The Firearm Blog

[ I am pleased to present this guest post was written by Adam. ]

Few people would claim to find the sound of automatic weapon fire comforting. To me, it signals the beginning of the bi-annual Knob Creek Machinegun Shoot in West Point, KY. This festival of gun enthusiasts brings out some of the most varied and exotic hardware you will ever see, and, if you’re lucky, get to handle. For the newcomer, it can be a bit overwhelming, so I’ve compiled a short list of tips to get you through the weekend.

Taken by Oleg Volk at a Knob shoot earlier this year.

Tip #1: Bring your walking shoes (or boots if it’s been raining)

In addition to the shoot there is also a large vendor section. After three trips through at an hour plus a piece, I could still stumble across something new. When an MP5 starts to look mundane, turn a corner and you’ll find an FN SCAR, or a Kriss sub-machinegun. Of course, don’t forget to make a trip down to the lower range for the jungle walk and machine gun rentals, which leads me to my second tip.

Tip #2: Bring a bag full of money

The phrase “ammo shortage” seemed like a distant memory when you took a look around the vendor area. Reloading supplies, cases of ammo, and all the black rifles, which were oh-so-scarce a few months ago, littered the tables. If it weren’t for some semblance of self control on my part I could have emptied my checking account in minutes walking away with enough rifles and ammo to last me for months.

Assuming you don’t spend all of your money with the vendors, there is no quicker way to turn Benjamins into fire and noise than the machine gun rentals on the low range. Where else would yours truly get his hands on an H&K UMP to let off some steam with? The smart money is on the jungle walk though. Thirty-five dollars buys you an Uzi, two 20 round magazines, and a forest full of evil communist steel plates that need dispatching. I did it in 3:23 and 15/18 targets, not bad for a newbie.

Tip #3: Bring earplugs . . . and ear muffs

Guns are loud, so it stands to reason nearly one hundred people in a line discharging automatic weapons, at barrels full of TNT and diesel is extremely loud. Some might criticize you for your choice in ear protection; but trust me, you can enjoy the shoot just by the concussion you feel in your chest and the fireballs that accompany the aforementioned explosions. Plus you’ll want to watch it again, and it’s not as fun with a headache.

The idea of a Mecca for your hobby can be overused, but this is unequivocally a necessary lifetime experience for the gun-nut in all of us. Whether it’s your first time, or your tenth time, pack up your bags, and head on down for some good ole Kentucky hospitality. At the end of the day when your walking back to your car and you hear the echo of machinegun’s off in the valley, you’ll understand that comforting feeling, that at least for one weekend and in one place, people are still exercising their God given right to blow the hell out of stuff.

LAGE Manufacturing, LLC. will soon be selling a .22 conversion kit that they have developed for the SWD Cobray M-10 and M-11 submachine guns.

This design uses your existing upper receiver and cocking knob with a drop-in barrel insert, bolt assembly, magazine adapter and modified UZI .22 LR magazines. The magazine inserts in the pistol grip mag' housing just like the original 9mm magazine.

LAGE currently manufacture a range of slow-fire upper receivers for M-11, M-10/9 (a version for the M-11A1 is in development). These uppers slow the rate of fire from 1100 RPM to 600 RPM, making the gun much more controllable.

These guns are well known for eating through ammunition with their very fast rate of fire. The cost of these uppers are around $760.

Many thanks to Jeff for the information, photo and links.

REMOV let me know that H&K have redesigned their version of the FN MAG 7.62mm machine gun (designated the L7A2 in the British Army). The new models have been completely redrawn from imperial to metric and also feature a lengthly picatinny rail (what self-respecting military firearm does not these days?).

There are two models, one being slightly shorter than the other.

Manroy Engineering have also redesigned their ME 7.62 GPMG, which is a mix of features from the L7A2 and MAG 58.

A big thank you to REMOV for the photos and information.

Colt have won a contract worth $126 million to manufacturer the FN designed M240B machine gun, the standard medium caliber machine gun of the Army and Marines.

Colt Defense, LLC., West Hartford, Conn., was awarded on Sept. 25, 2009 a $32,143,048 firm-fixed-price contract for M240B machine guns. Work is to be performed in Hartford, Conn., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2015. Bid solicitation was open to the Firms in the U.S. and Canada with two bids received. TACOM-RI, CCTA-AR-SA, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0175).

Daniel Watters, an expert on military procurement, told me that the military have been trying to maintain, or expand, the small arms production industrial base by procuring from second sources.

A mounted M240B

A big thank you to Daniel Watters for the info.

AimSurplus are selling a semi-automatic version of the belt-fed SG43 Goryunov machine gun. Their guns are build from original polish kits on new semi-auto US made receivers.

This gun is perfect for those of you who do not think the AR-15 offers enough protection from incoming fire. A shield comes standard and while it may not be tacticool, there is nothing cool about being hit!

The Goryunov was developed by the Russians during WWII and later copied by the Chinese. It served until the 1960’s.

Super Neat Semi-Automatic version of the Soviet Guryunov SG43 Belt Fed 7.62×54R Machine Gun. Built from original kits out of Poland on new US receivers. The original Goryunov was develpoed in WWII as a replacement for the Maxim, and saw service throughout the Communist world. Comes as shown with ammo can, 250 links, and carriage. Barrel 28.3″, overall 44.1″ total weight 96lbs. Packed in a wood crate, Rifle, carriage with spoked wheels and a 250rd belt and can.

They are selling for $4,399.95.

I find the armor design strange. It is inclined on a negative angle, deflecting incoming rounds down, instead of up and away from the shooter like tank armor. Anyone want to shed some light on the design decision?

