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For single shot, 150 rounds concentrated at one spot will break a 23cm wall of Brick masonry at 180 meters. The smooth bore of the rifle is 7.62mm in diameter. It was then rifled 0.1mm deep, making the diameter from the bottom of one groove to the bottom of the opposite groove 7.82mm of the barrel. The rifle included a leaf that could be used to adjust for range. When the leaf was set down, the battle sight appeared on top. This sight was set for 500 meters and was not adjustable. When the leaf was ranged it had four sights. The extreme range sight at the top of the sight was set for 2.60km and was seldom used. The open sight at the upper edge of the drift sight was adjustable from 1.28km to 2.51km. The open sight at the bottom of the triangular opening in the drift sight could be adjusted from 90 meters to 2.24km. The scales for the various ranges were listed on the sides of the leaf. On the right front end of the base of the sight is the windage screw. This could be used to adjust the wind guage, and each graduation was termed a "point".
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 19-Oct-2004 at 15:30 |
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Mitraillette MAS modle 38 Submachine Gun Written by hapes="_x0000_i1036">
[ Top of Page | Feedback ] Overview The French submachine gun in service during World War II was the Mitraillette MAS modle 38 (MAS Model 38 Submachine Gun). This weapon was developed as the MAS 38 - by which moniker it would continue to be known - by the Manufacture d'Armes de St. Etienne (MAS), and had evolved from the experimental MAS 35. The unusual looking weapon has a peculiarly bent look to it because the receiver and butt diverge in alignment from the axis of the barrel by several degrees. In order to make the weapon compact, MAS designed the bolt to recoil inside a tube contained within the butt. As the butt had to drop to allow a natural aiming stance, the receiver also had to be realigned. This meant that the bolt approached the breech at an angle and to let it close evenly on the cartridge, the face of the bolt was cut obliquely. The safety catch was also unusual; to lock the bolt in either the forward or rear position, the trigger was pushed forward. The French accepted the MAS 38 in 1938, but production did not begin until 1939. The first batch was delivered to the Gardes mobiles (National Guard) rather than the army. The MAS 38 was a sound design machined from solid metal, and had a reputation for accuracy. It also had a reputation for ineffectiveness. It chambered the 7.65-mm (0.301-in) longue (long) French Service Auto cartridge (developed for the mle 1935 pistol) which was only marginally capable as a combat round. With time, the MAS 38 may have been reworked to accept harder-hitting ammunition. Time, unfortunately, was not on the MAS 38s side. The Germans took over the St. Etienne plant just as the gun was entering large-scale production for the French Army. The Germans continued and supervised production for their own armed forces and supplied some to the Vichy French. In German service the weapon was known as 7.65 mm MP722(f). French police forces continued to use the MAS 38 after the war until the MAT 49 submachine gun replaced it in the 1950s. [ Top of Page | Feedback ] Specifications
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 08-Oct-2004 at 01:43 |
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source: http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/machineguns.htm
Weapons of War: Machine Guns The machine gun, which so came to dominate and even to personify the battlefields of World War One, was a fairly primitive device when general war began in August 1914. Machine guns of all armies were largely of the heavy variety and decidedly ill-suited to portability for use by rapidly advancing infantry troops. Each weighed somewhere in the 30kg-60kg range - often without their mountings, carriages and supplies. The Machine Gun in 1914 The 1914 machine gun, usually positioned on a flat tripod, would require a gun crew of four to six operators. In theory they could fire 400-600 small-calibre rounds per minute, a figure that was to more than double by the war's end, with rounds fed via a fabric belt or a metal strip. The reality however was that these early machine guns would rapidly overheat and become inoperative without the aid of cooling mechanisms; they were consequently fired in short rather than sustained bursts. Cooling generally took one of two forms: water cooled and, increasingly as the war developed, air cooled. Water jackets would provided for the former (which held around one gallon of liquid) and air vents would be built into the machine gun for the latter. Water cooled machine guns would still overheat relatively quickly (sometimes within two minutes), with the consequence that large supplies of water would need to be on hand in the heat of a battle - and, when these ran out, it was not unknown for a machine gun crew to solve the problem by urinating into the jacket. Whether air or water cooled, machine guns still jammed frequently, especially in hot conditions or when used by inexperienced operators. Consequently machine guns would often be grouped together to maintain a constant defensive position. Estimates of their equivalent, accurate, rifle firepower varied, with some estimating a single machine gun to be worth as many as 60-100 rifles: a more consensual figure is around 80, still an impressively high figure. British Army Rejection High enough indeed to make the British army's dismissal of the potential worth of the device in the early 1900s all the more difficult to understand. Hiram Maxim, who designed the machine gun which bore his name in 1884, first offered use of the machine to Britain. Although rapid-firing weapons, such as the 0.50-inch calibre Gatling Gun (invented in 1862), existed many years prior to Maxim's invention, all required some form of manual intervention, e.g. hand cranking. Unfortunately for Maxim the British army high command could see no real use for the oil-cooled machine gun he demonstrated to them in 1885; other officers even regarded the weapon as an improper form of warfare. Not so the German army which quickly