group, top cover group, trigger group.

At the meeting left to right: Cheng Hok Aw, VP Engineering Division, Chow Ming Wong, Assistant VP Kinetics Marketing Group, Dan Shea SADJ Editor-in-Chief, and Felix Tsai, Senior Engineer, discuss modern small arms development and the way the ST Kinetics product line fits in. On the table left to right: STK 40 GL 40x46mm shoulder fired grenade launcher on its individual stock; SAR-21 bullpup style assault rifle in 5.56x45mm; ST Kinetic’s Compact Personal Weapon (CPW) in 9x19mm.

CIS-40 GL
The CIS 40 GL is a standard break-open single shot 40x46mm grenade launcher.  On its stand-alone platform it has a buttstock attached to it.  If it’s going to be used as an under-barrel as shown on the SAR-21, it has a different mounting system.  It uses one folding (leaf) sight, graduated in 50mm increments.  It’s a very simple design, the barrel kicks open to the left at the back for loading almost any variety of ammunition, including gas and baton rounds.  The weight unloaded with the stock is 2.05 kilograms and the barrel length is 305 millimeters.  Overall length with the stock attached is 655 millimeters, and it has a 2.3 kilogram trigger pull.  It can be adapted to the SAR-21, the M16 and HK series weapons, and ST Kinetics says that they can adapt it to almost any other system.

The author would like to thank Mr. Chow Ming Wong, Assistant Vice President of the Kinetics Marketing Group; Brigadier General Patrick Choy (Ret.), Executive Vice President of International Marketing, Mr. Horn Wai Leong, Senior Manager for Sales and Marketing, and Mr. Cheng Hok Aw, Vice President of the Engineering Division, as well as Felix Tsai and  the other engineers at ST Kinetics who helped out during our visit.

Singapore Technologies Kinetics
a company of ST Engineering, Kinetics Marketing Group
249 Jalan Boon Lay
Singapore 619523
Tel: +656607631
Fax: +6562658862
www.stengg.com

Almost a quarter of the exhibition hall was occupied by the Army of Slovak Republic, which concentrated on pyrotechnic equipment this year.  One of the most interesting pieces was the unmanned de-mining vehicle Bozena 5, which already served several  terms in Afghanistan and Iraq.  It can be controlled remotely from a distance of up to three miles and can withstand blast of 20 pounds of TNT.  Among other exhibitions, there were two pyrotechnic robots in action, one could try on a bomb disposal expert suit, and look over various examples of detected IEDs.

CZ805 Bren assault rifle (above) and CZ Scorpion EVO3 A1 submachine gun on display at the Ceska zbrojovka exhibit.

CZ 805 Bren assault rifle. Named after the World War II classic, it bears no resemblance to its historic namesake.

Czech Armoury (CZ) brought their new CZ 805 Bren assault rifle.  Named after the famous WWII light machine gun, it is in name only.  This Bren, however, has light alloy frame and is able to accept interchangeable barrels of 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm and 6.8x43mm SPC Rem. calibers.  It is a gas operated weapon with breech locked by a rotating breech block.  The magazine has a capacity of 30 rounds and the rifle is able to shoot single shots, double shots, and fully automatic fire.

Another new gun exhibited by Czech Armoury was a submachine gun named after another famous CZ weapon, the SMG Mk.61 Scorpion.  The new CZ Scorpion EVO3 A1 is an all-purpose light automatic small arm in 9mm caliber, able to fire single shots, limited bursts and fully automatic fire from magazine with capacity of 20 or 30 rounds.

A Belgian FN2000 assault rifle.

FN HERSTAL of Belgium was there and exhibited their futuristic assault rifle FN 2000.  Besides its sleek ergonomic shape, this gas operated rifle, locked by rotating breech block, has one serious advantage against other bullpup-style weapons.  Spent cases are not ejected right out of the breech; they are fed into a tube under the barrel from where they fall out forward.  Without any changes, this rifle can be fired from either shoulder without throwing hot gases and spent cases in the shooter’s face.  The gun’s selector switch allows only single shots and full auto to be fired with no short burst ability.  Another smart feature is the location of the grenade launcher.  The shooter can move his finger from rifle to grenade launcher trigger without changing his grip on the weapon.

Recon Robotics Company exhibited a reconnaissance robot Recon Scout XT that is reminiscent of “tractors” that young boys make from spools.  This tractor, however, can run up to hour through difficult terrain, overlooking its surroundings with black-and-white camera with 60° angle of view.  The camera is equipped with thermal vision that turns on automatically in low-light surroundings.  With a weight of 1.2 pounds, length of eight inches, matte black finish and mere 20 dB of noise, this little spy is easy to overlook.  Its tough titanium body allows it to be thrown up to 40 yards away, to be dropped from height up to ten yards, or to be thrown through window glass. It also contains 33 yards of cord, so it can be retrieved from explored holes.

Slovak republic’s Ministry of Interior brought an interesting display of weapons that were made by prisoners.  It was almost unbelievable that the displayed revolvers and submachine guns were manufactured in jail and not in a factory; but truly, they bore no marks of manufacturer.

Slovakian company Strazan exhibited an interesting design of a tracked vehicle.  Instead of classic two tracks, Land Rover Defender has four Mattracks track systems, one in place of every wheel.  Its top speed is 40 mph and climbing ability up to 49°.

Grand Power P7 D pistol with safety, decocker and action switch.

Slovakian gun manufacturer Grand Power introduced a modified P7 D pistol with a clever invention – sophisticated combination of safety, decocker and action switch.  With safety lever in upper position, the weapon is safe.  With lever in the middle position, the pistol shoots in SA/DA mode.  Clicking lever down releases hammer (if cocked) and switches weapon into DAO mode.

The AK-100 series successor wasn’t created overnight – the first models were already evaluated by 2009.  The new rifle even got designated then as the AK-200 – but still arguments abounded whether that should be another modified 100-series rifle with rails all over, or a totally new design.

In July 2010, the first press statement told everybody to prepare for a revolution soon to come – a totally new modular design, a new opening in the long career of the AK.  It was said to enable exchanging bolts and barrels, shoot different cartridges, to have enhanced ergonomics, better functionality and to be good enough to challenge the best that the West was able to muster.  It was also said that the Russian Defence Ministry was very much interested in the new weapon, taking an active part in shaping the new design, and purportedly even contracted the Izhevsk plant for the AK-100 series wholesale replacement.

Fifth Generation Avtomat Kalashnikova seen from the right.

Fifth Generation Avtomat Kalashnikova seen from the left. On this rifle, the single shot position of the safety-selector is denoted with letter O instead of more customary 1.

Then traditional silence fell, and on January 24, 2012 the new Avtomat was shown to the public for the first time amongst much fanfare.  The new design, created by the Izhmash’s chief designer, Vladimir Viktorovich Zlobin, was designated the “AK-12,” for “Avtomat Kalashnikova Model 2012.”

Four months later another presentation took place, but this time for a chosen few, at a closed meeting of the Interministerial Working Group of the Military-Industrial Laboratories Committee in Solnechnogorsk on Lake Senezh, 65 kilometers from Moscow.  The participants, representatives of the Defense and Internal Affairs Ministries, as well as Federal Security Servicemen, were able not only to look at, but shoot the new rifle as well.

