28th May : The Sterling L2A3 Sub-machinegun

Name      :     Sterling SMG L2A3


A.K.A.     :     C1 Sub-machinegun, the Sterling, the Patchett

Caliber      :     9x19mm Parabellum


Capacity    :     34 Rounds


Weight      :     5.9lbs or 2.7kg (unloaded)


Length      :     27.16in or 690mm


Action       :     Blowback, semi and fully automatic Sub-machinegun


Origin        :     United Kingdom 


Motorcycle racer and enthusiast George Patchett spent much of his early life engineering motorcycles and later during the outbreak of World War Two worked under Gorge Lanchester, designer of the Lanchester sub-machinegun, at the Sterling Armaments Company in Essex, England.  Patchett was assigned his own design team to build an sub-machinegun for a Royal Army Trial, he patented his first design and built his first prototype in 1942.  In September of 1942 Patchett demonstrated his design to members of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps as "A Lanchester with no butt or sights", the trigger mechanism was however completely of Patchett's own design.  Though results were generally favorable, the military officials advised Patchett to take it away and put a butt and sights on it and resubmit the weapon.


Patchett did as the military officals requested and again submitted the weapon in February of 1943 were the design was put up against other hopeful entrants.  Unfortunately the Patchett weapon didn't meet expectations with accuracy being abysmal and more seriously it failed the mud test, becoming jammed almost immediately after being submerged in mud then quickly wiped off.  Upsetting as this set back may have been for Patchett, he was not deterred and still saw merit in his design, and the fix he would institute in the  weapon would become one of its greatest features.  Patchett added grooves to the outer surface of the bolt which pushed and foreign objects like dirt or mud out of the weapon through a special slot in the receiver with the cycling of the weapon.  With this new modification the sub-machinegun was put forward for troop trials in 1944, were it was carried by airborne troops during the Arnhem offensive of Operation Market Garden where the weapon praised universally by troops.


After the war, the British military showed little interest in replacing the STEN gun in service, though some trials were eventually held in 1947 with the Patchett design and others from BSA and Australia were trialed, after a few inconclusive results and and re-submissions the Patchett Machine Carbine was chosen in 1951 as the official replacement of the STEN gun in British service.  Eventually after further fine tuning in 1953 it was issued to troops as the Submachine gun L2A1.  Various modifications were made to the L2 during it service life with the L2A3 becoming the final successor.  A silenced version of the L2 was produced as the L34, though it generally only ever saw service with the Special Air Service (SAS).  


Though it was originally known by troops as the 'Patchett' the L2 became known to troops as the 'Sterling' due to the company that manufactured the weapon.  Many Commonwealth nations would follow England's lead and eventually opt to acquire the Sterling, such as Canada who made there own version of the weapon under licence as the C1 9mm Submachinegun.  The Sterling was sold to more than 60 countries throughout the world and as of 2012 it can still be encountered.  


INTERESTING FACT :  The Sterling with some cosmetic alteration was used as the "E-11 Blaster Rifle" used by the Imperial Stormtroopers in Star Wars Episodes IV, V and VI.

Star Wars E-11 Blaster Prop

PRO's   :   Reasonably Accurate, Extremely Reliable, Easy to Stow, Very Well Made


CON's   :   Side Mounted Magazine was a concern for some. 

23rd May : Owen Gun

Name      :      The Owen Machine Carbine


A.K.A.     :      The Owen Gun, The Diggers Darling
                              
Caliber      :     9x19mm Parabellum


Capacity    :     32 Rounds


Weight      :     9.4lbs or 4.2kg


Length      :     32in or 813mm


Action       :     Open Bolt, blowback,  Semi and full automatic sub-machinegun


Origin       :     Australia


Evelyn Owen from an early age was fascinated by firearms, he enjoyed shooting, modifying and even attempting to produce his own designs.  Evelyn had first started designing his sub-machinegun when he was 16 in 1931 and had his final prototype finished in 1938.  Evelyn tirelessly worked on making the weapon reliable, and it showed, but unfortunately at the time the Australian Ordnance department viewed the weapon as having very little merit.  With the outbreak of World War Two Evelyn signed up for the Second Australian Imperial Force, but shortly before shipping out to Egypt, he had left his prototype sub-machinegun in a bag against some stairs at the back of his parents house.  A neighbor from across the road happened to discover what was lying in the bag, as fortune would have it Vincent Wardell the neighbor was the brother of Gerard Wardell an executive at Lysaghts.  Evelyn explained the background and testing he had done with his sub-machinegun and the unsuccessful attempts he had made to get it tested by the Australian Ordnance department.  Gerard contacted Sir Percy Spender then Minister of the Army, who took heed of Gerard's request and had Evelyn transferred to the Army Inventions Board to continue working on the sub-machinegun.


Considerable effort was made to test the now named "Owen Machine Carbine" against its most notable rivals, the American Thompson, the British STEN and the German Bergmann Sub-machinegun.  Overall testing concluded that the Owen was by far more reliable in all extreme condition tests and also compared very favorably on both control during automatic fire and accuracy.  The latter is often attributed to the construction of the barrel, unusually for a sub-machinegun the barrel has seven groves in the barrel, thus stabilizing the bullet very well.  The Owen entered active service in November of 1941 and continued to be widely used and thoroughly praised by troops until it was replaced by the F1 Sub-machinegun in the mid 1960's.


The first noticeable characteristic of the Owen is it's vertically mounted magazine, one of the characteristics that made the weapon very reliable.  With gravity aiding the spring to push rounds down into the mechanism.  with spent casing being ejected straight down through the bottom of the receiver.  Though apart from some initial concern by soldiers over having off-set sights as a result of this design choice, it was quickly accepted, much the same as the BREN light machinegun. Unusually for a weapon of its type the Owen also had a quick barrel removal facility, the user simply needs to lift a catch in-front of the magazine well and pull the barrel forward, though some have speculated that this was a barrel 'change' facility rather than just for cleaning, but it would be unlikely. 


