time. From 1951 to 1954, both Harrington & Richardson and International Harvester Corporation joined the Armory in M1 production, » ‘each adding about 450,000 guns to the impressive production total. By the time the U.S. Army finally dropped M1 production in May, 1957, almost six million had been made in the United States alone. In addition to the 20-year U.S. production run, Beretta made about 100,000 M1s under license in Italy from 1952 to 1958. a The M1 Garand proved its worth i World War Il, greatly augmenting the firepower of U.S. infantry units equipped with it. Most Axis soldiers stil carried obsolescent bott-action rifles and found themselves at a great disadvantage when faced with the faster-fring Garands. After World War Il, the United States government sold or gave millions of M1 Garands to various allied countries around the world. It remained Standard A in the U.S. armed forces until 1957, at which time the M14 theoretically replaced it. As M14 production took several years to come on stream, M1 Garands actually served the U.S. armed forces until well into the 1960s. The M1 Garand remained in service in foreign armies for decades longer and may still be found in various parts of the world, notably Asia, The M1 Garand is strong, reliable and surprisingly accurate. Though large (43% inches long and weighing 9% pounds unloaded), it’s well- balanced and quite pleasant to shoot in 30-06 caliber on account of its gas- operated action. The rifle has a Winchester Ballistic S7 ie, The M1 Garand (bottom) and the M1 Carbine (top) complemented each other well during World War Il and can do the same today. M1 Garand 306¢ Hornady Mad, Even standard-issue M1 Garands can show surprisingly good accuracy. Less than 2 minutes of angle (2 inches at 100 yards) is good shooting by any standard. National Match, M1D and other specially accurized types do even better. number of other user-friendly features. The sights, for instance, are outstanding. The front sight, a sturdy post, is all but indestructible thanks to a sturdy protective “ear” raised on either side of it. The rear sight is an equally rugged and well-protected aperture ("peep") sight, adjustable for both windage and elevation. The manual safety appears in the forward edge of the triggerguard. It moves back to its safe setting, partly blocking the trigger finger’s access to the trigger, and forward to its fire position. ‘Only with the hammer cocked can the manual safety go into its rearmost (‘safe") position, thereby providing an indication of the rifle's state of readiness to fire. The shooter can also look into a slot in the receiver's right side to determine ifthe rifle's hammer Is cocked or uncocked. The manual safety’s position has no effect on movement of the rifle’s operating handle, thereby allowing the shooter to load and unload the rifle while keeping the safety set on safe, an excellent feature. Moreover, the manual safety’s location allows both left-handed and right-handed shooters to use the M1 Garand equally well. | consider the Garand rifle’s sights and safety system to be among the best ever made. The M1 Garand's one shortcoming relates to its ammunition feed. Inspired by the Mannlicher-type clip feed used in early French self-loading rifles, the M1 Garand clip only holds eight rounds of ammunition and ejects noisily from the receiver when the last round is fired. The rifle cannot function without the ‘SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 41The M1 Garand’s manual safety Is one of the most convenient designs ever developed. Pushed back into the trigger as shown, it partially blocks the shooter's trigger finger from either side and locks the firing mechanism. (Right) The Jate-issue M1 Carbine's manual safety is a rotary unit that points toward the trigger when in its firing position. M1 GARAND clip in place. On the positive side, the clip is appreciably more compact than the box magazines used in modern assault rifles, This allows clips to be stored readily in a pocket and allows the shooter to handle the M1 more easily in dense brush and some shooting positions, such as prone, than rifles like the G3, FAL, AK-47 and M14. Moreover, the M1 Garand's clip does away with a spring, which may lose compression when kept loaded for along time, which is always a problem with a box magazine. ‘The M1 Garand remains a useful rifle today. It’s rugged and sturdy, and it fires a useful (and widely available) cartridge with commendable accuracy and reliability. Even many beat-up- looking M1 rifles shoot surprisingly well, and a variety of spare parts is available to bring the rare poorly performing one back up to snuff. M1 CARBINE Compared with the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine took far less time to develop once the Army got serious about it. However, it took some time for the Army to realize the potential that existed for a short, handy, fast- M1 Carbines made after mid-194: 42 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII featured an added bayonet lug assembly, which often got added later to carbines built before the change. firing “light rifle.” Experiments ‘conducted during World War | using commercial Winchester semi- automatic rifles convinced U.S. Army planners that such a rifle would serve support troops better than the more powerful (and, consequently, larger and heavier) standard service rifle. The 30-06 cartridge would not be needed, as support troops required only a short-range weapon for self-defense in emergencies. Despite the Army's interest, pursuit of the carbine concept flickered during the postwar years, as research and developmental money dwindled away. In 1937, the US. Army briefly revived the concept, then shelved it once more. In 1940, with war renewed in Europe, the Army again pushed the carbine idea, this, time with a vigor born of desperation. The first step was to create suitable ammunition for a light rifle. The Ordnance Department and Winchester modified the popular commercial Winchester .32 WSL cartridge. By reducing the bullet weight from 165 to 110 grains and increasing muzzle velocity from 1,450 to almost 2,000 feet per second, they created a more potent round with minimal redesign effort. Events moved quickly from that point. With the 30 M1 Carbine round standardized in ‘September, 1940, the Army canvassed manufacturers to request suitable rifle designs in October, 1940. A number of guns were tested before Winchester’s clever gas-operated, The M1 Carbine’s reloading system taps gas from the barrel to force back a short-stroke piston (pointer). The piston strikes a slide (left of pointer) to eject, cock and reload. The slide also has an operating handle (not visible here) attached to its right side to enable the shooter to load and cock the rifle manually for the first shot. short-stroke prototype arrived at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland in August, 1941. The Winchester design outstripped all competitors, including one submitted by John Garand, to receive Army approval in September, 1941 in addition to Winchester, 10 other manufacturers built M1 Carbines during the war to the tune of more than six million rifles. Before the advent of the M16 series, the M1 Carbine was the most prolific. American small arm ever made. The Mi Carbine became an immediate hit with the troops, its short overall length of about 5% inches and its light weight of just 5% pounds making it both handy to carry and fast in operation. Its dynamic handling and performance made it a favored weapon in many applications. Faithful to its original design objectives, the M1 Carbine indeed proved a trustworthy companion and lifesaver to vehicle operators, support troops, artillerymen and others for whom aContrary to popular legend, the M1 Carbine is actually quite accurate within 150 to 200 yards or so. standard rifle would have been an encumbrance. However, early in the M1 Carbine’s service, it also becamé an offensive weapon. Paratroopers in particular came to favor the carbine for its high firepower at close ranges. ‘Though the .30 carbine round rapidly lost power beyond 200 yards or s0, most combat occurred within such range, and the rifle’s light weight and rapid rate of fire more than ‘compensated. Eventually a specialized version—the folding-stock M1A1— appeared in 1944 for airborne use. ‘More than 100,000 M1A1s were made before production stopped in 1945. The M2, a variant capable of fully automatic fire, also appeared in 1944. Though only about 250,000 M2s were made, armorers converted many thousands more semi-automatic-only M1s to M2 standard using a 117 conversion kit developed for such a purpose. Another change made in 1944 involved adapting the M1 Carbine to use a bayonet called the M4, and most older M1s that were returned to armorers for rebuilding acquired the hardware. Though the United States government stopped buying The M1 Carbine can use either 15-round box magazines (shown next to gun) or 30-round magazines (in gun). Later models included an attachment lug for the M4 bayonet. M1 Carbines in 1945, the little rifle has remained extremely popular among shooters and collectors. Like the M1 Garand, the Mt Carbine continued in military service well beyond World War Il, many being used in combat in Vietnam and Central America, where the gun’s light weight and high rate of fire made it popular among small-statured troops. Several manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad made accessories and even complete guns of the M1 Carbine type. Like the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine remains widely available, and spare parts and gunsmithing aren't hard to come by. The little rifle is quite accurate to 100 yards and hits with some authority at that distance. About as powerful as a powerful magnum revolver, the M1 Carbine is appreciably easier to shoot. It accepts 5-, 10-, 15- or 30-round magazines, the first two being postwar developments and the latter two being the military standard. Personally, | prefer the 15 rounders, which are short and handy, but the 30- round magazines, initially developed for the M2, also work well. Also like the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine features good sights, most using a click-adjustable rear peep combined with a protected front post. Regrettably, the M1 Carbine’s manual safety isn’t quite as good as the Garand rifle’s. The M1 Carbine, depending on its age, has either a crossbolt push-button safety (early) or a rotary manual safety (in later production). The first type could be mistaken for the nearby magazine release with potentially fatal results if, instead of putting the little gun in position to fire, it dumped the magazine ‘on the ground. The rotary-style safety lever selected to replace it doesn't share this particular problem but isn't especially handy, even for a right- handed shooter. The easiest way to remember how it works is to recall that it points back, toward the trigger, when ready to fire and down, away from the trigger, when on its safe setting. Loaded with Winchester 110-grain hollowpoint bullets, which expand on impact, an M1 Carbine, despite its ‘age, would be hard to beat as a fast- firing home defense gun. Just don't take it beyond its range and power limitations, and you'll do fine with it. ‘The M1 Garand and M1 Carbine are both well-designed and well-made rifles. Thoroughly tested in combat, they offer useful features and performance that remain more than acceptable over a half-century after thelr introduction. Ammunition, spare parts and gunsmithing services abound for these popular and well- distributed guns. . Like the M1 Garand, the M1 ciel Carbine features a rugged front sight with protective cars on elther side. It's unlikely to get bent or broken off, The rear sight features windage and elevation adjustments, and uses an aperture near the shooter's eye for rapid and accurate sight alignment in combat. ‘SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 43WHEN JUDGED IN TERMS OF ITS SERVICE, THIS OFTEN-OVERLOOKED HANDGUN STICKS OUT AMONG THE BEST EVER. BY GENE GANGAROSA JR. Beretta's sk a person knowledgeable about firearms to list his choices of the classic service handguns and you're likely to get some predictable answers. Colt's Government Model or Model 1911 is aname likely to come up, as is Luger or P.38 or, for those who favor revolvers, Webley or Smith & Wesson Military & Police. A name not likely to come up, at least not at first, is Beretta’s Model 951. Yet it qualifies. The Model 951 has seen issue by a number of military and police forces and has a rich history of combat service. Moreover, it enjoys an excellent reputation for high performance, its ruggedness. Model 951: The Forgotten Classic 44 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII at PHOTOCOURTESY OF BERETTA Members of the Italian antiterrorist group NOCS cross a bridge during a training exercise. In addition to their Beretta-made Model 12 submachine guns, these men carry Model 951 pistols. accuracy and reliability all being well- documented. Furthermore, the Model 951 has appeared in several versions, has been made in several countries and remains in production in at least one of them. CREATION OF THE MODEL 951 Prior to World War Il, Beretta was making a fortune selling its compact .380-caliber Model 1934 pistol to the Italian army and foreign armed forces. This was a well-designed and well- made handgun that gave excellent service for decades. However, as early as 1938, Beretta's design people, led by aged patriarch Pietro Beretta (1870-1957) and his right-hand man, firearms genius Tullio Marengoni (1881-1965), realized that the military sidearm of the future would be a larger ‘automatic pistol firing a more powerful cartridge. Based on the growingWalther's P.38 (top) strongly influenced the Model 951’s design features (bottom), particularly its method of locking and unlocking the breech. popularity of