SAR 20#2

NEW 

sa 

ARMING THE 

NEW! - Guns of the Silver screen - Star Wars: Guns of a new hope 

GALACTIC EMPIRE 

THE BLASTECH 

Products 

AMERICAN TACTICAL INTRODUCES 

THE FX-H HYBRID 1911 

ROGERS HOLSTER 

OFFERS NEW 

QD MOUNT FOR 

TRIJICON MRO SIGHT 

THE WALTHER 

CCP 

E-15 

THE LANCER 

L30 HM 

AMERICAN BUILT ARMS 

CLEO 

MOD* X 

CHASSIS STOCK 

MOSSBERG 

MVP LC 

Display until 3/14/2016 

CONCEALED CARRY 

HANDBAGS

NEWS FLASH 

CLEO 

Legally Armed 

Legal News from the Nation’s Capital 

by Teresa G. Ficaretta, Esq. 

Johanna Reeves, Esq. 

ATF Publishes Final Rule Requiring 

Background Checks for Responsible 

Persons 

On January 4, 2016, the Attorney General 

signed a final rule amending the 

regulations issued under the National 

Firearms Act (“NFA”) relating to background 

checks for people who obtain 

firearms through a trust, corporation, or 

other legal entity. The final rule, available 

on ATF’s website at www.atf.gov/ 

file/100896/download, will be effective 

180 days after publication in the Federal 

Register, which we anticipate will be 

sometime in early January 2016, making 

the effective date early July 2016. 

The most significant provisions of the 

final rule are the following: 

Elimination of the CLEO Certification. 

The final rule amends ATF regulations 

to eliminate the requirement 

that the Form 1 Application to Make and 

Register a Firearm and the Form 4 Application 

for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration 

of Firearm include a certification 

from the Chief Law Enforcement Officer 

(CLEO) where the maker or transferee 

resides. The final rule requires only a 

CLEO notification, eliminating what is 

frequently an obstacle for firearms owners 

to obtain registered NFA firearms. 

The CLEO notification is provided by the 

applicant forwarding a completed copy 

of the Form 1, Form 4, or the new National 

Firearms Act Responsible Person 

Questionnaire (ATF F 5320.23) to the 

CLEO prior to submitting the application 

to the National Firearms Act Branch. 

Responsible Persons Must Submit 

Photos and Fingerprints. The final rule 

requires each “responsible person” complete 

the new Form 5320.23 with personal 

identifying information and attach photographs 

and fingerprints when a trust or 

legal entity files a Form 1 or Form 4 or is 

listed as a transferee on a transfer application. 

In the case of trusts, this means 

settlors/grantors, and trustees must 

submit the form, photographs, and fingerprints. 

Beneficiaries are “responsible 

persons” only if they have the authority 

to receive, possess, ship, transport, deliver, 

transfer, or otherwise dispose of a 

firearm for or on behalf of the trust. Once 

the final rule takes effect, all settlors/ 

grantors, trustees, and beneficiaries authorized 

to possess registered firearms 

will be required to submit photographs 

and fingerprints so a background check 

can be completed. 

The new Form 5320.23 is not yet 

available. However, the final regulations 

indicate the form must include the person’s 

full name, position, home address, 

date of birth, and country of citizenship 

if other than the United States. The final 

regulations do not require a law enforcement 

certification on the form. 

Definition of “Responsible Person.” 

The final rule clarifies the definition 

is limited to unlicensed entities, including 

trusts, partnerships, associations, companies 

(including LLC), or corporations. 

We note the definition will not apply outside 

the area of NFA transfers. 

The information contained in this 

article is for general informational and 

educational purposes only and is not intended 

to be construed or used as legal 

advice or as legal opinion. You should 

not rely or act on any information contained 

in this article without first seeking 

the advice of an attorney. Receipt of this 

article does not establish an attorney-client 

relationship. 

SAR Vol. 20, No. 2 4 MARCH 2016

SAR STAFF 

PUBLISHER 

Chipotle Publishing, LLC 

50 

GENERAL MANAGER 

Deborah Shea 

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 

Megan Shea 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

TECHNICAL EDITOR 

Dan Shea 

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR 

John M. Robledo 

ART DIRECTOR 

Gracie Wingert 

GRAPHICS ASSISTANT 

Pouya Behdadnia 

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR 

Jayne Wynes 

DISTRIBUTION 

Ana Gonzalez 

ADVERTISING 

John M. Robledo 

Megan Shea 

702.565.0746 

adv@smallarmsreview.com 

SMALL ARMSREVIEW.COM 

ADMINISTRATOR 

Ross Herman 

NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR 

Chris A. Choat 

CROSSWORD 

Caroline Schloss 

STAFF ARCHIVIST 

Donald Thomas 

MILITARY AFFAIRS 

Robert Bruce 

Rob Krott 

TECHNICAL ADVISERS 

Dr. Philip Dater 

Dolf Goldsmith 

Dr. J. David Truby 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

“The Usual Suspects” 

David Albert 

Felix A. Alejos Cutuli 

Christopher R. Bartocci 

Charles Brown 

John Brown 

Todd Burgreen 

Bob Campbell 

Chris A. Choat 

Will Dabbs, MD 

Teresa G. Ficaretta, Esq. 

Robert Hausman 

Michael Heidler 

Jean Huon 

Frank Iannamico 

N.R. Jenzen-Jones 

Richard Jones 

George E. Kontis PE 

Jean-Francois Legendre 

Julio Montes 

Ronaldo Olive 

Paolo Ortenzi A.A.I. 

David Pazdera 

Maxim Popenker 

Johanna Reeves, Esq. 

Dean Roxby 

Jim Schatz 

Robert G. Segel 

Dan Shea 

Gabriele Tansella 

Joseph Trevithick 

Anthony Wicks 

Anthony G. Williams 

Jason Wong 

68 

SAR Vol. 20, No. 2 MARCH 2016 

6 

Small Arms Review (ISSN:1094-995x) 

is published monthly except for Jan./Feb. and July/Aug. in print 

and weekly online by: 

Chipotle Publishing LLC 

631 N. Stephanie St. #282, Henderson, NV 89014. 

Telephone: 702.565.0746. Fax: 702.567.2425. 

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Copyright©2016. All material contained in Small Arms Review 

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Small Arms Review is not responsible for the misuse of any 

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opinions expressed are those of the individual writers. Small Arms 

Review will not accept any ad for any firearm, device, or combination 

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are not responsible for lost or damaged manuscripts. 

34

CONTENTS 

COLUMNS 

8 NEW REVIEW 

By Chris A. Choat 

O n the 

COVER: 

4, 16 LEGALLY ARMED 

By Teresa G. Ficaretta, Esq. & Johanna Reeves, Esq. 

20 TECH SPEC 

By Rick Vasquez 

81 MATERIAL WITNESS: 

STEEL SIMPLIFIED 

By David Lake 

Arming the Galactic Empire 

E-15 Imperial Stormtrooper 

Heavy Blaster Rifle 

Photo By Will Dabbs 

90 GUNS OF THE SILVER SCREEN: 

STAR WARS: GUNS OF A NEW HOPE 

By Kyle Shea 

93 CROSSWORD: SAROUND Selection 

By Caroline Schloss 

97 MG MEMORABILIA 

By Robert G. Segel 

Breaking News 

Scout Sniper 

Mount Awarded 

To LaRue Tactical 

FEATURES 

7 Breaking News - Scout Sniper Mount 

Awarded to Larue Tactical 

-Laure Tactical 

22 E-15 Imperial Stormtrooper 


By Will Dabbs 

34 American Built Arms Mod X Chassis 

Stock & Trijicon's Accupower Scope 

By Chris Choat 

42 Lancer L30 HM (Heavy Metal) 

By Christopher R. Bartocci 

50 Mossberg MVP LC High Capacity 

Precision Bolt Action 

By Todd Burgreen 

60 Conceal Carry Handbags 

SAR Staff 

62 The AMT Automag III 

By Frank Iannamico 

68 The Walther CCP 

By Will Dabbs 

76 The 1920-Mark on German 

Military Weapons 

By Michael Heidler 

87 Czech ZB26 Armour Gunner's Kit 

By Robert G. Segel 

LaRue Tactical is proud to announce 

that their LT840-34 QD 

Scope Mount has been selected as 

the new USMC Scout Sniper Day 

Scope-Improved Mount (SSDS- 

IM). Over 2,800 units have been ordered 

with the first delivery already 

in the Marine’s hands. 

The LT840-34 (SSDS-IM) is a 

lightweight, ruggedized quick-disconnect 

(QD) mount capable of 

mounting M8541 and M8541A optics 

to the inventory of M110 and 

M107 rifles. Like all LaRue QD 

Mounts, the mounting attachment 

method is adjustable, durable and 

repeatable if removed and reinstalled. 

The 34mm mount is offered 

in two versions; zero-MOA and 20- 

MOA bias for different applications. 

This award adds to the growing 

number of LaRue Tactical mounts 

currently being used for virtually 

every optic operated by the USMC. 

A commercial version of the LT840- 

34 will be available in early 2016. 

www.larue.com 

CONTENTS 

7 

SAR Vol. 20, No. 2

NEW PRODUCTS 

by Chris A. Choat 



8 

8

VZ GRIPS ANNOUNCES 

NEW KEYMOD GRIPS 

VZ Grips®, the original innovator 

(and authority) for custom G10 gun 

grips is proud to announce its newest 

product. The VZ KeyMod grips (KMG). 

The KMG’s are attachable grip panels 

for your favorite KeyMod platform. 

They are precision machined in VZ’s 

very sought after proprietary textures 

and G10 colors. With innovation and 

function as their leading edge, VZ did 

not just bring you their best, but partnered 

up with gun accessory giant Bravo 

Company USA® to bring even more 

to the table. All KMG’s feature BCM’s® 

new patent pending Inverted KeyMod 

screw. Designed by Eric Kincel, BCM’s 

Director of Product Development and 

designer of the KeyMod system, BCM’s 

proprietary nut-less screw is an awesome 

feature for the KMG’s as it eliminates 

extra hardware and uses a T15 

torx head that is already a standard for 

many of the VZ grip screws. KMG’s will 

be available in 2” and 4” panels, 2 different 

contours, 3 different textures (Alien, 

RECON, Tac Diamonds), and numerous 

color schemes that match their existing 

handgun line. Prices start at $24.75 for 

the 4” and $22.75 for the 2” model. Best 

of all they are made in the USA. You can 

learn more at www.VZGrips.com. 

NEW REVIEW 

9 

9 

SAR Vol. 20, No. 2 


ROGERS HOLSTER OFFERS NEW 

QD MOUNT FOR TRIJICON MRO SIGHT 

After the release of the new Trijicon 

MRO, Rogers Holster Company realized 

there were few choices for QD (quick 

detachment) attachments for that optic. 

They have addressed that need by 

manufacturing the new QD mount, Rogers 

Sight Mount that is completely US 

made. The Rogers Sight Mount (RSM) 

is a versatile, quick-detach mount for 

any Red-Dot optics with a picatinny rail 

attachment. The RSM allows the user to 

quickly detach and reattach their optic 

without the need for cumbersome fasteners 

or tools. The RSM is a rock-solid 

and precision mount. A user can remove 

their RSM mounted optic, reinstall it, 

and expect their Red-Dot to be in the 

same position. The RSM also allows the 

user to co-witness to their iron sights. Included 

are 2 shims to allow the user to 

easily adjust the height of their optic in 

relation to their iron sights. The parallel 

clamping members of the Rogers Sight 

Mount (RSM) are molded with a slight 

bias in the shape of a bow. This allows 

the force of the single cross bolt to be 

distributed evenly over the entire engagement 

of the weapon’s rail. This design 

provides an excellent clamp using 

less force. The lever operated locking 

cam of the RSM locks on top dead center 

of the cam. Most designs require the 

throw lever to go over center in order to 

lock. Locking force is lost by going over 

center so conventional mounts must be 

adjusted over tight in order to not shoot 

loose when the lever goes over center. 

The RSM uses an alternative lock system 

that allows the lever to lock at the 

highest point on the cam. The result is 

a better lock up with less force which 

reduces wear and tear of the part and 

is easier to operate. 

The RSM uses a glass filled polymer 

similar to modern pistol frames. 

The glass filled material has a much 

greater coefficient of friction while locking 

to a metal rail. It also has the ability 

to custom form to any slight imperfections 

in the metal rail of the weapon. 

The end result is a mount that does 

not shoot loose and will repeat zero 

when removed and reinstalled as long 

as it is returned to the same position 

on the weapon rail. Visit them at 

www.holsterops.com/sight-mount.com 

to order one. 

AMERICAN TACTICAL INTRODUCES THE FX-H HYBRID 1911 


10 

American Tactical, pioneers of the 

Omni Hybrid MAXX Series of products, 

is pleased to add the first of its kind 

FX-H Hybrid 1911 handgun to the lineup 

of quality polymer-based firearms. 

The FX-H 1911 is unique in the fact it 

has a polymer frame with two metal inserts 

at the stress points for premium 

quality construction, while keeping the 

overall weight of this full frame 1911 

down to 1.6 lbs. The FX-H is believed to 

be the lightest full size 1911 on the market 

today. The FX-H includes features 

like a 5” match-grade stainless steel 

barrel and a stainless steel slide that accepts 

Glock style sight systems and a 

removable plate to accommodate RMR 

style optics. The FX-H 1911 comes in 

.45 ACP with additional calibers coming 

soon. All milspec 1911 parts are interchangeable. 

They completely designed 

and manufactured this product for the 

ultimate shooting pleasure while giving 

the owner a lightweight solid 1911 platform 

like no other. With a retail price of 

only $659.95, the FX-H Hybrid is sure to 

be one of the most popular firearms of 

2016. More information is at www.americantactical.com.

CMMG INTRODUCES 

NEW MK47 KRINK MODELS 

CMMG has unveiled 

the Mk47 

line-up featuring a 

KRINK-style muzzle 

device. Similar 

to the original Mk47 

MUTANT design, 

these new rifles 

are built around 

the 7.62x39mm 

caliber and feature 

a shortened AR-10 

sized bolt carrier group that is paired with a unique upper and lower 

receiver to minimize weight and increase ergonomics. One of the 

primary benefits of the Mk47 design is its ability to accept existing 

AK magazines and drums. The new Mk47 models come equipped 

with the KRINK muzzle device. These new KRINK models include 

the Mk47 AKS8 AR Pistol, Mk47 AKS8 SBR (short-barreled rifle) 

and Mk47 AKS13 rifle. The KRINK-style muzzle-brake design was 

derived from an AK, which they modified to thread on standard AR 

threads. It serves as a booster, flash suppressor, blast reducer and 

also reduces recoil slightly. 

The Mk47 AKS8 SBR (all NFA rules apply) has an 8-inch barrel 

with a 9-inch RKM KeyMod Handguard, a Magpul CTR Buttstock 

and Magpul MOE Pistol Grip. It comes with a CMMG single-stage 

trigger and one Magpul AK PMAG. The full-sized Mk47 AKS13 has 

a 13-inch barrel with the KRINK muzzle device pinned and welded 

permanently to the end of the barrel to meet the 16” requirement for 

Title 1 Firearms. It features a 15-inch RKM KeyMod handguard, a 

Magpul CTR Buttstock and MOE Pistol Grip. It comes with a CMMG 

single-stage trigger pre-installed and one Magpul AK PMAG. For 

more information contact them at www.cmmginc.com. 

LIBERTY INTRODUCES THEIR 

NEW COSMIC 45 SUPPRESSOR 

Liberty Suppressors, makers of top quality firearm 

sound suppressors, would like to announce 

the release of their latest silencer design, the Cosmic 

45 caliber multipurpose silencer. The Cosmic 

is the next evolution in pistol silencer design, utilizing 

groundbreaking baffle technology along with 

the most durable materials. With a core of stainless 

steel, a titanium tube, and weighing in at only 

9.5 ounces, this silencer is light but built to handle 

even the toughest of pistol rounds. The Cosmic 

shares the same footprint as their popular Mystic 

X silencer. This allows full backwards compatibility 

with their legacy mounting solutions for the Mystic 

program and opens many new doors at the same 

time, without having to increase the footprint of the 

silencer. The Cosmic is rated for everything from 

22LR up to 454 Casull in pistol calibers plus several 

carbine calibers as well. The versatile Cosmic 

is priced at just $799 retail. Liberty Suppressors 

is a family owned, Georgia based silencer company 

that pioneered the concept that a monolithic 

silencer can be quiet. Liberty Suppressors offers 

a full line of silencers for everything from 22LR up 

to 300 Remington Ultra Mag. Check them out at 

www.libertycans.com. 

NEW REVIEW 

11 



12 

TACTICAL WALLS ANNOUNCES 

NEW TACTICAL LAMP 

TacticalWalls has just announced the release of the Tactical 

Lamp, a discreet new home storage solution for firearms, everyday 

carry items and other valuables. The Tactical Lamp is a 

fully functional home lighting appliance that features a hidden 

storage compartment inside its wooden body. The hidden compartment 

is accessed by removing a detachable side panel from 

the base of the lamp. The detachable side panel is kept in place 

by magnetized placeholders. Inside the hidden compartment 

is a protective layer of loop-sided Velcro to protect valuables 

from marring and allow the use of a variety of mounting options. 

NO COMMENT: 

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. 

We would not let our enemies have guns, 

why should we let them have ideas." 

Behind the loop-sided Velcro, there is also a retention magnet 

that makes it possible to secure a firearm, knife or other 

metal valuables to the rear of the internal compartment. 

The exterior dimensions of the lamp base are 11.5”H x 9”W 

x 7.25”D. The interior dimensions of the storage compartment 

are 9”H x 6”W x 4”D. The Tactical Lamp is sold with 

or without the lampshade and can also be purchased as a 

single unit or a set of two. There are different types of finishes 

available, including Dutch Walnut, Black and Cherry. 

Prices range from $119 to $129 for a single unit and $179 to 

$199 for a set of two (depending on whether the lamp shade 

is included). Check out their innovative products at www. 

tacticalwalls.com. 

They make products that are simple to install, easy to 

use, and offer discreet storage solutions for every room. 

They are also made here in the USA. 

- Joseph Stalin

13 


NEW REVIEW

y Teresa G. Ficaretta, Esq. 

& Johanna Reeves, Esq. 

Legal News from the Nation’s Capital 


16 

GCA Firearms Restrictions— 

Who Is a Prohibited Person? 

Part II: 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)-(9) 

In Vol. 20, No. 1, we provided readers 

with an overview of Federal firearms 

disabilities imposed under the Gun 

Control Act (GCA), 18 U.S.C. Chapter 

44. Because there are 10 categories of 

“prohibited persons” under the GCA, we 

addressed 5 of the disabilities in Part I 

of the article, and this article addresses 

the remaining 5 disabilities as Part 

II. As stated in Part I, it is essential for 

Federal firearms licensees (FFLs) to 

have a working knowledge of this area 

of the law to avoid transferring firearms 

or ammunition to prohibited persons 

and aiding and abetting a prohibited 

person in unlawfully possessing these 

items. Caution must be exercised in 

this area not just for potential purchasers 

of the FFL’s products, but also for 

employees who possess firearms and 

ammunition for purposes of carrying out 

the FFL’s business. 

This article will discuss the prohibited 

persons described in 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) 

(5)-(9), which includes illegal and nonimmigrant 

aliens; persons dishonorably 

discharged from the military; renunciants 

of U.S. citizenship; persons subject 

to domestic violence restraining orders, 

and persons convicted of misdemeanor 

crimes of domestic violence. 

