Vintage Sniper Christmas Advent Calendar

buffalowinter · Dec 1, 2024

I thought I might post an Advent calendar here in Vintage. Here is day one. Suomi KP/-31 with 40 round drum magazine.
Dec 1
Suomi KP/-31

The Suomi KP/-31 (Finnish: Suomi-konepistooli m/31 or "Finland-machine-pistol mod. 1931") is a Finnish submachine gun that was mainly used during World War II. It is a descendant of the M-22 prototype and the KP/-26 production model, which was revealed to the public in 1925. It entered service in Finland in 1931, and remained in use until the 1980s.

ACard · Dec 1, 2024

Fantastic idea Rick, I always enjoy your posts!

buffalowinter · Dec 2, 2024

December 2
MK 760, licensed copy of the S&W M76, NFA Registered

The US Navy had the need for a submachine gun for their SEAL special operations team in Vietnam. The SEALs' weapon of choice was the Swedish Carl Gustav M45,a well-made and reliable submachine gun.

Because Sweden was a neutral country, a problem arose; they objected to their product being used in a war zone. Therefore, the supply of the Carl Gustaf m/45 to the US Navy was cut off, which meant they had to find another submachine gun to take its place.

Although they appear similar, the M76 was designed from scratch from a list of requirements, which the US Navy SEALs provided, they are:

Urgent need;
Reliability;
Rugged;
Selective Fire: safe—semi-automatic—full automatic;
Cost effective;
Ease of maintenance: disassembly—cleaning―reassembly
Magazine capacity of 36 rounds; and
Cyclic rate between 600 and 800 rounds per minute preferred.

It was from this list that the M76 was created. According to the Director of Research and Development and head of the Model 76 project at the time, Dwayne W. Charron, was quoted as saying, "[He] had never seen, held or fired a Swedish K before starting design work on the M76...". The M76 fires 9mm rounds; the Carl Gustaf m/45 has an open bolt design and also fires 9×19mm Parabellum ammunition.

The SEALs also requested a limited number of suppressors for the M76. These suppressors were to be used under certain situations to reduce the gun's sound, and hide the flash so there would be no point of reference for return fire. Being an open bolt system, some sound would always be emitted, but the muzzle flash could be eliminated.

Due to the ongoing war, and a critical need to fill, Smith & Wesson designated the M76 a top priority project. The total time to take the concept of the M76 from the drawing board to production was just nine months. Many people comment that the gun is ugly or rough. Due to the urgency at the time, the M76 skipped the finishing department where welds and rough edges would normally be smoothed.

Vietnam SEAL with S&W M76

buffalowinter · Dec 3, 2024

December 3
Israeli M14 Sniper system 7.62x51

Israeli M14 sniper "clone". It has an original Israeli surplus fiberglass stock modified for sniping by the addition of a high cheek piece, rubber recoil pad, side mount sling swivels, and Harris bipod. The scope mount is original Israeli issue as is the sling. The scope is a Khales Wien ZF 84 10x42. The barreled action is a Springfield National Match M1A and has a single lug. The trigger is a National Match, as is the op rod and rest of the rifle. In the video above I'm engaging a 1 1/2 foot circle at 550 yards. I'm using the BDC on the scope which works really well. I'm using M118LR 173gn BTHP. The target has a Caldwell Flash Bang strobe on it but to be visible in the video you'll have to go to full screen and at least 1080p.

buffalowinter · Dec 4, 2024

Dec 4
Russian Groza 7.62x39 nfa registered

The OTs-14-4 "Groza-4" (Russian: ОЦ-14-4 "Гроза", lit. 'Storm') is a Russian selective fire bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 9×39mm subsonic cartridge. It was developed in the 1990s at the TsKIB SOO (Central Design and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Arms) in Tula, Russia.
The weapon is colloquially known as OC-14 or OTs-14 "Groza". The OTs-14-4A "Groza-4" has one derivative, the TKB-0239 (ТКБ-0239), also known as OTs-14-1A "Groza-1", chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge.
The Groza saw limited use in 1999 in the Second Chechen War, however they quickly fell out of favor and are no longer produced.

buffalowinter · Dec 4, 2024

DEC 5
DOE Colt 633 9mm NFA Registered

Colt 633 and MK760 Night Fire with Tracers
(watch on highest resolution possible)

The 633 was a modified compact version with a 7 inches (180 mm) barrel, hydraulic buffer and simplified front sight post used by the DEA and the Department of Energy. The Colt 9mm SMG is a closed bolt, blowback operated SMG, rather than the conventional direct impingement gas operation of the standard 5.56×45mm M16 type rifle. As a closed bolt weapon, the Colt SMG is inherently more accurate than open bolt weapons such as the Israeli UZI.

The overall aesthetics are identical to most M16 type rifles. Changes include a large plastic brass deflector protruding from the rear quarter of the ejection port, and a correspondingly shorter dust cover. Factory Colt 9mm SMGs are equipped with a 10.5 inch length barrel and have an M16 style upper receiver, which means they feature a fixed carry handle, no forward assist and A1 sights (with 50 and 100 meter settings). The magazine well of the receiver is modified with pinned-in blocks to allow the use of smaller 9 mm magazines. The magazines themselves are a copy of the UZI magazine, modified to fit the Colt and lock the bolt back after the last shot.

sirhrmechanic · Dec 4, 2024

By now I’d have opened all the little doors…

This is going to be torture!

Sirhr

LeftyJason · Dec 5, 2024

Wonder what you have planned for Monday. It's my birthday. Anything Lee Enfield planned?

buffalowinter · Dec 5, 2024

LeftyJason said:
Wonder what you have planned for Monday. It's my birthday. Anything Lee Enfield planned?

Maybe, if you're a good boy.

buffalowinter · Dec 5, 2024

Dec 6
TaliBear with Khyber Pass AK-47, 100 rd Magazine, and RPG-7 Sight.

A Khyber Pass copy is a firearm manufactured by cottage gunsmiths in the Khyber Pass region in Pakistan. My Khyber AK-47 has an experimental 100 round magazine that was originally tested for use with Soviet Airborne forces.

The rifle is equipped with a triangular folding stock and an RPG-7 optic pressed into service. Soviet soldiers have been seen with RPG-7 optics mounted on their rifles.