Internally the Owen is very well thought through,  it was widely considered un-jamable with good ammunition.  Use of a small bulkhead inside the receiver isolated the bolt from other working components like the cocking handle.  The slots cut for the movement of the cocking handle are a common way for dirt and other foreign materials to build up and seize an action.  Unique to the Owen is the ejector being built into the magazine, this aids removing the bolt for cleaning.


INTERESTING FACT :  The Owen was the first indigenous Australian Sub-machinegun.


PRO's   :  Accurate, Extreme reliability, easy to clean, very controllable


CON's   :  Heavy, 

22nd May : Heckler & Koch P7

Name     :     Heckler & Koch P7 M8, M13 & M10


AKA       :     The Squeeze Cocker, PSP, P7 M8,M13,M10,

Calibers      :     9x19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W,


Capacity     :     8 and 13 Rounds (9mm), 10 Rounds (.40 S&W)


Weight       :     27.25oz or 785g (P7M8)


Length       :     6.75in or 171mm (P7M8)


Action        :     Striker Fired, Semi automatic, gas operated locking


Origin         :     Germany


The terror that ensued during the 1972 Munich Olympics resulted in a major shake up within the West German Law Enforcement community and especially the West German government, with a directive being issued to research and revise arms used by Law Enforcement and internal security forces.  Technical specifications were drawn up and sent to arms manufacturers specifying that the new pistol weight under 1000g, fire a more powerful round than the 7.65mm (.32ACP) that was being used by Police at the time and various other requirements.  Heckler and Koch of Oberndorf, started development on a new pistol in 1974 and prototypes were completed in 1976.  The new prototype was put through its paces with a variety of West German departments for evaluation.  Meanwhile other pistols were also being tested, the Walther design, a SIG Sauer P220 derivative and a Mauser pistol. West German officials decided to accept the Walther entrant as the P5, the SIG Sauer P225 as the P6 and in 1979 the Heckler and Koch entrant called the PSP (Polizei Selbstlade Pistole) as the P7, all pistols were chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.


Ground breaking at the time the new PSP P7 had a number of unusual features, such as the safety device found on the forward section of the grip.  Known as a squeeze cocker this device, with a initial heavy squeeze and a lighter pressure to hold the device depressed, the striker is cocked position, which can be visually checked by the striker itself protruding from the back of slide, when pressure is released the striker is de-cocked.  Another interesting feature of the P7 is the locking and operating mechanism.  When the pistol is fired gas from the round is tapped off through a small hole in the bottom of the barrel into a cylinder where it acts against a piston in effect retarding the slides rearward movement until the projectile has left the barrel and pressures within the barrel have dropped to safe levels, bleeding back into the barrel once again to aid cycling of the action.  One advantage of this system was that the barrel of the pistol was fixed to the frame, unlike most pistols that require a locking system, the gas retardant system does not require the barrel to move during firing, thus it is always in the same position shot after shot, aiding accuracy. The barrel itself borrowed from the earlier P9 pistol by Heckler and Koch is also interesting in that is of polygonal design.  This design does away with traditional lands and groves in favor of polygon shape that contains a twist.   


Heckler and Koch saw the need to improve the PSP, and in 1985 production of the pistol was switched to its successors the P7 M8 and the P7 M13 remaining in 9mm parabellum, the most notable changes were the re-positioning of the magazine release from the heel of the grip to what is now standard on H&K pistols, an ambidextrous push down lever directly under the trigger guard.  And in the case of the P7 M13 a double stack magazine containing 13 rounds.  The P7 M13 entered the U.S. Military trials to replace the venerable Colt M1911A1 but was unsuccessful in its bid, though it passed with 100% reliability during dust tests and was rated highly for overall conditional reliability.  


Heckler and Koch turned instead to marketing the pistol for personal defense and sports shooters, thus following the public interest - the P7 M10 was born.  This new pistol was a caliber revision, it was chambered in .40 S&W.  It differed from the M8 & M13 in both that it no longer had the polygonal barrel, but more traditional lands and groves.  It also due to the considerable pressure increase over the 9x19mm parabellum was slightly larger and heavier.  


INTERESTING FACT :  German military special forces team GSG-9 had a special version of the P7 M13 made especially for them known as the P7M13SD which had a threaded barrel and supplied suppressor for covert operations.


PRO's   :   Accurate, reliable, curiosity, collectible, well made, 


CON's   :   Cleaning is a little lengthy, no external slide catch, PSP's had heal mag releases


      

17th May : Becker & Hollander Beholla Pistol

Name     :     Becker & Hollander Beholla Pistol


AKA       :     The Beholla 

Caliber     :     7.65x17mm Browning (.32 ACP)


Capacity   :     7 Rounds


Weight     :     22.57oz or 640g


Length     :     5.59in or 142mm


Action      :     Blowback Action, semi automatic


Origin      :     Germany 




Produced by Becker and Hollander of Suhl in Germany in 1915 the Beholla was a mediocrity at best even by the standards of the day.  With this in mind it was given a substitute pistol status in the German Army during the First World War. It was commonly issued to lower ranked personnel when the famous P08 Luger or even Mauser C96's were short in supply.  After the initial shipment from Becker and Hollander the German Army ordered the pistol to be contracted out to other arms firms to insure a healthy supply and thus a contract was given to Leonhardt, Stenda and Menta.  Production of this pistol for the German Army would appear to have been around 40-45'000 and remained in service until 1918 the end of the war.  After the war, the pistol was produced by several manufacturers for the commercial market, and some were even offered for sale by the Army to the public.  Total production for this pistol/design including commercial models is estimated around 100,000.


Typically of pistols made in Europe at this time, the magazine release is located on the heal of the grip and is pushed to the rear to eject the magazine for reloading.  The barrel is fixed to the frame by means of a cross-pin, and this is where the pistol takes a turn for the worse. 


To dismantle the Beholla the magazine has to be removed and the striker released by pulling the trigger with an empty shell case inserted in the chamber to prevent damage to the firing pin.  The cross-pin holding the barrel to the frame has to be removed through a hole in the slide.  This is done by punching out the cross-pin with a tool through the right side of the slide until it is far enough through it can be pulled by hand from the left hand side of the slide. The slide must then be locked to the rear and the barrel is pushed backward approximately 5mm and pulled upward and it can be removed. The slide is then released forward to its normal position the trigger again needs to be pulled then the slide can move forward off the frame. 


