In accordance with embodiments of one aspect of the present invention there is provided a firearm aiming system.
In the specification and claims, the term “firearm” will be understood to mean a personal, man-aimed or hand-held firearm designed for aiming and firing by a single user, including pistols; rifles; machine guns; grenade launchers; hand-held rocket, and the like, including combinations thereof, for example an M-16 and M-203 combination.
The aiming system can be implemented as a retro-fit to an existing firearm, or “built-in” to a new firearm.
In accordance with embodiments of another aspect of the present invention there is provided a personal firearm comprising the above-defined aiming system.
In accordance with embodiments of yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a firearm as defined in claim 27 and claims depending therefrom.
In accordance with embodiments of yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of reducing the probability of missing a target as defined in claim 33 and claims depending therefrom.
In some embodiments, the firearm can be disposed on top of a platform, implemented as a remote-controlled-non-stabilized firearm, robot or UAV which locks on a target from remote location via a video and a robot fires if target will be hit.
In some embodiments, the imaging and processing system can be implemented in a hand-held Laser Range Finder (LRF) for accurate measurement of the range of a target, which can be implemented in binoculars with LRF also for target acquisition—and not necessarily in a weapon. For example, the LRF will measure distance (target range) when cross hairs of the binoculars are on the locked target, thus allowing an accurate range to be measured. In some embodiments, this target measurement implementation further comprises a GPS, a digital compass and an inclinometer for dynamic target location extraction, which in addition to having the capability of measuring the range of a static target, can track a moving target and continually update the coordinates.
In some embodiments, the firing processor is adapted so that the epsilon tolerance or logic module uses predetermined settings, whereas in other embodiments the epsilon tolerance or logic module uses factors, i.e. the precision tolerance is dynamic, affected by factors in the field (discussed below) which affect the epsilon algorithms.
In regard to background movement, it is a particular feature of the present invention that the imaging system is adapted to determine the movement of a potential target based on movement relative to one or more static background features (e.g. objects or structures, such as a building, rock, tree or the like) in an imaged field. In such case, the firearm need not include a barrel motion sensor, and the one or more static features (“anchor” features) can be used to determine movement and angular velocity of the target, which, provides “lead” data for use by the processor's firing algorithm. Further, the static background features can be used for determining the barrel movement. A non-limiting list of exemplary barrel motion sensors include: gyroscope and compass based sensors, inclinometers and accelerometers. In some embodiments, the imaging system is adapted to determine the movement of a potential target based on movement relative to one or more dynamic background features.
According to related features, the imaging system is also adapted to determine the movement of a potential target while the user is moving. In such case, the static background object(s) seem to move, and typically at different velocities and/or directions in the field of view and background tracking is challenging. The imaging system can be adapted to include a feature termed “optic flow” analysis, which is capable of calculating the velocity of a dynamic target that is not part of the optic flow pattern, and relates to the situation where targets/objects at different ranges seems to move in different velocities and/or directions.
Another feature for calculating the movement/velocity of target(s) and/or self-movement that can be incorporated into the imaging system is a feature termed “multiple triangulations”, which is often used in naval navigation.
Some embodiments include an image-based processing target range estimation function, which may be in default settings in the imaging and processor system. Along with other factors such as target movement and barrel movement, range estimation is one of the more important inputs to the epsilon logic module, as well as an important input to the firing computer and target lead calculations. One range estimation scenario involves using familiar or expected target size as a function of range. In other words, the larger the target (i.e. the greater the number of pixels present in the display), the shorter the range, and vice versa. This scenario can be advantageously combined with target recognition. For example, if the target is identified, it can be compared to the expected size of such a target. Thus, say the target is determined to be a human or tank, based on ATR (automatic target recognition), the target image size (i.e. number of pixels present in the display) can be compared to the known size of a typical human or tank in order to estimate the range. A further range estimation method usable in the instant aiming method is perspective analysis and/or focus.
Face detection/face recognition: In some embodiments, the target recognition is constituted by face detection—a method of detecting human targets. It may also be used to locate the human target's body, as the body is commonly located below the detected face. Face recognition can be used in specific situations, as follows:
(a) Automatically re-acquiring a target (e.g. a target that went out of the FOV and re-entered; a target that crossed another target; or a target that was behind a cover such as re-appearing in a window;
(b) Absolute identification—friend and foe identification such as in a hostages/kidnapper scenario (e.g. using pre-loaded facial images to mark as “friend” or “foe” in the specific scenario, and/or specifying a person in the scenario, such as “the leader”; and
(c) Enabling sending an image of the detected person to others, including other users in the field and/or a commander/headquarters—typically including receiving information back about the person and/or a command.
Another range estimation scenario uses the target speed, as the more quickly the target moves across the display, the more likely the target is to be close, and vice versa. Again, this scenario can be advantageously combined with target recognition. For example, if the target is identified, the actual movement/velocity of the target can be compared to the known typical range of velocity of such target.
Another range estimation scenario uses relative location of the target—i.e. the imaging sensor determines the target location with respect to a background feature (whose distance the processor can determine by any LRF process or estimation of known object size), in other words if the target is in front (or in front of an imaginary horizontal line in the field), behind, above, or below a background feature (which need not be static) having a known or estimated range.
In some embodiments, a range measurement is performed using an LRF, automatically initiated at the moment of locking onto the target. However, sometimes a shooter does not want to use an LRF to avoid the possibility of revealing his position. For such purpose, in some embodiments, the firearm uses one of: (1) a predetermined range (set by the user or by a system default); (2) an image processing based range estimate (passive, as described herein); (3) an auto-LRF measurement, only after a shot is fired (at which point, the shooter's position is revealed in any event); or (4) a manual laser command, i.e. a laser beam will be emitted only after the aiming system determines the correct time to activate the laser beam.
It is a particular feature of some embodiments of the invention that the firearm is adapted to highlight and track multiple targets simultaneously, thereby facilitating firing at a plurality of targets without requiring locking on to each target between firing rounds. In some embodiments, the user can lock on an object/potential target even if the imaging system has not provided a highlighting.
Advantages of the present invention include that it: enables accurate firing under various conditions (e.g. even at long range; or after physical effort by the user such as heavy breathing; or while the user is moving, such as on the run or from a land vehicle or helicopter; while the target is moving); minimizes civilian and friendly forces casualties; reduces collateral damage; improves the safety and effectiveness of combat and training; can help firing at specific body parts (e.g. lethal or non-lethal firing); can help firing at specific parts (e.g. the wheel of a vehicle); can document a shooting episode to determine if the firing was proper; helps training or operation debriefing; and saves ammunition. Furthermore, the present invention can accomplish the aforementioned advantages without the need for barrel motion sensors.
Additionally, according to the present invention there is provided an aiming system, for an aimable device, including: (a) a user display; (b) an imaging system that is adapted to display, on the user display, an indicator of a direction in which the device is pointing; (c) user controls for locking on a target towards which the device is pointing according to the indicator; (d) a tracker for tracking the target subsequent to the locking on the target by said user controls; and (e) a range finder for measuring a range to the target as the target is tracked by the tracker.
There also is provided, according to the present invention, a method of acquiring a target, including the steps of: (a) aiming an aimable device that includes: (i) a user display, (ii) a tracker, and (iii) a range finder, so that an indicator, in the user display, that indicates a direction in which the device is pointing, is superposed on the target; (b) locking the tracker on the target; (c) using the tracker to aim the range finder at the target; and (d) measuring a range to the target, using the range finder.
Another aiming system of the present invention is not just for a firearm, but for any aimable device, i.e., any hand-held or tripod-mounted device, such as a camera or binoculars, that is intended to be aimed at a target. A basic such aiming system includes a user display, an imaging system, user controls, a tracker and a range finder. The imaging system is adapted to display, on the user display, an indicator of a direction in which the device is pointing. The user controls are for locking on a target towards which the device is pointing according to the indicator. Following the locking on the target by the user controls, the tracker tracks the target. The range finder, which may include e.g. a LRF or a source of structured light, measures a range to the target as the target is tracked by the tracker.
In one LRF-based embodiment, the LRF includes a laser, a mirror that is controlled by the tracker so as to reflect light (typically light pulses because the LRF measures range by measuring time-of-flight of pulses to and from the target) from the laser toward the target, and a receiver of the light as reflected from the target. In another LRF-based embodiment, the LRF includes a laser, a receiver, and a gimbal that is controlled by the tracker so as to point the laser and the receiver towards the target so that light from the laser that is reflected from the target is received by the receiver.
In the LRF-based embodiments, the tracker could be operative to just aim the range finder at the target (e.g. as in FIG. 11A below), or to scan the target with the LRF to measure both the range to the target and the range to the background of the target. FIG. 11B below illustrates an example of a one-dimensional scan. FIG. 11C below illustrates an example of a two-dimensional scan.
The user controls could be adapted to allow locking on the target either automatically or manually.
Preferably the user controls include a target lock-on mechanism that includes a trigger, a button and/or a touch screen.
Preferably, the imaging system is adapted to detect the target based on target features. Most preferably, the imaging system detects the target via edge detection. Also most preferably, the imaging system highlights the target on the user display. Preferred target features include target movement, target shape, a muzzle flash associated with the target, the range to the target, the IR signature of the target, and “change detection” as defined below.
In an associated method of acquiring a target, an aimable device that includes a user display, a tracker and a range finder is aimed at the target so that an indicator, in the user display, that indicates the direction in which the device is pointing, is superposed on the target. The tracker is locked on the target and is used to aim the range finder at the target. The range finder then is used to measure the range to the target. Preferably, geographic coordinates of the target are computed based on the measured range, and are transmitted to a remote location.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic depicting an aiming system in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical depiction illustrating embodiments of an imaging processor of the present aiming system;
FIG. 3 is a schematic exemplary Field of View (FOV) of the present imaging system;
FIG. 4 is a view of an exemplary aiming aid for the present aiming system;
FIG. 5 is a schematic of an exemplary target illustrating firing tolerance in accordance with embodiments of the present aiming system;
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustrating exemplary target aim-point detection modes of the present aiming system;
FIG. 7 is a schematic depicting an embodiment of the present aiming system for use in an alternate implementation;
FIG. 8 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of the present aiming system adapted for affecting a deliberate calculated bullet spread;
FIG. 9 illustrates the general concept of using a tracker to aim a range finder at a target;
FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate three different embodiments of a range finder that is so aimed;
FIG. 11A illustrates the aiming of a range finder at a designated point on a target;
FIG. 11B illustrates one-dimensional scanning of a target;
FIG. 11C illustrates two-dimensional scanning of a target.
The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings referred to above. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features/components of an actual implementation are necessarily described.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a firearm 10 in schematic depiction comprising a firearm aiming system 11, the system adapted to allow the user to lock onto a target, or a plurality of targets and only allow firing if the aiming system determines the target will be hit. For such purpose the aiming system 11 comprises an imaging system 12; a user display 14; user controls 16, for locking/unlocking onto the target or targets; a firing processor 18 (described in more detail with respect to FIG. 2); and a firing actuator 20 to effect firing. Firing actuator 20 can be mechanical, electrical or electro-mechanical and enables or disables firing when the firearm's trigger is pressed or electronic firing means are used. However, typically aiming system 11 will include an override capability to allow “unhindered” (regular) firing. In this regard, according to some embodiments, the firearm's aiming system can be adapted to work as a “regular” firearm, able to shoot mechanically, for example if the aiming system's batteries are too weak or there is a malfunction.
By-pass mode: In an embodiment related to the aforementioned override capability, aiming system 11 can include a bypass type override. In other words, wherein conditional firing is a mode selectable by the user. This mode or feature can be by actuated by applying more trigger force, by trigger press speed (rapid trigger press rather than a half-press and then full press) or by range (firing will be enabled in any event toward short-range targets, whether locked on or not.
Imaging system 12 includes an image sensor or camera 22 and an image processor 24. Camera 22 can be a day/night video camera, for example a charge-coupled device (CCD) or CMOS; forward looking infra-red sensor (FUR); multispectral or hyper-spectral camera, or any other sensor that enables tracking of a target location in their field of view (FOV) including combinations thereof. In this regard, imaging system 12 may “fuse” data from more than one sensor into one or more representations or use the different inputs in parallel.
User display 14 typically includes an image display for displaying video of a field view, cross hairs, virtual images (e.g. night display, IR image) and other features of aiming system 11 that will be discussed in more detail herein, such as aiming guides (FIG. 4), a tolerance indicator, and markers/highlighting. However in some embodiments, user display 14 can have an audio input/output and/or touch screen type capability, and the like. In some embodiments, user display 14 only displays markers on top of see-through optics.
User controls 16 typically include a lock/unlock mechanism to lock on, or unlock aiming system 11 from a target. The lock/unlock mechanism can be activated, for example, by a partial depress of the trigger, which optionally may require a trigger-depress dwell time—e.g., a fast press allows regular shooting and a half press followed by a full press will actuate aiming system 11. User controls 16 also typically include a lock update mechanism to update (adjust) the lock on position (location in the target area that aiming system 11 is locked onto). These mechanisms can be by way of any appropriate means, for example, a 4-way button, 5-way button, etc, or miniature joystick, as is known. User controls 16 can optionally have capability for inputting information such as target range, wind speed/direction, and other such data. However, inputs such as wind speed and target range, etc, can be estimated or measured by aiming system 11. As will be further detailed herein, the use of specific techniques for estimating target range is a particular feature of the firearm 10 and aiming system 11.
Although it is a particular feature of some embodiments of the firearm's aiming system 11 that it need not include barrel motion sensors, rather the system can use background features to calculate/predict both the movement of the target and of the barrel of the firearm 10 (as will be described in more detail below), the aiming system can none-the-less include barrel motion sensors 32 to help calculate and predict the position of the barrel and movement of the user, e.g. shaking while aiming. In particular, it is the use of background features in the FOV that facilitate barrel movement calculations and predictions in embodiments that do not include barrel motion sensors 32. To emphasize this, the barrel motion sensor(s) block is shown in dashed lines, as is the block for additional sensors 34.
Further, in some embodiments aiming system 11 can include additional sensors 34, such as the following components: microphone; inclinometer;
accelerometer/inertial sensor; compass; GPS, Laser Range Finder (LRF), temperature measurement device (e.g. thermometer, thermocouple); barometer; wind-meter; and other like. Such components can be added to aiming system 11 to improve the accuracy and compensate for environmental factors that affect firing accuracy; to provide intelligence, e.g. a geospatial information system (GIS) and GIS data base, which may include capability for determining user location and user location with respect to friendly and unfriendly forces; and for event recording purposes.
Firing processor 18 of aiming system 11 comprises a firing computer 26; in preferred embodiments, an epsilon logic module 28; and a firing decision module 30. A firing computer is a typical component on sophisticated aiming systems and performs activities such as calculating the adjusted aim-point to the required range, wind, inclining angle etc; and typically uses ballistics tables and/or equations of the specific firearm and rounds. Firing decision module 30 is responsible for taking input from other systems/modules/processors and predicting whether the target can be hit. In preferred embodiments, this prediction, or more precisely the actual hit, is aided by use of a target area, called an “epsilon tolerance area” (or derivations of this term), as is discussed in more detail herein.
FIG. 2 provides the structure of an exemplary image processor 24 including an image enhancement module 36; background tracking module 38; barrel movement calculation module 39 (it should be noted that it is a particular feature of the present invention that barrel movement can be determined via background features without the need for a barrel movement or barrel motion sensors); target detection/identification module 40; target tracker (tracking processor) 42; and range estimator 44. Regardless, in some embodiments, image processor 24 does not include one or more of: background tracking module 38; barrel movement calculation module 39; and range estimator 44, as these components are not absolutely required in most scenarios. Image enhancement module 36 is responsible for enhancing the raw image by any known means such as by gain control and/or super-resolution techniques.