The Khyber Pass are has long had a reputation for producing unlicensed copies of firearms using whatever materials are available; more often than not, railway rails, scrap motor vehicles, and other scrap metal with basic hand tools. The quality of such firearms varies widely, ranging from as good as a factory-produced example to dangerously poor.
The most commonly encountered Khyber Pass copies are of British military firearms, notably Martini–Henry, Martini–Enfield, and Lee–Enfield rifles, although AK-47 rifles, Webley Revolvers, Tokarev TT-33s, Colt M1911s and Browning Hi-Powers have also been encountered. In the United States, a Kalashnikov-style rifle composed of a mix of parts from various AK-style rifles is sometimes referred to as a Khyber Pass AK because, like Khyber guns, they are unlike any rifle produced by a factory or issued by a regular military force. The typical example of a "Khyber Pass AK" is a stamped receiver AKM chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge, fitted with the triangular folding stock common to Russian AKS-74 rifles. The Khyber Pass gunsmiths first acquired examples of the various British service arms during nineteenth-century British military expeditions in the North-West Frontier, which they used to make copies. During World War II, some locally organized irregular forces were issued Khyber Pass-made rifles – partly for financial reasons, and partly because there was concern that the troops would steal their rifles and desert if they were issued higher-quality British- or Indian-manufactured rifles. Khyber pass gunsmiths go to great lengths to replicate firearms, down to minute details such as proof markings. Khyber Pass rifles are usually copied exactly from a "master" weapon (which may itself be a Khyber Pass copy), markings and all. It is not uncommon to see Khyber Pass rifles with numerous errors and particular identifying factors, notably: Spelling errors in the markings (the most common of which is EИFIELD for ENFIELD), V.R. (Victoria Regina) cyphers dated after 1901 – Queen Victoria died in 1901, so any rifles made after this would be stamped "E.R" (Edward Rex, referring to King Edward VII)
Generally inferior workmanship, including weak or soft metal, poorly finished wood, and poorly struck markings.
Afghanistan was a point of conflict between the British Empire and Imperial Russia throughout the 19th century, from which it is reasonable to assume that tools and expertise relevant to both cultures were accumulated by local gunsmiths. Rather than a translation error, a reversed "N" or "L" in ENFIELD may be the Cyrillic "И" or "Г" character, with the gunsmith using whichever available letter punch best resembled the original letters.
Along with firearm copies, cottage gunsmiths usually also produce corresponding ammunition. Typically, they are based on low-powered modern cartridges. Caliber .30 bore cartridges are compatible with 7.63×25mm Mauser or 7.62×25mm Tokarev, .32 bore cartridges are compatible with .32 Auto Colt Pistol (7.65mm Browning (7.65×17mmSR)), and 12 bore cartridges are compatible with 12 gauge (18.5x70mmR) shotgun shells. The ammunition used in the Khyber Pass region is often underloaded, being made from a variety of powders or even old film (which contains nitrocellulose, a key component of smokeless powder); Khyber Pass copy rifles cannot be expected to withstand the pressures generated by modern commercial ammunition. A few collectors have made extremely mild handloaded cartridges for their Khyber Pass rifles and fired them, at substantial personal risk. The packaging and headstamps are often forged versions of quality foreign brands like GECO (Gustav Genschow & Co.), Golden Tiger (Vympel IIRC), China Sport (NORINCO), MEN (Metallwerk Elisenhütte Nassau), and PPU (Prvi Partizan Užice). Local counterfeits have colorful brand-name packaging like Buffalo, Diamond, Double Dragon, Double Star, Federal SKF, Goodluck, Gorilla, and Tiger SBR. The Khyber Arms Company, a local ammunition manufacturer, makes the Expert or X-Pert brand. It uses counterfeit Winchester ammunition packaging with cartridges stamped with fake NORINCO State Factory 311 headstamps. New casings and bullet jackets are usually copper-washed steel, like Chinese ammunition. The casings are sometimes recycled from scrounged US or NATO military brass casings. 5.56mm NATO cases are cut-down and reshaped to make .30 bore rounds such as 7.63×25mm Mauser or 7.62×25mm Tokarev. 9×19mm Parabellum cases are cut down to make reloaded .380 ACP / 9×17mm Short or 9×18mm Makarov rounds.

USMCsean · Dec 5, 2024

buffalowinter said:
I thought I might post an Advent calendar here in Vintage. Here is day one. Suomi KP/-31 with 40 round drum magazine.
Dec 1
Suomi KP/-31

View attachment 8558243
The Suomi KP/-31 (Finnish: Suomi-konepistooli m/31 or "Finland-machine-pistol mod. 1931") is a Finnish submachine gun that was mainly used during World War II. It is a descendant of the M-22 prototype and the KP/-26 production model, which was revealed to the public in 1925. It entered service in Finland in 1931, and remained in use until the 1980s.

View attachment 8558478 View attachment 8558479 View attachment 8558480 View attachment 8558482

Hate to be a stickler, but that’s not a 40 rd drum mag. That’s a 72 rd drum mag.

USMCSGT0331 · Dec 5, 2024

This is an awesome thread, thank you for this @buffalowinter! Your collection and level of knowledge is absolutely amazing!!

buffalowinter · Dec 5, 2024

USMCsean said:
Hate to be a stickler, but that’s not a 40 rd drum mag. That’s a 72 rd drum mag.

You are correct. The original "Ranger" drum made by Lahti was 40 rounds. They were later replaced during the Continuation War with the Swedish-designed 50-round "coffin" magazine and improved 71-round drum. The "coffin" magazine carried more ammunition than the box magazine and was lighter than the 40-round drum. However, it was complicated and prone to jamming or failure if it was damaged, reassembled incorrectly, or the springs gave out. It would also fail to fire or feed unless it was properly seated in the magazine well. The "coffin" magazine was withdrawn from service in 1943 in favor of the 71-round drum. The larger drum was a design by the weapon's less-well-known co-designer, Lieutenant Y. Koskinen, that was an improvement of the 40-round drum.

buffalowinter · Dec 5, 2024

USMCSGT0331 said:
This is an awesome thread, thank you for this @buffalowinter! Your collection and level of knowledge is absolutely amazing!!

Well, to give credit, most of the data is lifted straight from Wikipedia after making sure it is accurate.

Modoc · Dec 6, 2024

buffalowinter said:
Well, to give credit, most of the data is lifted straight from Wikipedia after making sure it is accurate.

Still, this is a great series Rick! Color me green with envy, but glad that the history is being preserved. I eagerly await the upcoming installment in this series, along with what ever new projects take your fancy.

RIGREG · Dec 6, 2024

Today’s my favorite, so far. I’ve seen Jingle Trucks, but never the Jingle Rifles. Those guys over there take pride in ownership. Owning a truck or “Custom” rifle is a mark of status.

Regarding Khyber Pass type guns, how do they make the barrels? And are they able to get decent rifling with their methods?

Thanks for this Advent thread,
Greg

buffalowinter · Dec 6, 2024

RIGREG said:
Today’s my favorite, so far. I’ve seen Jingle Trucks, but never the Jingle Rifles. Those guys over there take pride in ownership. Owning a truck or “Custom” rifle is a mark of status.

Regarding Khyber Pass type guns, how do they make the barrels? And are they able to get decent rifling with their methods?

Thanks for this Advent thread,
Greg

I'm not sure how they make/get their barrels, but I assume that most are salvaged from existing weapons. I would guess there is at least one dedicated local Khyber barrel maker who sources his supplies from Russia, China, or India. Anyway, while researching this question, I found more pics of Kyber guns.

