Firearms and ammunition

Overview:

- Crisp 4# - 5-1/2# Trigger Pull
- 30 LPI Checkered Front Strap
- Hand Polished Integral Feed Ramp
- Precision Crowned Muzzle
- Oversized External Extractor
- Full Length Guide Rod
- Double Sided Frame Safety
- Extended Mag Well
- Stoned Hammer and Sear

John Moses Browning began his gunsmithing career in Ogden, Utah over 125 years ago. With more than 100 handgun and rifle patents, he is considered the father of the 1911. The Model 1911 has evolved since those early days. At Smith & Wesson, we have made an enormous commitment to this special pistol and have grown our family of SW1911s to include the widest variety of materials, finishes and unique features. Our commitment to pistols and the SW1911 has never been greater. Whether you want Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel or Lightweight Scandium Alloy construction, you are sure to find the highest quality 1911s made. Through Smith & Wesson, John Browning’s timeless design has reached a level of quality and performance never before thought possible. For the finest selection of SW1911 pistols…turn to Smith & Wesson.

Technical Specs

Model: SW1911
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 10+1
Action: Single Action
Barrel Length: 5″
Front Sight: Dovetail White Dot
Rear Sight: Fixed White 2-Dot
Overall Length: 8 3/4″
Weight Empty: 38.5 oz.
Grip: Fully Stippled Wood
Material: Stainless Steel Frame, Slide and Barrel
Finish: Matte Silver

by Frank Iannamico
From: http://www.smallarmsreview.com/january.htm

The revolutionary MP38 machinepistole made its combat debut with the German blitzkrieg invasion of Poland that began on 1 September, 1939. Other than some self-inflicted casualties on the German troops from the MP38’s marginal safety system, the weapon was a huge success.

The Germans began using the submachine gun, or maschinenpistole, near the end of WWI when they developed and adopted the full automatic 9mm MP18.I. They felt the submachine gun would have great value in the close quarter combat situations encountered when the trenches were overrun. While the defenders of the trenches would be attempting to protect themselves with their limited capacity bolt action rifles and bayonets the Germans would be spraying them with submachine gun fire at 500 rounds per minute! The German MP18.I was the first weapon to use the soon to be common open bolt system. It was also the first of many German submachine gun designs.

World War One ended with the German surrender in November 1918. The Allies drew up an agreement called the Treaty of Versailles; the treaty was extremely harsh and restrictive. The Germans had little choice but to sign it. The treaty would cause much unrest among the German people and plant the seeds for WWII.

The Treaty of Versailles prohibited the Germans from developing or testing any type of military weapons. All existing WWI weapons were ordered destroyed by the Inter Allied Control Commission. Although the Germans were allowed a 100,000 man self defense force, the Reichswehr, they were restricted to the type of weapons they could issue. Submachine guns were prohibited, except for limited use by the German police departments. The police issued the MP18.I.

Despite the harsh restrictions, the Germans secretly continued to develop and test many new weapon designs for the war they knew was coming. Rather than manufacture and stockpile existing designs, they wanted to continually develop new weapons so when war did come, they would be equipped with the most advanced weapons available. While most of the Allies of WWI were enjoying peace, the Germans were secretly preparing for war.

Most of the submachine guns the Germans developed between the wars were all very similar to the MP18.I model. They all looked like short barreled carbines. Except for a few minor variances they all functioned pretty much the same. The MP38 was the first German production weapon that was different.

In January 1938 the German Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) requested a lightweight, compact, rapid firing 9mm weapon for paratroopers and armored crews. The development time to the resulting MP38 in August of that same year was extraordinarily brief. The reason for the seemingly rapid development of the weapon was due in part to the model Erma Werk already had under development. One prototype was the MP36. The MP36 was virtually unknown for many years, due to extreme rarity of surviving examples.

The Only markings on the MP36 are located under the weapons foregrip. They read “EMP36″ Erma Erfurt. Note serratted butt stock and disassembly knob.

Although the MP36 is similar to the MP38 there are some notable differences. The MP36 is selectfire, it has a fire mode selector located above the trigger housing. The fire selector is remarkably similar to that on the Haenel MP41 model. All of the MP36’s components are manufactured from machined steel stock.