According to some embodiments, image processor 24 may automatically detect features in the FOV (which may be one or more potential targets) based on predetermined/automatic settings (e.g. if a potential target is moving; looks like a human or a tank, etc), in which case the image processor highlights the target (e.g. by contour/outline or color) based on edge differential between the potential target and its surrounding/background or other means. The user can then choose the detected potential target by selecting the target (by pointing at and locking on the potential target or its “area” (such as a target lockable area 56, as will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 5). This area is usually bigger than the actual target boundaries—making the target “bigger” and easier to select. Or the user can continue to scan the field provided by image sensor 22. In some embodiments, the target or its target area can be selected if the barrel is at least pointed near to the target/target area; and typically after that the lock-on will be “snapped” to the center of the target or other such pre-determined location. Selecting the target area can be considered “locking” onto a point on (location within or nearby) the target on which firearm 10 is directed at that moment. In some preferred embodiments, there is a target lock-on option whereby the locked-on point is moved to a central location in the highlighted target image; or the locked-on point can be moved to another location by the user (i.e. the locked-on point can be updated). In some embodiments, the system includes ATR whereby the target is recognized and the locked-on point is moved to a chosen or predetermined location of the target (e.g. the wheel of a vehicle; legs of a combatant; and so on). In some embodiments, the system is adapted to allow parts of the target to be selected by the user. In some options of this embodiment, an ATR feature of imaging system 12 can suggest target parts to the user.
With reference to FIG. 3 as well, background tracking module 38 can identify a single, or more preferably a group of, static background features 46 in the FOV, for example a house, building and tree as illustrated. These static features 46 identified by background tracking module 38 enable a series of particularly important calculations for aiming system 11. First of all, using static features 46, background tracking module 38 can determine the relative movement of a target or a locked-on target 48, whereby the velocity of target 48 can be calculated—importantly, without the need for barrel motion sensor(s) 32. In addition, also using static features 46, barrel movement is calculated via barrel movement calculation module 39—both angular and translational movement. In some embodiments, as a part of the aforementioned calculations, background tracking module 38 can perform FOV background stabilization. It is another important feature of the present invention that the target lead can be calculated without the need for any barrel motion sensor(s), rather using static background features 46 determined by background tracking module 38. Background tracking module 38 provides the position of static background features 46 to barrel movement calculation module 39 so that the movement (and aiming; i.e. direction), of the barrel can be calculated, and extrapolated, with respect to the position of locked-on target 48, by comparison to those static features. The position of locked-on target 48 is also extrapolated, i.e. the lead is calculated, as discussed herein. Again, if the aiming system 11 includes barrel motion sensor(s) 32, background tracking module 38 can use information from the barrel motion sensor(s) to calculate barrel position/aiming.
It is also an important feature of the invention that in embodiments that include barrel motion sensor(s) 32, the background tracking module 38 enables zeroing of “walk” (barrel motion sensors tend to drift over time), whether the target 48 is static or dynamic. The aiming system 11 can “zero” or calibrate itself with respect to the one or more static features 46, not merely with respect to target 48—there is no need to even have a locked on target. Thus, target lead can be calculated by the calculated target movement using static features 46 (and/or using barrel motion sensor(s) 32, if included); in concert with range estimation, ballistics, etc, by firing computer 26.
Calibration Mode: In some embodiments, the system is adapted to allow automatic calibration, e.g., shooting toward a calibration target whereby the system identifies the hit location and calibrates itself automatically so that the expected hit location coincides with the actual hit location; or per another option the user identifies the hit location and marks the hit location so the calibration can be performed. Imaging system 12 can zoom in if it is difficult for the imaging system to see the hit location.
In other embodiments, the system is adapted for battle calibration—shooting toward any target (at a measured/known range), freezing the image of the shooting, and marking (automatically or manually) the hit location. The system auto-calibrates itself accordingly.
Reverting to FIG. 2, it is a particular feature of target detection/identification module 40 that the module can identify a potential target based on movement, as any movement of a feature in the FOV is a good indication of a potential target wherein the identification of movement of the potential target is performed using comparison of the tracked static background features 46. Other target detection techniques can also be used, for example, FLIR, ATR, muzzle flash, acoustic techniques, detection by remote systems, “change detection”, and so on.
By the term “change detection” it is meant the comparison to a recorded database. For example the present imaging system 12 can be used to record a video of an area (scan a potential battle field) for instance; or another video recorder is used and data from that video recorder is downloaded to imaging system 12. Upon return to the same area, the difference or change between the two scenes can provide information for detecting potential hazards, which are highlighted in user display 14. Such change detection mode typically requires components such as a GPS, compass and inclinometer; and an image comparator.
Target detection/identification module 40 also highlights potential targets for user selection (locking on). This typically occurs while the user is scanning the FOV and results in a highlighting of the potential target (e.g. by a contour/outline, color, etc) using background-target segregation techniques such as edge detection, movement detection and so on. It is an important feature of the invention that the selection of targets can be made from a live video by aiming firearm 10 toward the target area; there is no need to freeze frames and then select the target. Thus, a rapid target selection can be made.
In some embodiments, the highlighting can occur even if firearm 10 is not pointing directly at a potential target, rather merely due to movement of that potential target, which commonly indicates that the potential target is a good choice. Imaging system 12 will detect the target movement and will highlight that target, and, in some embodiments, cause an automatic lock on, in accordance with pre-programming of the system or user choice. In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to indicate a hierarchy of desired targets—for example a close-by moving target is “ranked” higher (essentially meaning a more desired and/or dangerous target) than a far away moving target, which is ranked higher than a static target; a particular human/enemy higher than others; and the aiming system is thus typically adapted to provide an indication (symbol, color, flashing, etc). Accordingly, aiming system 11 has an algorithm capable of indicating a preference for selecting (highlighting and in some cases automatically locking on to) particular potential targets.
With regard to identification of targets using movement, in some embodiments, aiming system 11 uses movement information of potential targets in the FOV for target identification. For example, the speed of a potential target can help identify it, e.g. a target moving faster than humans are able can indicate the entity is a motorized vehicle. Reiterating, it is a particular feature of the present invention that target movement, including velocity, can be determined using static features, therefore not requiring barrel motion sensor(s) 32, thus, according to some embodiments, static features can be used to help identify a moving target and facilitate highlighting and automatic lock on.
In some embodiments, the target tracker 42 of the image processor 24 is adapted so that after the user selects a target by locking on it, using user controls 16, the user can then update the lock location (e.g. using a 4-way button, joystick or trackball). This embodiment can be considered a manual modification or alternative to (or used in combination with) embodiments where after the lock-on step, the firearm (i.e. imaging system 12) will automatically move the locked location to the center of the target, or another predetermined location. The 4-way button may enable selecting different targets (e.g. near-by target, one terrorist over another) or a different part/portion of the same target such as the target's legs instead of torso or head.
The term “another predetermined location”, can refer to, for example, if the target is human, the “center of the target” may be chosen as the center of the chest, rather than the geometric center. It should be noted that the term “center” can be understood to mean a (typically small) area or actively, selection of an area. Typically, to determine if the target is human, the imaging processor 24 will require ATR or face detection. In this regard, aiming system 11 can be adapted to include a data base of shapes, objects, models, people and so on in order to make a reasonable determination of several common potential targets.
User controls 16 can also be adapted to allow selection of an alternate target, selecting a specific part of the target or affecting the size of the epsilon (target/tolerance) area.
Tracker 42 is typically an electro-optic tracker. Tracker 42 receives the image of one or more locked-on targets from image sensor 22 after detection by target detection/identification module 40, and tracks the target(s). This tracking can continue even outside the FOV of the user display 14 which is still in the FOV of the image sensor; however, in some embodiments, the tracking can extrapolate the expected movement of the target and pick up the target again when it re-enters the FOV of the image sensor (for example: a combatant who moves outside the FOV of the image sensor, or temporarily moves behind a blocking object). In some embodiments, imaging system 12 is adapted to include the capability of “receiving” an otherwise unseen target identified by another firearm, for example, from the aiming system of another soldier who does see the target. In some embodiments, imaging system 12 is adapted to include the capability of tracking a “ghost” image (target), for example an enemy hiding behind a wall, who is “visible” using another sensor
Whole Scene Tracking: in accordance with some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to identify any object's movement in the FOV and track some or all objects. The user may, but may not need to know about this tracking, but this tracking may be used to:
(a) Manage high level target tracking (i.e. store in memory all object locations and movements) for expecting and identifying target crossing, etc;
(b) Enable better detection of a (formerly) moving target that has stopped;
(c) Change the safety level (by reducing the epsilon area for example)—to avoid hitting other moving objects or friendly forces nearby;
(d) Enable selection of moving targets by matching the barrel movement to the target movement (for example, selecting the nearest target that moves in the same direction of the barrel) and to avoid selecting a target crossing that nearest target;
(e) Enable range estimation relative to other static or dynamic objects with known range (measured/calculated or estimated);
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 includes a range finder 50 such as a laser range finder (LRF) which can be used to add information to the target detection/identification module 40, in particular the identification aspect thereof providing expectation of object sizes.
Target tracker 42 of image processor 24 receives information from background tracking module 38 and target detection/identification module 40 (or barrel motion sensor(s) 32, if present) and tracks after the locked-on target 48 with respect to static features 46 (or barrel motion sensor(s) 32, if present).
Range estimator 44 “passively” estimates target range, i.e. without using range finder 50. Methods to estimate the target range include using familiar or expected target size as a function of range; target speed; relative location, focus (using lenses' optical focus to estimate the range etc, as noted above. Again, where aiming system 11 includes range finder 50, the range as measured by range finder 50 can be used.
The above information, whether estimated, measured or calculated by image processor 24 or via inputs thereto (which can be user inputs or inputs from the system's components, or other information inputs from additional sensors 34 and/or external information received through communication from another system or external command system), is passed on to firing processor 18, •in particular: (a) detected and locked-on target information such as: target location, target type (e.g. using ATR), target size, target shape, target velocity, target range; (b) barrel movement; and (c) nearby friendly forces, civilians, and the like.
With reference to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, user display 14 comprises an aiming guide, illustrated by target location indicator or aiming arrow 52 pointing toward a preferred aim-point 53 of a locked-on target, (even if the target is outside the FOV of display 14). Preferred aim-point 53 can in essence be an epsilon area 54; detailed below. This aiming guide is an advantageous feature as the shooter knows how to adjust aim, i.e. so that the center of cross-hairs 55 can be moved along the aiming arrow 52 toward aim-point 53. Aim-point 53 may be a point within the target and/or a target area determined by epsilon logic module 28, which will now be detailed.
As mentioned above, in preferred embodiments, firing processor 18 includes epsilon logic module 28. Epsilon logic module 28 is responsible for calculating the target aim-point/area or epsilon area 54 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the target 48. It is this epsilon area 54 that is used by firing decision module 30 to make a firing decision. Prior art aiming systems have a predefined aiming accuracy requirement (e.g. a particular Minutes of Arc/Angle; MOA), which is not automatically calculated and has a predetermined shape (a point, circle, etc). In contrast, in some embodiments, the instant aiming system is adapted to calculate a dynamic epsilon area, and the size of the epsilon area is defined automatically such as by target's range, size, firearm and environmental conditions, firearm shaking, etc; and the shape of the epsilon area is defined automatically by the shape of the target.
The epsilon logic module 28 of the present invention is responsible for calculating the tolerance or inaccuracy that the system will allow, in this case, the firing or aiming tolerance. For explanation by way of example, firearm 10, or aiming system 11 thereof, may be locked on a location of target 48 (pixel of the image) and imaging system 12 and firing processor 18 will determine within what area around that location/pixel the firing will be allowed or actuated. In typical cases, after locking onto a point/pixel of target 48, imaging system 12 will adjust the lock-on point/location to a desirable (preferred) location, such as the center of target 48. In this regard, as a result of allowing either automatic or manual adjustment of the lock-on point, the aiming system 11 can allow locking onto a target even if the aim-point is merely near target 48 and does not require the aim-point to be on the target's physical/detected shape. An example of this “lock nearby” feature is illustrated by a dashed line defining a target lockable area 56 (FIG. 5) which is larger than the area of the actual target. As such, the term lock-on and its derivatives will be understood to denote on or nearby, in the specification and claims.
FIG. 5 graphically illustrates an example of epsilon tolerance (area) via an upper body portion of target 48. Upon locking on target 48, the aiming system 11, primarily imaging system 12, uses information such as target range, etc, as noted above, to determine epsilon area 54 which may be a relatively large epsilon area 54a if conditions so warrant (e.g. there is little or no wind, the user is stable and the target range is short). On the other hand, with less favorable conditions, a relatively small epsilon area 54b may be calculated by epsilon logic module 28. In some embodiments, epsilon area 54 is predetermined or choosable by the user, rather than calculated.
The epsilon tolerance (area) can be calculated based on factors such as the range of the target; i.e. because the range of the target affects the probability of the firearm 10 being aimed to hit, the tolerance required (allowable area) for firing can be accordingly adjusted. Another exemplary factor is the target size, for example if the target is large a higher tolerance (area) may be required/allowed as the chance of the firearm being “on target” is greater. Another exemplary factor is the target type, which may be determined by the user or preferably entail imaging system 12 comprising a target recognition algorithm such as an automatic target recognition (ATR) algorithm, for identifying the target type. In an exemplary implementation, if the target is a person or animal, the algorithm may not consider arms and/or legs of the target, which are prone to quick movement and thus may prove more difficult to hit.
Another exemplary factor can be the movement of the target; i.e. if imaging system 12 determines the target is moving, especially if moving rapidly, the processing algorithm can adjust the required tolerance for firing and allow rapid firing to help increase the probability of a hit or decrease the probability of a miss. Another exemplary factor can be the stability of the user; i.e. if the user moves a lot (e.g. shakes) or moves quickly, typically based on barrel movement calculation, the epsilon tolerance (area) algorithm can adjust the required tolerance (allowed area) for firing and further, may allow multiple and rapid firing to help increase the probability of a hit or decrease the probability of a miss. On the other hand, if the user is stable, the processing algorithm can adjust the required tolerance (allowed area) for firing accordingly.
Another exemplary factor can be background movement; i.e. if there is more than one moving item. This can be a result of civilians or friendly forces and the epsilon tolerance can be adjusted accordingly to reduce the risk of hitting such non-targets. On the other hand, if there is no background movement, or it can be determined that the target is far from friendly forces, the processing system may allow a less strict tolerance.
In accordance with the aforementioned tolerance examples, it is a particular feature of the present invention that the percentage of the area (defined by an outline/contour of the target produced by imaging system 12 and displayed on user display 14) can be used to define the tolerance. The percentage of contour area is explainable by example, i.e. 100% means epsilon area 54 is the same size as the area of the target (contour area); 50% means that the epsilon logic determines that the epsilon area is half the size of the target for allowing firing at the target, 150% means that the epsilon logic allows firing at an area 50% larger than the target's actual area; this concept can be reworded by using a pixel count instead of area.
In some embodiments, the aforementioned factors can be overridden and the user can select the tolerance/accuracy to be implemented by the firearm.
