Military Small Arms Research Articles

Ballistic Resistance of Steel with the Structure of a Natural Ferrite-Martensitic Composite

Introduction. For steel armor materials, it is important to reduce the thickness and, consequently, the metal consumption of the protective structure. The previously developed class of materials with the structure of a natural ferrite-martensite composite (NFMC) has characteristics that favor the inhibition of crack development under impact loads and has prospects as an armor material.Problem Statement. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the possibility of using NFMC materials for armor protection devices based on the results of ballistic resistance tests under a high-power concentrated impact (a projectile flying at a hyper-high speed).Theoretical Part. The study of ballistic resistance was carried out on samples of steel 14G2 processed according to various modes. The samples had the shape of plates and a square grid on the surface. Simulation tests of the impact of heat-strengthened dowels from a powder-actuated tool and firing of military small arms at the testing site from an SVD sniper rifle and an AK-74 assault rifle with machine loading ammunition were carried out. The results of simulation tests showed a clear advantage of steel with the NFMC structure. The comparison of the results of firing with military small arms has showed that the ballistic resistance of steel with the NFMC structure depends on the ratio of the volume fractions of ferrite and martensite, which cause different thicknesses of the ductile and strong components of the composite. The highest resistance was observed for a sample with an NFMC structure processed according to the regime: quenching 730°C and tempering 180°C.Conclusions. Steels treated for the NFMC structure can provide effective protection for military personnel with a lower material consumption of armor protection devices, which is due to a special method of braking destruction during a high-power local impact. Thus, the practical application of the developed class of natural composite materials seems promising for obtaining an armor plate with a thinner thickness, which helps to reduce the weight of combat vehicles, increase their mobility and reduce fuel consumption.

Грозы безопасности образовательных организаций (криминологическое исследование по результатам анонимного интернет-опроса обучающихся)

The aim was to assess the scale and manifestation of security threats in educational institutions in Russia, the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia. For this purpose, an anonymous Internet survey of 1,075 students was conducted between March and June 2019. The questionnaire included 2 sets of questions - about some of the characteristics of the interviewees (gender, age, place of residence, type of educational institution where they study) and about various security threats in educational organisations. The answers given by students in different territories were compared, and a correlation was established between security threats and the level of juvenile criminal activity. More than 40 per cent of the students were inclined to believe that a situation could occur in their educational institutions where the actions of the students could lead to death or serious harm. Over 60 per cent of respondents said that they would be able to bring weapons or explosive devices into their educational institutions. More than half of the students had encountered the display of cold weapons in educational institutions. Respondents also noted that they had seen gas, pneumatic, traumatic, hunting, military firearms, and explosive devices in educational institutions. About 6% of those surveyed believe that there are those among the students at their educational institutions who admire teenagers who have killed people in schools and colleges, consider them their idols, and seek to emulate them. Students are interviewed about the tragedies of homicide and serious harm to health in educational establishments. Class teachers are the most active in conducting such discussions, followed by law enforcement officials, psychologists, and representatives of the administration of educational institutions. Almost every fourth Russian respondent answered that his or her educational institution had not conducted talks about tragedies related to homicide and serious harm to health in educational institutions. One in five respondents answered that there had been conflicts in their educational institution as a result of which someone had been killed or seriously injured. Over 37% of respondents said that there were students who were mocked and humiliated in their classes (groups), with over 23% believing that they could avenge humiliation by killing or causing serious harm to their health. More than 37% of respondents believe that there are those who live by the thieves' ideology among the students in their educational institutions. About 4% of respondents met students in their educational organisations who collect money from others "for the common fund", "to warm up the area", i.e. for criminals. The results of the study can serve as a means of criminological monitoring of the security of the educational environment, become the basis for selecting objects of prevention, and be used as a methodological basis and source of empirical information for criminological research and law enforcement activities. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

Manufacturing Advantage: War, the State, and the Origins of American Industry, 1776–1848

Manufacturing Advantage: War, the State, and the Origins of American Industry, 1776–1848