The MP36 has wood furniture instead of plastic as used on the MP38/40. The pistol grip panels are also finely checkered wood. The folding metal stock of the MP36 is very similar to that of the later production design, except there are no springs, detents or release buttons. The stock folds and extends under the friction of the snug fitting parts. The butt plate has machined grooves instead of being smooth.

The front sling swivel can be easily rotated to either side. The magazine catch is the latch type similar to those used in earlier designs, rather then the button release of the MP38/40 design. The magazine release lever is located at the rear of the housing.

The bolt assembly is similar to the MP38/40 except that the front portion of MP36 bolt is a separate piece, and is attached by a locking screw. The front sight is a driftable unprotected design. The rear sight is similar to the MP38/40. The MP36 is devoid of any identification markings except for the underside of the wooden foregrip. This area is marked “ERMA ERFURT” “EMP 36″, the EMP designation is for Erma Machine Pistol.

The MP36 cocking handle like the MP38/40 is located on the receiver’s left side. This was the very first German weapon to feature this. The idea behind the left side cocking handle was that it allowed the shooters hand to remain on the pistol grip (and finger near the trigger), allowing him to easily cock the weapon with his weak hand. It was thought that this would make for a more rapid magazine change, saving seconds and perhaps the shooter’s life. The knob is similar to that on the earlier Erma EMP weapons. The magazine housing is unique in that it is slightly canted approximately 30 degrees to the left. The magazine is different, and not interchangeable with that of the MP8/40. When this weapon was captured there was no magazine in it. An MP40 magazine was adapted to fit. No original MP36 magazine has ever been located or documented. The MP36 field stripping procedures are very similar to those of the MP38/40.

Great room in Karinhall where the MP36 s/n 014 was believed to be kept by Gцring.

This particular MP36 is serial number 014, and is a very well made piece. The finish is a very fine, highly polished commercial blue. The wood is made of fine sculptured walnut. Virtually every part is stamped with the weapon’s serial number, even the heads of the screws. The weapon is obviously a presentation piece, the type often presented to high ranking officials by the weapons manufacturers.

This particular MP36 has a very colorful story of how it was obtained during WWII. In 1943 a group of volunteers was organized to go on a top secret covert mission. The mission’s objective was to assassinate Hitler’s Reichmarshall and head of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Gцring. The attempt on Gцrings life was planned to take place at Karinhall located some 40 miles northeast of Berlin. Allied intelligence sources had reported that Gцring would be present at Karinhall and that the grounds would be lightly guarded. Karinhall was one of Gцring’s many extravagant residences. It was named after his late wife who had died prematurely in 1931.

The Allied team quietly parachuted into the area at night virtually undetected. Once they reached the grounds surrounding Karinhall they soon discovered that the mansion was being guarded by a private army of Gцrings elite Fallschirmjдger troops, all well trained and heavily armed. After the German troops discovered the team, a fierce firefight was soon underway.

Right side view of the canted magazine housing and release lever.

During the confusion a particular U.S major managed to slip into the main building to search for Gцring. While he was looking around the main hall he spotted a strange, unfamiliar weapon hanging on the wall. Thinking it may be of interest to U.S. intelligence, he removed it and placed it in his pack. He then decided that the mission was failing, and decided to try fighting his way out of a rapidly deteriorating situation. He and a very small portion of the original Allied team managed to escape and make their way back to safety.

The weapon remained in the major’s possession for the remainder of the war. In 1945 when he returned to the United States he brought the MP36 home as a war souvenir. He stored the gun away and went on with his post war life. The major was unaware of just what a rare piece he had in his possession.

Eventually the weapon was sold and changed hands a few times in subsequent years. Today this unique weapon is in the fine collection of German weapons collector Lou Pacilla. It is the only transferable MP36 in the world. There is only one other example of the MP36 known to exist. That MP36 is serial number 001, and is in the possession of a military museum in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Reportedly the condition of that weapon is also excellent.

Hitler eventually ordered the Fallschirmjдger troops that were assigned to defend Gцring’s Karinhall into the line defending Berlin from the invading Russian troops in 1945. The Russians took prisoner the troops who weren’t killed.

Gцring ordered his engineers to destroy Karinhall as the Russians were sighted approaching the Schorfheide forest surrounding the estate in 1945. Although it was his favorite mansion, he did not want it to fall into Russian hands intact.