produced a version of Maxim's invention (the Maschinengewehr 08) in large quantities at a Spandau arsenal; by the time war broke out in August 1914 the Germans had 12,000 at their disposal, a number which eventually ballooned to 100,000. In contrast the British and French had access to a mere few hundred equivalents when war began. Simple Design In designing his machine gun, Hiram Maxim utilised a simple concept. The gas produced by the explosion of powder in each machine gun cartridge created a recoil which served to continuously operate the machine gun mechanism. No external power was needed. His initial design, which was water cooled and belt fed, allowed for a theoretical rate of fire of up to 600 rounds per minute (half that number in practice). It was heavy however, weighing in at 62kg. German Enthusiasm As already noted the Germans quickly grasped the potential importance of machine guns on the battlefield. From the outset the German army demonstrated the value of the machine gun by creating separate machine gun companies to support infantry battalions. The British however did not create their Machine Gun Corps until October 1915; until this time the few machine guns available were attached in sections to individual battalions. A mere two guns were allocated to each infantry battalion in 1914. Superiority of Defensive Warfare Technology When established in fixed strong-points sited specifically to cover potential enemy attack routes, the machine gun proved a fearsome defensive weapon. Enemy infantry assaults upon such positions invariably proved highly costly. The French in particular found to their cost that the technology of defensive warfare was more advanced than that of offensive warfare. The French pre-war military blueprint, Plan XVII, was founded upon a fundamental assumption of an 'offensive spirit', one which envisaged a rapid war of movement. Early commanders, such as Charles Lanrezac, were dismissed for apparent failures in their implementation of the offensive spirit. Time was to vindicate Lanrezac's doubts. The British similarly found to their repeated cost the futility of massed infantry attacks against well-entrenched defensive positions protected by machine gun cover. The first day of the Somme Offensive amply illustrated this, although the lesson appeared to be lost to the British high command. On the opening day of the offensive the British suffered a record number of single day casualties, 60,000, the great majority lost under withering machine gun fire. The Machine Gun as an Offensive Weapon Understandably most historical accounts of the First World War have tended to emphasise the defensive strengths of the machine gun. Throughout the war efforts were made to produce an infantry assault version, such as the Lewis Light Machine Gun, although these efforts were generally unsatisfactory. Although lighter at around 12kg they were still considered too heavy and bulky for rapidly advancing infantry. Attempts to transport light machine guns by wheeled carriages or pack animals were ultimately unsuccessful: the infantry invariably outpaced such methods. By 1918 however one-man portable machine guns (including the formidable Bergmann MP18 submachine gun) were put to some use (each weighing 9-14kg), although maintaining sufficient ammunition supplies remained a difficulty. Although often not truly portable light machine guns were more readily transported on roads or flat ground by armoured cars. As the war developed machine guns were adapted for use on tanks on broken ground, particularly on the Western Front (where the majority of machine guns were deployed). Light machine guns were adopted too for incorporation into aircraft from 1915 onwards, for example the Vickers, particularly with the German adoption of interrupter equipment, which enabled the pilot to fire the gun through the aircraft's propeller blades. In response to the increasing success of machine guns mounted on aircraft it was perhaps inevitable that machine guns should similarly be developed as anti-aircraft devices (in France and Italy), sometimes mounted on vehicles. Similarly machine guns began to be added to warships as a useful addition to naval armaments. For more information on specific models follow the links below:
Photographs courtesy of Photos of the Great War website.
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 06-Oct-2004 at 18:10 |
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source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG34
MG34From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG34, was a German machine gun first issued in 1934, considered by many to be the first modern general-purpose machine gun. It was used as the primary infantry machine gun during the 1930s, and remained as the primary tank and aircraft defensive weapon. It was intended that it would be replaced in infantry service by the related MG42, but there were never enough of the new design to go around, and MG34s soldiered on in all roles until the end of World War II. The MG34 was designed primarily by Heinrich Vollmer from Mauser Werke, based on the recently introduced Rheinmetall designed Solothurn 1930 (MG30) that was starting to enter service in Switzerland. The principle changes were to move the feed mechanism to a more convenient location on the left of the breech, and the addition of a shroud around the barrel. Changes to the operating mechanism improved the rate of fire to between 800 and 900 RPM. The MG34 could use both magazine-fed and belt-fed 7.92mm ammunition. Belts were supplied in 50-round single strips or 250-round boxes. The drums held either 50 rounds in the standard version, or 75 in the "double drum" version. Early guns had to be modified to use the drums by replacing a part on the gun, but this modification was later supplied from the factory. In the light machine gun role it was used with a bipod and weighed only 12.1 kg, considerably less than other machine guns of the era. In the medium machine gun role it could be mounted on one of two tripods, a smaller one weighing 6.75 kg, the larger 23.6 kg. The larger included a number of features making it useful for a number of roles. The legs could be extended to allow it to be used in the anti-aircraft role (and many were), and