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Tommy Gun – Used by Good Guys and Bad Guys Alike

by craigkent

April 7th, 2010

The infamous Thompson gun, nicknamed the “Tommy Gun,” is more than just a weapon used by criminals during 20th century-America. It’s an icon, and it’s a story in and of itself.

Named after its designer, General John T. Thompson, this submachine gun was first produced in 1919, and was originally designed to aid U.S. soldiers during World War I . General Thompson wanted to build a machine gun that was light, and thus the Tommy Gun, one of the first ever submachine guns, came into being.

The gun became extremely popular in the 1920s and 1930s among gangsters and also police. The Tommy Gun was also used by the U.S. Army from the very beginning of World War II for close combat. The Tommy Gun served in the armed forces and was a reliable military surplus item for longer than any other gun of its kind that was designed in the same time period.

The Tommy Gun in action during WWII

The Tommy Gun’s U.S. military tenure had almost come to a close by the time the Korean War came around. The firearm was replaced by the M3 submachine gun (commonly known as the “grease gun”). The Tommy Gun continued to be used by some law enforcement agencies in the U.S. until 1976, when it was relieved of its duties.

There were several variants of the Tommy Gun produced, one of the first being the Model 1919. It was reported to have a firing rate of 1500 rounds per minute, and only 40 guns of this model were made. The M1928A1 was one of the models that saw extensive military use, entering into service just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Its most distinctive characteristic is a horizontal forend as opposed to the vertical foregrip of earlier models. The most widely-produced model for the military was the M1A1. It could be produced much quicker and cheaper than the M1928A1.

The benefit of the Tommy Gun that made it so popular was its light weight. Machine guns used prior to the Tommy Gun’s inception were relatively heavy. The Tommy Gun weighs a measly 10 pounds. Just for comparison, the M60 machine gun weighs more than 23 pounds. The Tommy Gun uses a .45 caliber ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) round, which is the same cartridge used in the M1911 pistol. It has a firing rate of 600-1200 rounds per minute (although the Model 1919 supposedly had a higher rate).

The Tommy Gun is getting harder to come by for purchase these days. But the good news is, we know of the best place to get one. Impact Guns sells a M1928A1 model right here. Along with your Tommy Gun, you can get a carrying case that’s shaped like a violin (just like in the movies). But don’t get caught bringing your gun into a concert with this case!

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Automatic, Guns
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Movie Weapons – More Than Meets the Eye

by craigkent

March 2nd, 2010

We’re starting a series on movies with awesome weapons (that actually exist), and are beginning with the movie Transformers.

The franchise began back in the 1970s with Hasbro’s successful launch of a toy line that featured robots that could transform into vehicles and other devices. That led to several different animated television shows and series of comic books based on the franchise. Then finally, in 2007, the live action film was released, and it was a hit. The movie grossed $709 million across the world and was nominated for three academy awards.

The film features a team of autonomous robotic organisms (“Autobots”) that comes to Earth in search of the source of energy that gave them life — the All Spark. Their enemy is Megatron, who had crash landed on Earth more than a hundred years earlier, and the Decepticons (other robots from the Autobots’ home world). The Autobots rally the help of Sam Witwicky and other humans from Earth (primarily military personnel) to aid in fighting the Decepticons. The Autobots have strong weapons, but the human weapons used in the movie are nothing to sneeze at. Let’s take a look at some of them.

M203 Grenade Launcher – This single-shot, 40mm weapon is composed of a unit being attached to another rifle, usually the M16 or M4 Carbine. The weapon, an upgrade from the M79 grenade launcher, is designated a M203 when it is attached to a carbine or rifle. The gun is designed for short-range uses, and aids in disrupting groups of enemies. It can also be used a way of disorienting the enemy through the intensive sound and explosive force of the rounds. The firearm has the ability to fire ten different types of rounds, some more lethal than others. Among movies weapons used by Hollywood, the M203 can be found in more than 20 big screen flicks.

