Weapons
SELECTION OF WEAPONS:
In selecting any weapon, the criteria should be: rugged reliability, time
proven performance, accuracy, quality construction, and availability of
spare parts and service.
HECKLER & KOCH MP-5
By far the most popular submachine gun with the counter-terrorist elite, the
MP-5 is top of the list. First seen in the hands of GSG-9 and SAS in the
1970s, this weapon has earned a reputation that has made it the standard for
the 1980s. Preparation for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984saw many police
teams trading in their M16sfor new MP-5s. The MP-5 is a select fire weapon:
available with single shot, burst and full automatic capabilities, fired
from a closed bolt and standard in 9mm Parabellum (9x19). The MP-5 is
available in several versions: fixed or folding stock, shortened "K" version
for dignitary protection and brief case (KURTZ is German for "short"), the
SD suppressed versions and a scoped, short-range sniper version. It is up to
the individual purchaser to decide which features are most suited to his
particular agency's needs and order the appropriate version. Strong, simple,
reliable and accurate, the MP-5 is the choice of the SAS, GSG-9, FBI-HRT,
Delta, SEAL, USMC and many more.
BERETTA M12S
Although a robust and reliable weapon, the M12S has never gained the
popularity of the MP-5 or Uzi. The M12Shas a folding stock and both front
and rear pistol grips. The rear grip has an "integral squeeze safety feature
that allows the weapon to be fired only when being held correctly.
UZI
Although available in .45ACP, 9mm is by far the optimum calibre. The Uzi
once dominated the U.S. market and has always been the first choice of the
Israeli elite counter-terrorist teams, as well as a general-issue military
weapon. The Secret Service adopted the Uzi early on, and was seen by the
general public during the attempted assassination of President Reagan.
France's GIGN combat diving team also favours the Uzi for wet operations.
First available with a wooden, fixed stock, the Uzi now comes in a steel,
folding stock version. Demand for a more compact weapon brought about the
introduction of the Mini-Uzi, which was soon followed by the Uzi pistol
(Micro-Uzi). The Mini-Uzi is currently the most popular for anti-terrorist
operations and is equipped with a steel folding stock. Strong, simple,
reliable and accurate, the Uzi family has several excellent accessories to
improve their lethal capabilities, the best of these being the 5-8
light/target designator that mounts under the weapon, forward of the trigger
guard. This tactical light mount is also in use by the Israeli
counter-terrorist teams and has proven its worth in the field.
MAC-10
The MAC-1O, available in both .45ACP and 9mm, can still be found in the
armories of U.S. Army Special Forces and U.S. Navy SEAL teams along with
several other police and federal agencies.Most popular in its suppressed
configuration, the MAC is a rugged and simple weapon to operate, but does
not come close to the accuracy and ergonomics of an MP-5.
COLT CAR-15 9MM
A new addition to the field, the Colt 9mm carbine may hold a lot of
attraction to a team that has already been trained on the 5.56mm (.223)
M16/AR15 weapons system. This weapon is essentially a 9mm version of the
CAR15 complete with full auto capability but without the range
andover-penetration of the .223 rifle cartridge. The 9mm Colts are now
standard issue to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, who were already
familiar with the M16.
H&K33 A2
The fully automatic version of the 93 and one of our first choices for a
light assault rifle suited to special operations teams. The folding stock
model is the HK33A3 and a shortened barrel version is the HK33K (26.75
inches with butt folded). The 33 can be equipped with the full range of
factory accessories, scopes or night vision devices.
H&K 53
The 53 is an even shorter version of the 33, resembling an MP-5. It would be
a submachine gun except for the fact that it shoots a rifle round. A team
looking for a compact weapon, with a little more punch than the 9mm MP-5
would find the 53 to be an excellent choice: 22.6 inches withthe butt folded
and .223 in calibre, the 53 can utilize the full range of 93 and 33
accessories. Even with this more powerful cartridge, it is very controllable
and a pleasure to shoot. There is an added muzzle blast because of the short
barrel, but this could work to a team's advantage in Close quarter fighting
M16/AR15
The select-fire M16 and semi-auto AR15 are both manufactured by Colt and are
weapons that every team member should be familiar with. These two weapons
are so common in the U.S., on both sidesof the fence, that any member of the
police or military should be able to load, fire and unload one without
problem.
RUGER MINI 14/AC556
The Ruger assault rifles are basically small M14s but in .223 instead of
.308. Available in stainless or blue, they have attained some popularity
with U.S. law enforcement. The Mini-14 is the light assault rifle, available
with either fixed or folding stocks. The AC556 is the full
auto/burst/semi-auto version of the Mini-14. With the folding stock and
short barrel the AC556 almost qualifies as a submachine gun except for the
.223 Rem. calibre
AUG (Army Universal Gun)
The AUG is one of the new breed of "bull-pup" assault rifles. The magazine
and bolt group are behind the trigger making for a very compact package. The
AUG has already been adopted by several military groups as their standard
issue weapon. One of the AUG's better features is a scope sight built into
the upper carrying handle of the weapon. With a telescopic sight there is no
need to waste unnecessary time teaching conventional sight alignment. The
trainee will simply place the circle, in the scope, on the intended target
and squeeze the trigger. Any rifle instructor will know that the bulk of
rifle marksmanship training is teaching sight alignment. The AUG is
available in three barrel lengths and optional full automatic. The shortest
weapon is almost of submachine gun size and the longest is a light machine
gun (SAW).
Stun munitions
Stun grenades, also known as
flash-bangs, are designed to temporarily stun the occupants of a room, bus
or aircraft, so the assault team has time to make entry and dominate the
stronghold.
Unlike explosive entry, the use of stun munitions has become a SOP for most
entry teams. Unlike conventional military fragmentation grenades, the stun
grenade does not break-up into a storm of small lethal fragments. The body
of the grenade is usually made of cardboard, and in some cases, even the
fuse mechanism separates before final detonation. Some of the newer devices
are constructed with a non-fragmenting aluminium body that merely vents the
force of the charge out of each end and then can be reloaded with a new
fuse/charge module. Most stun munitions have a fuse delay of approximately
one second so that the grenade cannot be picked-up by the barricade suspects
and thrown back. There is considerable variance in the effect of many of
these devices. Some emit a loud bang; some a blinding flash; others both
flash and bang; and some are loaded with several sub munitions that go off
over a few seconds. All in all, the bangs and flashes are secondary to the
intended effect of the grenade. It is the shock wave caused by the rapidly
expanding gases that accompanies the detonation that actually stuns the
occupants. Be aware that some available munitions are advertised as "Stun
Grenades" while others are "Distraction Devices". The distraction
devices came out of a need for a lower powered grenade that would reduce the
chance of injuries. Unfortunately, even though distraction devices produce a
loud noise and some flash, they generally do not have the power to
physically stun a determined gunman. To get the full stun effect there must
be sufficient force in the explosion (compound in the grenade) to raise the
pressure in the room and physically incapacitate the occupants.
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