when lowered it could be placed to allow the gun to be fired "remotely" while it swept an arc in front of the mounting with fire, or aimed through a periscope attached to the tripod. The new gun was accepted for service almost immediately and was generally liked by the troops. It was used to great effect by German soldiers assisting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. At the time it was considerably more advanced than guns being used by other forces (with the exception of the MG30), both in terms of rate of fire, and in being easily man portable by a single gunner. However the MG34 was also very expensive, both in terms of construction and the raw materials needed (49 kg of steel) and it was unable to be built in the sorts of numbers required for the ever expanding German army. It also proved to be rather temperamental, jamming easily when dirty. By the late 1930s an effort had started to simplify the MG34, leading to the MG42. The MG42's square barrel cover made it unsuitable for use in tank cupolas however, and the MG34 remained in production until the end of the war for this role. The MG34 was also used as the basis of a new aircraft gun, the MG81. For this role the breech was slightly modified to allow feeds from either side, and in one version two guns were bolted together on a single trigger to form a weapon known as the MG81Z (for zwilling, twin in German). Production of the MG34 was never enough to satisfy any of its users, and while the MG81 was a huge improvement over the earlier MG30-based MG15 and MG17, those guns could be still found in use until the end of the war. [edit]
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 06-Oct-2004 at 18:07 |
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source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG42
MG42From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.The Maschinengewehr 1942, or MG42, is a German machine gun, first manufactured in 1942 as the successor to the MG34. During World War II, the MG42 had the fastest rate of fire of any weapon, at 1500 rounds per minute (up to 1800). At this rate it becomes impossible for the human ear to discern the sound of individual bullets being fired, and thus when in use the gun makes a sound described both as "ripping cloth" and "Hitler's Buzzsaw". The gun was sometimes called a "Spandau" after the suburb of Berlin where they were produced. During the war, over 400,000 were manufactured. In the late 1930s the MG34 was arguably the best machine gun in the world at the time, but was expensive and time consuming to construct. In order to arm the increasingly large German army, an effort was started to build a simpler gun that could be built much faster. The winning design was offered by a newcommer to the contest, Metall-und-Lackierwarenfabrik Johannes Grossfuss AG, experts in pressed and punched steel parts. Their efforts resulted in a dramatic reduction in complexity it took 75 man-hours to complete the new gun as opposed to 150 for the MG34, and cost 250 RM as opposed to 327 RM. The resulting MG39 remained largely similar to the earlier MG34, a deliberate decision made in order to maintain familiarity. The only major change from the gunner's perspective was dropping the drum-feed options, leaving it with belts only, and the further increase in the rate of fire. Although made of "cheap" parts, the prototypes also proved to be considerably more rugged and resistant to jamming than the somewhat temperamental MG34 Given the success of the prototype, it is somewhat mysterious that the gun did not enter production until 1942, thereby requiring a renaming to MG42. As soon as it was introduced it garnered intense demand by field units, a demand that German industry was never able to meet. The MG42 weighed 11.6 kg in the light machine gun role with the bipod, lighter than the MG34 and easily portable. The bipod, the same one used on the MG34, could be mounted to the front or the center of the gun depending on where it was being used. In the role as a heavy machine gun it utilised a newly developed Lafette 42 tripod that weighed 20.5 kg on its own. The barrel was lighter than the MG34s and wore out more quickly, but could be replaced in seconds by an experienced gunner. In 1944 the acute material shortages of the Third Reich led to a newer version, the MG45 (or MG42V), which used steel of lesser quality, reduced weight to only 9 kg, and yet further improved the maximum rate of fire. First tests were undertaken in June 1944, but development dragged on and eventually only ten were ever built. The MG42V had some influence in the postwar development of roller-delayed blowback, as in Heckler und Koch small arms. Even today the MG42 is still regarded by many experts as the best machine gun ever. The MG42, with minor modifications, is still the primary heavy machine gun of the modern German army, now called the MG3. A number of other armies around the world have adopted versions of the original, and guns looking similar, or identical, to the MG42 remain in widespread service today. The US Army's M60 is based upon the FG-42 paratrooper rifle (Fallschirmjaegergewehr) and the belt feed machanism of the MG42. [edit]
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Temujin
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King Sirdar Bahadur Joined: 02-Aug-2004 Location: Eurasia Online Status: Offline Posts: 5221
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Posted: 06-Oct-2004 at 15:59 |
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those are two of my all-time favourites!
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 06-Oct-2004 at 15:44 |
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source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FG42 FG42From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.The Fallschirmjgergewehr 42 (FG42) was a fully-automatic rifle produced by Germany during World War II. Like its counterpart, the Sturmgewehr 44, The FG42 was a revolutionary new weapon that might have influenced the outcome of World War II if it had been produced earlier and in sufficient numbers. With production never reaching five figures its effect was inconsequential, but it influenced many firearm designs for years to come.