I. GCA Categories of Prohibited Persons 

§ 922(g)(5)-(9) 

A. 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5) – Illegal Aliens 

and Nonimmigrant Aliens 

Section 922(g)(5) includes two separate 

and distinct disabilities. The first 

applies to “aliens” who are illegally or 

unlawfully in the United States. The 

second applies to aliens who have been 

admitted to the United States under a 

nonimmigrant visa, as that term is defined 

in the Immigration and Nationality 

Act. We will discuss each of these 

disabilities separately. 

1. Aliens Illegally or Unlawfully in 

the United States--§ 922(g)(5)(A) 

This provision has been in the GCA 

since enactment in 1968, but was not 

defined until ATF issued regulations 

implementing the Brady Law in 1997. 

The regulations provide that the term 

“alien illegally or unlawfully in the United 

States” means aliens who are not in 

valid immigrant, nonimmigrant or parole 

status. The definition in 27 § C.F.R. § 

478.11 provides examples of aliens included 

in the term, such as persons who 

enter the United States without presenting 

themselves to an immigration officer, 

nonimmigrants whose periods of stay 

have expired or who violate the terms of 

their entry, and persons under a deportation 

or removal order. 

Questions often arise about aliens 

who have applied for adjustment status 

and allowed to stay in the United States 

while the application is pending. Federal 

courts have held that aliens in this 

situation still entered the United States 

illegally and cannot lawfully possess a 

firearm. There is an exception in one 

federal circuit involving a case where 

an individual filed for and received Temporary 

Protected Status. Under these 

circumstances that court held such a 

person is not an illegal or unlawful alien 

under the GCA because he or she is 

allowed to remain in the United States 

and work in the same manner as a nonimmigrant 

alien. See United States v. 

Orellana, 405 F.3d 360, 365 (5th Cir. 

2005). The Department of Justice does 

not extend the rationale of the case 

to other circuits.

2. Aliens Admitted to the United 

States under a Nonimmigrant Visa– 

§ 922(g)(5)(B) 

Congress added the disability for persons 

who enter the United States under 

a nonimmigrant visa to the GCA in 1998. 

The plain language of the statute limits 

the prohibition to persons who enter the 

United States with a nonimmigrant visa. 

However, when ATF issued implementing 

regulations in 2002, the agency interpreted 

the prohibition to apply to ALL 

nonimmigrants, whether or not they entered 

the United States with a visa. This 

is a significant expansion of the statutory 

prohibition, as many foreign visitors are 

not required under the Immigration and 

Nationality Act to present a visa when 

entering the United States. Canadian 

citizens are the biggest category, as well 

as persons from countries in the Visa 

Waiver Program (VWP). Information on 

the VWP, including a list of participating 

countries, can be found on the Department 

of State website. 

In 2011, the Department of Justice’s 

Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) advised 

ATF that the agency’s interpretation of 

the nonimmigrant alien prohibition was 

overly broad. OLC advised ATF that the 

prohibition does not apply to all nonimmigrant 

aliens present in the United 

States, but only those aliens admitted 

to the United States under a nonimmigrant 

visa. Subsequently on December 

8, 2011, ATF posted an Open Letter to 

All Federal Firearms Licensees on its 

website advising that, in accordance 

with direction from OLC, the agency was 

changing its interpretation of the law so 

that most Canadian visitors in the United 

States and aliens admitted under the 

Visa Waiver Program would no longer 

be prohibited from possessing firearms 

under the GCA. On June 7, 2012 (77 FR 

33625), ATF amended its regulations to 

reflect this position. 

The disability for nonimmigrant aliens 

present in the United States pursuant to 

a nonimmigrant visa has a number of 

statutory exceptions. The exceptions, 

listed in 18 U.S.C. § 922(y)(2), include 

the following: 

• aliens admitted to the United 

States for lawful hunting or sporting 

purposes (e.g., an organized 

shooting competition); 

• aliens in possession of a hunting 

license or permit lawfully issued in 

the United States; 

• official representatives of a foreign 

government who are accredited to 

the United States Government or 

the Government’s mission to an 

international organization headquartered 

in the United States; 

• officials of a foreign government 

or a distinguished foreign visitor 

so designated by the Department 

of State; and 

• foreign law enforcement officers 

of a friendly foreign government 

entering the United States on official 

law enforcement business. 

The easiest exception to satisfy is 

the hunting license exception. Any alien 

may easily avoid the prohibitions of the 

statute by obtaining a hunting license 

from any State, and the possession of 

firearms or ammunition need not be in 

the State where the hunting license was 

issued. This exception has been criticized 

because of its ease in avoiding the 

statutory disability. 

The GCA also includes a “waiver” 

provision that allows a nonimmigrant 

alien to apply for a waiver from the restrictions 

of the statute by submitted a 

petition to the Attorney General. We 

note, however, that neither ATF nor 

the Department of Justice have published 

regulations or any other guidance 

implementing the waiver provisions. 

Consequently, it is likely easier and 

more expedient to obtain a hunting license 

than to submit a petition to the 

Department of Justice. 

Even if a nonimmigrant alien fits 

within an exception listed above, the 

alien may not lawfully purchase a firearm 

from a Federal firearms licensee 

unless he or she (1) has a valid alien admission 

number issued by the Department 

of Homeland Security (required 

on the Form 4473); and (2) is able to 

provide documentation that he or she 

is a resident of the State where the 

FFL is located. 

B. Persons Dishonorably Discharged 

from the U.S. Armed Forces- 18 

U.S.C. § 922(g)(6) 

This provision of the GCA has been 

in the statute since 1968, but was not 

defined in the regulations until 1997. 

The term “discharged under dishonorable 

conditions” is defined in 27 C.F.R. 

§ 478.11 as “Separation from the U.S. 

Armed Forces resulting from a dishonorable 

discharge or dismissal adjudged 

by a general court-martial. The term 

does not include any separation from 

the Armed Forces resulting from any 

other discharge, e.g., a bad conduct discharge.” 

ATF also does not consider a 

general discharge as one that results in 

Federal firearms disabilities. 

C. Persons Who Have Renounced U.S. 

Citizenship - 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(7) 

This is a fairly straight-forward category 

of prohibited persons and one that 

is rarely encountered. That is because it 

is fairly difficult to renounce U.S. citizenship 

in a way that satisfies the requirements 

under the regulatory definition of 

“renounced U.S. citizenship.” The definition 

requires that a person renounce his 

or her citizenship (1) before a diplomatic 

or consular officer of the United States in 

a foreign country; OR (2) Before an officer 

designated by the Attorney General 

when the United States is in a state of 

war. The first method, requires completion 

of a State Department form before 

a U.S. consular officer while in a foreign 

country. The second method has been 

delegated to the Department of Homeland 

Security, although the agency has 

not issued regulations implementing the 

authority. Renunciations of U.S. citizenship 

are permanent and irrevocable, absent 

an overturn based on involuntariness 

or lack of intent. Individuals who 

lose U.S. citizenship must reacquire it 

through naturalization. 

D. Persons Subject to Domestic Violence 

Restraining Orders – 18 U.S.C. 

§ 922(g)(8) 

Congress enacted Section 922(g) 

(8) as part of the Violent Crime Control 

and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. 

The statute prohibits persons subject 

to certain domestic violation restraining 

orders from receiving or possessing firearms 

and ammunition. The disability is 

temporary, lasting only as long as the 

restraining order is in effect. It applies to 

a significant number of persons at any 

given time, as restraining orders that 

meet the requirements of the statute are 

issued by State courts routinely as part 

of divorce proceedings. 

Not every domestic violence restraining 

order issued by a State or tribal court 

results in Federal firearms disabilities. 

The statute has specific requirements: 

• the order was issued after a hearing 

of which the person received 

notice and had an opportunity to 

participate in the hearing; 

• the order restrains the person from 

harassing, stalking, or threatening 

an intimate partner (e.g., spouse, 

former spouse, cohabitant) or 

child of the intimate partner or 

engaging in conduct that would 

place the partner in reasonable 

fear of bodily injury; and 

LEGALLY ARMED 

17 


• the order includes a finding that 

the person represents a credible 

threat to the physical safety of 

the intimate partner or child OR 

explicitly prohibits the use, attempted 

use, or threatened use of 

physical force against an intimate 

partner or child. 

The disability is problematic because 

many (if not most) restraining orders 

meeting the requirements of the statute 

are never reported to NICS and are not 

used by the FBI as a basis for denying 

a firearms sale. A 1996 amendment to 

the Violence Against Women Act requires 

states to certify that its judges are 

required to provide notification to all domestic 

violence offenders of the requirements 

of section 922(g)(8) (and 922(g) 

(9), discussed below). This requirement 

has allowed more Federal prosecutions 

of violators for “knowing” violations 

of the GCA, but it has not resulted 

in more information being provided 

to the FBI/NICS. 

Section 922(g)(8) was challenged 

in Federal court repeatedly after enactment 

on the basis of the Second Amendment, 

due process, equal protection, 

and lack of notice arguments. Courts 

have consistently upheld the constitutionality 

of the statute, finding that preventing 

acts of domestic violence involving 

firearms is a reasonable restriction 

on firearms possession. 

E. Persons Convicted of a Misdemeanor 

Crime of Domestic Violence 

– 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) 

Section 922(g)(9) of the GCA is often 

called “the Lautenberg Amendment,” 

because Senator Lautenberg of New 

Jersey was the sponsor of the legislation. 

The amendment was enacted in 

1996 as part of the Omnibus Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 1997. This provision 

makes it unlawful for any person 

convicted of a “misdemeanor crime of 

domestic violence” (MCDV) to possess 

firearms or ammunition. The term “misdemeanor 

crime of domestic violence” 

is defined in section 921(a)(33) as an 

offense that— 

• is a misdemeanor under Federal, 

State, or Tribal law; and 

• has as an element the use or attempted 

use of physical force or 

the threatened use of a deadly 

weapon committed by a current or 

former spouse, parent, someone 

who has cohabited with the victim, 

or another individual specified in 

the statute. 

The statutory definition also provides 

that, even if the requirements above are 

established, a person is not considered 

convicted of a MCDV if the person was 

not represented by counsel and, if the 

person was entitled to a jury trial, he or 

she was tried by jury or waived the right 

to a jury trial. In addition, the statute has 

language similar to that for felony convictions 

providing that post-conviction 

events may invalidate the MCDV conviction. 

If the MCDV is expunged, set 

aside, pardoned, or the person has had 

civil rights restored, the MCDV will not 

be disabling under section 922(g)(9). 

ATF’s regulations implementing the 

statute interpret the term “misdemeanor” 

to include, in States which do not 

classify offenses as misdemeanors, 

offenses punishable by imprisonment 

for a term of one year or less and includes 

offenses punishable by only 

a fine. Thus, even if a State does not 

label a particular offense as a misdemeanor, 

it will result in Federal firearms 

disabilities if the offense meets the 

statutory definition. 

Many state misdemeanor statutes for 

simple assault and other misdemeanors 

that may qualify as MCDVs contain 

multiple subparts or clauses within the 

subparts only some of which contain the 

element of physical force. For example, 

assault statutes frequently provide that 

a person commits assault either by using 

physical force against the person 

OR by making verbal threats. Only the 

first qualifies as a MCDV. There is a 

great deal of case law on the evidence 

the government may use to determine 

whether a misdemeanor conviction 

qualifies as a MCDV. This is a complicated 

area of the law, and if you are 

unsure whether a particular offense 

is disabling, contact your local ATF 

office for guidance. 

An interesting wrinkle to the Lautenberg 

Amendment is that it includes 

language that makes this disability applicable 

to law enforcement officers and 

the military. These categories of persons 

are generally exempted from most of 

the restrictions of the Federal firearms 

laws because of the general government 

exemption in 18 U.S.C. § 925(a) 

(1). This results in police officers and 

other law enforcement officers being 

able to acquire firearms from FFLs in interstate 

commerce free of the interstate 

controls, Form 4473 requirements, and 

NICS checks required of other firearms 

purchasers. It also means that police 

officers who happen to be prohibited 

persons (e.g., felons, dishonorable discharges, 

etc.) may lawfully possess 

firearms and ammunition for purposes 

of carrying out their official duties. However, 

the Lautenberg Amendment added 

language to the GCA to carve out misdemeanor 

crimes of domestic violence 

from the general exemption. Accordingly, 

police officers who have been convicted 

of such misdemeanors may not 

lawfully possess firearms or ammunition 

for any purpose. This provision of the 

GCA was challenged by police organizations 

and individual police officers 

immediately after enactment and was 

upheld. See Fraternal Order of Police v. 

United States, 173 F.3d 898 (D.C. Cir. 

1999). The statute has also survived a 

variety of constitutional challenges in 

the Federal courts of appeal under the 

Sixth Amendment, Commerce Clause, 

Second Amendment, Due Process 

Clause, and ex post facto clause. 

As with domestic violence restraining 

orders, not all misdemeanor crimes 

of domestic violence are reported to 

NICS. Although states routinely report 

felony convictions to the FBI, few 

have the resources to report misdemeanor 

convictions. Accordingly, it is 

unlikely that all persons subject to this 

disability are prevented from acquiring 

firearms from FFLs. 

II. Conclusion 

The Federal firearms disabilities imposed 

by the GCA are numerous and 

complex. The overview provided in this 

article cannot adequately cover all the 

legal issues raised by the lengthy statutory 

and regulatory definition. FFLs 

and others who have questions about a 

particular situation, person, or disability 

should contact qualified counsel or ATF 

for guidance. 

About the authors – 

Johanna Reeves is the founding 

partner of the law firm Reeves & Dola, 

LLP in Washington, DC (www.reevesdola.com). 

For more than ten years 

she has dedicated her practice to advising 

and representing U.S. companies 

on compliance matters arising 

under the federal firearms laws and 

U.S. export controls. 

Teresa Ficaretta is one of the country’s 

foremost experts on ATF regulations 

under the Gun Control Act, the 

National Firearms Act, the Arms Export 

Control Act and Federal explosives 

laws. Before joining Reeves & Dola in 

2013, Teresa served as legal counsel to 

ATF for 26 years, followed by two years 

as Deputy Assistant Director in Enforcement 

Programs and Services. They can 

be reached at 202-683-4200. 


19 


LEGALLY ARMED

FLASH SUPPRESSOR, MUZZLE BRAKES & MUZZLE ATTACHMENTS 

AND THE ASSAULT WEAPON BAN 

by Rick Vasquez 

In October of 1994 as part of the Violent Crime Control and 

Law enforcement Act, what has become known as the semiautomatic 

assault weapon ban (SAW) was passed. The Gun 

Control Act (GCA) was modified with section 922(v) which prohibited 

the possession and manufacturing of certain Assault 

Weapons and firearms with certain features. Some of those 

prohibited features were flash suppressors and barrels threaded 

to accept a flash suppressor. 

September 13, 1994: SAW Ban enacted by PL 103-322, 

Title IX, Subtitle A, section 110105 The Violent Crime Control 

and Law Enforcement Act was enacted on September 13, 

1994, and established the definitions of assault weapons firearms 

and the features that constitute semiautomatic assault 

weapons. If a complete firearm fitting any of these definitions 

was in existence on or before the date of enactment of this 

Law, then it was “grand fathered.” This means that it would be 

lawful to possess or transfer. The law had a sunset provision 

in which at the completion of 10 years from the date of enactment 

the law could expire or the president could extend it or 

make it permanent. As we all know it was allowed to sunset. 

However, there are states that began implementing their own 

SAW ban. Some states adopted the parameters set by the 

original SAW ban but other states have become creative and 

have implemented their own interpretation of SAW ban. 

One of the areas of study is the state SAW ban laws and to 

provide information to persons so they do not get caught up in 

a state violation, which is generally a state felony. In communicating 

with the states that have restrictions on firearms features 

it is obvious the personnel that are administering these 

laws to the citizens have little to no idea what they are doing. 

This is not true of all of the states but from the numerous calls 

I have made to the state firearms experts it is obvious that you 

are rolling the dice to a state felony if you do not understand 

these laws yourself. 

that also function as grenade launchers and bayonet mounts. 

While at a trade show in Harrisburg, PA there was a vendor 

that was selling H&K rifle copies and AK rifle copies that he 

was advertising as “New Jersey compliant.” The only modification 

the vendor performed on these weapons was to pin 

the military flash suppressor in place on the rifles he was displaying. 

Regardless of the lack of gun knowledge the state 

administrators have, there are knowledgeable gun people and 

sooner than later many of these gun owners will be placed in a 

precarious situation. The following photos demonstrate flash 

suppressors from 2 different models of firearms: 

FLASH SUPPRESSORS, 

MUZZLE BRAKES AND 

THREADED BARRELS: 

What is a flash suppressor and what is a muzzle brake? All 

of the gun gurus are saying that is easy; a flash suppressor is 

designed to hinder the flash and a muzzle brake is a device 

to help with muzzle rise. You get an “A”. But can they be the 

same? How much flash must be reduced before it is considered 

a flash suppressor and not a muzzle brake? What is the 

standard and who performs a flash test? When shipping a rifle 

to a state with prohibitions on features, or you are purchasing 

a rifle with in a state with prohibitions on features, you need to 

know these answers. Additionally, there are flash suppressors 

Most NATO firearms have flash suppressors of the same 

diameter to accommodate universally sized rifle grenades. If 

the flash suppressor is not of the proper diameter of the rifle 

grenade such as FALs and M14 rifles with narrow flash suppressors, 

then they are equipped with a detachable attachment 

that slides over the flash suppressor and the grenade 

will slide over the muzzle attachment. When a state prohibits 

a grenade launcher it isn’t the M203 grenade launcher or other 

rifle mounted grenade launchers, because the likelihood of 


someone transferring an M203 on an AR15 is pretty slim. It is 

the flash suppressor/grenade launcher identified in the original 

assault weapons ban. Yet, when you ask the administrators at 

the state level what is a grenade launcher they cannot explain 

that the military flash suppressor is a grenade launcher. One 

state in particular when asked to explain the features as applied 

in his state told me, “that is a legal question and if you 

want an answer you need to hire an attorney and appeal for 

an answer to the attorney general’s office”. This was from the 

lead detective in charge of the office. 

Concerning the practice of pinning a muzzle brake in place, 

the purpose of pinning the muzzle brake to the barrel is to 

mask the threads. A banned feature is a threaded barrel that 

is compatible to accept a military flash suppressor. Once a 

muzzle brake or thread protector is pinned in place the barrel 

is no longer considered threaded. In all of the research of 

all of the state laws and speaking to many personnel not one 

has been able to give me a standard of what is considered 

permanently attached. If a person were to look for a standard 

the best practice would be to use what the ATFE has established 

for many years. Permanent attached means: “full fusion 

weld (stick, tig, mig) brazing, silver solder that has at least an 

1100 degree melting point, blind pin or set screw welded over”. 

These methods have always given positive results for permanent 

attachment. 

TESTING OF A FLASH SUPPRESSOR: 

With the enactment of the SAW ban ATFE did not have 

a test protocol to evaluate the reduction of flash of a muzzle 

attachment, when fired. A protocol was not developed until 

2002. This protocol was based on the procedure utilized by 

the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen 

Proving Grounds. The procedure developed was to compare 

the flash of a firearm without a flash suppressor, against the 

firearm with the flash suppressor, and any submitted muzzle 

attachment for a particular model of weapon. This test 

procedure is consistent with the procedure utilized by the 

U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, Test Operations 

Procedure (TOP) 3-2-045. 

The following is the test protocol that was developed: 

1. A measurement and description is taken of each muzzle 

submitted for evaluation. The outside diameter of the 

muzzle attachment must be larger than .865 of an inch, 

which is the diameter that will accept a muzzle-mounted 

grenade. 

2. Photographs will be taken of the muzzle attachment 

attached to a firearm while being fired in 

complete darkness. 

3. A grid, measuring 24 inches by 24 inches and made of 

1/4-inch metal rod spaced two inches apart, will be placed 

4 inches behind and centered on the muzzle attachment. 