Very boring British guy rambling on

roostercogburn98 · Dec 6, 2024

This in a 12 gauge would be a hoot, hell even a 410 would be neat

buffalowinter · Dec 6, 2024

roostercogburn98 said:
View attachment 8562091
This in a 12 gauge would be a hoot, hell even a 410 would be neat

Making a reliable semi/full auto Short Barreled Shotgun is very hard to do...I know, I've done it. Shotgun shells are very low pressure and it is hard to get enough gas pressure from a short barrel that will cycle the action. The solution is to use a brake with a gas expansion chamber like that on the Krinkov or M1919 machine gun. Here is my NFA registered AK based 12 gauge SBS.

buffalowinter · Dec 6, 2024

Dec 7
OSS Liberator and Glove Gun

OSS Glove Gun

The Sedgley OSS .38 glove pistol or Sedgley Fist Gun is a World War II firearm. It was designed by Stanley M. Haight and manufactured by Sedgley Co. of Philadelphia for the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy. Its official designation by the US Navy was Hand Firing Mechanism, Mk 2. The Sedgley OSS is a single-shot, break-action, smoothbore .38 Special pistol which was designed by Stanley M. Haight for the Office of Naval Intelligence. It was meant as a covert operation and assassination weapon in the Pacific Theater. It was mounted on the back of a cowhide glove; a long-sleeved coat would usually be worn to hide the weapon. It was commonly nicknamed "Glove Pistol" or "Glove Gun". The trigger is a bar parallel to and extending past the barrel. After being loaded and cocked, the weapon is fired by the shooter making a fist and pressing the trigger against the target's body. Between 52 and 200 are believed to have been manufactured.

OSS Liberator

The FP-45 Liberator is a handgun manufactured by the United States military during World War II for use by resistance forces in occupied territories. The Liberator was never issued to American or other Allied troops, and there are few documented instances of the weapon being used for its intended purpose; this was compounded by the intended recipients – irregulars and resistance fighters – rarely keeping detailed records due to the inherent risks if the records were captured by the enemy. Few FP-45 pistols were distributed as intended, and most were destroyed by Allied forces after the war. The concept was suggested by a Polish military attaché in March 1942. The project was assigned to the US Army Joint Psychological Warfare Committee and was designed for the United States Army two months later by George Hyde of the Inland Manufacturing Division of the General Motors Corporation in Dayton, Ohio. Production was undertaken by General Motors Guide Lamp Division to avoid conflicting priorities with Inland Division production of the M1 carbine.[1] The army designated the weapon the Flare Projector Caliber .45 hence the designation FP-45. This was done to disguise the fact that a pistol was being mass-produced. The original engineering drawings labeled the barrel as "tube", the trigger as "yoke", the firing pin as "control rod", and the trigger guard as "spanner". The Guide Lamp Division plant in Anderson, Indiana assembled a million of these guns. The Liberator project took about six months from conception to the end of production with about 11 weeks of actual manufacturing time, done by 300 workers.

buffalowinter · Dec 7, 2024

DEC 8
STG 44 in 5.56

This is a copy of the German WWII STG 44 that I built. It uses the HK93/C93 operating system in 5.56

The StG 44 (abbreviation of Sturmgewehr 44, "assault rifle 44"(H) is a German assault rifle developed during World War II by Hugo Schmeisser. It is also known by its early designations as the MP 43 and MP 44 (Maschinenpistole 43 and 44). The StG 44 was an improvement of an earlier design, the Maschinenkarabiner 42(H).MP 43, MP 44, and StG 44 were different designations for what was essentially the same rifle with minor updates in production. The variety in nomenclatures resulted from the complicated bureaucracy in Nazi Germany. Developed from the Mkb 42(H) "machine carbine", the StG 44 combined the characteristics of a carbine, submachine gun, and automatic rifle. StG is an abbreviation of Sturmgewehr. According to one account, the name was chosen personally by Adolf Hitler for propaganda reasons and means "assault rifle" as in "to assault an enemy position", although some sources dispute that Hitler had much to do with coining the new name besides signing the order. After the adoption of the StG 44, the English translation "assault rifle" became the accepted designation for this type of infantry small arm. Over the course of its production, there were minor changes to the butt end, muzzle nut, shape of the front sight base and stepping of the barrel. The rifle was chambered for the 7.92×33mm Kurz cartridge. This shorter version of the German standard 7.92×57mm Mauser rifle round, in combination with the weapon's selective-fire design, provided a compromise between the controllable firepower of a MP-40 submachine gun at close quarters with the accuracy and power of a Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle at intermediate ranges. While the StG 44 had less range and power than the more powerful infantry rifles of the day, the German military believed a maximum effective range of 400 m was optimal. Full-power rifle cartridges were excessive for most uses for the average soldier. Only a trained specialist, such as a sniper, or soldiers equipped with machine guns, which fired multiple rounds at a known or suspected target, could make full use of the standard rifle round's range and power.

With ZF-4 scope and "Vampir" IR night vision scope

"Vampir" IR scope in bottom right of photo

The STG 44 was also tested with the ZF-41 scope. Neither scope was finally issued as the rifle was not deemed accurate enough to warrant a scope.

ZF-41

The build

buffalowinter · Dec 8, 2024

DEC 9
SMLE No.4 Mk.2 1943 Sniper Rifle with No.32 Scope

Enfield No.4 Mk. 1 made in 1943. .303 This rifle has the no.32 Telescope sight. I built a copy of the wooden transit chest that the rifle was carried in. I also have an original Parker Hale telescope that was used by the spotter.

2.5 MOA was the standard for the No. 4 Mk. I (T). The accuracy requirement was ability to place seven of seven shots in a 5 inches (12.7 cm) circle at 200 yards (183 m) and six of seven shots in a 10 inches (25.4 cm) circle at 400 yards (366 m).

Mounting the scope

During both World Wars and the Korean War, Lee–Enfield rifles were modified for use as sniper rifles. The Australian Army modified 1,612 Lithgow SMLE No. 1 Mk. III rifles by adding a heavy target barrel, cheek-piece, and a World War I era Pattern 1918 telescope, creating the SMLE No. 1 Mk. III (HT). (HT standing for "heavy barrel, telescopic sight), which saw service in the Second World War, Korea, and Malaya and was used for sniper training through to the late 1970s.]

During the Second World War, standard No. 4 rifles, selected for their accuracy during factory tests, were modified by the addition of a wooden cheek rising-piece, and telescopic sight mounts designed to accept a No. 32 3.5× telescopic sight. The telescopic sight had a field of view of 8 degrees 20 minutes and featured a bullet drop compensation range drum on top of the sight graduated in 50 yards (45.7 m) increments from 0 to 1,000 yards (914 m). Side adjustments in 2 MOA increments were made by the drum mounted at the side of the sight. These rifles were designated as the No. 4 Mk. I (T). The accuracy requirement was ability to place seven of seven shots in a 5 inches (12.7 cm) circle at 200 yards (183 m) and six of seven shots in a 10 inches (25.4 cm) circle at 400 yards (366 m). The wooden cheek-piece was attached with two screws. The rear "battle sight" was ground off to make room to attach the No. 32 telescope sight to the left side of the receiver. Each No. 32 and its bracket (mount) were matched and serial numbered to a specific rifle.

