Work has begun. Here is the muzzle brake. I made the threaded section a little longer.
Colt R80 Monitor
- Thread starter buffalowinter
- Start date
After doing research for the R80 monitor I came across the experimental m1918 "Jungle Carbine". I might go in this direction. Anyone want to buy a 5/8x24 threaded Monitor muzzle brake?
No, this isn’t the same as the Clyde Barrow cut-down BAR, this bad boy was modified for jungle warfare by the USMC in 1932. Modified by a Major H. L. Smith, the weapon’s barrel was chopped down to 15 inches, brought down the weight of the original M1918 BAR from 16lbs to 13lbs, and it sounded as if a 37mm gun was going off. The flash hider of the original BAR would solve the horrific muzzle flash problems, but would also add 3 inches to the gun as well. The loud detonation of the weapon going off and the muzzle flash resulted in this version being only suitable in the jungles of Nicaragua, as in those scenarios, the USMC reports that it deteriorates the enemy’s morale. Taken from “Rock in a Hard Place” by Jim Ballou; amazing book on the BAR.
Or maybe a Clyde Barrow cut down M1918. Even with the cut down stock it will still be NFA Legal with a 16" barrel.
Below, are photos of the "authentic" scattergun that Clyde Barrow had fashioned
by cutting down the barrel from his Browning Automatic Rifle. Now displayed in the
Missouri Highway Patrol's Museum in Jefferson City, are the scattergun and license
plate recovered immediately after the Joplin shootout, along with photos of the gang.
This weapon, along with it's armored piercing bullets, had sliced through an armored
police vehicle, like a hot knife through butter, and would splinter a tree like kindling.
One photo, shows Clyde posing at a roadside sign that he had used for target practice,
his hand is resting through a fist sized hole which he likely made with this weapon.
Clyde’s Cut-Down RifleClyde’s go-to firearm was a modified M1918 BAR. In 1932, a fellow criminal gave Clyde two BARs stolen from a Missouri National Guard armory. He instantly saw the advantages of the automatic rifle’s powerful cartridge, high rate of fire, and the ability to reload quickly with spare magazines. This kind of firepower was way beyond what local and state police, or even the FBI, had at the time.
A year later, the gang conducted two National Guard armory robberies, one in Oklahoma and another in Illinois, scoring several BARs, M1911 pistols, Model 11 shotguns, and a bunch of M1917 revolvers. Plus, they scored a whole lot of ammo and magazines.
When Clyde talked about his “scattergun,” he was referring to the BAR, not a shotgun, because when he started shooting, everyone scattered. He shortened the barrel and gas tube on his BARs and preferred custom magazines made from two BAR mag bodies welded together with a 40-round capacity.
The resulting firearm was similar to a variant of the BAR produced after WWI, the Colt Monitor. It was an M1918 with a shortened barrel and gas tube, no bipod, a pistol grip, and a Cutts Compensator on the muzzle. About 130 were produced, and all were sold to law enforcement entities.
Dallas County Deputy Sheriff Ted Hinton was armed with a Colt Monitor when he helped ambush Bonnie and Clyde in 1934. He was on Frank Hamer’s team because he could identify the outlaw couple by sight. He knew Bonnie from when she worked as a waitress in Dallas and he had grown up with the Barrow brothers. He even worked with Clyde for a stint at Western Union.
The Monitor Hinton used was on loan from the Texas National Guard. He previously survived a shootout with the gang in Sowers, Texas, where he learned that there was no such thing as too much firepower when it came to Bonnie and Clyde.
Bonnie’s Sawed-Off ShotgunThe gun most associated with Bonnie is the cut-down, semi-auto Remington Model 11 shotgun she is seen holding in photographs. The sawed-off Model 11 was a gang favorite, but Bonnie’s personal shotgun was chambered in 20-gauge with a barrel that ended just in front of the magazine tube and a stock abbreviated a couple inches behind the grip. She had this shotgun with her when she was killed.