[edit]
Early DevelopmentThe Fallschirmjagergewehr 42 was first developed amidst the internal rivalries of the Third Reich. After the inception of the G41 and G43 semi-automatic rifles into use by the German army (Heer) and the Waffen SS, Hermann Gring (then the commander of all Luftwaffe forces) insisted that his Fallschirmjger (paratroopers) and base guards would be supplied with an even more advanced self-loading rifle. Requirements were strict - it had to be light enough for the individual paratrooper to carry with him on the drop. It also had to incorporate full automatic fire, and serve the role of a sniper rifle when needed. Engineers and scientists went to work, and soon developed the weapon. Six manufacturers were given contracts to produce the gun. The result was a beautiful, efficient, and unmistakeable weapon that was well-received by the paratroopers for which it was intended. Firing the standard-issue 7.92x57mm Mauser round, it packed a powerful punch. The FG42 had a 20-round side-mounted magazine that gave it its distinctive appearance. It also incorporated a revolutionary design feature that came as a mixed blessing to field troops. When it was fired in semi-automatic mode, it fired from a traditional closed-bolt position. When fired on full-auto, it fired from an open bolt. All FG42 rifles were also equipped with high-powered rifle scopes. Altogether, it was a good design for a rifle, and it was ready for issue at the front. [edit]
Field TestingHowever promising the weapon was, it did have its drawbacks. The side-mounted magazine was common in many weapons of the era, but it was found to significantly unbalance the FG42. In addition, the recoil produced by the heavy rifle round when set to full-automatic fire was substantial. Furthermore, a large ball of flame was produced on each shot, so it would not serve well as any sort of a sniper rifle. However, everyone agreed on the chief problem of the weapon. Steps had been made within Germany to cut back on weapon production times. Mass-production of weapons such as Karabiner 98k rifles, MP40 sub-machine guns, and MG42 heavy machine guns was in full swing. The FG42, with its finely machined parts, was far too costly to produce in quantity. By the time the FG42 Mark II was developed, the war had significantly changed for the worse. Frequent allied bombing raids had crippled German industry, and the only weapons that could be produced were made out of second-rate materials and were subject to poor production methods. The FG42 was perfected too late to alter the course of the war. In all, only about 7000 of them were produced, and very few of them ever found their way into the hands of troops. But the ideas behind the FG42 were not so quick to die off. [edit]
Descendants of the FG42Numerous features, including the in-line design, the pistol grip, and the gas-operated bolt selection process were studied extensively by Army engineers after the war. Ultimately, this resulted in weapons such as the American M60 machine gun. Numerous other examples exist, all attesting to the engineering genius of German arms manufacturers. [edit]
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 04-Oct-2004 at 00:56 |
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The Uzi sub-machine gun continues to sell well, having proved its dependability and effectiveness. This lightweight IMI product now addresses three distinct markets: military, law-enforcement, and sporting. In the latter case, the Uzi is semiautomatic only, has a longer barrel and a fixed stock.
The UZI came about during the 1950s in Israels primitive economy and arms industry. Ironically, it emerged from this setting as one of the most robust submachine guns ever developed, due to a ruthless design contest and a bit of genius. 1930s PALESTINE Israeli arms manufacturing began under disorganized and illegal conditions in secret underground workshops. These homemade guns varied in quality and ingenuity, and most of their designs were bizarre. For example, the Dubigun was an intimidating 12-gauge "carbine" having a six-round drum magazine, but it was often more dangerous to its operator than its target. MID 1940s The Israelis were making an unlicensed copy of the 9mm MK II Sten. They had to build this gun from poor quality materials, and the barreltaken and rebored from old hunting rifleswas the only component made of steel. The Sten clone left a lot to be desired in accuracy and reliability. EARLY 1950s Israel and its hostile neighbors were involved in a series of artillery strikes and nighttime border raids. Although equipped with inferior artillery, the Israeli infantry was better trained at night fighting. In this close-in and dirty type of warfare, the submachine gun proved to be the ideal weapon with its portability and high rate of fire. Due to unreliable weapons, however, it soon became paramount that the nighttime Israeli paratroopers had something better to work with. In short, the Israeli army was tired of submachine guns that blew up and always jammed at the wrong time. After finding nothing on the market that met their requirements, they decided to build a submachine gun from scratch. The new weapon had be compact, reliable and robust enough to take a lot of punishment, and accurate enough to dish it out. A BITTER CONTEST The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) commissioned two local designers to independently develop weapons that would meet their needs, both named after their creators. The first was a fairly traditional-looking gun designed by Major Chaim Kara, head of the IDFs Science Corps light weapons division. The second gun was developed by a local youngster who was moving rapidly up through the ranks and who seemed to possess a genius for weapons designUziel Gal. Both designs were further refined to meet the sophisticated demands of the IDF, especially the Kara. In 1951, the rival guns were submitted to the army for competitive testing. Both guns utilized a wrap-around bolt and blowback action, which reduces the overall weapon size to achieve compactness. This type of bolt is common today, but was innovative in the 1950s. The precision 9mm Kara had only eight main parts, making it easy to field strip. However, since it was built to very fine tolerances, it was expensive to manufacture and could not tolerate Middle Eastern sand and dust without