In common opinion, the AK-12 has a much milder recoil and muzzle jump than the predecessors.  Nevertheless, numerous modifications and changes were requested, most of them arising from input by the special forces users that were in attendance at the presentation.  The Izhmash representative promised all would be implemented by the end of 2012.

The AK-12 with accessories, as shown in January 2012. Note the scope, extended buttstock, foregrip, 40mm GP-34 under barrel grenade launcher module and sheathed bayonet. The magazine attached is an old 30-round one coming from an AK-74M. The 4-stacker besides holds 60 rounds, while the drum takes as much as 95 cartridges. This earlier model has a separate lower rail bolted to the lower handguard – already replaced with monolithic polymer lower handguard with integral rail. Note a replaced cocking handle on the right side of the receiver.

New, Yet Old
Those who expected miracles could be disappointed by the weapon’s appearance.  AK-12 has some minor ‘loans’ from the FN SCAR or the Czech Sa-58, but even with the naked eye one can see the AK heritage.

It still remained a gas-operated long-stroke piston selective-fire rifle with the gas tube above the barrel.  The bolt carrier is connected with the operating rod and the gas piston is at the front end of the op-rod.  It fires from a closed bolt; this bolt being set into a bolt carrier, and locks to the receiver trunnion by turning to the right.  The fire control group has an internal hammer, and all the other innards, automatic sear, disconnector and trigger operate in the same manner as in the AK-74.

Novelties
The most important novel feature of the AK-12 is the caliber-swap concept.  The AK-12 receiver is said to have been re-designed to allow barrel-swapping and thus caliber-changing (but honestly, it doesn’t look like it changed much, and certainly no quick-change features are present).  The basic version (and the only one so far demonstrated) is chambered for the 5.45mm x 39, but it can be changed to the original AK round, the 7.62mm x 39, or the 5.56mm x 45.  The advertisement indicates also the 7.62mm x 51 NATO round, but it seems highly unlikely that such a big and powerful round could be fired in the same receiver – probably another set of building blocks would be needed, just like with the SCAR-L/SCAR-H or HK416/417.  Also, 6.5mm Grendel or 6.8 Rem SPC were speculated as possible chamberings as well, but so far nothing official has been said about them.  The factory statements predict a wide variety of possible configurations, with different barrels, different calibers, different FCGs, different stocks, for military, police, civilian-legal semi-only, etc.

The AK-12 in full firepower with a 95-round drum magazine and 40mm GP-34 grenade launcher attached. Note the grenade launcher module attached to the false rear ‘bayonet lug’ under the gas block – the real bayonet lug is under the front sight.

The ergonomics has been greatly enhanced in comparison to the predecessors.  The telescoping stock is foldable to the side (left or right, whatever the need of the user) and set in-line with the barrel axis to reduce muzzle jump.  The stock latch is the part of the stock itself, not the rifle, thus enabling easy reversing of the stock folding direction.  For export to where folding stocks are deemed ‘non-sporting,’ the latch can be easily disabled or the stock can be exchanged for a solid, non-folding variation.  The rubber-clad cheek-piece and butt-plate are height-adjustable.  A new muzzle device has a standard 22 mm external diameter to enable rifle grenade use.

The cocking handle has been relocated significantly to the front, and can be fitted from left or right, according to the shooter’s wishes.  The receiver cover is all new, much sturdier and hinged at the front, with an integral 1913 rail all along the top.  At the rear end of the rail a tangent sight with a peep hole (for aiming with a stock) and notch (for aiming while shooting from the sling with butt folded) is attached to the top rail.  There are more rails as well: on top of the handguard (in-line with the cover rail), and even on top of the gas block.  The handguard also has rails on the sides and at the bottom.  Lugs under the gas chamber and front sight holder are intended for an underbarrel grenade launcher (GP-25, -30 or -34) (the former) and bayonet attachment (the latter).

The main sight of the rifle is a red dot sight – this time an Aimpoint Comp M4 knock-off. Just behind the red dot mount a mechanical sight is mounted on the rail. Note the flip-over peep-hole or notch sight. (A.V. Karpenko)

The receiver cover latch is actuated by the lever on the right above pistol grip.  Right in front of it another totally new lever-style control is situated – a four-position safety/fire selector.  The positions are: ‘ΠΡ’ (=PR, for Predokhranyeniy, SAFE), ‘1’ or ‘O’ (for Odinochniy, SEMI), ‘3’ for 3-round BURST and ‘AB’ (AV for Avtomaticheskiy, AUTO).  This lever has replaced the legendary Kalashnikov safety-selector-dust cover (itself a ‘loan’ from John Moses Browning’s Remington Model 8 rifle).  Theoretical rate of fire in fully automatic firing is 600 rpm, but is said to rise up to 1,000 rpm in 3-round bursts.

Other controls are located in the front part of the trigger guard.  The magazine latch is classical in appearance, but it said to be redesigned to enable magazine release with the trigger finger.  The oval buttons above are bolt catch actuators – another big-time novelty in the AK-12.  The bolt catch is mostly manually-actuated, for inspection purposes, as the hitherto introduced magazines lack the bolt catch actuator projection on their followers.  The 5.45mm AK-12 takes all AK-74M-compatible 30-round magazines, as well as RPK-74 45-round magazines.  The 7.62mm variant would also take all AK/AKM/RPK magazines, of 30-, 40- and 75-round capacity.  New types of magazines introduced with the AK-12 comprise a new 30-round magazine with bolt-catch actuator, 60-round quad-stack banana and a 95-round drum.

Carbine (AK-12U), 9mm submachine gun (PPK-12),  Designated Marksman Rifle (SVK-12), and Light Machine Gun (RPK-12) versions of the AK-12 are also planned, as well as a semiautomatic-only civilian export version.

The ambidextrous (left- or right-folding) buttstock is adjustable for length of pull, height of buttplate and cheek piece. (A.V. Karpenko)

Now What?
No one seems to know what’s next.  The future awaiting the AK-12 seems hardly bright, so far.  The MoD has ordered a test batch and the testing is already under way.  Only when it is done can a decision be made whether the Russian Army would re-arm – or wait a little longer for another new rifle.  The security forces are also testing the AK-12 and carefully select the wording of their press releases so as not to put themselves in any awkward commitment.  Only the manufacturer is sure to have the rifle in full production for the country’s military – and soon, ‘at the latest in FY2013.’  Whether it would be so depends on the will of Izhmash’s main client: the Army of the Russian Federation.  And the Army, even though it ordered a test batch, seems to be neither overly impressed with the new rifle nor interested in it.  In 2011, for the very first time, the Army did not buy a single Kalashnikov assault rifle, and is openly referring to it as ‘obsolete.’  The military does not want any more Kalashnikovs – they already have as many as 17 million of these in its mobilization stocks, counting both older 7.62 mm AKM and newer 5.45mm AK-74 variants.  The ministry representative once mused that, “We already have enough Kalashnikovs to wage several world wars,” and although his quip was quickly glossed over by his superiors, it seems to voice the general attitude toward the once iconic Comrade Rifle.