Remington produced a riot gun version of the Model 11 with a 20-inch barrel, which the U.S. Army purchased in large numbers. That’s why the gang was able to swipe them during their National Guard robberies.
When the situation called for it, Clyde also liked to use the shotgun. Bonnie reportedly created a special pair of trousers for him with a hidden, tear-away zipper running down one pantleg. This allowed him to keep the Model 11 next to his leg, holding the pistol grip through a hole in the pocket. He could then raise the gun and fire from the hip in one swift motion before anyone even knew he was holding a shotgun. The baggy pants were in style, yet practical.
The Guns that Killed Bonnie and ClydeBonnie and Clyde’s story ended as violently as they lived—perhaps more so. Six well-armed men, including Frank Hamer, ambushed their car on Highway 154 between Gibsland and Sailes in Louisiana.
Hamer was carrying a semi-auto Remington Model 8 rifle. He fired the first shot, which went through the windshield of the couple’s car and hit Clyde in the head. The posse opened up with various rifles, including Hinton’s Colt Monitor. When the rifles were empty, they picked up loaded shotguns. When those ran dry, they shot their pistols until the car rolled into a ditch.
The vehicle was swiss-cheesed with bullet holes. The bodies of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, dead on the bench seat of their stolen Ford, had been hit 43 times. Bonnie was 23. Clyde was 24.
No, this isn’t the same as the Clyde Barrow cut-down BAR, this bad boy was modified for jungle warfare by the USMC in 1932. Modified by a Major H. L. Smith, the weapon’s barrel was chopped down to 15 inches, brought down the weight of the original M1918 BAR from 16lbs to 13lbs, and it sounded as if a 37mm gun was going off. The flash hider of the original BAR would solve the horrific muzzle flash problems, but would also add 3 inches to the gun as well. The loud detonation of the weapon going off and the muzzle flash resulted in this version being only suitable in the jungles of Nicaragua, as in those scenarios, the USMC reports that it deteriorates the enemy’s morale. Taken from “Rock in a Hard Place” by Jim Ballou; amazing book on the BAR.
Or maybe a Clyde Barrow cut down M1918. Even with the cut down stock it will still be NFA Legal with a 16" barrel.
Below, are photos of the "authentic" scattergun that Clyde Barrow had fashioned
by cutting down the barrel from his Browning Automatic Rifle. Now displayed in the
Missouri Highway Patrol's Museum in Jefferson City, are the scattergun and license
plate recovered immediately after the Joplin shootout, along with photos of the gang.
This weapon, along with it's armored piercing bullets, had sliced through an armored
police vehicle, like a hot knife through butter, and would splinter a tree like kindling.
One photo, shows Clyde posing at a roadside sign that he had used for target practice,
his hand is resting through a fist sized hole which he likely made with this weapon.
Clyde’s Cut-Down RifleClyde’s go-to firearm was a modified M1918 BAR. In 1932, a fellow criminal gave Clyde two BARs stolen from a Missouri National Guard armory. He instantly saw the advantages of the automatic rifle’s powerful cartridge, high rate of fire, and the ability to reload quickly with spare magazines. This kind of firepower was way beyond what local and state police, or even the FBI, had at the time.
A year later, the gang conducted two National Guard armory robberies, one in Oklahoma and another in Illinois, scoring several BARs, M1911 pistols, Model 11 shotguns, and a bunch of M1917 revolvers. Plus, they scored a whole lot of ammo and magazines.
When Clyde talked about his “scattergun,” he was referring to the BAR, not a shotgun, because when he started shooting, everyone scattered. He shortened the barrel and gas tube on his BARs and preferred custom magazines made from two BAR mag bodies welded together with a 40-round capacity.
The resulting firearm was similar to a variant of the BAR produced after WWI, the Colt Monitor. It was an M1918 with a shortened barrel and gas tube, no bipod, a pistol grip, and a Cutts Compensator on the muzzle. About 130 were produced, and all were sold to law enforcement entities.