The Beholla like all German pistols was a war trophy for allied soldiers but never gained the fame or popularity of other pistols such as the Luger.  In service the pistol was considered to be robust enough for combat, which probably was the pistols only saving grace, considering what it took to clean it.  Some collectors and shooters have stated that they have been very impressed with the accuracy potential of this pistol, especially considering that it was produced during war time, when the quality of firearms is generally a lot lower.  This is probably an inherent advantage of the fixed barrel design. 


INTERESTING FACT : Magazines from the Colt 1903 pistol in .32ACP will function well in the Beholla, for those of you out there looking for replacement or spare magazine.


PRO's :   Robust, Accurate, easy to conceal, snag free design


CON's :   Low on the manstopping scale, awful dismantling procedure for a soldier 

15th May : The Ross Rifle

Name     :   Ross Rifle


AKA       :   The Canadian Straight Pull

Caliber     :     .303 British


Capacity   :     5 Rounds


Weight     :     9.87lbs or 4.48kg


Length     :     50.6in or 1285mm


Action      :     Straight Pull, Manually Operated Repeater


Origin      :     Canada


Sir Charles Ross was a wealthy Scottish landowner, not content with simply maintaining the wealth he had inherited from his family, he set out to make his own fortunes he studied engineering and agriculture and had a keen interest in having his own businesses.  Ross had a passion for firearms and had taken out patents on an automatic pistol and even an automatic rifle in 1896.  While at Cambridge he took out a patent for a straight pull bolt action rifle but it was an overly complex rifle and thus it was the stepping stone to the rifle for which he would become famous or perhaps infamous.  through 1896 and 1897 Ross produced in London and improved on his new straight pull bolt action design also Ross traveled to Canada that same year to develop and improve the design again which would then become the model 1900 sporter.  


Ross was then called up for military duty to fight in the Second Boer War.  Upon his return he pushed the British Army to consider adopting his rifle as a replacement for the Lee Metford / Lee Enfield Rifles, though it was rejected. It was found to be unreliable, though accuracy was exceptional, it was deemed unsuitable for the hard knocks and conditions that other contemporary service rifles could handle.  During an unfortunate political clash between Britain and Canada, the designs and licencing for the Lee-Enfield rifle to arm Canada were denied.  Ross who was a small arms adviser to the Canadian Government put forward his rifle.  Cautiously the Canadians decided to evaluate the rifle in the hands of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, who found in excess of one hundred faults with the rifle.  Instruction was then given to Ross to improve the rifle and in 1907 the Ross Rifle MKII, after it was adopted for official military issue in 1905.  Improvements continued and the Ross model 1910 become widely accepted as reasonable weapon and was the primary weapon of the Canadian forces in France during the First World War.


Then the storm hit, in France Canadian troops found that the rifles straight pull action became clogged easily and jammed to the point it was common for troops to discard their Ross Rifle and try to acquire a Lee Enfield from the battlefield.  Another major issue was the bolt, incidents were reported that it was possible to reassemble the bolt after cleaning with parts inserted the wrong way and still fire the rifle, causing the bolt to come flying backward at the user.  Douglas Haig submitted orders in 1916 to have the rifle offically removed from service, though some were retained for sniping, as accuracy was  one of the few great features of the rifle.  It would go on to be a popular target rifle after the war, this perhaps is the realm where the Ross truly belonged.


INTERESTING FACT :  At one point the British refused to allow Canada to make the Lee Enfield to arm their troops, but in the early stages of World War Two it was the British who were desperate to acquire anything to equip the home guard and many Ross Rifles were sent by the Canadian Government.


PRO's :   Collectable, Accurate, Many variants, Good hunting rifle


CON's :   Awful military rifle, hard to maintain in combat, no real advantage to straight pull.

14th May : Fabrique Nationale Model 1910

Name     :     FN Model 1910

AKA       :     Pistole Modell 626 (B) = WW2 German Military Designation

Caliber     :     7.65x17mm Browning (.32 ACP), 9x18mm Short (.380 ACP)

Capacity   :     7 Rounds (7.65mm)

Weight     :     21.25oz or 600g

Length     :     6in or 152mm

Action      :     Blowback operated, Single Action, Semi automatic

Origin      :     Belgium

Designed by world famous firearms designer John Moses Browning the FN model 1910 was a popular and well liked defensive arm found in many arsenals during the first part of the 20th Century.  John Browning made regular trips between the two major manufacturers of his designs, namely Colt for the U.S. market and Fabrique Nationale of Belgium for the European market.  Browning approached Colt to make his new pistol design that was to become the Model 1910, but Colt was not interested, perhaps due to the success of the Colt Model 1903.  Fabrique Nationale no doubt saw considerable potential for the design and the pistol went into production eventually arming much of Europe.

Though first produced in 1910 this pistol did not come into widespread availability until 1912.  John Browning's first financially rewarding venture into the defensive pistol field was also made by FN in the Model 1900, an unusual pistol in that the recoil spring was located above the barrel, it was a sturdy and reliable defensive pistol.  Combined the models 1900, 1903, 1906 and the 1910 had been sold in excess of one million by 1914, making vast fortunes for the large firearm distributors in Europe.  

The 1910 has a smooth overall appearance and semi-compact feel about it, this is due to a small trend that was started with this pistol, the recoil spring is positioned around the barrel instead of a traditional plunger or guide rod, making the pistol smaller than some of its contemporaries. The pistol's safety is nothing special in the respect it is simply pushed up into a notch in the slide to put the weapon on safe, and the pistol also sports a grip safety.  The sights on the pistol pictured are of non-snagging type and are a groove that runs in the top of the slide, and though not target shooter material they are adequate for defensive purposes. Some Model 1910's did have windage adjustable rear sights that are retained via a wedge base that are slid into traditional slide cut outs.  