In British service, the No. 32 telescope progressed through three marks with the Mk. I introduced in 1942, the Mk. II in 1943 which offered side adjustments in finer 1 MOA increments, and finally the Mk. III (Mk. 3) in 1944 which had an improved field of view of 8 degrees 30 minutes. A transitional model the No. 32 Mk. 2/1 was also made. The Canadian scopes made by Research Enterprises Limited and were prefixed with a letter C and went through C No. 32 Mk. I, Mk. I A (a transitional model), Mk. II and Mk. 3. Many Mk. 3s and Mk. 2/1s (Mk. 2s Modified to Mk. 3 standard) were later modified for use with the 7.62×51mm NATO L42A1 sniper rifle. They were then known by the designation Telescope Straight, Sighting L1A1.

Initial production was 1,403 conversions of 1931–1933 troop trials No. 4 Mk. I rifles at RSAF Enfield and a few others including Stevens-Savage No. 4s. These were converted in late 1941 and into the later part of 1942. Then, the work was assigned to Holland & Holland, the famous British sporting gun manufacturers, which converted about 23,000 No. 4 Mk. I (T) and No. 4 Mk. I (T) sniper rifles. The Holland & Holland conversions usually have the contractor code "S51" on the underside of the buttstock. BSA Shirley undertook 100 conversions to .22". James Purdey and Sons fitted special buttstocks later in the war. About 3,000 rifles, mostly Stevens-Savage, appear to have been partially converted by Holland & Holland but never received brackets, scopes of the final "T" mark. Canada converted about 1,588 rifles at Small Arms Limited (to the end of 1945) and, in 1946, at Canadian Arsenals Limited. Both were located at Long Branch, Ontario. Most of the Canadian made No.4 Mk.I (T) sniper rifles went into British service. The No.4 (T) rifles were extensively employed in various conflicts until the late 1960s.

The British military switched over to the 7.62×51mm NATO round in the 1950s; starting in 1970, over 1,000 of the No. 4 Mk I (T) and No. 4 Mk. I (T) sniper rifles were converted to this new caliber and designated L42A1.[47] The L42A1 sniper rifle continued as the British Army's standard sniper weapon being phased out by 1993, and replaced by Accuracy International's L96.

Canadian sniper Sergeant Harold Marshall carries a No. 4 Mk. I (T) chambered in .303 British

buffalowinter · Dec 9, 2024

Dec 10
STGW 57 aka PE 57 aka SIG 510
.308 with Wetzlar 4x Scope

I believe the scope mount was loosening as you can see two shot groups and then a POI change followed by another tight two shot group. Here is a five shot group, using M118 LR at 100 yds, shot from a bench.

The Sturmgewehr 57 (Stgw. 57 ) is a selective fire battle rifle designed by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (now SAN Swiss Arms) of Switzerland. The Stgw. 57 assault rifle uses a roller-delayed blowback system similar to the blowback system of the Heckler & Koch G3 (H&K G3) and CETME rifles. The Stgw. 57 assault rifle was developed during the late 1950s, with the in-house model name of AM 55, at SIG Combibloc Group (SIG). During development, Rudolf Amsler was the principal designer at Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft. Mechanically, the Stgw. 57 is a selective fire rifle that employs a roller-delayed blowback operating system. In military service, the Swiss Army issued the Stgw. 57 as the personal weapon of every soldier. The weapon is mainly made of pressed sheet-metal components to ease mass production and incorporates the "straight-line" recoil configuration. This layout, placed both the center of gravity and the position of the shoulder stock nearly in line with the longitudinal axis of the bore, a feature increasing controllability during burst or automatic fire. The Stgw. 57 has a distinctive T-shaped bolt handle similar to the earlier K31 rifle.

As with all roller-delayed designs, the roller recesses and rollers in the receiver will eventually wear down, decreasing the bolt head to bolt carrier gap. Many roller-delayed blowback weapons accept this as the functional service life of the rifle, but the Stgw. 57 has interchangeable locking recesses, so they can be replaced when worn.

The solid neoprene rubber, fixed butt-stock was designed with durability in mind and dynamically deforms to cope with the recoil produced by heavy rifle grenades. The Stgw. 57 sports a large carrying handle at its balance point that can be used during quick position changes or on the march. The ribbed handguard of the Stgw. 57 is also molded out of solid neoprene rubber.

Upon completion of their military service, members of the Swiss armed forces could obtain ownership of their personal Stgw. 57 rifle by paying an administrative fee. These "civilianised" Stgw. 57 rifles were converted to a semi-automatic only configuration. Dedicated factory-built, semi-automatic only rifles for private purchase were available and designated PE-Stgw. 57, PE means Privat Einzelfeuer ("private single fire"). These civilian rifles incorporate subtle design changes to avoid some cross-compatibility with army rifle parts. As of 2007, around 40 percent of discharged soldiers choose to retain their weapon (nowadays the SIG SG 550), and the going rate for civilianised Stgw. 57 rifles on the private weapons market is reported to vary between 300 and 500 Swiss francs.[4]

In Switzerland, the Stgw. 57 is also used for target shooting matches. For this the standard iron sights can be replaced by target shooting diopter and globe sight sighting lines. When the original sighting is kept Swiss sport shooters refer to a such unmodified rifle as Stgw. 57/02 (small diopter allowed, but no globe sight). When a globe sight is added and possibly the sighting line radius is lengthened by mounting the globe sight nearer to the muzzle it is referred to as Stgw. 57/03. As of 2017, original military barrels, which are known for longevity and are rated for up to 15,000 rounds (for later nitrided variants), could be replaced by match-grade barrels. Other upgrades include improved target sights, mirage bands, lighter hammers, custom pistol grips, custom barrel jackets and regular replacement of bolt components.

The STGW 57 is used regularly in Swiss rifle competition such as the nation wide Eidgenossiches Feld-Schiessen.

Note that the shooters are using the "Winter Trigger Lever" which can be rotated into position from the right side of the rifle. This provides a long lever which serves to lighten the felt trigger pull.

Custom STGW 57's for match shooting

My STGW 57 before

My STGW 57 after

I built a copy of the STGW 57 scope mount and mounted a Wetzlar 4x scope.

And the temptation to do this was great

buffalowinter · Dec 10, 2024

Dec 10
Sako TRG 22 with Khales 6x24

Sako is manufacturing a limited edition of numbered Sako TRG 22 “Finland 100” sniper rifles with white camouflage, inspired by Finland’s 100-year anniversary. This jubilee model is a true collector’s item.

The TRG 22 “Finland 100” jubilee model is offered in .308 Win caliber. The white snow camouflage coloring of the stock and barreled action of this real collector’s item reflects the severity of the Finnish winter, and, also pays homage to the heroes of the Winter War.

The Sako TRG 22 “Finland 100” sniper rifle has the text “Finland 100”, and the gun’s serial number is laser-engraved on its frame. The rifle is packaged in a carry case with a jubilee knife with the same engravings as the rifle itself. The jubilee model also comes with two magazines, bipod, muzzle brake and removable open sights.

Retail Price 6,800 Euro's

Well $7000 is really too much for a stock TRG 22 with a custom paint job and special engraving. But, I really like the look of the rifle and had to have one. So I built my own. I actually ended up not saving that much and half way into the build found one for sale for $5200. I still came out at less than that, but with all the accessories and the gun case, two magazines ($400 right there), bipod (another $500) and knife it comes with...$5200 isn't that bad a price (it's on sale on GB). Anyway, my gun flat out shoots. Shown is a 100yd 5 shot group measuring about .23 MOA. Other groups were comparable shooting handloads.