FIG. 6 graphically illustrates exemplary potential target detection modes of aiming system 11. One mode of detecting a potential target is by detecting contours (outlines, edges), resulting in a contour based area 58; another is the use of movement detection, resulting in a movement detection based area 60; and another is the use of an IR radiation threshold, resulting in a an IR radiation threshold based area 62 (e.g. above a certain temperature an object will be considered a potential target). These target detection methods can be used separately or in combination (depending on the given design of the aiming system 11, i.e. components included) for detecting a potential target. The aforementioned detection can be used as input to epsilon (tolerance) logic module 28 and an exemplary graphical depiction of an effective target area is shown based on epsilon logic, i.e. an epsilon tolerance contour 64. The aforementioned detection is also an input to target tracker•42, which highlights potential targets for user selection (locking on). Additional exemplary target detect modes that can also be used alone or in combination include: common movement; ATR; connected components; enemy firing detection (e.g. muzzle flash, acoustic); friend or foe detection, etc. Imaging system 12 may display friendly forces (e.g. using IR flicker; via communication and a GPS, etc) or a restricted area (e.g. using a GIS) and block the firing on them.
In summary, aiming system 11 is generally designed to detect, highlight and track a target (e.g. via an electro-optical tracker), to determine if firearm 10 is aimed so that the target is expected/calculated to be hit, and to enable the firing if firing decision module 30 has determined that the target will be hit (or prevent/disable firing if the firing decision module determines the target will not be hit).
Firing decision module 30 uses input from imaging system 12 (e.g. target and barrel movement, range estimation or measurement, etc); firing computer 26; and epsilon logic module 28 to determine if the target is expected to be hit and thus whether to fire (or not). As a result of an affirmative firing decision, firing is actuated or enabled via firing actuator 20 (e.g. either by sending a signal in the case of an electronic firearm; or allowing the trigger to fire in a trigger-actuated firearm).
Reverting to FIG. 1, according to some embodiments, the aiming system 11 can be designed to include a mode adapted for firing at detected targets without the need to lock onto those targets—a “non-lock on mode”. Here aiming system 11 does not require user display 14; target tracker 42; or epsilon logic module 28 as targets are selected automatically rather than, or in addition to, selection by the user; however, the use of the epsilon logic is typically preferable. This can be advantageous when the user wants to fire while moving, e.g. a soldier is charging, and it is difficult and/or inefficient to lock onto target(s). In this case, firing decision module 30 will allow firing only at “serious” or “suspicious” potential targets, for example based on movement of the target or temperature indicated by an IR sensor, ATR, muzzle flash or the like; however, not based on static edge detection. In addition to when a user is moving, this mode can also be advantageous in cases where an enemy fires from a window or behind a barrier and then hides. In this “non-lock on mode”, the epsilon tolerance algorithm may be affected to increase the allowed target area as it is commonly useful to fire even if merely near the target. This mode does not prevent firing at locked on targets (locked on prior to or during this “non-lock on mode”), whether the locked on target was chosen by the user or remotely chosen.
Some embodiments of the invention include an enemy-suppressing fire mode (“suppress-fire” or “covering fire” mode)—firing to prevent/limit the enemy from firing/or moving, or to make them move and reveal themselves. This is a modified “non-lock mode” that allows firing every predetermined time period (typically hundreds of milli-seconds) if the trigger is pressed, even if no target or movement was identified. The time counting restarts if a shot was fired toward a real target, whether at a target locked on prior to invoking this mode or not. This embodiment enables use of detected targets without forfeiting the capability of producing suppressing fire.
FIG. 7 shows an alternate implementation of the present aiming system, as modified aiming system 11a, for use in a monocular or binoculars 10a having a range finding capability, such as via a LRF. In contrast to aiming system 11, system 11a passes information from imaging system 12 to a lasering processor 18a comprising epsilon logic module 28 and a lasering decision module 30a. Lasering processor 18a determines if the laser beam emitted by binoculars' LRF would impinge a desired target and so return an accurate range measurement, in which case a lasering signal 20a is allowed. This implementation is particularly convenient for a scout who wants to pass on target location information to a remote location, for example to communicate firing coordinates. For this purpose, additional components such as a communication system 70; GPS 72; compass 74; and inclinometer 76 can be included, which help measure the target location and communicate that information to another site.
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to recognizing the actual hit location and hit time, for example by ricochet, dust or movement at a specific expected time and location. With recognition of hit location, an automatic calibration can be preformed based on comparison of expected versus actual hit location.
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to recognize shooting of firearm 10, for example by light burst, specific noise and noise level, specific movement patterns of the firearm (fire shock), etc. In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to count shots/rounds. In some embodiments, image sensor 22 includes “blink sensors” at the time of shooting, i.e. wherein tracker 42 ignores video frames of image sensor 22, which could interrupt proper viewing of the field due to muzzle flash and abrupt movement of firearm. Thus, the activity of tracker 42 can be stopped for few milli-seconds and resumed after the firing.
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to recognize detect a laser marker (red dot), which may be an encoded laser, visible or not, from the firearm or a remote laser marker. The laser marker is displayed on user display 14 (for communication purposes between users or between the user and a remote person); and can automatically lock on the detected laser marker.
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to record a video, collect data and statistics; and allow play back of the video recording.
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to receive remotely detected locked-on targets (using the video of the image sensor 22), wherein a remote operator/user can select/lock on a target, then the shooter/user can shoot toward the remotely locked-on targets. This requires a communication means between the remote operator and aiming system 11].
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to receive external/remote commands (again requiring a communication means), for example to stop firing. Such commands can preferably be overridden to allow shooting anyway if the need arises. This adaptation can be useful in an ambush, when firing is preferably synchronized.
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to synchronize shooting on targets with other users. Such firing synchronization can be advantageous between users, such as snipers in a hostage scenario. For example, only when all of the snipers are aiming toward the locked on targets in a way that firing decision module 30 of firing processor 18 determines that all the snipers will hit their targets, will a fire authorization command be given, to all the snipers.
In some embodiments, firearm 10 with aiming system 11 can be adapted for training purposes, shooting blanks, or nothing at all, while aiming system 11 calculates the hits/misses Imaging system 12 may record the whole session or the “hit” moment image only. In another training example, aiming system 11 includes augmented reality targets (built-in trainer) and generates graphics (such as a running soldier) on user display 14. The computer generated target may be dynamic and it may determine the user's relative location, user actions—such as firing at the target; and it may simulate firing back at the trainee or getting hit. Aiming system 11 may calculate the hit/miss during training in the same way as it calculates for firing real rounds. This “training” mode can also be used to simulate real time firing before a firing command is actually given, letting the system calculate and snipers (users) be informed how many of the targets can actually be fired upon (hit) simultaneously, The training mode can also provide statistics of time to hit the target, success ratio estimation and so on, and all of which can be calculated and displayed to the users and potentially others such as commanders.
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to use range measurement or estimation to: (a) Allow manual firing without any restrictions or allow firing toward short-range targets even if another target is locked-on (as a close target is usually more threatening than a remote target); (b) Block fire/alert regarding firing toward a target beyond effective range of the firearm; (c) Alert that charging toward the targets will be inefficient (as the target is long range, which is often wrongly estimated by soldiers, especially at night).
In some embodiments, aiming system 11 comprises multi- or hyper-spectral sensors. These sensors enable detection and/or identification and/or classification of specific targets (or friendly forces) for example: specific uniforms (e.g. by fabric). This feature can be used in logic for “reacquiring” the same target (having the same multi/hyper-spectral signature) after the target had been marked but had then left the system's FOV or went behind a cover and afterward reentered the FOV or came out from behind the cover etc.
Target selection by movement pattern: In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to allow target selection (lock-on) in accordance with movement pattern. It can be difficult to lock on to a moving target, especially if the user himself is moving. This embodiment enables a situation where by having a similar barrel movement pattern to the target movement (though the movement can be somewhat displaced, the target will be selectable (locked on). For example, a target moving to the right “tracked” by a general barrel movement in a similar rightward direction will enable selection of the target rather than a static target or target moving in a different direction. A similar mechanism may serve for deciding to shoot or not at the target with a similar movement pattern, even without locking on the target (such as in a “charge mode”, where the user(s)/soldier(s) are charging toward target(s). For example, avoiding shooting at objects (such as humans) that are going in the other direction as the target, again, even if the target was not locked on, rather “selected” by the common pattern movement.
Second Bullet Mode: In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to start operating only after a first bullet is (or a number of bullets are) fired manually. The manual shooting provides the user's intention to the system and it may automatically (or with pressing a button) lock on the nearest plausible target (to the first shooting aim-point) that will enable a better chance to hit it.
Deliberate-calculated-bullet-spread: FIG. 8 helps illustrate an embodiment wherein aiming system 11 is adapted to cause deliberate firing in a calculated spread (by moving the reticle in different directions about the target 48). By way of example, a first shot is fired toward target 48 and then there is a bullet spread, namely, a first bullet of the bullet spread fired below the target; followed by a 2nd bullet of the bullet spread fired to the right of the target; followed by a 3rd bullet of the bullet spread fired to the left of the target; followed by a 4th bullet of the bullet spread fired above the target. The bullet spread is performed to improve the chance of hitting the target (although it increases the chance of missing the target as well). This embodiment/method can be very effective in cases of ballistic issues caused by wind calculation errors, range errors, calibration errors etc., and is particularly appropriate when hitting the target is more important than missing the target. The calculated spread can be better than a “random” spread by manual shooting. The order of the bullet spread can be “opportunistic”, in other words if the user is aiming that way anyhow.
Virtual Laser Marker and Target Transference: In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to incorporate and/or use a communication device (optionally a C4I system) to transfer FOV of each soldier and/or targets and create a “virtual laser marker” (which is passive). The passive virtual laser marker is similar to the regular laser marker, however it can be used for display only or for adding target locks (i.e. automatically lock on that virtual marker). This option enables easy target distribution and excellent common language aid (mutual virtual-pointing devices). The passive virtual laser marker can also be used for accepting multiple target locks from an external system without the need to reveal the locations of the users/soldiers (as markings with active laser markers do).
Training safety mode/feature: In some embodiments, aiming system 11 is adapted to include a training safety mode or feature to improve (practice range) training safety. Here, the system enables firing only toward a target area, for example as defined by an angle from the north (e.g. using a digital compass) or by recognizing range borders such as flags/visual marks in—and not allowing firing at humans. This is like having one large epsilon area, over the entire training area. A GPS can actuate this mode automatically.
Elaborate epsilon logic: According to some embodiments, in one mode of aiming system 11 there are one or more “sets of epsilons”. By way of example, there can be a particular “set of epsilons” for charging (e.g. soldiers charging at an enemy position); another set of epsilons for sharp shooting (sniper fire); another set of epsilons for cover fire; another set of epsilons for a return fire mode (e.g. the epsilon may change once being the system detects it has been “fired upon”, for example to allow the user to return fire as soon as possible. A further example of such Elaborate epsilon logic is where the logic requires the first few bullets to be with high accuracy (small epsilon area 54) and later allows less accurate firing (larger epsilon area).
It should be understood that the present invention can be implemented with both standard and guided rounds.
Another feature of the present invention is directed at an aiming device for a firearm (or for that matter any aimable device, such as a camera or such as binoculars 10a of FIG. 7) equipped with image processor 24 of FIG. 2 and an LRF as range finder 50.
In the case of a conventional aimable device, the LRF, as a stand-alone device or as an integral component of the aimable device, measures the range along the line-of-sight of the aimable device. Because a firearm with an integral LRF, or a stand-alone LRF, usually is a hand-held device, and the user generally is a bit shaky when s/he points the device at the target, the measured range may be the range to background or the range to a different target rather than the range to the desired target. This problem is exacerbated if the target is moving. The LRF may provide a completely wrong range or may provide multiple ranges.
That target tracker 42 tracks a locked-on target enables a range finder 50 such as a LRF to be aimed at the target, rather than along the line-of-sight (LOS) of the aimable device, preferably by target tracker 42 itself as target tracker 42 tracks the target. FIG. 9 illustrates the general concept. A two-dimensional tilting mirror is used by target tracker 42 to aim the pulsed laser beam from LRF 50 at a target that is off the firearm LOS. (The angular deviation of the LOS from the target is exaggerated in FIG. 9 for illustrative purposes; usually, the angular deviation of the LOS from the target is much less than illustrated in FIG. 9.) Because of computational delays in target tracker 42, subsequent to target acquisition the actual aim point of LRF 50 is towards a predicted location of the target relative to the firearm LOS, based on the tracking history of the target and using e.g. a Kalman filter, as is known in the art.
FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate three different embodiments of a range finder 50 that is aimed by target tracker 42. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 OA, the laser beam from the laser source of range finder 50 is reflected by the mirror towards the target. The receiver of range finder 50 is fixed relative to the firearm and has a relatively wide field of view for receiving the laser light that is reflected by the target. In the embodiment of FIG. 10B the receiver of LRF 50 also is fixed but has a narrower field of view than the receiver of FIG. 1 OA; the mirror is made correspondingly wider in order to reflect to the receiver the narrow beam (laser) light that is reflected by the target. In the embodiment of FIG. 10C, instead of using a mirror to aim the narrow beam of range finder 50 at the target, both the laser source and the receiver are mounted on a gimbal that tilts in two dimensions and are aimed by target tracker 42 at the (predicted) angular position of the target.
In one set of embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 11A, target tracker 42 aims range finder 50 at a designated point on the target, for example at the center of the target. Preferably, the value that actually is used as the measured range to the target is an average of several measurements by range finder 50. In another set of embodiments, target tracker 42 scans the target and the target's immediate surroundings with range finder 50, either in one dimension (along a line that intersects the target), as illustrated in FIG. 11B, or in two dimensions, as illustrated in FIG. 11C. The linear scan of FIG. 11B provides measurements of ranges to both the target and the background and helps to define the boundaries of the target. The areal scan shown in FIG. 11C creates a digital “depth map” of the target and of the target's surroundings, and enables segregation of the target from the background.
Returning to FIG. 7, coupling target tracker 42 (FIG. 2) of image processor 24 to the range finder of monocular/binoculars 10a as described above provides a system that, via communication system 70, transmits the geographical coordinates of a continuously tracked target to a remote location, for example in the context of a C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information) system. Additionally or alternatively, the laser beam from the range finder may be used to designate the target for attack by a separate weapon system such as a missile equipped with a seeker head.
In an alternative embodiment, the range to the target is found by using structured light to illuminate the scene that includes the target. Imaging system 12 acquires an image of the illuminated scene and image processor 24 uses known methods to calculate the depth (i.e. the range) of pixels in the imaged scene.
It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any suitable combination; and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above.
Claims (12)
What is claimed is:1. A method of acquiring a target, comprising the steps of:(a) aiming a non-gimbaled hand-held aimable device that includes:
(ii) a tracker, and
so that an indicator, in said user display, that indicates a direction in which said device is pointing, is sufficiently close to the target;
(c) using said tracker to aim said range finder at the target, even when said indicator, in said user display, is not directed at said target; and
(d) measuring a range to the target, using said range finder, even when said indicator, in said user display, is not directed at said target, obviating the need to aim said aimable device a second time in order to measure said range.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:(d) computing geographic coordinates of the target based on said measured range; and
(e) transmitting said geographic coordinates to a remote location.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said tracker is operative to scan the target, thereby measuring both said range to the target and a lane it a background of the target.
4. The method of claim 3 rein said scan is a one-dimensional scan.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein said scan is a two-dimensional scan.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of locking on the target is performed automatically.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of locking on the target is performed manually
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step highlighting the target on said user display.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein aiming said range finder includes reflecting a laser beam from said ranger tinder by a mirror towards the target.
10. The method of claim 9, further including the step of receiving said laser light that is reflected by the target on a receiver that is fixed relative to the aimable device.