A variant of this pistol appeared in 1922 this model was known as the Model 1910/22 after a Serbian Army requested that the 1910 have a longer barrel and slightly improved ammunition capacity thus FN lengthened the barrel and simply attached a large retaining ring in front of the slide and increased the magazine capacity for an extra 2 rounds.  The Serbian Army happy with these improvements made a large order.  During World War Two the German Army having occupied Belgium had FN make Model 1910s and 1910/22s for the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht.  The 1910 went out of production in 1983 and was widely copied by many arms manufacturers around the world.  Popular with civilian shooters it was also big in European Law Enforcement with some police forces choosing to keep it in front line service until 1985.  In the James Bond movie "Dr. No" the 1910 is used as a stand-in for a Walther PPK due to the movie makers having issues adapting the PPK to fire blanks, though the change over went un-noticed by much of the movie going audience.

INTERESTING FACT :  It is said that the great war may have been started by the pistol but it was the rifle that fought it.  Well the 1910 has an interesting part in that fact -  it was that pistol in the hands of Gavrilo Princip, who shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the precursor to World War One.

PRO's   :   Compact and Easy to Use, Kinda accurate, Collectable, 

CON's   :   Magazine disconnect safety, some have rough trigger pulls.

COOL FACTOR : 7/10

10th May : Colt Anaconda

Name     :     Colt Anaconda


AKA       :     The Big Snake

Calibers     :     .44 Magnum and .45 Long Colt


Capacity    :     6 Rounds


Weight      :     53oz or 1503g (6 inch barrel model)


Length      :      11.5in or 295mm


Action       :      Double Action, revolving cylinder, repeater


Origin       :      U.S.A.


It wasn't until 1990 that colt produced its first .44 Magnum, The Anaconda.  Upon its release there was a large surge of interest from the firearm community as to how well it would stack up against its considerable competition from both Ruger and Smith and Wesson, not to mention Colt's own famous Python.  Early Anacondas had accuracy issues relating to a tight throat that wore down projectiles, once past the throat rounds were not properly engaging in the riffling.  These issues once raised with Colt were rectified with new barrels.  There was a 4, 6 and 8 inch barrel length versions available and all anacondas had the stainless steel finish, unlike other brands Colt did not offer a blued model.  1993 saw an addition to the line up with the introduction of the .45 Long Colt version, a caliber that was no stranger to many avid Colt fans.  


The Anaconda has a large ventilated rib above the barrel, reminiscent of the Python .357 magnum revolver offered by Colt.  The revolver came tapped ready for and in some cases with a scope for those who wanted to utilize this revolver for handgun hunting.  The Anacondas construction is tough, made from all stainless steel it is a hand-full to hold but this allowed recoil to be managed easily.  The Cylinder stop cuts were made between the chambers to allow the cylinder more strength, thus making the use of powerful rounds not an issue.  Shipped as standard with a large rubber grip with finger groves the large Colt is comfortable to hold even considering its weight.  The Anaconda comes furnished with adjustable B notch sights as standard, these sights produce a clean and crisp sight picture with white outlines on the rear and a red insert on the front sight.  Some Anacondas were also available with ported barrels to reduce muzzle climb when firing powerful loads.


Colt claimed that the Anaconda was the most accurate .44 magnum, though this will always be up for debate, to Colt's credit the Anaconda is an accurate revolver, but that title may have been a little ambitious.  Sadly during the large restructure at Colt in 2000, the Anaconda was dropped from Colts production line, though some were still available to order through the Custom shop until 2003.  Still popular with sports shooters and revolver enthusiasts through second hand channels, many wonder if Colt will re-release this big revolver at some point in the future, and speculation and rumor still rise every now and again, but as of 2012, seeing a brand new Anaconda filling gun shop shelves again seems bleak.


INTERESTING FACT : In the secondhand market .45 Long Colt versions of the Anaconda tend to fetch more than the .44 magnum variety.


PRO's   :   Accurate, beautifully designed, strong construction, nice grips, 


CON's   :   Early models had accuracy issues, no longer available 


COOL FACTOR : 9/10

7th May : Beretta CX4 Storm

Name     :     Beretta CX4 Storm


AKA       :     The Storm, The sci-fi blaster

Caliber     :     9x19mm Parabellum, 9x21mm IMI, .40 S&W, .45 ACP


Capacity   :     8 to 32 Rounds


Weight     :     5.75lbs or 2.6kg


Length     :     29.7in or 754mm


Action      :     Closed bolt, Blowback operated, semi automatic carbine


Origin       :     Italy


Introduced in 2003 as part of the "X4 Storm" family this small pistol caliber carbine looks somewhat futuristic and employs a great deal versatility in its design.  Within the "X4 Storm" family of firearms there is the PX4 pistol (the magazines of which are usable in CX4), the CX4 carbine and the RX4 5.56mm Assault Rifle.  All of the firearms in this family make large use of polymer in their construction, with a focus on ergonomics, modularity and reliability.  The CX4 as of 2012 is largely a sports shooter / plinking firearm, with the exception of one U.S. Law Enforcement Agency in Alabama County, New York, currently using it.  Venezuela and India have employed it for special duties within their respective armed forces, with the later having the full automatic version.  


The modularity aspect of this firearm is one of its best features, capable of having four picatinny rails for the mounting of optics and accessories.  Beretta also market a suppressor for the CX4 carbine with the model number EU00029.  Spacers are supplied with the carbine to aid the length of stock to suit the different needs of users, though only one .5in spacer is included.  The CX4 9mm will accept any Beretta PX4 or 92 series magazine, a great feature as the price and availability of these magazines is good.  The .40 Smith and Wesson magazines that can be used are of PX4 .40 type and the .45 ACP compatible magazines are from the .45 caliber single stack Beretta Cougar pistols.  


Reversible controls are by no means new, but it never ceases to a great selling point on any firearm, and the CX4 is no exception.  Safety button, magazine release and cocking handle are all reversible on the CX4 for a left handed shooter and interestingly Beretta have also included the option of switching the ejector to extract and release empty shell cases on either side too.  Disassembly on the CX4 is also a breeze, after a safety check is done and the magazine has been removed, one simply pushes the disassembly pin all the way through the carbine, and the upper and lower receiver separate, the bolt handle is pulled out and the whole bolt carrier group out.  Access to the barrel is now available and to inspect the bolt a U clam is slid off and the guide rod is removed, exposing the ejector and extractor.