4. Take three separate sets of test photographs. Two photographs 

of each test process. 

• The test weapon will be first photographed without 

any muzzle attachment. 

• The test weapon will then be photographed with the 

submitted muzzle attachment. 

• The test weapon will then be photographed with the 

military style flash suppressor that is a component of 

the test weapon. 

• The photographs will be compared, using the grid 

as a reference, and a determination will be made 

as to whether the item is a flash suppressor or 

muzzle brake. 

• Measure the size of the flash spread of each test fire 

by counting the grid lines. 

Document the 

Camera utilized: 

Lens: 

Ammunition: 

Exposure length: 

Distance from camera 

lens to muzzle: 

Camera: Nikon D80, digital SLR 

18-75mm 

Federal (Federal ammunition 

has been used in all previous 

tests) 

bulb 

60 inches and level to the 

muzzle. 

Once the test is complete there is not any standard to say 

if the flash spread was reduced by so many inches, the muzzle 

device would or would not be a flash suppressor. This is 

subjective. However, from personal experience military flash 

suppressors reduce the flash of a rifle a considerable amount. 

It was an eye opener to see just how well many of these flash 

suppressors worked. On the other hand there was never a true 

muzzle brake capable of reducing the flash a sufficient amount 

to be called a flash suppressor. 

Conclusion: 

Certain states have implemented a SAW ban in an attempt 

at a modified gun control. If you reside in one of these states, 

or you provide commerce in firearms in one of these states, 

and you intend to own or sell firearms, it is imperative you 

understand the firearms laws for your state. Failing to do so 

could put you in possession of a physical feature of a sporting 

firearm of which you could be convicted of a State felony. 

WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 21 SAR Vol. 20, No. 2

ARMING THE 

GALACTIC 

EMPIRE 

22 22 

SAR 


Vol. 

Vol. 

20, 

20, 

No. 

No. 

2 

2 

MARCH 

MARCH 

2016 

2016

The BlasTech 

E-15 IMPERIAL 

STORMTROOPER 


By Will Dabbs MD 

Photos by Sarah Dabbs 

The New BlasTech E-15 Heavy 

Blaster Rifle brings unprecedented 

combat capabilities to the Stormtrooper 

in contact. Longer range, 

better fire control, stabilized optics, 

a thermal detection suite, and improved 

armor penetration are all 

combined into a tactical package 

that is 10 grams lighter than the legacy 

E-11 that it replaces. 

WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 23 

WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 23 



Vol. 

Vol. 

20 

20 

No. 

No. 

2 

2

E-15 IMPERIAL STORMTROOPER 

The venerable BlasTech E-11 Blaster was an 

undeniably tried and true weapon system. 

Striking a tactical balance between power and 

portability, the E-11 armed the Stormtrooper 

Legions throughout the Galactic Empire’s 

sphere of influence. Whether the area of operations be the 

jungles of Kashyyyk, the desert wastes of Tatooine, the frigid 

arctic plains of Hoth, Boarding/Search/Seizure missions 

aboard captured vessels, or in the vacuum of space itself, 

the E-11 has rendered yeoman’s service. However, as is 

the case with perhaps every weapon known save the Jedi 

Lightsaber, there is always room for improvement. 

The popularity of the E-11 arose predominantly from its 

portability. At its heart a particle beam projector, the E-11 included 

an integral optical sighting array as well as an infinitely 

adjustable power setting. When used in areas of limited 

visibility and away from the image intensifiers built into the 

standard Stormtrooper armor, the optical sight of the E-11 allowed 

respectable visibility independent of illumination. The 

controls of the E-11 allowed instant fire selection ranging 

from stun settings selectable for the physiology of the target 

all the way up to full power bolts adequate to burn through up 

to 5cm of tempered iridium armor. 

The BlasTech E-11 was itself a development of the warhorse 

DC-15 Blaster that saw widespread usage during the 

Clone Wars. The E-11 was purpose-designed to address the 

combat shortcomings intrinsic to this effective but bulky Infantry 

combat weapon. While operational DC-15’s still turn 

up from time to time in the hands of terrorists, criminals, 

warlords, and thugs, this antiquated weapon has been completely 

supplanted in the armament stores of the Legions. 

While there are countless veteran Stormtroopers now 

mustered out of the Legions who would no doubt take issue 

with the claim, the E-11 has always suffered from a few serious 

deficiencies. Among them, the E-11 had a limited range 

due to its abbreviated beam focusing array as well as spotty 

accuracy beyond CQB (Close Quarters Battle) distances. 

Any Stormtrooper who saw service on Hoth and had to face 

Rebel Irregulars armed with their antiquated but powerful Mk 

47 Blaster Rifles will recall the range advantage Rebel forces 

held during these operations in open terrain. 

Now armaments engineers working under the auspices of 

the First Order have finally developed an adequate replacement 

for the standby E-11. As is well known, the First Order 

arose from the chaos that befell the Empire after the untimely 

demise of our Emperor, may his dark soul find eternal 

peace, at the hands of the renegade traitor Darth Vader. It is 

the turmoil that spawned from these sordid events that set 

back the development schedule of the new E-15 until now. 

BlasTech—A Legacy of Armament Innovation 

BlasTech, short for Blaster Technologies, began life as a 

consortium of arms manufacturers maintaining its corporate 

headquarters on Coruscant. BlasTech’s primary production 

facility has always been located on Geonosis for its responsible 

and industrious workforce combined with ample raw 

materials. When BlasTech production could not keep up with 

demand, the E-11 was produced under license by both the 

Soru-Suub and Merr-Sonn corporations on their respective 

home worlds as well as the Terran concern Anderson Manufacturing. 

E-11 Blasters may be found in Legion arms rooms 

bearing markings from all four companies. Unsubstantiated 

scuttlebutt notwithstanding, subcontracted Blasters are 

truly interchangeable with the original BlasTech variants. 


TOP LEFT: Also an NCStar product, the original E-11 combat optic was not nearly so capable as the ECO sight 

on the new E-15. TOP RIGHT: Any directed energy weapon must incorporate some mechanism to vent excess 

heat from firing. The familiar cooling fins on the legacy E-11 also allow firm purchase in standard Stormtrooper kit. 

ABOVE: Every Stormtrooper who ever donned the armor has a soft spot in his heart for the classic BlasTech E-11 

Blaster. The E-11 served ably and well in countless engagements across the Galactic Empire. Without overstating 

the subject, the E-11 projected the very Will of the Emperor Himself throughout its time in service. 

WWW.SMALLARMSREVIEW.COM 25 SAR Vol. 20 No. 2

License-produced versions meet the same stringent standards 

of quality, reliability, and effectiveness as the original 

BlasTechs. 

What is not so commonly known is that BlasTech produces 

larger caliber weapons as well. BlasTech has filled 

contracts for the Turbolaser space defense systems used 

on fixed Imperial facilities as well as the fast-firing powerguns 

used on both TIE fighter as well as TIE interceptor 

platforms. With this established legacy of quality and innovation 

in weapons design and production, BlasTech was 

uniquely positioned to develop and produce the new E-15 

Blaster Rifle that will itself eventually supplant the E-11. 

The E-15 Heavy Blaster, the Next Generation in 

Stormtrooper Small Arms 


The first thing any seasoned veteran notices when he 

hefts the new E-15 for the first time is that, compared to 

the E-11, the E-15 is big. Where previously the E-11 could 

be hung from a belt carrier when a Trooper was in garrison 

or performing maintenance or administrative tasks, the 

new E-15 must be managed on a sling. However, widespread 

use of cutting edge polymers and ceramics in its 

construction gives the E-15 a paltry weight of 3.1 kilos. Any 

Stormtrooper who has force marched with an E-11 will note 

with satisfaction that this is actually 10 grams lighter than 

the smaller weapon it replaces. While the extra length has 

been a cause for concern, particularly among units requiring 

operations in tight spaces like built-up areas or airlocks, 

the additional capabilities that the E-15 brings to the table 

more than offset its size penalty. 

The E-15 Heavy Blaster has a markedly more advanced 

beam focusing system that allows the Stormtrooper so 

equipped to bring lethal and effective fires on target well 

beyond what would typically be considered line of sight 

limitations. This feature alone results in markedly more effective 

applications in areas characterized by mist, dust, or 

vegetation that might otherwise disperse the beam of the 

less powerful E-11. The maximum effective range of the 

E-15 is actually almost twice that of the E-11 with commensurately 

better armor-piercing and anti-aircraft/spacecraft 

capabilities. The E-15 Heavy Blaster allows the individual 

Stormtrooper access to man-portable firepower adequate 


TOP LEFT: The Blas-Tech E-15 Heavy Blaster Rifle we reviewed for this article was drawn directly from combat 

stores. The Stormtrooper who carries this particular weapon operationally is assigned to 2d Platoon, Alpha Company, 

1st Battalion, 501st Legion. The identity patch beneath the unit designation allows rapid scanning for automated 

inventory control. TOP CENTER: This E-15 is adorned with the legacy symbol of the Galactic Empire. Newest production 

Blasters will have updated insignia. TOP RIGHT: The skeletonized drum magazine from X-Products allows 

instant assessment of power remaining. On a full charge the E-15 will run for hours at moderate energy settings on a 

single lightweight drum. Flush-mounted, smaller capacity energy magazines are also available. CENTER: While the 

E-15 Heavy Blaster is indeed markedly bulkier than the E-11 it replaces; the E-15 is actually 10 grams lighter. As the 

E-15 cannot be strapped to a utility belt like the legacy weapon, it includes a dedicated sling system. Stormtroopers 

in action feel to a man that the extra power, longer range, and enhanced penetration more than make up for the 

added bulk. LEFT: The longer beam focusing array affixed to the muzzle of the E-15 produces a tighter energy pulse 

that retains its coherency over much longer ranges than that of the legacy E-11. 



TOP LEFT: The Enhanced Combat Optic from NCStar does more to enhance 

the effectiveness of the E-15 than any other improvement. Incorporating 

an enhanced visible spectrum magnification of 4X as well as a 

green focused energy target designator and dual-mode visible illumination, 

the ECO allows first shot hits out as far as sensors are operational. 

TOP CENTER (RIGHT & LEFT): Emergency backup sights are mounted 

on the top of the ECO gunsight. These sights may also be mounted to 

either 45-degree aspect of the sight housing. TOP RIGHT: The simple 

ECO reticle is autostabilized and easy to use in a hurry. LEFT & ABOVE: 

Insulated Galadinium plumbing vents excess cooling gases out the front 

of the weapon with each shot. The system is fully redundant such that 

clogging or damage to one leg of the system does not lead to dangerous 

temperatures and potential spontaneous cook-offs. 

to down light attack and fighter craft as far as his sensors 

might allow detection. 

To take advantage of this increased long-range 

lethality, BlasTech has partnered with NCStar to produce 

an integrated targeting suite for the new Heavy 

Blaster Rifle. NCStar has an established reputation for 

innovative illumination, sighting, and target designation 

systems. Additionally, their reliable combination of effectiveness 

and reasonable cost is always appealing 

to First Order comptrollers. 

The NCStar ECO (Enhanced Combat Optic) sight 

combines 4-power visible spectrum magnification with 

an onboard focused-beam target designator and dual-mode 

visible illumination options. All systems operate 

off of a common power supply and there is mounting 

space on the top for an additional piggyback CQB 

sight for use at bad breath ranges. 

The clubfoot polymer stock is the brainchild of Choate 

stocks, a Terran company with a long history of 

producing rugged Blaster components. Their stocks 

and accessories have been used on a variety of combat-proven 

weapon systems. The Choate clubfoot 

stock provides a reliable cheek weld for accurate fire 

as well as a handy gripping surface for applications 

wherein the E-15 is employed from fixed emplacements 

in the heavy fire support role. 

Magazines for the new E-15 come from X-Products. 

X-Products produces ammunition feed devices for a 

wide array for small arms in both solid and skeletonized 

versions. Skeletonized drums allow the Stormtrooper 

in contact a quick reference to ammunition remaining 

while simultaneously reducing weight. X-Products is at 

the very cutting edge of ammunition feed devices for 

directed energy weapons. 

Integral forend rails, also from NCStar, allow easy 

mounting of any standard Imperial accessories ranging 

from navigation systems to less-than-lethal attachments. 

Inteliscope produces an applique thermal 

sighting system for the E-15 that allows tracking and 

targeting of homoeothermic targets in any environment 

independent of battlefield obscurants. The Stormtroop- 




er so equipped remains markedly more 

capable than his forebears. 

Controls are simplified over the E-11 

to allow faster manipulation while under 

stress. The basic E-15 comes in a 

white ceramic finish composed of the 

same near-indestructible composite that 

makes up modern Stormtrooper armor. 

For operations in jungle, desert, aquatic, 

or space environments the E-15 may be 

oversprayed with alternative colors as 

necessary. 

Range Report 

The integral power selection rheostat 

allows the BlasTech E-15 Heavy Blaster 

Rifle to be configured for available 

range facilities. When used by recruits 

in the training Legions lockouts prevent 

the E-15 from operating at lethal power 

levels. In a combat environment the individual 

Stormtrooper can manage plasma 

levels quickly and easily. Maximum 

settings should be reserved solely for 

combat. On standard range settings accuracy 

and recoil mimic combat power 

without so much collateral risk to range 

facilities. In our case we ran the E-15 

through basic combat protocols for both 

accuracy and maneuverability at ranges 

from contact out to 1,200 meters using 

the ECO image enhancement suite. 

For starters the E-15 Heavy Blaster 

is indeed a much more stable platform 

than the stubby E-11. There is no more 

fumbling with collapsible stocks or craning 

to utilize the weapon’s sights. The 

E-15 lends itself to a repeatable cheek 

weld both within the standard Stormtrooper 

helmet and without. The E-15 

is responsive and maneuverable during 

MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) 

scenarios and the new high-capacity 

drum magazine will power the weapon 

for literally hours on moderate energy 

TOP LEFT, TOP CENTER, & ABOVE: The Inteliscope applique thermal sight affixes 

readily to the forend rail of the E-15 Heavy Stormtrooper Blaster and handily cuts 

through battlefield obscurants. Any homoeothermic target glows brilliantly no matter 

the intervening cover or concealment. 


settings. While the E-15 Heavy Blaster 

is an effective and formidable close 

range weapon, where it really shines is 

against more distant targets. 

The Enhanced Combat Optic makes 

for first round hits out as far as sensors 

can visualize. As the E-15 is a directed 

energy weapon it is immune to gravitational 

and wind effects. The new smart 

technology built into the NCStar ECO 

sight allows the Stormtrooper to lock the 

E-15 Heavy Blaster onto a target and 

clear the weapon for firing. The E-15 

then instantly calculates an optimal firing 

solution and actually fires a bolt automatically 

when the weapon has clear 

line of sight to the target. This feature 

alone is sufficient to keep an enemy occupied 

at distance such that indirect fire 

weapons and air support may be employed. 

When properly utilized, the E-15 

Heavy Blaster eliminates the need for 

the close fight, something about which 

Stormtroopers of campaigns past could 

only dream. 

Big Picture 

The new BlasTech E-15 Heavy Blaster 

Rifle is a true combat multiplier that 

allows the contemporary Stormtrooper 

to do more with less. Thusly equipped, 

modern Stormtroopers are more agile, 

more precise, and more lethal than 

their predecessors armed with the legacy 

E-11. The fall of the Galactic Empire 

and the pyrrhic rise of Rebel authority 

in so many diverse systems have 

made the peacekeeping mission of the 

modern Stormtrooper markedly more 

complex than was previously the case. 

In today’s fluid battlespace, Stormtroopers 

must remain flexible and seize the 

initiative. With the E-15, modern mobile 

Stormtrooper Legions are poised 

to do just that. 

The Stormtrooper legions are all that 

stand between order and chaos. When 

properly trained, equipped, and led, this 

versatile force can enforce the will of the 

government anywhere and anytime in 

any environment. More than any other 

piece of equipment, a Stormtrooper’s 

individual weapon is his constant companion, 

his measure of authority, and 

the single most critical component of his 

survival. Now that the BlasTech E-15 

Heavy Blaster Rifle is seeing general 

issue, the Stormtrooper Legions are 

finally positioned to enforce tranquility 

throughout the galaxy. 

www.ncstar.com 

www.riflestock.com 

www.inteliscopes.com 


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Remington 700 

Into the 21 st Century 

BY CHRIS A. CHOAT 


The author’s Remington SPS 700 rifle was 

used as a test bed for the A*B Arms MOD*X 

chassis and Trijicon scope. The only thing 

done since it left the factory 20 years ago 

was the addition of an optic and bipod. The 

barrel was also shortened and threaded 

The Remington 700 rifle has been 

around for more years than even this 

author can remember. If memory serves 

the rifle was introduced in the early 

1960’s. Since then it has become the 

workhorse of bolt actions. The rifle is 

available in three different action sizes; 

the Short, Standard and the Long 

actions. These action sizes are related 

to the length of the cartridges that they 

fire. This author has owned one of the 

first Remington 700 SPS (Special Purpose 

Synthetic) tactical rifles ever since 

they were introduced. It is chambered in 

.308. It came with a very heavy H-S Precision 

stock and was marketed heavily 

to the military and law enforcement communities 

as the perfect sniper or counter 

sniper rifle. The rifle also features a 

heavy profile barrel. The barrel combined 

with the weight of the stock makes 

for a rifle that the user sure doesn’t want 

to pack around all day. The rifles’ weight 

did make it a very pleasant rifle to shoot, 

one that wouldn’t beat you up even firing 

several boxes of ammo during a range 

session. The rifle has an internal 4-shot 

magazine with a swing-down floorplate. 

Later in the rifle’s evolution Remington 

came out with a model that featured a 

detachable magazine. 

This author’s rifle was and still is one 

of the most accurate rifles I have ever 

owned. With a good optic installed it is 

very capable of 1 MOA with just about 

any brand of ammunition. Recently I 

was sent a couple of New Products that 

proved to make this decades old Remington 

an even more accurate rifle as 

well as adding tactical features to bring 

it up to today’s military or LE standards. 

The first product is made by a veteran 

formed and veteran owned company 

called A*B (American Built) Arms. Their 

product is an aluminum chassis called 

the MOD*X Modular Rifle System and 

is designed and engineered for military, 

law enforcement and even hunting 

enthusiasts. The A*B Arms MOD*X 

Modular Rifle System is a lightweight, 

ergonomic, drop-in platform for the 

Remington 700 Short Action. It serves 

as a modular foundation on which tactical 

accessories can be added according 

to the user’s needs. 

The other product is one of Trijicon’s 

newest magnified optic the AccuPower® 

4-16X50 riflescope. Trijicon has been 

making rugged military grade optics 

and sights since the early 1980’s. With 

the introduction of their first tritium powered 

red dot sight, the Armson OEG, 

they have been the company to look to 

for any kind of tritium powered red dot, 

scope or even iron sights. Their ACOG® 

line of optics have been chosen for use 

by military units the world over for their 

ruggedness. This author owns several 

of their optics and has never been let 

down by one. 

These two new products arrived at 

this author’s office around the same time 

so they were destined to be combined 

into the same article. The Mod*X chassis 

system was installed on the author’s 

Remington SPS 700 short action .308 rifle. 

Installation is very easy and involves 

only removing your existing stock, in this 

case the heavyweight H-S Precision, 

and replacing it with the Mod*X chassis. 