Dallas County Deputy Sheriff Ted Hinton was armed with a Colt Monitor when he helped ambush Bonnie and Clyde in 1934. He was on Frank Hamer’s team because he could identify the outlaw couple by sight. He knew Bonnie from when she worked as a waitress in Dallas and he had grown up with the Barrow brothers. He even worked with Clyde for a stint at Western Union.
The Monitor Hinton used was on loan from the Texas National Guard. He previously survived a shootout with the gang in Sowers, Texas, where he learned that there was no such thing as too much firepower when it came to Bonnie and Clyde.
Bonnie’s Sawed-Off ShotgunThe gun most associated with Bonnie is the cut-down, semi-auto Remington Model 11 shotgun she is seen holding in photographs. The sawed-off Model 11 was a gang favorite, but Bonnie’s personal shotgun was chambered in 20-gauge with a barrel that ended just in front of the magazine tube and a stock abbreviated a couple inches behind the grip. She had this shotgun with her when she was killed.
Remington produced a riot gun version of the Model 11 with a 20-inch barrel, which the U.S. Army purchased in large numbers. That’s why the gang was able to swipe them during their National Guard robberies.
When the situation called for it, Clyde also liked to use the shotgun. Bonnie reportedly created a special pair of trousers for him with a hidden, tear-away zipper running down one pantleg. This allowed him to keep the Model 11 next to his leg, holding the pistol grip through a hole in the pocket. He could then raise the gun and fire from the hip in one swift motion before anyone even knew he was holding a shotgun. The baggy pants were in style, yet practical.
The Guns that Killed Bonnie and ClydeBonnie and Clyde’s story ended as violently as they lived—perhaps more so. Six well-armed men, including Frank Hamer, ambushed their car on Highway 154 between Gibsland and Sailes in Louisiana.
Hamer was carrying a semi-auto Remington Model 8 rifle. He fired the first shot, which went through the windshield of the couple’s car and hit Clyde in the head. The posse opened up with various rifles, including Hinton’s Colt Monitor. When the rifles were empty, they picked up loaded shotguns. When those ran dry, they shot their pistols until the car rolled into a ditch.
The vehicle was swiss-cheesed with bullet holes. The bodies of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, dead on the bench seat of their stolen Ford, had been hit 43 times. Bonnie was 23. Clyde was 24.
One reason it wasn't adopted by the U.S. Military is because during the trials they said the report was like that of a 37mm gun.
In an effort to increase firepower, Dillinger had two magazines welded together.
When Clyde talked about his “scattergun,” he was referring to the BAR, not a shotgun, because when he started shooting, everyone scattered. He shortened the barrel and gas tube on his BARs and preferred custom magazines made from two BAR mag bodies welded together with a 40-round capacity
I modified two mags by brazing re-enforcing plates, this is much sturdier than trying to weld/braze the thin magazine walls together.
But people seem to like to weld the walls together even though it's a lot more work.
When Clyde talked about his “scattergun,” he was referring to the BAR, not a shotgun, because when he started shooting, everyone scattered. He shortened the barrel and gas tube on his BARs and preferred custom magazines made from two BAR mag bodies welded together with a 40-round capacity
I modified two mags by brazing re-enforcing plates, this is much sturdier than trying to weld/braze the thin magazine walls together.
But people seem to like to weld the walls together even though it's a lot more work.
Getting rid of the HCAR picatinny rail and installing original WWII rear BAR sight. The screws holding it in were smothered in red loctite and peened over. I had to drill them out. The muzzle brake was on so tight I was flexing the barrel trying to remove it. I had to cut that off too. I can't get the stock extension off and will have to wait till Monday to talk to their tech guys to find out how that's held on.
Front sight and muzzle brake
Front sight and muzzle brake
Grip assembly done, working on buttstock and buffer system.