INTERESTING FACT :  The CX4 may become a lot more common, several major Law Enforcement Agencies are currently evaluating the CX4 for a spot in the armory. 


PRO's   :   Great Accuracy, Lightweight, Handy size, ambidextrous controls


CON's   :   Common complaints : Magazine seating, squishy button like triggers


COOL FACTOR :  6/10

3rd of May : SKS Rifle

Name     :     Samozaryadnyi Karabin Simonova Obrazets 1945g


AKA       :     The SKS, Poor-Mans Deer Rifle, 

Caliber     :     7.62x39mm M43 Cartridge


Capacity   :     10 Round non removable magazine


Weight     :     8.49lbs or 3.85kg


Length     :     40.2in or 1021mm


Action      :     Tipping Bolt Locking, Semi Automatic Rifle 


Origin      :     Russia (U.S.S.R.)


Designed during World War Two the SKS Rifle came too late to be used during that conflict but would go on to arm a large number of soldiers, gorilla fighters and civilian shooters and as of 2012 the interest from the later has not waned.


Designed by Sergei Simonov a well respected Russian arms designer, the rifle was far from innovative but very solid and reliable, making use of existing  principals and concepts of the time.  The rifle was developed around the 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge developed for the RPD machinegun, a project that Simonov was a part of. The value of the 7.62x39mm is that unlike the cartridge it replaced, it was only effective to the maximum range the average soldier could hit anything at, it was lighter meaning the soldier could carry more ammunition and lastly the significantly lighter recoil meant that in a fully automatic weapon, during firing the weapon was far more controllable.  Sergei Simonov's SKS is the pinnacle of the lineage of Simonov's designs, it clearly finds it's origins in the AVS-36 a pre-war tipping bolt semi automatic rifle firing the 7.62x54mmR and the PTRS-41 anti-armor rifle, also with a tipping bolt.


The roll out in significant numbers for SKS took place in 1949, now the official standard rifle of Russia, but it was to be short lived, at least in front line service.  The AK-47 was in 1947 a large scale experiment, with the SKS waiting in the wings as a back-up weapon in the event the AK-47 proved to be too troublesome; unfortunately for Simonov's design the AK proved itself an excellent weapon leaving the SKS remain in front line service only until the AK could be delivered, when it would put into the hands of second line units.  The SKS was widely distributed to nations associated and part of the Soviet Union and was built in almost as many countries as it served with.  It remains a parade weapon even to this day, furnished with chrome and a light wooden stock.


In civilian hands the SKS has become a major phenomenon as a surplus curiosity, survival and hunting rifle, with large number of manufacturers producing aftermarket components, in some cases turning the SKS into the battle rifle it perhaps should have been, but hindsight is 20/20.  Copy-Cat manufacturer Norinco has flooded the civilian shooter's marketplace with an never ending variety of SKS copies known as the Type 56, these rifles are very affordable and are solid and reliable.  The SKS always compared favourably with the AK-47 in the respect that the same cartridge has a higher muzzle velocity and inherent accuracy due to the longer barrel.  Popular use SKS is for plinking and hunting, being especially well suited for hunting of wild boar and goats with the inexpensive soft nose ammunition available in large numbers seemingly everywhere.


The loading of the SKS is very straight forward, firstly the user pulls the bolt carrier handle to the rear, the follower pushes up on the bolt lock holding it in place, the user may then either load individual rounds down directly into the internal magazine or by inserting a stripper clip into guides on the bold head and pushing them down into the magazine.  After charging the rifle the user pulls the bolt carrier handle to the rear about 5mm and releases it, and it will now move forward stripping a new round out of the magazine and chamber it.

SKS Stripper Clips loaded with hunting ammunition

INTERESTING FACT : More than 15 Million SKS's have been made, with a few known as the SKK being able to accept the 30 round magazine of the AK-47 series of rifles.


PRO's   :   Surprisingly Accurate, Easy to maintain, low recoil, overall simplicity
CON's   :   Some Norinco rifles are sensitive to some hunting ammunition 


COOL FACTOR : 6/10

1st May : Sphinx AT-2000

Name     :     Sphinx AT-2000


AKA       :     The Improved CZ-75, The Swiss Block

AT-2000PS model shown

Caliber     :     9x21mm, 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 Smith & Wesson


Capacity   :     15 Rounds (9mm), 11 Rounds (.40)


Weight     :     36.25oz or 1030g (S Model)


Length     :     8in or 204mm (S Model)


Action      :     Browning Cam Locking, Double Action Semi Automatic


Origin       :     Switzerland


Introduced in 1992, the Sphinx AT-2000 is a service / sport pistol manufactured in Switzerland.  It originates from the model AT84 and AT88 pistols which were licensed copies of the CZ-75 pistol, they were made under the company name of ITM.  ITM went out of business in 1990 and in 1991 the company was renamed Sphinx Systems Ltd, which went on to try and improve the CZ-75 design with a focus on tight tolerances and high quality workmanship.  The resulting design was the model AT-2000S, a full sized pistol with an all steel construction making it somewhat indestructible.  


The model AT-2000 has three main variants, the 'S' model which is the full sized pistol, the model 'P' standing for police with a compact slide and frame, the model 'PS' which has the shortened slide and barrel with the full sized model 'S' frame.  All of these models have double action trigger systems and have a very precise and predicable trigger break.  For anyone who is familiar with the CZ-75 a very notable difference found when handling the AT-2000 is the shape, the AT-2000 is very square and flat, neglecting the rounding and curve found on the Czech pistol.  Also different from the CZ is the guide rod used in this design, it has a small bulge at the end of it that slots perfectly into the slide to ensure the side locks back firmly in the same position before the next shot to provide constancy.  The controls of this pistol are often ambidextrous making the pistol compatible for left handed shooters or weak hand shooting.