Several characters in the movie use the M203. Sergeant Bobby Epps and another member of his team have their respective M4A1 Carbines fitted with a M203 attachment for close combat in their skirmish with the Decepticon Scorponok. A member of the secret government agency Sector 7 also uses a separate M203 unit against Brawl, one of the Decepticons, during the downtown battle.

M249 Light Machine Gun – This highly accurate machine gun is a variant of the FN Minimi and has been used much by the U.S. military since it first was produced in 1984. It gives soldiers a high volume of fire for its reasonably small size. It has a foldable bipod near the front of the gun, but it can also be used standalone, as it is in Transformers. Both linked ammunition and STANAG magazines work with the M249, which allow versatility for its user. This is one of the more popular movie weapons used in Transformers.

The gun is seen in the movie used by members of the surviving Ranger team from Qatar in their encounter with Scorponok (here’s another gun, used by Captain Lennox, leader of the team). The firearm they use is a variation called the M249 Para, which is a model designed to aid troops in flight missions. As fast of a rate of firing as the M249 has, it didn’t have the “bang” that the members of the Qatar team needed, so they called some reinforcements.

GAU-8/A Avenger – This 30mm cannon is the largest forward-firing cannon to ever be mounted onto an aircraft. It is a Gatling-style rotary cannon powered by hydraulics, and it makes its home under the nose of the Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II. This weapon is designed specifically for use against armored tanks. The rounds it uses has excellent penetration, with 2.7 inches at a range of 1640 feet and about 1.5 inches at 3280 feet. In other words, this is the cannon to have when you need big firepower.

This is the third weapon used against Scorponok, when the dispatched Warthogs (nickname for the A-10 aircraft) try to destroy Earth’s newest enemy. These weapons slowed Scorponok down, but even more firepower yet was needed to try to eliminate the threat.

AC-130 Armaments – The AC-130 is an ground-attack aircraft made by Lockheed and modified for air attack by Boeing. It is a variant of the C-130 and is used only by the Air Force. It has two variations: AC-130H Spectre and AC-130U Spooky. It can carry a variety of weapons, including different models of miniguns and cannons.

In Transformers, the Air Force sends in an AC-130U Spooky to take care of Scorponok. The gunship fires simultaneous rounds with its mounted Bofors 40 mm gun and M102 howitzer. The Bofors is an autocannon that is manually loaded with shell rounds, as opposed to bullets, and was originally designed for anti-air use. The M102 fires 105 mm explosive rounds weighing 33 pounds, with a firing rate of 10 rounds per minute for the first three minutes. Even these high-powered weapons don’t completely eliminate Scorponok, but they damage him enough to win the battle and force him to retreat. It’s clear why these high-powered are armaments are some of the movie weapons used in Transformers.

See the Movie – After writing this, I want to go watch Transformers just to see some of these cool movie weapons in action! Knowing more about some of the weapons used in this movie can help you enjoy it more. So go check out Transformers. Just click here to get this awesome flick for your enjoyment on your screen at home. Also, this is a good place to get any original Transformers TV series DVDs.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Automatic, Guns, Movie/TV Gear, Rifles
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More Then The Punisher Shirt – What Would The Punisher Buy From A Military Surplus Store?

by Administrator

February 7th, 2010

Part 1 of the ‘What Would’ series: What Would Batman Buy From A Military Surplus Store?
Part 2 of the ‘What Would’ series: What Would Jack Bauer Buy From A Military Surplus Store?

You may be surprised to see military surplus and The Punisher together since most of his weapons are custom. The fact is that most of his weapons are customized from US Military issue, and can be purchased through military surplus and regular stores online. Some of his gear is no longer made, so we’ll found the closest things we could. We’ll leave the customizing to you. The apparel chosen for this is pretty obvious with the Punisher shirt.

If you would like to start customizing rifles yourself, you can use the AR15 Builder shown here.