The chassis is made from aluminum that 

is hard coat anodized to Mil-Spec Type 

III. The chassis comes in either black 

or flat dark earth. The sample sent for 

testing was black. The chassis weighs 

only 3 pounds 10 ounces and includes 

a 13.5 inch free-floating modular forearm 

that will accept even the heaviest 

custom contour barrel. The forearm has 

Key-Mod slots at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock 

positions as well as conventional slots 

at the 11 and 1 o’clock positions. The 

author added a short KeyMod to Picatinny 

rail adapter to the bottom of the 

forearm for installation of a bipod. The 

company says that their product is made 

to provide “goof proof” installation. This 

proved to be exactly the case. Once the 

original stock is removed the main chassis 

“body” with attached stock mounting 

point is attached to the Remington 

700 receiver using the supplied socket 

head screws. The chassis’ stock mount 

consists of a threaded block that will 

accept any AR style buffer tube. While 

any AR platform stock can be used on 

the MOD*X chassis it is shipped with 

the excellent LUTH-AR MBA (Modular 

Buttstock Assembly)-1 stock. This stock 

is fully adjustable for length of pull and 

cheek rest height. It weighs just slightly 

over 1 pound and can be used on any 

.223 or .308 AR platforms. Also included 

with the chassis is A*B Arms own P*Grip 

pistol grip. Here again, this modular 

chassis accepts any AR-15 style grip 

so if the user wants they can change 


MOD * X + ACCUPOWER ® 

it. While the P*Grip is a nice grip and 

even includes a storage compartment 

it proved to be just too small for this 

author's large hands and was replaced 

with a standard A2 pistol grip. The other 

parts of the MOD*X chassis system are 

the railed forearm and Picatinny scope 

mount. The forearm has a Picatinny rail 

that runs its entire length. The scope 

mount interlocks with the forearm with 

a steel alignment pin so the entire unit 

can be installed together. The forearm is 

held in place by two socket head screws 

that go through the chassis body and 

screw into the forearm itself. This makes 

for an extremely rigid setup. With the 

forearm installed and the scope mount 

installed into the forearm the scope 

mount is then attached to the rifle’s receiver 

by way of socket head screws 

that thread into the receiver’s drilled and 

tapped scope mounting holes. When it 

is all assembled it appears and feels as 

if it had been machined from one solid 

block of aluminum. 

Did I mention that the MOD*X system 

also converts the host rifle to magazine 

feed? That’s right; the MOD*X 

chassis system allows the use of MDT 

and AICS-style magazines. One MDT 

10-round polymer magazine comes 

with the kit. The magazine release is a 

small round button located inside the 

front of the trigger guard. The magazine 

seated very securely into the magazine 

well with no wobble or movement when 

locked in place. In fact, the mag needed 

a firm slap on its baseplate to lock it in. 

The magazine, when empty, dropped 

CENTER: The railed forearm attaches to the chassis body by means of two 

socket head screws. The forearm attaches only to the chassis body leaving 

the barrel completely free-floating. 


SAR Vol. 20, No. 2 38 MARCH 2016 

LEFT TOP: The MOD*X comes complete 

with the LUTH-AR MBA fully adjustable 

stock. This stock is adjustable for cheek 

height as well as length of pull. The 

cheekpiece can also be moved forward 

and rearward as needed. It has a non-slip 

buttpad, sockets for sling mounting and 

a hook for the shooters off hand. LEFT 

CENTER: The author mounted a short 

KeyMod to Picatinny rail adapter to the rifles 

forearm for mounting a Harris bipod. 

LEFT BOTTOM: One of the best features 

of the new MOC*X chassis is its ability to 

let the host rifle be magazine fed. It uses 

MDT or AICS style magazines and one 

MDT 10-round magazine is included with 

the chassis. The magazine release is the 

small button located inside the front of the 

trigger guard.


The complete A*B Arms Modular Rifle 

System installed on the host rifle. The unit 

has KeyMod slots as well as conventional 

slots for attaching accessories. It also 

comes with the excellent LUTH-AR MBA 

stock and converts the host rifle to magazine 

feed. The top rail that extends across 

the scope mount, as well as the forearm, 

has 20 MOA built in to it. 

free of the magazine well which is a plus 

if a rapid reload is needed. 

With the MOD*X installed it was 

time to mount the optic. The folks at 

Trijicon were nice enough to send a set 

of their 30mm steel scope rings along 

with the AccuPower scope. They were 

the perfect height for the 50mm objective 

lens to clear the MOD*X forearm. 

The MOD*X forearm and scope mount 

have 20 MOA built right into it. The AccuPower 

scope was then installed in the 

rings and the scopes’ reticle was leveled 

and plumbed. With everything tightened 

down, the scope was aligned with a laser 

bore sight just so it was “on the paper” 

at 100 yards. 

The Trijicon AccuPower scope was 

their flagship 4-16X50 model. The Accu- 

Power is a versatile, variable powered 

riflescope with an electronic illuminated 

reticle and 30mm main tube. Featuring 

a high quality lens system with full 

multi-layer coatings, the AccuPower 

provides an incredibly clear sight picture. 

The reticle illumination is powered 

by a single CR2032 lithium battery and 

has an easy-to-operate brightness adjustment 

dial with eleven brightness settings 

and an “off” feature between each 

setting. The AccuPower features a hard 

anodized aluminum body that protects 

against corrosion and is waterproof to 

ten feet (3m). With a generous adjustment 

range for windage and elevation, 

precise adjustment increments, and a 

re-settable zero, the AccuPower riflescope 

delivers the precision required 

for pinpoint accuracy. The test scope 

featured the Mil-Square reticle with red 

illumination. Green illumination is also 

available. The MIL-Square reticle was 

designed by a former Marine Sniper 

to give a shooter refined aiming points 

compared to the widely accepted MIL- 

Dot. This reticle provides the capability 

of determining distance to a target, 

determining the size of a target and to 

provide visual reference points to be 

used to compensate for bullet drop and 

provide reference for follow up shot 

compensation. Because of the open 

square (instead of mil-dot) design the 

user can more accurately align the edge 

of the MIL-Square with the edge of the 

object being measured. Intermediate 

tick marks aid in increased accuracy for 

ranging or shot placement. 

With the chassis and optic mounted 

to the rifle it was time to head to the 

range. A Harris bipod was mounted to 

the short section of rail on the forearms 

bottom. All shooting was done either in 

the prone position or from a shooting 

table. Ammunition used included Gorilla 

Ammunition’s .308 WIN 175 grain Sierra 

MatchKing©, Federal Premium .308 

WIN 180 grain Nosler Partition, Hornady 

.308 WIN 168 grain TAP and Beck 

Ammunition .308 WIN 168 grain A-Max 

Subsonic, for use with a suppressor, but 

more on that later. 

The author has owned the Remington 

700 used in this test for over 20 

years and it has proven to be deadly 

accurate. In fact, this author didn’t think 

that the rifle could be more accurate than 

it already was. These two new products 

proved me wrong. Instead of a 1 MOA 

rifle with the MOD*X installed along with 

the Trijicon AccuPower the gun is now a 

½ MOA rifle. All groups shot with the rifle 

shrank in size. We had several 3-shot 

groups, fired at 100 yards, that looked 

like small cloverleafs. The ammunition 

used in the test was also shot through 

the rifle before its “transformation”. Almost 

all group sizes dropped by at least 

half. Some were even more than that. 

The supplied magazine fed all of the 



ABOVE: The scope used to test the rifle was the Trijicon 4-16X50 AccuPower. This scope 

along with Trijicon’s steel 30mm rings proved to be the perfect match for this rifle. RIGHT: 

The AccuPower scope features a Mil-Square reticle with 11 positions of red illumination. The 

turrets offer very precise 0.1 Mil tactile click adjustments. The turrets are spring loaded and 

can be reset to the zero mark by simply raising them up to unlock them and turning them 

back to the “0" mark. BELOW: Several types of ammunition were used in the testing. The 

rifle fed from the magazine perfectly no matter what type of ammunition was used. 

test ammunition perfectly regardless 

of bullet style. 

Several years ago I had the barrel 

of this rifle shortened and threaded for 

suppressor use. A Thompson Machine 

“Thirty” suppressor was installed and 

shot using the Beck Ammunition .308 

WIN 208 grain Subsonic ammunition. If 

you have a .308 rifle and a suppressor 

for it you have to try this ammunition. 

It is the ultimate in quiet. You can hear 

the bullets impacting the target. Beck 

Ammunition also makes a subsonic 

load with a 168 grain A-Max bullet 

and well as several .223/5.56 subsonic 

loads in several bullet weights. 

In conclusion, if you have a tired 

old Remington 700 or even a brand 

new, right out of the box, gun you can 

bring it into the 21st Century with the 

MOD*X Modular Rifle System. You 

get the advantages of a lighter weight 

gun that will shoot more accurately as 

well as the addition of the KeyMod and 

conventional slots for mounting any accessory 

that you can think of. With the 

addition of a full-length Picatinny rail 

you also have plenty of rail real estate 

for the mounting of night vision optics 

along with your regular magnified optic. 

In regard to the AccuPower, this 

author has always been a fan of anything 

made by Trijicon and this scope 

proved to be no exception. It is rugged, 

repeatedly accurate and one of 

the clearest optics I have ever used. 

The Mil-Square reticle coupled with 

the illumination proved invaluable in 

ranging and usability even in low-light 

situations. I may even have to buy 

this scope instead of sending it back 

after the test. I have become quite 

attached to it. 

A*B Arms 

www.abarms.com 

Trijicon 

www.trijicon.com 

Beck Ammunition 

www.beckammunition.com 



The Lancer 

L30 HM 

(Heavy Metal) 

& New Product Releases 

Christopher R. Bartocci 

The rifle supplied to SAR for test and evaluation was the 

model Heavy Metal, Notice the carbon fiber stock and 

handguard which are both manufactured by Lancer. Also 

notice the Lancer designed Nitrous muzzle brake. 


Lancer Systems has grown rapidly in the industry. Starting as an unlikely 

small arms company, they worked with Diemaco/Colt Canada in 

the early 2000's on the Greene Tweed Project, a new translucent polymer 

magazine nicknamed the "green" magazine. After a minor hiccup in 

the development process of the magazine, the insert molded metal feed 

lips separated from the polymer magazine body when DEET (bug spray) 

was applied to the magazine causing crazing and cracking around the 

insert: this eventually lead to failed retention of the loaded ammunition. 

Colt Defense, who now owned Colt Canada dropped the program. Lancer 

knew they had a product they could sell and released the Lancer 

L5 magazine in 2007. This magazine was offered in smoke translucent 

color. As they got recognized they rose to become one of the most popular 

and durable magazines in the industry. This author has followed the 

development of the Lancer magazines quite closely from the original 

prototype magazines. This author has tested extensively all generations 

of the L5 magazine in 2011 with nothing other than excellent results. The 

L5 magazine is certainly a major step up from the standard GI aluminum 

magazines. To start with, the shot column is a constant curve shape. 

This is the natural shape in which the cartridges stack on top of each other 

unlike the GI magazine where you have a straight, unnatural shape on 

the top of the magazine and then it goes into a curve once the magazine 

extends beyond the bottom of the magazine well. This gives more constant 

and reliable feeding. Also the polymer material is more lubricious 

and causes less friction than the aluminum magazine. The texture of the 

magazine is a drastic improvement over the aluminum magazine. The 

trademark magazines are translucent allowing the shooter to visibly see 

how many rounds are in the magazine. This goes back to the concept 

of the original prototype magazine that Lancer worked on with Diemaco/ 

Colt Canada. What separated the L5 from the normal polymer magazine 

was that they used a hybrid design incorporating steel feed lips which 

were an insert molded into the polymer. Initially these were separate 

tabs. The next upgrade came in the form of the newly released L5 AWM 

or Advanced Warfighter Magazine. This is an updated L5 with the major 

change being a much larger and more durable feed lip insert. These 

have gone on to be one of the finest magazines in the industry. They are 

offered in 5, 10, 20 and 30 round capacities. 


With the surge in modern sporting 

rifle sales, Lancer decided to take their 

experience in carbon fiber production to 

manufacture carbon fiber handguards. 

These were an instant success being 

purchased and installed by original 

equipment manufacturers. In 2012, 

Lancer launched into the AR-rifle business. 

These are not just assembled 

rifles from other company components 

but their own take on the rifle. The first 

rifle offered was the L15 rifle chambered 

in 5.56mm. The lower receiver was really 

the heart and soul of the Lancer 

rifle. The receiver has removable magazine 

well adapters allowing for different 

adapters which would include an oversized 

magazine well bevel. The lower 

receiver also sported an ambidextrous 

bolt release above the extended magazine 

release button on the right side 

of the lower receiver. Several models 

were offered. They would include 

Lancer Carbon Fiber handguards and 

some had stocks made of this material 

as well. The rifles were more geared 

towards the 3-gun competition market. 

The fast handling lightweight rifles 

ABOVE: Close view of the right side of the receivers of the rifle. Take note of the lack 

of forward assist, ejection port dust cover and fired cartridge case deflector. You can 

clearly see the ambidextrous bolt release, 10 round Lancer L7 magazine and the Nightforce 

BEAST optic. 

ABOVE: The L30, like the L15-Series have removable magazine well adapters. The 

adapter is removed by a takedown pin on the rear of the mag well similar to that of the 

takedown and pivot pins on the lower receiver. The pin is captured. 

really shined in this capacity and pricing 

was competitive with other manufactures 

in this market but offered out 

of the box performance that no other 

manufacturer could match. 

In 2014, Lancer introduced their 

newest member of their lineup of rifles, 

the long anticipated L30 family 

of weapons. This is their 7.62x51mm 

(.308 Win) caliber family of weapons. 

Like the L15-Series rifles, these too are 

based upon carbon fiber technology. 

The rifle sent to SAR for review is the 

Heavy Metal (L30 HM) version of the 

rifle. The L15 family of rifles uses the 

legacy direct gas impingement operating 

system which has been preferred for 

precision rifles. This 9.5 pound rifle will 

certainly qualify as a Designated Marksman 

Rifle. Both the Lancer upper and 

lower receiver are compatible with the 

DPMS pattern receivers. 

Starting at the rear of the rifle, the 

stock is the carbon fiber Lancer LCS 

fixed stock. The stock is 10.8 inches 

long and weighs just 10.4 ounces. The 

materials used in the manufacturing of 

the fiber stocks and handguards is Epoxy 

/ Carbon fiber 2 X2 Twill. There is 

a quick detachment point that works on 

either side of the stock as well as standard 

soft sling attachment slots. These 

can be had in A1 or A2 length. The lower 

receiver itself is manufactured from 

a billet of 7075 T6 aluminum. This is a 

proprietary lower receiver that has all 


the advanced features of the L15 rifle. 

This includes the ambidextrous bolt release. 

Also there is an oversized magazine 

release on the right side as well. 

Also just like the L15, the L30 has replaceable 

magazine well adapters. The 

L30 comes with the tactical magwell but 

the owner can purchase the other models. 

The first magazine well is called the 

Competition magwell. This one has a 

large bevel which will allow quick inserting 

of magazines. This would be very 

bulky for a combat rifle but perfect for 

the competitor. The next is the Tactical 

magwell. This is more of an in-between 

a Standard magwell and a Competition 

magwell. The third is the standard magwell 

which mimics the standard receiver. 

The fourth is the L30 LTR which is adaptable 

to either right or left hand shooters. 

It has a side cut out so larger capacity 

magazines can be removed and inserted 

in the prone position without the 

rifle being taken off target. The pistol 

grip on the tested rifle is the ErgoGrip 

Tactical Deluxe grip. 

Lancer does offer different trigger 

options depending upon the model offered. 

The Heavy Metal rifle received 

has a Geissele SD3G or Super Dynamic 

3 Gun trigger group. This trigger has 

a very short, light pull and reset. It is 

designed specifically for close course 

competition where rapid target engagement 

and quick follow-up shots are required. 

This is a single stage trigger. The 

weight is determined by which hammer 

spring is used. Either a 3.25 or 4 pound 

spring is used for that overall trigger pull 

weight. It should be noted this trigger 

should not be used for duty use, bench 

rest, accuracy work or shooting small 

groups. This trigger is not adjustable. 

The upper receiver is also manufactured 

by Lancer. This also is manufactured 

from a billet of 7075 T6 aircraft 

grade aluminum. It is unique in the fact 

there is no ejection port dust cover and 

forward bolt assist. The fired cartridge 

ABOVE: Shown are the current three magazine well adapters available for the L30 rifle. 

case deflector is built into the octagon 

shape of the upper receiver. These 

things were eliminated to save weight. 

The forward assist was removed as 

most precision shooters will not force a 

round into the chamber if there is a malfunction. 

This type of action by forcing 

a cartridge in the chamber often results 

in failure to extract. This receiver is also 

manufactured of billet 7075 T6 aircraft 

aluminum. The handguard is the 15 inch 

Lancer Carbone fiber handguard. There 

is a Mil-Std-1913 rail segment on the top 

end of the handguard for proper align- 

BELOW: At the time of the arrival of the Lancer L30, 

Nightforce had sent their BEAST long range scope as 

well for test and evaluation. 


ment of a front back up iron sight. The 

barrel is completely free floated inside 

the lightweight handguard. 

The barrel of the Heavy Metal is 

a broached cut stainless steel barrel 

which is manufactured by White Oak 

Armament. Barrels for the MBR rifle are 

manufactured by CMMG. The barrel has 

a 1 turn in 10 inch right hand twist. The 

range of the Heavy Metal is easily 800 

yards. Barrel life is dependent on several 

factors including rate of fire, cleaning 

and type of ammunition. The LTR model 

has a 1 turn in 11.5 inch twist 24 inch 

Bartlein barrel which will easily reach out 

to 1,000 yards. The Heavy metal barrel 

is topped off with the Lancer designed 

Nitrous muzzle brake. The design of the 

Nitrous muzzle brake incorporates a 

progressive aperture; getting smaller at 

each baffle moving toward the end. This 

helps evenly distribute the gas pressure 

in the chambers and optimizing recoil 

reduction. The compensator also incorporates 

and initial chamber with 2 upward 

facing thread ports; interchangeable 

jets are used to reduce the muzzle 

climb. Lancer offers another model of 

muzzle brake called the Viper. This was 

released in 2014 and uses the same 

ABOVE: Shown is the Lancer 

Viper muzzle brake. 

ABOVE: The newly introduced single 

point sling adapter which uses a cable instead 

of steel. This makes for quieter and 

smoother use. 

technology as the Nitrous. The brake 

was increased in size and the chamber 

is designed to drive more gas pressure 

rearward thus providing increase recoil 

reduction. In addition the top ports were 

rotated off centerline to ensure the user 

maintains a clear field of view through 

their scope when firing. The Viper has 

an MSRP of $169.99 and is offered in 

black or stainless steel. It is offered in 

6.5 or .308 caliber. 

The bolt carrier group is a DPMS 

pattern and is manufactured coated in 

black nitride by Rubber City Armory. The 

quality of the carrier group is very nice 


ABOVE TOP: This is the lightweight and more compact L30 MBR (L30-RFL-MBR). Notice 

the shorter 16 inch barrel. ABOVE BOTTOM: This is the extreme long range 

Lancer LTR (L30-RFL-LTR-308) rifle. Notice the 24 inch barrel and the KFS adjustable 

TACMOD stock. 

and the carrier key is properly staked. 

At the same time the Heavy Metal 

arrived it also arrived with some other 

new Lancer products. First was the 

single point sling adapter. This is a 

modified receiver extension end plate. 

What makes this unique is that it is 

made using a nylon coated wire cable 

instead of steel. This has the benefit 

due to the nylon coating that noise is reduced. 

The cable is also flexible offering 

more maneuverability. 

The next product was a highly anticipated 

product. In 2014 Lancer finally 

introduced their L7 SR25/AR10 

magazine in 7.62x51mm/.308 Win caliber. 

Based on the technology of the 

L5 AWM and MPX magazines, The L7 

was scaled up for the larger caliber. 