The AT-2000 is well known for exceptional accuracy, and an all over pleasant pistol to shoot with its clean single action break of 1.5kg.  Fitted by hand by master gunsmiths the slides are cut from solid steel as are most of the frames.  CZ-75 magazines do work in the AT-2000S and 'PS' models though they do not lock the slide to the rear when empty, as the follower is different.


INTERESTING FACT : Almost never seen in films, most likely due to the significant cost of this pistol it was prominently shown in the movie "Mission Impossible 2" carried by the villain Sean Ambrose.  


PRO's :   Accurate, Beautiful trigger, Top Quality, Top notch heritage, 


CON's :   Price tag


COOL FACTOR : 9/10

30th April : Heckler & Koch G36

Name     :     Heckler & Koch G36


AKA       :     The Bundeswehr Rifle

Caliber     :     5.56x45mm NATO


Capacity   :     30 Rounds or 100 round Beta C Magazine  


Weight     :     7.94lbs or 3.6kg (Standard Model)


Length     :     39.3in or 998mm (Standard Model)


Action      :     Gas operated rotating bolt locking, semi, burst or Fully Automatic


Origin      :     Germany


Since the late 1960's the West German Army looked to replace the G3 from standard service for a easier to handle weapon which could maximize the accuracy potential of its troops.  Heckler and Koch through a long and extensive development period produced the G11 caseless ammunition rifle, a rifle that performed very well through testing, that 1000 prototypes were manufactured.  The Germans were however well aware that the financial implications if they decided to arm everyone with the G11, thus consideration was given to procuring a 5.56mm standard type rifle for second-line or rear echelon troops in the form of the Heckler and Koch G41 Rifle.  Unfortunately for the Germans NATO standardization and the economic situation at the time called the end of the G11 rifle, but the need to replace the G3 was ever present.


The G36 was born out of the HK-50 project of the 1990's, this project moved away from the roller locking mechanism of Heckler and Koch fame toward the popular piston based, rotating bolt gas system.  This project was met with high praise from the German Military after testing had proved the rifle very handy and modular and an order was placed for the new Rifle to placed into service as the G36 in 1997, followed later by the Spanish Armed Forces in 1999.


The Standard G36 rifle has a steel reinforced polymer receiver, and makes extensive use of polymer throughout the rest of the rifle.  As standard the German Army rifle comes fitted with with an 3x optical sight.  The magazine is of interest as it is semi transparent allowing the user to inspect at a glance how many rounds are remaining in the magazine, also the magazine has clips on the side of it that allow other magazines to be connected to it to allow fast magazine changes should it be required.  The stock is of a folding type which also has small holes in it that allow the insertion of the disassembly pins so they are somewhere safe when dismantling the rifle.


One of the appeals of the G36 is its large assortment of variants and optional accessories, without a doubt this has greatly contributed to the large procurement of the rifle from the international law enforcement community. The models are as follows :

G36A1 - Standard German Service rifle
G36A2 - Updated A1, New scope, G36C Stock, 
G36K - Carbine version of the Standard G36 the barrel is 160mm shorter than standard.
G36V - Standard G36 with NATO bayonet fitting, Export model differing sight setup
G36KV - Carbine export model with NATO bayonet fitting, 
G36C - Compact commando model
MG36 - Heavy barreled light machinegun version.

G36C, Commando variant of the standard rifle.

INTERESTING FACT : The German military is investigating concerns regarding "wandering zero's" on the G36. After the rifle has fired enough rounds to get hot, soldiers are reporting difficulties attempting to hit targets beyond 200 meters.


PRO's : Great magazines, lots of accessories, easy to clean/maintain.


CON's : Possible wandering zero, 

COOL FACTOR : 7/10

27th April : Walther P99

Name     :     Walther P99


AKA       :     Walther's Tupperware Wonder

Caliber     :     9x19mm Parabellum, .40 Smith and Wesson


Capacity   :     16 Rounds (9mm) 12 (.40) 10 round magazines are common too.


Weight     :     22.5oz or 630g (9mm) 23.1oz or 655g (.40)


Length     :     7in or 180mm (9mm) 7.25in or 184mm


Action      :     Double Action Semi Automatic, Browning-Petter Locking Block


Origin      :     Germany


Horst Wesp started designing the P99 pistol for Walther in 1994, Wesp who had previously worked for the two largest firearms producers in his native land of Austria, namely Glock and Steyr, finished design and testing in 1996 when the P99 hit the market.  The P99 was primarily produced for the Law Enforcement community but has found widespread acceptance in sporting and personal protection circles, and the latter two are by far its largest consumers.  Some have speculated that the P99 came too late and at a too higher premium to compete with the likes of Glock, in spite of this some German Law Enforcement have chosen to adopt it.


As with all Walther products it is produced to a very high standard, incorporating some very desirable features into an aesthetically pleasing package.  The pistol is of double action design, where by the pistol can be de-cocked, removing spring tension on the firing pin, creating a long first shot trigger pull which cocks the firing pin, all subsequent shots are in a lighter trigger pull single action mode.  The decocker is nicely positioned on the top right hand side of the slide, all that is required is a reasonable pressure to depress the button.  The trigger pull on the P99 is 8.25 pounds in double action and 4.5 pounds in single action.  Locking on this pistol is an improved browning type where by the chamber port locks into the ejection cut out in the slide instead of lugs around the barrel.  The frame of the P99 is made from polymer which reduces weight and allow for very ergonomic designs, the grips were designed by Italian Cesare Morini who produced specialty grips for pistols used in the Olympic shooting section. These grips are very comfortable with three replaceable backstraps that come supplied with the pistol. The magazine release is of European type built into the trigger guard and is ambidextrous.   


Variants of the P99 are :


P99 Military    - Standard P99 with a green polymer frame 
P990             - Double Action Only
SW99            - As above but only the slide is made in the U.S. by Smith & Wesson
P99C             - Compact model with standard action
P99 Duder      - Standard P99, Engraved Slide, Wooden Backstrap
P99QA           - The firing is always half cocked, this would be the start point the PPQ
P99RAD         - Made by Radom in poland, as above with inner trigger safety


As with most pistols these days the P99 comes in "generations" of production evolution, of which the P99 has three.  The second generation had a revised trigger guard that became rounded at the front and removed the triangle protrusion from the bottom of the guard.  The original accessory rail in front of the trigger guard was of a type exclusive to Walther, in the second generation it was changed to be of a standard weaver type.  The third generation had minor internal changes to aid overall smoothness of the action and a squarer trigger guard, longer magazine release and revised slide serrations.