Punisher’s Gear

M16 Assault Rifle – The Punisher used a Vietnam era M16, the one shown is updated for modern warfare. It is still the .223 Caliber, this Colt Carbine A3 M16 M4 will be able to take all the vigilantes down even better then the original. Planning on putting a mask and chasing down bad guys? Get your M16 and go all out. We here at Best Military Surplus say we do respect the law, but we happen to like vigiante heroes slightly more so.

Browning 9 mm Pistol – For close range battles, this is a pretty standard pistol. You’ve all seen it before, if you want to own it, ImpactGuns sells them online.

This is the tactical and more expensive version of the 45 Caliber

.45 Caliber – You have a couple options with the .45 Cal. There is the cheap version or the Punisher tactical version. If you really want to go all out, you can add the laser site shown here.

Derringer – Not the most widely used, but the Derringer is easily conceilable.

The Punisher Shirt – Where would he be without this? This Punisher trademark t-shirt prevents him from being a generic vigilante, without going full-fledged costume hero. Get your own punisher shirt here.

Gerber Combat Knife – The Punisher carries a Gerber Mark 11 that is no longer produced, this is the Mark II shown. Another good choice is this survival combat knife from Gerber. We assembled our top 5 knife sheath here, and the Punisher shirt makes the life look more scary too .

If that isn’t enough to satisfy you, don’t worry. We’ll have plenty more great ‘What Would’ scenarios in the future. Feel free to comment on the list and let me know what you think.

Written by Bill Wayne, member of the Best Military Surplus team

Categories Automatic, Guns, Hand Guns, Knives, Movie/TV Gear, Rifles, Special Forces, Tactical Knives
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M60 Gun – Heavy But Effective

by craigkent

February 2nd, 2010

When you think of a machine gun, the M60 gun is the one that should come to mind. This high-powered automatic firearm has been in service since 1957. It has been designated a general purpose machine gun, which can be used instead of a medium or light machine gun. The M60 gun has seen action in every branch of the U.S. military.

The M60 is gas-operated, air-cooled, and fires from the open-bolt position. ammunition is fed into the gun from a bandolier that holds 100 7.62×51 mm NATO rounds. The gun has a relatively slow rate of fire when it comes to automatic guns, capable of firing 600 rounds per minute. The M4 Carbine has a rate of 700-950 rounds per minute, and the P90 can fire 900 rounds per minute.

The gun exhibits versatility in that it can be fired from the shoulder, hip, or under the arm. When used in the military, the gun usually requires a two to three man team since it is difficult for a single person to carry and re-load the weapon efficiently. The gunman carries the weapon and ammunition. The second man carries an extra barrel and spare ammunition. The third person carries even more ammunition and a tripod for the M60 gun. Because of its difficult use by one individual, it is not as popular for use outside of the military. The gun also is relatively heavy, weighing more than 23 pounds.

The gun experienced some flaws when it first was used on the battlefield. Soldiers complained that it would get jammed easily when sand and dust got into it. It was also known to continue firing until it was out of ammo, even if its user released his finger from the trigger! The barrel of the gun would frequently get hot from extensive use, which required the use of protective gloves by soldiers.

Because of these, and other flaws of the firearm, several variants of the M60 gun were made. Modifications were also made for different uses of the gun. The M60 gun was often used as a mounted gun, with the M60B being used in helicopters and the M60C being used in a variety of other aircraft. The M60B had a large firing range and no bipod, while the M60C had an electronic control system, which means it could be fired by a pilot. The M60E2, which featured an electrically fired system, was used on armored vehicles. These modifications fixed several of the problems the gun had.

The M60 is seeing less use in the military these days, as it is being replaced by other models, such as the M240. But the M60 still packs a punch.