11. The method of claim 9, further including the step of reflecting off said mirror, said laser light that is reflected back by the target, onto a receiver that is fixed relative to the aimable device,
12. The method of claim 1, wherein aiming said range finder includes tilting said range finder on a gimbal.
US13/769,3302013-02-172013-02-17Firearm aiming system with range finder, and method of acquiring a target Active2033-08-05US9127909B2 (en) Priority Applications (1)
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| US13/769,330US9127909B2 (en) | 2013-02-17 | 2013-02-17 | Firearm aiming system with range finder, and method of acquiring a target |
| AU2014217479AAU2014217479B2 (en) | 2013-02-17 | 2014-01-14 | Firearm aiming system with range finder, and method of acquiring a target |
| EA201591458AEA030649B1 (en) | 2013-02-17 | 2014-01-14 | Firearm aiming system with range finder, and method of acquiring a target |
| SG11201507242XASG11201507242XA (en) | 2013-02-17 | 2014-01-14 | Firearm aiming system with range finder, and method of acquiring a target |
| PH12015502186APH12015502186A1 (en) | 2013-02-17 | 2015-09-17 | Firearm aiming system with range finder, and method of aquiring a target |
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| Founded | 1855; 164 years ago (as Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company) |
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| Founder | Samuel Colt |
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| Headquarters | Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Products | Firearms, weapons |
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| Owner | Zilkha & Co. (85%) and others |
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| Website | www.colt.com |
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Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC (CMC, formerly Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company) is an American firearms manufacturer, founded in 1855 by Samuel Colt. It is the successor corporation to Colt's earlier firearms-making efforts, which started in 1836. Colt is known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms, most especially between the 1850s and World War I, when it was a dominating force in its industry and a seminal influence on manufacturing technology. Colt's earliest designs played a major role in the popularization of the revolver and the shift away from earlier single-shot pistols. Although Samuel Colt did not invent the revolver concept, his designs resulted in the first very successful ones.
The most famous Colt products include the Colt Walker, made 1847 in the facilities of Eli Whitney Jr., the Single Action Army or Peacemaker, the Colt Python, and the Colt M1911 pistol, which is currently the longest-standing military and law enforcement service handgun in the world and is still used today. Though they did not develop it, for a long time Colt was also primarily responsible for all AR-15 and M16 rifle production, as well as many derivatives of those firearms. The most successful and famous of these are numerous M16 carbines, including the Colt Commando family, and the M4 carbine.
In 2002, Colt Defense was split off from Colt's Manufacturing Company. Colt's Manufacturing Company now serves the civilian market, while Colt Defense serves the law enforcement, military, and private security markets worldwide. The two companies remained in the same West Hartford, Connecticut location cross-licensing certain merchandise before reuniting in 2013.[1] Following the loss of its M4 contract in 2013, the reunited Colt was briefly in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, starting in 2015 and reemerging in January 2016.
- 1History
- 1.119th century
- 1.220th century
- 1.321st century
- 3Handguns
History[edit]
19th century[edit]
1830s–1850s[edit]
Colt Model of 1848 Holster Pistol (First Model Dragoon)
Samuel Colt received a British patent on his improved design for a revolver in 1835,[2] and two U.S. patents in 1836, one on February 25 (later numbered U.S. Patent 9430X) and another on August 29 (U.S. Patent 1,304). That same year, he founded his first corporation for its manufacture, the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company of Paterson, New Jersey, Colt's Patent.[3] The first firearm manufactured at the new Paterson plant, however, was the Colt First Model Ring Lever rifle beginning in 1837. This was followed shortly thereafter in late 1837 by the introduction of the Colt Paterson.[4][5] This corporation suffered quality problems in production. Making firearms with interchangeable parts was still rather new (it had reached commercial viability only about a decade before), and it was not yet easy to replicate across different factories. Interchangeability was not complete in the Paterson works, and traditional gunsmithing techniques did not fill the gap entirely there. The Colt Paterson revolver found patchy success and failure; some worked well, while others had problems. The United States Marine Corps and United States Army reported quality problems with these earliest Colt revolvers.[3][6] Production had ended at the New Jersey corporation by 1842.[3]
Colt made another attempt at revolver production in 1846 and submitted a prototype to the US government. During the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), this prototype was seen by Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker who made some suggestions to Colt about making it in a larger caliber. Having no factory or machinery to produce the pistols, Samuel Colt collaborated with the Whitney armory of Whitneyville, Connecticut.[3] This armory was run by the family of Eli Whitney. Eli Whitney Jr (born 1820), the son of the cotton-gin-developer patriarch, was the head of the family armory and a successful arms maker and innovator of the era. Colt used a combination of renting the Whitney firm's facilities and subcontracting parts to the firm to continue his pursuit of revolver manufacture.[7]
Colt's new revolvers found favor with Texan volunteers (the progenitors of later Texas Rangers cavalry groups), and they placed an order for 1,000 revolvers that became known as the Colt Walker, ensuring Colt's continuance in manufacturing revolvers.[6] In 1848, Colt was able to start again with a new business of his own, and 1855, he converted it into a corporation under the name of Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut.[3]
Colt's Armory from an 1857 engraving viewed from the East
Colt purchased a large tract of land beside the Connecticut River, where he built his first factory in 1848, a larger factory called the Colt Armory in 1855, a manor that he called Armsmear in 1856, and employee tenement housing.[3] He established a ten-hour day for employees, installed washing stations in the factory, mandated a one-hour lunch break, and built the Charter Oak Hall, a club where employees could enjoy games, newspapers, and discussion rooms. Colt ran his plant with a military-like discipline, he would fire workers for tardiness, sub-par work or even suggesting improvements to his designs.
In an attempt to attract skilled German workers to his plant, Colt built a village near the factory away from the tenements which he named Coltsville and modeled the homes after a village near Potsdam. In an effort to stem the flooding from the river he planted German osiers, a type of willow tree in a 2-mile long dike. He subsequently built a factory to manufacture wicker furniture made from these trees.
The 1850s were a decade of phenomenal success for the new Colt corporation. Colt was the first to widely commercialize the total use of interchangeable parts throughout a product. It was a leader in assembly line practice. It was a major innovator and training ground in manufacturing technology in this decade (and several after).[8] Soon after establishing his Hartford factory, Colt set out to establish a factory in Europe and chose London, England. He organized a large display of his firearms at the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Hyde Park, London and ingratiated himself by presenting cased engraved Colt revolvers to such appropriate officials as Britain's Master General of the Ordnance.[9] At one exhibit Colt disassembled ten guns and reassembled ten guns using different parts from different guns. As the world's leading proponent of mass production techniques, Colt went on to deliver a lecture on the subject to the Institution of Civil Engineers in London.[10] The membership rewarded his efforts by awarding him the Telford Gold Medal.[11]
Colt's presence in the British market caused years of acrimony and lawsuits among British arms makers, who doubted the validity of Colt's British patent and the desirability of the American system of manufacturing. It took many more years and a UK government commission before the point became universally accepted that such manufacture was possible and economical.[12] Colt opened his London plant on the River Thames at Pimlico and began production on January 1, 1853.[13] Many English people saw Colt's advanced steampowered machinery as proof of America's growing position as a leader in modern industrial production.[13] On a tour of the factory, Charles Dickens was so impressed with the facilities that he recorded his favorable comments of Colt's revolvers in an 1854 edition of Household Words.[14] Most significant, the Colt factory's machines mass-produced interchangeable parts that could be easily and cheaply put together on assembly lines using standardized patterns and gauges by unskilled labor as opposed to England's top gunmakers.[15]
In 1854 the British Admiralty ordered 4,000 Navy Model Colt revolvers.[16] In 1855 the British Army placed an order for 5,000 of these revolvers for army issue.[16] Despite a following order later in the year for an additional 9,000 revolvers, Colt failed to convince the British to adopt his revolver as the issue sidearm for the army.[16] Colt began to realize that British sales were failing to meet his expectations. Unable to justify the London factory's expenses, Colt closed the London factory in 1856. Over the next few months his workmen crated and shipped the machinery and disassembled firearms back to America.[12]
Though the U.S. was not directly involved in the Crimean War (1854–1856), Colt's weapons were used by both sides. In 1855 Colt unveiled new state-of-the-art armories in the Hartford and London factories stocked with the latest machine tools (some of which were of Colt's devising), many built by Francis A. Pratt and Amos Whitney, who would found the original Pratt & Whitneytoolbuilding firm a few years later. For example, the Lincoln miller debuted to industry at these armories.[8]
Colt had set up libraries and educational programs within the plants for his employees.[17] Colt's armories in Hartford were seminal training grounds for several generations of toolmakers and other machinists, who had great influence in other manufacturing efforts of the next half century.[8][12] Prominent examples included F. Pratt and A. Whitney (as mentioned above); Henry Leland (who would end up at Cadillac and Lincoln); Edward Bullard Sr of the Bullard firm; and, through Pratt & Whitney, Worcester R. Warner and Ambrose Swasey (of Warner & Swasey).
In 1852 an employee of Colt's, Rollin White, came up with the idea of having the revolver cylinder bored through to accept metallic cartridges. He took this idea to Colt who flatly rejected it and ended up firing White within a few years.[18] Colt historian RL Wilson has described this as the major blunder of Sam Colt's professional life.[19] Rollin White left Colt's in December 1854 and registered a patent on April 3, 1855 in Hartford, Connecticut, as patent number 12,648: Improvement in Repeating Fire-arms.[18] On November 17, 1856 White signed an agreement with Smith & Wesson for the exclusive use of his patent. The contract stipulated that White would be paid 25 cents for every revolver, but that it was up to him to defend his patent against infringement as opposed to Smith & Wesson.[20]
During the 1850s and 1860s, Rollin White had been permanently trying to keep control on his breech-loading system patent, bringing a lawsuit to any breech-loaded manufactured gun. He nevertheless obtained an advance against royalties for using his patent from Smith & Wesson, a company that not only introduced its first revolver in 1857 (Smith & Wesson Model 1, a rear-loader) but also started, as of 1858, to convert cap & ball percussion guns into rear-loaders, even with formerly Colt manufactured revolvers.[21] But the Colt's company itself was prevented by American laws from infringing the Rollin White patent and all along the 1850s and 1860s continued manufacturing percussion guns. In 1860 it produced a new revolver model for the United States Army.[22] This Colt Army Model 1860 appeared just in time for the American Civil War.
1860–1865: American Civil War[edit]
Colt Navy (top) and Army Models from 1861 and 1860
The American Civil War was a boon to firearms manufacturers such as Colt's, and the company thrived during the conflict. Sam Colt had carefully developed contacts within the ordnance department, signing the very first government contract for 25,000 rifles. Colt's Factory was described as 'an industrial palace topped by a blue dome', powered by a 250-horsepower steam engine.[16] During the American Civil War, Colt had 1,500 employees who produced 150,000 muskets and pistols a year. In 1861 and 1863 the company sold 107,000 of the Colt Army Model 1860 alone, with production reaching 200,500 by the end of the war in 1865.[23][24]
During the war, Colt's was still prevented by the American laws from infringing Rollin White's patent. Nevertheless, the war made a huge fortune for the company, allowing Sam Colt to become America's first manufacturing tycoon, though he did not live to see the end of the war; he died of rheumatic fever on January 10, 1862. His close friend and firearms engineer, Elisha K. Root, took over as Colt's company president. On February 4, 1864 a fire destroyed most of the factory, including arms, machinery, plans, and factory records.[25] On September 1, 1865, Root died, leaving the company in the hands of Samuel Colt's brother-in-law, Richard Jarvis.[26] The company's Vice-president was William B. Franklin, who had recently left the Army at the end of the Civil War. With the Civil War over and having no new military contracts, Colt's Manufacturing was forced to lay off over 800 employees.[27]
The company found itself in a precarious situation. The original revolver patents had expired, allowing other companies to produce copies of his designs. Additionally, metallic cartridge revolvers were gaining in popularity, but Colt could not produce any because of the Rollin White patent held by rival Smith & Wesson. Likewise, Colt had been so protective of its own patents that other companies had been unable to make revolvers similar to their design. As the Rollin White patent neared expiration, Colt moved to develop its own metallic cartridge revolver.[28]
The New York Daily Tribune denounced Colt and his company by asserting, “the traitors have found sympathizers among us, men base enough to sell arms when they knew they would be… in the hands of the deadly enemies of the Union… Col. Colt’s manufactory can turn probably 1,000 a week and has been doing so for the past four months for the South.”[29] This article even chided the Federal Government for not taking action against Colt: “Every man who makes arms should be watched, and if he will not work for a fair equivalent for the Government, his manufactory should be taken away from him.”[29] Despite secession and growing tensions between the North and the South, “Colt’s sales to Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, and Mississippi in 1860 alone were at least $61,000 (today’s equivalent of about 3.35 million).”[30] Until just days before the first shot at Fort Sumter, Colt received orders from various states, some participating in secession. In his memoir on Colt, written in 1866, Henry Barnard reported, “before the rebellion broke out, Col. Colt, foreseeing that his weapons must ere long be in double demand, had made all preparations to extend his factory.”[31]
1865–1880s: Post–Civil War[edit]
Colt's first effort toward a metallic cartridge revolver was by conversion of existing percussion revolvers. The first of these conversions was patented on September 15, 1868 by Colt engineer, F. Alexander Thuer as patent number 82258. The Thuer conversion was made by milling off the rear of the receiver and replacing it with a breechplate containing six internal firing pins. The cartridges were loaded through the mouths of the chambers. Colt made 5000 of these but they were not well accepted. Colt found the mechanism so complex it included a spare percussion cylinder with each revolver.[27]
Colt tasked its superintendent of engineering, Charles Richards, to come up with a solution. The Richards conversion was performed on the Colt 1860 Army revolver. The caliber was .44 Colt and the loading lever was replaced by an ejector rod. This conversion added a breechplate with a firing pin and a rear sight mounted on the breechplate. Cartridges were loaded into the cylinder one at a time via a loading gate. Colt manufactured 9000 of these revolvers between 1873 and 1878. In 1873, Colt performed the same conversion on the M1851 and M1861 revolvers for the US Navy in .38 rimfire.[32] Another of Colt's engineers, William Mason, improved this conversion by placing the rear sight on the hammer and, along with Richards, he was granted patents in 1871 to convert percussion revolvers into rear-loading metallic-cartridge revolvers. Those converted revolvers are identified as the 'Richards-Mason conversion'.[33] There were approximately 2100 Richards-Mason M1860 Army conversions made from 1877 to 1878 in a serial-number range 5800 to 7900.[33]
In November 1865, Franklin had attempted to purchase a license to the Rollin White patent from competitor Smith & Wesson. White and Smith & Wesson would take no less than $1.1 million, but Franklin and Colt's directors decided it was too large an investment on a patent that would expire in 1868.[28] In the meantime, Colt turned its attention to manufacturing goods other than firearms, such as watches, sewing machines, typewriters and bicycles.[34][35] In 1868 Rollin White requested an extension to his patent, but the request was rejected. He then turned to the Congress, but the request was again rejected, this time by the Senate and on the initiative of President Ulysses Grant, in January 1870.[36] This led the patent to expire, allowing competitors to develop their own breech-loading guns and metallic cartridges. Following this, on that same year of 1870, Colt's bought the National Arms Company, a Brooklyn, New York company known for manufacturing derringers and for circumventing the Rollin White patent by utilizing a unique cartridge. Colt continued to produce the .41 Short derringer after the acquisition, as an effort to help break into the metallic-cartridge gun market, but also introduced its own three Colt Derringer Models, all of them also chambered in a .41 rimfire unique cartridge. The last model to be in production, the third Colt Derringer, was not dropped until 1912.[37] The first metallic cartridge breech-loading weapons sold by Colt's were those Derringers, in 1870, that were formerly conceived by the National Arms Company, but Colt's also started developing its own rear-loading guns and cartridges.