일제강점기 총기 규제 정책 연구

This thesis is a review of gun control policies before and after the annexation. of Korea by Japan. Securing firearms and ammunition was essential in the armed struggle of Righteous Armies. Therefore, during this period, Righteous Armies used various methods to obtain and supply firearms and ammunition. There were several methods of securing firearms, such as requisition from the people, seizing weapons from the army or police station, smuggling from foreigners, manufacturing or modifying firearms, and so on. The weapons of them came as a great threat to the Japan trying to annex Korea. To prevent this, Japan enacted the Guns and Gunpowder Control Act and introduced strong firearms regulations in Korea. After this, an ordnance committee was established nationwide, and firearms of the korean government and civilians were confiscated. Through this process, private ownership of firearms in Korea became almost impossible. The strict gun control in korea continued even after the annexation. In 1912, the Governor-General enacted a new Guns and Gunpowder Control Act. In addition to the existing strict gun control laws, this law contained stricter regulations than previous laws, such as a strict ban on the manufacture of military firearms and gunpowder in Korea. In addition, in order to restrict the possession of firearms by Koreans, gun regulations were newly introduced only for Koreans. A typical example is the so-called ‘Internal Discipline Article 18’. The regulation contains a number of strong restrictions on gun licenses for Koreans. The first clause stipulated the types of Koreans who could obtain gun licenses, and the third clause limited the number of gun licenses. The fourth clause restricted the types of firearms that Koreans could possess. These regulations made it impossible for Koreans to own firearms except for a small number of professional hunters and verified pro-Japanese groups. In addition, even after obtaining permission for firearms, the Japanese placed them in a surveillance network and monitored them periodically. This consistent and strong gun control is a tangible example that clearly shows Japan''s intention to suppress the struggle for independence in Korea by blocking the possession of guns by Koreans.

Censored Regression for Modelling Small Arms Trade Volumes and Its ‘Forensic’ Use for Exploring Unreported Trades

Abstract In this paper, we use a censored regression model to investigate data on the international trade of small arms and ammunition provided by the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers. Taking a network-based view on the transfers, we do not only rely on exogenous covariates but also estimate endogenous network effects. We apply a spatial autocorrelation gravity model with multiple weight matrices. The likelihood is maximized employing the Monte Carlo expectation maximization algorithm. Our approach reveals strong and stable endogenous network effects. Furthermore, we find evidence for a substantial path dependence as well as a close connection between exports of civilian and military small arms. The model is then used in a ‘forensic’ manner to analyse latent network structures and thereby to identify countries with higher or lower tendency to export or import than reflected in the data. The approach is also validated using a simulation study.

Self-Inflicted Gun Shot Wounds: A Retrospective, Observational Study of U.S. Trauma Centers.

IntroductionIntentional self-harm (suicide) by firearms is a growing problem in the United States. Currently, there are no large studies that have identified risk factors for patients who die from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Our objectives are to 1) identify risk factors for patients with the highest morbidity and mortality from self-inflicted gunshot wounds (SIGSWs) at trauma centers 2) present the outcomes of victims of SIGSW by handguns (HG) versus all other specified guns (AOG) and 3) compare the presentations and outcomes of victims with head or face (HF) injuries to other regions of the body.MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis from the National Trauma Database (NTDB) data between 2012 and 2013 of all SIGSW patients who presented to trauma centers. Categorical data included patient characteristics upon presentation and outcomes which were compared between patients with HG injury versus AOG injury using the Chi-Squared test, where AOG includes shotguns, hunting rifles, and military firearms. Additionally, analysis of head and face (HF) injuries versus other bodily injuries (OBI) were compared between the HG group versus AOG group using Chi-squared test.ResultsThere were 7,828 SIGSWs, of those, 78% (6,115) were white and 84.3% (6,600) were male. There were 5,139 HG injuries, 1,130 AOG injuries, and 1,405 unidentified gun injuries. The HG group was likely to be older (>55 years old), hypotensive (systolic blood pressure < 90), have a lower Glasgow Coma Score (GCS < 9), use illegal, or use prescription drugs. In comparing HF injuries (4,799) versus other bodily injuries (OBI) (3,028), HF group was more likely to use handguns, expire in ED, require ICU, and have a higher percent of overall mortality. Of the total OBI, the thorax, upper extremities, and abdomen were the most commonly injured.ConclusionIn our retrospective study of SIGSWs, we were able to demonstrate that SIGSW by handguns are associated with higher rates of mortality versus all other types of firearms. SIGSWs in older white males with handguns are the most at-risk for severe complications. Future efforts should improve screening methods for handguns in suicidal patients and at developing prevention programs.

Gender/Nationality Intersections in Attitudes Toward Gun Carry among Israeli Citizens

The study explores how nationality and gender effect attitudes on the presence, use, and misuse of guns by security forces and civilians in Israel. Using data from a national survey ( n = 721), we find that Israelis, Jews, and Arabs have more positive attitudes toward military firearms than civilian gun carry. The vast majority agree that display of military arms increases the public sense of security. Numbers are much lower regarding civilian carry. Most respondents, Jews and Arabs, would interfere if witnessed public misuse of firearms. An intersectional analysis finds (1) a gender gap, men have higher odds of reporting a firearm in the household than women; (2) Jews have more positive attitudes toward firearms than Arabs; (3) Jewish men have more positive attitudes toward civilian carry than Jewish women. This gender gap does not appear among Arabs; (4) Jews are more favorable of self-protection as a justification to use arms than Arabs.