The steel insert is much larger and encompasses 

the mag catch area. There 

is a stainless steel insert or front guard 

in the front of the magazine. The front 

guard serves several purposes; first it 

protects the magazine from damage in 

high volume automatic fire (Competitor 

sample magazine used in high volume 

firing had dimpling or grooves cut into 

the magazine). Secondly the front guard 

acts as a foundation for the feed lips; after 

welding you end up with a full steel 

top end which is very stable and robust. 

The first magazines offered were the 20 


ABOVE TOP: This is the Carbon Fiber stock designed and manufactured by 

Lancer, the Lancer LCS is available in both A1 and A2 lengths. ABOVE CEN- 

TER: This is the Lancer L7 translucent (Smoke) 20 round 7.62x51mm magazine. 

ABOVE: Shown are the Black Lancer L5 magazines (left to right are the 10, 20 

and 25 round magazines). This is a first look at the new 25 round magazines 

which are scheduled to begin shipping in September of 2015. 

and 10 round capacity magazines. They 

were offered in the proprietary translucent 

material allowing the shooter to see 

how many rounds are in the magazine. 

These are offered in clear as well as a 

smoke color. Also offered are a black, 

an olive drab green and a tan opaque 

variation manufactured from glass filled 

nylon. In 2015 SHOT Show, Lancer introduced 

their new 25 round magazine 

which was not scheduled to be available 

till September of 2015. SAR got a first 

look at this new magazine. It is manufactured 

to the same standards as the 

20 round magazine but longer. This is by 

far the most robust magazine of the sort 

in the industry. The L7AWM are heavier 

and bulkier than other magazines in this 

class. However compared to steel magazines, 

the L7AWM magazines are lighter 

in weight. They are on a new level of 

durability compared to the rest. Lancer 

did not choose to compromise durability 

to save weight. 

The scope chosen is the Night 

Force BEAST. BEAST is an acronym 

for Best Example of Advanced Scope 

Technology. The BEAST is a 5-25 x 56 

F1 with a tube diameter of 34mm/1.34 

inches. The objective outer diameter 

is 65mm with an exit pupil diameter 

of 5x: 8.3mm and 25x at 2.3mm. The 

eyepiece outer diameter is 46mm. The 

field of view at 100 yards is 5x@18.7 ft 

and 25x@ 4.92 feet. Eye relief is 3.35 

to 3.54 inches. The internal adjustment 

range for elevation is 120 MOA and 

windage 80 MOA. Each click is .50 and 

.250 MOA. The parallax adjustment is 

45 yd-∞. The optics are crystal clear. 

This would be a standard of excellence 

in long range rifle optics. 

The rifle came with both 20 and 10 

round Lancer L7 magazines. The rifle 

was also tested with other magazines 

to determine compatibility. These 

magazines included Magpul Gen 2 & 

3, CProducts Defense, ASC and D&H 

Tactical. There were no malfunctions 

of any sort with all of the magazines 

used in the rifle. 

The rifle was first function tested 

with 200 rounds of Federal XM80 147gr 

7.62x51mm M80 ball cartridges. There 

were no malfunctions of any sort. This 

ammunition was not particularly shot 

for group size but it always was under 

1.50 inches at 100 yards. The rifle was 

then placed on a bench rest and loaded 

with Black Hills Ammunition 7.62x51mm 

175gr OTM ammunition. Black Hills Ammunition 

is known for making some of 

the most consistent and precision am- 


munition in the industry and is the go-to 

company for many in the US military and 

Special Operations Command when 

they need something, let's say different 

from the norm. This author has used 

Black Hills Ammunition extensively over 

the years and finds it to be top tier. The 

Lancer Heavy Metal consistently shot 

an average of .450 inches at 100 yards. 

The recoil was typical but it was clear 

the muzzle brake did function as advertised. 

Like always with a muzzle brake 

you sacrifice noise for muzzle jump and 

recoil. The Nitrous muzzle brake was 

no different. The benefit of the muzzle 

brake was certainly worth the trade off in 

noise in this case. 

The rifle was lightly lubricated with 

G96 CLP. This is the current CLP in use 

by the US military and it is referred to as 

the Mobile 1 of CLP due to that is all synthetic. 

This CLP is in full compliance with 

Mil-PRF-63460E and in fact it exceeds 

it. So much that during the competition, 

the part of the requirement that required 

protection from corrosive primers and 

propellants could not be matched by 

the other producers. Only G96 met that 

requirement. It was dropped so the government 

could have additional sources 

of CLP. However G96 would not downgrade 

their formula, it remains with this 

additional component. The rifle functioned 

flawlessly throughout all testing. 

Lancer offers three different variations 

in the L30 family of rifles. The 

first is the rifle that was sent to SAR for 

testing, the Heavy Metal (L30-RFL-HM). 

This 9.5 pound rifle has an 18-inch, 1 

turn in 10 inches White Oak Armament 

stainless steel barrel and Nitrous muzzle 

brake with a 15 inch Lancer L30 Carbon 

Fiber handguard. The rifle has an adjustable 

direct gas rifle length gas system 

and a Geissele SD3G trigger. This 

rifle has an MSRP of $3,344.99 . The 

second is the long range L30 LTR (L30- 

RFL-LTR-308). This 12.5 pound rifle has 

a 24 inch 1 turn in 11.25 Bartlein heavy 

profile barrel and Viper muzzle Brake 

with a 18 inch Lancer L30 Carbon Fiber 

handguard. The rifle has an adjustable 

direct gas rifle length gas system and a 

Geissele Hi-Speed National Match trigger. 

The stock is different on this one, 

it is a KFS Adjustable TACMOD. The 

MSRP on this rifle is $4,199.99 . The 

third model is the L30 MBR (L30-RFL- 

MBR). This 9 pound rifle has a 16 inch 

mid weight 1 turn in 12 inch twist barrel 

and Nitrous muzzle brake with a 12 inch 

Lancer L30 Carbon Fiber handguard. 

The rifle has a rifle length gas system 

and a Mil-Spec trigger. The stock is 

a B5 Sopmod Bravo. The MSRP of 

this rifle is $2,599.99. 

Lancer has been a major player in 

the magazine business. Their L5AWM 

and L7AWM magazines are used by 

original equipment manufacturers such 

as LaRue, Wilson Combat, Handl Defense 

and Adams Arms to name a few. 

Their components such as carbon fiber 

stocks and handguards are popular 

with match shooters. Now they are in 

the complete firearms market. Not just 

making the same rifle as everyone else, 

but finding their niche in competitive 

shooting. Lancer has active product development 

and is constantly coming up 

with new products. The magazines have 

achieved very high status and are trusted 

by military and law enforcement. They 

offer competitive pricing for their magazines 

as well. Their complete rifles are 

expensive, but they are far from stock 

rifles. They are highly customized rifles 

using the most modern manufacturing 

techniques. You will not use a Lancer 

rifle to shoot cans on the weekend, 

but if you are competing in long range 

or 3-gun matches, Lancer is a gun to 

beat. Lancer rifles have found their way 

into the law enforcement market as well. 

The commercial market is quite vast in 

their applications for the Lancer rifles as 

well. Everything from competition, target 

shooting, hunting and personal protection 

Lancer will have a rifle for you. 


Mossberg 

MVP LC: 

HIGH CAPACITY 

PRECISION BOLT ACTION 

By Todd Burgreen 



MVP LC 

Generally speaking, firearm manufactures 

focus production on specific 

categories of weapons. Examples of 

category labels consist of sporting arms 

(rifles/shotguns), handguns, competition, 

tactical and personal defense. This 

is often further sub-divided into handguns, 

rifles, and shotguns. This specialization 

allows for brand recognition 

and lends a degree of credibility to their 

wares with customers. Most firearms 

companies strive to be the single source 

for all of their customer’s needs within a 

certain product line. This is understandable 

as market sectors and customers 

are very often distinct in their needs. 

This ensures loyal repeat customers, 

which are the bedrock to steady sales 

performance as a company. 

A manufacturer that is developing 

into a noteworthy force in the U.S. for 

multiple firearm categories i.e. ARs, 

shotguns, bolt action rifles is Mossberg. 

Some may be late arriving at this reve- 


lation; only being exposed to the familiar 

with Mossberg shotguns. Mossberg has 

established a solid place in the American 

gun psyche in terms of American-made 

quality and customer service. Many are 

having epiphanies due to recent introductions 

such as the MVP LC (Light 

Chassis) .308 bolt action rifle catching 

their eye. This rifle model indicates a 

continuing focus on product expansion 

at Mossberg. 

Though originally named after its 

quarry, the Mossberg Varmint Predator 

(MVP) rifle line of rifles has now 

expanded rapidly to include both hunting 

and tactical models with many that 

are equally at home in the field or on 

the range. The MVP LC rifle expands 

on earlier Mossberg MVP series rifles 

such as the Varmint, Patrol, Scout, and 

LR (Long Range) with its closest cousins 

being the Mossberg Patrol and LR 

rifles. The Mossberg MVP Patrol and 

now the LC is often overlooked when 

tactical rifles are discussed. The MVP 

Patrol is the center of Mossberg’s law 

enforcement series. It is available from 

the factory in various calibers with 

many notable features including different 

stock types, recessed target crown, 

Picatinny rail over receiver, and Mossberg’s 

industry leading LBA (Lightning 

Bolt Action) adjustable trigger. One thing 

that sets apart the MVP Patrol series of 

rifles, including the LC, functionally and 

aesthetically, is the ability to accept AR- 

15/AR-10 type magazines. 

Misconstrued prejudices abound 

when it comes to Mossberg rifles stem- 

LEFT: No one should consider themselves 

“undergunned” with the Mossberg MVP 

LC. The .308 Win. chambering is potent 

with the detachable magazine serving to 

enhance the platforms potency. ABOVE: 

Mossberg has tweaked their 4x4 bolt action 

with dual push design to enable it to 

handle feeding from detachable magazines. 

RIGHT TOP: Magpul CTR AR style 

adjustable stock allows for easy length of 

pull adjustment. RIGHT CENTER: MDT 

chassis is pre-drilled to accept a night vision 

hood rail accessory allowing for use 

of night vision or tactical lights. RIGHT: 

Magpul 7.62 magazines worked without 

issue with the MVP LC rifle. 


MVP LC 


ming from misconceptions based on 

price and elitist sentiments. Many individuals, 

not to mention industry competitors, 

want you to believe that the moderately 

priced Mossberg must somehow 

be deficient when compared to rifles 

costing two to three times more. An individual’s 

or department’s needs should 

be fully analyzed and the Mossberg 

MVP LC considered. The Mossberg 

MVP LC takes a back seat to no rifle in 

terms of precision, repeatable accuracy, 

ergonomics, reliability, trigger, capacity 

and safety. 

The MVP LC evaluated herein 

is chambered .308 Win. with a 

5.56mm/.223 Rem. model available. 

The MVP LC features a modified Mossberg 

4x4 bolt action. Overall length is 

38 inches with the free-floated medium 

profile 18.25 inch barrel equipped with 

a threaded on SilencerCo Trifecta muzzle 

brake that can be removed to make 

room for other muzzle devices or capping 

of the 5/8 x 24 threads. Mossberg is 

using a MDT LSS (Modular Driven Technologies 

Light Sniper System) chassis 

with the MVP LC. The integral bedding 

block and free floated forend assist in 

improving accuracy and ergonomics. 

The chassis system is manufactured 

out of billet 6061-T6 aluminum, which 

is then hard anodized to Mil-Spec type 

III for extra strength. With an emphasis 

on compactness, the MDT LSS was designed 

for collapsible AR-15 buttstocks. 

The MDT LSS stock enables the use 

of external detachable magazines. The 

MDT stock is pre-drilled and threaded 

in various locations to accept Picatinny 

rails along its sides as well as a night 

vision hood in front of a mounted optic. 

The 1:10 twist hammer forged barrel 

gets the most out of the various wide 

ranging .308 loads on the market i.e. 

147 grain to 175 grain. The MVP LC 

weighs 8.5 pounds empty without an 

optic attached. The rifle’s relatively light 

weight gives the rifle improved portability 

and above average handling characteristics 

for a precision tactical bolt 

action rifle. Many tactical rifles, while 

accurate, resemble boat anchors when 

OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT: The MDT LSS 

chassis features a low profile forend that 

facilitates use of a bipod or other front 

end support. A Caldwell bipod comes as 

standard equipment with the Mossberg 

MVP LC. LEFT TOP: The Mossberg LBA 

trigger is crisp, creep free and fully adjustable 

between 2 and 7 pounds. From the 

box it measured just below a 4 pound pull 

weight. LEFT BOTTOM: SilencerCo Trifecta 

muzzle brake that can be used with 

suppressor or removed to make room for 

other muzzle devices or capping off the 

5/8 x 24 threads. It proved effective at 

taming recoil. 


it comes to handling due to weight and 

stock configuration. 

The Mossberg 4x4 bolt is the basis 

of all of the MVP’s bolt actions, including 

the LC. The MVP’s action is machined 

from bar stock and Mossberg has modified 

the bottom of the bolt head. This 

is done to enable use of AR-15 magazines 

with the 5.56mm rifles and AR-10/ 

M1A magazines with the .308 variants. 

The patented MVP 7.62 Dual Push bolt 

design is the key to using high capacity 

detachable magazines. Mossberg 

provides a 10-round Magpul 7.62 magazine 

with the MVP LC. Laying cartridges 

in the raceway to single feed 

rounds did not work smoothly. It was 

required to first click the rounds under 

the magazine’s feed lips for chambering 

to go smoothly. 

When the Mossberg MVP series of 

rifles first appeared in 2011 there was 

some concern expressed that the bolt 

modification might prove to be a weak 

point in terms of durability. It seems this 

concern has died away now that the 

MVP has been on the market for awhile 

and proving a favorite of varmint hunters. 

This is an important distinction as 

no group of users fire more ammunition 

in such compressed time frames than a 

dedicated varminter sitting over a prairie 

dog town. Empty magazines were 

easy to detach and reinsert loaded ones 

via push button release in front of trigger 

guard area. The feel of the bolt was 

no different than any other bolt experienced 

even with stripping rounds from 

PMAG 7.62 magazines versus from an 

integral box magazine most associated 

with bolt action rifles. Credit must 

be given to Mossberg for designing 

such an inherently simple modification 

tweak to the bolt action enabling use 

of the ubiquitous AR-10 (LR308/SR-25) 

and M1A magazine. 

One has to be impressed with 

Mossberg’s design work in getting the 

MVP series to feed via the popular detachable 

magazines i.e. AR-15, AR-10 

(LR308/SR-25), and M1A. The MVP 

LC is no different. Multiple Magpul 7.62 

magazines were used during testing 

with no feeding issues encountered. 

Reliability is something that can not be 

compromised. Another notable feature 

found on the MVP LC is an oversized 

bolt handle that facilitates rapid and sure 

operation of the smooth Mossberg bolt 

for follow up shots. The oversize bolt 

and smooth passage of the bolt in the 

raceway allows for minimal disturbance 

of the rifle when the bolt is worked. The 

MVP LC’s oversized bolt handle and 

detachable magazine are features that 

lend themselves to performing in a tactical 

environment and serve to maximize 

the Mossberg bolt’s potential. 

Many will wonder what is the purpose 

or niche for the Mossberg MVP 

LC. Why not just use a tuned semiautomatic 

AR in lieu of the bolt action MVP 

LC? The answer lies with individual or 

department preference for a bolt action. 

This could be based on cost, public perceptions, 

or myriad of other reasons. 

Mossberg decision to use the MDT LSS 

chassis stock is a wise decision with it 

being rock solid with design characteristics 

making it conducive to accurate 

shooting from a variety of positions. 

The wider/flatter than normal forend 

handles bipods or sandbags with equal 

aplomb. In fact, Mossberg equips the 

MVP LC with a Caldwell bipod as standard 

equipment. However, the MVP LC 

is not exclusively designed for shooting 

from the supported prone or bench position. 

The stock allows for offhand and 

other types of supported fire if needed. 

Think hood/trunk of a squad car 

or other field expedient positions. The 

ergonomics of the adjustable length of 

pull Magpul CTR buttstock allows for 

a comfortable, repeatable cheekweld. 

This is combined with a Magpul AR pistol 

grip making hand placement conducive 

to pulling the Mossberg LBA trigger 

smoothly to the rear. 


MVP LC 

Mossberg MVP LC produced 1-1.5 inch accuracy with several brands of ammunition. 

The LBA trigger is a huge part of the 

phenomenal accuracy to cost ratio factor 

derived from the Mossberg MVP LC 

for any agency considering it. The LBA 

trigger is just as important to accuracy 

as the Mossberg bolt action and quality 

barrel. A rifle’s trigger is the interface between 

shooter and rifle and must be right 

or accuracy will suffer. Mossberg’s desire 

is to give the shooter an enhanced 

trigger that is crisp, creep free and fully 

adjustable between 2 and 7 pounds. 

From the box it measured just below 4 

pound pull weight. Without going into 

minutia, the LBA’s distinctive “trigger 

blade” release lever in front of the trigger 

proper is the secret to maintaining 

minimal trigger weight, without creep, 

while keeping the system safe. The “trigger 

blade” must be activated (i.e. moved 

rearward into the trigger) before the sear 

will move firing the cartridge. A sudden 

drop or impact will not do this, even if the 

safety is off. This allows the LBA trigger 

to be adjusted by the user without having 

to resort to an armorer. The LBA’s 

contribution to precise accuracy can not 

be overemphasized. 

The first requirement of a tactical rifle 

is precise accuracy. A Leupold Mark IV 

6.5-10x50mm scope with mil dot reticle 

was mounted on the one piece Picatinny 

rail above the MVP’s receiver via 

Leupold Mk IV rings. It has the typical 

great Leupold reliability, clarity, and image 

quality with a near perfect variable 

power range for a precision .308 rifle. 

Importantly, Mossberg provides the LC 

with an integral Picatinny rail so that optics 

can be mated right up to the action 

for a solid zero maintaining connection 

between rifle and optic. Champion tripod 

front rest and sandbags were used to 

support the Mossberg LC during bench 

testing phase of evaluation in conjunction 

with supplied bipod. 

Various .308 loadings from Black 

Hills Ammunition, Federal, Winchester, 

and Hornady provided the basis of accuracy 

tests. The Black Hills Match loads 

tested consisted of 168 grain Match 

bullets. The Federal chambering was 

the venerable 168 grain Match load that 

still serves as the benchmark for performance. 

168 grain TAP from Hornady 

along with Winchester 168 grain Match 

was also used. The Mossberg LC’s 18.25 

inch barrel produced velocity in the low 

2,600 feet per second (fps) range with 

the 168 grain loads. As to be expected 

with quality ammunition, velocity figures 

within the different loads deviated very 

little from round to round as witnessed 

shooting over a RCBS chronograph. 

The Mossberg MVP LC produced MOA 

groups with several different ammunition 

brands – an important logistic consideration. 

The accuracy figures are based 

on firing five three-round groups and 

veraging group sizes. 

Steel targets were smacked with 

ease out to 310 yards using field expedient 

rests at Echo Valley Training 

Center’s Range #1 stepped berm. While 

by no means rivaling a semiautomatic 

for pure fire power, the detachable 

magazines were handy to recharge the 

Mossberg MVP LC after the last empty 

case was flipped out on the ground. 

Unlike other bolt actions there was no 

initial tightness from the new Mossberg 

MVP LC’s bolt action. It was “slick” and 

smooth as it emerged from the box. 

The Mossberg LC’s 18.25 inch barrel 

maximizes portability and handling while 

maintaining .308 Win. ballistics and terminal 

performance. For those who prefer 

a bolt rifle in lieu of a military style 

AR weapon, the LC is worthy of consideration. 

This is due its power, accuracy, 


MVP LC 

and multi-mission capability considering 

likely engagement distances – even in 

terms of precision shooting. 