jamming. Even in its crude initial version, the 9mm UZI was a gun of the next generation. It was simple, robust and inexpensive to build, due to a large amount of stamped steel in its construction. It also employed wider tolerances than the Kara, making it more suitable for operation in desert sands. The UZI focused on functionality and elegance of design, rather than workmanship. It was a compact weapon, initially equipped with a 30-round magazine, and later with either a 25- or 32-round magazine. The UZI has become famous for an important ergonomic feature, the location of the magazine housing inside the pistol grip. This was the result of Uziel Gals consideration of tired, fumbling soldiers trying to reload their magazines in the dark. He reasoned that the quickest and most trouble-free way to insert a magazine would be to simply bring the two hands together, which can be done without much dexterity or focus (the "fist finds fist" principle). The Karas later prototypes copied this feature, but it was insufficient to sway the contest. The UZI had other advantages as well. Unlike most submachine guns, it was almost impossible to accidentally misfire if mishandled or dropped, due to a substantial safety release on the back of the pistol grip that must be squeezed as the trigger is pulled in order to fire. The gun also had a small number of parts, making it easy to strip and reassemble. The limited recoil and climb even enabled it to be fired one-handed. After twelve Karas and five UZIs were placed on rigorous trial in 1951, the UZI emerged as the winner because of its ability to tolerate dust and grit without jamming, as well as its ease and low cost of manufacture. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT From 1951 until 1955 some eighty preproduction UZIs were issued to selected units for field testing. After further refinement, the UZI we know today emerged in 1955 and was put into service. In the Suez War of 1956 the gun proved its reliability and began a long, successful career. Further enhancements were added during service, such as a new folding metal stock that replaced the older fixed wooden stock in 1967. The weapon was also licensed to be produced by FN, the renowned Belgian weapons company. As time went on, the demand for an even more compact model increased, and in 1980 the Mini-UZI was adopted. With all the power of the original, the rugged Mini was simply a smaller package (also having a folding metal stock), mainly used by covert special forces. From there, the UZI continued its shrinking act and soon the UZI pistol (or Micro-UZI) emerged as a miniature lightweight version. Also, in 1980 the semi-auto UZI was introduced. The UZI probably reached its height of acceptance in the U.S. during the attempted assassination of President Reagan in 1981. Secret Service agents used them in this incident to subdue the would-be assassin, John Hinckley Jr. The UZI and its variants have been in service in at least 26 countries, and have been produced by seven manufacturers around the world. Although replaced in military front-line service by more powerful assault rifles, the UZI remains in use by the police and soldiers in non-combat roles. The guns merits will ensure its use for a long time to come. The legendary Uziel Gal also remains on the scene (having also designed the Galil assault rifle) with his latest work reflected in the design of the Ruger MP9 subgun.
Secret Service agent armed with full-auto UZI ready for action seconds after attempted assassination of Pres. Reagan in 1981.
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 30-Sep-2004 at 13:11 |
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 29-Sep-2004 at 18:08 |
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source:http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/m1carbin.htm
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 27-Sep-2004 at 17:46 |
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source:http://www.remtek.com/arms/imi/galil/galil.htm
ISRAEL'S DEADLY DESERT FIGHTERSOF's Kokalis Evaluates Galili's AK
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 19-Sep-2004 at 10:23 |
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Arisaka Rifle sources: http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/japanese_markings.html Manual to assemble and disassemble an Ariaska Rifle http://www.surplusrifle.com/arisaka/rifledisassembly/pdf/ari saka.pdf http://www.gunsworld.com/gun_bar/Arisaka_38th_Year_Rifle.htm
A chrysanthemum with 16 petals (the symbol of the Japanese Emperor) was usually stamped on the receiver of rifles manufactured for the Imperial Japanese Army, indicating that the rifle belonged to the Emperor. The chrysanthemum resembles this:
The chrysanthemum was at least partially ground off on rifles which were surrendered after the war, apparently as a face-saving gesture. Rifles captured in the field, however, normally have the chrysanthemum symbol intact. The Type designation was stamped into the top of the receiver using the character shiki for "type" and Japanese numerals. The shiki character and the characters for the Japanese numerals are shown in the following table.
A small number of Type 38 and Type 99 rifles had two concentric circles on the receiver in place of the chrysanthemum. The purpose of these specially-marked rifles is not known, although it is speculated that they were issued to paramilitary forces such as the Kempei Tai (Japanese Secret Police), other military police, and guards at prisons, embassies, and other civil instillations. Some concentric circle rifles were remarked standard issue Type 38 and Type 99 rifles that had the chrysanthemum completely or partially removed and replaced with the concentric circle marking. These rifles were serialized separately from regular production pieces. Other rifles apparently were originally manufactured and marked with concentric circles, which looks something like this:
Arsenal Marks Each Japanese rifle was marked with the symbol of either the arsenal of manufacture or the arsenal that supervised the manufacturing subcontractor. This mark can be found on the left side of the receiver at the end of the rifle serial number. Rifles manufactured by a commercial subcontractor bear the subcontractor's mark to the right of the supervising arsenal's mark. These marks are shown in the following table.