Askeri Silaha Bağlı Masif Kalp Yaralanması

Askeri Silaha Bağlı Masif Kalp Yaralanması

Features and Lawful Common Uses of Semi-Automatic Rifles

This paper tests assumptions about military-style semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15, such as the belief that pistol grips and hand guards facilitate mass murder by enabling shoots to spray fire from the hip; that certain features are useful in combat and crime but not in sporting applications; and whether such firearms are “commonly used” for lawful purposes. By examining 90 years of U.S. Army marksmanship doctrine for most individual, shoulder-fired weapons adopted by the U.S. since the end of World War I; military theory and practice respecting infantry combat; prior research on topics including the impact of magazine capacity on casualty rates in gun crime, the efficacy of various calibers of ammunition in the self-defense; and the history of civilian and military firearms design, it concludes that the AR-15 is not a military weapon; is useful for and used in all legitimate civilian shooting applications; and is not deadlier than other firearms in criminal assaults including mass public shootings.

Can Cognitive Training Improve Shoot/Don’t-Shoot Performance? Evidence from Live Fire Exercises

Abstract Police, security, and military personnel have—at most—seconds to make a shoot/don’t-shoot decision despite the life-or-death consequences of their actions. Recent research suggests that shoot/don’t-shoot errors (e.g., commission errors of shooting at nonhostile or unarmed civilians) can be linked to specific cognitive abilities, and these errors could be reduced through targeted cognitive training. However, these studies were conducted with untrained personnel, conducted with simulated weapons, or conducted with untrained personnel using simulated weapons. Before integrating cognitive training into real-world police and military firearm training, there should be evidence that training benefits also apply to trained shooters using live weapons and live ammunition. Here we assessed differences following cognitive training for trained law enforcement officers who performed pretraining and posttraining shooting tasks with live ammunition and their service-issued weapons. Our findings provide further support that targeted cognitive interventions can significantly improve firearm safety and efficacy for armed professionals.

CRIMINALISTIC RESEARCH ON AIRSOFT RIFLES MODIFIED FOR SHOOTING CARTRIDGES OF THE CALIBER 5.56×45 MM

Recently experts of the Israel police ballistic laboratory encountered a new version of the atypical firearms that is Airsoft pneumatic rifles converted for shooting cartridges of the caliber 5.56×45 mm. The Airsoft rifles are made to shoot nonmetal spherical projectiles in diameter of 6 mm. All variety Airsoft constructions can by divided into three groups: a) with spring mechanisms where the energy of compressed spring is used to produce air pressure; b) with electrical mechanisms where air pressure is provided by electrical pump; c) with mechanisms called Gas Blowback use energy of gas compressed in gas balloons. In many cases the Gas Blowback constructions of Airsoft rifle look similar to military firearms. They have similar construction of internal mechanisms. Different companies produce Airsoft copies of M-16 assault rifle. This Airsoft rifles can have the construction of trigger mechanism that is exact copy of the one used in M-16 assault rifle. Moreover, in some models detail sizes are the same as in real M-16 assault rifle. This makes possible to upgrade the Airsoft rifle for shooting cartridges of the caliber 5.56×45 mm by installing the rifled barrel (which can be bought on the Internet in USA) and using the original bolt carrier. The laboratory also received for the examination the upgraded Airsoft rifle samples with converted bolt carrier. So it made possible nоt use these firearm details. In some case identification of the evidence as atypical weapon is difficult because markings made by manufactures are identical to real M-16 assault rifles markings. This article discuses criminalistic examination methods of this homemade weapon type.

Systemic and Airway Inflammation after Exposure to Fumes from Military Small Arms.

Sikkeland, Liv Ingunn Bjoner; Borander, Anne Katrine; Voie, Oyvind Albert; Aass, Hans Christian Dalsbotten; Ovstebo, Reidun; Aukrust, Pal; Longva, Kjetil Sager; Alexis, Neil E.; Kongerud, Johny; Ueland, Thor. Systemic and Airway Inflammation After Exposure to Fumes from Military Small Arms. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2018 ;Volum 197.(10) s. 1349-1353

Characterization of natural and recoil-induced vibration of an AR-15 rifle at the cheekbone-stock interface

Effects of sound pressure and shock on hearing loss have been widely studied. Studies involving direct assessment of sound pressure levels and influencing variables related to rifle discharge, especially with respect to standard military small arms have mostly focused on the effects of external pressure on hearing. Other studies have characterized physiological effects of external vibration on animals and humans. Shock phenomena and high-pressure waves have been linked to effects from gradual changes in tissue thickness to traumatic brain injury and other central nervous system maladies. Rifle shooters, including soldiers, law enforcement officers, and hunters, typically shoulder rifle-type firearms in a way that puts the buttstock in direct contact with the cheekbone, known as the “cheek weld.” This work experimentally characterizes the vibrations experienced by the shooter at the cheek/buttstock interface, and discusses expected physiological and acoustical effects as a result of conduction into the skull.