Further tactical modification of the 

Mossberg MVP LC is possible. For 

example, by adding MDT night vision 

hooded rail accessories on the stock’s 

forend, one can mount a PS 22 type 

night vision device. An example of this 

type of device is the American Technologies 

Network ATN PS 22 Night Vision 

Device. The ATN PS 22 allows for the 

day scope to stay constantly zeroed, yet 

allows for quick adaptation for night use. 

It can be attached or detached with no 

impact on the day optic’s point of aim 

and parallax is not an issue. Another 

benefit of the PS 22 is that a scope’s reticle 

does not need to be illuminated or 

IR compatible for it to be visible when it 

is in use. This differs from NV products 

that mount to the rear of the scope. 

Even though a bolt action and imminently 

qualified to serve as a precision 

tactical weapon, the MVP LC should 

not be pigeon holed into solely a sniper 

rifle role. There are many jurisdictions 

that will appreciate its non-assault rifle 

persona while maintaining its high 

capacity capability even though a bolt 

action; think lightweight patrol rifle with 

20 round capacity. Concerns related to 

over penetration could be addressed 

with ammunition selection; the new 

Winchester PDX 1 Defender loading 

for the .308 Win. featuring the SplitCore 

Technology 120 grain bullet immediately 

comes to mind. The use of detachable 

AR magazines simplifies loading/unloading 

procedures compared to fixed 

box magazines that require the action to 

be manipulated to unload. 

While not fair to compare the Mossberg 

MVP LC to other rifles costing 

thousands more, it is unavoidable. The 

MVP LC performed equal or better as 

other rifles tested in this format costing 

significantly more. Readers are urged, 

whether civilian or LE, not to fall into the 

trap of thinking that only dollars spent 

equate into proficiency. Yes, equipment 

is a huge part of the skills equation when 

precision marksmanship is sought, but 

it is often emphasized in lieu of training 

and practice. The Mossberg MVP LC is 

not a compromise candidate in terms of 

performance; though a user will benefit 

from selecting it by having funds left in 

the budget for optics, ammunition, and 

training. 

The Mossberg MVP LC rifle will take 

care of most imaginable engagements 

from 0-600 yards involving two or four 

legged adversaries/quarry. Mossberg is 

establishing itself as a “one stop shop” 

for all consumers’ needs either sporting 

or personal defense with its increasingly 

varied product line up. It is rare to find 

a company that can provide products 

that can serve customer needs so fully. 

The Mossberg MVP LC is hard to argue 

against in terms of utility for LE or security 

conscience civilians. 

SITES OF INTEREST 

O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. 

www.mossberg.com 

Echo Valley Training Center 

www.echovalleytrainingcenter.com 

Leupold & Stevens, Inc. 

www.leupold.com 



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THE AMT 

AUTOMAG III 

BY FRANK IANNAMICO 

ABOVE: A vintage M1 carbine is displayed with an Automag III pistols and a box of 1944 dated Winchester carbine ammo. The loose 

rounds in the photo are modern soft-points. 

Probably the best promotional advertising 

for any firearm is to be featured in 

a Hollywood film. An example was when 

the Smith & Wesson Model 29 appeared 

in several of the Dirty Harry movies beginning 

in 1971. The demand, and asking 

price, for S&Ws .44 Magnum revolvers 

skyrocketed and they soon became 

very difficult to find. 

The term Auto Mag became part of 

the American lexicon in a 1983 sequel 

to the Dirty Harry film, Sudden Impact. 

In that film Clint Eastwood’s character 

inspector Harry Callahan, uses his .44 

Auto Mag pistol to take down the bad 

guys. In the 1987 film Beverly Hills Cop 

II a .44 Auto Mag is used by the bad 

guys. However, due in part to a lack 

of availability, sales of the Auto Mag 

pistol never approached that of Dirty 

Harry’s Model 29. 

THE AUTO MAG PISTOL 

The original Auto Mag pistol was 

conceived and designed by Harry 

Sanford and Max Gera during the late 

1960s. Mr. Sanford established the Auto 

Mag Corporation during 1969 in Cali- 

fornia. The .44 AMP (Auto Mag Pistol) 

cartridge was also conceived by Harry 

Sanford. The original cartridge cases 

were formed from .308 rifle brass shortened 

to a length of 1.298 inches. The 

bullet was .429-caliber 240-grain with a 

powder charge of 26 grains. The average 

velocity was 1450 feet per second 

with 1120-ft/lbs of energy. 

Production of the Auto Mag pistol 

began at a factory located in Pasadena, 

California during 1970. The first gun 

was shipped to a dealer in August 1971. 

After producing only a few thousand 

pistols, the Auto Mag Corporation declared 

bankruptcy on May 3, 1972. The 

Trust Deeds Estates Corporation (TDE) 

of El Monte, California purchased the 

machinery, unfinished guns and parts. 

They also hired Sanford to produce the 

guns from the parts. In 1974 after new 

financing was acquired, TDE made minor 

engineering changes and re-tooled 

for complete production. In September 

of that year Lee Jurras signed an exclusive 

world-wide sales and distribution 

agreement for all Auto Mag pistols. Mr. 

Jurras not only took over distribution but 

also handled warranty and parts supply. 

By 1982 the Auto Mag was once 

again facing financial difficulties, the assets 

changing hands and logos several 

times before the Auto Mag pistol passed 

into history. In the end there were Auto 

Mag pistols produced with Pasadena, 

North Hollywood and El Monte, California 

addresses. 

THE AUTOMAG II 

Automag Pistols 

During 1987, the .22 magnum Automag 

II pistol was introduced, the 

Automag name now appearing as one 

word. The new pistol was designed by 

Harry Grossman and manufactured by 

Arcadia Machine and Tool Inc. / AMT of 

Covina, California; a company owned 

by the same Harry Sanford of the original 

Auto Mag Corporation. After the 

original AMT encountered financial 

problems a new company was formed 

in 1989 called Irwindale Arms Inc or 

IAI, relocated to Irwindale, California. 

At the 1989 SHOT show it was announced 

that IAI would be producing the 

Automag II and III. 


ABOVE: At the top of the image is an early production IAI 

marked Automag III pistol, displayed with an AMT marked 

example. In 1990 the suggested retail price was $674.00 

BELOW: Right side of the IAI (Irwindale Arms Inc.) pistol 

marked Stainless, made in U.S.A. Later production AMT 

pistols included the warning “CAUTION capable of firing 

with the magazine removed, read instruction manual before 

handling this firearm”. 

Automag III 

The focus of this article is on the Irwindale 

Arms Inc. /Arcadia Machine and 

Tool Automag III pistol, chambered for 

the .30 caliber M1 carbine cartridge. 

The first semi-automatic pistol chambered 

for the .30 carbine cartridge was 

the Kimball, first advertised in 1955 by 

the J. Kimball Arms Company of Detroit, 

Michigan. The Kimball was billed as 

“The World’s Most Powerful Automatic 

Pistol”. The Kimball went into series production 

in 1958. However, the delayed 

blow-back Kimball quickly developed a 

reputation for self-destructing; the carbine 

cartridge proved too powerful for 

the pistol’s design. Only a few hundred 

.30 Kimball pistols were produced before 

the company went out of business. 

The first known public advertisement 

for the .30 caliber Automag III pistol 

appeared in the February 1989 issue 

of Guns & Ammo magazine. The first 

known gun writer’s test was conducted 

in July of 1989, and was featured in 

the October 1989 issue of Petersen’s 

Handguns. Also featured in the article 

was the Irwindale Arms Inc. Javelina 

in 10mm, which was similar in appearance. 

Both pistols were marked with the 

IAI logo and Irwindale address. During 

1990 the Automag III was placed in 

series production. 

The Automag III is a single action, 

recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol 

whose action is based on John Browning’s 

tilting barrel locking system, unlocking 

is controlled by cam-shaped 

slot in the lug below the chamber of the 

barrel, which interacts with the slide stop 

axis pin. The pistol is made of a 17-4 

stainless steel, with the exception of the 

barrel, which is 416 stainless, and the 

A-2 tool steel sear. The major components 

including the slide and frame are 

investment castings. The stainless steel 

has a bead-blasted matte appearance 

with the exception of the sides of the 

slide, which are polished. The grips are 

made of a black composite material. The 

slide mounted safety is a simple rotating 

cylinder that blocks the hammer from 

contacting the firing pin. The pistol can 

be placed on safe even if the hammer 

is not cocked, the safety does not lock 

the sear or trigger. A cocked hammer 

will fall by pulling the trigger when the 

safety is applied, but the safety will block 

the hammer from striking the firing pin. 

The slide stop is on the left side of the 

frame, it locks the slide back after the 

last shot has been fired from the magazine. 

The magazine release button is 

located on the left side of the frame just 

aft of the trigger. The single-stack, single-feed 

magazine holds 8 rounds. The 

rear sight is a Millet adjustable; the front 

sight is a fixed ramp. The trigger pull 

measured 4.5 pounds. The Automag III 

is similar in appearance to the classic 

1911 pistol, albeit larger in size. The grip 

is somewhat wide, measuring 2.25-inches 

by 1.25-inches, necessitated by the 

length of the .30 carbine round. The 

unloaded weight of the Automag III is 

45 ounces, overall length is 10.5-inches, 

barrel length is 6.5-inches. Field 

stripping procedures are very similar to 

the 1911 pistol. 

An interesting design feature is the 

spring-loaded pin assembly that protrudes 

out of the rear of the recoil spring 

guide rod. The purpose of the pin is to 

delay the barrel in order to prevent it 

from jamming on the slide as it moves

AMT AUTOMAG III 

forward. It should be mentioned that 

when field stripping the pistol, special 

attention should be paid to the, easily 

lost, spring and pin. 

There are different configurations of 

the Automag III pistol, which was manufactured 

under different company logos. 

Due to the small number of examples 

available to examine it is not possible to 

pin point exactly when certain features 

appeared or were deleted. 

The earliest Automag III pistols in .30 

caliber carbine were marked with the IAI 

logo of Irwindale Arms Incorporated on 

the slide and frame. Known examples 

have a locking lug on the barrel and corresponding 

locking groove in the slide. 

Later Automag pistols were marked 

with the AMT logo of Arcadia Machine 

and Tool on the slide and frame. 

The right side of the slide now included 

the warning “CAUTION capable of 

firing with the magazine removed, read 

instruction manual before handling this 

ABOVE: Field stripped Automag III. The field strip procedure is similar to a 1911 pistol. 

BELOW RIGHT: Close up of the barrel delay spring and pin. For reference: the barrel 

delay pin is .125 x .750. The spring dimensions are: outside diameter .116, inside diameter 

.080 length is .5-inch. 


firearm”. Known examples of this variation 

had a small or no locking lug on the 

barrel, the barrel hood locked into the 

slide. Reportedly this variation will function 

without the barrel delay spring and 

plunger assembly in the guide rod. Two 

other features on the AMT pistols are a 

three dot rear sight and the magazine 

release button has a slightly different 

checkering pattern. The AMT marked 

models are more common than the earlier 

production IAI marked pistols. 

There was also an Automag III model 

available in 9mm Winchester Magnum. 

However, many of the components differed 

in dimensions from the .30 carbine 

caliber model and swapping calibers between 

the two guns is not practical. 

After squeezing the trigger of the .30 

carbine caliber Automag III two things 

become immediately apparent, a huge 

muzzle flash and a loud report. Despite 

the flash and bang, recoil is relatively 

mild. The average muzzle velocity is 

1650 to 1775 feet per second firing GI 

surplus ammunition. After one grows 

accustomed to the noise and flash, the 

pistol is capable of decent accuracy, 

shooting groups of 2.5 to 3-inches at a 

distance of 25 yards. 

Pistols produced under the Automag 

name by IAI/AMT included: the Automag 

II in .22 WMR, Automag III in .30 Carbine 

and 9mm Winchester Magnum, 

Automag IV in .45 Winchester Magnum, 

Automag V in .50 Action Express and 

the Baby Automag in .22 LR. 

After AMT went out of business in 

the late 1990s the company’s assets 

and trademarks were sold to the Galena 

Industries of Sturgis, South Dakota, who 

continued the AMT line of pistols. Galena’s 

assets that included tools and tooling, 

sixty pistols and thousands of parts 

were offered at auction in July of 2002. 

In 2004, the re-established High 

Standard Corporation announced that 

they would make Automag pistols and 

now offers several models under the 

AMT banner. To date the company does 

not offer a .30 caliber Automag III. 

Field stripping the Automag III is 

similar to the 1911 pistol. 

1. Remove the magazine and visibly 

check the chamber to ensure it is 

not loaded. 

2. Retract the slide far enough to 

push out the slide stop, and pull it 

out of the frame. 

3. Pull the slide/barrel assembly forward 

and off of the frame. 

4. To remove the barrel from the 

slide, depress the recoil rod bushing 

and rotate the barrel bushing 

until it clears the rod bushing. 

CAUTION the recoil rod bushing 

is under spring pressure. 

5. Remove the recoil rod, being care- 

TOP: Top view of the Automag III showing the adjustable Millet rear sight, and fixed front 

sight. CENTER: Disassembled magazine. The steel magazine has a plastic follower and 

a round spring. BOTTOM: The barrel at the top of the photo is from an early manufacture 

pistol featuring a locking lug. The barrel below it lacks a lug using the barrel’s hood to lock 

the barrel to the slide, forward of the ejection port. 


ful to keep the barrel delay spring 

and pin from becoming lost. 

6. Remove the barrel through the 

front of the slide. 

7. No further disassembly is needed 

or recommended. 

Despite being a proprietary cartridge 

for a military weapon, those who carried 

the M1 carbine became fond of the 

handy weapon. Interest was renewed 

during the 1960s when surplus carbines 

were offered through the NRA for 

$17.00. When the original supply of military 

issue carbines dried up, there were 

several commercial companies that 

introduced aftermarket copies. Before 

long several hand guns were produced, 

further increasing interest in the little .30 

caliber round. 

During World War II there were four 

experimental Smith and Wesson revolvers 

made for the round, the cartridges 

were loaded on half-moon clips. More 

modern handguns include the Ruger 

Blackhawk revolver introduced in 1968, 

was revised in 1973 as the New Model 

Blackhawk, and the Dakota single action 

army revolver in .30 carbine made in Italy. 

Also available in .30 carbine caliber 

was the Thompson/Center single-shot 

pistol, which is no longer offered by the 

manufacturer. Marlin briefly offered their 

.30 carbine caliber Model 62 Levermatic 

rifle from 1966 to 1969. All of the aforementioned 

firearms helped sustain interest 

in the cartridge. 

Origins of the .30 Caliber 

Carbine Cartridge 

The lightweight U.S. caliber .30 carbine 

emerged during World War II from 

the need to better arm soldiers who 

were rear echelon support troops. The 

carbine was conceived to provide an offensive 

as well as a defensive weapon 

that would have far more range than a 

pistol. The semi-automatic carbine offered 

a 300 yard range and a 15 round 

magazine. 

Cartridge, Carbine, Caliber .30 

Winchester developed a new midrange 

cartridge to be used in the new 

“light rifle”. The cartridge was designated 

as, Cartridge, Carbine, Caliber .30 

M1. The early characteristics of the new 

cartridge were; 

a. Bullet weight: 110 grains. 

b. Charge weight: 14.5 grains 

of IMR 4227 

c. Primer: Winchester No. 116 

d. Pressure: 31,000 PSI 

e. Muzzle velocity 1,860 feet 

per second. 

The cartridge was approved as 

Standard on 30 September 1941. The 

Ordnance Department awarded contracts 

to the Western Cartridge Company, 

Winchester Repeating Arms, 

Remington Arms Company, Lake City 

Ordnance Plant and the Kings Mills 


AMT AUTOMAG III 

OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT: Original owner’s manual. OPPO- 

SITE PAGE RIGHT: Parts breakdown from the owner’s manual. 

ABOVE: The Automag pistol is rather large with an overall 

length of 10.5-inches, and a height of over 5-inches. BELOW 

LEFT: View of the firing pin and hammer with the safety in the 

OFF position. BELOW RIGHT: View of the firing pin and hammer 

with the safety ON. With the safety engaged, the hammer 

is blocked from contacting the firing pin. However, the safety 

does not secure the pistol’s trigger of sear. 

Ordnance Plant. While corrosive primers 

were used in WWII 30’06 and .45 

ACP caliber U.S. service cartridges, the 

.30 caliber carbine rounds all utilized 

non-corrosive primers. 

The original configuration of the .30 

caliber carbine cartridge was changed 

early in 1942. The original .30 caliber 

110-grain projectile had a cup style 

base, which tests had shown was unstable 

during firing, and would often leave a 

ring of gilding metal in the forward end of 

the chamber. A new flat base 110-grain 

projectile was designed to eliminate 

the problem. The type of powder used 

in carbine cartridge was also changed. 

The original DuPont powder proved 

to be too bulky for the small case. To 

achieve a higher projectile velocity a 

new DuPont powder was introduced. 

The new powder increased the carbine’s 

muzzle velocity to 1,970 feet per second 

and raised the chamber pressure 

to 40,000 PSI. 

The new specifications for the improved 

carbine cartridge were; 

a. Bullet weight; 110 grains 

b. Charge: DuPont 4809 or Hercules 

3950.8B (alternate) 

c. Primer: commercial non-corrosive 

d. Pressure: 40,000 PSI 

e. Muzzle velocity 1,970 feet per second 

In September of 1944, the nomenclature 

of the .30 carbine round was 

changed to Cartridge, Ball, Carbine, 

Caliber .30 M1. The change, adding 

the word “ball”, was to avoid confusion 

with the newly adopted tracer 

and grenade launching cartridges 

developed for the carbine. 



THE 

WALTHER 

CCP 

Addressing the 

Timeless Quandary of 

Big Bullets 

in Little Guns 

by Will Dabbs MD 

Photos by Sarah Dabbs 

The Walther CCP employs an unconventional application 

of fairly conventional firearms technology and 

in so doing revolutionizes the concept of concealed 

carry handguns. By incorporating a reversed gas piston 

to retard recoil forces the engineers at Walther designed 

a tiny gun that still manages large cartridges 

comfortably. 

What would happen if you took the chassis 

from a lightweight, polymer-framed Walther 

P22, arguably the most popular .22 pistol in the 

country, and re-chambered it as a direct blowback 

9mm? Dislocated fingers? Broken bones? 

The resulting gun might even eventually explode. 

Who knows, the local Orthopedist might 

finally get his boat paid off. 

Well what if you took the gas piston from a 

Kalashnikov or FN FAL, miniaturized it, flipped 

it around backwards, and then pinned it to the 

front of the slide? Now you have a 9mm P22 

that fits the human hand just about perfectly, 

launches serious bullets, shoots sweet, and in a 

pinch rides in the front pocket of a pair of jeans. 

In short, it is a truly revolutionary concealed carry 

pistol. 

Carl Walther was a firearms luminary. His 

PP and PPK introduced the world to the single 

action/double action trigger system used 

in most of the world’s autoloading handguns 

in the pre-Glock era. These ground breaking 

pocket pistols came of age in the 1930’s and 

melded the concealability of an autoloader with 

the safety and convenience of a double action 

revolver. The subsequent P38 was arguably the 

most advanced service pistol of World War II. 

In the years since the Second World War, 

Walther has been a consistent innovator in 

modern firearms design. The Walther MPL and 

MPK submachine guns represented the state of 

the art in the immediate post-war years and their 


combat handguns in the modern era are 

as good as they get. While James Bond 

is not a real guy, his tastes in firearms 

are well-vetted. Whether it is a customized 

PPK/S or a tricked out suppressed 

P99, 007’s handguns always seem to 

have Walther engraved on the slide. 