The AK-12 was created and financed with Izhmash’s own money and the company vows to find remuneration in the international markets, including a civilian one, if the Army won’t budge.  There seems to be a big sales potential, given the popularity of AK-tuning throughout the world.  Thus, the opportunity may come to have a factory-tuned Avtomat Kalashnikova-PIP, right straight from the original manufacturer, bristling with 1913-rails, enhanced ergonomics, fully ambidextrous, fitted with a bolt hold-open and all the bells and whistles.

– AK-12 SPECIFICATIONS –
Caliber: 5.45 mm x 39
Length, O/A, stock extended: 945 mm
Length, O/A, stock folded: 725 mm
Barrel length (bore only): 415 mm
Sighting radius: 583 mm
Weight, w/o magazine: 3.3 kg
Weight, empty 30-rd magazine: 0.23 kg
Weight, empty 60-rd magazine: 0.33 kg
Weight, empty 95-rd magazine: 1.0 kg
Max. sighting range: 1,000 m
Rate of fire (theor.): 600 (FA)/1,000 (3-rd burst) rpm

The Soviet PSS semiautomatic pistol is a six-shot semiautomatic silent weapon designed to utilize only the SP4 captive piston silent ammunition.  The PSS firing mechanism is single/double action with open hammer and slide-mounted safety/decocker of conventional Makarov design.  The sights are fixed, and the intended operational range of the weapon system is short.  Although approximately 25 years old, it remains on the forefront of captive piston technology and is still an operational weapon.

The SP4 (also referred to as 7.62x41mm) cartridge is unique.  The cartridge case is made from steel (alloy presently unknown) with a heavy copper-zinc plating meeting the specifications of C220 (ComBz).  The projectile is a 155-grain mild steel cylinder that is launched at approximately 650 ft/sec.  The projectile features a brass driving band on the forward diameter that engages the rifling in the short barrel.  There is a recess in the center of the rear of the projectile that both centers the rear of the projectile on a protrusion on the short piston as well as stabilizes the piston during its travel forward.

SP4 (7.62x41) sectioned cartridge showing relation of the projectile, driving piston, and cartridge case.

On firing, the primer ignites a small powder charge that then accelerates the piston forward (pushing the projectile).  At the end of the piston’s travel, it is suddenly arrested by a retaining crimp or shoulder on the front of the cartridge case.  The projectile then continues in a forward direction, and the case ejects from the weapon.  The driving piston, which is captured in the case, obturates the neck of the case and contains the pressure within the spent cartridge case.  It is known that these expended cartridges may contain pressure for several weeks, and attempts to disassemble them within a month of firing can be hazardous.  Because the driving gases are contained, the weapon is essentially silent.  Sound measurements utilizing the International Industry Reference Protocol have shown the absolute sound pressure level to be in the vicinity of 122 dB, which is on a par with simple airguns and suppressed .22 LR rifles.

We have had the opportunity to do fairly extensive testing and study of this unique weapon system.  This includes complete disassembly of the PSS pistol, a project not to be undertaken lightly.  The pistol includes a floating chamber, and the method of operation and reason for the floating chamber have been a matter of speculation until recently.

The floating chamber is not a new concept and dates back to the days of its inventor, David (“Carbine”) Williams around 1931.  The floating chamber is a steel cylinder that surrounds the cartridge case and that can move rearward with the case in the early part of the weapon’s unlocking cycle.  It has most commonly been used in .22 rimfire weapons.  In this application, it permits a greater rearward force against the face of the bolt to assist in cycling the weapon by presenting a larger area with greater mass to drive rearward against the bolt face.  Proper operation of the floating chamber for recoil enhancement requires that high pressure propelling gases be present in the bore of the weapon between the forward end of the cartridge case (and floating chamber) and the bullet in the bore.  This permits propelling gases to act against both the cartridge case and floating chamber.  The purpose of the floating chamber in the PSS has been a mystery.  The author believes that the sequencing shown by the high speed video offers clues as to its function.

In smaller caliber handguns and submachine guns, the most common action is the simple, unlocked blowback.  In these weapons, ignition of the powder charge in the cartridge generates significant pressure that exerts force in all directions.  The forces directed forward press against the base of the relatively lightweight bullet, accelerating the bullet forward through the barrel.  Being lighter than the weapon, the bullet accelerates to a high velocity.  The acceleration continues as long as pressure remains in the bore of the barrel until the bullet exits and pressure suddenly drops.  This is simple Newtonian physics of equal and opposite reaction: the energy to drive the lightweight projectile forward at high velocity is equal to the energy to drive the heavier slide or bolt rearward a shorter distance and at a lower velocity.

In discussing weapon cycling, time is often difficult to conceptualize.  In conventional weapons, there is a finite (although short) time under pressure referred to as “dwell time.”  This is the time during which the bullet is still being propelled by the gases in the bore and there is pressure in the bore to act on the slide or bolt.  If a floating chamber is present, the pressure will initially move the cartridge case (and floating chamber) rearward almost microscopically and allow pressure to push on the larger cross section area of the floating chamber.  In a locked breech handgun, the barrel (locked to the slide) starts rearward acceleration and the action starts to open once the barrel unlocks from the slide and pressure drops in the bore and cartridge case.

In conventional weapons, pressure in the cartridge case causes the case to expand slightly and form a gas seal against the chamber itself or the neck of the chamber, maintaining pressure in the bore.  The same forces driving the bullet act over the same finite time interval against the base of the cartridge case, which starts acceleration of the case and slide (or bolt) rearward against the recoil spring with the same energy.  Because of the greater mass of the slide or bolt, velocity is significantly lower.  However, friction of the expanded cartridge case against the chamber delays actual movement for a few microseconds until the pressure drops slightly on bullet exit.  At that point in time, the case can start its extraction process.  In high speed video analysis, there has been shown to be virtually no extraction until the projectile has exited the bore.

FRAME 683: The hammer has completed its fall, but there is no observable movement of the slide or exit of the projectile, which is still within the barrel. It is assumed that ignition has taken place and the piston is starting its travel forward. FRAME 684: The projectile is approximately 70% out of the end of the barrel with no sign of instability. The copper driving band is no longer engaged in the rifling. The slide has also started its rearward travel, and the rear of the floating chamber is in contact with the face of the slide. FRAME 685: The projectile has cleared the muzzle of the piston and the rear of the projectile is approximately three projectile lengths forward of the end of the barrel. There is a small area of turbulence from escaping gas between the rear of the projectile and the front of the barrel. It is thought that this is a small amount of propelling gas leakage before the piston completely obturates the cartridge case and that this is what is responsible for the sound level to be as high as 122 dB. The slide has continued its rearward travel with the floating chamber moving rearward with the slide. The slide and cartridge base are just beginning to move rearward slightly faster than the floating chamber. FRAME 686: The projectile has continued to move forward another two to three projectile lengths and remains stable. The small puff of escaping gas is dissipating. At this point, the slide continues its rearward travel. The rearward motion of the floating chamber continues, but not as fast as the slide and the base of the cartridge case starts to be visible. FRAME 687: At this point, the slide continues to open with the base of the cartridge case in contact with the bolt face. Although the floating chamber continues its rearward motion, the gap between it and the slide face widens. The projectile remains stable. FRAME 689: The floating chamber now remains stationary with respect to the pistol’s frame and the slide continues rearward extracting the cartridge case. At its farthest, the floating chamber appears to have moved approximately four millimeters. FRAME 691: As the slide and cartridge case continue rearward, the floating chamber starts to retract forward into the barrel. FRAME 697: Continued rearward slide movement. The floating chamber is now completely retracted into the rear of the barrel into its original location. FRAME 701: The front of the cartridge case has been completely extracted from the barrel and is ready for ejection.