submachine guns around the world, Marengoni forecast an increasing interest in the 9mm Parabellum cartridge for both submachine guns and pistols. Beretta directed Marengoni to develop both a ‘9mm Parabellum submachine gun and an automatic pistol suitable for nilitary service in Italy that, hopefully, ‘would attract foreign sales as well. Marengoni went to work and in 1938 unveiled the new 9mm Parabellum weapons, both called the Modello (Model) 1938. The submachine gun became a great success for the company. It acquired an enviable reputation during World War Il and remained in continuous production until 1961 The Model 1938 pistol, however, flopped after only a handful of prototypes were made. Mechanically, it suffered from being nothing more than a slightly enlarged Model 1934, using the same unlocked breech (blowback) mechanism. It had all the Model 1934’s problems, including a stiff trigger, recoil spring and slide, a magazine that was difficult to withdraw, no slide stop and an awkward manual safety. Indeed, because the Model 1938 used the more powerful 9mm Parabellum cartridge, it had all the Model 1934's problems in greatly increased measure. Recoil was severe, accuracy was dreadful, and nobody was interested. Meanwhile, Marengoni had ‘other more pressing tasks to attend to, so the Model 1938 pistol project got shelved. World War Il intervened, and it was not until the late 1940s that the Beretta company again gave thought to creating a 9mm Parabellum handgun. By 1950, Beretta was ready to undertake a 9mm Parabellum pistol project again. An experimental Model 1950 pistol looked much like the prewar Model 1938 except that it featured an improved magazine release consisting of a push button located on the lower left comer of the grip. The Model 1950 also featured a slightly elongated hammer, the shape facilitating thumb-cocking compared with the earlier round type. The grip acquired a slight rearward rake, which improved its pointing qualities. The prototype pistol also received a slide hold-open latch, the first time a Beretta pistol had been so equipped. Regrettably, the Model 1950 lacked the one thing it really needed to be a successful 9mm Parabellum pistol—it had no breech-locking mechanism and thus required a very stiff recoil spring, the chief undoing of the failed pistol of 1938, Despite the disappointments, Beretta remained committed to developing a 9mm Parabellum pistol suitable for military service against the day when the Italian and foreign armed forces would seek to upgrade their armaments. Consequently, two new Model 1950 prototypes appeared near the end of 1950. Both had locked breeches. One used a Browning-type lock, in which the rear end of the barrel tipped down out of engagement with the slide as they recoiled backward. The other experimental pistol featured a locking system based on that of the wartime German Walther P38, a pistol with which the Italians, wartime allies tumned-eneries of the Germans, were all too familiar. In this locking system, as the barrel moves rearward during recoil, a block underneath the barrel falls down into an abutment in the frame, separating itself from the barrel, which continues rearward until the spent cartridge casing is thrown SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 45PHOTO COURTESY OF PIETRO BERETTAS PA. BERETTA M951 clear of the firing chamber, at which point a recoil spring that had been compressed during the barrel’s rearward trip reasserts itself to force the barrel forward again and complete the operating cycle. Marengoni and his design team decided that the Walther-style breech lock was the better choice with the open-topped slide typical of Beretta design, so they incorporated this into the Model 951. The earliest Model 951s also featured a lightweight frame made of a proprietary aluminum alloy the company called “Ergal.” The Model 1934-type manual safety was eliminated in favor of a crossbolt- type push button that moves to the right to allow the pistol to fire and to the left to block the sear and prevent fring. A disassembly latch appears on the right side of the pistol, just above the triggerguard. Pushing this latch forward in the direction of the word smontaggio, which is Italian for “disassemble,” allows the side to be eased forward off the frame. Inline with contemporary military thought, the Model 951 retained a traditional single-action trigger rather than going to a double- action trigger ike the P38 used. 46 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII vintage ow This pre-production Model 951 had wooden grips and a slightly shorter slide and longer barrel, but the essential details of the series-production Model 951 were already in place. The aluminum alloy frame was lighter than the usual steel frame. ____ BERETTA MODEL 954 FAMILY SPECIFICATIONS M951 Alloy Frame M951 Standard" ‘M9514, Overall length: 8.0 inches Barrel length: 4.5 inches Weight: 25.4 ounces Caliber/capacity: — Smm/8 rounds B.0inches 9.0 inches 4.5 inches 5.5 inches. 31.4 ounces 46.0 ounces ‘Smnv6 rounds 9mmv8, 10, 15 ‘or 20 rounds ‘standard= commercial version/ltalian armed forces version with steel frame ‘The early Model 1951 was ready by 1951, or so Beretta thought. Then disaster struck. Italian armed forces testing revealed that the alloy frame, which gave the gun a desirable low ‘weight of just over 25 ounces unloaded, was not strong enough. Recoil was greater than desired, too. After selling about one hundred alloy-framed Model 1951 pistols to Colombia, Beretta reluctantly withdrew the new gun from the market for reengineering, Beretta mm Parabellum - 0.10 Late in the Mode! 951’s Italian production run, the company briefly mooted the “Mode! 104” designation, as seen on this 1970- ’s manual, in an apparent attempt to disguise the pistol’s age. Redesigning the frame in steel took time, and the unloaded we 31.4 ounces. However, the modified pistol balanced better, was much stronger and was more pleasant to shoot. In 1955 Beretta placed the reworked gun into full production, albeit ina slightly modified form, for the Egyptian armed forces. The Egyptian variant, though it had the new steel frame, differed somewhat, from the standard Model 951 later sold to the Italian military and ‘commercially around the world, This early Egyptian version had a straight backstrap, grips attached with two screws on each side and a P38-style magazine release on the heel of the grip, as well as a P.38-style lanyard loop on the bottom corner of the left grip. Moreover, the Egyptian contract pistol had a slightly longer barrel than usual and taller sights. Total production at the Beretta factory for the Egyptians is thought to have exceeded 50,000 units. In 1956, Beretta resubmitted its improved al-steel Model 951 to the Italian armed forces for testing. The Italians accepted this, pistol as a service standard in 1957, and it remains in use today, though supplemented by the later Beretta Model 92. The Italian service model became the standard Model 951 variant still seen around the world. Unlike the Egyptian contract pistol, the standard Model 951 uses a ribbed P.38-style grip with curved backstrap. It has two buttons on the left grip, the top one being a sear- blocking manual safety, while the lower button serves as a magazine release. Compared with the Egyptian ‘gun, the barrel protrudes only slightly beyond the slide, and the sights are smaller and lower. The Model 951’s traditional “Beretta-look” open- rose ToPHOTO COURTESY OF PIETRO BERETTA SPA, topped slide contributes to reliability, as empty cartridge casings eject without any interference. After being bought by the Egyptian and Italian armed forces, the Model 951 received great respect around the world and ended up being issued by a number of military and police forces. Though it never seriously challenged the FN Hi-Power or the Walther P38 for a dominant market share, it became regionally important in the Middle East, being adopted for military and police use by the Israelis, the Tunisians, the Iraqis and the Lebanese, among others. In Africa, the large countries of Nigeria and the ‘Sudan adopted the Model 951, and in the Western Hemisphere, the island nation of Haiti adopted it. ‘THE MODEL 951 IN COMBAT Model 951s have seen use in the Arab-Israeli wars of 1956, 1967 and 1973, and in the fighting in Lebanon. They were also service issue on both sides in the 1991 Gulf War, being issued on the Coalition side to the Egyptians and Sudanese and being a standard iraqi service pistol. Combat experience with the Model 951 has confirmed its great reliability and accuracy. Its one drawback has been the awkward operation of the manual safety. The Israelis bypass the manual safety altogether by mandating empty-chamber carry of their automatic pistols and arming them by pulling back the slide immediately prior to engaging their This Model 951, made in 1956 at the beginning of the Egyptian contract, uses a steel frame and has the changes requested by the Egyptian armed forces: a straighter grip, a P.38-style bottom magazine release and left-side lanyard loop, and checkered grips. target in the Sykes-Fairbairn method popularized during World War Il. Used In this way, the Model 951 works as well as any pistol. MODEL 951 VARIANTS, Like most successful firearm designs that stay in production a long time, the basic Model 951 appeared in a number of variant versions. In addition to the original alloy-ramed lightweight Model 951, the Egyptian contract model and the standard commercial/italian service model, Beretta created two machine-pistol variants—the models 951A and 951R—which saw limited service with Italian counterterrorist units. To withstand the pounding of fully automatic fire, these machine pistols incorporated a lengthened barrel, a heavier slide and hammer, and a rate- of-fire reducer (a weight on the frame that brought the cyclic rate of fire down from an uncontrollable 1,200 to 1,800 rounds per minute to an almost- controllable 750 to 800 rounds per minute). They also had a front handgrip to help the operator hold down the barrel during fully automatic fire, In the Model 951A, the handarip was plastic and folded back against the frame when not in use, allowing the weapon to be used in semi- automatic mode as a regular pistol. In contrast, the 951R's forward handgrip, made of wood, remained fixed in its downward position at all times. While both machine-pistol models could use standard eight-shot Model 951 Model 951-type pistols have a front sight undersized by modern standards. In keeping with the fashion of the time, the sights have no dots or other highlights. The rear sight is also too narrow and too low for optimum shooting, and the trigger pull is quite heavy. ‘Nevertheless, the pistol can shoot with impressive accuracy. magazines at a cyclic rate of over 750 rounds per minute, these emptied in a hurry; therefore, lengthened magazines of 10, 15 and, in the 951A only, even 20 rounds were generally used instead. Interestingly, neither machine-pistol variant came with a detachable shoulder stock, a device usually found on such weapons. Beretta also made two target- shooting versions of the Model 951 ‘The first of these appeared in 1957 during Beretta’s work on the Egyptian contract and received the name “Berhama’ in honor of the Egyptian officer who suggested it. This featured longer barrel, with atarget-style front sight attached to it rather than to the slide, a fully adjustable rear sight and contoured checkered wooden grips. In 1971, Beretta created the Model 952 Special with the Berhama’s features but chambered it for 7.65mm Parabellum (.30 Luger) rather than 9mm Parabellum. That same year, Beretta also introduced a standard Model 951-type pistol in 7.65mm Parabellum (.30 Luger) caliber, calling it the Model 952. This sold in places lke Italy and Brazil, where weapons in SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. Vil 47BERETTA military calibers are forbidden to private citizens, but is rare in the United States, where most consider the .30 Luger round an oddity. Ironically, in 1975, near the end of the Model 951°s long Italian production run, the Beretta company reintroduced an alloy- framed Model 951. To improve durability from the original variant, these lightweight models incorporated the Model 951A’s heavier slide. Beretta offered this to the Italian police, who found it interesting but decided to wait until Beretta had perfected its more advanced follow- on design, the double-action Model 92, which was already in development and which entered series production just two years later. As Italian and foreign orders gradually dried up and Beretta put forward its own newer Model 92 as the logical replacement, Beretta stopped making the Model 951 in May, 1983. The Model 92 Type M, a compact eight-shot variant of the double-action Model 92 service pistol, took over the Model 951's spot in the company's product line. Though the Type M is appreciably wider than the Model 951, Beretta believes its double-action trigger mechanism and improved ambidextrous safety/decocking lever ‘compensate for the increase in size. The Model 951's hammer, a slightly elongated circle, offers a good compromise between ease of cocking and providing a smooth profile unlikely to catch or snag. The ‘checkered button is the manual safety. 