In 1871, Colt's introduced its first revolver models using rear-loaded metallic cartridges: the .41 caliber Colt House Revolver[38] (also known as the Cloverleaf for its four-round cylinder configuration) and the .22 cal Colt Open Top Pocket Model Revolver.[39] However, Colt's wanted a more powerful practical handgun loaded with metallic cartridges so the company put forward William Mason, who in 1871 began work on Colt's first .44 caliber metallic-cartridge revolver: the Colt Model 1871-72 Open Top.[40] The company registered two patents for the Open Top, one in 1871, the other in 1872, the same patents mentioned in the markings of Colt Single Action Army revolvers,[41] a nowadays legendary and long produced model, improved and based on the Open Top. Production of the Open Top started in 1872 and stopped in 1873 when the Single Action Army model started to be delivered to the US Army. However, the Open Top was already a completely new design. The parts, for example, would not interchange with the older percussion pistols. Mason moved the rear sight to the rear of the barrel as opposed to the hammer or the breechblock of the earlier efforts. The caliber was .44 rimfire and it was submitted to the US Army for testing in 1872. The Army rejected the pistol and asked for a more powerful caliber with a stronger frame. Mason redesigned the frame to incorporate a topstrap, similar to the Remington revolvers, and placed the rear sight on the rear of the frame; he consulted with Richards on some other improvements. The first prototype of the new gun was still chambered in .44 rimfire, but the first model was in the newest caliber known as the .45 Colt.
Colt Single Action Army, U.S. Artillery Model
The revolver was chosen by the Army in 1872, with the first order, for 8000 revolvers, shipping in the summer of 1873:[42] The Colt Single Action Army or 'Peacemaker', also known as the Colt Model 1873, was born. This revolver was one of the most prevalent firearms in the American West during the end of the 19th century and Colt still produces it, in six different calibers, two finishes and three barrel lengths.[42]
2nd Generation Colt Single Action Army
In the new market of metallic cartridge rear-loading pocket revolvers, Colt's not only introduced its three Derringer Models (as of 1870) or the Colt House and the Open Top Pocket (the last two as of 1871) but also introduced in 1873 a subsequent design called its 'New Line' revolver models, based on William Mason's patents.[43]
After the success of the Colt Single Action Army and Colt's conversion of existing percussion revolvers to Richards-Mason conversions, Mason went on to design Colt's first Double-action revolver, the Colt M1877. Following this, he once again teamed up with Richards to produce a larger-framed version, the Colt M1878 Frontier. It was Colt's first large-frame, double-action revolver. It combined the front end of the Single Action Army revolver with a double-action, 6-shot frame mechanism. It was available commercially in numerous calibers.[44]
The 1870s and 1880s provided sales opportunity to the Colt company via the spread of European-American society ever further westward across the continent, and the demand for firearms that it engendered in various ways. As white Americans displaced Indians from the Indian Territory, both sides were eager for firearms. On the white side, both the U.S. Army and civilians were customers of Colt. The Army carried Colt revolvers through the last of its Indian Wars. On the Indian side, Colt weapons were captured when possible, or bought from whoever was selling. Even among whites in towns where Indians had been vanquished, a thriving demand for guns existed, from the criminals to the police to self-defending civilians. Memoirs of Americans including Walter Chrysler and Jack Black speak of what it was like growing up in Western towns where most people had guns and open carry was common (such as in Kansas and Missouri, which were considered 'out West' at the time—now considered the Old West).
1890s[edit]
Colt finally left the 'loading gate concept' for a swing-out cylinder on its revolvers with the Colt M1889 Navy revolver, which resembled the Colt M1878 and was based on another design by Mason. The model was produced for three years between 1889 and 1892, and eclipsed by the Colt M1892 chambered in .38 Long Colt. The M1892 was replaced by the New Service Double Action revolver in 1899. In caliber .45 Colt, the New Service was accepted by the U.S. Military as the Model 1909 .45 revolver. The New Service revolver was available in other calibers such as .38 Special and, later in the 20th century, .45 ACP (as the M1917 revolver) and .357 Magnum.[45]
Under a contract with the U.S. Army, Colt Arms built the Model 1895 ten-barrel variant of the Gatling Gun, capable of firing 800–900 .30 Army rounds per minute, and used with great effect at the Battle of San Juan Hill.[46] The M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun or 'Potato Digger' was built by Colt. The Colt–Browning was one of the first gas-operated machine guns, originally invented by John Browning. It became the first automatic machine gun adopted by the United States and saw limited use by the U.S. Marine Corps at the invasion of Guantánamo Bay and by the 1st Volunteer Infantry in the Santiago campaign during the Spanish–American War. In 1901, Elizabeth Jarvis Colt sold the company to a group of outside investors based in New York and Boston.[47]
20th century[edit]
1900–1920s[edit]
M1911 and M1911A1 pistols
Colt-Thompson Model 1921 with Type C drum magazine
During World War I, Colt surpassed all previous production achievements. John Browning worked for Colt for a time, and came up with a design for a semiautomatic pistol, which debuted as the Colt M1900 pistol and eventually evolved into the M1911. Prior to America's entry into the war, orders from Canada and the United Kingdom swelled the backlog of orders to three years. Colt hired 4,000 more workers, making a total of 10,000 employees—and its stock's price increased by 400%. By 1918, Colt had produced and sold 425,500 of the famous Browning-designed M1911. Because the factory could not keep up with demand for this pistol, the US Military decided to accept Colt New Service revolvers in caliber .45 ACP, called the M1917 revolver, as a substitute weapon. Competing manufacturer Smith & Wesson made double-action revolvers in .45 ACP, which were accepted and issued by the U.S. military under the same name. Colt produced 151,700 revolvers during the war as well as 13,000 Maxim-Vickers machine guns and 10,000 Browning machine guns with an additional 100,000 under subcontract to other companies.
Since Auto-Ordnance had no tooling for production of the newly developed Thompson submachine gun, John T. Thompson, in August 1920, entered into contact with Colt's to manufacture 15,000 Thompson 1921 submachine guns. The contract was signed on August 18, 1920. Colt's tooled up and produced the 15,000 units between April 1921 and March 1922.
The stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression resulted in a slowing down of production for Colt. In anticipation of this, company presidents William C. Skinner and Samuel M. Stone implemented a diversification program similar to that done at the close of the American Civil War. Colt acquired contracts for business machines, calculators, dishwashers, motorcycles, and automobiles; all marketed under a name other than Colt. Samuel Stone acquired a firm which manufactured plastics and renamed it 'Colt rock' as well as a company that manufactured electrical products. Colt weathered the financial crises of the time by cutting the work week, reducing salaries, and keeping more employees on the payroll than they needed. These measures kept the company in business but ate up the cash surplus they had acquired during the World War I years.[7]
1930s: Great Depression[edit]
In 1935, after employees voted to disband a labor union, 1,000 workers went on strike for 13 weeks. Strikers became violent, attacking workers and detonating a bomb in front of company president Samuel M. Stone's house. The company set up a barracks, dining room, and recreation room for workers within the Colt Armory during the strike. On June 3, 1935 the National Recovery Administration ruled that the company was within its rights not to deal with the union and the strike ended. In the year following the strike, the factory was hit by a hurricane and flood. Many company shipping records and historical documents were lost as a result.[48]
1939–1945: World War II[edit]
M1911A1
At the beginning of World War II, Colt ceased production of the Single Action Army revolver to devote more time to filling orders for the war. During the war Colt manufactured over 629,000 M1911A1 pistols as well as a large number of M1917 water-cooled machineguns.[49] The company had a workforce of 15,000 men and women in three factories and production ran on three shifts, 24 hours a day, and won the Army-Navy rating of 'E' for excellence.[50] Colt ranked 99th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.[51] However, the company was losing money every year due to mismanagement, an embittered workforce that had been stretched to its limits, and manufacturing methods which were becoming obsolete.[7]
1945–1950s[edit]
As the war ended and demand for military arms came to a halt, production literally ceased. Many long-time workers and engineers retired from the company and nothing was built from 1945 to 1947. Mismanagement of funds during the war had a serious impact as the 105-year-old firm faced possible bankruptcy. In September 1955 the board of directors voted to merge Colt with an upstart conglomerate called Penn-Texas, which had acquired Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool the same year. Also in 1955, Colt released one of the most famous revolvers in history, the Colt Python. In 1958 Penn-Texas merged with Fairbanks-Morse to form the Fairbanks-Whitney Corporation and in 1964 the conglomerate reorganized as Colt Industries. In 1956 Colt resumed production of the Single Action Army revolver and in 1961 began making commemorative versions of their classic models.[7][52]
1960s–1970s[edit]
M16
The 1960s were boom years for Colt with the escalation of the Vietnam War, Robert McNamara shutting down the Springfield Armory, and the U.S. Army's subsequent adoption of the M16, for which Colt held the production rights and would sell over 5 million units worldwide. Colt would capitalize on this with a range of AR-15 derivative carbines. They developed AR-15-based Squad Automatic Weapons, and the Colt SCAMP, an early PDW design. The Colt XM148 grenade launcher was created by Colt's design project engineer, gun designer Karl R. Lewis. The May 1967 'Colt's Ink' newsletter announced that he had won a national competition for his selection and treatment of materials in the design. The newsletter stated in part 'In only 47 days, he wrote the specifications, designed the launcher, drew all the original prints, and had a working model built'. At the end of the 1970s, there was a program run by the Air Force to replace the M1911A1. The Beretta 92S won, but this was contested by the Army. The Army ran their own trials, leading eventually to the Beretta 92F being selected as the M9.[53]
1980s–1990s[edit]
The 1980s were fairly good years for Colt, but the coming end of the Cold War would change all that. Colt had long left innovation in civilian firearms to their competitors, feeling that the handgun business could survive on their traditional revolver and M1911 designs. Instead, Colt focused on the military market, where they held the primary contracts for production of rifles for the US military. This strategy dramatically failed for Colt through a series of events in the 1980s. In 1984, the U.S. military standardized on the Beretta 92F. This was not much of a loss for Colt's current business, as M1911A1 production had stopped in 1945. Meanwhile, the military rifle business was growing because the U.S. military had a major demand for more upgraded M16s; the M16A2 model had just been adopted and the Military needed hundreds of thousands of them.[53][54]
In 1985, Colt's workers, members of the United Auto Workers went on strike for higher wages. This strike would ultimately last for five years, and was one of the longest-running labor strikes in American history.[55] With replacement workers running production, the quality of Colt's firearms began to decline. Dissatisfied with Colt's production, in 1988 the U.S. military awarded the contract for future M16 production to Fabrique Nationale.[56]
Some criticized Colt's range of handgun products in the late 1980s as out of touch with the demands of the market, and their once-vaunted reputation for quality had suffered during the UAW strike. Colt's stable of double-action revolvers and single-action pistols was seen as old-fashioned by a marketplace that was captivated by the new generation of 'wondernines' – high-capacity, 9×19mm Parabellum caliber handguns, as typified by the Glock 17. Realizing that the future of the company was at stake, labor and management agreed to end the strike in an arrangement that resulted in Colt being sold to a group of private investors, the State of Connecticut, and the UAW itself.[57]
The new Colt first attempted to address some of the demands of the market with the production in 1989 of the Double Eagle, a double-action pistol heavily based on the M1911 design, which was seen as an attempt to 'modernize' the classic Browning design. Colt followed this up in 1992 with the Colt All American 2000, which was unlike any other handgun Colt had produced before—being a polymer-framed, rotary-bolt, 9×19mm handgun with a magazine capacity of 15 rounds. It was designed by Reed Knight, with parts manufactured by outside vendors and assembled by Colt; its execution was disastrous. Early models were plagued with inaccuracy and unreliability, and suffered from the poor publicity of a product recall. The product launch failed and production of the All American 2000 ended in 1994.[58][59] This series of events led to the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1992.[60]
In 1992, the creditors, state and shareholders enlisted the aide of turnaround specialist RC (Ron) Whitaker to overcome the bankruptcy challenge. He developed a new team to address the companies situation. In addition to creating a positive working relationship with the UAW to introduce new techniques like cellular manufacturing, operator quality assurance and single piece flow, they developed a renewed focus on product development. This resulted in the M4 carbine and Colt 22 pistol, two of the most successful new product offerings in the late 1990s, capturing 50% market shares in the first year of production.[citation needed]
M4 Carbine
The 1990s brought the end of Cold War, which resulted in a large downturn for the entire defense industry. Colt was hit by this downturn, though it would be made worse later in the 1990s by a boycott by the shooting public in America. In 1994, the assets of Colt were purchased by Zilkha & Co, a financial group owned by Donald Zilkha. It was speculated that Zilkha's financial backing of the company enabled Colt to begin winning back military contracts. In fact during the time period it won only one contract, the M4 carbine. However, the U.S. Military had been purchasing Colt Carbines for the past 30 years (See Colt Commando).[citation needed] During a 1998 Washington Post interview, CEO Ron Stewart stated that he would favor a federal permit system with training and testing for gun ownership. This led to a massive grassroots boycott of Colt's products by gun stores and US gun owners.[61]
Zilkha replaced Stewart with Steven Sliwa and focused the remainder of Colt's handgun design efforts into 'smart guns,' a concept favored politically, but that had little interest or support among handgun owners or police departments. This research never produced any meaningful results due to the limited technology at the time.[61] Colt announced the termination of its production of double-action revolvers in October 1999.[citation needed]
21st century[edit]
2002–Present[edit]
The boycott of Colt gradually faded out after William M. Keys, a retired U.S. Marine Lt. General, took the helm of the company in 2002. Keys salvaged Colt's reputation and brought Colt from the brink of bankruptcy to an international leader in Defense production.[61] In 2010 Gerald R. Dinkel replaced Keys as CEO of Colt Defense LLC, while Keys remained on the Board of Directors for Colt Defense.[62]
Colt has to compete with other companies that make M1911-style pistols such as Kimber and AR-15 rifles such as Bushmaster. Bushmaster has subsequently overtaken Colt in the number of AR-15s sold on the civilian market. Colt suffered a legal defeat in court when it sued Bushmaster for trademark infringement claiming that 'M4' was a trademark that it owned. The judge ruled that since the term M4 is a generic designation that Colt does not specifically own, Colt had to pay monetary reimbursement to Bushmaster to recoup Bushmaster's legal fees. The M4 designation itself comes from the U.S. military designation system, whose terms are in the public domain.[54]
Modified Sport Rifle
Colt has entered in several US contracts with mixed results. For example, Colt had an entry in the Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) program of the 1980s, but along with other contestants failed to replace the M16A2. Colt and many other makers entered the US trials for a new pistol in the 1980s, though the Beretta entry would win and become the M9 Pistol. The Colt OHWS handgun was beaten by H&K for what became the MK23 SOCOM, it was lighter than the H&K entry but lost in performance. Colt did not get to compete for the XM8 since it was not an open competition. Colt is a likely entrant in any competition for a new US service rifle. Current M16 rifles have been made primarily by FN USA since 1988. However, Colt remained the sole source for M4 carbines for the US military. Under their license agreement with Colt, the US military could not legally award second-source production contracts for the M4 until July 1, 2009.[54]
Reorganization and mergers[edit]
In a 2002 restructuring, Colt's Manufacturing Company, Inc, spun off Colt Defense, LLC, to supply military, law enforcement and security markets.[63] Colt's Manufacturing Company itself become a subsidiary of New Colt Holding Corp, LLC. In 2013 Colt Defense acquired New Colt Holding Corp., in part to protect a licensing agreement set to expire in 2014, where Colt's Manufacturing sold sporting rifles marketed to consumers that were manufactured by Colt Defense.[1] This formed a single company to develop, manufacture and sell firearms under the Colt name for all markets for the first time since the 2003 completion of the restructuring.[64]
Following persistent reliability problems, the reunited Colt lost its contract with the US military for M4 rifles in 2013.[65] Parent company Colt Defense, LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 15, 2015,[66] citing both assets and debts in the $100 million to $500 million range.[67] According to analysts, Colt's problems were due to the loss of the contract and low demand for its civilian handguns.[65] In January 2016, Colt announced that the bankruptcy court had approved its restructuring plan.[68][69]
Colt Presidents[edit]
Samuel Colt
- Samuel Colt (1855–1862)[52]
- Elisha K. Root (1862–1865)[52]
- Richard Jarvis (1865–1901)[52]
- John Hall (1901–1902)[52]
- Lewis C. Grover (1902–1909)[52]
- William C. Skinner (1909–1911)[52]
- Col. Charles L.F. Robinson (1911–1916)[52]
- William C. Skinner (1916–1921)[52]
- Samuel M. Stone (1921–1944)[52]
- Graham H. Anthony (1944–1949)[52]
- B. Franklin Conner (1949–1955)[52]
- Chester Bland (1955–1958)[52]
- Fred A. Roff, Jr. (1958–1962)[52]
- David C. Scott (1962–1963)[52]
- Paul A. Benke (1963–1969)[52]
- William H. Goldbach (1969–1972)[52]
- David Church Eaton (1972–1976)[52]
- C. Edward Warner (1976–1981)[70]
- Gary W. French (1981–1987)[70][71]
- RC Whitaker (1992-1995)
- John F. Jastrem (1995-1996)
- Donald Zilkha (1996)
- Ronald L. Stewart (1996-1999)
- Steven Sliwa (1999)
- William M. Keys (1999-2013)
- Dennis R. Veilleux (2013–present) [72]
Handguns[edit]
The years in parentheses indicate the year when production started, not the year of the model's patent.