INTERESTING FACT :  Walther pistols are synonymous with Ian Flemmings character James Bond, in the 007 Movie "Tommorow Never Dies" James bond trades his Walther PPK for a P99 and continues to use it even with the change of the man playing Bond.  To celebrate this change to the P99 Walther produced a limited edition "M.I.6." version of this pistol with the Coat of Arms engraved on the slide.  However as of "Quantum of Solace" James Bond has gone back to his PPK. 


PRO's   :   Accuracy, Reliability, Quality Manufacturer, High Capacity, Best Grips
CON's   :   Some magazines were dubious, 


COOL FACTOR : 9/10

April 26th : Remington 870

Name     :     Remington 870

AKA       :     Old Betsy

Caliber   :     12 Gauge, 16 Gauge, 20 Gauge, 28 Gauge, .410

Capacity :     3 to 8 Rounds

Weight   :     Varies, 8oz or 3.6kg approx standard model

Length    :     Varies, 41in or 1060mm standard model

Action    :     Pump Action, repeater

Origin     :    U.S.A

Introduced in 1950, though stock didn't reach stores till 1951, the Remington 870 would undoubtedly be the biggest selling pump action shotgun in the world, with production exceeding 10 million so far.  The model M870 Mk1 was offically adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1966, it was chosen over and above popular semi automatic shotguns at the time for it's reliability with all types of ammunition.  Semi automatics of the time could not reliably cycle with low powered riot ammunition and other specialty rounds, due to the fact the recoil is fundamental for pushing the weapons bolt to cycle, lower powered rounds like riot ammunition do not have a significant enough recoil factor to allow the action to reliably feed,  whereas a manually operated shotgun on the other hand has only the user to cycle action.  Pump action shotguns of reasonable quality like the 870 were able to be manipulated quickly and are only marginally slower to fire successive shots.  

The 870 is made to a high standard utilizing an orthodox method of operation.  When the pump handle is pushed rearward, two steel action bars push the tilting action block to the rear and a round is stripped from the ammunition tube beneath the barrel and is collected by the bolt face and pushed into the chamber with the return of the pump handle to the forward position.  Modern 870's also have a balanced sear and inertia firing pin to prevent the firearm from discharging until the round is completely in battery.  

The 870 gains a lot of its popularity through customization and varied models to suit all applications.  A wide array of stocks from manufacturers such as magpul are available on the market.  Remington itself produces a folding stock for the shotgun.  Barrel lengths can vary from 14 to 30 inches, not to mention the endless supplies of colors and accessories.  Remington as of 2012 lists 28 variations on its website for almost every need the shooter might have.

Currently 70 to 80% of all U.S. Law Enforcement agencies have the 870 in some form in their arsenals.  17 Nations officially use this popular shotgun, China even produces their own unlicensed copy of the 870, produced by "copy-cat" arms company Norinco.  

INTERESTING FACT : During the Vietnam war experiments were carried out to see if an 870 could be easily converted to accept a 10 or 20 round box magazine.

PRO's   :   Good amount of models, reliable, feeds anything, easy to manipulate

CON's  :   Some early models had a non adjustable choke.

COOL FACTOR : 8/10 

23rd April : Smith and Wesson Model 10

Name :     Smith and Wesson Model 10


AKA   :     Military & Police, M&P, The No Frills Revolver, Victory Model

Caliber     :     .38 Smith and Wesson Special


Capacity   :     6 Rounds


Weight     :     36oz or 1020g (4in Model)


Length     :     8.875in or 225mm

Action      :     Double Action Repeater


Origin       :     U.S.A.


One of Smith and Wesson's best selling revolvers of all time, since 1899 Smith and Wesson have offered the Model 10 'Military and Police' in a wide range of configurations from the snubnose 2 inch barrel round butt model through to the Target 6 inch square butt model.  The appeal of the model 10 stems from its simplicity, quality construction and universal acceptance of the .38 Special cartridge, add to this the variety of configurations, all for a fair price and it is not surprising that more than 6 million have been made.


During the Philippine War of Independence, the U.S. Army had grave concerns about the effectiveness of the .38 Long Colt cartridge of there Model 1889 revolver, relayed field reports back to the United States indicated a change was immediately necessary, the answer in the form of the new cartridge .38 Smith and Wesson Special a heavier bullet in a longer case and the new Model 1899 to fire it. This revolver known as Military and Police would go on to have several changes to eventually become the Model 10 in 1942.


The Model 10's 'K frame' Smith and Wesson's medium frame is very strong, in many ways stronger than it needs to be, this advantage means that the model 10 can consume a steady diet of +P ammunition.  The fixed sights on this revolver are of snag free design and are very unlikely to knocked or bumped out of alignment unlike Smith and Wesson's adjustable sights.  A good double and single action pull that are crisp and break at predictable points making the revolver inherently easy to shoot, especially with the mild recoil of the .38 special cartridge.  


This no-nonsense, reliable arm will never be a match for today's "Polymer Wonder Guns" in the military world, but still serves a purpose for home defense and sports shooting.  For use as a personal protection arm the .38 special is at the lower end of the spectrum as a manstopper but, with regular practice, shooting quality defensive loads you are by no means 'unarmed'. 


INTERESTING FACT : The model 10 was used by over 20 countries world wide as a defensive arm for either military, police or both.


PRO's   :   Reliable, Easy to shoot, quality construction, utilitarian 


CON's   :   Low in the energy range, but still very acceptable. 