Before pic
Before pic
Making the forend
The original
In progress
Finished
The original
In progress
Finished
Co-pilot has this to say:
The forend on the Colt R80 Monitor was designed with law enforcement in mind, making it distinct from the M1918 BAR, which was primarily a military weapon. Here are some key differences:
- Purpose and Ergonomics: The Colt Monitor's forend was shorter and more streamlined to improve handling and maneuverability in close-quarters situations, which were common for law enforcement. In contrast, the M1918 BAR had a longer forend designed for stability during sustained fire in battlefield conditions.
- Weight and Portability: The Monitor was lighter overall, with a shorter barrel and forend, making it easier to carry and use without a bipod. The M1918 BAR, on the other hand, was heavier and often used with a bipod for support3.
- Material and Design: The Monitor's forend was simplified and optimized for shoulder firing, while the M1918 BAR's forend was bulkier, reflecting its role as a squad automatic weapon1.
I don’t have a monitor, but I do have a Ohio ordnance m1918, what a blast to shoot, those were some tough men that carried them. Enjoying the updates.
Going to try and make the dust cover...not sure it's worth it. This is an easy way to spot a fake Monitor, as used in "Highwaymen". In converting the 1918 BAR to a Monitor, most do the obvious stock, pistol grip, forend and muzzle brake mods, but stop at the more complicated dust cover.
"Highwaymen" modified m1918
.
"Highwaymen" modified m1918
.
Buttstock reshaped and finished
Decided to do a "hard use" finish, now I have to beat the hell out of this hand rubbed walnut and re-oil after some special finishing.
Rebuilt this original 1918 rear sight with early V notch slider.
Original 1918 front sight.
Before picture of dust cover.
Decided to do a "hard use" finish, now I have to beat the hell out of this hand rubbed walnut and re-oil after some special finishing.
Rebuilt this original 1918 rear sight with early V notch slider.
Original 1918 front sight.
Before picture of dust cover.
Dust cover fabrication complete.
Original R80
Before
Finished fabrication
Function test
Original R80
Before
Finished fabrication
Function test
Base coat of Glacier Silver done. Waiting on Graphite Black for the next coat to give the "used" look. "Wear" applied to wood, to match the "used" look of the gun.
Bare metal look applied to metal parts.
"Used" look to finish of wood.
Bare metal look applied to metal parts.
"Used" look to finish of wood.
Modifying an Ohio Ordnance M1918 would have been much easier...and way more authentic. The HCR was literally 2.5K cheaper. For that price I have to sacrifice a correct barrel and receiver profile. The HCAR has a dimpled barrel, i.e. fluting, and lightening cuts in the receiver. I have considered milling off the raised ridges from the lightening cuts in the receiver. I think the receiver would still be strong enough. The dimpled barrel is a perhaps insurmountable problem short of just replacing the barrel which I don't want to do. I am considering adding a heat shield or some type of sleeve to hide the dimples.
Did a little research today on building a .458 Garand. Then looked at building a semi-auto .458 on any platform. I think this is a VJJ Punisher skill level project. On the practical side, the .458 and 30-06 are exactly the same overall length. The .30-06 has higher pressures than the .458, so there isn't an issue with the receiver or recoil system being strong enough...in theory.. The bolt head would have to be opened up to accept the larger cartridge base, but that's pretty simple. The bolt locks into the receiver, not the barrel, so again, no modification needed. I guess I could probably do it, but it has the potential to become a money pit.
I may have just talked myself into it...and I believe I have an extra Garand laying around...or M1a
I may have just talked myself into it...and I believe I have an extra Garand laying around...or M1a
I considered Devcon, Acraglas and welding. I've repaired pits and gouges in metal before using all three. Devcon and Acraglas always leave a tell- tale outline. Welding can be done to where it is completely undetectable but you're really changing the metallurgy and are probably going to destroy accuracy. This is going to be a more or less Colt R80 sort of inspired copy so I'm just going to leave the barrel as is and maybe hide with a heat shield, which does no harm and is period appropriate...plus it will look bad-ass.