Percussion revolvers[edit]
- Colt Paterson (1836)
- Colt Walker (1847)
- Colt Dragoon (1848)
- Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver (1849)
- Colt 1851 Navy (1851)
- Colt 1855 Sidehammer (1855, also known as the Colt 1855 Root revolver, after engineer Elisha K. Root)
- Colt 1860 Army (1860)
- Colt 1861 Navy (1861)
- Colt Model 1862 Pocket Police (1862)
Metallic cartridge revolvers[edit]
Colt Anaconda .44 Magnum
- Colt House (1871, sorted in two models: the House Model in a 5-round configuration and the Cloverleaf Model in a 4-round configuration)
- Colt Open Top Pocket Model Revolver (1871)
- Colt Model 1871-72 Open Top (1872)
- Colt Single Action Army 'Peacemaker' (1873)
- Colt New Line (1873)
- Colt Lightning, Thunderer and Rainmaker (1877)
- Colt Model 1878 Frontier (1878)
- Colt M1889 (1889)
- Colt M1892 (1892 to 1903)
- Colt New Police Revolver (1896–1905)
- Colt New Service / M1909 / / M1917 / Colt Shooting Master (1898)
- Colt Anaconda (AA frame)
- Colt Police Positive (D frame)
- Colt Police Positive Special / Viper (D frame)
- Colt Detective Special (D frame)
- Colt Cobra (D frame)
- Colt Diamondback (D frame)
- Colt Official Police revolver / Officers Model (Match, Target & Special) / New Army & Navy (E/I frame) / Colt .357 (I Frame)
- Colt Python (I frame)
- Colt Trooper (I frame), Trooper Mk III (J frame), and trooper Mk V (V Frame)
- Colt King Cobra (V frame)
Semi-automatic pistols[edit]
Colt Mustang .380 ACP
- Colt M1900 (1900)
- Colt M1902 (1902)
- Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless (Model M, 1903)
- Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket (Model N, 1908)
- Colt M1911 (Model O, 1911)
- Colt Cadet 22
- Colt Delta Elite a modified Colt M1911A1 chambered for the 10mm Auto
- Colt Woodsman/Woodsman Match Target/Huntsman/Targetsman (Model S)
- Colt T-4 (prototype)
Machine pistols[edit]
Long guns[edit]
M4 Carbine
- Colt 1855 Revolving carbine/rifle (same patent and year as the Colt 1855 Sidehammer Revolver)
- Colt 1878 Hammer Shotgun [73]
- Colt–Browning M1895 machine gun
- Colt Stagecoach .22 LR semi-automatic rifle
- ArmaLite AR-15 type rifles, such as the M16 rifle, M4 carbine and Colt Commando (see List of Colt AR-15 & M16 rifle variants for a complete list)
- Colt Double rifle
Colt manufactured several military long arms under contract including the Colt Monitor and Thompson SMG.
Cartridges[edit]
Woolaroc[edit]
The Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve maintains one of the world's finest collections of Colt firearms.[74]
See also[edit]
- Sodium silicate, used as a cement for paper cartridges used in early Colt revolvers during the American Civil War
References[edit]
- ^ abGOSSELIN, KENNETH R. (July 23, 2013). 'Colt Entities Together Again: Company Reunites Military, Civilian Gun Manufacturing - Hartford Courant'. Hartford Courant. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
- ^Roe 1916, p. 166.
- ^ abcdefHounshell 1984, p. 47.
- ^'Colt 1839 Revolving Percussion Rifle'. National Rifle AssociationNational Firearms Museum. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^Castro, John (Spring 1979). 'From the Beginning: Patent Arms Manufacturing Co., 'Colts Patent''(PDF). The American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin. The American Society of Arms Collectors. 40: 45–48.
- ^ abRoe 1916, pp. 166–169.
- ^ abcdGrant, Ellsworth (2002). 'Colt Samuel (1814–1862)'. In Gregg Lee Carter (ed.). Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law. 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 128. ISBN978-1-57607-268-4.
- ^ abcRoe 1916, pp. 164–185.
- ^Auerbach, Jeffrey A. (1999). The Great Exhibition of 1851: A Nation on Display. Yale University Press. p. 123. ISBN978-0-300-08007-0.
- ^Houze (2006) p.83
- ^Barnard, Henry (1866). Armsmear: The Home, the Arm, and the Armory of Samuel Colt: A Memorial. 53. Alvord Printer. p. 120.
- ^ abcHounshell 1984, pp. 15–65.
- ^ abHaven, Charles Tower; Frank A. Belden (1940). A History of the Colt Revolver: And the Other Arms Made by Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company from 1836 to 1940. W. Morrow & company. p. 86.
- ^Dickens, Charles (1854). 'Guns and Pistols'. Household Words. Bradley and Evans. 4: 583.
Among the pistols, we saw Colt's revolver; and we compared it with the best English revolver. The advantage of Colt's over the English is, that the user can take a sight ; and the disadvantage is, that the weapon requires both hands to fire
- ^Great Stories of American Businessmen, from American Heritage: The Magazine of History. Madison, Wisconsin: American Heritage. 1972. p. 95.
- ^ abcdKinard (2004) p.154
- ^Lendler (1997) p. 17
- ^ abWare, Donald L. (2007). Remington Army and Navy Revolvers, 1861–1888. UNM Press. p. 231. ISBN978-0-8263-4280-5.
- ^Boorman (2004) p.36
- ^Jinks, Roy G.; Sandra C. Krein (2006). Smith & Wesson Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. p. 8. ISBN978-0-7385-4510-3.
- ^There is a very well known scene, for example, in the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly where Blondie (played by Clint Eastwood) loads a breech-loading Colt 1851 Navy Revolver. The film is set in 1862, during the American Civil War, but this is not an anachronism since the Smith & Wesson metallic cartridge conversion of the Navy or other Colt revolvers did indeed exist all along the American Civil War.
- ^Smith 1968.
- ^Flayderman 2007, p. 94
- ^Garrison, Webb (2011). Curiosities of the Civil War: Strange Stories, Infamous Characters and Bizarre Events. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 452. ISBN978-1-59555-359-1.
- ^Grant, Ellsworth (2006). Connecticut Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival. Globe Pequot. p. 72. ISBN978-0-7627-3972-1.
- ^Houze, Herbert G. (2006). Carolyn C. Cooper, Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser (eds.). Samuel Colt: arms, art, and invention. Yale University Press. p. 84. ISBN978-0-300-11133-0.CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (link)
- ^ abKinard (2004) p.124
- ^ abWalter, John (2006). The Guns That Won the West: Firearms on the American Frontier, 1848–1898. MBI Publishing Company. p. 157. ISBN978-1-85367-692-5.
- ^ abHosley, William N. Colt : The Making of an American Legend. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1996. 96.
- ^Hosley, William N. Colt : The Making of an American Legend. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1996. 95.
- ^Barnard, Henry. Armsmear: The Home, the Arm, and the Armory of Samuel Colt: A Memorial, New York: Alvord Printer, 1866. 213.
- ^Sapp 2007, p. 54
- ^ abSapp 2007, p. 55
- ^Houze (2006) p.6
- ^Smith, Merrit Roe (1999). 'Samuel Colt'. In John Whiteclay Chambers, Fred Anderson (eds.). The Oxford companion to American military history. Oxford University Press. p. 159. ISBN978-0-19-507198-6.CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (link)
- ^Grant, US (1897). James Daniel Richardson (ed.). A compilation of the messages and papers of the presidents, prepared under the Joint Committee on Printing of the House and Senate, pursuant to an act of the Fifty-second Congress of the United States (with additions and encyclopedic index by private enterprise). A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Prepared Under the Joint Committee on Printing of the House and Senate, Pursuant to an Act of the Fifty-second Congress of the United States. 9. Bureau of National Literature. pp. 4034–4035.
- ^The third Colt Derringer Model was re-released in the 1950s for western movies, under the name of fourth model Colt Deringer
- ^Flayderman 2007, p. 103
- ^Flayderman 2007, p. 105
- ^Flayderman 2007
- ^The Colt Model 1871-1872 Open Top Revolver description page in Antique Arms, Inc., a website specialised in pre-1898 antique firearms
- ^ abTaffin, John (2005). Single Action Sixguns (2 ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 38–39. ISBN978-0-87349-953-8.
- ^Sapp 2007, pp. 59–60, 64
- ^Kinard, Jeff (2004). Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. p. 163. ISBN978-1-85109-470-7.
- ^Sapp 2007, pp. 96–97
- ^Parker 1898, pp. 131–138.
- ^Grant, Tina (1996). 'Colt's Manufacturing Company Inc.'. In Thomas Derdak (ed.). International Directory of Company Histories. St. James Press. pp. 70–72. ISBN978-1-55862-327-9.
- ^Lendler (1997) pp. 18–19
- ^Thompson, Leroy Thompson (2011). The Colt 1911 Pistol. Osprey Publishing. p. 43. ISBN978-1-84908-433-8.
- ^Sapp 2007, pp. 48–49
- ^Peck, Merton J. & Scherer, Frederic M.The Weapons Acquisition Process: An Economic Analysis (1962) Harvard Business School p.619
- ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrGrant, Ellsworth S. (1982). 'The Takeover'. The Colt Legacy: the Colt Armory in Hartford, 1855–1980. Mowbray Co. pp. 177–179, 220. ISBN978-0-917218-17-0.
- ^ abAyoob, Massad (2007). The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery (6 ed.). Iola: Gun Digest Books. pp. 218–220. ISBN978-0-89689-525-6.
- ^ abcRottman, Gordon; Alan Gilliland; Johnny Shumate (2011). Title The M16 Weapon Series. Osprey Publishing. pp. 37–38, 43. ISBN978-1-84908-690-5.
- ^Lendler (1997) pp. 25–27
- ^Lendler (1997) pp. 21–22
- ^Hillstrom, Kevin (1994). Encyclopedia of American Industries: Manufacturing industries. 1. Gale Research. p. 859. ISBN978-0-8103-8998-4.
- ^Hopkins, Cameron (2001). 'Kimber Ultra Ten II'. American Handgunner. Archived from the original on December 5, 2004. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
Some have been design breakthroughs,..while others have been utterly uninspiring, like the defunct Colt All-American 2000.
- ^'Colt's renames Cadet pistol - Colt's Manufacturing Company Inc.'s Colt .22 Single Action pistol'. Shooting Industry. 1994. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2007.
The gun was selling at the rate of 10–12,000 units per year, and for a manufacturer of our size, with 900 employees, it was not enough
- ^'The legend lives on - Colt files for bankruptcy'. Shooting Industry. 1992. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
- ^ abcBrown, Peter H.; Abel, Daniel G. (2003). Outgunned: Up Against the NRA: The First Complete Insider Account of the Battle over Gun Control. Simon and Schuster. pp. 63–65. ISBN978-0-7432-1561-9.
- ^'Colt Defense LLC Announces Gerald R. Dinkel as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company'. Business Wire. 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
- ^'Colt Defense, Form 10-K, Annual Report, Filing Date Mar 26, 2013'(PDF). secdatabase.com. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^'Colt's Manufacturing LLC'. www.colt.com.
- ^ abSiegel, Jacob (June 17, 2015). 'Dropped by the U.S. Military, Colt Goes Bankrupt'.
- ^Jarzemsky, Matt (June 15, 2015). 'Colt Defense Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection' – via Wall Street Journal.
- ^Colt files for bankruptcy, seeks August auction accessdate=2015-06-15
- ^Smith, Aaron. 'Colt gunmaker emerges from bankruptcy'. CNNMoney. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
- ^Smith, Aaron (January 13, 2016). 'Colt gunmaker emerges from bankruptcy'.
- ^ ab'Executive Changes'. New York Times. June 2, 1981.
- ^Simmons, Louise (2010). Organizing in Hard Times: Labor and Neighborhoods in Hartford. Temple University Press. pp. 45–52. ISBN978-1-4399-0419-0.
- ^'Dennis R. Veilleux: Executive Profile & Biography - Businessweek'.
- ^'Colt 1878 Hammer Shotgun'. coltparts.com.
- ^'Woolaroc - Museum and Art'. Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
Bibliography[edit]
- Flayderman, Norm (2007). Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms.. and their values. Iola, WI, USA: Krause Publications. ISBN0-87349-313-3.
- Parker, John H. (Lt.) (1898). 'History of the Gatling Gun Detachment'. Kansas City, MO, USA: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co.
- Parsons, John E.; du Mont, John S. (1953). 'Firearms in the Custer battle'. Harrisburg, PA, USA: Stackpole Books. LCCN53010563.
- Sapp, Rick (2007). Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms. F+W Media, Inc. ISBN978-0-89689-534-8.
- Smith, W.H.B. (Walter Harold Black) (Ed.) (1968). 'Book of Pistols and Revolvers. Completely Up-dated by Joseph E. Smith' (7th ed.). Harrisburg, PA, USA: Stackpole Books. LCCN68018959.CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link)
- Hounshell, David A. (1984), From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932: The Development of Manufacturing Technology in the United States, Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN978-0-8018-2975-8, LCCN83016269
- Lehto, Mark R.; Buck, James R (2008). Introduction to human factors and ergonomics for engineers. New York: Taylor & Francis. ISBN978-0-8058-5308-7.
- Lendler, Marc (1997). Crisis and Political Beliefs: The Case of the Colt Firearms strike. Yale University Press. ISBN978-0-300-06746-0.