Right side view of the trigger area. Fire selector button is shown just above trigger.

The Allied forces eventually captured Hermann Gцring, and he was placed on trial along with the other remaining Nazi leaders at Nuremberg. He was convicted of various war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging. His request for an “honorable” death before a military firing squad was denied. Gцring committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule before his sentence could be carried out.

The US Army Major who participated in the raid on Karinhall passed away recently after retiring from a very successful career in law enforcement.

The Erma MP36 serial number 014 has survived the past 50 plus odd years in the same immaculate condition as the day it was liberated from Hermann Gцring’s mansion. The official version of the mission is still classified.

France’s Unmusical Bugle
by Peter G. Kokalis

French soldiers refer to it as “le Clairon.” But this bugle spits bullets. It is not a pretty weapon - in fact, it’s downright ugly. Esthetics, however, are of small consequence in the design of efficient weaponry.

France’s newest service rifle, the FA MAS (Fusil Automatique, Manufacture d’Armes de St. Etienne), has already demonstrated itself to be an effective and generally well-conceived piece of ordnance. First introduced in 1973 and subsequently modified, the FA MAS was adopted by the French armed forces and placed into production in 1979. Manufactured by GIAT (Groupement Industriel des Armements Terrestres) at their St. Etienne arsenal, a semiautomatic-only version of this interesting assault rifle has been imported in limited quantity by Century International Arms.

After generations of discordant calibers - such as the 7.5mm rifle and 7.65mm Long pistol cartridges - the French finally decided to play in NATO’s orchestra and chambered the FA MAS for what is essentially the U.S. 5.56×45mm M193 cartridge. It differs only by virtue of its Berdan primed steel case. Compatibility with NATO has been served and France now has a cartridge with proven efficiency in causing casualties.

Hands-on use of this weapon has produced compliments - SOF’s Paul Fanshaw, who employed the FA MAS rifle extensively while serving as a platoon sergeant in the French Foreign Legion, awards it a clean bill of health in all regards.

Of so-called bullpup configuration, the FA MAS measures only 30.28 inches in overall length. Complete with flash suppressor, the barrel is 19.5 inches long. Oddly cut with only three grooves, the rifling’s rate of right-hand twist remains one turn in every 12 inches. An optional pitch of one turn in 9 inches is available as a compromise to accommodate the SS109 projectile. But in spite of its compactness, the FA MAS weighs 8.0 lbs. empty and minus the bipod - at the outer limits by today’s standards. Steel parts are phosphate finished and the receiver has been anodized gray.

Firing from the closed-bolt position, the method of operation is by means of delayed blowback. While this principle smacks of Heckler & Koch (early prototypes of the FA MAS were pictured with the G3 bayonet), the delay system has been taken directly from the French AA 52 General Purpose Machine Gun.

A black plastic lower handguard, pinned to the barrel and receiver, extends back to the magazine well and cannot be removed. To accommodate the bullpup configuration, the trigger mechanism and pistol grip have been mounted to the lower handguard, forward of the magazine well. The ergonomically-designed pistol grip has three finger grooves and a storage trap which contains a plastic bottle of lubricant.

The sheet-metal trigger guard can be pulled away from its rear retaining pin and rotated 180 degrees for firing with gloves under arctic conditions. The trigger is connected to a long, thin strip of sheet-metal which rides in a slot on the right side of the receiver and reaches the hammer mechanism located at the rear of the receiver. Trigger pull-weight was a spongy and variable 8 to 9 lbs. on our test rifle. On the semiauto-only FA MAS, pressing the trigger draws this spring-loaded bar forward to pull both the primary and secondary sears away from the hammer’s notch.

A spring-loaded, plastic catch in front of the magazine well must be pressed back to remove a magazine. Magazines are inserted by pushing them straight into the well. No rocking motion is required. There is no hold-open device. But who cares? Thirty million Kalashnikovs have been manufactured without one, as well as millions of G3s and Galils. And they all seem to do just fine in combat.

FA MAS magazines hold 25 rounds and, in my opinion, are superior to those of the M16 series. While not as heavy as Galil or Beretta Model 70 magazines, the sturdy steel bodies are straight-line, without any curvature, with substantial locking tabs punch-welded to the exterior, front and rear, Two-piece floorplates insure rapid disassembly. Only the follower is plastic.