To make the TRG system more suitable for military use, Sako upgraded and improved the TRG-21/41 design in the late 1990s. Some TRG accessories like the muzzle brake and bipod (that lets the rifle swivel or "hang" near its bore axis offering a more stable shooting position with large and heavy aiming optics mounted) were also improved. This resulted in the TRG-22/42 rifle system introduced in 1999.
In 2013 the TRG system was further upgraded and improved based on customer requirements. The upgrades consist of mounting improved recoil pads to reduce felt recoil, a newly constructed bolt release and a new fully adjustable two-stage trigger mechanism that features a new more ergonomic ambidextrous safety lever, and a trigger guard milled from aluminum for more positive magazine attachment. Further the bolt handle and its attachment to the bolt body were ruggedised. These general 2013 upgrades are backwards compatible with older TRG sniper rifles. Exclusive for the .338 Lapua Magnum chambered TRG-42 model a new bolt featuring double plunger ejectors was introduced in 2013 to improve the ejection reliability of dimensionally large and heavy .338 Lapua Magnum rifle cases.

buffalowinter · Dec 11, 2024

Dec 11
Finnish TKIV 85 Sniper Rifle 7.62x54R

The 7.62 TKIV 85, short for 7.62 Tarkkuuskivääri 85 (7.62 sniper rifle 85) is a sniper rifle used by the Finnish Defence Forces.

It is derived from Mosin–Nagant, with Finland having made various derivatives of the rifle. The design was made in 1984 by Valmet, which also manufactured new barrels for these rifles. The rifles were assembled in 1984–1985 by Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) Asevarikko 1 ("Arsenal 1") in Kuopio, Finland. The 7.62 TKIV 85 sniper rifle has been extensively modified, while retaining the use of Mosin-Nagant style bolt-action.

One exclusive feature of the 7.62 TKIV 85 is its 7.62×53mmR chambering. No other currently used military firearm is chambered for this unique Finnish cartridge. The PKM machine guns and other Russian firearms in Finnish service are chambered for the 7.62×54mmR cartridge. The standard operating procedure calls for the use of 7.62×54mmR cartridges in 7.62 TKIV 85 rifles only in emergency situations when 7.62×53mmR ammunition is not available. The reason for this is the bullet diameter difference of 7.85 mm (0.309 in) in the 7.62×53mmR versus 7.92 mm (0.312 in) in the 7.62×54mmR. Some 7.62×53mmR rounds were also loaded with an intermediate 7.88 mm (0.310 in) diameter bullet.

On 25 May 2020, SAKO and Finnish Defence Forces signed a letter of intent regarding research and development of a family of rifles to replace the Tkiv 85 and Dragunov rifles.

buffalowinter · Dec 12, 2024

Dec 12
Blaser R93 UIT Switch Barrel

Shooting at pennies at 100yds

The Blaser R93 is a straight-pull action precision rifle offered in a multitude of calibers and barrel lengths manufactured by the German firearms manufacturer Blaser. Designed by Blasers' designer Mr. Meinhard Zeh in 1993, it had a number of features rare on modern hunting rifles, including a manual cocking system and a proprietary Blaser saddle scope mount[ for mounting the optic directly to the quick-change barrel.
The Blaser R93 is a truly modular system built around an aluminum alloy frame, offering differing stocks and barrels varying length and thickness available in chamberings from .22 LR to .375 H&H Magnum/.416 Remington Magnum/.458 Winchester Magnum size.
The barrel has a quick-change design which lets the user switch barrels using two screws and a hex key. Different bolt heads for different groups of calibers and magazine inserts are also user changeable, making the Blaser R93 a modular firearm capable of using a multitude of calibers in its chassis.
The rifle has a shorter overall length compared to more traditional designs due to the trigger being placed under the magazine. The rifle also has a reputation for being easy to disassemble and reassemble which can be an advantage when doing maintenance or during travelling, and has a reputation for having a repeatable zero upon reassembly. The Blaser R93 Tactical is a German bolt action sniper rifle, based on the Blaser R93 design. It has as variants the Blaser LRS 2 and Tactical 2. It is used by German and Dutch police forces as well as the Australian military and special police units. The rifles were manufactured by the German firearms manufacturer Blaser.

Murkan Mike · Dec 13, 2024

Meinhard Zehs latest Design is a rifle he developed with Andreas Jakele, called the J1. Built about 15 minutes down the road from Blaser. It is the R93 taken to the next level, and is probably the safest rifle in the world. I spoke with Meinhard a few months ago when I was at Jakeles factory in Weitnau-Hofen, where my son is a gunsmith, and he is pretty proud of his work on the Jakele J1.

If you like the R93, with its "Gardena Garden Hose" style bolt locking system, you will love the Jakele J1. It has a traditional 3 lug locking system, and is also a straight pull.

https://jakele-j1.de/

buffalowinter · Dec 13, 2024

Dec 13
M1C Garand Sniper Rifle, .30-06, WWII

Although two M1 sniper designs were standardized, for several reasons it was decided by Ordnance to put the M1C into production rather than the M1D. As initial production began, the receivers were heat-treated with the mounting bracket installed. But it was eventually discovered that the different composition of metallurgy between the two components could cause the assembled unit to warp. When this defect was discovered, the procedure was changed and the receivers and brackets were heat-treated separately prior to assembly. Other production glitches that negatively affected the accuracy of the new Garand sniper rifles were encountered but most were eventually solved.

The M1C serial numbers were in the approximate 3,100,000 to 3,800,000 range. While the M1 receivers used to fabricate M1C rifles were regular Springfield Armory production, they were selected in distinct “batches” or “blocks.”

The “M73” telescopic sight was standardized for use with M1C rifle in October 1944. This scope, made by the Lyman Co., was the military’s designation for the company’s “Alaskan” all-weather scope. The scope was later modified by the addition of a sliding rain/sun shade on the objective end, and the modified scope was re-designated “M81.” The magnification was 2.2X, and the scope had a crosshair reticle. The M81 was soon superseded by the M82 which differed mainly in the substitution of a tapered post for the crosshair reticle.

In order to help conceal a sniper’s position and reduce the possibility of muzzle flash from temporarily blinding the shooter when firing in low-light conditions, such as dawn or dusk, a conical flash hider was adopted on January 25, 1945, as the “Hider, Flash, M2.” The M2 flash hider slipped over the muzzle and was secured in place by clamping onto the rifle’s bayonet lug. It was eventually superseded after the war by the “T37” flash hider. It was not uncommon for the flash hiders to be removed as they were of only marginal use and could negatively affect the accuracy of the rifle.

The initial M1C contract during World War II called for the manufacture of 21,158 rifles. Various problems were encountered, though, including the lack of telescopes and accuracy problems that had to be addressed. This resulted in production falling woefully short of projections, only 7,971 complete M1C rifles were manufactured during World War II. The manufacturing problems and shortage of telescopes severely hampered delivery of the rifles and it was not until, literally, the closing days of the war in the Pacific that M1Cs began to see service. At the conclusion of the war, the M1C was the standardized U.S. military sniping rifle and the M1D was designated “Substitute Standard.”