48 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII Baretta ast/ Het Horrsie RP Top KHO M951 ae The Mode! 951-type pistol’s small sights and heavy trigger pull caused the 50-foot offhand target to open up quite a bit, but 2.3 inches is still a perfectly acceptable result at this distance. The pistols can also perform well in bench-rest shooting from 25 yards. FOREIGN PRODUCTION Several countries negotiated a production license for the Mode! 951. The first of these was Egypt. In the early 1960s, the Maadi Company for Engineering Industries, located in Cairo, introduced a variant identical to the standard Italian service/commercial version except for markings. Called the “Helwan,” this pistol, imported first by Steyr and later by Interarms, is quite Popular in the United States as a low- cost alternative to the Beretta Mode! 92. During the early 1990s, Navy Arms also briefly imported surplus Egyptian Model 951 pistols made by Beretta for the original 1955 contract. These pistols tended to be in rough shape and are no longer available from Navy ‘Arms, but you may encounter them at gun shows and in gun stores. The Helwan started out with a high-polish blue finish like the Model 951 itself, but more recently a dull military blue finish has predominated. However, the Maadi Company has also offered a variety of fancier finishes, including high-polish blue and even chrome, silver and gold plating, Ironically, the Helwan competed with the Italian-made Model 951 in international sales; for instance, virtually all the Sudan's Model 951- type pistols are actually Helwans, and the Israelis captured many Helwan pistols in two wars with the Egyptians, therefore purchasing fewer from Italy. Most Model 951-type pistols in the United States are of Egyptian manufacture. During the early 1960s, the Nigerians also obtained a production license to enable them to produce Model 951-type pistols locally, but no Nigerian-marked pistols have been reported. Most likely Nigeria's internal problems, which culminated in a civil war from 1967 to 1970, led them to abandon the project. In 1976-1977, Iraq bought production licenses from Beretta for the Model 951 and the Model 70 .32- caliber pocket pistol. The Iraqis called both models the “Tariq,” after the Muslim general who conquered Gibraltar in the year 711. While rougher than the Italian production in surface finish, the Tariq reportedly works well. Coalition forces captured number of them during the Gulf War. Model 951-type pistols also come out of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where local gunsmiths create, to order, mostly handmade copies of virtually any gun a customer desires in such places as the famous gunsmithing city of Darra, Pakistan. These guns, which usually look pretty good, often imitating slide markings The Model 951’s manual safety moves slightly to the right to release the sear and ready the pistol for firing. The safety button clicks into this position, and a red mark painted around its bottom indicates that the safety is released and the gun can be fired. The easiest way for a right-handed shooter to release the safety is to push it to the right using the joint of his right thumb, as shown below. ——With the exception of Beretta’s early Egyptian-contract pistols, the Model 951's magazine release, like the safety, is usually 2 push-button type located on the left grip. Note also the magazine extension and the lanyard loop. and even proofmarks, feature questionable metallurgy and dubious reliability or safety. | would advise against firing any handmade Asian copy of this or any other firearm. ‘STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES The Model 951 balances and points well, is pleasant to fire, and can be extremely accurate. It feeds, fires and ejects all kinds of 9mm Parabellum ammunition with flawless reliability. It disassembles easily for cleaning. Small, light and flat enough for concealed carry if necessary, it's also strong enough to take the poundings that service pistols ordinarily undergo. Weak points of the Model 951 design include undersized sights. While better than those used on the Model 1934, the Model 951's sights are still inadequate in all but the brightest ight. The trigger pulls, quite rough and gritty, though ‘once again ts an improvement ‘on that ofthe company's Model 1934, Some shooters also disike the spur on the bottom of PHOTO COURTESY OF PIETRO BERETTA SPA smooth and low profile, people frequently find it awkward to operate. The best way fora right-handed shooter to set the safety button in its fire setting is to use the inside portion of the knuckle of his shooting-hand thumb, rather than the thumb tip, to push it off. The safety doesn’t have far to go and makes a slight clicking sound as it disengages. A left-handed shooter like me is pretty well out of luck in terms of cocked and locked carry with a Model 951, but | like the gun just the same. Interestingly, Beretta's contemporary Model 70 pocket pistol started out * with the same push-button safety as the Model 951 but was then redesigned to include a Model 1911- type safety instead. Regrettably, the Model 951 never received that desirable redesign. ‘THE MODEL 951 TODAY Beretta sold the Model 951 commercially as the Brigadier and Model 104 pistols. The pistol enjoyed a modest but loyal following around the world until Beretta quit promoting it in the late 1970s to focus attention. on its new double-action Model 92 pistol. A late reference in a U.S. trade publication, dated 1975, lists the Model 951/Brigadier at $199, compared with a suggested retail of the magazine, ast constitutes a protrusion that could possibly Impede a quick draw. These weak points pale, though, in the face of the chief objection to the Model 951 This centers on the push- button manual safety system While it presents a desirably The Model 951A machine pistol, shown here, and the similar Model 951R saw limited use with Italian special forces. Modifications for fully automatic fire include a heavier, sturdier slide, a folding front handgrip, a rate-reducing mechanism next to the grip tang and an extended magazine. The fire selector appears on the right side of the frame and does not show in this view. ——_ Unlike the more recent Model 92-series pistols, the Model 951’s extractor, shown here, does not double as a loaded-chamber indicator by protruding slightly from the slide. The pistol here has a loaded chamber, but one cannot tell from looking at the extractor. The pistol’s classically Beretta open-topped slide is apparent in this view. $235 for the competing Walther P38. Interestingly, at its 1977 introduction, the considerably more complicated Beretta Model 92 cost quite a bit more than the Model 951; Stoeger’s 1978 Shooter's Bible lists the Model 92 at $365 and the P.38 at $400. Fortunately for Model 951 fans, the Egyptians took up the slack left by the Model 951's departure with the Helwan pistol. This model was significantly less expensive than the Model 951, retailing in the $250 range during much of the time Interarms carried it. In 1997, after Interarms dropped the Helwan pistol from its product line, Maadi introduced the Cadet, a Model- 951 variant with a better-quality blued finish. The Cadet remains available, most recently being offered by KY Imports in Louisville, Kentucky. The Model 951's design Influences also live on in Spain's Llama Models 82 and 87 pistols and in Italy's fabulously successful Model 92 series. In fact, one might think of the Model 92 as a Model 951 brought up to date with the latest features: a double-action trigger mechanism, a high-capacity magazine, improved operating controls, better sights and an alloy frame to save weight. A\ittle-known but classic design with a rich history, the Model 951 remains a perfectly viable military or self-defense pistol. Still commonly encountered in various parts of the world, the Model 951, or some variant thereof, certainly deserves an honored place in any serious handgun collection, . SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 49All About The SKS Carbine ‘The SKS-45 is a semi-automatic short rifle developed for military use in the former Soviet Union during World War Il. IT’S FUN TO SHOOT AND RED-HOT IN THE COLLECTIBLES MARKET RIGHT NOW. By Joe Poyer friend of mine recently observed a man at a local gun show sifting through a rack of SKS Carbines and quizzing the proprietor closely. After watching him shake his head and move away, my friend said to me, “What could he possibly have been looking for? if you've seen one SKS, you've seen them all” “Not 80," | responded. “The SKS Carbine was the old Communist Bloc’s M1 Carbine, and it has almost as many variations. He snorted, but | persisted. "You've just never bothered to look at them closely, and you might be losing out. The SKS was developed in the Soviet Union during World War Il to replace the Tokarev SVT38/40 semi-automatic rifle, one of Joe Stalin's lesser mistakes. It was even used in combat on the Eastern Front by elements of the First Byelorussian Front Army uring the assault into Germany.” “Yeah, but most of them were made in China. So how good can they be?’ I concluded my case: “if you look at the military models manufactured there from 1966 into the early 1980s, you will see that the quality is. 50 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII excellent. Some of the later commercial production SKS Carbines aren't up to those early standards, but they are the exception, not the rule.” 'm not sure | convinced my friend, who collects American military firearms ofthe 19th and 20th centuries, but then | used to feel that way myself before | acquired an early Vietnam bring-back SKS some years ago. ‘THE NEGLECTED COLLECTIBLE My first opportunity to shoot that SKS Carbine came during a camping trip in the deserts of Southern California back in the late 1970s, long before the SKS Carbine was plentiful in this country. The vet | acquired it from had picked it up after a sharp firefight in the Ah Shah Valley in 1967. He knew little about any firearm at the time—except for his new M16 rifle— and he thought the attached folding bayonet a real curiosity. When he rotated back to the States afew months later, he was able to bring the SKS Carbine home as a war souvenir. It was of Chinese manufacture and equipped with a sling swivel on the left side of the buttstock, indicating it was intended to be used by mounted troops. Obviously, it had been supplied by the People's Republic of China as wartime aid without regard for the fact that neither the Vietcong nor the North Vietnamese Army were known to have used horses. At that time the M43 cartridge was pretty much unknown in this country; the rife rested idly ina closet during the intervening years. From that camping trip, l recall quite clearly how wellit shot. Even with ancient Chinese military surplus M43 ammunition of unknown vintage, | placed five shots in a three- inch circle from a rest at 100 yards. I do not recall one failure to fire as we all took turns shooting up the ammunition that | had scrapped together. | was impressed enough that over the years | made it a point to assemble as much information about the SKS as I could, which culminated in a book that | cowrote with Steve Kehaya, manager of product development fora large firearms importing concern What Steve and | had both discovered over the years was the wide number of variations in what at first glance would seem a pretty standard firearm. We also watched the price of the SKS Carbine double, then triple, after the Clinton, Administration embargoed all further imports by Executive Order. Allin all, the SKS now enjoys plentiful but ultimately limited numbers, official White House displeasure, and numerous variations —the exact requirements for a collectible firearm!‘SKS CARBINE SPECIFICATIONS Operating system: ‘Semi-automatic, gas bled from fired cartridge Caliber: 7.62x39mm M43 Capacity: 10in fixed box magazine Overall length, bayonet extended: 49.6 inches Overall length, bayonet folded: 40.2 inches Barrel length: 20.5 inches Bore diameter: 300 inches (7,62mm) Groove diameter: “811 inches (7.0mm) Muzzle velocity: 2,410fps ‘Weight, unloaded, fe bayonet: 8.50 Ibs ‘Weight, unloaded, ‘cruciform bayonet: 8.20 bs ‘Specifications apply to the SKS Carbine as manufactured at Tula Arsenal. ‘Slight variation in measurements and weights will be observed in those manufactured in other countries. - ORIGINS The SKS Carbine grew out of a rivalry between two of the Soviet Union's greatest firearms designers, Sergei Gavrilovitch Simonov and Fedor Vasilevich Tokarev. As early as the end of the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, the Ordnance Department of the Imperial Russian Army had recognized that the future of small arms in modern warfare lay with a lightweight repeating rifle that fired a ‘small- to medium-caliber cartridge. However, the revolutions of 1905 and 1917 and the resulting civil war delayed all but the most modest efforts to develop such arifle. In the mid-1920s, work was resumed, but only in a modest way as the Red Army possessed huge stockpiles of the Model 1891 7.62x54mm Rimmed cartridge and rifle. The Model 1891 cartridge was equivalent to the U.S. 30-06 or the German 7.92x54mm Mauser in range and breech pressure, Which meant that any resulting semi- automatic or automatic rifle would have to be very sturdy to withstand the heavy recoil forces generated. ‘Among the more successful designs submitted was one from a young arms inspector at a military depot, S.G. ‘Simonov. While his design had several ‘major flaws from a combat standpoint, it was promising enough that he was encouraged to continue its development. In 1931, he submitted a far more advanced design that, after a great deal of refinement, was adopted as the “7.62mm Avtomaticheskaya breech. This early design had one fatal flaw—a long, open track for the bolt handle that gathered dirt and ice like a magnet, causing the rifle to jam frequently under combat conditions. Because the powerful Model 1891 cartridge was used, parts breakage rapidly developed as a real problem. ‘Anew design competition was staged to develop an improved selt- loading infantry rifle. Simonov submitted a revised design in which the bolt was driven by a long piston. Again, he used the system whereby the bolt tipped down at the end of the track to lock it in place against a step in the bottom of the receiver. He also added a Russian-made SKS Carbines, as manufactured originally, were eqitipped with solid birch stocks. Replacement stocks