At various times, rifles were removed from military service and sold to other countries or transferred to Japanese schools as training weapons. Normally, the chrysanthemum on these rifles was overstamped with the Koishikawa (Tokyo) / Kokura Arsenal symbol or a ring of small circles to indicate that the rifle no longer belonged to the Imperial Japanese Army. Rifles given to schools often have an additional character stamped on the top of the receiver between the chrysanthemum and the type designation characters. Most of these "school-marked" rifles also have two or three zeros preceeding the serial number. The "school" mark looks something like this:
Serial Numbers All Japanese military rifles had serial numbers except extremely rare prototypes, other pre-production guns, and occasional rifles assembled very late in World War II. The serial number was stamped on the left side of the receiver, followed by the arsenal symbol. Initially, rifles make in Japanese arsenals were numbered consecutively within each Type designation. In 1933 this scheme was replaced by a system in which rifles were numbered in blocks, or series, of 99,999 each [actually 100,000, according to Honeycutt, running from serial numbers 0 through 99,999]. Each series was identified by a small Japanese character (kana) placed within a circle to the left of the serial number. Specific blocks of kana were assigned to each arsenal or manufacturer to use for a specific rifle type. The series markings are illustrated in the following table.
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Jalisco Lancer
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Sultan Retired AE Moderator Joined: 07-Aug-2004 Location: Mexico Online Status: Offline Posts: 2112
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Posted: 18-Sep-2004 at 12:15 |
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source:http://jeanplam.www3.50megs.com/4956.html http://www.world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl10-e.htm
MAS 49/56 RIFLE
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Caliber: | 7.5x54 mm |
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System of operation: | Semi-Auto |
Length overall: | 40.25 inches |
Barrel length: | 22.85 inches |
Feed device: | 10 shot Box magazine |
Sight:Front: | Blade type with protecting ears |
Sight:Rear: | Tangent-Leaf sight |
Weight: | 8.55 lb |
Muzzle velocity: | 2750 f.p.s. |
MAS 49/56 Rifle.
Close-up of action.
Top view of the bolt.
Top view of the bolt in the open position.
Mas receiver markings.
Close-up of the magazine well.
Close-up of the magazine.
Close-up of the buttstock.
A view of the buttstock swivel bar.
A scope base was machined on all MAS 49/56 receivers.
Close-up of the sling swivel ring.
Close-up of the front sight.
Close-up of the grenade launching sight.
Another view of the grenade launching sight.
Another view of the grenade launching sight.
Close-up of the Mas-49 rifle bayonet, the standard French Infantry model had no provision to fix a bayonet.
source: http://www.world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl06-e.htm
SVT-38 (image by Kristopher Gasior from www.CollectibleFirearms.com)
SVT-38, close-up view on the receiver (image by Kristopher Gasior from www.CollectibleFirearms.com)
SVT-40, right side
SVT-40, left side
SVT-40, close-up view on the receiver
SVT-40, sniper version with see-through scope mount and WW2 period standard issue "PU" scope
SVT-40, drawing of the muzzle attachment with the gas chamber and regulator, front sight assembly and muzzle brake
data for SVT-40
Caliber: 7.62x54 mm R
Action: Gas operated, tilting bolt
Overall length: 1226 mm
Barrel length: 625 mm
Weight: 3.85 kg
Feeding: 10 rounds in detachable box magazine
ATTENTION here's the Instruction manual (in English, Adobe PDF format) for SVT-40 rifle (issued by the US Ordnance corps in 1954). This file is packed by WinZip and is about 500 Kb in size Right click this link and then select "Save target as" in the popup menu TIP: If you do not have free Adobe Acrobat reader, get it here TIP: If you need the WinZip utility, get it here |
The SVT-38 (Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva - Tokarev Self-loading rifle) was originally adopted in the 1938 after more than 20 years of the research and development, done by famous Russian arms designer Fedor Tokarev. It was not a first Soviet semi-automatic rifle - there were the select-fire 'Avtomat' of 1916 by Fedorov and also select-fire AVS-36 of 1936 by Simonov. 'Avtomat' was chambered for Japanese 6.5mm Arisaka round and was declared obsolete, and the AVS-36 showed some design deficiencies, so new rifle was adopted. After initial trials, it was updated and re-adopted in 1940 as a SVT-40. This rifle was made in relatively large numbers (more than 1 million made prior to 1945), and was originally issued as a standard infantry rifle, replacing the obsolete Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 bolt action rifles. Few SVT-40 were also manufactured in the sniper variant, equipped with scope mounts and telescopic sights, but accuracy was not sufficient, so only about 50 000 sniper SVT-40 were manufactured, and these were supplemented by the Mosin-Nagant sniper rifles. The SVT-40 had a somewhat controversial reputation. It was highly regarded by the enemies (Finns and Germans) and it was a very sought-after war trophy, re-issued to both German and Finnish troops. On the other hand, it was often considered unreliable and over-complicated by the Soviet troops (when comparing with old Mosin-Nagant rifles), but it was more to the poor training and maintenance, than to the rifle itself. Some better trained and educated Soviet troops, such as Sea Infantry (Marines, which always were some kind of elite in the Soviet army) used the SVT-40 with great deal of success. After the end of the World War 2, most SVT-40 were quickly withdrawn from service and put into reserve stocks. Some rifles were later sold on domestic civilian market for hunters as a military surplus. Other than basic versions, there also were developed a shorter carbine SKT-40, and a select-fire AVT-40, but both seen very little service. Overall, the SVT-40 was in general no worse than American M1 Garand (and have some advantages over it, especially in the reloading procedures), and obviously better than earlier German Gew.41 semi-automatic rifles. It was the matter of training and education, and quality of the service of in the Soviet troops, that lead to the low popularity (in general) of this basically good rifle.