Because the firing pin is withdrawn from the bolt face by the delay lever’s rotating cross-piece, there is no need for a spring. Other components of the bolt group include a removable bolt head with a spring-loaded, centrally located “bump”-type ejector, and an extractor and dummy extractor plug.

Being a bullpup, the FA MAS can be modified to fire from either shoulder. To change the FA MAS from right- to left-hand ejection, withdraw the bolt head after removing its notched retaining pin on top of the bolt body, insert the extractor into the left side of the bolt head and the dummy plug into the right side. The extractor will now spin empty cases out to the left. Nothing else is required for left-hand ejection, other than to snap the cheekpiece onto the right side of the buttstock.

This checkpiece was neoprene-covered sheet-metal on early specimens. It is now a light plastic molding, but still quite comfortable. Both ejection ports are cut into the plastic buttstock molding - one or the other being blocked by the cheekpiece. A spring buffer in the top of the buttstock compresses about an inch before rebounding. To reduce costs, it has been eliminated on the semiauto-only version as its cushioning effect on the reciprocating parts is not required in semiautomatic fire. There is a stippled, neoprene buttplate with fixed sling swivels on either side.

The upper handguard certainly contributes more than its share to this rifle’s grotesque appearance. It also acts as a carrying handle and protects the sights which rise 3 inches above the bore’s axis. A lightweight tubular aluminum bipod has been bolted to a bracket under the handguard. The non-adjustable legs, with plastic feet, fold along the sides of the handguard when not in use. To employ, simply pull out on the leg and rotate to the extended position. This useful feature adds only 6 oz. to the overall weight.

Each FA MAS is equipped with a cleverly designed, ambidextrous web sling. The rear portion attaches, in the conventional manner, to either of the sling swivels on the buttstock. The front clips mount on either of the bipod legs’ axis pins, which permit rotation of about 220 degrees and a wide variety of carrying positions.

A spare parts and cleaning kit is also included and it consists of an ejector and spring, extractor, dummy extractor plug, bolt-head retaining pin, plastic cleaning rod with brass tip, bore and chamber brushes, camel’s hair brush and a really useful prismatic bore scope.

While bayonets have certainly become an anachronism on today’s battlefield, armies continue to issue them. Little time was wasted on designing a bayonet for the FA MAS. What is essentially the MAS 49/56 (French army rifle which preceded the FA MAS) bayonet was adopted. Blade shape resembles that of the U.S. M4-M7 series of knife bayonets. Grip panels are black, uncheckered plastic. There are two muzzle rings. One fits over the flash suppressor, the other on the barrel collar. The rear muzzle ring diminishes the bayonet’s value as a fighting or utility knife. The black plastic, locking scabbard has been riveted to a web frog in the U.S. manner.

Firing the FA MAS, or any bullpup assault rifle for that matter, can be somewhat unsettling the first time around. With your face directly over the action, fleeting thoughts of what might happen if the weapon self-destructs are bound to occur. They are but fantasies of course, and nothing we stuffed into the FA MAS brought us anywhere close to red-lining its engine.

Most of the firing sequences were conducted with Portuguese M193-type ball ammunition of 1982 manufacture (headstamped ‘FNM 82-17′). What a pleasure it is to fire an assault rifle in this caliber and not have to contend with bolt-over-base stoppages such as those induced by an M16 magazine. There were no malfunctions of any kind.

Accuracy potential was more than acceptable. With winds gusting at 25 mph, 3 MOA, with horizontal dispersion only, was the best we could do at 100 yards.

Felt recoil was quite low, but the perceived muzzle blast, because of the bullpup configuration, was loud. Ejection patterns, which are either to the right or left in direction, varied from 10 to 20 feet from the rifle with a high trajectory for the empty cases. Some cases spun back to scuff the stock slightly.

While they have no heat shields, the handguards are far enough from the barrel to permit a substantial volume of air to circulate. Neither handguard overheated at any time during the test. Balance and handling charactefistics are excellent and the rifle can be shifted quickly to engage multiple targets.

The more I shoot it, the more this grotesque hunchback grows on me. Its unsightly geometry becomes quickly muted by its superb performance. Regardless of the U.S. military’s antipathy toward them, bullpup designs will continue to proliferate as the quest for ever more compact individual weapons marches forward. Fit for anyone’s front line, the FA MAS should give both the Austrian Steyr AUG and the British Enfield SA 80 a stiff run for the money.