fitted when the carbines were refurbished after the id-1950s were usually made of laminated birch and show a distinct grain pattern. Russian SKS Carbine slings (top) use a snaffle hook riveted to the webbing, while Chinese slings (bottom) use a leather keeper and D-ring sewn to the webbing. vintovka sistemi Simonova obrazets 1936,” or the 7.62 Model 1936 ‘Simonov System Automatic Rifle. ‘Simonov's new design was a gas- operated weapon in which the breechblock dropped down against a stop to lock the bolt in place in the 16-round, detachable box magazine and redesigned the gas system. His chief competitor during this round was F. V. Tokarev, who had achieved recognition for redesigning the Browning automatic pistol system into the Tokarev Model 1930/33 pistol. Tokarev now submitted a new rifle design that used gas bled from the barrel to operate a short piston that drove the bolt back against a recoil spring. As in the Simonov system, as the bolt went forward, it dropped against a step to lock in place. The rile had a 10-round magazine. POLITICS AND ARMS SELECTION Both rifle designs did well, but Tokarev’s design edged out Simonov's. Tokarev was ordered to correct some deficiencies that had been noted during the testing, which ‘SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 54SKS CARBINE he did, resubmitting his design on November 20, 1938. This time the rifle assed, and the Red Army adopted it as the “Samaozaryadnya vintovka sistemi Tokareva obrazetz 19389,” which translates as the Model 1938, Tokarev System Setf-Loading Rifle ‘Simonov, however, was not finished yet. As a member of the Communist Party, he had developed influential friends. He appealed to the Central Committee for another chance to. prove that his design was superior, and in January of the following year, a special commission was convened to compare the two rifles. Unfortunately, Simonov did not contro! the production facilities that produced his, test rifles, which proved to be not as well-made nor as rugged as Tokarev’s test rifles. The commission noted this, and while acknowledging that ‘Simonov’s design was probably the superior with fewer moving parts and more efficient manufacture, they referred the final decision to a meeting chaired by Joseph Stalin. Stalin, who knew Tokarev quite well but had never met Simonov, may have been swayed by the familiarity factor. Despite a minority report from B. |. Vannikov, the people's commissar for armaments, Stalin cast the deciding vote in favor of the Tokarev rifle. Hard fighting that winter in the ‘campaign against Finland exposed defects in the design of the SVT38, FIELDSTRIPPING THE SKS CARBINE 1) Draw the cocking handle to the rear and inspect the breech and magazine to make certain the SKS Carbine is empty. Release the bolt. handle. The hammer will remain in the cocked position. 2) Move the safety to the “on” or up position. 3) Remove the accessory kit. Hold the rifle with the muzzle either down or up and the buttstock in the left hand, heel to the left, Depress the trap door in the buttplate and insert the index finger of the right hand far enough to ‘touch the cap of the accessory case. Press toward the bottom of buttstock slightly to allow the trapdoor to open past it, then let the spring pushit out. 4) Remove the cleaning rod. Push the bayonet locking ring down and ‘swing the bayonet out. Do notlock the bayonet into place. Push the head of the cleaning rod out of the retaining fingers on the bayonet mount and draw the cleaning rod from its channel. Refold the bayonet under the barre! until it Jocks in the closed position. 5) Remove the receiver cover and recoil spring guide. On the right rear of ‘the receiver is the receiver cover retaining pin and arm, Push the retaining pin arm up along its channel in the receiver wall into a vertical position, then draw it outward as far as it will go while pressing the receiver cover forward. Lift the receiver cover and recoil spring assembly up and off the rifle. ‘Separate the recoil spring assembly from the receiver cover. 6) Remove the bolt carrier and bolt by pulling the cocking handle to the rear. Tip the carbine onto its right side and disengage the bolt carrier and bolt by pulling the cocking handle back and up so that the bolt carrier leaves its track. Separate the bolt carrier and bolt by sliding the bolt backward in relation to the bolt carrier. 7) Remove the gas cylinder tube and handguard. Hold the wood fore-end in the left hand and rotate the gas cylinder tube lock lever upward as far as it wil go without leaving its track in the rear sight base. Lift the back of the handguard up and pull back to separate the gas cylinder tube from the gas cylinder assembly. Remove the piston from the gas cylinder tube by tilting the tube forward and letting the piston slide out. ‘The fieldstripping procedure is now complete. Clean each part carefully with a rag dipped in solvent, detergent, TSP or Simple Green. Never use gasoline. After cleaning, rub each part with an oily cloth. Select a lubricating oil specifically formulated for firearms, stich as Hopes Gun Oi ‘The SKS Carbine is assembledin the reverse order ofthe fieldstripping process. many of them caused by the use of the powerful Model 1891 cartridge. Modifications had to be made, and Stalin called his commissar for armaments on the carpet for an explanation. Remember that this was the period when Stalin was at the This photo shows an exploded view of the SKS Carbine. The SKS was cleverly designed to reduce maintenance requirements and make it easy for soldiers with few technical skills to operate and clean. 52 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. Vil height of his powers and engaged in eliminating the entire upper echelons of the Red Army officer corps based on trumped-up charges aired in mock show trials. Even so, Vannikov stood his ground, reminding Stalin that he, Vannikov, had voted against the Tokarev design, preferring Simonov's instead, while Stalin had cast the deciding vote for the SVT38. Stalin, falling back on the age-old excuse of bosses everywhere, told Vannikov that he should have argued harder to convince him. He then ordered that the Tokarev rifle be modified as quickly as possible. The SVT38 was modified and reissued as the SVT40, and though it, was reduced, breakage continued at an unacceptable level. The numerous special commissions called to review the rifle's performance over the next two years all concluded that its poor showing was due primarily to the use of the powerful Model 1891 cartridgeBefore handling the SKS Carbine, always make certain the safety is on (forward to block the trigger). and not to any inherent design flaw—a conclusion borne out by the fact that Simonov’s 1935 design had also suffered from the same problem. Production of the SVT40 was finally halted during the summer of 1943. FROM ANTITANK RIFLE TO. CARBINE ‘ After his rifle design failed to be accepted, Simonov was detailed to develop a new antitank rifle. The Red Army had closely studied the use of German armor in Spain during the Spanish Civil War and in the ‘campaigns in Norway, Belgium and France in 1940. In these early days of World War Il, Germany used a mix of German and Czech tanks with armor ANN 7.62x39mm M1943 cartridge. - The leaf sight on the SKS Carbine is calibrated in meters for the oading the SKS can be accomplished efficiently by using a stripper clip to fill the 10-round magazine. between 12.7 and 50mm (0.5 to 1.47, inches) thick, thin enough to be penetrated by a solid slug if fired from a large-caliber rifle. Simonov developed a semi-automatic rifle with a five-round detachable magazine, designated the PTRS, which fired the powerful Soviet 14.5x114mm antiarmor cartridge. The PTRS was widely employed by the Red ‘Army and even used as a long-range sniper rifle against personnel and unarmored vehicles. At the same time, the Red Army had at last begun to make progress in the development of a new cartridge falling somewhere in range and power Begin servicing the SKS Carbine with the safety on. Cock the bolt to lower the hammer, then rotate the lever on the right side rear of the receiver up and pull straight out. Lift the receiver cover off and remove the recoil spring and retainer from the rear of the bolt carrier. between the Model 1891 rifle cartridge and the smaller 7.62x25mm pistol cartridge used in the Tokarev Model 1980/33 pistol, as well as the wide variety of submachine guns the Red ‘Army was equipped with. By 1943, a design had been selected, tested and proven. The new intermediate cartridge, designated the Model 1943, was a reduced-size version of the antitank round used in the PTRS. Simonov had long sought a less powerful cartridge for use in an infantry rifle, and when the M43 became available he moved quickly. His PTRS antitank rifle had proven to be a serviceable, easy-to-manufacture design that was, best of all, extremely reliable, He downsized the action as the basis for a new carbine design. in less than 18 months, the new carbine was ready for field testing under combat conditions, BATTLE TESTING ‘The tide turned against Germany in 1943 with twin losses at Stalingrad and. Kursk. The Nazis were unable to mount a spring offensive in 1944, and all along the 1,500-mile front stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea, the vaunted Wehrmacht was in retreat. Meanwhile, the North African Campaign mounted by Montgomery and Eisenhower had routed the German Afrika Korps. British and American forces had vaulted the Mediterranean to Sicily and then SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. Vil 53SKS CARBINE continued onto the Italian mainland, But the Allies were still not engaged in Western Europe, and the Red Army was suspicious of Roosevelt's and CChurchil's intentions. Would they not at some point sign an armistice with Germany and allow the Nazis to storm back into Russia with redoubled vigor? The Kremlin—in the person of Joseph Stalin—was taking nothing for granted Preliminary trials of Simonov's new carbine using the M43 round had been so promising that the commissar for armaments had ordered a pre-production run, which was completed in the spring of 1944. Parts breakage was almost nonexistent, and the medium- power M48 cartridge allowed excellent accuracy because of its low recoil. The semi- automatic feature of the carbine, combined with the quick-reloading, 10-round ‘magazine, provided the Soviet soldier with a devastating shoulder weapon during a ‘massed infantry charge. That summer, the new carbine was tested under battlefield conditions by elements of the First Byelorussian Front Army during its sweep into eastern Germany and by cadets at the Officer Training School at Vistrel. The reports from both units were glowing; with only minor changes, Simonov's carbine was adopted as the “Samozaryadnyi Karabin Sisyemi Simonova Obrazets 19459.” Plans for production, however, were interrupted by other demands. Enough Mosin- Nagant Model 1891/30 rifles, new M1944 Mosin-Nagant carbines or short rifles, and ‘SVT38s and SVT40s had been ‘manufactured to fulfll the Red Army’s needs for the remainder of the war. Machine ‘uns, artillery and ammunition hada higher priority, and production of the new carbine was shelved. Once again, it appeared as if Simonov had lost out. 54 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. THE COLD WAR The immediate postwar years were a time of consolidation. The United Kingdom and the United States staked their claim to Western Europe, while the Soviets occupied most of Eastern Europe. Confident that the postwar years would bring prosperity, the Western Allies were not at frst unduly worried about the spread of ‘communist influence. Revolutionary political activity in Italy and Greece soon disabused them of that notion. Local communist parties moved rapidly to consolidate their positions in Eastern Europe as, in rapid Churchil’s ron Curtain had fallen from the Arctic to the Danube. The Berlin Crisis of 1949 established the Cold War as a reality. In Moscow, Where events were being orchestrated, the orders had gone out. The Red Army was to be modernized and re- equipped. Production orders were issued for the SKS Carbine, and manufacture began at Tula Arsenal, southwest of Moscow, inate 1948, The first production SKS Carbines came off the assembly ine in 1949. In 1953, the great small arms factory at Izhesk also began serial production ofthe SKS. Once again, events moved against Simonov. Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov had begun work on a fully automatic assault rife in 1944 while convalescing from war wounds. The result was the “avtomat Klashnikova Obrazets 19479,” the celebrated AK-47 assault rfl. This provided the Red Army with the medium-range, To remove the bolt and bolt carrier, draw back and lift out. The bolt can then be separated from the carrier by sliding the carrier forward and up and the bolt back and down. The firing pin protruding from the rear of the bolt at the right is held in place by the firing pin retainer. high-capacity, fully automatic rifle it had wanted since 1916 when Valdimir G. Fedorov had demonstrated the frst assault rile. ‘The AK-47 entered production in succession, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia joined Poland in establishing communist governments. British and American forces ended attempted communist coups in Greece, Italy and France, but of the threatened countries, only Finland was able to resist Moscow's belligerence by itself by declaring neutrality. By 1949, 1953. SKS production ended one year later at Izhevsk and the following year at Tula Arsenal. CHINESE PRODUCTION In 1949, Mao Tse-tung’s Red Army evicted the nationalist government from mainland China. Before the new communist government had established its authority, events in neighboring Korea and the U.N. entry (ewes) ieee c Ser NRL we OSHS ES | ee There are four different types of SKS Carbine firing pins. Exercise great care when installing the Type 2 Chinese or Romanian firing pin, as it can be inserted upside down. This will cause it to jam forward and cause a slam fire when the bolt is closed on a chambered cartridge. Do not install these firing pins in Russian models of the SKS. into the war caused the Chinese Red Army to more than double in size. Small arms were desperately needed. The arsenal of mismatched Japanese, German, American and Russian arms that existed in China in 1949 was not suitable to post-World War II warfare; besides, it had been seriously depleted during the civil war. Russian small arms were imported in large quantities to supplement the existing arsenals, while technicians and production experts wererushed to China to mobilize its primitive industrial complex for long- term self-sufficiency. Many of the soldiers conscripted into the People’s, Red Army were unschooled and came from areas of China that had changed little in 1,000 years. A simple-to-use, simple-to-maintain and very rugged rifle was needed. The Russian SKS filled the bill admirably. It was tested by the Chinese Red Army and adopted as the Type 56. ‘Arms manufacture in China in the 1980s and 1940s was conducted by a series of state-owned factories that had been established under the nationalists, but the manufacturing infrastructure that had survived the civil war was not sufficient to supply the vast numbers of parts needed. As consequence, small manufacturing concerns established throughout the countryside concentrated on making just a few parts that were then shipped to the major factories and assembled into complete weapons. Much of the final finishing was done by hand. These state factories all had names but in official usage were referred to by numbers, Production of the SKS Carbine began in 1956 at Factory 296 (the Jianshe Machine Tool Factory) within the city limits of Chongjing (formerly Chunking). Russian machinery and even some Russian parts were used uring the first few years. These early Chinese military production SKS Carbines are the equal in every regard to the Tula or Izhevsk Russian production. The exact number of factories and small concems involved In the production of the SKS remains a state secret, as they are stil producing weaponry for the Red Army, but the better-known factories (besides Factory 296) are Factory 26, Factory 416 and Factory 66. Chinese SKS Carbine military production ended in the 1970s but was restarted in the 1990s when commercial sales were allowed fora time in the United States. These later commercial carbines do not always show the same care and finish as the early military carbines. While the AK-47 overshadowed the SKS Carbine as a first-line military To remove the receiver from the stock, turn the carbine upside down. Press the button holding the triggerguard in place with the end of the cleaning rod ora bullet tip. The button is located at the rear of the triggerguard bow. Pull the trigger assembly up and out, and remove the barrel action from the receiver. Now the magazine can be removed from the stock by pulling it out. When reassembling, make certain that the magazine assembly is seated correctly and that the front of the triggerguard hooks into the notches cut in the receiver legs, over the bottom of the magazine body. rifle, other nations in the Communist, Bloc found it expedient to manufacture the SKS because of its basic simplicity and reliability. Besides the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, the SKS was manufactured in five other countries: North Korea (Type 63), East Germany (Karbiner-S) , North Vietnam (SKS), Yugostavia (M59/66) and Romania. ‘SHOOTING AND IDENTIFYING THE ~ __ SKSCARBINE The SKS is a very easy firearm to shoot well. Its most acourate range is about 300 meters tops, but the bullet from the M43 cartridge will carry for more than 2,000 meters, so be very careful in your selection of a backstop. Toload the SKS, place the safety to the “on” position and pull the bolt handle back until the bolt locks open. If loading from a 10-round stripper clip, insert one end of the stripper clip into the guides at the front of the bott cartier, then, with a determined effort, push straight down, shoving all the cartridges down into the magazine. if you are ready to shoot, withdraw the ‘empty stripper clip and allow the bolt to go forward. If not, leave the stripper lip in place to block the bolt open and to provide a visual indication that the carbine is loaded. If you are shooting at “targets of opportunity”—tin cans, cardboard boxes and the like—at varying distances, leave the sight leaf in the ‘down position. A few shots will quickly tell you how much estimating of elevation you will have to allow. If you are shooting at targets at a known distance, move the sight leaf to the number corresponding to that distance. Even though the SKS sight is marked in meters rather than yards, the difference is only about 8 inches, per meter (or 30 inches per hundred meters) and so is negligible for all practical shooting Ifyou haven't already withdrawn the stripper clip, do so now. Take your position, sight on the target, move the safety to “off” and squeeze the trigger. The SKS is semi-automatic in fire mode, so to fire the next shot, simply ‘squeeze the trigger again. If you notice that the bullet is SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 55SKS CARBINE striking consistently above or below your point of aim, make minute adjustments to the front post by turning it up or down using a special tool that slips through the top hole in the front sight protector to reach the sight post. it will do no good to tell you not to use a pair of needle-nose pliers to make this adjustment in the absence of the front sight tool, but do pad the jaws of the plier with masking tape to prevent burring and to prevent the finish from being scratched and causing problems with glare. I the bullet is striking consistently to the right or left of your point of aim, you will have to estimate the amount of windage required. The SKS was adjusted for windage at the factory, and no further adjustments can be made. When you are finished shooting, if ammunition remains in the magazine, the safest way to remove its to put the safety to the “on” position. Push the magazine catch forward and pull down ‘on the magazine body at the same time. The remaining rounds wil fall out Remember to open the bolt and check the breech one last time to make certain that no rounds remain in the carbine before closing the magazine. A word about the safety mechanisms: The SKS Carbine safety mechanism only prevents the trigger from being pulled to trip the sear and release the hammer; it does not lock the hammer in place. A hard jolt may cause the sear to break and release the hammer. To reduce the chance of The front sight is easily adjusted with a special tool, available from most suppliers of SKS parts. 56 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII To remove the cleaning rod, lower the bayonet by pulling it back and down. Press the end of the cleaning rod past the retaining tips in the mount and draw out. accidents, never load the SKS—or any firearm—until you are ready to shoot, then unload immediately afterward. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, Identifying the national origins of an SKS Carbine is relatively easy; identifying the national origins of each partis not. Although the SKS was manufactured by numerous factories, in six different countries, the parts, with few exceptions, are relatively interchangeable. Itis important that you understand the exceptions because certain parts from one manufacturer are unsafe when used in a carbine of another manufacturer. AS an example, there are four types of firing pins. The Type 1 and Type 2 firing pins are not interchangeable, but the Type 3 and Type 4 are. The Type 4 firing pin—made in China and Romania—can be installed upside down by someone not paying strict attention. This will cause it to jam forward in the bolt so that the tip protrudes enough to cause a slam fire ifclosed on a chambered round, ‘SOVIET AND EAST GERMAN VERSIONS Russian SKS Carbines were manufactured at two national arsenals, Tula and Izhevsk. The Tula marking was a five-pointed star containing a fletched (feathered) arrow. Izhevsk stamped its carbines with a triangle within a circle, also containing a fletched arrow. This ‘marking is found at the rear top of the receiver cover just above the year of manufacture. Tula-made carbines will show dates from 1249 to 1955; Izhevsk carbines will be dated either 1953 or 1954, Serial numbers are marked on the left side of the receiver, bolt and stock. They are also etched either fully or partially on the barrel and gas cylinder cover and are stamped into the left side of the stock. Serial numbers are preceded by a Cyrillic letter that designates 10,000, according to its position within the Cyrillic alphabet, followed by four or five digits. The adjustable (for elevation only) rear sight is graduated in increments of 10 meters. The battle sight position is ‘marked by the Cyrilic letter “I.” Two holes were drilled in the buttstock; the upper contains the cleaning kit and tools, and the lower was cut to lighten the stock. All SKS Carbines were fitted with a cleaning rod under the barrel and a folding blade bayonet. Since Russian SKS Carbines are all military surplus, the vast majority have been refurbished either in Russian | The SKS cleaning kit was cleverly designed to protect the delicate lands and grooves at the muzzle end. Remove the cleaning kit from the stock. Slide the cover over the muzzle to act as a bore guide. Insert the “head” end of the rod into the cleaning kit cover and slide the punch or similar straight piece through the cover and the hole in the head to form a handle.Awide variety of accessories are available for the SKS Carbine, ranging from extended ‘magazines to skeleton stocks. By federal law, removable magazines cannot be installed in SKS Carbines unless you owned it before 1991. Photo courtesy of DC Engineering. arsenals or by an American importer. Look closely atthe finish, metal edges and markings. All Russian SKS Carbines were blued, If the finish is grey-black or Parkerized, the carbine has been refinished. If blue, examine corners and edges; if rounded, the gun has, been reblued. Examine all markings under a strong magnifier. ‘The edges of the letters or numbers should be slightly raised around the edges; if not, the metal has been refinished. If the serial number or other markings have been etched with an electric pen, the metal showing through should be bright or, at best, a faded rust brown. If blue or dark colored, then the metal has been refinished. Next examine the wooden stock. If the stock is made from a solid piece of wood—birch—the stock is original. Ii is laminated, it was a mid-1950s replacement. Solid Russian SKS Carbine stocks were made with a single stock bolt behind the trigger assembly for reinforcement. All laminated stocks were made with two stock bolts. n the late 1950s, a second stock bolt behind the finger grooves was added to many solid stocks during the refurbishment process. Look for a serial number on the left side of the buttstock. It should match the receiver's serial number. not, orifa number has been X’d out and another number stamped below or above it, then the stock has been refinished and is not original to the carbine. Finally, examine the buttstock and the receiver cover. If you see a small box with a diagonal line through it, this Indicates that the refurbishment and refinishing was accomplished at a Soviet military arsenal. If it is not present and the carbine was refinished, then it likely was done somewhere along the importation route. East German SKS Carbines are quite rare in this country, as only a very few were imported and even fewer were brought back as trophies from the Vietnam battlefields in the early days of the war. The year of manufacture and the serial number are stamped on the left front of the receiver. The buttstock has asst for the sling, similar to the slot in German military Mauser rifles. The SKS Carbine made in East Germany is not equipped with a cleaning rod. The battle sight is marked in 100-meter increments from 1 to 1,000 meters, and the battle sight position is marked “SV." The stylized sunburst logotype is, stamped on the left side of the receiver and contains a number and a letter, which vary. CHINESE VERSIONS ‘The largest manufacturer of the SKS in China was NORINCO (North China Industries), a combine of about 150 ‘arms manufacturing factories. Keep in mind that from 1949 until the late 1980s, private enterprise did not exist in China. All manufacturing concerns were owned and operated by the government. In China, this produced a system where various government ministries, as well as the military, established extensive factory systems to produce hard goods. NORINCO was operated by the Ministry of Ordnance Industries, and its U.S. importer was China Sports. The People’s Liberation Army established and owns Polytech, while the Ministry of Public Security's factory complex was known as China Jin An. Its U.S. importer was CJA. The Chinese-made SKS originally manufactured for military use is designated the Model 56; those built strictly for civilian sale outside China are designated the M21. The Chinese- made SKS Carbine exhibits the greatest variation in parts and markings. Production began in 1956, and more than 11 million were manufactured. Two types of bayonets were fitted: Until mid-1965 (circa serial number 9 million), the blade bayonet was used; after that, the cruciform bayonet was installed. This applies to all military models and to all commercial M21 models. The very early Chinese military models were fitted with some Russian parts, and the Russian design influence remained very strong at first. For instance, the Cyril “I” marking the battle