COOL FACTOR : 7/10

20th April : Colt Commander

Name     :     Colt Combat Commander


AKA       :     The Lightweight Commander, Combat Commander

Caliber     :   .45 ACP, 9x19mm Para, 7.65x21mm Para, .38 Super


Capacity   :   7 & 8 Rounds (.45 ACP) and 9 rounds (9mm,.38 Super)


Weight     :   32.5 oz or 961g (steel frame) 27oz or 765g (lightweight)


Length     :   7.75in or 197mm (1991A1 Commander)


Action      :   Browning Swing Link Type, Single Action, Semi Automatic


Origin      :   U.S.A.


The story of the M1911 is a long and interesting one spanning more than 100 years, and through its evolution it has borne a mass of variants by almost every major pistol manufacturer in just about as many calibers and as of 2012 it shows NO intention of slowing down even with the popularity of polymer wonderguns, of which through the INFINITY series of pistols it has even become a part of.  Today however is not the day that I spent more than six hours trying to explain just a tiny portion of the 1911's history, no today we look at a great size variant, the wonderful Colt Commander series.


As early as 1949 the U.S. Army was looking to replace the M1911A1, a pistol that had given great service, but concerns were raised about the size and weight of this full sized service pistol, thus a requirement was sent out for a pistol chambered in .45 ACP with a weight of 25 ounces or less, and an overall length of 7 inches. Colt entered this race with the what was then called the Commander made from a lightweight aluminium called ColtAlloy, though it nor any of the other contestants won a contract.  Colt decided to put the Commander in the civilian market in several calibers including the 7.65x21mm para (.30 Luger) for export to countries that forbid civilians to possess pistols in a military caliber.  In 1970 the Commander was re-named to become the lightweight Commander and a new full steel version was released with the name Combat Commander.


The name Commander has now become a size designation, with each certain Colt models coming out in sizes Government (full size 5 inch barrel), Commander (Shorter than Government 4+/- inch barrel) and Officers ACP (Compact with a 3.5 inch barrel).  As of 2012 Colt models 1991A1 and XSE have Commander sized pistols that are very popular as "Carry" pistols and are also seen on the sports shooting scene.


The modern XSE Commander is a well made and accurate firearm with a 4.25 inch barrel, series 80 locking, 3 hole aluminium trigger, Drop safety and weighs about 33.5oz.  The sights are NOVAK Carry Sights, these sights have white dots for easy target acquisition and are well liked for their snag free design.  The pistol is chambered in .45 ACP and has many other desirable features.

COLT XSE Commander in .45ACP

The .45 ACP round is a subsonic round with well documented stopping power, but it is also used as a sporting caliber.  The .45 ACP in traditional form is a 230gr full metal jacket round known as "ball" ammunition, this type of round was the standard U.S. Military pistol caliber for over 70 years.  For personal protection however jacketed hollow point rounds should be used, with great expansion and reasonable penetration the .45 will continue to be on the carry circuit for some time with all the major ammunition manufacturers making a variety of types for all applications.  


INTERESTING FACT : Frank White a Drug Enforcement Agency Officer carried a Colt Combat Commander, Frank was part of the inspiration for T.V. show Miami Vice, he was given a set of Ivory grips by the Vice President for his Colt Combat Commander for his exceptional service.


PRO's   :   Good Size 1911, Top Quality, Very Customisable, .45 ACP


CON's   :   Requires lots of practice to master


COOL FACTOR : 9/10

April 19th : Beretta 3032 Tomcat

Name     :     Beretta Model 3032


AKA       :     Tomcat, The Flip Top

Caliber     :   .32ACP (7.65x17mm Browning)


Capacity   :   7 Rounds


Weight     :   14.5oz or 410g


Length     :    4.9in or 125mm


Action      :    Blowback operated, Double Action, Semi Automatic


Origin      :    Italy 


The Beretta 3032 finds it origins in the Model 950 "Jetfire" first created in 1952, a single action pistol that originally had no safety lever.  The success of the little Jetfire which was available in .22LR and .25ACP (6.35mm) spanned until 2003 when production ceased.  With the need for a more powerful chambering and/or incorporation of improvements the 3032 "Tomcat" was born.  The main changes from the model 950 lay in the caliber of .32ACP and the implementation of a double action mechanism.


The little Tomcat features a tilting barrel, not fixed like most blowback pistols,  the barrel is released by pressing forward on a lever located above the rear of the trigger guard on the left hand side of the frame.  This allows the user to inspect that the pistol has no round chambered.  Though some people "top off" the pistol in this fashion by inserting a full magazine of seven rounds, releasing the barrel to tip up and manually loading a round into the barrel to give the pistol one extra round.  The Tomcat has a rather long double action pull, then every subsequent shot is double action. The double action mechanism in this pistol can be seen as an advantage over double action only (DAO) pistols when it comes to getting some reach, with the lighter single action pull available for those longer range shots can improve accuracy.  The lack of a decocker is unusual however, implying that the double action feature of this pistol could be just a double strike capability if the round fails to fire after the first pull of the trigger.  Releasing the magazine is an interesting process for those who have never handled a Tomcat or jetfire, the release button is found on the left hand grip just above the bottom grip screw, though it does need a positive push to release the magazine, preventing an unwanted magazine departure.

A Model 3032 with the barrel tilted

.32ACP is at the low end in terms of a self defense caliber, though interestingly that is what it was designed for, European police and even some military's around the world used this caliber for some time up until the 1980's.  Invented in 1899 the round has been around for a long time and in full metal jacket form is unsuitable for someone wanting to carry this pistol for personal protection, but with good jacketed hollowpoint rounds such as Winchester Silvertips it can have potential with good shot placement (shot placement is important with any caliber).  The Tomcat is capable of consuming large amounts of ammunition due to it's quality construction though it must be noted that it is not rated or recommended for +P rounds.


Available in stainless type finish Beretta calls INOX and a two tone finish, the Beretta Tomcat is a fun little shooter, and when it comes to self protection : A tomcat in hand is better than a .45 left at home.


INTERESTING FACT : NO EXTRACTOR, this pistol has no extractor to remove rounds, racking the slide will not remove chambered rounds, so use that tilt lever.


PRO's : Compact, Reliable, fun, quality, surprisingly accurate, windage on sights 


CON's : No extractor, unusual magazine release, no decocker, 


COOL FACTOR : 7 / 10