As hostilities heated up on the Korean peninsula in 1950, demands were soon coming in from the using services for sniper rifles. Other than the relative handful of M1C rifles fielded very late in the conflict, the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps fought World War II with bolt-action sniper rifles. In order to meet the sudden demand, plans were formulated in early 1951 to put the M1C sniper rifle back into production.

Springfield Armory records indicate that a total of 4,796 M1C rifles were manufactured in the 1951-1953 period. Many, if not all, of these post-World War II M1C rifles were fabricated using some of an estimated 18,000 to 19,000 M1C receivers remaining in storage at the Armory since 1945. These receivers had the five holes drilled in the side, but were never assembled into complete rifles during World War II. It is doubtful if any meaningful number of these newly minted early 1950s assembled Garand sniper rifles made it to Korea prior to the cessation of hostilities. Thus, the M1Cs used in that conflict were likely World War II production rifles

buffalowinter · Dec 14, 2024

Dec 15
M1941 Johnson Rifle .30-06

Balloons at 100 yds

The M1941 Johnson Rifle is an American short-recoil operated semi-automatic rifle designed by Melvin Johnson prior to World War II. The M1941 unsuccessfully competed with the contemporary M1 Garand rifle but was used in limited numbers by the US Marines during the Second World War. The Johnson had some advantages in comparison to the M1 Garand rifle, such as a greater magazine capacity combined with the ability to recharge the magazine with ammunition (using 5-round clips or individually) at any time, even with the bolt closed on a chambered round. Despite the several advantages the Johnson Rifle design had over the M1 Garand rifle, the existing disadvantages were too great to change US rifle production from the M1 Garand. The Johnson's short recoil reciprocating barrel mechanism resulted in excessive vertical shot dispersion that was never fully cured during its production life and was prone to malfunction when a bayonet was attached to the reciprocating barrel (short recoil weapons require specific barrel weights to cycle correctly). Additionally, the complex movements of the barrel required for proper operation would be subject to unacceptable stress upon a bayonet thrust into a target. The Johnson also employed a number of small parts that were easily lost during field stripping.

roostercogburn98 · Dec 14, 2024

Was talking to a guy at gun show today. He had a copy of an old magazine with the mail order form for rifles, the Johnson Rifles were $9.95 iffin I remember correctly

RIGREG · Dec 15, 2024

Johnson Automatics were made in Rhode Island. RI has never been a center for gun making, but as the home of Browne & Sharpe, it had a strong machine tool industry.

Merry Christmas,
Greg

buffalowinter · Dec 15, 2024

Dec 16
Accuracy International AE MKII .308 Proof Carbon Fiber Barrel, Schmidt & Bender PMII Scope

1" washers at 100 yds

The Accuracy Enforcement is a bolt action sniper rilfe of UK origin. The Accuracy Enforcement model was developed in the early 2000's by Accuracy International to better suit the demands of law enforcement agencies. Many police units acquired the Arctic Warfare rifle, but paid for many military features they would not use. The Accuracy Enforcement was developed as a budget tactical rifle that still delivers good performance, but at a lower price.

Design

The first generation AE model didn't allow for customization in order to keep costs low. All AE models are completely similar. The chassis is a simplified monoblock version of the original design. The stock is not adjustable, no cheekpiece is fitted and a non swiveling bipod is mounted under the forearm. The bolt design is simplified and the excellent cold temperature performance is lost. The barrel is not fitted with a muzzle brake. The original AE was replaced by the AE Mk II. The Mk II uses the common chassis available in multiple colors, allows for two barrel lengths, uses different magazines and has a swiveling bipod.

Firepower

The AE fires the 7.62x51mm NATO round from a 5, 8 or 10 round magazine. Compared to the Arctic Warfare models the AE uses a similar bolt design, two stage trigger and free floating barrel. Therefore the accuracy should be on par with the Artic Warfare Police series. The effective range is quoted by Accuracy International as 600 meters, which more than enough for law enforcement use.

ZG47A · Dec 15, 2024

buffalowinter said:
Dec 12
Blaser R93 UIT Switch Barrel

View attachment 8567431
Shooting at pennies at 100yds

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The Blaser R93 is a straight-pull action precision rifle offered in a multitude of calibers and barrel lengths manufactured by the German firearms manufacturer Blaser. Designed by Blasers' designer Mr. Meinhard Zeh in 1993, it had a number of features rare on modern hunting rifles, including a manual cocking system and a proprietary Blaser saddle scope mount[ for mounting the optic directly to the quick-change barrel.
The Blaser R93 is a truly modular system built around an aluminum alloy frame, offering differing stocks and barrels varying length and thickness available in chamberings from .22 LR to .375 H&H Magnum/.416 Remington Magnum/.458 Winchester Magnum size.
The barrel has a quick-change design which lets the user switch barrels using two screws and a hex key. Different bolt heads for different groups of calibers and magazine inserts are also user changeable, making the Blaser R93 a modular firearm capable of using a multitude of calibers in its chassis.
The rifle has a shorter overall length compared to more traditional designs due to the trigger being placed under the magazine. The rifle also has a reputation for being easy to disassemble and reassemble which can be an advantage when doing maintenance or during travelling, and has a reputation for having a repeatable zero upon reassembly. The Blaser R93 Tactical is a German bolt action sniper rifle, based on the Blaser R93 design. It has as variants the Blaser LRS 2 and Tactical 2. It is used by German and Dutch police forces as well as the Australian military and special police units. The rifles were manufactured by the German firearms manufacturer Blaser.

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I knew a guy who was about 5"6" and got bored with bow hunting. He went back to rifle hunting and bought himself an R93 UIT in order to go bush and tops hunting! Each to their own.

buffalowinter · Monday at 2:59 PM

Dec 17
USSOCOM Mk12 Mod 0 Special Purpose Rifle
5.56, NF NXS 2.5-10x24, Allen Engineering Suppressor

Clay targets at 100 yds

Colt m16a1 lower
Colt upper
Brownell's Mk12 SPR 5r rifled barrel
Allen Engineering brake and collar for Allen Engineering suppressor
Gas Buster charging handle
M16a1 original surplus stock
Precision Reflex carbon fiber handguard
Precision Reflex gas block w/ front sight
Swans #40 buis
Colt bolt
Harris Bipod
m16a1 grip
Nightforce 2.5-10x scope w/ swans rings
Vortex red dot

NIGHTFORCE NXSTM 2.5-10X24 LIMITED RELEASE - 2015
The original member of the Nightforce NXS riflescope family is making a limited debut for 2015.
In order to meet customer requests for the discontinued NXS 2.5-10 x 24 compact riflescope, Nightforce is manufacturing a limited run this fall. The NXS 2.5-10 x 24 is unique in that it has a straight body tube to the objective lens, which provides for a very compact package (9.9 inches in length).
For many years, the Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x family —proven in the hands of the U.S. military—has been renowned for performance far beyond its size. The NXS 2.5-10 x 24 was an original contract riflescope on the U.S. military Mark 12 5.56mm Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) program.
This limited run will see the NXS 2.5-10 x 24 receive modern enhancements over the original production models. Included will be an integrated Nightforce PTL™ (Power Throw Lever), allowing instant magnification changes even while wearing gloves. The elevation and windage adjustments are of the most current design, providing extremely positive click feel and easy to read numbers. Adjustment configurations are in .250 MOA (20 MOA per revolution) or .1 Mil-Radian (5 Mil-Radian per revolution) increments, with an exposed ZeroStop™ elevation and a capped windage adjustment as standard. Reticle choices include the MOAR™ and Mil-R™.
As with all of the NXS 2.5-10x models, they prove that size is no substitute for quality, providing performance that exceeds most riflescopes of any size. In addition to being extremely popular on the various AR platforms, the low mounting profile, versatile magnification range and streamlined proportions also make it ideal for a mountain or safari rifle.
These limited run Nightforce NXS™ 2.5-10 x 24 models have an MSRP of $1,950. To acquire one of these limited availability riflescopes, please contact one of the four exclusive retailers below:

Generally no longer available.