SVT-40 is a gas operated, magazine fed self-loading rifle. It uses a short piston stroke gas action, located above the barrel. The interesting feature of the SVT is that the gas block, along with front sight base and a muzzle brake, were produced as a single barrel extension unit. This greatly simplified the manufacture of the barrel, but the barrel extension itself unit was quite complicated to make. Gas chamber has 5 positions gas regulator to ajust the system for any conditions. The gas piston has its own return string and moved back for about 36 mm (1.5 inch) when gun was fired. It gave a quick and powerful stroke to the bolt carrier, which carried the bolt under it. Barrel locking was achieved by the rear part of the bolt, that tilted down to lock into the reinforced steel insert in the floor of the receiver. Charging handle was permanently attached to the right side of the bolt carrier. Detachable box magazine was made from sheet steel and hold 10 cartridges. SVT could be reloaded either by replacing the magazine or by using 5-round stripper clips of the Mosin-Nagant. Stripper clip guides were machined into the receiver top cover. Bolt system incorporated a bolt catch, that held the bolt group back when magazine was empty, to facilitate faster reloading, especially when using stripper clips.
Both SVT-38 and SVT-40 were hammer-fired, with safety switch located behind the trigger. When engaged, safety locked the trigger. On the rare AVT-40 select-fire rifles, safety had an additional setting for full-auto fire mode.
The SVT-38 featured a two-piece wooden stock with separate upper handguard with small steel insert at the forward end. SVT-40 had an one-piece wooden stock with shorter forend and separate upper handguard. Front part of the stock was replaced by the sheet steel cover with cooling ports. Cleaning rod, originally stored in the groove at the right side of the stock at the SVT-38, was relocated under the barrel on the SVT-40.
Sights of the SVT consisted of the post type front sight, mounted on the sight base with circular front sight guard, and a tangent type open rear sights, mounted on the rear part of the barrel. Sniper versions were equipped with special detachable, see-through scope mounts at the rear of the receiver, so the scope was offset to the rear, allowing to use a clip-charging facility.
SVT-38 was equipped with detachable, knife-bayonet. SVT-40 was issued with similar bayonet, but with blade shortened to save weight. Unlike the Mosin-Nagant, the bayonets were routinely carried in sheaths, and attached to the rifle only when required.
Originally posted by Bryan Has anyone seen the XM8 yet? http://world.guns.ru/assault/as61-e.htm http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m8-oic w.htm http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_XM8, ,00.html |
bah, it's just as ugly as the G36....
source: http://www.sovietarmy.com/small_arms/ak-47.html
AK- 47 Assault Rifle |
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This webiste will take you to an operating manual.
http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/wagner/137/ak02.html
The original AK was also known as the AK-47. It was a gas-operated, selective-fire weapon. Like all 7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifles, it fired the Soviet 7.62 x 39-mm M1943 round and used a standard 30-round curved box magazine. The AK came in two versions: one with a fixed wooden stock, and another, the AKS, with a folding metal stock issued primarily to parachutist and armor troops. Except for the differences in the stock and the lack of a tool kit with the AKS, the two version were identical. The early AKs had no bayonet, but the version with the fixed wooden stock later mounted a detachable knife bayonet.
The improved model, known as the AKM, is easier to produce and operate. It weighs about one kilogram less than the AK. The reduced weight results from using thinner, stamped sheetmetal parts rather than machined, forged steel; laminated wood rather than solid wood in the handguard, forearm, pistol grip, and buttstock; and new lightweight aluminium and plastic magazines. Other improvements include a straighter stock for better control; an improved gas cylinder; a rate-of-fire control alongside the trigger; a rear sight graduated to 1,000 meters rather than 800 meters; and a greatly improved, detachable bayonet.
The AKM also has a folding-stock version, designated AKMS, intended for use by riflemen in armored infantry combat vechicles such as the BMP. Except for its T-shaped, stamped-metal, folding buttstock, the AKMS is identical to the AKM. The folding-stock model can reduce its length from 868 to 699 millimeters.
All 7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifles fire in either semiautomatic or automatic mode and have an effective range of about 300 meters. At full cyclic rate, they can fire about 600 rounds per minute (upto 640 rounds per minute for the AKM), with a practical rate of about 100 rounds per minute fully automatic or 40 rounds per minute semiautomatic. Both the AK and AKM can mount a grenade launcher. Both can have passive image intensifier night sights. Both can function normally after total immersion in mud and water. The fully chromed barrel ensures effective operation even at very low temperatures. The muzzle of either weapon fits into the swiveling firing points of the BMP. Thus, the infantryman can fire the weapon while the vechicle is moving.
The most serious drawback to the AK and AKM is the low muzzle velocity (710 meters per second) of the relatively heavy 7.62-mm round. This results in a looping trajectory that requires a clumsy adjustment for accuracy at ranges beyond 300 meters. The barrel overheats quickly when the weapon fires for extended periods, making the weapon hard to handle and occasionally causing a round to explode prematurely in the chamber. The exposed gas cylinder is easily dented, sometimes causing the weapon to malfunction.