In late March 2012, we utilized an Olympus I-Speed 3 high speed video camera to observe the operation of the pistol in operation.  Camera settings were a frame rate of 3,000 frames/second and a shutter speed of four microseconds (1/250,000 second).  This corresponds to a frame every 333 microseconds.  The short shutter speed allowed a series of frames capturing the projectile in early flight to check for yaw and other signs of instability.  In operation, the camera records continuously, looping through memory.  To capture the action (in this case weapon cycle), the camera is stopped manually immediately on completion of the event, and the desired segment of the video showing the action is saved as a video file.  One of the options in the video software is to print individual frames as a series of JPEG still images.  Nine of these images are presented with the first five being consecutive.

In the case of the SP4 captive piston ammunition, all of the projectile propelling gas is contained within the cartridge case and there is no propelling gas to create pressure in the bore of the pistol prior to projectile exit from the barrel of the PSS pistol.  There is also no gas to drive the floating chamber rearward, initially raising the question as to why it was included in the PSS pistol.

The series of frames from the high speed video starts (F-683) with the hammer having fallen and ignition.  The next consecutive frame (F684) shows the immediate start of rearward movement of the floating chamber pressing against the slide.  It isn’t until the fourth frame in this series (F-686) that the cartridge case starts to extract from the floating chamber.  It is interesting to note that in spite of minimal rifling length, a cylindrical projectile, and the awkward propulsion method, there is no apparent instability or yawing of the projectile.

The floating chamber in the PSS has several functions.  For one, it increases the mass of the moving parts in the initial stages of recoil.  There has been speculation that it also is used to slow down the slide on its final stages of movement to dampen the sound of the slide hitting the stop on the end of the recoil cycle.  However, the high speed video does not bear out this explanation.  What the floating chamber does do is to eliminate the lag time waiting for the cartridge case to shrink slightly away from the chamber wall.

PSS pistol field stripped. The floating chamber in the rear of the fixed barrel is labeled.

At the instant of ignition, there is going to be a minimal amount of expansion of the steel cartridge case.  Initially, the pressure in the rear of the cartridge case is going to be higher than the pressure elsewhere in the case, and this is going to cause increased expansion of the case in the rear.  Once the piston has reached the extent of its travel, pressure will equilibrate and there will be some relaxing of the expansion in the rear of the case.  The expansion of the rear, while only transient, will increase wall friction significantly until pressure equilibrates.  The dwell time in this weapon is significantly shorter than in a more conventional blowback, because the dwell endpoint is when the piston stops as it is captured by the end of the cartridge case.  Piston travel is approximately one inch.

As the piston moves forward driving the projectile, there is high acceleration until the copper driving band engages the coarse rifling in the barrel within the first 2-3 millimeters of piston travel.  The expanding gas inside the cartridge case causes force in opposite directions: first to propel the projectile toward (and out) the end of the barrel, and second to start accelerating the base of the cartridge case rearward against the slide.  Since pressure remains high in the rear portion of the cartridge case, the case remains stuck in the floating chamber until the piston is at the forward limit of its travel and pressure equilibrates.  Because the floating chamber shows little or no friction with respect to the barrel or frame, the slide can start immediate rearward acceleration.  Once the pressure in the case has equilibrated, the case can then start its extraction from the floating chamber, which then returns to its original position under spring tension.  The time under pressure for extraction is significantly less than in conventional firearms because of the limited motion of the piston, and any delay in initiating rearward travel would prevent complete cycling of the weapon.

Were it not for the floating chamber, cycling of the weapon would not be possible as friction would hold the case in the chamber of the barrel too long.  Further, it is thought that the floating chamber provides additional reinforcing of the rear portion of the steel cartridge case until pressure has equilibrated.

There are several items of information that would be helpful in proving this theory. First, it would be of great interest to know the pressure curve in the cartridge itself.  Lacking ability to track the gradual change in pressure from ignition until the piston arrests, knowing the maximum pressure would be of value.

The forgoing is a postulation as to the mechanism of cycling and extraction of the SP4 cartridge in the PSS as well as the role played by the captive piston in this most unique weapon.

Recently there has been an upswing in interest regarding the weapons of North Korea.  This is due not only to the current saber rattling in the region and the changing of the leadership, but to how difficult it is to obtain accurate information as well as the disinformation campaigns that have been successfully waged by the North Korean propaganda bureaus.  Heebum Hong and Dan Shea have studied the small arms of North Korea for decades and both consider that many of the indigenously made small arms are of very good quality.  They have combined their efforts to make this article as inclusive and comprehensive as possible.  The article starts with the elusive Type 73 machine gun, and then takes a more organized historical perspective.

The North Korean Type 73 machine gun is probably one of the most unknown mass-produced automatic weapons in the world.  Most Communist Bloc firearms stopped being so secret after the fall of the Soviet Union, but North Korean firearms are still hidden behind a shroud.  Even within the mist of secrecy regarding North Korean firearms, the Type 73 is still clouded in mystery.  Vague pictures showing parts of the Type 73 as soldiers carried them were released from time to time in North Korean propaganda films, but no details were ever released.  The Type 73 was occasionally spotted in the surveillance photos taken by South Korean or U.S. forces.  The reason for the rarity of sightings is, of course, their obsessive secrecy; so top secret in fact, that most of North Korea’s indigenous weapons have no printed manual.  Armorers or mechanics have to learn, memorize, and if one really wants to have some kind of manual to refer to, he has to hand-write one.  Manuals like this are one-of-the-kind, and hard to get out of North Korea.

Left side view of Type 73 machine gun at a South Korean Special Forces display.

Refugees who escape North Korea via China sometimes have information, but that information might have some problems.  Because of the rules of absolute secrecy, even those with long military backgrounds usually can’t figure out what’s going on in any other unit so their information is often limited.  Many of those refugees also give exaggerated information because they want to make themselves look more important and essential as a bargaining chip in refugee status, or they believe and parrot the typical North Korean propaganda.  South Koreans have learned that if you believe all the stories from refugees from the North, you will believe North Korea is a country that has the world’s strongest army, with enough weapons, the skill, and the will to destroy the rest of the world’s armies altogether.  It would be foolhardy to not consider the North Korean military and their special units to be highly trained as well as skilled fighters, but the perspective should be kept to scale – the North Korean military is a regional threat.  They also have excellent small arms and good quality equipment for their top tier units as well as clandestine exports.

Right side of Type 73 receiver section. Similarity to the PK/M type receiver is obvious. Note the top cover and magazine. The magazine is very similar to the Vickers-Berthier .303 caliber magazine.

In such an environment, reliable information about the Type 73 is very hard to come by, but the South Korean army has one sample.  Another has been captured from insurgents in Iraq.  The South Koreans have not revealed how they got their sample, but there is speculation that after a heavy flood in the North, the dead body of a North Korean soldier might have been found south of the DMZ, with this Type 73 machine gun on a sling attached to the body.