The United States Navy Mk 12 MOD 0/1/H Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) is a designated marksman rifle that was in service with United States Special Operations Forces in the designated marksman role until 2017, also designed to be shorter than standard weapons. SPR initially stood for Special Purpose Receiver as it referred to an add-on upper receiver assembly (part of the proposed SOPMOD upgrades), but that nomenclature changed to Special Purpose Rifle as the weapon became a stand-alone weapons system.
The SPR was eventually type-classified by the U.S. Navy as the Mk 12. The weapon was developed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division for US military special operations units.
The Mk 12 Mod 0 was only used by the US Army Special Forces while the Mk 12 Mod 1 was used by the Rangers, Navy SEALs and Special Tactical Teams. The USMC also used the Mk 12 Mod 1 towards the end of the war in Iraq and extensively in Afghanistan. They were mostly deployed as DMRs. The Mk 12 Mod H was used primarily by Army SOF and SMUs, and featured a retrofit upper of the Mod 0 with PRI Gen3 round handguards and a shorter RECCE rail to replace the original Swan Sleeve, reducing weight, and either Douglas or Noveske barrels made with the SPR profile in a rifle length gas system.

buffalowinter · Tuesday at 6:14 PM

Dec 18
10th Special Forces Group
XM25, 7.62x51, Bausch and Lomb 10x Scope.

Clay targets at 100 yds

The XM25 sniper system...the successor to the M21 system, was largely developed by SFC Tom Kapp of 10th SFG (A). SFC Kapp left ODA 075, right before I became Team Leader, to work on the development of the M25 system.

RIGREG · Tuesday at 7:24 PM

B&L 10X is one of my quest searches. I check every used rifle, auction and LGS, hoping for one under the radar. I have an early 2000’s SWFA SS 10x42, but one of my LRB’s needs the B&L. It’s a rare beast only produced for a short time.

Merry Christmas,
Greg

buffalowinter · Wednesday at 11:18 AM

Dec 19
Steyr AUG 5.56 YHM suppressor

The Steyr AUG (German: Armee-Universal-Gewehr, lit. 'army universal rifle') is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG. It was adopted by the Austrian Army in 1977 as the StG 77 (Sturmgewehr 77), where it replaced the 7.62×51mm NATO StG 58 automatic rifle. In production since 1977, it is the standard small arm of the Bundesheer and various Austrian federal police units and its variants have also been adopted by the armed forces of dozens of countries, with some using it as a standard-issue service rifle.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) adopted a modified Steyr AUG designated as the F88 Austeyr. From the late 1980s, the F88 became the ADF's standard individual weapon replacing the L1A1 SLR and M16A1 in the Australian Army. From the mid 2010s, the Enhanced F88 (EF88) Austeyr replaced the F88. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) adopted a modified Steyr AUG designated as the F88 Austeyr. From the late 1980s, the F88 became the ADF's standard individual weapon replacing the L1A1 SLR and M16A1 in the Australian Army. From the mid 2010s, the Enhanced F88 (EF88) Austeyr replaced the F88.

buffalowinter · Wednesday at 11:35 AM

Some thoughts on the rifles:

1. The Steyr Aug has the worst trigger I have used on any rifle, military or commercial. I would not want to carry this rifle in combat. The Israeli Tavor is heads and tails above the Steyr Aug in every respect and is not a bad battle rifle.

2. The Sako TRG 22 is probably the best all-around "sniper" rifle I have used. If it had an adjustable cheek piece it would be just about perfect. I feel it is superior to the AI in both ergonomics and accuracy. Both are sub 1/2 moa, but I think the Sako has a slight edge.

3. My XM25 is just a standard National Match, but I am impressed by it's 1 moa accuracy with the vintage Sionics suppressor hanging off the end of the barrel. My M1A Super Match with a double lugged receiver is a 1/2 moa gun.

4. The Israeli M21 with the goofy half of a cut-off cheek piece stuck on top of the regular stock is actually a very comfortable and practical solution.

5. I actually use my Mk12 Mod 0 for "Run N'Gun" competiton.

6. I wonder how many Russian OMOH personnel have blown their left hand off shooting the Groza.

7. With a good magazine, extractor, and ejector, the MK 760 will run all day.

6. For precision shooting you need a variable power optic that goes to at least 32x. A 10x scope is not adequate for precision (i.e. "sniper") shooting and only marginal for a DMR.

Gary/CO · Wednesday at 12:36 PM

buffalowinter said:
December 3
Israeli M14 Sniper system 7.62x51

View attachment 8559658

Israeli M14 sniper "clone". It has an original Israeli surplus fiberglass stock modified for sniping by the addition of a high cheek piece, rubber recoil pad, side mount sling swivels, and Harris bipod. The scope mount is original Israeli issue as is the sling. The scope is a Khales Wien ZF 84 10x42. The barreled action is a Springfield National Match M1A and has a single lug. The trigger is a National Match, as is the op rod and rest of the rifle. In the video above I'm engaging a 1 1/2 foot circle at 550 yards. I'm using the BDC on the scope which works really well. I'm using M118LR 173gn BTHP. The target has a Caldwell Flash Bang strobe on it but to be visible in the video you'll have to go to full screen and at least 1080p.

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Is that Israeli mount steel or aluminium? I know the USAMTU learned that the latter can walk.

buffalowinter · Wednesday at 12:49 PM

Gary/CO said:
Is that Israeli mount steel or aluminium? I know the USAMTU learned that the latter can walk.

It's steel and they were welded onto the receiver on the XM25

ZG47A · Wednesday at 6:32 PM

buffalowinter said:
Dec 19
Steyr AUG 5.56 YHM suppressor
View attachment 8572067

View attachment 8572069

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The Steyr AUG (German: Armee-Universal-Gewehr, lit. 'army universal rifle') is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG. It was adopted by the Austrian Army in 1977 as the StG 77 (Sturmgewehr 77), where it replaced the 7.62×51mm NATO StG 58 automatic rifle. In production since 1977, it is the standard small arm of the Bundesheer and various Austrian federal police units and its variants have also been adopted by the armed forces of dozens of countries, with some using it as a standard-issue service rifle.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) adopted a modified Steyr AUG designated as the F88 Austeyr. From the late 1980s, the F88 became the ADF's standard individual weapon replacing the L1A1 SLR and M16A1 in the Australian Army. From the mid 2010s, the Enhanced F88 (EF88) Austeyr replaced the F88. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) adopted a modified Steyr AUG designated as the F88 Austeyr. From the late 1980s, the F88 became the ADF's standard individual weapon replacing the L1A1 SLR and M16A1 in the Australian Army. From the mid 2010s, the Enhanced F88 (EF88) Austeyr replaced the F88.