sight position was retained and was changed to the letter “D" only on late military and export models. Carbines manufactured strictly for ‘export were often marked "Model 21” in English. Another example is the method of attaching the barrel. All Russian barrels are threaded and screwed into the receiver. Early Chinese barrels were also threaded and screwed in, but late Chinese military barrels were pinned in place. This includes all civilian production ‘examined by the author. Chinese serial numbers began in 1956 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 57SKS CARBINE with the prefix 01; 1957 was 02, 1958 was 03, and so on. Stocks for Chinese SKS Carbines were made of catalpa wood, a dense, decay-resistant wood that stands up wel to hard military usage. While certain parts are inter- changeable with the Russian SKS in the early military models, many are not. Triggerguard dimensions tend to vary, and fring pins and other parts differ. NORTH VIETNAMESE AND NORTH KOREAN VERSIONS During the Vietnam War years, North Vietnam produced a small number of ‘SKS Carbines for export south to the Vietcong. Only a few of these carbines are extant in North America—most are war trophies brought back in the early days, when firearms were still allowed as souvenits. They can be identified by the circled star marking containing the number “1” on the receiver. The North Vietnamese also manufactured a reddish fiberglass stock that was designed to withstand the rigors of the tropical climate. The Vietcong often buried their weapons to prevent detection. Wood beatles and termites, wreaked havoc with wooden stocks, but the fiberglass stocks were insect- and rot-resistant. Designated the Type 63, production of the SKS Carbine did not begin in North Korea until 1963. Again, only a few war trophies, mostly from the early days of the Vietnam War, are found in the United States. They can be identified by their five-pointed star marking, which is contained in a circle on the receiver. Below the circle will be found the factory marking, a number and a Korean character. The North Korean SKS is distinguished by the fact that it has a 58 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VI gas shut-off valve that can be turned when launching grenades. The serial number is marked on the left side of the stock. YUGOSLAVIAN AND ROMANIAN VERSIONS The Yugoslavian SKS Carbine is designated the M59; a more advanced version is known as the M66. The Yugoslavian SKS shows considerable advancement over the original design and more closely approaches that of an assault rifle. A cylindrical grenade launcher is permanently mounted on the muzzle and will fire the entire line of Yugoslav grenades (only Poland and Yugoslavia of all the Warsaw Pact nations used rifle grenades). A fold-up grenade- launching sight is mounted on the front sight base. Yugoslav SKS Carbines also were fitted with luminous night sights. Only about 500 Yugoslav SKS Carbines were imported by Mitchell Arms of Santa Ana, California, for civilian sale in 1987. Romanian SKS Carbines came as, quite a surprise to Steve (my co-author) and me. While researching our book, we were told by a military attache at the Romanian embassy in Washington D.C. that no SKS Carbines were ever manufactured in his country. Needless to say, he was wrong. Romanian SKS Carbines were manufactured between 1957 and 1962. They are marked with an arrow in atriangle somewhat similar to that used by the Soviet Izhevsk factory. In the Romanian marking, the arrow is not fletched, and the shaft is very short The Romanian SKS Carbines ‘appear to be very similar to the Soviet- made SKS Carbines. The only differences discerned in the three Romanian SKS Carbines examined Other than the Yugoslav Model 59, there are no “military” variations of the SKS Carbine. All Several telescopic sights and mounts are available for the SKS. The scope and mount shown here is available from Centerfire ‘Systems and clamps to the receiver. were: 1) the receiver covers are unmarked; 2) the rear sight is marked with a “I rather than the Cyrillic “II”: and, 3) the firing pin is triangular in ‘cross section and identical to the Type 4 firing pin used in Chinese SKS. Carbines. While the Russian Type 2 firing pin can be installed in the Romanian bolt, the Romanian firing pin cannot be used in the Russian bolt, as the groove for the firing pin retaining pin is not deep enough Serial numbers include the factory initials, a sequential number and the year of manufacture (for example, GN961-1959). PARTS INTERCHANGEABILITY The most obvious parts incompatibility problem lies in the use of pinned versus. threaded barrels. ‘The majority of Chinese SKS Carbines in the U.S. will have pinned barrels, while all Russian carbines have threaded barrels, Other major parts incompatibility problems concem the following: *Stocks are generally inter- changeable, although some fitting will be needed around the triggerguard if trying to fit a Chinese stamped triggerguard assembly into a stock “paratroop,” “hunter” and so-called sniper models are post-Cold War developments from China intended for the North American civilian market.made for machined triggerguard assembly “Chinese and Russian takedown levers differ in external design but are generally interchangeable, although some fitting may be needed. ‘Chinese receiver covers have two holes drilled vertically through the rails, on either side of the rear lug, while the Russian does not. They are generally interchangeable, *There are two variations with numerous subvariations of the bolt body and bolt carrier, and they are distinguished by shape and provision for the extractor and are not generally “backward compatible.” Each type fits its own bolt carrier. Russian SKS Carbines made for the Type 2 bott can use either Type 1 or Type 2, but the Type 2 bolt cannot be used in bolt carriers made for the Type 1. All Chinese SKS Carbines were made for the Type 2 bolt and cannot use the Russian Type 1. Each type requires its own firing pin and fring pin retainer. *Three types of triggerguard plates are seen. Russian SKS Carbines to mid-1951 and early Chinese SKS Carbines used the Type 1, which had a trigger arm carrer, later eliminated in the ‘Type 2 triggerguard assembly. Type 3 makes were stamped from sheet steel and used on Chinese civilian production guns with a detachable magazine. It's generally not interchangeable with the erty variations. used. The first was made with a narrow *V" slot on the bottom to allow the blade bayonet to be folded. The second type was made with a wider “U"-shaped slot for the cruciform bayonet used on the late military and all civilian production Chinese SKS Carbines. *Five types of fring pins were used, The first two types were made for Russian SKS Carbines and are not interchangeable. The Type 3 and 4 firing pins were made for Chinese SKS Carbines and can be interchanged with the Russian Type 2. The Type 5 firing pin was made for the Romanian SKS Carbines and should not be used in any but Romanian SKS Carbines. Note also that the Chinese Type 4 firing pin can be installed upside down, which jams it in the forward position and can cause a “slam fire.” Exercise great care when reinstalling, FINAL THOUGHTS The SKS Carbine is as fun to shoot, as it is rugged and reliable. After a massive influx from Russia and China, supplies were shut off by presidential executive order. A few thousand Romanian SKS Carbines that were in the pipeline were allowed entry in 1999 and are being snapped up fast. Certainly without meaning to, President Clinton may have done firearms collectors a great favor. There are more than enough variations of the blase arms collector. Prices are still relatively low, the supply is good, and spare parts are available to return refurbished carbines to original condition. ‘final note: The state of California has outlawed SKS Carbines that accept detachable magazines under the provisions of the 1989 Assault Rifle Law and the revised Assault Rifle Law passed in 1999. An attempt by the former attorney general of California to allow registration of these rifles by those owning them after the registration period was withdrawn, as it was in conflict with the 1989 law. Those owning an SKS with a detachable box magazine must turn them into the police (call first!), sell them to a registered assault rifle dealer in California or sell or move them out of state. How popular is the SKS Carbine? If you have access to the Internet, use any of the search engines and query “SKS.” You will find more sites than you can possibly visit in one week. FOR MORE INFORMATION Fora complete description of the SKS Carbine, its component parts and the interchangeability problem, refer to The SKS Carbine, by Steve Kehaya and Joe Poyer. Itis available from North Cape Publications, P.. Box 1027, Tustin, CA 92781, or by calling 800/745-9714. Price: $16.95, ‘Two types of forearm bands were SKS Carbine to interest even the most plus $2.75 postage. . PARTS AND DC Engineering ACCESSORIESFOR Centerfire Systems 8633 Southfield SARCO ‘THE SKS CARBINE —_102 Fieldview Drive Detroit, Mi 48228 328 Union Street Versailles, KY 40383, (G00) 886-7628 Stirling, NJ 07980 Bandet, Inc. (800) 950-1231 SKS parts, stocks, sights (808) 647-3800 PO. Box 6735 Major source for stocks, and scope mounts, SKS Carbines, parts and Albilene, TX 79608 sights, mounts and other accessories (915) 696-0409 accessories Keng's Firearms ‘Stocks and other Firearms Specialities, Inc. The SKS Man accessories Century international Arms 875 Wharton Drive SW sksman@aol.com P.O. Box 714 Atlanta, GA (800) 209-6984 PIN 5042 Brownells, Inc. ‘St. Albans, VT 05478 (404) 691-7611 ‘SKS Carbines, parts and 200 Front St, (800) 258-8879 Parts, stocks, sights, mounts accessories Montezuma, 1A 50171 ‘SKS Carbines, stocks and and other accessories (615) 623-5401 ‘other accessories TAPCO ‘Gauges and tools. Navy Arms 3615 Kennesaw N. Choate Machine &Tool___ 689 Bergen Blvd. Industrial Parkway ‘CDN Inv, Inc. Highway 258 E,P.O.Box218 Ridgefield, NJ 07657 Kennesaw, GA 30144 P.O. Box 6514 Bald Knob, AK 72010 (600) 669-NAVY (600) 544-1445 Abiline, TX 79608 (610) 724-6193. ‘SKS Carbines, sporters, SKS sights, mounts and (@00) 588-9500 ‘Stocks and accessories _ parts, stocks, mounts, sights accessories Sights and scope mounts and other accessories SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII. 59Underrated THERE’S A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE CZ 83. By GENE GANGAROSA JR. €zec. ellence 11 1982, the Czech army adopted ‘anew double-action pistol called the Pi. vz 82 ("vz" stands for vzor, or “model") to replace its famous vz 52 7.62mm service pistol. The vz 82’s manufacturer was the Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) factory, world famous for firearms manufacture since the early days of Czechosiovakia’s history The vz 82's caliber was 9mm Makarov {(@x18mm), the service-pistol cartridge required for all communist countries under the control of the Soviet Union. Somewhat unusually for a relatively small handgun, the vz 82 held 12 rounds in a double-column magazine inspired by the company's legendary ‘9mm Parabellum Model 75 pistol. The vz 82 design team consisted of Necas, Strovhal, Mucha and Strizik. The Kouky brothers, designers of the 2,75 pistol, did not participate in this design effort. Indeed, aside from sharing a double-action trigger mechanism, a high-capacity magazine and some similarities in their manual safety arrangements, the ‘wo pistols have little in common. The Czech army liked the vz 82 so much that it remains the country’s standard weapon to this day. In 1983, the Czech police also decided to adopt a pistol closely based on the vz 82 to replace the obsolescent vz 50 and 70 7.65mm (.32 ACP) double- action pistols. interpreting its needs a little differently than the army's, the police directed the chambering be changed to .32 ACP (7.65mrn). Going to the smaller cartridge increased the 60 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII Me ph CZ has a long tradition of creating excellent small pistols. The company’s Model 83 (top) is the latest of a tradition that dates back to before World War II with pistols like the Model 27 (bottom). magazine capacity and led toa change in the rifling. For the police pistol, the factory adopted conventional cut rfing, with lands and grooves, in place of the vz 82's polygonal rifing. This pistol received the factory designation CZ 83. One of the CZ 83's many appealing features was its high-capacity magazine. It held 15 rounds in 32 caliber and 12 in the .380 caliber version, which appeared in 1986. The CZ 83 quickly attracted the attention of firearms enthusiasts, particularly in Europe, where the gun was seen as a premier self-defense handgun. Times have changed. The Soviet Union is gone. Czechoslovakia broke Up into two nations, the CZ factory remaining in the country’s western half, now called the Czech Republic. ‘One can still buy a CZ 83, though if you buy it in the United States or Canada and you are not a police officer, you'll get a magazine limited to 10 rounds. Finish options have expanded, the original somber matte black service finish being augmented by high-polish blue and even a nickel treatment. Grips are either checkered black plastic or smooth wood. In recent years, the original 9mm.(CZ 83 SPECIFICATIONS Length: 6.9 inches (172mm) Barrel length: 3.8 inches (97mm) Height: 49 inches (127mm) Width: 1.4 inches (6mm) Sight radius: 5.0 inches (127mm) Weight: 26 ounces unloaded ‘approx. 