The sample viewed reveals some interesting features.  First, the Type 73 is outwardly based upon the Russian PKM machine gun, which is not so surprising; but the feeding system is another matter entirely.  The Type 73 uses a dual feeding system, and can utilize either a top mounted magazine, or a side fed metallic belt.  This is very peculiar, since it’s using 7.62x54R ammunition, not the 7.62×39 round.  This means the Type 73 must use its own special 30 round magazine, not an AK47 magazine (in this case it would have been the North Korean Type 58 or 68 rifles).  Even though the Type 73 can be used as a magazine-fed machine gun, the gunner has no option to use a magazine from his comrade riflemen.  Thus, the Type 73 is an anomaly.

Left side view of Type 73 receiver, showing link ejection port cover, cartridge ejection port cover (lower on the receiver), and top cover hinge.

In fact, weighing more than 10kg (approximately 22.05 lbs), and using a full-power rifle cartridge (not lower powered assault rifle cartridges like the 7.62x39mm), with its quick change barrel configuration, the Type 73 is technically close to a GPMG, rather than what are called squad automatic weapons like the RPD or the MINIMI/M249.  South Korean military intelligence assumes that the gun was developed at least partially for the SAW role.  Using the larger caliber is considered to be a counter weapon to the U.S. M60 GPMG that was prevalent in U.S. and South Korean forces in the conflict zones.  North Korea is quite sensitive over what the U.S. and South Koreans use, and the North Korean analysts have closely studied the Vietnam War.  Since no one knows the real reasons, we only can speculate.

The North Koreans decided to make a SAW similar to the M60 GPMG though a puzzling addition is the magazine-fed capability.  There are several possible influences on this; many of the North Korean army staff during the 1970s had served in the Chinese army before 1945, and even after that, a considerable number of ZB26 or even Bren LMGs (which were lend-leased to China) were in service in the North Korean army for a while through Chinese support.  While box magazine feeding limited the firepower, it’s far more comfortable to carry the weapon with ammunition.  Having a 100 round ammo can under a PK or PKM is somewhat cumbersome, but the 30 round magazine lowered weight and was easier to carry and fast to reload.  South Korean army analysts consider that the Type 73 gunner would be carrying his machine gun with 30 round magazine inserted, and if a threat appears, fire the ammo from magazine immediately.  After the ammo in the magazine is depleted, he can assume a relatively stable shooting position and change his ammo source from magazine to belt, which he carried in his satchel or pouch.  This is based on observation and sightings of North Korean Type 73 machine gunners carrying the weapon with a magazine inserted.

‘Club’ style stock, reminiscent of RPK or RPD stocks.

Forward section of the barrel on the Type 73 showing the muzzle brake sleeve installed. This barrel sleeve is stored on a pod mount under the barrel. The original barrel is set up to launch rifle grenades.

One more probable reason for the Type 73’s dual-feed adaptation is North Korea’s affiliation with Czech firearms.  North Korea has used many Czech firearms from the 1960s on, especially for special operations.  Their behind-the-line operatives’ favorite machine pistol was, and still is, a suppressed Vz61 Skorpion and some CZ82s were found in a North Korean spy’s weapon cache.  Most of all, the CZ75 was copied by North Korea and used as the officer’s standard pistol.  Rumor says that the late Kim Jung Il, who was an avid gun collector, personally preferred Czech firearms.  North Korean firearms developers were clearly influenced by the Czech VZ52 machine gun, another dual-feed weapon which utilizes either belt feed or a top mounted magazine.

Whatever the reason for development, North Korean military leadership was not so impressed with the Type 73; while it could sometimes be seen in 1970s propaganda and at military parades, from the early 1980s it’s been more and more difficult to see one in use.  In 1982, the Type 82 machine gun appeared in service.  The Type 82 is basically a PKM copy without magazine feeding capability.  It seems that many Type 73s were moved to reserve or militia service, but nobody can be sure.  The only thing we can confirm is that the Type 82 is much more visible in active duty North Korean army service, while the Type 73 is very rare today.

There’s only one sample each of Type 73 and Type 82 known to the public: a Type 73 is in South Korean Army custody, and a Type 82 is possessed by the Japanese Coast Guard – they recovered one from a North Korean spy ship they sunk in 2002.  (One more Type 73 has recently been captured in Iraq.)  While the Type 82 is basically a copy of the PKM, you can see some similarity with the Type 73 from its stock, bipod and rear sight.

Type 82 machine gun, which replaced the Type 73 in general service. The Type 82 shows a lot of commonality with the PK/M series of machine guns. Caliber is 7.62x54R, link fed from belts from the right. No magazine capability.

Lineage of North Korean Firearms
There had been some small production of firearms in the North Korean areas during the 1800s-1946, but it was one-off of early firearm styles.  The North Korean military was initially started with Soviet Union supplied rifles – the Mosin-Nagant, the SKS, and small quantities of SVT-40s, as well as a variety of machine guns and handguns.  The first weapon manufactured locally was the Type 49 submachine gun, made in 1949.  This was a license built copy of the Soviet PPSh-41 or “Pappa-sha.”  The North Koreans chose to use the 71-round drums and not the 35-round curved magazines.  Speculation is that the ‘Great Leader’, Kim Il Sung, thought the large-capacity drum was intimidating and tactically an advantage.  The Type 49 was the main submachine gun of the North Korean army, and they used these extensively during the 1950s Korean War.  Their main infantry weapon was the rifle, which was used much more than any submachine gun, but the image of those ‘Burp Guns’ with large drum magazines was so strong, that it became the symbol of the ‘communist intruders’ in South Korea, just like the MP40 became a symbol of Nazi Germany, out of it’s actual proportion of use in the German army.

Col. Lewis was a United States Military Academy (West Point) graduate (1884) and spent twenty-five years in the United States Army assigned primarily to Coastal Artillery units.  He was a keen inventor and received a number of patents for artillery rangefinders and other artillery related equipment.  He also studied in Europe for several years learning about the armament industry.  It was while in Europe that he discovered that America was at least ten years behind in artillery and small arms manufacturing – particularly machine guns.

Lewis machine gun manufactured by Savage Arms Company in Utica, New York with light folding field mount (that weighed three pounds).

Having retired from the military, Col. Lewis was approached in 1910 by the Automatic Arms Company of Buffalo, New York to develop a machine gun using the patents from another inventor, Dr. Samuel McClean, based upon a gas operated rotating bolt locking system.  The weapon based upon Dr. McClean’s patents made the weapon far too heavy, complicated and clumsy for any practical purpose but Col. Lewis recognized that the principles were basically sound and had much potential.  He completely reworked the design to such an extent that for all practical purposes he may be regarded as the inventor of the gun that bears his name by designing an air-cooled, gas-operated, pan magazine fed light machine gun.  A few experimental guns were made in 1910 and 1911, but the Automatic Arms Company did not actually manufacture any Lewis guns; it served as a holding company for the Lewis gun patents and interests.

Accessories for the Lewis gun include wood (U.S.), metal and canvas ammunition drum carriers (British), magazine pan loading tool, leather tool and spare parts kit, anti-aircraft sights and canvas breech cover.