- Roe, Joseph Wickham (1916), English and American Tool Builders, New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, LCCN16011753. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (LCCN27-24075); and by Lindsay Publications, Inc., Bradley, Illinois, (ISBN978-0-917914-73-7).
External links[edit]
- 'United States Utility Patent 1304, Improvement in fire-arms and in the apparatus used therewith'. United States Patent Office; Google. Retrieved September 2, 2008.
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation
Most of the following are filed under 36-150 Huyshope Avenue, 17-170 Van Dyke Avenue, 49 Vredendale Avenue, Hartford, Hartford County, CT:
- HAER No. CT-189-A, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, East Armory Building', 27 photos, 2 photo caption pages
- HAER No. CT-189-B, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, South Armory Building', 6 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. CT-189-C, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, Machine Shop', 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. CT-189-D, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, North Armory', 3 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. CT-189-E, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, Forge Shop', 4 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. CT-189-F, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, Foundry Building', 7 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. CT-189-G, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, Building 24', 3 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. CT-189-H, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, Potsdam Cottages', 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HAER No. CT-189-I, 'Colt Fire Arms Company, Huyshope Avenue Workers Housing', 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colt%27s_Manufacturing_Company&oldid=893928171'
by Tom Laemlein - Monday, June 3, 2019
The Manville Gun: A few years back, I found this image in the National Archives, dated 1939. I always thought it was strange that the grenade launcher design looked so much like the “modern” launcher I had seen in the film The Dogs of War. As it turns out, they are from the same family, and I had only learned about the Manville Gun long after it had been produced.
I’m a sucker for action films, and when The Dogs of War was released in 1980, I rushed out to see it. Compared to Frederic Forsythe’s novel from 1974, the film adaptation is a little weak, but still enjoyable. Curiously, Hollywood introduced a unique grenade launcher design, albeit about 45 years late. Christopher Walken, who played mercenary leader Jamie Shannon, procures a new grenade launcher for his team, and which featured in the movie’s promotional posters. The so-called “XM-18” left quite an impression on many viewers. At the time, the revolver-type launcher seemed quite plausible and effective, but it was not listed on the armaments inventory of any military force on Earth.
The armorers of The Dogs of War based their fictional “XM-18” on the very real Manville Gun. Charles J. Manville developed his semi-automatic, spring-operated, revolver grenade launcher primarily for the police market, and introduced it in 1935. The original model Manville Gun was a hefty piece, constructed of steel and aluminum. It was chambered for 12-ga. grenade rounds (18.5x70 mm R), holding 24 grenades in its spring-driven cylinder that was wound before firing. There was no shoulder stock, and the firer held the Manville with two wooden pistol grips. To load, the Manville Gun opened (unscrewed, really) into halves at the rear plate of the cylinder. Each cylinder has its own firing pin.
The Manville Patent: Charles J. Manville’s patent drawings for his grenade launcher design, submitted in March 1935.
The Manville Gun was primarily intended to fire tear gas rounds to support police operations. Sales were slow and interest was limited in the initial model, so Manville created additional versions:
The 26.5 mm Manville Machine-Projector (1936): This version holds 18 rounds of 1” (26.5 mm) shells. The barrel is shorter by a little more than an inch, and hard rubber replaced wooden grips. The cylinder access was improved, and the rear plate could be rotated to the right using the rear grip to make loading easier and faster. Barrel and ammunition cylinder inserts were available to allow the use of 12-ga. shells.
The 37 mm Manville Gas Gun (1938): Within two years, Manville was trying to connect with the military market and had introduced a 12-cylinder 37 mm (1.5”) variant. The barrel was moved to the bottom of the cylinder. This was a particularly heavy launcher, designed to be used from a small tripod or a vehicle mount.
Customers for the Manville Gun were few and far between. The severe budget restrictions of the Depression era made a multiple-grenade launcher an expensive luxury for almost any police department or security force. Also, in those days, the notion of less-than-lethal was not widespread.
One documented use of the Manville Gun was during the Terre Haute, Ind., general strikes of July 1935. The community was put under martial law (by decree of Gov. McNutt), and 2,000 National Guard troops moved into Terre Haute to preserve order. Tear gas and flare rounds were fired into the mobs to disperse the rioting strikers.
Apparently, the U.S. military tested the Manville Gun, but no contracts were forthcoming. I’ve seen no evidence that the Manville Gun was ever provided with high-explosive grenades—so it’s viability as a combat arm was questionable. Production of all Manville Guns ended in 1943. It is claimed that after business operations ceased, Charles Manville destroyed all the machinery related to the grenade launcher, including his diagrams and notes.
Movie star I: the Manville Gun, featured in the promo poster for the 1980 film The Dogs of War.
Let loose in The Dogs of War: The fictional XM-18 grenade launcher plays a vital role in the film, providing fire support for the mercenaries as they assault the president of Sangaro’s mansion and compound. The XM-18 is described as capable of firing fragmentation, tactical, anti-tank, anti-personnel and flechette grenades, and able to discharge all 18 cylinders in just five seconds! The Manville Gun used in the film is one of the later 26.5 mm models with an 18-round cylinder. The well-aged revolving grenade launcher made a significant impression on a new generation of gun aficionados and even a designer.
The Hawk MM-1: The Manville Gun may have ceased production, but remaining examples provided inspiration for other designers. During the 1980s, Michael Rogak of Hawk Engineering used the Manville Gun as inspiration for the Hawk MM-1. The MM-1 is chambered in 40x46 mm R and has 12 cylinders. Comparatively heavy, the MM-1 weighs about 13 lbs. unloaded. There are some claims that the MM-1 has seen service with U.S. Special Forces along with other nations’ special units, but if this is so, it is on a very limited basis. The Hawk MM-1 had its own movie debut when it was featured in the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991).
Movie star II: the “son of the Manville Gun,” the Hawk MM-1, in the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Sometimes life imitates art. In this case, that is mostly true. The 45-year-old Manville Gun made a splash on the big screen in 1980, and inspired an updated design based on the same principles. But even as the Hawk MM-1 made its Hollywood debut just a decade later, the middling adoption and laggardly sales continue to plague the concept. As it stands now, the design looks perfect for the movies, but not for the battlefield.
Comments On This Article
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.AR-15 style rifles come in many sizes and have many options, depending on the manufacturer. The part shown bottom center is the lower receiver without the receiver extension, rear takedown pin, and buttstock.
An AR-15 style rifle is a lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the ArmaLite AR-15 design. ArmaLite sold the patent and trademarks to Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1959. After Colt's patents expired in 1977, Colt retained the trademark and is the exclusive owner of 'AR-15' designation.[1] An expanded marketplace emerged with many manufacturers producing their own version of the AR-15 design for commercial sale. They are referred to as modern sporting rifles by the US National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms industry trade association, and by some manufacturers.[2] Coverage of high-profile incidents where various versions of the rifle were involved often uses the shorthand AR-15.[3]
AR-15 style rifles have become one of the 'most beloved and most vilified rifles' in the United States, according to the New York Times.[4] The rifle has been promoted as 'America's rifle' by the National Rifle Association. They have been used in several mass shootings in the United States.[4] The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act restricted the Colt AR-15 and derivatives from 1994 to 2004, although it did not affect rifles with fewer features.[5][6]
Terminology[edit]
1973 Colt AR-15 SP1 rifle with 'slab side' lower receiver (lacking raised boss around magazine release button) and original Colt 20-round box magazine
In 1956, ArmaLite designed a lightweight selective fire rifle for military use and designated it the ArmaLite Rifle model 15, or AR-15.[7][8] Due to financial problems and limitations in terms of manpower and production capacity, ArmaLite sold the design and the AR-15 trademark along with the ArmaLite AR-10 to Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1959.[9] In 1964, Colt began selling its own version with an improved semi-automatic design known as the Colt AR-15.[10] After Colt's patents expired in 1977, an active marketplace emerged for other manufacturers to produce and sell their own semi-automatic AR-15 style rifles.[1] Some versions of the AR-15 were classified as 'assault weapons' and banned under the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act in 1994. This act expired in 2004.[5][11]
In 2009, the term 'modern sporting rifle' was coined by the National Shooting Sports Foundation for its survey that year as a marketing term used by the firearms industry to describe modular semi-automatic rifles including AR-15s.[12][13][14][15] Today, nearly every major firearm manufacturer produces its own generic AR-15 style rifle.[16][14] As Colt continues to own and use the AR-15 trademark for its line of AR-15 variants, other manufacturers must use their own model numbers and names to market their AR-15 style rifles for commercial sale.[17]
Modularity[edit]
While most earlier breech-loading rifles had a single receiver housing both the trigger and reloading mechanism, an innovative feature of the AR-15 was modular construction to simplify substitution of parts and avoid need for arsenal facilities for most repairs of malfunctioning military rifles.[18] A distinctive two-part receiver is used by both military and sporting AR-15 style rifles. As civilian ownership of AR-15 style rifles became sufficient to create a market for improvements, numerous manufacturers began producing one or more 'improved' modules, assemblies, or parts with features not found on factory rifles; and individuals with average mechanical aptitude can often substitute these pieces for original equipment. Due to the vast assortment of aftermarket parts and accessories available, AR-15 style rifles have also been referred to as 'the Swiss Army knife of rifles,'[19] 'Barbie Dolls for Guys,'[20][21][22] or 'LEGOs' (sic) for adults.[23][24][25] These more or less interchangeable modules are a defining characteristic of AR-15 style rifles.[26]
A stripped lower receiver, one that is lacking the additional parts included in a completed lower receiver, is the only part of an AR-15 style rifle that needs to be transferred through a federally licensed firearms dealer under United States federal law.[27]
The lower receiver is the serial-numbered part legally defined as the firearm under United States law. A completed lower receiver is visually distinguished by the trigger guard ahead of the detachable pistol grip, and behind the magazine well capable of holding detachable magazines. The lower receiver holds the trigger assembly including the hammer, and is the attachment point for the buttstock. The lower receiver is attached to the upper receiver by two removable pins. Disassembly for cleaning or repair of malfunctions often requires removal of these pins. Removal of the rear take-down pin allows the receiver to be opened by rotation around the forward pivot pin as a hinge.[18]
The upper receiver contains the bolt carrier assembly, and is attached to the barrel assembly. Sights will be attached to the upper receiver or to the barrel assembly. A handguard usually encloses the barrel and a gas-operated reloading device using burnt powder gas vented from a hole (or port) in the barrel near the forward end of the handguard. The handguard is attached to the upper receiver and may also be attached to the barrel.[18]
The initial design included a tube to vent burnt powder gas back into the bolt carrier assembly where it expands in a variable volume chamber forcing the bolt open to eject the spent cartridge case. A buffer spring in the butt stock then pushes the bolt closed picking up a new cartridge from the magazine. This direct gas impingement (DGI) system has the disadvantage of venting un-burned smokeless powder residue into the receiver where it may ultimately accumulate in quantities causing malfunctions. A more recent alternative design has a metal operating rod pushing against the bolt carrier from a gas piston under the hand guard near the barrel port. This piston keeps the receiver cleaner by exhausting under the hand guard.[28] While both the DGI and piston systems produce semi-automatic fire, an alternative un-ported barrel assembly includes a sliding hand guard connected to a rod moving the bolt by a pump action and eliminating semi-automatic fire.[29]
Most rifles eject spent cartridges from the right side of the receiver away from right handed shooters who place the butt against the right shoulder while sighting with the right eye and using a finger of the right hand to pull the trigger.[30] Right-side ejection is a disadvantage for the third of the population whose left eye is dominant,[31] and for the tenth of the population who are left handed,[32] because holding these rifles against their left shoulder for maximum accuracy causes the rifle to eject hot spent cases toward the chest, neck or face of a left handed shooter.[33] The modular design of AR-15 style rifles has encouraged several manufacturers to offer specialized parts including leftward ejecting upper receivers for converting right handed AR-15 style rifles for left handed use.[34][35][36]
Some AR-15-style rifles have features limiting use of detachable magazines to comply with state regulations.[37][38] A few unusual versions are incapable of semi-automatic fire.[29][39] Nearly all versions of the civilian AR-15 have a pistol grip like the military versions, and some have folding or collapsible stocks like the M4 carbine which reduce the overall length of the rifle.