Raising the Bar 

It has been my lot to see a fair number 

of gunshot wounds up close. While I 

have carried quite a few .380 handguns 

myself, the argument could be made 

that for serious social work nothing less 

than a 9mm firing heavy 147-grain bullets 

is really consistently up to the task. 

The challenge is that, while the 9mm 

may seem anemic in an MP40 or an 

MP5, in a true pocket pistol this zippy 

little round can be punishing. 

There are several accepted ways to 

ameliorate the recoil forces of a firearm. 

The most basic is manifest in the aforementioned 

Walther PPK and involves 

simply configuring a beefy slide and 

firm spring adequate to handle the recoil 

forces involved. While this approach 

works and it does lend itself to mounting 

a sound suppressor, the resulting guns 

The secret to the small size of the Walther CCP is 

the reversed gas piston method of operation. The 

CCP utilizes a gas piston not altogether conceptually 

unlike that of the AK47 or FN FAL but reverses it so 

that the gas system slows the gun down rather than 

speeds it up. 

ABOVE: The gas piston on the Walther CCP is pinned to the 

front of the slide and faces aft to slow the opening of the gun 

during the recoil stroke. 

RIGHT: The rear sight on the Walther CCP sports non-luminous 

white dots and is drift adjustable for windage. The front 

sight has three separate replaceable inserts to adjust elevation. 


can be heavy and exhibit snappy recoil, 

even in modest calibers. 

The second broad approach is to 

contrive a mechanism that locks the barrel 

and slide together at the moment of 

firing such that these two major components 

recoil briefly as a unit before separating 

to enable ejection and feeding 

of a subsequent cartridge. While there 

are literally dozens of variations on this 

theme, most combat handguns in the 

world today subscribe to some variation 

of this locked-breech recoil mechanism. 

It was the inimitable John Moses 

Browning who first observed the grass 

laying down in front of a firearm being 

discharged and had the epiphany that 

this wasted energy could be harnessed 

to operate a self-loading gun. Anyone 

who has ever fired a gas-operated firearm 

has tasted his genius. Examples 

include the AR15, the AK47, the M1 Garand, 

and any other sort of firearm that 

incorporates a gas port. The science 

behind this concept is well established. 

What is most impressive about the Walther 

CCP, however, is the way Walther 

engineers adapted this conventional 

concept in such an unconventional way. 

The guys at Walther took this basic 

gas piston operating principle, turned it 

around backwards, and used it to slow 

everything down rather than speed everything 

up. The result is mechanical 

genius. 

Details 

The recoil spring on the CCP wraps 

around the barrel like its grandfather the 

PPK. The barrel itself is fixed, also akin 

to that of the PPK. There is, however, 

a nifty ancillary gas system mounted 

below the barrel that taps off propellant 

gases and uses them to impinge upon 

the slide indirectly via a piston to retard 

the opening of the action. The piston is 

ABOVE TOP: The trigger on the striker-fired Walther CCP is a bit longer and creepier than 

that of most other striker-fired handguns but is designed intentionally to provide an extra 

measure of safety for deep cover carry. The trigger is still light enough to be amenable to 

accurate shooting at modest distances. ABOVE CENTER: The manual thumb safety is 

mounted on the left side of the gun and strikes a nice balance. The switch is large enough 

for easy manipulation without being so big that it catches on things. ABOVE: The external 

extractor on the Walther CCP is simple and effective. 


ABOVE: This representative sample of Walther tactical handguns shows the commonalities 

within the family. The PPK introduced the world to single action/double action 

autoloading handguns while the subsequent P38 was arguably the most efficient 

combat handgun of World War II. The PPX and P99 are state-of-the-art Information 

Age combat pistols. The CCP is itself unique in the compact handgun marketplace. 

attached to the front of the slide and orients 

toward the rear. This delivers several 

salient benefits. 

First, the Walther CCP is really 

small. The CCP actually compares favorably 

to many full-figured .380 carry 

guns on the commercial market today 

and both looks and feels about 

like the esteemed .22 LR Walther 

P22 in the hand. This compact envelope 

equates out to comfortable concealed 

carry and easy manipulation for 

smaller-statured operators. 

Second, the retarded gas system 

used in the CCP allows for a weaker 

recoil spring. This makes for a softer 

shooting gun that is easier to charge. As 

women represent an absolutely exploding 

slice of the concealed carry handgun 

market in America, the ease with 

which the gun may be put into action is 

a real plus. I’m a pretty average sized 

guy with pretty big hands and there are 

a few guns in my stable that are hard 

to charge when sweaty, rushed, or both. 

By contrast the Walther CCP slide is relatively 

light and easy to rack. 

The Walther CCP has a reversible 

button-style thumb-accessible magazine 

catch and a pair of drop-free 

8-round magazines. The gun itself is 

striker-fired for a consistent and predictable 

trigger pull shot to shot. The 

trigger is long and creepy with a surprising 

amount of crunch throughout. 

However, keep in mind that this is a 

pocket pistol. The argument could be 

made that a light target trigger on a gun 

that will be carried in deep cover is not 

necessarily an asset. 

The slide is cut from stainless steel 

and is available in both raw silver and 

blackened finishes. There is a discreet 

manual safety that is easily accessible 

with the right thumb. The grip has finger 


swells and aggressive stippling molded 

in. The trigger guard is squared and undercut 

slightly to lower the bore axis. 

Comfortable Carry 

CrossBreed Holsters has established 

as its forte the most comfortable, 

accessible, and effective carry 

of concealed firearms possible. Their 

quality is impeccable and their designs 

ingenious. Their products are also very 

reasonably priced. Their SuperTuck 

CCP holster is fitted perfectly to the gun 

and rides discreetly. 

The SuperTuck is designed both for 

comfort and accessibility. The belt clips 

are adjustable for cant and the generous 

leather body of the holster spreads 

the pressure of the gun out sufficiently to 

ensure comfort. The polymer body of the 

rig is molded meticulously to the shape 

of the gun and is devoid of sharp edges 

that might abrade skin or clothing. I carry 

the CCP in a SuperTuck underneath 

a pair of hospital scrubs 12 to 14 hours 

a day and can honestly forget it is there. 

CrossBreed produces matching magazine 

carriers and top-quality leather gun 

belts as well. It seems to me if a holster 

lets you carry comfortably in what is in 

essence a pair of pajamas it is doing a 

pretty good job. 

The CCP chassis is designed from 

the outset to be carry friendly. That 

means no extraneous appendages to 

catch on clothing or gouge sensitive 

anatomy. The slide tapers towards the 

top and the sights are low profile with 

the expected three dots. The rear sight 

is drift adjustable for windage and the 

front sight has three optional inserts to 

adjust for elevation. 

The safety is mounted on the left 

and is small enough to stay out of the 

way while remaining large enough for 

easy manipulation. The polymer and 

stainless construction makes the CCP 

about indestructible in the face of sweat 

or rough handling. There is a length of 

Picatinny rail molded into the dust cover 

for accessories if desired. 

Concealed carry of a firearm is a 

reflection of one’s personality. Some 

will want a round in the chamber and a 

quick access carry solution so as to be 

instantly ready for anything. I personally 

balance my desire for protection against 

a near-insensate lust for safety. I’m a 

physician and I have seen some terrible 

firearm accidents. That being said, with 

the safety on and the gun in a quality 

CrossBreed holster I am comfortable 

carrying the Walther CCP with a round in 

the chamber. Every cop in America carries 

this way and accidental discharges 

are thankfully quite rare. However, most 

of the armed citizens I met on a recent 

trip to Israel carried with the chamber 

empty and they do just fine thank you 

very much. Different strokes… 

Range Report 

The Walther CCP really does strike 

a nice balance. When stoked with some 

high-end Winchester Train and Defend 

ammo the gun is comfortable without 

being docile. Winchester’s Defend line 

of tactical handgun ammunition sports 

nickel-plated cases, low flash powders, 

and some of the most vicious expanding 

bullets in the inventory. Their Train 

counterparts push FMJ bullets that are 

ballistically matched to their more sinister 

counterparts only cheaper. Using this 

ammo you can save the good stuff for 

serious social work and train on rounds 

that run and feel exactly the same only 

at a lower cost. 

The SuperTuck from Cross- 

Breed is the perfect carry solution 

for this tidy little heater from 

Walther. Both the gun and a 

spare magazine may be carried 

easily underneath light clothing. 


SAR Vol. 20, No. 2 74 MARCH 2016 

ABOVE: The Walther CCP exhibits superb human engineering. The frame incorporates 

finger swells and aggressive stippling for reliable purchase even if rushed. 

BELOW: The Walther CCP dropped the first twenty rounds into this tidy grouping 

fired off-hand from twenty meters. Despite its small size and intentionally long creepy 

trigger, the Walther CCP is no slouch on the range.

Given the compact platform and 

creepy trigger I really had not expected 

the CCP to be any great shakes on the 

range. However, much to my surprise 

I dumped the first twenty rounds easily 

into a pie plate at 20 meters without 

a flyer. The gun shot quite well. Recoil 

is remarkably similar to a comparably 

framed .380 while the effort required to 

jack the slide is a marked improvement 

over comparable full-framed heaters. 

The gun feels about like my .380 PPK/S 

during the recoil stroke while launching 

a commensurately spunkier round. We 

ran half a dozen brands of ammunition 

through the gun without failures. As always, 

however, autoloading handguns 

are potentially sensitive mechanisms 

and deserve regular cleaning and maintenance 

if carried daily. 

Disassembly of the CCP requires 

either an included tool or the tip of a 

screwdriver. The gun is a bit tougher 

to strip than your Glock but once you 

get the hang of it the details are not a 

challenge. The pure unfiltered brilliance 

of the reversed gas operating system is 

simply inspired. 

Parting Shots 

In a crowded field of self defense 

handguns the Walther CCP is a legitimate 

mechanical innovation. Combining 

most of the commonly-accepted 

features we demand of more conventional 

defensive iron with its revolutionary 

reverse gas piston system, the 

CCP is easy to carry, easy to shoot, 

and equipped with enough downrange 

thump to take the uncertainty out of a 

social exchange of gunfire. In addition, 

the CCP is also surprisingly reasonably 

priced. With the CCP, Walther 

has rewritten the book on concealable 

handgun design and in so doing taken 

pocket pistols to an entirely new 

level of performance. 

www.waltherarms.com 

www.winchester.com 

www.crossbreedholsters.com 


MEANING of the 

1920-MARK 

on GERMAN 

MILITARY 

WEAPONS 

BY MICHAEL HEIDLER 

The First World War had caused a 

major progress in military technology. 

Never before had such great evolutionary 

advances had been achieved in so 

short a time. Still shocked by the merciless 

trench warfare with innumerable 

casualties, it's no surprise that the victorious 

powers had a desire to weaken 

the German armed forces for the future. 

The development of automatic weapons 

was still in its infancy, but the results 

achieved at the front showed that these 

kinds of weapons will be indispensable 

in a modern war. 

After the lost war the combined 

German Reichswehr (Army) and Kriegsmarine 

(Navy) were reduced to a total 

of 115,000 men and conscription was 

abolished. The victors claimed high 

reparations payments and dismantled 

German machinery. Famous German 

armament companies like Mauser had 

to convert their production to consumer 

articles, whilst the allies approved the 

relatively inexperienced Simson & Co. 

company of Suhl as the sole producer 

of pistols, rifles and machine guns. The 

permitted armament for the Reichswehr 

was precisely defined in Article 180 of 

the Peace Treaty as, for instance among 

small arms, 84,000 rifles (Mauser 98 


system), 18,000 carbines (Mauser 98 

system) and 1,863 machine guns. Surplus 

weapons had to be handed over 

to the victors (although they often disappeared) 

and new developments were 

forbidden. The disarming of the people 

was also planned to reduce the danger 

of armed revolts provoked from different 

political groups. 

In midyear of 1920 the general disarming 

of the German and Austrian 

people was announced by the victorious 

powers. At a meeting of the German 

general staff on July 11, 1920 General 

von Seeckt told the other participants 

that about 2,700,000 rifles will have to 

be collected. About 600,000 of them are 

in the hands of the Einwohnerwehren 

(citizens’ militia). He also suggested 

they offer rewards for weapons that are 

handed over, or for information about 

hidden weapons. 

No date was fixed yet, but the German 

War Office reacted promptly. On 

August 4, 1920 the instruction number 

959 (with date August 1) “Marking of 

hand weapons and machine guns of the 

Reichswehr before the general disarming 

of the people” was published in the 

“Heeres-Verordnungsblatt” (Army Ordinances 

Gazette): The impending disarming 

makes it necessary for the army 

district commands to mark all the weapons 

in their possession, including cavalry 

units and military schools, with an 

unique distinctive identification-symbol. 

This ensured that during the collection, 

all weapons owned by the Reichswehr 

could easily be identified in the cases 

that they are found in the hands of unauthorized 

persons. The Annex of the 

instruction shows in graphics where the 

new identification-marking “1920” has 

to be placed on rifles, pistols, machine 

guns and their mounts, submachine 

guns, sabers, bayonets and lances. 

At the end of August, a reminder was 

published in the Army Ordinances Gazette 

to accelerate the marking of the 

weapons because the disarming action 

“is expected very shortly”. 

A more detailed explanation on how 

to handle the marking was published in 

the Army Ordinances Gazette on September 

28, 1920 as instruction number 

1123 “Marking of weapons of the Reichswehr 

/ Handing over of privately 

owned military weapons by disarma- 

OPPOSITE PAGE AND ABOVE TOP: Today the German Karabiner 98a 

can more often been found on the market with the "1920" marking than 

the Gewehr 98. The exact position of the mark on the receiver may vary. 

ABOVE CENTER: Bringing tears into collectors eyes: A pile of German 

weapons less all wooden parts, waiting for the furnace. Don't think about 

the value of this pile on the market today. ABOVE: Freikorps fighting in Berlin 

in November 1918. Note the Gewehr 98 and the Mauser Broomhandle. 


a 

b 

a. A German submachine gun MP18,I with rare tilted magazine well as used with the 

snail drum magazine. Military Museum Prague 

b. A Pistole 08 made by DWM in 1918. Two years later it got the "1920" mark. Geoffrey 

Sturgess collection & photo 

c. Also bayonets had to be marked. Here a Seitengewehr SG 98/05 with "1920" mark. 

ment-law”. The reason for this explanation 

was the confusion caused by 

pistols and revolvers privately owned by 

officers, officials and other authorized 

members of the Reichswehr. These 

weapons must not be marked because 

they were not property of the army but 

rather acquired by their owners by private 

means. Because of this obligation 

the weapons did count as official military 

weapons and thus reduced the total 

contingent of the Reichswehr. Not all of 

these pistols and revolvers were affected 

by the disarmament-law. 

The marking “1920” has to be placed 

only on the following hand guns: 

• Revolver 79 and 83 

• Short and long pistol 08 

• 9 mm Mauser pistol with 10 rounds 

capacity and removable stock 

• Equivalent foreign weapons 

No further instructions concerning 

the markings and the disarmament 

were published in the Army Ordinances 

Gazette. It is not known whether this 

marking-action was helpful or only a 

waste of time and money. Undoubtedly 

a large amount of weapons disappeared 

in dark channels or hidden storages 

of the army. Too many documents of 

the past have disappeared and a lot of 

the secret activities undertaken to fool 

the Inter-Allied Control Commissions 

have understandably never been documented 

on paper. Nevertheless the 

collecting, controlling, recording and 

scrapping caused the incredible costs of 

200 million Reichsmark. 

Today the rare marking “1920” on 

a collector’s weapon is clear evidence 

that the specific weapon was in official 

possession of the German Reichswehr 

in August 1920. It should be a matter 

of reflection about the disarming of the 

people and its consequences in history. 

It can be a lesson for all of us. 


c 

d 

e 

f 

g 

h 

d. The hilt of a Prussian infantry officer's sword marked by the Polizeiwehr Bayern (Bavarian Police) with the inventory number "10" 

and the "1920" mark. Geoffrey Sturgess collection & photo 

e. Checkpoint Alexanderplatz during the revolution in Berlin 1919. The disarming of the people did not avoid armed unrest. 

f. Mauser model 1914 self-loading pistol with "1920" mark on the left side of the slide. 

g. The Stosstrupp Hitler (raiding party Hitler) arrested town councils during the putsch in November 1923. The armament mainly came 

from secret depots containing "lost" military weapons. 

h. Freikorps during the Spartacist uprise in January 1919. 



MATERIAL 

WITNESS 

BY DAVE LAKE 

Steel, 

SIMPLIFIED. 

Steel is the stuff of which the modern world is made. It is pervasive in 

history and its presence and application mirrors the rise and fall of man and 

his kingdoms as well as his proliferation around the globe. Scientists and engineers 

of the past century have been largely unsuccessful at creating its 

replacement. Barring the limitations imposed by the basic laws of physics, 

there are not many problems that cannot be solved by the judicious application 

of steel in one of its many forms. There is perhaps no better example of 

Mankind’s technological triumph than when he used steel to create the gun. 

The oldest known “gun” by todays definition was developed in China 

(agree most anthropologists and archaeologists). The first guns created by 

the ancient Chinese were likely bamboo- or other hollowed out wooden tubes, 

which may not have been used to fire a projectile. There is some conjecture 

that these guns were first implemented as “shock and awe” technique- firing 

off bursts of flame and smoke to intimidate and confound a battlefield foe. It 

is unclear when exactly the gun would be used to fire a projectile- which was 

likely an accident the first time it happened. Man’s inherent need and ability to 

fix and improve things around him would ultimately adapt the simple pyrotechnic 

display into an implement crafted from steel, and intended to fire a projectile. 

The rest of the story of the gun follows man through the middle Ages, 

the time of exploration and conquest, and ultimately the industrialization and 

modernization of manufacturing and the globalization of commerce. There are 

marked times, usually times of war that spawned the great advancements 

in the science of the gun. Mounted cavalry, siege weapons, personal body 

armor, cannon and naval warfare all demanded that the gun become more 

potent and precise. Distance and accuracy and power would become requisite 

qualifications of the gun. Sometime in the last 500 years, the science of 

the gun seems to have reached a plateau, relatively speaking. Every shooter 

from a matchlock pistol to a shore gun battery would be made of steel (as they 

still are). Steel could provide the strength to exploit the power required to inflict 

the ranged effect we associate with the modern firearm. 

The meter of the modern small arm often and deservedly defers to the “mil 

spec.” This is an established code of standardization. It envelops a set of rules 

and requirements for anything claiming to be up to par. It is not necessarily 


a qualifier of excellence or superiority- unless superiority 

can indeed be found in uniformity and consistency. The 

term “mil-spec” has become a generic descriptor, and is 

often applied to any of the wares and materials purveyed 

by today’s arms makers. And it is not entirely incorrect to 

refer to a steel alloy applied or used per an established 

mil-spec as “ordnance steel.” It is widely agreed that ordnance, 

or mil-spec steel refers to a specific family of steel 

alloy; chrome-moly, such as 4140. The enforcement of 

standards and uniformity is absolutely necessary to ensure 

any amount of quality and reliability in any system. 

Today all metal alloys are given a title or numerical designation 

from one of the authorities on metallurgy and engineering, 

the SAE, and AISI. These material names and 

designations describe a recipe or physical and chemical 

properties. So a steel may be described by what it actually 

is, as is the case with 4140CM steel, the 4 digit label 

indicates general type of alloy, and the precise levels of 

other additive elements to make the steel. 

In actual terms, depending on the manufacturer of a 

gun or its components, the terms Mil spec and Ordnance 

Steel may be used to describe any of the following (but 

not limited to); 4130, 4140, 4145, 4150, 4320, or 4340 

chrome moly alloys. The truth of the fact is that ANY steel 

may fall into the category of being “mil-Spec” provided 

that it satisfies the criteria set forth in the military standard 

for operating and yield strength for a specific application. 

