#2nd amendment

LasAR-15 80% Izhmash Lower

The chances of the Russian arms manufacturer Izhmash making AR-15′s for the U.S market are about as slim as winning a ground invasion to Moscow in the winter, you can get an 80% lower with all the engravings. An 80% lower is not considered a firearm until you actually start the milling or drilling process. However some states are actively seeking to ban the sale of these unfinished lowers, citing them as untraceable “Ghost Guns”. (GRH)

Colt SP1 Laser Products Corporation

In the 1980′s laser aiming devices were still in their infancy. Early lasers were bulky and required huge batteries. Laser Products Corporation was one of the earliest companies to produce laser options for different firearms. The Colt upper in the photo is presumably 1 of the 50 produced using the LPC Model 16 Military Laser Sight. Note how the upper is different from what Laser Products Corporation has featured in their flyer. It could be an earlier model due to the crude splicing of the A2 front sight. Laser Products Corporation would later become known as Surefire Industries, one of the leading companies in tactical light and laser accessories. (GRH)

Hungarian AMD-65

One of the more unique AK variants from around the Com-Bloc nations, the Hungarian AMD-65 has an instantly recognizable silhouette. This is due to its double pistol grip set up. The grips themselves are either wood or polymer but its unclear when the transition occurred or if it was just based on available materials. The actual military versions have a much shorter barrel that would make them fall under SBR (Short Barreled Rifle) requirements. Majority of the semi-automatic examples for the U.S civilian market have an extended muzzle brake to bring the barrel length to 16″. (GRH)

Springfield Armory SOCOM 16

A customized example of the shortest, more compact variant of the M1A offered by Springfield Armory. The stock is made of birch with a distinct pattern often referred to as either flame or tiger depending on the intensity of the swirl in the grain of the wood. The owner/seller also removed the factory muzzle brake, which although effective at reducing the recoil, is it considered obnoxiously loud by many SOCOM 16 owner’s experiences. The new muzzle device is threaded to accept a suppressor for added versatility. Note the faux selector switch at the rear of the receiver above the trigger group. Some surplus USGI M14 stocks have the cutout for the switch and you can buy and install a fake one to mimic the look of a full-auto M14. (GRH)

Romanian MD 64

Most Romanian RPK rifles on the U.S market are the commonly seen AES-10B imported by Century Arms from the Cugir factory. This particular example was from a limited batch of builds from M13 Industries. What makes it considerably better than its Century Arms counterpart is that M13 Industries hand selected the parts kits, assembled them on quality Childers RPK receivers, added the correct 3 selector markings, and installed an ALG trigger. Overall the fit and finish on the M13 Industries RPK’s puts it in a league beyond the AES-10B. (GRH)

Zastava M63 “Tanker”

Originally marketed as an issued rifle to tanker crews in Serbia, Mitchell Arms had these rather short Mausers built on contract by Zastava. Featuring an eye catching honey blonde teak stock, the M63 has a 17.4″ long barrel. It was offered in several different calibers; .243 Win, .270 Win, .308 Win, 30-06 and 8mm Mauser. Exact production numbers of each version are unknown but Mitchell Arms only offered the Tanker for a few short years before discontinuing them. Having personally owned the 30-06 version, it is a very compact and balanced rifle for its size, but the buttstock shape and metal pad made it very painful to shoot heavy loads. (GRH)

Mosin Nagant 91/30 PU

One of the most common World War II sniper rifles due to the large number of them assembled and issued. While they may cost a fraction of what a Mauser, Springfield or Arisaka sniper would command, the Mosin sniper is probably the easiest to fake. One of the easiest ways to tell if you’re looking at a fake PU sniper is the receiver. Mosin Nagant 91/30′s will either have a hexagonal or round/smooth. All known PU snipers are round/smooth receiver examples. Some U.S importers like Century Arms, installed PU optics and mounts on whatever Mosins they had available, creating an influx of fakes to the market. (GRH)

Jericho 941

The 941 is an Israeli made variant of the legendary Czech CZ-75, one of the most successful pistol designs in modern history. This example is unique in that it is a former Philippine National Police issued sidearm. Exactly how many of these PNP 941′s will be coming over on the surplus market remains to be seen. The Philippines announced that the Glock 17 Gen 4 won the contract to be the new issued sidearm of their National Police force. On a side note this 941 has a rather distinct serial number of 1337. Some collectors will actively seek out unique serial numbers because of the novelty aspect. (GRH)

Rhodesian FAL

One of the many variants of the Belgian FAL, the Rhodesian version was a mix of surplus rifles from other countries who had replaced their FALs. A large majority of Rhodesian FALs were ex-German G1′s. What makes the Rhodesian rifles a bit unique from other examples is their distinct camouflage pattern, affectionately referred to by FAL collectors as “Baby Poop”. This is due to the vomit green splotched throughout the rifle. (GRH)