Although they designed it in 1947 and thus referred to it as the AK-47, the Soviets actually adopted the AK in 1949. The AK entered service in 1951. It was the basic individual infantry weapon of the Soviet Army until the introduction of the AKM. The Soviets developed the AKM in 1959. It entered service in 1961. All 7.62-mm Kalashnikov assualt rifles are very dependable weapons. They produce a high volume of fire and are simple to maintain. However, the new 5.45-mm assault rife AK-74 is replacing the 7.62-mm weapons.
source: http://www.world.guns.ru/assault/as12-e.htm
Earliest variant of G3 rifle with flip-up rear sight and metallic ventilated handguards
G3A3 with drum type rear sight, plastic ventilated handguards and fixed stock
G3A3 with attached bayonet and plain plastic handguards of more modern appearance
G3A4 - retractable butt version of the G3
G3KA4 - the shortest G3 variant with retractable buttstock and most modern integral pistol grip / trigger unit made entirely of plastic
Click here to see exploded view of the G3 (50 Kb JPEG)
Click here to see cut-out view of the G3 (50 Kb JPEG)
Click here to see cut-out view of the G3 blowback action (35 Kb JPEG)
Click here to see airsoft copies of this gun
available at the online shop
Caliber: 7.62mm NATO (.308 win)
Action: Roller-delayed blowback
Weight: 4.5kg
Overall length: 1023 mm
Barrel length: 450 mm (315 mm on G3KA4 model)
Magazine capacity: 20 rounds
During the early- to mid-1950s West Germany, like the other NATO countries, faced the need for rearming its army for the newest common 7.62x51mm NATO caliber small arms. Initially Germans preferred the Belgian FN FAL rifle, and adopted it circa 1956 under the designation of G1. Due to obvious reasons Germany wanted to manufacture its military rifles, and attempted to buy a manufacturing license for FAL, but Belgium rejected the deal. So, Germany turned to the another design, available from Spanish company CETME, and known as the CETME mod. A rifle. Germany bought the manufacturing license for CETME rifle and transferred it to the Heckler und Koch (HK) company, located in Oberndorf. HK slightly modified the CETME design, and in 1959 the Bundeswehr (W.Germany Army) finally adopted the CETME / Heckler - Koch rifle as G3 (Gewehr 3 - Rifle, [model] 3). Since that time and until the 1995 the G3 in various modifications served as a general issue shoulder weapon not only for German Armed forces, but also for many other countries. Those include Greece, Iran, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey and many other countries. Total of more than 50 countries during the last 40 years issued the G3 to its forces. The G3 was or still is manufactured in countries like the Greece, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Portugal and others. The key reason of high popularity of the G3 is that it is much simpler and cheaper to manufacture, than its major contemporary rivals - Belgian FN FAL and US M14. To the best of my knowledge, the HK itself continued to produce and offer the G3 until the year 2000 or 2001, when it finally disappeared from HK catalogs and web-sites. However, the HK still manufactures a wide variety of firearms, based on the G3 design but of different purposes and calibers, like 9mm MP-5 submachine guns, 5.56mm HK 33 assault rifles, 5.56mm and 7.62mm HK 23 and HK 21 machine guns, PSG1 sniper rifles etc. In general, the HK G3 rifle can be described as one of the best 7.62mm NATO battle / assault rifles - reliable, versatile, controllable, non-expensive and, finally, very popular. For the civilian markets, HK produced the semi-automatic only versions of the G3, initially known as HK 41 and later - as HK 91.
The G3 rifle is a selective fire, magazine fed rifle, built using delayed blowback action, developed by German engineers at Mauser Werke late in the 2nd World War and refined in Spain, at the CETME company. Initial models of the G3 rifle were quite similar to CETME rifles, and even had "CETME" markings on the receivers (until 1961 or so). The roller-delayed blowback action is described under the CETME Rifles, so I will not repeat it here. The G3 is built using as many stamped parts as possible. The receiver is stamped from sheet steel. The trigger unit housing along with pistol handle frame, also are stamped from steel and hinged to the receiver using the cross-pin in the front of the trigger unit, just behind the magazine housing. Earliest G3 rifles also featured stamped handguards and CETME-type flip-up rear diopter sights. In the mid-1960s the initial design was upgraded to the G3A3 and G3A4 configurations. These rifles had ventilated plastic handguards and a drum-type rear diopter sights, marked from 100 to 400 meters. The G3A3 was a fixed butt version, with buttstock made from plastic, and the G3A4 was a telescope butt version, with retractable metallic buttstock with rubber buttplate. Late German production G3A3 and G3A4 models were built using new trigger units, integral with restyled pistol grip and triggerguard, made from plastic. The shortest version of the G3 was the G3KA4, similar to G3A4 but with shortened barrel. Every G3 rifle can be equipped with detachable bipods, claw-type detachable scope mounts. Long-barreled versions can be fitted with bayonet or used to launch rifle grenades from the barrel. Folding cocking handle is located on the special tube above the barrel, at the left side, and does not reciprocate when gun is fired. The safety / fire selector is located above the triggerguard on the left side of the trigger group housing and usually is marked "S - E - F" (Safe - Single shots - Full auto). Latest models could have selectors marked with colored icons.
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