There is a tendency for gun manufacturers to use misleading 

descriptions of their steel and its capabilities in 

order to promote sales. All steels are not created equal. 

This sales tactic can put the gun and its user at risk. All 

steels are not created equal; beware of the fly-by-night 

startup gun company that professes tactical supremacy 

but omits the metallurgical details of their operation. That 

said, modern firearms components from reputable sources 

(as are most things engineered) are designed with a 

“safety factor” in mind. Any gun barrel today should be 

designed with a minimum 1.5 safety factor- which means 

that barrel is designed to endure 1.5 times its intended 

operating load before failure or fatigue. The “mil-spec” for 

a steel structure usually demands a factor of only 1.5. 

Commercial engineering often requires a safety factor 

of 2.0 or higher. One should also be wary of the claim 

of “aerospace” in firearms design. The tolerance, safety 

factor and quality assurance by aerospace standards all 

become prohibitively expensive and ultimately restrictive 

to the end user. Aerospace grade demands a total detailed 

and documented control and trace of material from 

creation through use and operation. Nothing about your 

rifle is aerospace grade. 

On to the specifics of the steel that may be encountered 

in the modern small-arm. There are only 4 general 

types of steel; carbon, tool, alloy, and stainless. All material 

that can be described as steel is one of these. The 

creators of steel add various trace elements to iron to 

achieve desired properties. All steel contains between 

.25% and 2.5% carbon, which allows the base iron to be 

chemically or thermally manipulated with or without the 

addition of other alloying elements. To earn the rank of 

stainless, the recipe of that steel must contain at least 

11% chromium. Chrome moly alloy steel does contain 

chromium, but not enough to be stainless. And all stainless 

steel is not totally rust resistant. Some stainless is 

highly magnetic. It is doubtful that one will encounter a 

low carbon or plain carbon steel on a gun today; industry 

lawyers and a general concern for safety have well 

established a minimum for safety standards. Tool steel 

is capable of being very hard and tough, but is more difficult 

to craft. It may be used on guns in small amounts 

to form items like trigger parts or lock components. One 


should expect to find all (non-stainless) gun barrels and 

receivers to be made of an alloy steel; nickel-steel, nickel-chrome, 

or chrome-moly steel. These types of steel 

contain trace amounts- usually only up to 3% by mass 

of these other elements. The presence of nickel imparts 

extra strength and tremendous resistance to temperature 

and mechanical stresses. It is interesting to note that iron 

meteorites are usually an iron-nickel alloy- containing up 

to 25% nickel. That high nickel content is responsible 

for the meteorite’s ability to survive entry. The presence 

of chrome and molybdenum in steel alloy will increase 

hardness and resilience. Plain carbon steel is too weak 

and brittle or soft for firearms application. Chrome moly 

steels are not resistant to oxidation and other surface 

reactions to include rust and corrosion. Gun parts commercially 

produced from chrome moly steel are always 

encountered with a coating or treatment to inhibit surface 

corrosion. The most common are blueing and parkerizing 

which form protective oxide barriers on the steel. Chrome 

moly steel may be coated, clad, or plated in other metals 

like electroless nickel, hard chrome or newer high performance 

metal/polymer matrix coatings. 

Chrome moly steel is indeed the first choice of the 

professional market. It is tough. It maintains strength and 

stability over a wide temperature range. It resists fatigue 

and failure caused by abrasion, wear and heat. Even in 

hostile maritime environments, today’s material science 

offers a host of treatments and coatings to protect the 

steel from surface attack. Chrome moly used in ordnance 

is not a “free machining alloy”, that is, it is difficult to machine 

and form. However, chrome moly does lend itself 

well to the application of these aforementioned coatings 

and surface treatments. We are all familiar with “chromelined” 

barrels. Most all gun barrels in general circulation 

with our armed forces- pistol and rifle alike are chrome 

lined (M-16 rifle, M9 sidearm). Adding a layer of abrasion 

and heat resistant hard chrome to the interior surface 

of a barrel adds longevity. In the case of the M16 or 

AR-15, if it is respected and not abused, a chrome-lined, 

chrome-moly steel barrel can expect to serve its owner 

with good function and acceptable accuracy up to or beyond 

twenty thousand rounds. 

Stainless steel is rapidly becoming the default material 

used by barrel manufacturers. The most common alloy 

used in the gun market is known as 416R. This stainless 

steel makes an attractive barrel to be sure. It’s bright and 

shiny, and is known for being easy to machine. 416R is a 

“free machining alloy” which implies that it is created with 

a molecular structure that makes the material easy to cut. 

Free machining alloys employ trace amounts of lead and 

sulfur to improve machinability. While making this steel 

cost effective to manufacturers, and visually attractive 

to the consumer, the mechanical properties of free-machining 

alloy may also make it less desirable to the 

well-informed. 416R is not nearly as abrasion resistant 

as chrome-moly steel. And it can only claim 65,000 psi 

tensile strength (4140CM boasts 98,000psi). 416R does 

not resist fatigue and erosion from exposure to high heat. 


At high heat levels- those commonly encountered 

in military applications, 416 

can distort, lose its heat treated state, 

and even de-alloy—a condition where 

the additive materials lose their microscopic 

bonds to the iron/carbon structure. 

So this material, while in use, could 

become unsuitable or even unsafe. Not 

to worry—416R comes with a reliable 

programmed response to imminent failure. 

It will split like a banana peel before 

it fragments. This splitting action 

is resultant of the “stringers” as they’re 

called, the areas of sulfur that co-mingle 

in-between the regions of martensite 

(crystalline structures) in the metal alloy. 

There are other grades of stainless one 

might encounter in barrel making. 410, 

420 and 17-4 are less common, though 

they are found in use. 17-4 is renowned 

as a super alloy. It is fabled to get stronger 

from heat exposure. It has been said 

that it possesses mystical powers to 

“self-heal” micro fractures and surface 

defects. Few have ventured to deepdrill 

and cut rifling into a chunk of 17-4. 

Many have failed. The name Noveske 

will forever be remembered as one that 

succeeded. 17-4 is mainly used in pistol 

and revolver frames, muzzle devices, 

or small parts and even receivers and 

bolts of custom high-end high-power rifles. 

The last stainless worth mentioning 

here is 410 alloy. It is the underachiever 

of the bunch. The yield of this material is 

actually less than its intended operating 

threshold- a fact that some in the industry 

will argue. 30,000 PSI is where 410 can 

undergo “plastic deformation,” that is, be 

stressed past its ability to bounce back. 

Barrel makers still use this stuff knowing 

that a 5.56 NATO cartridge reaches 

over 60,000 psi just after ignition. Is this 

cause for alarm? Not really. Stress is 

calculated as a constant applied force. 

The pressure curve inside a gun barrel 

in not contained for any period of time, 

nor at a static load, but rather a burst 

that reaches a peak pressure. The pressure 

is not contained long enough or focused 

at a singular point where it could 

cause damage to the barrel. The barrel 

is saved by the fact that high pressure 

gas acts with equal force on all sides 

of its container (in this case the barrel)- 

and one side of the container (the bullet) 

is moving away from this applied force. 

So the bullet is effectively a valve that 

allows the pressure to escape. 410 alloy 

is said to be tougher and more abrasion 

resistant than 416. It is used by some 

manufactures to make gun barrels to 

save cost as it is imminently easy to 

machine. The more common stainless, 

416R does deliver on some promises. 

Many custom rifle builders who work 

for the competition market trust 416R. 

Countless benchrest, palma and F-class 

records have been claimed by guns fitted 

with barrels made from 416R. This 

material does in fact make for a perfect 

surface finish during machining. This 

perfect surface lends itself to superb accuracy. 

A barrel properly ‘smithed from 

416R will perform supremely, though 

not indefinitely. A match-grade stainless 

barrel fit to a high-powered competition 

rifle may be expected to have 

a good service life of 3000 rounds, 

more or less, depending somewhat on 

the caliber of the rifle, and largely on 

how it is cared for. 

Steel of any alloy may be encountered 

in a number of “states.” This refers 

to the condition of heat treatment it may 

have received. Annealed steel has been 

softened. This condition does not imply 

that the steel is mild- only that it has been 

reduced to a softer state to make it more 

workable. Hardened steel generally refers 

to a surface hardening to improve 

that steel’s wear resistance or reduce 

its frictional coefficient. This condition 

may also be called “case” hardened. 

Heat treated steel is generally hardened 

throughout, also known as “core” hard. 

Core hard is a condition commonly employed 

on high wear or high load components. 

Certain alloys are better suited 


to be case hardened. Others are tailored for 

use in core hard applications. For example, 

the bolt carrier group in an AR-15 is made 

of several steel alloys- each selected for it 

properties as they fulfill the requirements 

of the BCG’s operation. The bolt itself may 

be made of something called Carpenter 

158 that has been heat treated to a desired 

surface hardness to resist wear while maintaining 

internal elasticity, and resistance to 

fracture of the locking lugs. The bolt carrier 

body is commonly made of core hard 

8620- a nickel-chrome-moly steel used for 

its superior resistance to heat induced fatigue 

and mechanical shock. The carrier 

houses a high-temp expansion chamber 

that is usually hard chrome plated. The gas 

key might be made of 4130CM, and specially 

coated to resist high temperature and 

impart lubricity so as not to cause abrasion 

to interacting surfaces. The cam pin receives 

tremendous abuse, and is formed 

from a core-hard piece of 4340CM—very 

high in nickel and chrome. The cam pin 

will endure severe abuse- repetitive compressive 

and shear forces and high heat 

imparted by the M-16’s operating system. 

These parts are often protected by a hard 

metal plating or clad in a metal/polymer matrix. 

Both, designed to kill friction and resist 

heat’s damaging effects. 

So we can conclude that there is no 

“best” steel for your gun. Lesser materials 

may be used to great result provided proper 

engineering and quality assurance to back 

them up. Super alloys can lose all their attraction 

when cost and gained advantage 

are brought into proportion. Long past are 

the days of Damascus steel when one 

could be killed by his own gun if the bi-metal 

structure were to give way. The quality and 

consistency of steel used in the industry today 

exceeds the quality of manufacture implemented 

by the gun makers themselves. 

Our modern steel industry is nearly flawless. 

Good steel makes us better. 



LEFT: Czech ZB26 

light machine gun. 

People 

Czech ZB26 

Gunner’s Kit 

BY ROBERT G. SEGEL 

in the general populace 

don’t think of Czechoslovakia 

as an international arms 

maker of high quality products 

with a long history of innovation. 

But those familiar with 

the world of firearms know that 

Czechoslovakia has a wellearned 

reputation of not only 

producing quality weapons, 

but researching, developing 

and pioneering new systems. 

One such system was the 

ZB26. This weapon proved to 

be of such a step forward for 

a man-portable, full automatic 

weapon, that the British, upon 

testing, were so impressed 

that they licensed the manufacture 

of the weapon that was 

then known as the Bren gun; a 

weapon that served the British 

and their Commonwealth nations 

for decades. 

The Czech ZB26 gunner’s 

kit is made of canvas with 

leather straps that folds in on itself 

for carrying measuring approximately 

11 inches long x 7 

inches wide x 1.5 inches thick. 

Once fully unfolded, leather 

pockets hold all of the various 

tools needed to maintain the 

weapon in proper working order. 

On one end is a pocket 

that contains spare parts for 

the weapon that may wear or 

break and are easily replaceable 

by the gunner. 

ABOVE: Front of folded canvas gunner’s kit for carrying with single leather closing strap. 


Czech ZB26 

17 

TOP: First opening and unfolding of canvas kit. Sides are held in place by two leather straps. 

CENTER: Further opening of kit shows inner compartment that holds the tools and spare parts. 

BOTTOM: Final unfolding of kit showing partitions and slots for the contents of the gunner’s kit. 

Note that there is a further canvas pocket on the far left with a flap secured by a simple leather 

strap that contains small spare parts. 

CONTENTS OF 

THE CZECH 

ZB26 

GUNNER’S KIT: 

1. Canvas and leather gunner’s kit 

2. Chamber brush 

3. Bore brush 

4. Punch 2mm 

5. Brass drift 

6. Steel pin/drift 

7. Brass slotted cleaning rod tip 

8. Brass jag-type cleaning rod tip 

9. Cleaning rod handle section 

10. Cleaning rod extensions (two) 

11. Oil can 

12. Solvent can 


1 

9 

10 

13 

11 

12 

14 

15 

16 

2 

3 

4 

5 6 7 8 

13. Combination tool (complete) 

with universal wrench, 

flash hider wrench, small 

screwdriver, large screwdriver, 

screwdriver for barrel 

handle nut, screwdriver for 

shoulder piece nut, and 

copper hammer head. 

14. Ruptured case extractor 

15. Scraper/reamer (complete) 

with body, blade 

and handle 

16. Blank firing attachment 

(cylinder type) 

17. Pocket attached to main 

body of canvas carrier that 

contains small spare parts. 

Items 18 through 26 are 

carried in this pocket 

18. Firing pin 

19. Firing pin spring 

20. Ejector 

21. Extractor stay 

22. Extractor stay spring 

23. Extractor 

24. Piston post spring 

25. Trigger spring 

26. Sear spring 

18 

19 

20 

21 

2223 

25 

24 

26 


GUNS 

BY KYLE SHEA 

of the 

SILVER SCREEN 


Star Wars: 

GUNS OF A NEW HOPE 

On Wednesday, May 25, 1977, film and science fiction 

history was made. A film came out about a space opera 

in a galaxy far away. It was the story about a young farm 

boy going on an adventure to save a princess from an evil 

empire and its terrible enforcer. It became a huge financial 

success and eventually had an even better sequel about 

the empire striking back. It was loved by critics and fans 

alike, to the point where even today thousands of fans 

dress up as the characters of the movie. 

The film was called Star Wars. 

It’s probable there are few people in the world that 

have not seen Star Wars and its characters. Characters 

like Chewbacca, R2-D2, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess 

Leia, and, of course, Darth Vader, have all become 

household names. Every bookstore is filled with tie-in 

books about the characters, and every toy store carries 

the toy versions of the weapons. 

Speaking of the weapons, the original blasters of the 

film were actually guns that were remodeled for the film. 

They were chosen for some futuristic appearance even 

though they were from the past- WWII German MG34 

Light Machine Guns, British Lewis Machine Guns with 

their fat radiator jacket and pan feed, as well as the 

Broomhandle Mauser that was Han Solo’s pistol. The best 

example is the Sterling L2A3 submachine guns (or Mk 4) 

that are used by the Stormtroopers, as well as many of 

the main characters. Called the BlasTech E-11 Blaster Rifle 

in the film, it was the standard issue weapon for the 

Stormtroopers. They were seen in all three films of the 

original trilogy, especially Return of the Jedi, where some 

of the Ewoks are shown using them. Bapty Ltd of London 

supplied the firearms for these movies, and Tony Watts 

allowed us to photograph them for this issue. 

The Sterling submachine gun was designed by George 

William Patchett, the Chief designer at the Sterling Armaments 

Company of Dagenham. The British Army was 


MOVIE GUNS 

looking for a new submachine gun in WWII and liked the design 

of Patchett’s gun. Although only 120 were built for the war, 

they were used in a number of battles, including Operation 

Market Garden. 

In 1956, the Mark 4 (L2A3) came into service. It was used 

in a number of countries, including Argentina, Singapore, and 

Iraq. It weighs about 6 pounds without the magazine full of 

ammo. The magazine is loaded from the left side and it shoots 

9x19mm ammunition. The buttstock folds under the gun, making 

it easy to carry when not in use. The firing pin is fixed into 

the face of the bolt, making it impossible to remove and it is 

open bolt firing. The bolt itself has helical grooves cut into it to 

keep dirt out of the inside of the receiver. 

The Sterling Mark 4 was in other films like The Wild Geese, 

The Spy Who Loved Me, Robocop, and You Only Live Twice, 

as well as many TV Shows and Video Games. However, it is 

most recognized by movie goers as the Blaster of choice for 

the dreaded Stormtoopers, though they don’t hit much with it 

other than set decorations. Both are part of a story loved by 

millions, if not billions, of fans. A story about a battle between 

good and evil, in a galaxy far, far away. 

May the Force be with you. Always. 

Serial number - Obscured. Most of the original BlasTech 

E-11 (Sterlings) were deactivated and sold as European style 

“Deacs” and were quite popular with the collectors. They 

seldom come up for sale. The receivers of those are not destroyed, 

so they cannot legally come to the United States unless 

imported as Post-1986 dealer samples. 


S ARound Answer 

Key on page 96



CROSSWORD 

ANSWER KEY 

ADVERTISER’S 

INDEX 

Americansnipers.org 33 

Battle Arms Development, Inc. 2 

Black Hills Ammunition 49 

Chipotle Publishing, LLC 75 



Dealernfa, Inc 56 

Dillon Precision Products, Inc. 57 

Elite Survival Systems 84 

FNH USA 5 

Gun Mountain, LLC 80 

James D. Julia, Inc. 15 

K-9 Cop Magazine 86 

KNS Precision, Inc. 37 

Langlotz Patent Works, Inc. 72 

Lewis Machine & Tool Co. 99 

Liberty Ammunition 92 

Nightforce USA 47 

NRA 85 

Ohio Ordnance Works 3 

POF USA 100 

Police K-9 Magazine 94 

Poulin Antiques and Auctions, Inc. 83 

SAR EAST 13 

Schmidt & Bender GmbH & Co. KG 14 

Small Arms Defense Journal 95 

Small Arms Review 96 

Spyderco, Inc. 31 

SSK Industries 64 

Trijicon, Inc. 58 

Vegas.com 59 

Wise Food Company 32 

www.smallarmsreview.com 98 


EMMAGEEMAN’S CORNER 

MACHINE GUN MEMORABILIA 

BY ROBERT G. SEGEL 

Royal Bulgarian military shooting badge 

“For Masterly Shooting” that appears on 

the front of the badge. The monogram of 

King Boris III (1918-1944) is to the center 

with crossed rifles, crossed machine guns 

(one Schwarzlose and one Maxim) and a 

stick grenade below with the royal crown 

at the top. Screw back. 

Czechoslovakia 1st Republic Machine 

Gun Specialist sleeve badge. Grey wool 

cloth with central silver bullion image of II 

over 1 over a design representation of the 

Schwarzlose M07/12 machine gun within 

a silver bullion border. 

World War I German death card. Four sided; the front has a photo image of the fallen 

soldier. Note the machine gun marksmanship badge on his sleeve. The rear has his 

name and details of his death. Inside has a picture of Christ and prayers. Translation of 

the German text reads; “As a pious remembrance in prayer of the virtuous young man 

Matthias Bruckmoser Sergeant in the 16th Bavarian Infantry Regiment Machine Gun 

Company No. 1, holder of the Iron Cross 2nd Class, nominated for the Military Service 

Cross 3rd Class, who died the hero’s death for the Fatherland on July 5, 1918 at the age 

of 22 years as the result of a shot to his head after 32 months of most faithful performance 

of his duty. R.I.P.” 

World War I trench art hat made from a 4.5 inch Howitzer shell. 

Affixed to the front is a New Zealand Machine Gun Corps brass 

cap badge. Above the visor is a copper driving band. There are 

full ordnance markings on the shell top including the date of 1915. 

Italian colonial interwar high relief bronze 30mm medal. The obverse 

shows an Italian machine gun crew wearing sun helmets firing a 

Schwarzlose M07/12 in the North African desert with sand and palm 

trees present. The reverse is marked: LXIII Battaglione Mitraglieri Motoizzato 

“Cirene” (the 63rd Motorized Machine Gun Battalion Cirene 

– Cirene is the area where the unit was based in Libya). The red and 

white enameled bar is the collar insignia of a machine gun unit.

SAR 20#2

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