Hat Tip: Ammoland

The NY Times reports that the Glock Saddam Hussein had with him when he was captured may go on display at the George W. Bush Presidential Center

Before Mr. Bush left the White House in January, he made arrangements for the gun to be shipped to a national archives warehouse just 18 miles north of his new home in Dallas. His foundation said a final decision had not been made on including the gun in the presidential library. But his associates and visitors to the White House said Mr. Bush had told them of his intention to display it there.

I actually had no idea the pistol found on Saddam was a Glock 18C. In my mind I always pictured him clutching an old Makarov. The Glock 18C is a fully automatic machine pistol and is probably the best choice of weapon for someone hiding in a spider hole, although the pistol was ironically unloaded at the time he was captured.

Hat Tip: Conservative Scalawag

No, you did not mis-read the title. You though field stripping your AR-15 blindfolded was cool, well the Iranian army have got you beat

This is quite possibly the most ridiculous video I have ever watched online!

The Italian army adopted the Beretta BM59, basically an M1 Garand chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO capable of select fire. It was about as successful as all the other select fire battle rifles adopted around the world (not very). From Wikipedia:

After World War II, Italy adopted the US-designed M1 Garand rifle in .30-06 (7.62×63mm) and also manufactured it under license. This semi-automatic rifle proved itself well during WWII, but in the late 1950s it was considered outdated and obsolete. The Italian military wanted a new rifle chambered for the NATO-standard 7.62×51mm.

Beretta designed the BM59, which was essentially a rechambered M1 fitted with a removable 20-round magazine, folding bipod and flash suppressor/grenade launcher. The BM59 is capable of selective fire.

I came across this Class III, full auto, Beretta BM59 on Gunbroker (The auction has since close). Click to expand the photos:

Oleg Volk took these photos at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot:

Tavor


Lahti 20mm anti-tank rifle ( / cannon ). That thing is HUGE.

Many more photos of the shoot by Oleg here, here and here. Time magazine took a photo of Mike Z. Williamson’s discerning young daughter.

Hat Tip: Gun Nuts Media

These photos are of a gold plated Cobray M11/9 (9mm) machine gun that is being auctioned at GunBroker. The suppressor is fake and bidding starts at $4,799.

Click to expand the photos.

Snowflakes in Hell alerted me to the fact that FullAutoClassics.com are selling newly manufactured UC foldable machine guns build on pre-1986 receivers, making them fully transferable class III machine guns. The are chambered in 9mm and use UZI magazines. The gun was featured in the movie Robocop II.

Before and after deployment.

There have been quite a few of these foldable submachine guns, most recently the prototype Magpul FMG-9.What confuses me is that the UC, which was originally known as the UC-M21, is generally credited to a guy named Dave Boatman. FullAutoClassics attributes it to Utah Connor:

The UC was designed by Utah Connor in the 1980’s intentionally to be self concealing. An early prototype was featured in the movie Robocop II, disguised as a boom box type radio.

hmmmm … I wonder who really designed it.

The UC with carrying handle in Robocop II. Photo from gun-world.net

A promotional video for the gun:

The price: $12,500!

More info at FullAutoClassics.com.

Russian unveiled the new Balkan 40mm automatic grenade launcher at IDEX 2009 (massive military expo held in Abu Dhabi that was on earlier this week).

Click to expand.

The AGS-17 Plamya, the auto grenade launcher currently fielded by Russia, is 30mm. The new launcher extends the effective range from 1700m to 2500m and the larger round will of course give it more bite.

It is logical to compare it with the 40mm Mk 19 Automatic Grenade Launcher. The weight and rate of fire are much the same. The Balkan comes standard with optical sights and the Mk 19 can be fitted with sights if needed.

The ammunition is quite different. The Balkan uses Russian style 40mm grenades that are in a sense caseless. The primer ignites powder, the gas then exists through vents in the bottom of the case. This is similar to the infamous Gyrojet ammunition. Unlike the Gyrojet I think all the grenade powder is burnt before the round leaves the barrel, unlike the Gyrojet which burnt the propellant slowly and accelerated slowly.

The vents appear to have a shotgun-like star shaped crimp.

Another difference is that the ammunition box holds 20 linked rounds and weights 14 kg while the Mk 19 uses 32 or 48 round boxes weighing 20 and 30 kg respectively.

Hat Tip: diva @ WAFF

This is awesome:

Derek writes:

I have designed and patents pending on this.. Its a beltfed 12 gauge upper receiver for a ar-15 or m16 lower receiver. It uses your lower receiver, so if you have a ar15 its a semi auto shotgun, however if you have a registered m16 lower or a drop in auto sear it becomes a full auto 12 gauge machine gun. This is a prototype model and all the bugs arent worked out quite yet. Most of the problems that I have encountered revolve around the shotgun sheels not being consistent enough to eject sometimes.

I will be doing a brief interview with the Derek soon.

Hat Tip: Say Uncle

An 80 year old Finnish man invented this .22 LR belt fed machine gun. It could be fake but looks legit and is plausible. Jani confirms it is real in the comments below.

Click to expand.

The approximate translation of the caption:

80-year-old hameenlinnalaisininoori developed drilling machine, the machine became a weapon, which became a speed of 420 shots per minute. suitable balance 22 caliber cartridges.

420 rounds per minute! Not bad considering it is powdered by a drill. For comparison a blowback MAC-10 machine pistol fires 9mm around at about 1,090 round/minute. It may use the blow back to reset itself after each round

A big thanks to reader illspirit for the link.

Hat Tip: Scanned image from naurunappula.com