By 1912, Col. Lewis had four hand-made prototypes of his new invention and gave a number of impressive demonstrations to senior army officers.  They appeared duly impressed but took no action.  On his own initiative he arranged an unofficial demonstration of the weapon being fired from an airplane – the first time this had ever been done.  He officially offered his gun to the United States but was rejected by the Army Chief of Ordnance, General Crozier, due primarily, it seems, to a conflict of personalities.  This rejection was to haunt General Crozier five years later when the United States entered World War I in 1917 resulting in a number of congressional inquires and accusations.  The U.S. had adopted the Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 (Benet-Mercie) in 1909 and had no money for new equipment and, unlike Europe, considered machine guns to be of secondary importance.  General Crozier could not be bothered even with this obviously better weapon.

Flexible aircraft Lewis gun.

Undaunted, Col. Lewis went to Europe to sell his gun and was enthusiastically received.  He helped establish the Armes Automatiques Lewis Company in Liege, Belgium in 1913 to manufacture the Lewis gun on a commercial basis for sale throughout Europe.  The British were also extremely interested in the light and efficient weapon particularly since six Lewis guns could be manufactured for the time and expense of making a single Vickers machine gun.  License was granted to the Birmingham Small Arms Company (B.S.A.) in Birmingham, England in late 1913.  The Armes Automatiques Lewis Company did not produce very many Lewis guns as Belgium was overrun by the Germans in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I.  Since B.S.A. was tooled up for production they were able to step in and supply the British and Belgian armies.  B.S.A. produced a total of 145,397 Lewis guns during World War I.

Captain Chandler fires the first machine gun ever fired from an airplane on June 7, 1912 from a Wright Type B Pusher airplane.

As World War I settled into trench warfare, the importance of machine guns became obvious.  The Vickers was originally issued two per battalion but it soon became clear that more machine guns (and more flexibility) were needed when the Machine Gun Corps was formed in 1915.  To partially fill the gap, four Lewis guns were issued to each battalion.  As the war progressed, the Lewis gun proved itself in the rigors of combat in the hands of the British and Belgian soldiers.  The greatest asset was the mobility the gun provided.  One man could bring fire to bear and quickly move on the attack whereas the Vickers had a five man crew and had to be emplaced.  So successful was the use of the Lewis gun that Britain adopted it as a squad level weapon.  In addition, the Germans prized the capture of the Lewis gun and used it against the allied forces whenever possible.  The German armament industry was geared for the production of the heavy Maxim MG08 machine gun.  They didn’t have the time or resources to develop or copy the light machine gun so instead, using existing manufacturing facilities, modified and “lightened” the MG08 into the water-cooled MG08/15 – a heavy and clumsy alternative stop gap measure.  There was nothing like the Lewis gun on the battlefield.  The French Hotchkiss Portative and its English brother the Hotchkiss Portable Mk1 machine rifle didn’t even come close.

U.S. Marines pose with their Lewis machine guns. Although the Marines were well trained with the Lewis in the U.S., they were taken away when they arrived in France and issued the inferior French Model 1915 Chauchat.

B.S.A. could not keep up with the demand for Lewis guns and contracted with the Savage Arms Company in Utica, New York as an additional supplier.  Because of the great success of the Lewis gun in Europe, American proponents pressed for its adoption in the U.S.  In 1916, the U.S. Army purchased 350 of the .303 caliber British contract guns from the Savage Arms Company for use by U.S. soldiers in the Mexican boarder war against Poncho Villa.  Yet, General Crozier still felt that the Lewis gun was not suitable for adoption.  When the United States entered the war in April 1917, the Navy purchased 6,000 guns for issue to the Marine Corps.  The Marines trained at great length with the Lewis gun while in the United States, but when sent to France and attached to the 2nd Infantry Division, the Lewis’ were inexplicably taken away and the Marines were issued with the French Chauchat Model 1915 – a decidedly inferior gun.  The Army begrudgingly purchased 2,500 guns but used them for training purposes.  But it was found that the Lewis gun was perfect for use in aircraft and by the end of the war in 1918 the U.S. Army had purchased 34,000 Lewis aircraft guns.

Top receiver cover showing nomenclature markings for the Model 1914 Lewis gun as manufactured by B.S.A. for Armes Autimatiques Lewis Belgium.

In September, this author had the opportunity to visit Lithgow (New South Wales, Australia) at the invitation of Thales Australia in order to conduct a Test and Evaluation (T&E) of their Enhanced F88 Assault Rifle.  This weapon is being developed for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the Land 125 Phase 3C program.  Pending the results of Department of Defence testing, this rifle will be in the early stages of manufacturing in 2013.  A version of the EF88, with several minor differences, is being marketed globally by Thales as the F90, drawing directly on the Australian small arms experience.  The EF88 is the latest iteration of the long-serving F88 Austeyr; this updated weapon has been designed and produced more than 20 years after the first F88 rifles entered service in Australia, and over 35 years since the Steyr AUG was first designed in Austria.  Fundamentally, the EF88 remains much the same as its predecessors: a bullpup-configuration selective fire weapon, chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, short-stroke piston operated and firing from a closed bolt.

The author firing the 20-inch barrel EF88 assault rifle out to 600m. The rifle is fitted with a 4x ACOG and Harris bipod. (Julian Elliott – Thales Australia)

Despite core similarities, the EF88 features a number of improvements designed to make the weapon more user-friendly and more combat effective.  Many of these changes were inspired by a combination of operational user input and Defence specifications, whilst others were entirely Thales Australia’s own concepts.  In fact, Thales Australia made a corporate decision to exceed the specifications laid out by Defence in Land 125 and have upgraded their operations at Lithgow from ‘build-to-print’ manufacturing to encompass a true Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) capability.

A lot of the experience that made this possible was gained during the F88SA2 program.  As some readers may be aware, the F88SA2 has actually been made in two different series.  The F88SA2 first saw service in 2009 and sported a two-tone colour change, a longer upper rail, and a bespoke side bracket to allow the fitting of a Night Aiming Device (NAD) or flashlight.  The 2009 series experienced a technical issue – occasionally failing to fully lock with a full magazine after being manually cocked.  Many users had taken to only loading 28 or 29 cartridges in each magazine as a way of combating this issue.  In 2010, Thales made a series of reliability enhancements to the F88SA2 executed through a series of tolerance changes, more stringent gauging, and minor design changes.  This experience, both in updating the F88 and F88SA1 to F88SA2 standard, as well as in refining manufacturing processes for the F88SA2 2010 series, has contributed to Thales Australia’s capability to produce a new assault rifle that significantly exceeds Defence’s stated requirements.

EF88 rifle being subjected to environmental testing. The weapon is blasted with sand and fine particulate dust and then fired repeatedly. The EF88 has performed exceptionally well in this testing.