The M60 gun may not be the most ideal weapon for use outside of the military, but don’t let that stop you from owning one. Here’s where you can get one.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Automatic, Guns
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Navy Special Forces Gear: P90 Submachine Gun

by craigkent

January 23rd, 2010

The FN P90 is an automatic firearm made by Belgian weapons manufacturer FN Herstal. It was developed in the late 1980s, and entered into service in 1991 with the Persian Gulf War. The name stands for “Project 90,” which implies a model of the 1990s. The weapon is classified as a personal defense weapon, which is a compact automatic or semiautomatic firearm that has characteristics of a submachine gun and a carbine. You can actually buy a P90 and similar guns at Impact Guns.

The gun has many desirable features that make it a favorite among many country’s military and security organizations. There are 200 agencies in the U.S. alone that use the weapon. Among these features are an ambidextrous grip and a bullpup design, which makes for a quick re-loading sequence. The magazine, located above the gun’s barrel, can hold up to 50 rounds. When the magazine is empty, it ejects downward to prevent interference with the users ability to operate the weapon. The P90 has a relatively small amount of recoil. Also, the gun is made largely of polymers and allows, which make it relatively light — it weighs less than seven pounds with a loaded magazine.

The gun has firing options of single shot or fully automatic. It uses 5.7×28 mm rounds, which make for effective armor-penetration. Herstal boasts that the gun fires on a level line for up to 200 meters (or about 256 650 feet). A sound suppressor (silencer) can be used with the weapon and is reported to reduce the gun’s noise level by 33 decibels.

Several revisions have been made to the gun since its inception. The P90 TR was released in 1999, featuring rails on the sides of the gun for mounting various flashlights and sights, and a laser aiming system. When the gun has a laser aiming system, it is designated a P90 LV. The P90 USG features a sight that does not magnify, which enables the user to aim the gun with both eyes open. And finally, the PS90 is a semi-automatic form of the gun; it hit the markets in 2005.

In addition to the Navy SEALs and the U.S. Secret Service, the P90 is also used by several police departments across the country.

But the best part about the P90 is that it’s used by some great heroes in fiction. Any fan of the sci-fi show Stargate SG-1 knows that the P90 is a favorite of Jack O’Neill and the SG-1 team, which includes the Jaffa Teal’c. Just about every mission that involves tactical combat features the use of this compact and deadly gun. Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and his team also make extensive use of the P90 in the spin-off series, Stargate Atlantis. And if the P90 were cool enough for any hero to use, it would be James Bond. 007 himself uses the weapon in the movie The World Is Not Enough.

This gun may not be produced in the good ol’ U.S.A., but it nonetheless packs the punch that Navy SEALs need.

Ever wanted to own a P90 or another cool gun? Here you go: this store has P90′s and more.

Check out other special forces military surplus here.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Automatic, Guns, Movie/TV Gear, Special Forces, Special Forces Gear
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Build Your Own Rifle. Your Imagination Is The Limit. AR15 Builder.

by Administrator

December 31st, 2009

They call it an AR15 Builder. You get to pick from a huge list of parts and put together a gun as cool as your imagination lets you. They have a couple default guns you can use to see how it works, then go crazy.

The examples they use are the Magpul Mod 15, the M4 Carbine and several other classics you can base your design on, or start from scratch with your own gun design. If you ever wanted to design your own rifle or build your own gun then you can put it all together immediately. The part list for this ‘build your own gun’ setup is huge. There are two parts of the gun you design. It’s meant for building your own rifle, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use their pre-made guns. Their have about five pre-made rifles that you can use or modify, or of course a scratch build of your own rifle. Like the title says your imagination really is the limit here.

The coolest thing about the AR 15 Builder is that you can visually see your gun and make it like you’ve always imagined and then buy it. Takes the guesswork out of the equation. Plus, you don’t have to go from site to site looking for parts that you hope will match, the AR-15 is the complete package for creating the rifle you want. Plus how many of your friends can say they designed the rifle they are using?

Written by Bill Wayne, member of the Best Military Surplus team

Categories Automatic, Guns, Rifles
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