Small Arms for Urban Combat
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Small Arms for Urban Combat This page intentionally left blank Small Arms for Urban Combat A Review of Modern Handguns, Submachine Guns, Personal Defense Weapons, Carbines, Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Anti-Materiel Rifles, Machine Guns, Combat Shotguns, Grenade Launchers and Other Weapons Systems RUSSELL C. TILSTRA McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Tilstra, Russell C., ¡968– Small arms for urban combat : a review of modern handguns, submachine guns, personal defense weapons, carbines, assault rifles, sniper rifles, anti-materiel rifles, machine guns, combat shotguns, grenade launchers and other weapons systems / Russell C. Tilstra. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-6523-1 softcover : acid free paper 1. Firearms. 2. Urban warfare—Equipment and supplies. I. Title. UD380.T55 2012 623.4'4—dc23 2011046889 BRITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE © 2012 Russell C. Tilstra. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Front cover design by David K. Landis (Shake It Loose Graphics) Manufactured in the United States of America McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com To my wife and children for their love and support. Thanks for putting up with me. This page intentionally left blank Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations . viii Preface . 1 Introduction . 3 1. Handguns . 9 2. Submachine Guns . 33 3. Personal Defense Weapons . 50 4. Carbines/Rifle Caliber Submachine Guns . 54 5. Assault Rifles . 69 6. Sniper Rifles/Precision Tactical Rifles . 101 7. Anti-Materiel Rifles . 116 8. Machine Guns . 122 9. Combat Shotguns . 142 10. Grenade Launchers . 154 11. Miscellaneous Weapon Systems . 169 Notes . 185 Bibliography . 191 Index . 193 vii Acronyms and Abbreviations ACP—Automatic Caliber Pistol MANPADS—Man Portable Air Defense ATGM—Anti-tank Guided Missile System AUG—Armee Universal Gewehr (rifle) MOUT—Military Operations on Urban Terrain BAR—Browning Automatic Rifle PDW—personal defense weapon BDA—Browning double-action PSP—Polizei Selbstlade Pistole BMG—Browning machine gun QCB—quick change barrel CQB—close quarter battle RHA—rolled homogenous armor CQBR—close quarter battle receiver rpm—rounds per minute CT—counter-terrorist SA—single action DA—double action S&W—Smith and Wesson DAO—double action only SAR—shortened assault rifle FAL—Fusil Automatique Léger (Light Auto- SAS—Special Air Service matic Rifle) SAW—squad automatic weapon FN—Fabrique Nationale SMAW—Shoulder Launched Multipurpose FNC Fusil Nouveau type Carabine Assault Weapon fps—feet per second SMG—submachine gun GPMG—general purpose machine gun SOCOM—Special Operations Command HK—Heckler & Koch SPW—special purpose weapon IED—improvised explosive device SWAT—Special Weapons and Tactics (unit KAC—Knight’s Armament Company or team) LAW—Light Anti-tank Weapon UAV—unmanned aerial vehicle LB—long barrel UMP—Universal Machine Pistol LMG—light machine gun UO—Urban Operations LTL—less than lethal U.S.M.C.—U.S. Marine Corps MAG—Mitrailleuse d’Appui Generale USP—Universal Self-loading Pistol (series) WMR—Winchester Magnum Rimfire viii Preface This work, serving a basic reference function, is meant to provide both professional soldiers and students of small arms study with a working knowledge of the most common and successful urban combat weapons in use today, as well as some in development that have potential as service weapons. There are far more complete reference books already in existence—Jane’s Infantry Weapons is the first such work that comes to mind. I have used several excellent sources in the course of this work. This book is intended, however, to be more than just a summary of the small arms systems in common use. It is also meant to provide the reader with a clear picture of how warfare has changed and why these changes have taken the small arms industry in the direction it has recently gone. My decision to write this book resulted from a desire to share my knowledge of small arms systems both in terms of design and purpose. I have spent years in this area of study and noticed that very little work had been done with respect to correlating the conditions of modern combat with the choice of weapons used for various tasks. While dimensional data are given for almost every model mentioned, these are only close estimates based on information from the manufacturers and from other reference works. I have tried to provide some insight into the designs with regard to application. Some are first rate performers, while others are mediocre designs that still see use due to reasons other than quality of design or manufacture. While personal opinion may creep in from time to time, I have attempted