The differences between the EF88 and its predecessors are immediately noticeable.  The redesigned buttstock and additional Mil-Std 1913 (Picatinny) accessory rails are the most obvious changes.  The stock has been redesigned with ergonomics in mind, with a raised portion allowing for better cheek weld when firing.  The redesign of the trigger guard allows for the integration of a new, purpose-designed Grenade Launcher Assembly (GLA).  The buttplate is now made from a different polymer, ribbed to provide a positive grip on the shoulder, the folding foregrip is gone, the top accessory rail has been lengthened, and additional rails have been added to the underside and right-hand side of the weapon to accommodate the many ancillary devices currently in use.  The additional rail added to the right hand side of the weapon, as well as the cocking guide on the left, are made from a high-strength polymer, further lightening the rifle.  The receiver has been modified to reduce mass, which not only lightens the weapon (an EF88 with a 20-inch barrel is over half a kilo lighter than the current-issue F88SA2), but shifts the centre of gravity rearward, closer to the pistol grip.  The net effect is a weapon that is not only lighter, but feels significantly more balanced and is easier to manipulate.

EF88 with 20‘‘ barrel shown w/ bolt catch release, as present in latest iteration.

The barrel of the EF88 is produced in Lithgow on Thales’ cold hammer forging machine – the only one in the Southern Hemisphere – and has been fluted to reduce mass, increase rigidity, and allow for better heat dispersion.  The EF88’s barrel is now fixed, and no longer needs to be removed whilst inspecting a weapon, as was the case with earlier F88 models.  Thales will demonstrate the EF88 to Defence in both a 16-inch and 20-inch barrel configuration, though Defence will almost certainly select the 20-inch variant, as outlined in their specifications.  The modified gas plug can now be adjusted by using a fired 5.56×45 cartridge case, and the cocking handle now folds upwards when desired.  The hammer pack has been modified to prevent rifle stoppages as a result of firing the GLA, and the ejection port has been extended by 4mm, reducing the number of FTEs (Failures To Extract) caused by trapped fired cases experienced by the operator.  The ejection port covers have also been redesigned, making them less vulnerable to damage when fitting and removing, and less likely to work loose after prolonged firing.  The two-stage progressive trigger has been retained, requiring a 2.5 kg pull for semiautomatic, and 5.0 kg for automatic fire.  The ADF version will still be fitted with an ALO (Automatic Lock Out) feature seen on previous models, which can be engaged to prevent automatic fire.  The EF88 is interoperable with all ammunition types manufactured in accordance with NATO specifications.  Testing was conducted with F1, F1A1, M855, SS109, M856, and F3A1 cartridges, with the weapon performing satisfactorily with all cartridges tested.  The F1A1 cartridge has an optimised projectile (modified boat tail length and meplat diameter), a redesigned cartridge case, and utilises Thales’ new AR2210V01 propellant.

EF88 (Steyr AUG pattern) mag loaded with F1A1 ball cartridges.

A new GLA (Grenade Launcher Assembly) has been designed, in consultation with Thales Australia, specifically for the EF88.  The Madritsch Weapon Technology ML40AUS is manufactured from a lightweight combination of steel, aluminium, and synthetic materials, making it one of the lightest underbarrel grenade launchers on the market at less than one kilo.  An EF88 with a 20-inch barrel and ML40AUS GLA is more than 1.6kg lighter than the equivalent F88SA2 with current-issue RM Equipment M203PI GLA.  The GLA is also integrated with the EF88, mounting directly to the bottom accessory rail.  A removable plug conceals an opening that allows the launcher’s trigger to sit within the trigger guard of the rifle itself.  This results in the weight of the launcher sitting further from the muzzle, and much closer to the rifle’s point of balance, significantly improving the handling characteristics of the system.  The ML40AUS is different from the current-issue M203PI GLA in a number of other ways.  It features a side-opening breech, compatible with longer 40x46mm cartridges including less-lethal and illumination rounds, as well as a cross-bolt safety, very similar to that on the EF88 itself, which should help with cross-platform familiarity and training.  Thales Australia has also designed a new quadrant sight to complement the GLA.  Unlike the Knight’s Armament Company quadrant sight assembly currently in use, Thales’ new design mounts to the top accessory rail, and sits neatly alongside optics such as the Trijicon ACOG series.

Rob Maylor, a former SASR sniper, firing the 16‘‘ barrel EF88 (fitted w/ Ase Utra suppressor, Trijicon TA44SR-10 1.5x16 ACOG & folding foregrip).

All of this sounded good in practice; however we were eager take the EF88 to the range and put it through its paces.  Thales provided the three of us shooting with over two thousand rounds of F1A1 ball, and around twenty 40x46mm cartridges (a mix of Rheinmetall practice marker rounds and M1006 less-lethal ‘sponge’ rounds).  Thales’ 600m range is located adjacent to their Lithgow production facility, bordered by steep earth and stone embankments, and set back into the eucalypt forest.  We were in for a crisp, cool day with a slight shifting wind that dropped off later in the afternoon.  Thales provided us with two EF88 rifles, featuring 16-inch and 20-inch barrels, as well as a current-issue F88SA2 for comparison.  The 20-inch EF88 was fitted with the ML40AUS GLA and Thales’ new quadrant sight, a 4x ACOG, and (later) a Harris bipod.  The 16-inch version was presented with a 1.5x ACOG, rail-mounted folding foregrip, and a four-prong threaded flash hider.  This was used in conjunction with an Ase Utra suppressor, and will be available as an option on the F90.  The F88SA2 had the current-issue M203PI GLA and Knight’s Armament quadrant sight fitted.

EF88 with 20-inch barrel in latest iteration, as seen at Land Warfare Conference 2012, with ML40AUS in matching two-tone colour scheme.

The superior ergonomics and point of balance were immediately noticeable, with both EF88s being significantly more comfortable to manipulate than their predecessors.  The 16-inch variant was particularly easy to handle and comfortable to manipulate with one hand.  The cheek weld was markedly better than on current-issue weapons, and made accurate shooting at range a lot more practical.  We engaged targets at 25, 50, 100, and 600 metres, as well as firing grenades out to 150 metres, and found the rifle and GLA to be comfortable and easy to handle at all of these distances.  Magazine changes were identical to current practice (users will already know not to ‘slap in’ magazines, as you would for many other rifles), however Defence has now specified that future EF88s will be fitted as standard with a bolt catch release, which should speed up magazine changes.  This feature is also standard on all F90 assault rifles.  Despite the EF88’s retention of the two-stage, progressive trigger (with long, reasonably heavy trigger pull), we managed to produce surprisingly good results out to 600 metres.

Madritsch Weapon Technology ML40AUS 40x46 grenade launcher.

Whilst the weapon was comfortable, accurate, and generally reliable, it is worth noting that we experienced two light strikes over the day’s firing.  Both of these occurred when firing the suppressed 16-inch EF88.  Thales have informed me that “firing with the suppressor was exploratory at that time; optimisation will be conducted early next year.”  Despite these failures, the EF88 has been assessed to have a MRBS (Mean Rounds Between Stoppages) rate and MRBF (Mean Rounds Between Failure) rate that are both very impressive.  Unfortunately, this data cannot be published just yet, but the numbers show it to be a very reliable rifle.

TOP: EF88 with 16-inch barrel shown with Ase Utra suppressor, Trijicon TA44SR-10 1.5x16 ACOG, and folding foregrip. CENTER: EF88 with 20-inch barrel, fitted with Trijicon 4x32 BAC ACOG, Madritsch ML40AUS grenade launcher, and Thales Australia-designed quadrant sight with mounted Trijicon RMR. BOTTOM: F88SA2 (current Australian Defence Force service rifle) with RM Equipment M203PI grenade launcher, Knight’s Armament Company quadrant sight, and standard 1.5x ring sight.