Military organizations and law enforcement agencies can obtain versions with scopes integrated into the carrying handles, training rifles firing 4.5mm pellets by means of C0&sub2; and short-barreled models with 16.5-inch barrels. A new carrying handle that will accept any NATO STANAG scope is also under development.

From: www.remtek.com

Taking a rifle out into the woods is a pleasure that’s just not enjoyed enough anymore.

Perhaps that’s because a handy, comfortable-to-carry, woods rifle hasn’t been available for decades. Action Arms’ new Timber Wolf has changed all that. Here again is a well-balanced, offhand rifle that rides at one’s side, almost weightlessly, throughout a leisurely walk under a forest canopy.

The classic woods rifle - revisited

The new Timber Wolf brings together a combination of the style and features of slide-action rifles of an earlier era: A time when quality and workmanship were hallmarks of firearms manufacturing. It was also a time when life’s pace allowed sportsmen a relaxed afternoon of “woods loafing.”

The new Timber Wolf makes a great companion for your favorite revolver

Chambered in the popular .357 Magnum cartridge, this slide-action carbine is light weight, and it takes down to be even easier to pack along. Its carbine-length barrel squeezes every bit of performance out of any magnum load, and it’s just over 18 inches long.

Classic looks don’t compromise modern technology and features

The Timber Wolf’s slim lines and walnut stock are reminiscent of a bygone era, but features like integral scope bases and a sear-locking safety assure that this is a rifle for today. Naturally, open iron sights are included. The milled receiver and barrel meet the same rigid specifications Israel Military Industries builds into all of their firearms, including the legendary UZI.

Your next rifle ought to be one you’ll shoot a lot.

The Timber Wolf is fun to shoot. It shoots .38 Special or .357 Magnum, and it is as much at home on an indoor range as it is in the woods. It takes down and is easy to carry. Weighing only around five and a half pounds, the Timber Wolf has all of the features that make a rifle classic. Ask to see one, feel its balance and find out for yourself.

Information courtesy of Action Arms, Ltd., circa 1989.

From: remtek.com

The world’s most famous military handgun has been improved. In the early twenties, John Moses Browning and FN Herstal jointly designed the original Browning 9mm Hi Power single action pistol. Today, FN’s HP pistol is in service in more than 100 countries around the world, and it has a well-established reputation for high quality and total reliability. FN’s newer, product-improved MK3 represents decades of user feedback and offers a subtle balance between tradition and evolving technologies.

Improvements over the HP pistol include:

Ergonomic grips that significantly improve handling and contribute to the shooter’s comfort.

New sights for improved accuracy. These are precision machined and notched for optimum contrast. Both front and rear sights are dovetailed to ease zeroing and to allow for the installation of tritium night sights.

Ambidextrous safety for added security during left-handed operation.

The MK3 retains the Hi Power’s original mechanism as well as all of the major parts and vital advantages of its venerable predecessor. This precludes any deviation whatsoever from the Hi Power’s long-standing reputation for safety and reliability under even the most adverse conditions. The MK3’s sturdy and simple mechanism also ensures long component life and simple maintenance.

To simplify the transition from Hi Power to MK3 and to take advantage of an existing and highly-effective design, the MK3 also retains the Hi Power’s numerous and proven safety mechanisms. These include:

a mechanical safety lever, now ambidextrous, that allows the weapon to be carried fully safe,

a visable hammer which indicates whether or not the weapon is cocked,

a half-cocked notch that catches the hammer if it slips during cocking or de-cocking,

a firing pin spring design which prevents inadvertent discharge if the weapon is dropped with a round chambered and

a magazine safety that disengages the trigger when the magazine is removed.

MK3 Technical Specifications

Caliber: 9×19mm NATO
Operating principle: Short recoil Browning mechanism
Trigger mechanism: Single action only
Magazine capacity: 13 rounds
Overall length: 200mm (7.9 in)
Barrel length: 118mm (4.6 in)
Sight radius: 159mm (6.2 in)
Weight, unloaded: 930g (2 lbs)
Weight, loaded: 1,085g (2.3 lbs)
Finish: Black, corrosion-resistant semi-gloss

From: http://www.remtek.com