Comparison to military versions[edit]
The semi-automatic civilian AR-15 was introduced by Colt in 1963. The primary distinction between civilian semi-automatic rifles and military assault rifles is select fire. Military models were produced with firing modes, semi-automatic fire and either fully automatic fire mode or burst fire mode, in which the rifle fires three rounds in succession when the trigger is depressed. AR-15 Rifles with select fire modes are classified as M16's (followed by the variant, A1 through A4) Most components are interchangeable between semi-auto and select fire rifles including magazines, sights, upper receiver, barrels and accessories.[40][41] The military M4 carbine typically uses a 14.5-inch (37 cm) barrel. Civilian rifles commonly have 16-inch (41 cm) or longer barrels to comply with the National Firearms Act.[42]
In order to prevent a civilian semi-automatic AR-15 from being readily converted for use with the select fire components, a number of features were changed. Parts changed include the lower receiver, bolt carrier, hammer, trigger, disconnector, and safety/mode selector. The semi-automatic bolt carrier has a longer lightening slot to prevent the bolt's engagement with an automatic sear. Due to a decrease in mass the buffer spring is heavier. On the select fire version, the hammer has an extra spur which interacts with the additional auto-sear that holds it back until the bolt carrier group is fully in battery, when automatic fire is selected.[43] Using a portion of the select fire parts in a semi-automatic rifle will not enable a select fire option (this requires a registered part with the ATF). Lower receivers that are select fire are easily identified by a pin hole above the safety/mode selection switch.[44] As designed by Colt the pins supporting the semi-auto trigger and hammer in the lower receiver are larger than those used in the military rifle to prevent interchangeability between semi-automatic and select fire components.[45]
Production and sales[edit]
The first version produced for commercial sale by Colt was the SP1 model AR-15 Sporter, in .223 Remington, with a 20-inch (51 cm) barrel and issued with five-round magazines.[10] Initial sales of the Colt AR-15 were slow, primarily due to its fixed sights and carry handle that made scopes difficult to mount and awkward to use.[46] Military development of the compact M4 carbine encouraged production of a 16-inch (41 cm) barreled civilian SP1 carbine with a collapsible buttstock beginning in 1977. These carbines have become popular for police use in confined urban spaces, and the collapsible buttstock compensates for the additional thickness of body armor. The shorter barrel reduced bullet velocity by about five percent, and bullet energy by about ten percent. The shorter barrel required moving the gas port closer to the chamber exposing the self-loading system to higher pressures and temperatures which increase stress on moving parts like the bolt lugs and extractor. Although Colt offered a heavier 20-inch barrel for improved accuracy beginning in 1986, increased barrel weight may impair ergonomic balance; so shorter barrels have dominated recent rifle production.[47]
In the 1990s, sales of AR-15 style rifles increased dramatically, partly as a result of the introduction of the flat top upper receiver (M4 variant) which allowed scopes and sighting devices to be easily mounted as well as new features such as free floating hand guards that increased accuracy.[46] While only a handful of companies were manufacturing these rifles in 1994, by the 21st century the number of AR-15 style rifles had more than doubled.[48] From 2000 to 2015, the number of manufacturers of AR-15 style variants and knock-offs increased from 29 to about 500.[49] AR-15 style rifles are now available in a wide range of configurations and calibers from a large number of manufacturers. These configurations range from standard full-sizes rifles with 20-inch (51 cm) barrels, to short carbine-length models with 16-inch (41 cm) barrels, adjustable length stocks and optical sights, to long range target models with 24-inch (61 cm) barrels, bipods and high-powered scopes.[50]
Estimates vary as to how many of the rifles are owned in the United States. The National Shooting Sports Foundation has estimated that approximately 5 million to 10 million AR-15 style rifles exist in the U.S. within the broader total of the 300 million firearms owned by Americans.[51]
Hunting[edit]
Some hunters prefer using AR-15 style rifles because of their versatility, accuracy, wide variety of available features, and wide variety of calibers(see below).[52] Collapsible stocks are convenient for hunters who pack their rifles into remote hunting locations or for length of pull adjustments to fit any sized hunter.[53] Construction with lightweight polymers and corrosion-resistant alloys makes these rifles preferred for hunting in moist environments with less concern about rusting or warping wood stocks. Positioning of the AR-15 safety is an improvement over traditional bolt action hunting rifles. Many states require hunters to use reduced-capacity magazines.[54] If a hunter misses with a first shot, the self-loading feature enables rapid followup shots against dangerous animals like feral pigs or rapidly moving animals like jackrabbits.[52] Hunters shooting larger game animals often use upper receivers and barrels adapted for larger cartridges or heavier bullets. Several states consider .22 caliber cartridges like the 5.56×45mm NATO inadequate to ensure a clean kill.[55][56][57]
Cartridge variations[edit]
Since the upper and lower receivers may be swapped between rifles, forensic firearm examination of bullets and spent cartridges may reveal distinguishing marks from the barrel and upper receiver group without identifying the lower receiver for which legal records may be available.[58] An individual may use several upper receiver groups with the same lower receiver. These upper receiver groups may have differing barrel lengths and sights, and may fire different cartridges. A hunter with a single lower receiver might have one upper receiver with a .223 Remington barrel and telescopic sight for varmint hunting in open country and another upper receiver with a .458 SOCOM barrel and iron sights for big-game hunting in brushy woodland. The dimensions of upper and lower receivers originally designed for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge impose an overall length limit and diameter limits when adapting modules for other cartridges included in this list of AR platform calibers.[59][50] The same magazine in the lower receiver group may hold differing numbers of different cartridges.[28]
Use in crime and mass shootings[edit]
Most gun killings in the United States are with handguns.[60][61][62] According to a 2013 analysis by Mayors Against Illegal Guns 14 out of 93 mass shootings involved high-capacity magazines or assault weapons.[63] Nevertheless, AR-15 style rifles have played a prominent role in many high-profile mass shootings in the United States[64] and have come to be widely characterized as the weapon of choice for perpetrators of these crimes.[65] AR-15s or similar rifles were the primary weapons used in around half of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern American history,[66][67] including the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the 2015 San Bernardino attack,[4] the 2017 Las Vegas shooting,[68] the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting,[68] and the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.[69] Gun expert Dean Hazen and mass murder researcher Dr. Pete Blair think that mass shooters' gun choices have less to do with the AR-15's specific characteristics but rather with familiarity and a copycat effect.[70][71]
Following the use of a Colt AR-15 rifle in the Port Arthur massacre, the worst single-person shooting incident in Australian history, the country enacted the National Firearms Agreement in 1996, restricting the private ownership of semi-automatic rifles with a capacity of more than 5 rounds (Category D[72]).[73][74][75]
Partial list of models[edit]
Examples of AR-15 style rifles and carbines[edit]
M&P15 by Smith & Wesson
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See also[edit]
- List of Colt AR-15 & M16 rifle variants, a list of Colt-made firearms based on the ArmaLite AR-15 design
- List of most-produced firearms, comparison of relative production of modern firearms
References[edit]
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Luth's quest to introduce the hunting market to the AR platform was recognized in January 2009 when he was named to the Outdoor Life's OL-25, and later chosen by online voters as the OL-25 'Reader's Choice' recipient. The recent campaign by the NSSF to educate hunters everywhere about the 'modern sporting rifle' can be directly attributed to Luth's push to make AR rifles acceptable firearms in the field, the woods and on the range.
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Fueled by this “Obama effect” — his reelection in 2012 coincided with the best month for gun sales in decades — every mainline gun manufacturer now sells an AR-15 model.
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- ^Zimba, Jeff (2014). The Evolution of the Black Rifle. Prepper Press. ISBN0692317260.
- ^Muramatsu, Kevin (2014). Gun Digest Guide to Customizing Your AR-15. F+W Media, Inc. ISBN1440242798.
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- ^Sweeney, Patrick (2016). Gunsmithing the Ar-15, the Bench Manual. F+W Media, Inc. ISBN1440246602.
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- ^Knupp, Jeremiah (2019). 'This Is My Rifle: The Case For The 20'-Barreled AR-15'. American Rifleman. National Rifle Association. 167 (3): 41–45 & 70–72.
- ^Sweeney, Patrick (30 August 2016). Gunsmithing the AR-15, the Bench Manual. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. pp. 7–9. ISBN978-1-4402-4660-9.
- ^O’Dea, Meghan (June 13, 2016). 'What Makes the AR-15 So Appealing to Mass Shooters?'. Fortune. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
While Colt alone makes the official AR-15, variants and knock-offs are made by a huge number of gun manufactures, including Bushmaster, Les Baer, Remington, Smith & Wesson (swhc, +0.00%), and Sturm & Ruger (rgr, -2.04%), just to name a few. TacticalRetailer claims that from 2000 to 2015 the AR manufacturing sector expanded from 29 AR makers to about 500, “a stunning 1,700% increase.”
- ^ abEvolution of an AR | Gear | Guns & AmmoArchived September 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Archives.gunsandammo.com (August 29, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-09-27.
- ^Schoen, John W. (13 June 2016). 'Owned by 5 million Americans, AR-15 under renewed fire after Orlando massacre'. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ abDrabold, Will. 'Here Are 7 Animals Hunters Kill Using an AR-15'. Time. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
In interviews with TIME, leaders of 15 state shooting groups said semiautomatic rifles are popular with hunters in their states. Hunters say they favor the gun for its versatility, accuracy and customizable features for shooting animals. The semiautomatic feature, which allows these guns to shoot up to 45 rounds a minute, is not always necessary, but useful in some situations, hunters say.
- ^Billings, Jacki. 'Why hunters are trading in traditional hunting rifles for the AR-15'. Guns.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^Metcalf, Dick. 'The AR for Deer Hunting?'. North American Whitetail. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^'Legal Hunting Weapons for Game Mammals'. Oregon Hunting Regulations. J.F. Griffin Publishing. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
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- ^'Legal Use of Firearms and Archery Tackle'. General Information & Hunting Regulations. Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^Davis, Ann L. 'How can a bullet be traced to a particular gun?'. Scientific American. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition Failures and Solutions, GK Roberts, NDIA Dallas, TX, May 21, 2008 'Archived copy'(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-02-04.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
- ^'In Many U.S. States, 18 Is Old Enough to Buy a Semiautomatic'. CBS News. The Associated Press. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
On average, more than 13,000 people are killed each year in the United States by guns, and most of those incidents involve handguns while a tiny fraction involve an AR-style firearm. Still, the AR plays an oversized role in many of the most high-profile shootings..
- ^'Expanded Homicide Data Table 4'. 2016 Crime in the United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2018-02-26.[permanent dead link]
- ^Balko, Radley (2013-07-09). Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces. PublicAffairs. ISBN9781610392129.
- ^Todd, Michael (December 23, 2013). 'The Simple Facts About Mass Shootings Aren't Simple at All'. Pacific Standard. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
- ^http://uk.businessinsider.com/ap-florida-shooting-revives-debate-over-gun-age-requirement-2018-2
- ^Jansen, Bart; Cummings, William (November 6, 2017), 'Why mass shooters are increasingly using AR-15s', USA Today, archived from the original on February 15, 2018, retrieved February 15, 2018,
AR-15 style rifles have been the weapon of choice in many recent mass shootings, including the Texas church shooting Sunday, the Las Vegas concert last month, the Orlando nightclub last year and Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
Oppel Jr., Richard A. (February 15, 2018), 'In Florida, an AR-15 Is Easier to Buy Than a Handgun', The New York Times, archived from the original on February 15, 2018, retrieved February 15, 2018, The N.R.A. calls the AR-15 the most popular rifle in America. The carnage in Florida on Wednesday that left at least 17 dead seemed to confirm that the rifle and its variants have also become the weapons of choice for mass killers.
Lloyd, Whitney (February 16, 2018), Why AR-15-style rifles are popular among mass shooters, ABC News, archived from the original on March 2, 2018, retrieved March 2, 2018, AR-15-style rifles have become something of a weapon of choice for mass shooters.
- ^The LA Times identified five shootings including the Pulse Nightclub Shooting. Early reports on that shooting identified the rifle as an AR-15. Later reports noted that the rifle was a SIG MCXHowerton, Jason (June 14, 2016). 'The gun the Orlando shooter used wasn't actually an AR-15'. Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2018., Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (June 14, 2016). 'The gun the Orlando shooter used was a Sig Sauer MCX, not an AR-15. That doesn't change much'. Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- ^Pearce, Matt (14 February 2018). 'Mass shootings are getting deadlier. And the latest ones all have something new in common: The AR-15'. The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
in all of the latest incidents..the attackers primarily used AR-15 semiautomatic rifles.
- ^ ab'Why the AR-15 keeps appearing at America's deadliest mass shootings'. USA Today. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
- ^Shapiro, Emily (February 14, 2018). 'At least 17 dead in 'horrific' Florida school shooting, suspect had 'countless magazines''. ABC News. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
- ^Cummings, William (February 15, 2018). 'Why the AR-15 keeps appearing at America's deadliest mass shootings'. USA Today. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- ^Lloyd, Whitney (February 16, 2018). 'Why AR-15-style rifles are popular among mass shooters'. ABC News. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^Oakes, Dan (2013-01-23). 'Assault guns made here'. The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
- ^'Firearms in Australia: a guide to electronic resources'. aph.gov.au. Commonwealth of Australia. 9 August 2007. Archived from the original on 5 March 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^'How Australia Passed Gun Control: The Port Arthur Massacre and Beyond'. Foreign Affairs. 13 October 2017. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ^Wahlquist, Calla (14 March 2016). 'It took one massacre: how Australia embraced gun control after Port Arthur'. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
Bibliography[edit]
| Wikiquote has quotations related to: AR-15 style rifle |
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to AR-15. |
- Stevens, R. Blake and Edward C. Ezell. The Black Rifle M16 Retrospective. Enhanced second printing. Cobourg, Ontario, Canada: Collector Grade Publications Incorporated, 1994. ISBN0-88935-115-5.
- Bartocci, Christopher R. Black Rifle II The M16 Into the 21st Century. Cobourg, Ontario, Canada: Collector Grade Publications Incorporated, 2004. ISBN0-88935-348-4.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AR-15_style_rifle&oldid=903466034'
by Tom Laemlein - Monday, June 3, 2019
Patent Design For The Leader T2 Rifle Review
The Manville Gun: A few years back, I found this image in the National Archives, dated 1939. I always thought it was strange that the grenade launcher design looked so much like the “modern” launcher I had seen in the film The Dogs of War. As it turns out, they are from the same family, and I had only learned about the Manville Gun long after it had been produced.
I’m a sucker for action films, and when The Dogs of War was released in 1980, I rushed out to see it. Compared to Frederic Forsythe’s novel from 1974, the film adaptation is a little weak, but still enjoyable. Curiously, Hollywood introduced a unique grenade launcher design, albeit about 45 years late. Christopher Walken, who played mercenary leader Jamie Shannon, procures a new grenade launcher for his team, and which featured in the movie’s promotional posters. The so-called “XM-18” left quite an impression on many viewers. At the time, the revolver-type launcher seemed quite plausible and effective, but it was not listed on the armaments inventory of any military force on Earth.
The armorers of The Dogs of War based their fictional “XM-18” on the very real Manville Gun. Charles J. Manville developed his semi-automatic, spring-operated, revolver grenade launcher primarily for the police market, and introduced it in 1935. The original model Manville Gun was a hefty piece, constructed of steel and aluminum. It was chambered for 12-ga. grenade rounds (18.5x70 mm R), holding 24 grenades in its spring-driven cylinder that was wound before firing. There was no shoulder stock, and the firer held the Manville with two wooden pistol grips. To load, the Manville Gun opened (unscrewed, really) into halves at the rear plate of the cylinder. Each cylinder has its own firing pin.
The Manville Patent: Charles J. Manville’s patent drawings for his grenade launcher design, submitted in March 1935.
The Manville Gun was primarily intended to fire tear gas rounds to support police operations. Sales were slow and interest was limited in the initial model, so Manville created additional versions:
The 26.5 mm Manville Machine-Projector (1936): This version holds 18 rounds of 1” (26.5 mm) shells. The barrel is shorter by a little more than an inch, and hard rubber replaced wooden grips. The cylinder access was improved, and the rear plate could be rotated to the right using the rear grip to make loading easier and faster. Barrel and ammunition cylinder inserts were available to allow the use of 12-ga. shells.
The 37 mm Manville Gas Gun (1938): Within two years, Manville was trying to connect with the military market and had introduced a 12-cylinder 37 mm (1.5”) variant. The barrel was moved to the bottom of the cylinder. This was a particularly heavy launcher, designed to be used from a small tripod or a vehicle mount.
Customers for the Manville Gun were few and far between. The severe budget restrictions of the Depression era made a multiple-grenade launcher an expensive luxury for almost any police department or security force. Also, in those days, the notion of less-than-lethal was not widespread.
One documented use of the Manville Gun was during the Terre Haute, Ind., general strikes of July 1935. The community was put under martial law (by decree of Gov. McNutt), and 2,000 National Guard troops moved into Terre Haute to preserve order. Tear gas and flare rounds were fired into the mobs to disperse the rioting strikers.
Apparently, the U.S. military tested the Manville Gun, but no contracts were forthcoming. I’ve seen no evidence that the Manville Gun was ever provided with high-explosive grenades—so it’s viability as a combat arm was questionable. Production of all Manville Guns ended in 1943. It is claimed that after business operations ceased, Charles Manville destroyed all the machinery related to the grenade launcher, including his diagrams and notes.
Movie star I: the Manville Gun, featured in the promo poster for the 1980 film The Dogs of War.
Let loose in The Dogs of War: The fictional XM-18 grenade launcher plays a vital role in the film, providing fire support for the mercenaries as they assault the president of Sangaro’s mansion and compound. The XM-18 is described as capable of firing fragmentation, tactical, anti-tank, anti-personnel and flechette grenades, and able to discharge all 18 cylinders in just five seconds! The Manville Gun used in the film is one of the later 26.5 mm models with an 18-round cylinder. The well-aged revolving grenade launcher made a significant impression on a new generation of gun aficionados and even a designer.
The Hawk MM-1: The Manville Gun may have ceased production, but remaining examples provided inspiration for other designers. During the 1980s, Michael Rogak of Hawk Engineering used the Manville Gun as inspiration for the Hawk MM-1. The MM-1 is chambered in 40x46 mm R and has 12 cylinders. Comparatively heavy, the MM-1 weighs about 13 lbs. unloaded. There are some claims that the MM-1 has seen service with U.S. Special Forces along with other nations’ special units, but if this is so, it is on a very limited basis. The Hawk MM-1 had its own movie debut when it was featured in the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991).
Movie star II: the “son of the Manville Gun,” the Hawk MM-1, in the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Sometimes life imitates art. In this case, that is mostly true. The 45-year-old Manville Gun made a splash on the big screen in 1980, and inspired an updated design based on the same principles. But even as the Hawk MM-1 made its Hollywood debut just a decade later, the middling adoption and laggardly sales continue to plague the concept. As it stands now, the design looks perfect for the movies, but not for the battlefield.
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