Zastava M77PS

A semi-automatic rifle chambered in .308 Winchester, the M77PS is for the most part a dressed up RPK due to importation requirements. This isn’t the first time the M77PS has been on the U.S civilian market; many years ago Mitchell Arms brought in similar rifles but with wooden furniture. One of the most unique aspects about the M77PS is that it has an adjustable gas system to handle different ammunition loads. There is a slight downside to the current M77PS models versus the original Mitchell Arms imports. The rear of the receiver is not entirely square on the M77PS, there is a slight angled cut to prevent the installation of regular AK stocks. An adapter has to be added to square off the rear of the receiver. (GRH)

Springfield Armor SOCOM 16

The shortened version of the M1A, the SOCOM 16 features a 16″ barrel with a distinct muzzle brake and front sight. All aftermarket stocks designed for the full size M1A will work with the SOCOM 16, with this example wearing the VLTOR Improved Modstock System. Several companies offer similar stock systems or chassis kits to help modernize the ergonomics of the aging platform. Ironically it often means incorporating AR-15 stocks and pistol grips; parts that are technically the further evolution of the rifle that replaced the M14 back in the Vietnam War, the M16. (GRH)

Robinson Armament M96 Expeditionary Rifle

A U.S made semi-automatic rifle chambered in .223 Remington, the M96 is based on the Stoner 63, however it is not an exact clone. Originally offered in several barrel lengths and even a Bren-style top-fed magazine configuration, the M96 was produced for only a few years before Robinson Armament began focusing on their XCR rifles. The lack of spare parts has made many of the original M96 rifles more collector pieces and safe queens rather than daily use range guns. Even though production ended in 2005, Robinson Armament as of 2019, has mentioned potentially bringing the M96 back into their product lineup with improvements. (GRH)

The Ryker Grip

It looks like a tactical potato but this side mounted foregrip is making a big splash in the firearms community. Designed with input from special operations members as well as physicians, the Ryker Grip is biomechanically optimized for increased shooting performance. Many gear reviewers nonchalantly mocked and commented on it’s odd if not comical shape, but after testing it, pretty much everyone agreed it adds significant gains. The designer of the Ryker Grip mentions that the larger the caliber you shoot, the more noticeable the positives changes are in speed, control and accuracy. This is one of those accessories that necessitates trying it hands on to see if it actually lives up to the hype. (GRH)

Taurus Raging Hornet

A rare member of the Raging series of revolvers from Taurus, the Raging Hornet is chambered in the somewhat uncommon and obscure .22 Hornet. With an 8 round cylinder, it featured the distinct 10″ ventilated slab-side style barrel. It was not ported like other Raging revolvers in larger calibers. Exact production numbers are unknown, leading some people to wonder why Taurus would create these massive revolvers in bizarre caliber choices. The Raging Hornet’s sibling in the lineup was the Raging Bee, chambered in arguably more questionable caliber of .218 Bee. Curiously, the one Raging revolver that may have been a slight success was the one that never got past the prototype stage; the Raging 223, which was chambered in .223 Remington. (GRH)

PSL-54

Romanian built semi-automatic rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR, the PSL-54 is often compared to the more famous Russian SVD Dragunov. Though they share a similar silhouette, they share almost no parts compatibility aside from being able to use the same side-rail optics. Being a stamped receivers as opposed to a milled receiver, the PSL is easier to manufacture, requiring less machining than its Russian counterpart. When they originally hit the U.S civilian market, they were often marketed and even labeled as Dragunovs; a somewhat misleading attempt by importers to cash in on a famous name. You could at one point snag one of the Century imports for around $650 before they suddenly disappeared from importation for several years. Only recently have they come back but at almost double the price. (GRH)

Heckler & Koch 512

Although it bears the name of the legendary German gun manufacturer, the 512 was actually produced by the Italian shotgun manufacturer Franchi. H&K had commissioned Franchi to design and build it, while they handled the marketing and sales to law enforcement agencies. It was not intended to be for the civilian market, however a contract overrun meant a handful did end up being sold outside of the LEO market. Franchi is famously known for producing the SPAS-12 and you can see certain similarities between it and the 512. It features a very similar receiver layout, push-button safety, oversized release, and most notably the diverter muzzle device. This turns the shotgun’s normal circular pattern into more of a squashed oval, effectively spreading the pellets in a wider oblong pattern. Depending where you get your info, there are less than 300 of these shotguns in the U.S, making them extremely rare and collectable. (GRH)