Military small arms fire in association with acute decrements in lung function

ObjectiveAfter introduction of unleaded ammunition, Norwegian Armed Forces received reports of acute respiratory symptoms in soldiers after exposure to fumes from firing the standard weapon, HK416. The aim of the...

Smooth moves

Software innovations at our laboratory have made novel measures of shooting performance available to researchers, even when the data comes from a fielded military firearms training simulator not designed for research. This study analyzed specific patterns of rifle handling and control to determine how they affected reaction time and accuracy among shooters of differing skill levels. The results indicated the skilled shooters employed smoother and more efficient rifle movement while aiming than less-skilled shooters. While shooters know that trigger control and sight picture are important, this study confirms that skilled shooting is also influenced by the efficiency of the rifle movements that immediately precede the shot.

On the frontiers of Europe, not all musket balls were round; accuracy and penetration of various types of military small arms munitions from the mid seventeenth century to the early eighteenth century

While many armies began to adopt large calibre weapons in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, frontier conflicts in the outer reaches of Europe and in North America have provided evidence for the retention of smaller calibres, particularly evidenced through the archaeological recovery of ammunition. Present within these assemblages are various forms of non-standard ammunition — i.e. not round — including bullets with casting sprues still attached at the time of firing. This paper provides an assessment of the combat effectiveness of these various types of ammunition through a series of firing tests using replicated ammunition.

Study on Image Processing Algorithms for Data Matrix in Dotted Domain

Dotted Data Matrix two-dimensional bar code is widely used in the field of machinery and electronics, automobile manufacturing, pharmaceutical and medical, military firearm management etc. Compared with the standard Data Matrix two-dimensional bar code, Dotted Data Matrix bar code is composed of solid dots, which has no obvious characteristics of “L” shaped seek border region. The gaps between dotted data matrix modules are too large which increase the difficulty of identification. To solve the problem of the low recognition rate of dotted Data Matrix code, this paper gives the specific processing method which has certain degree of adaptability. This method obtains the size of bar code dotted module mainly by the spot detection algorithm that provides the reference of fixed value for the subsequent processing. Experimental results show that the algorithm can overcome the effects of large clearance, uneven illumination and noise interference in the recognition, and increase the recognition rate.

Introduction: Illicit Firearms Market in Europe and Beyond

Introduction: Illicit Firearms Market in Europe and Beyond

Chemical Leaching of Antimony and Other Metals from Small Arms Shooting Range Soil

Military small arms shooting range (SASR) soils are heavily polluted by metals like copper, lead, antimony, and zinc. This study was carried out to define efficient operating conditions to solubilize these metals by a chemical leaching technique. The comparison of different leaching reagents (HCl, H2SO4, CH3COOH, and EDTA) has revealed that sulfuric acid leaching coupled with the addition of sodium chloride is the most interesting option for the solubilization of Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn from the finest fractions (<125 μm) of SASR soil. The initial metal contents of the soil sample were 1,760 mg Cu kg−1, 43,300 mg Pb kg−1, 780 mg Sb kg−1, and 355 mg Zn kg−1. The important operational parameters for leaching ([H2SO4], [NaCl], pulp density, reaction time, and temperature) were also studied. The optimum leaching conditions identified were 1 M H2SO4 and 4 M NaCl with a 10 % (w/v) soil pulp density at ambient temperature. In these conditions, 83, 75, 61, and 72 % of Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn were respectively solubilized after only 1 h of treatment. The use of five successive leaching steps and two washing steps removed 96, 99, 84 and 86 % of Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn respectively from the soil.

Temporal characterization of small arms muzzle flash in the broadband visible

Various systems are under consideration to track point-of-origin of incoming small arms fire. The tendency of these systems is to use either acoustic (report or projectile fly-by) or optical (muzzle flash or tracer tracking) methods to allow signal processing to determine point of origin. The authors have developed a simple system for characterizing the muzzle flash duration of common military small-arms ammunition as a feeder for system design considerations. This reports on the results of that characterization.