30 ounces loaded Manufacturer: Ceska Zbrojovka, Uhersky Brod, ‘Czech Republic Importer. CZ-USA, Kansas City, KS Makarov variant (now also called the CZ 83 but still retaining the vz 82's, polygonal rifling) has become available for sale outside the Czech Republic along with the .32 and .380, choices. In a regrettable change, in 1997 the pistol acquired the dreadful recurved triggerguard fashionable in the West 20 years earlier but now mercifully gone from many newer handguns. Apparently the Czechs never got the word on the new fashion, which actually represents a return to the simple rounded triggerguard profile of older handguns. Not only are the recurved triggerguards unattractive, but their pointed shape makes concealed carrying, and reholstering in particule, more complicated than it ought to be. With all of the changes, some momentous and some minor, that have occurred since the early 1980s, one thing hasn't changed: The CZ 83 remains a fine pistol. Indeed, this is arguably the best .32, .380 or 9mm The CZ 83's ability to fire rapidly and accurately makes it a formidable handgun in close quarters. Makarov caliber pistol one can find for serious and extensive shooting The CZ 88 is rugged. It uses the time-tested unlocked breech or blowback mechanism, which is more than adequate for the relatively light cartridges involved. The gun is made completely from steel, which gives ita reassuring heft it weighs 26 ounces unloaded and about 30 ounces with 10 rounds of .880 on board) and makes it durable. Several firearms writers have described the CZ 83 as being overly complex or containing a multitude of small parts. These assertions are wholly false. The pistol contains just 60 parts, even counting identical parts like the grip screws twice. While the CZ 83 is admittedly more complex in design than the Soviet-designed Makarov pistol, it’s, no more complex than, say, the The early-type (pre-1997) €Z 83 had a rounded triggerguard (note the “MOD. 83” design on the slide). Since 1997 the CZ 83 has used a ‘squared-off triggerguard. TS ion Walther PPK and contains noticeably fewer parts than a typical Smith & Wesson double-action pistol. This, then, is a handgun able to last through alifetime of arduous use. The CZ 83 is designed for shooting comfort and control. It’s not just for carrying around “when you hope you ‘won't have to shoot.” Many small-to medium-caliber handguns compromise by kicking too hard or by having tiny sights you cannot use or by using a chopped-down frame that allows the slide or hammer to cut your hand every time you fire it. In contrast, the CZ 83 won't do any of these things to you. It has sufficient weight to dampen recoil, generously proportioned sights and a good-sized grip tang to protect even large hands. The pistol feels comfortable in a wide variety of adult hands of various sizes. SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 61CZ 83 : The CZ 83's controls are well- designed, too There's a gener- ously proportioned slide catch, well- shaped not to catch against clothing or a holster, yet large enough foreasy activation. Many pistols chambered for .32, .380 or 9mm Makarov don’t have a slide catch, and on those that do, it's typically undersized or otherwise difficult to use—witness the ‘Makarov. One important advantage of aslide catch is that it allows the shooter to lock the slide back open in the event of an ammunition misteed, to clear the piso’ firing chamber and reload without the complication of a double feed. In pistols not so equipped, a failure to feed can turn into a nightmare, particularly when one's life is on the line. The CZ 83's ambidextrous magazine release ‘comes easily to hand using either the shooting-hand thumb if you're endowed with large hands or your trigger finger if your fingers are short. While easily accessed when the shooter needs it, the magazine release is unlikely to release the magazine accidentally. Unlike C2’s bigger models 75 and 85, the CZ 83's, magazine release smartly ejects the magazine from the grip, which will please the many shooters who like a speedy reload. The CZ 83's manual safety is ambidextrous, too, and pushes down to release, an action easily remembered and accomplished under stress. The manual safety’s design allows you to lock the mechanism on safe with the hammer cocked for a quick single-action first shot. Alternatively, if you choose to lower the hammer on a loaded chamber (carefully, as there is no decocking lever, requiring you to control the hammer with your thumb as you squeeze the trigger), the double-action pull is desirably crisp, 62 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. Vil A right-side view of the CZ 83 shows the ambidextrous manual safety, magazine release and extractor ina contrasting color. ‘smooth and light. The firing pin is automatically locked until the last moment of trigger travel, another desirable safety feature that adds to shooter confidence if he carries the pistol with the hammer down over a loaded firing chamber and an improvement over the original CZ 76. Working with the GZ 83 at the range bears out the initial favorable impressions one gets from handling this pistol. The CZ 83 inspires confidence from the start, shooting well both in formal target-shooting situations and in improvised defensive scenarios. Especially gratifying is the ‘ease of transition from a double-action first shot to subsequent single-action shots, plus the useful option of camying the pistol cocked and locked, allowing the shooter to do all shooting in the single-action mode. The triggerguard loop is extended in front, allowing the shooter to handle the pistol easily even while wearing heavy gloves. This is an important consideration in military service, where duty in arduous weather conditions is the norm. The wide grip reduces the recoil impulse to little more than a gentle push, in pleasant contrast to the hard-bucking PPK. The generously sized grip tang makes contact, between the slide or hammer and the web of the shooter's hand all but impossible. If you've never experienced slide or hammer bite, consider yourself lucky. It's not a pleasant experionce—trust me on this. Every gun is ultimately nothing more than a platform for directing bullets to a target. While the OZ 83 seems underpowered for modern military and police service, by American standards in particular, remember that the Czechs traditionally load their ammunition “warmer” than is usual in the United States. This makes the Czech Model 82 (9mm Makarov) round fairly close to.a low-end 9mm Parabellum in power. The key to success with smallish handgun cartridges such as the .32 AGP, .880 ACP or 9mm Makarov rounds is to deliver ots of rounds ina hurry, precisely on target. With its excellent ergonomics and high-capacity magazine, the CZ 83 is ideally set up to do this Moreover, recent ammunition developments have considerably enhanced these calibers’ potential Especially in .82 and .380 ACP, new bullet designs make these “*mousegun” cartridges considerably more effective, In its .880 form most likely to be encountered in the United States, the CZ 83's chief competition comes from the Walther PPK, the Beretta Model 84 and the SIG P282. Compared with the PPK, the CZ 83 is more pleasant to. Thanks to its generous grip tang, the CZ 83 protects the web of the shooting hand against slide or hammer bite, which represents a big advance over the Walther PPK and other highly touted small pistols.The CZ 83's modern sighting system uses two dots on the rear sight and one on the front sight to assist in rapid alignment. shoot since it has a longer grip tang and offers a larger area to hold onto. The CZ 83's double- action trigger pull is noticeably smoother and lighter than the PPK’s. The CZ 83's" disassembly procedure is safer, as its triggerguard pulls down into a positive detent and stays there until firmly pushed back into place, while the PPK's triggerguard, after being unhinged and pushed to the side, can snap back into place unexpectedly ‘and pinch the shooter's hand. The CZ 83 also features a higher magazine capacity than the PPK or even the slightly larger PPK/S. Compared with the Beretta Model 84, the CZ 83 is more ruggedly made since the Beretta uses an open-topped slide and an aluminum-alloy frame instead of steel. The SIG P232 is unquestionably the best .380 available in the United States after the 02 88, The P232 is ‘actually a smoother and more refined package than even the CZ 83. It's large for its magazine capacity, though, holding only seven rounds in a package virtually the same size as the CZ 83, though lighter. It's not quite as ruggedly built, either, and like the Walther PPK lacks a separate slide latch, a useful feature in the event, the gun experiences a failure to feed. The OZ 83 is also significantly less expensive than any of these three guns. Compared with less expensive 380s of quality European design available on the U.S. market, such as ‘the Bersa and FEG models, the CZ.83 offers improved handling characteristics and a higher- capacity magazine than its competitors. For all the CZ 83's excellence, it has not been especially popular in the United States. Part of the explanation no doubt relates to the variable importation situation of all (CZ arms, When CZ 88 production began, and for a number of years thereafter, Czechoslovakia was under import restrictions imposed by the State Department. During the first seven or eight years of production, very few CZ 83s made it to this country, most that did come in having been purchased in West Germany by U.S. servicemen who brought them back upon completing their overseas tours. Formal U.S. importation began in 1992 under the auspices of Action Arms in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, switching in 1994 to Magnum Research in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Magnum Research simplified the product line by dropping the .32-caliber variant, which had not done well in the U.S. and seemed an even less attractive To disassemble a CZ 83, remove the magazine and pull the triggerguard out and down, away from the frame, until it clicks and stops. The pistol disassembles into slide, frame with barrel pinned to it and magazine. proposition with its magazine capacity reduced to 10 rounds, effective January 1, 1995, because of the Crime Bill. A new firm, CZ-USA, announced in 1997 that it would be taking over importation of CZ pistols and rifles, but things did not go smoothly at first. The company’s move from Oakhurst, California, to Kansas City, Kansas, in early 1998 delayed them as they needed time to adjust to the move. Another problem the CZ 83 has in This 2.3-1 from 50 feet away using an offhand position shows the gun’s stability. inch, five-shot group fired the United States concerns its size-to- power ratio. The CZ 83 isn’t the ‘smallest automatic pistol chambered for the .32, .380 or 9mm Makarov cartridges. Indeed, it’s about as large ‘as some compact 9mm Parabellum or 40 S&W pistols, so one may wonder ‘why a person would bother with such a gun. However, in some scenarios, pistol fring a $2, 880 or 9mm Makarov cartridge may actually be a better choice than a pistol chambered for the ‘9mm Parabellum or .40 S&W. For instance, the smaller rounds recoil less, particularly in a substantial platform like the CZ 83. Overpenetration hazards are also reduced when using the smaller cartridges. Of all the pistols chambered for the .32, .380 or 9mm Makarov cartridges, the CZ83is the best choice for accurate shooting. It's also likely to last the longest. Very reasonably priced, this is an excellent way to 9} you desire a pistol chambered for one of these cartridges. Since before World War I, the excellent design, workmanship and features of CZ pistols have been a legend among serious shooters the world over. The CZ 83 ably carries on this fine tradition, U.S. shooters will undoubtedly learn what an excellent pistol the CZ 83 is if they experience it firsthand, just as shooters in Europe have known for a number of years. For the serious shooter, the CZ 83 isa better choice than any of the more famous .380s like the Beretta Model 84 cr the Walther PPK. . ‘SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 63The incredibly Long Lived Russia Mosin M91 hen the French, Germans, Austrians and British all adopted small bore (8mm or smaller) bolt-action repeating rifles with smokeless powder ammunition in the late 1880s, the Russian military knew that it had better get cracking. The Russian ordnance had been investigating and testing more than 150 repeating rifle designs since 1883. After reviewing their options and studying what the other countries were doing, they decided to adopt a fat, rimmed .30-caliber cartridge that fired a heavy, round-nosed 201-grain bullet 1,985 fps. It was called variously (depending on the source) the 7.62x53mm R or the 7.62x54mm R. The rile was required to be able to be loaded with a stripper clip, a feature introduced by Mauser in 1889. “Tals were conducted that looked at designs from all over the world, The Lee turn bolts, several different Mannlichers, and the Krag-Jorgensen rifles all worked reliably with rimmed ‘cartridges like the Russians wanted, but at the time none could be reloaded with a stripper clip. The Mannlicher en bloc clip system was fast and handled rimmed cartridges perfectly, but its major weaknesses were that there was no convenient way to top up the magazine and that the rifle was relegated to being a single shot ino clips were available. In the end, it came down to two entries that met all the Russian ordnance criteria: one designed by Ivanovitch Mosin (spelled in a wide variety of different ways in Western references—Moisin and Moissin, just to name a couple), a talented Russian arms designer, and one designed by Emile Nagant, a well-known Belgian arms designer. Mosin was a native Russian, and the major reason his design was selected was that it worked well with the 7.62x54mm R round and could use a stripper clip. Had the Russians wanted a rimless cartridge, there is little doubt that the IN ONE VERSION OR ANOTHER, IT HAS SHOWN UP IN SOME INTERESTING PLACES. By CHuck KARWAN test results would have favored a different design. Most Western sources state that the action of the Mosin rifle was combined with the magazine of the Nagant rifle to form the Mosin-Nagant rifle. However, a major Russian reference denies the use of Nagant's magazine and states that the rifle adopted was all a Mosin design, though there were similarities between the two magazine systems. Whether you call it a Mosin or a Mosin-Nagant, it is one of the most widely distributed and longest- serving military rifles in history In 1908, after France, Germany and the U.S. adopted lighter, higher- velocity, pointed spitzer bullets for their rifle rounds, Russia followed su with a pointed 148-grain bul 2,800 fps. This made the 7.62x54mm. Rround a .30-06 class cartridge, Which necessitated changing the M91 rifle's sights for the new ballistics. ‘About the same time, minor changes were made in the rifle’s handguard and sling-mounting arrangement. Interestingly, the Russians zeroed their rifles with the bayonet attached Allof the different models of Mosin rifle have just two major action variations, either the M91 type (top) with an octagonal front receiver ring and flat-sided receiver, or the M91/30 type (bottom) with a round front receiver ring and receiver. 