The trigger is only part of the problem with the Steyr AUG. The return spring has a hook on the end which attaches to the partial collar that, in turn, stops the bolt from rotating when out of battery. That hook can break without warning, after several hundreds of rounds. The weapon is then inoperable until the return spring has been replaced. Ask me how I know!

buffalowinter · Thursday at 9:01 AM

M24 Sniper Weapon System 7.62x51

The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) or M24 is the military and police version of the Remington Model 700 rifle, M24 being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. The M24 is referred to as a "weapon system" because it consists of not only a rifle, but also a detachable telescopic sight and other accessories.

The M24 SWS has the "long action" bolt version of the Remington 700 receiver but is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO "short action" cartridge that has an overall length of 2.750 inches (69.85 mm). The "long action" allows the rifle to be re-configured for dimensionally larger cartridges up to 3.340 inches (84.84 mm) in overall length.

The M24 originally came tapped for the Leupold Ultra M3A 10×42mm fixed-power scope, which came with a circle-shaped mil-dot glass-etched reticle. This was later replaced in 1998 by the Leupold Mk 4 LR/T M1 10×40mm fixed-power scope with an elongated-shaped mil-dot wire reticle. The rifle also comes with a detachable Harris 9–13" 1A2-LM or Harris 9–13" 1A2-L bipod unit.

The M24 SWS was to be replaced with the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, a contract awarded to Knight's Armament Company. However, the Army still continued to acquire M24s from Remington until February 2010 and upgraded to the A2 and M24E1 standard in many cases, continuing to serve. The Army chose to upgrade all its M24 rifles in the arsenals to the M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle, with the final M24 being converted in April 2014.

Accuracy: According to MIL-R-71126(AR), 3.15.7 Targeting and Accuracy, The rifle shall achieve the dispersion set forth below when fired from a Government approved machine rest. The average mean radius shall be less than or equal to the values stated below. The minimum rate of fire for conducting this test shall be three rounds per minute.

Range / Average Mean Radius (AMR) — Mean Radius (MR) expresses the average distance of all the shots from the center of the shot group. AMR averages the MR of several shot groups.

200 yards (183 m): 1.3 inches
273 yards (250 m): 1.4 inches
300 yards (274 m): 1.9 inches
The radial distance from the calculated center of impact of the first target compared to the calculated center of impacts of the subsequent targets shall be less or equal to 1.086 MOA (3.3 inches @ 300 yards, 2.2 inches @ 200 yards, 2.4 inches @ 200 meters) on an average basis.

The actual rifle requirements for accuracy were .35 MOA from a machine rest and according to Major John Mende (ret.), this accuracy had to be maintained to 10,000 rounds. He stated, "Interesting side note was there was a 10,000 round requirement for the barrel to maintain the original accuracy. In fact after some 10,000 round tests we discovered the accuracy improved. A few barrels were tested past 20,000 and accuracy never went below the original accuracy requirement."

M24 sniper rifle, equipped with an AN/PVS-10 Sniper Night Sight (SNS)
Maximum effective range is given as 800 meters (875 yd), but record shots have been made with the M24 at over 1,000 meters (1,094 yd). Meanwhile, the standard optical sight has a maximum elevation adjustment of 1,000 meters (1,094 yd).

buffalowinter · Friday at 11:03 AM

Dec 21
Australian Owen SMG 9mm

The Owen gun, known officially as the Owen machine carbine, was an Australian submachine gun that was designed by Evelyn Owen in 1938. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of World War II. It was used by the Australian Army from 1942 until 1971.
The Owen gun proved popular with soldiers in the Pacific. New Zealanders fighting in the Guadalcanal and Solomon Islands campaigns swapped their Thompsons for Owens, as they found Owen guns to be more reliable. During the gun's life, its reliability earned it the nickname "Digger's Darling" by Australian troops, and many of the Australian soldiers who had used the Owen came back to personally thank the Lysaght team as they believed the Owen had saved their lives. General Douglas MacArthur considered equipping American troops in the Pacific with the Owen.

The Owen was later used by Australian troops in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, particularly the scouts in infantry sections. It remained a standard weapon of the Australian Army until 1971, when it was replaced by the F1 submachine gun and, later, the M16.

D_TROS · Friday at 1:44 PM

awesome post. thank you so much for sharing. new fav post for sure.

cant wait to see what you saved for Christmass.

buffalowinter · 2024-12-21T12:35:47-0500

Dec 22
IMI Galil James River Gallant 5.56 with Elbit Falcon red dot sight

The Galil is an assault rifle of Israeli origin. It was developed as during the Six-day war of 1967 it became clear that the FAL was not suitable enough for desert warfare. At the end of the war the decision was made to develop a new assault rifle based upon the Kalashnikov and the new 5.56x45mm cartridge. Two designs were tested. The first design was created by Uziel Gal (who is also the creator of the Uzi) and the second design was developed by Israel Galili. The latter design, based on the Finnish Valmet RK 62 assault rifle, eventually won the competition and was selected as the new IDF assault rifle.

Design

The design of the Galil was based on the Finnish RK-62 rifle, which in turn is based on the AK-47. The first test batches even incorporated some parts from the RK-62. The Galil is gas operated and uses a long stroke gas piston and a rotating bolt. All versions feature a tubular metal folding stock and all versions except the ARM have a polymer forearm. At first the Galil family consisted of the carbine SAR, full size AR and ARM light support weapon. For export the Galil was also made available in 7.62x51mm NATO. Earlier variants used the long rifling associated with the M193 round. Later production variants use the faster rifling for the SS-109 rounds.

Firepower

The Galil fires the 5.56x45mm M193 or SS-109 round from a 35 round magazine. The 7.62x51mm NATO models use a 25 round magazine. The Galil is select fire and has a cyclic rate of fire of 650 rpm. The maximum effective range for the full size rifles is 400 meters.

Users

The Galil was designed for Israeli use. Even though it was adopted the M16 became the standard issue assault rifle for the Israeli forces as they were available from the US at much lower costs. The Galil has been sold to dozens of nations and remain in use with many of them. It is used around the world but is most common in South America. South Africa as one of the best known users as they have produced it under license and developed their own variants. Nowadays the production of the Galil is very limited. The ACE is a product improved Galil which is recently marketed by IWI.

The Elbit Falcon Red Dot
The Elbit Falcon Mark I was the first red dot combat optic issued to general troops with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in the early 1990’s. There are two versions of the Elbit Falcon: the Mark I, which was the actual model issued to the IDF, and the Mark II, the commercial sales version.

Early adopter of "let's see what all I can hang off my rifle". I don't even know what the object taped to the front sight does. Front sight illuminter?

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Vintage Sniper Christmas Advent Calendar

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