to maintain objectivity. Any generalized claims have been supported with documentation, and sources are listed in the chapter notes and bibliography. One linguistic note: While anti-material and anti-materiel carry the same meaning, I have adopted the second spelling, as more commonly used. More than anything, I would like to see this work closely studied by those currently serving in uniform, as they stand the most to gain from this information and they are most at risk, given the brutal combat environments in which they are forced to operate. With the exception of photographs on pages 19, 20 and 22, military photographs are provided courtesy of defenseimagery.mil. Use of military imagery does not imply or constitute Department of Defense endorsement. 1 This page intentionally left blank Introduction The purpose of this book is to examine, in detail, the most successful small arms in use today, and how changes in modern warfare have affected how those weapons are employed. It will also examine how technology has drastically affected the small arms industry. While many of these weapon systems were designed for military applications, some are seeing increased use among the law enforcement community as well. The book will cover these weapons by category: handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, and others. Some of these categories are relatively new, and some of the weapons covered here are not often seen on the battlefield but are proving quite useful and, in some cases, indispensable. Some Things Never Change The various types of small arms popular today have not changed much. Those in the law enforcement community are still primarily using what they have been using for years, chiefly handguns and shotguns, although some departments have begun keeping carbines or rifles as extra firepower when needed. This was mostly a result of the North Hollywood shootout.1 Many rural police departments have been using carbines for years. The long range weaponry is generally reserved for Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units. In Europe, it is common to see officers carrying around submachine guns. Here such a practice may not be politically acceptable. This may explain why we are still seeing a largely limited selection of weapons within the law enforcement community. City Streets Become the New Battleground In the military, things are a bit different. There are several new categories of small arms in service. Some categories, like submachine guns, have become less popular, while others are seeing a significant increase in use. Handguns are a prime example of a resurgent weapon class. Several new categories are seeing service as well. Anti-material rifles, which 3 Armor and infantry are best kept in close proximity for urban operations. Weapon in foreground is a U.S. M4 carbine mounted with an ACOG scope, AN/PEQ-2 infrared aiming unit, and Knight’s Armament RIS rail. This is probably the new U.S. Army standard shoulder arm (Spc. J. Crosby, U.S. Army). The typical urban combat environment can provide a great deal of cover, but this also applies to the enemy (Spc. G.A. Alisan, U.S. Army). Introduction A wide street such as this can be a deadly route for troops or vehicles (Cpl. M.S. Richards, U.S. Marine Corps). first saw use in the 1980s with the Barrett model 82,2 have made a place for themselves in the modern military. Other classes have increased so much in capability that they have completely changed the category parameters. New sniper calibers like the .338 Lapua and the .416 Barrett have more than doubled, in some cases tripled, the range of sniper weapons from 20 years ago. Other categories have come along to turn small patrol units into a company in terms of firepower. Multi-shot grenade launchers, with ranges of up to 900 yards, are now in service, 1800 yards in the case of the new Chinese launchers. Patrol mortars weighing less than 15 pounds offer 2000 yard range, and soon, precision round placement, once guided mortar rounds become commonplace, which is a reasonable like- lihood. The changes in warfare are being quickly met with new weapon systems that pos- sess scary levels of efficiency. Warfare has changed much throughout the years. The variables behind these changes are too numerous to be covered here, and that is not the purpose of this book. What is relevant to this study is the type of warfare that troops face today. The world is becoming more urbanized. This change has had a profound effect on warfare. For the first time in human history, the majority of the world’s population lives in urban settings.3 What this means is an increased likelihood that any outbreak of conflict will occur in an urban environment. Also, the urban areas now hold even more strategic value than they have in the past.