64 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. Vilbecause it was their policy that the bayonet be mounted on the rifle at all times. They did not even issue a scabbard for the purpose of carrying the bayonet separate from the rifle The 7.62x54mm R cartridge is still the standard medium machine gun cartridge and sniper rife cartridge for a large number of countries. With the sole exception of the 8x57mm. Mauser round, which is stil in first-line use in the former Yugoslavia, the 7.62x54mm R cartridge is the oldest military round still in standard frontiine military use, and it is easily the oldest round in wide use, Inthe early 1920s, the production of the M91 rifle with its 31.5-inch barrel ceased in favor of the 28.7-inch- barreled dragoon rifle for standard infantry troops. In 1930, the basic Mosin was modified for easier manufacture by changing the octagonal receiver to around configuration. This rifle had the dragoon-length barrel, improved sights and improved interrupter; it was designated the M91/30. All subsequent models made in the Soviet Union or by one of its allies or satéllites, like the 20-inch-barreled M38 carbine, have the same round receiver, with the exception of a few transition guns and M91/30 rifles rebuilt with the older-style receiver. Demand for a shorter, handier rifle caused the Soviets to adopt the M44 carbine as the standard infantry rifle in 1944. Basically, it was the M38 carbine with an integral folding bayonet. ‘One variation or another of the Mosin rifle was in production virtually continuously from 1891 until the late 1950s, and many remained in regular use long after that. Indeed, some are still in use today in the sniper role. As, best as I can tell, approximately 28 milion were made of all variations in all locations. The actual figure could easily be quite a bit higher since production figures for China and several other ‘countries can only be estimated. They have been made from the ground up by three different arsenals in Russia (Tula, variety of scoped sniper rifles were built on the Mosin action. Here is the Soviet M91/30 PU sniper rifle that was widely used in World War I, twas the primary sniper rifle of the enemy in Vietnam, from where the author brought back this particular specimen. Sestroryetsk and Ishevsk), by Remington and Westinghouse in the USS., and by Chatellerault in France. ‘They have been produced in China, North Korea, Poland, Romania and Hungary. Although some references state that they were also made in ‘Austria by Steyr and in Switzerland by SIG, this does not appear to be true. However, SIG did make Mosin barrels, for the Finns, as did two German firms and at least one Belgian firm. Steyr may have also made Mosin barrels, as itis known that the Austrians converted a quantity of captured Mosins to their native 8x50mm R military round during World War | Finland developed and built a whole series of Mosin models, making everything but the action, which came from a wide range of manufacturers. The Finns continued to use their Model 39 Mosin for training well into the 1970s. Incredibly, Finland's current military sniper rifle has an M91 Mosin action, while that of the Czech Republic uses an M91/30 Mosin action. The Gzechs, the Poles and the Bulgarians have all made distinctive Mosin model variations using Russian Mosins for the base. The U.S. government acquired a huge quantity of American-made (Remington and Westinghouse) M91 Mosin rifles during World War | that could not be delivered to Russia because of its revolution. They were officially designated as the U.S. Rifle 7.62mm M1916 primarily for use as training rifles, though few, if any, were actually used as such. Even more bizarre is the fact that U.S. Army units sent to Archangel, Russia, in 1919 with the Allied Intervention Forces were armed with these Mosin rifles and bayonets. This was undoubtedly done to make ammunition resupply easy, since the main purpose of the expedition was to secure large stocks of military supplies located at SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII 65MOSIN- NAGANT Archangel to keep it from falling into the hands of the communist revolutionaries. As you would expect, these supplies included huge amounts of 7.62x54mm R ammunition that had been shipped by the allies to the Russian government. Thus it was, logical to arm our troops with weapons that could use that ammunition Reports ate that the U.S. troops armed with Mosins did not like them. The major gripes were that they were too long, their action was awkward to operate, and their safety was clumsy compared with the U.S. M1917 rifles to which they were accustomed. The Mosin first saw combat during the Boxer Rebellion at the battles of Peking and Tientsin in the hands of the '50,000-man Russian contingent of the Allied Punitive Expedition. It was the standard rifle of Russian forces in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Various Mosin models were the primary rifles of the Russian Army during World War | and the Soviet Army during World War I Mosin sniper rifles were used by some of the top snipers in World War II innnot only the Soviet Army but also the German Army, which redeployed captured Mosin M91/30 sniper rifles at every opportunity. Mosins were the primary rifle used by Chinese and North Korean forces in the Korean War. ‘They were also the primary armament of both sides during the Hungarian Revolt of 1956. The most refined Mosin service rifle, the Finnish M39, was also the only one to have a pistol-grip stock. Even though most of them were made during WWI, they were held to an incredibly high accuracy standard that makes them one of the most accurate military service rifles ever fielded. In the Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940, which lasted only 105 days, the Finns killed between 700,000 and 1,000,000 Soviet troops before they had to capitulate, achieving a kill ratio of over 40 to 1. The vast majority of the Finnish troops who inflicted that terrible damage were armed with Finnish versions of the Mosin. One Finnish sharpshooter named Corporal Simo Haya, armed with an iron-sighted Finnish M28 Mosin, was credited with 505 confirmed Soviet kills during the conflict before he was seriously wounded and evacuated. Another Finnish sharpshooter named Sulo Kolkka was credited with more than 400 Soviet kills during the Winter War, including a crack Soviet sniper whom he took out with a single shot at 600 meters with his iton-sighted Finnish Mosin. Red forces in the Spanish Civil War were extensively armed with Mosin M91 rifles. The Germans captured so many Mosin rifles during World War | that they were issued in large quantities to German rear-echelon troops and to the German Navy. When Poland became a free country after World War |, among the first rifles it adopted was a quantity of ex-Russian Mosins converted to 8x57mm Mauser and called the WZ.91/98/25. Surviving specimens are rare and valuable when ‘encountered. Chinese- and Soviet-made Mosin carbines and rifles were common arms of the Vietcong, particularly in the early part of the Vietnam War. The ‘Soviet Mosin M91/30 PU sniper rifle was the standard sniper rifle of the North Vietnamese and Vietcong forces throughout the Vietnam War. Indeed, | brought back a captured specimen of the latter rifle myseifin 1971 at the end of my tour as an infantryman in the 1st Cavalry Division. Mosin rifles, carbines and sniper rifles were widely supplied to various communist-backed revolutionary groups and terrorists throughout The M91/30 PU sniper rifle is shown above a Bulgarian M91/59. The latter is an M91/30 rifle cut down to the same length as the M38 and M44 carbines. The original rear sight is modified for the ballis 66 SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. VII of the carbine.Africa, Asia and, to a small extent, Latin America by both the Soviets and the Chinese well into the 1970s. The ‘Afghan freedom fighters turned more than a few Mosin rifles against the Soviet invaders in the 1980s. ‘As you can see, the Mosin rifle got around. tis easily one of the five most significant bolt-action military rifles in history, and it is probably not lower than the third most prolific. ‘The Mosin rifle action has very little in common with any other rifle action. The bolt has only seven parts, making it among the simplest ever made. However, they are assembled in a complicated, almost puzzielike fashion with three separate parts making up the bolt body. It has a detachable bolt head with massive lugs that lock in the horizontal position rather than vertically like all the Mausers and Mauser spin-offs, as well as most of the Mannlichers. This orientation gives the action extremely strong locking lug seats and makes for astiff action. Also, the bolt-guide rib and handle turn in front of the right rear receiver bridge, acting asa massive safety lug. As a result, the Mosin action is extremely strong, a fact that has been confirmed by recent laboratory tests. When properly barreled, they are also capable of incredibly good accuracy with good ammunition. Many international competitions have been won, particularly by Soviet and Finnish shooters, using service and target rifles built on Mosin actions. One of the more famous was the 1937 International Army Matches, during which a Finn named Olavi Elo set a world record with a Finnish Model 28/30 service rifle. The Finns consider the M28/30 to be the most accurate of all their versions of the Mosin, Even the lighter-barreled M39, which replaced the M28/30 Civil Guard and M27 Army rifles, had an acceptance standard of three-shot groups of 1.3 inches or less at 100 meters (some references say 150 meters) with iron sights and service ammunition, That easily makes the Finnish M39 Mosin ‘among the most accurate service rifles in the world. To put this into perspective, the highly touted U.S. M1908 Springfield National Match rifle acceptance standard was a five-shot group six inches wide by four inches high or smaller at 200 yards with ‘match ammunition. During the period between the world wars, the U.S. director of civilian marksmanship (DCM) sold brand-new surplus U.S.-manufactured M91 Mosin rifles for $3.24 with one thousand rounds of 7.62x54mm R ammunition for $4.00. That was a tremendous bargain even back then when a dollar went a lot farther than today. Many thousands of these USS. standard of 308 up to.311, which is a diameter commonly available for use in .303 British, 7.62x39mm and 7.7x58mm Arisaka rifles. One large surplus dealer, Francis Bannerman, went to the trouble of converting surplus Mosins to .30-06 between the world wars. The specimens | have inspected had the barrel removed and shortened from the rear to got rid of the fat Russian ‘chamber and were then rethreaded and rechambered in .30-06. The magazine was altered to handle the longer, thinner .30-06 cartridge. The The Soviets were very fond of their bayonets, so much so that the M44 carbine had an integral folding cruciform bayonet with a chisel point attached. Mosins were turned into inexpensive but effective hunting ries. The 7.62x54mm R Russian cartridge was loaded commercially with hunting type bullets in the U.S. until after World ‘War il. Since then, the primary source for hunting ammunition in this chambering has been Norma of Sweden, which uses boxer primed reloadable brass. The 7.62x54mm R cartridge is readily reloaded with a variety of .30-caliber bullets, the best accuracy being achieved with bullets matched to the rifle’s individual bore dimensions. Depending on the rifle model and ‘manufacturer, these can vary from the ‘Several Finnish Mosin models—the (M27, M28, M28/30 and M39—have front sight guards similar to those of our M1 Garand. The Finns nicknamed these rifles “Pystykorva” (Spitz ear) after a breed of dog having prominent ears that stick up. bolt face was appropriately modified, as were the extractor and ejector. The workmanship was quite decent, and, contrary to the opinions of many “experts,” the guns were quite safe to shoot. Bannerman sold these 30-06 Mosins both in military configuration and as shortened, half- stocked sporters called “Russian Springfields. Others who tried to make similar 30-06 conversions of Mosins did not make the effort to do it right, with disastrous results. Some of these poorly converted rifles “blew up" and. injured or, in one reported case, killed the shooters. As a result, all such conversions got a bad name, and the Mosin action got an unfair reputation for not being strong. In fact, it is much stronger than the typical M1903, Springfield, which was the darting rifle of that period The positive features of the Mosin action are many. Its extremely durable with no fragile parts. To give you an idea of how durable, the current Finnish sniper rifle, the M1985, uses pre-1918 czarist Russia M91 Mosin actions! Who SURPLUS FIREARMS, Vol. Vil 67