It was clear that the EF88 is significantly better than its predecessors, and exhibits all of the traits of a competitive modern assault rifle.  Within its niche as an advanced bullpup rifle, it has little competition – perhaps only from the IMI Tavor series – and exceeds the standards provided by Defence under Land 125.  Thales Australia have managed to correct some of the weaknesses of the F88SA2 (poor cheek weld, excessive weight, etc.) with the EF88, and have taken further steps with the F90, with the addition of a bolt catch release, optional compatibility with NATO (AR-15 style) magazines, and a flash hider that is threaded to accept a suppressor.  The ML40AUS GLA performed admirably; both it and the Thales-designed quadrant sight were a substantial improvement over the current-issue kit, with the trigger integration and superior system balance of particular note.  Thales Australia have built on their experience conducting the  Factory Thorough Rebuild (FTR) program upgrading F88 and F88SA1 rifles to F88SA2 standard, and have clearly transitioned to a true OEM capability.  The Enhanced F88 Assault Rifle is the culmination of this process, and comes in the 100th year of arms manufacturing in Lithgow.  With rifles like this, there may well be another hundred ahead.

(The author would like to thank Thales Australia for their hospitality & support in producing this review.  It should be noted that Thales paid for the accommodation and meals of the author during the review period.  The views in this article are those of the author only, & do not necessarily represent those of Thales Australia or the Australian Department of Defence.)

As a rising superpower, China has entered the arms trade show circuit since 2002.  The sixth Asia Pacific China Police show was held on May 22-25, 2012 in Beijing China.  Situated within the China National Convention Center, the show is located within the Olympic Park Complex.  The National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest) and the National Aquatics Center (also known as the Water Cube) are within the same complex, and within close walking distance.

With more than 30,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors from 14 countries, the majority of exhibits are dedicated to police equipment.  There are few exhibitors displaying small arms, but the arms on display are like nothing ever seen in the West.

Drum fed 35mm grenade launcher mounted on a tripod. Designated the QLZ10, the system fires standard Chinese 35x32mm HE and signaling grenades. Weighing in at 4 kilograms, the QLZ10 has a barrel length of 850mm, and a 6-round magazine capacity. The grenade launcher has a reported range of 250 meters.

The CBZ-95
The CBZ-95 battle rifle was on prominent display by the No. 208 Research Institute of China Ordnance Industries.  Chambered in 5.8x42mm and firing from a 30-round box magazine, there are three barrel lengths available.  A bullpup design, it was not possible to test the trigger pull or conduct a manual of arms to determine whether the rifle was ergonomic.  Nevertheless, Chinese Special Forces soldiers have utilized the rifle in international competitions, resulting in glowing reports of the rifle’s capabilities.

In addition, a sound suppressor with a claimed 30dB reduction was also on display.  Weighing .6 kilograms, 260mm in length, and 38mm in diameter, the suppressor was otherwise unremarkable.

Chinese made 40x46mm grenades.

The LM12 – An Indigenous Chinese Minigun
A Chinese Minigun?  Yes, it’s true.  The Chinese are now making a Minigun.  Chambered in 7.62mm NATO, the system is electrically powered, with a claimed cyclic rate of 2,500 – 6,000 rounds per minute.  Links for the system were not on display.  As displayed, the ammunition box was located on the left side of the receiver, with the feed chute crossing over the top to feed from the right side of the receiver.

Powered by an external electric motor, the system looked simple, yet robust.  The motor engages an externally geared hub to directly engage the barrel cluster and spin the barrels during use.  In addition, the barrels have a wrench flat built into the exposed portion of the barrel to allow easy barrel removal and replacement.

There was no opportunity to fire the system, but promotional videos of the system demonstrated high rates of fire in extended bursts of fire.

Left view of the LM12 Minigun. Note the feed chute from the left, feeding into the right side of the receiver.

Detail of the barrel cluster. Note the geared hub, connected directly to the external motor. Also note the barrel flats machined into the barrels to allow easy removal and replacement.

Right side view of the LM12 Minigun.

The CS/LS2 9mm Submachine Gun
In a departure from indigenous cartridges, the CS/LS2 SMG is chambered in 9x19mm NATO.  Similar to the QBZ-95, the CS/LS2 is also a bullpup design, with some outward appearance to the Israeli Tavor-21 system.  Utilizing a 30-round box magazine, the system appears to fire from the closed bolt, and features an integral Picatinny rail for optics.  As displayed, the CS/LS2 was fitted with a sound suppressor.  No cyclic rate information or sound suppression figures were available.

A 3-barreled .50 Caliber Gatling?
Not on display, but prominently shown in the background of the printed materials provided was a three-barreled Gatling-type machine gun chambered in .50 BMG caliber (12.7×99).  No information was available about this firearm at the show, but the weapon was shown at the AAD show in South Africa. While having the appearance of the GAU-19 three-barreled .50 BMG caliber made by General Dynamics, it is as different from the GAU-19 as the Chinese “Minigun” is from an M134. The feed is entirely different.

Top: 12 gauge drum fed shotgun with a 38mm less lethal grenade launcher. Bottom: AK74 type rifle with 38mm less lethal grenade launcher.

Less-Lethal Mania
Potentially due in part to the “police” focus, a large number of exhibitors displayed 38mm less lethal launchers and munitions.  Sophisticated in design, the launchers ranged from belt-fed 38mm systems similar to the U.S. Mk19 grenade launcher, the rotary drum Milkor-type design, as well as standalone single shot systems.  Of particular note was a belt fed automatic grenade launcher chambered in 38mm; the rounds on display were all less lethal in nature.  The belt fed 38mm automatic launcher, (nomenclature unknown) has a reported range of 50-300 meters, with a weight of 25 kilos and a claimed cyclic rate of 200 rounds per minute.

Also of note were several 64mm mortar systems.  Likely designed as a smoke and/or CS gas dispersion system, two models were on prominent display.  The first, a commando mortar type system, utilized a break action for loading and a simple trigger mechanism for firing.  The larger six-barreled model utilized electric firing controls.

Model LR2 bolt action, 50-caliber rifle. Listed only as 12.7mm, it is unclear what type of .50 caliber round this rifle utilizes. Fitted with an 8x optic, the rifle has a claimed range of 1,500 meters, and weighs 9.8kilograms.

It appears that the Chinese arms industry has made a decided push to offer weapons in NATO calibers.  While the basis for this decision remains unclear, one can presume that this is to enhance export sales to international markets, or to allow Chinese soldiers to better integrate with foreign forces in integrated peace keeping type operations.

During the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the fourth floor was a site for fencing preliminaries and finals, Modern Pentathlon (fencing and shooting);and the exhibition space on the first floor is the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) and the Main Press Center (MPC).  The Paralympics used the ballroom section as the site for Wheelchair Fencing and Bocce.  The CNCC is 26 km away from the Beijing International Airport, proximately taking 30 minutes by car.  A public transportation system connects CNCC to the city center and various tourism attractions.  There are more than 30 hotels for all budgets within 5 km from CNCC providing about 10,000 rooms.