Firearms

What is the history of Zenith Firearms – the makers of roller-lock firearms

Zenith Firearms was founded in Afton, Virginia by Hanri and Kutlay Kaya. Hanri is the CEO and was originally from South Africa, Hanri met her husband Kutlay in the US. Her background wasn’t initially in firearms, but in international trade, which proved crucial to Zenith’s success.

Kutlay Kaya: An engineer from Turkey, Kutlay brought his knowledge of Turkish manufacturing and his connections in Turkey to the business.

Here’s a breakdown of their history:

  • Zenith Quest International (ZQI) Ammunition was founded in 2010 – Zenith Firearms Inc (ZFI) was not their first business venture. The couple had been importing other products from Turkey and were approached by Walmart to import ammunition during the 2012 ammo shortage from MKEK (Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Kurumu – “Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation”), a Turkish government-owned defense company that became the joint stock company MKE in 2021. That’s why you might recall seeing “ZQI” ammunition at Walmart back in the day.
  • In 2014, they structured their entities such that Zenith Quest Corporation (ZQC) was the holding company for both ZQI and ZFI. ZNT is Zenith Global that operates in Turkey.

The MKE Partnership (2014-2017):

  • MKE (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation): This Turkish state-owned arms manufacturer has a long history, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. They’re known for producing a wide range of military equipment, including licensed copies of Heckler & Koch firearms like the G3 rifle and the MP5 submachine gun. The key here is that they were licensed and had the tooling, plans, etc. MKE was trained by HK back in the day to make these weapons so they had, and continue to have, deep knowledge about the designs. I own an MKE AP5-P, which is an HK MP5K clone, and it is very nicely done for example.
  • Zenith’s Role: Zenith Firearms became the exclusive importer of MKE’s MP5 clones for the US civilian market. They offered several variants, including pistols, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), and full-sized rifles.
  • Why it Worked: This partnership was initially successful because:
    • High Quality: MKE’s MP5s were known for their quality and faithfulness to the original HK design. Again, they were a licensed manufacturer.
    • Affordability: They were significantly cheaper than genuine HK MP5s, which were often prohibitively expensive for many buyers.
    • Strong Demand: There was a large, untapped market of enthusiasts and shooters who wanted an MP5 but couldn’t afford an HK.

Zenith’s Pivot to US Manufacturing (2017-Present):

  • Reasons for the Change: Several factors likely contributed to Zenith’s decision to manufacture in the US:
    • Relationship Rift: Due to a variety of factors, MKE and Zenith grew apart. Repeated promises of firearms shipping were missed, monies owed were not paid and finally there was a suit by MKE alleging trade secret theft that they lost. MKE wound up moving to Century Firearms to import their firearms.
    • Increased Control: Domestic production gave Zenith greater control over quality, production timelines, and product development.
    • “Buy American” Sentiment: Appealing to customers who prefer American-made products. In the HK-community this can actually be a con as well as some die hard HK advocates argue that only HK can make an HK-type weapon.
    • Potential Trade Issues: Relying on imports can be risky due to changing trade policies and international relations. There were, and continue to be, issues between the US and Turkey when it comes to trade.
  • The ZF-5: Zenith’s American-made MP5. They invested in tooling and machinery to produce these firearms in-house. They even made some improvements to the design, such as using a proprietary heat-treated barrel steel.
  • Expanding Product Line: Zenith has also introduced other roller-delayed firearms, like the Z-5RS, inspired by the HK53.

Summary

Zenith Fireams has a relatively short but lively history with entrepreneurship, politics and a drive to succeed on the parts of the founders. I’ve ordered direct from them a number of times and have found them great to deal with as a consumer. If you are looking for a roller locked firearm, take a look at what they have to offer.

I hope you find this interesting.

For More Information

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Firearms

Are the MAC MP5 clones made by the same company that made the iconic MAC-10 and MAC-11 SMGs?

When I saw a MAC MP5 clone listed on a firearm website it immediately caught my eye mainly because of three key letters – “MAC”. When many folks see “MAC”, including me, they think Military Armaments Corporation and the iconic MAC-10 and MAC-11 submachine guns. But where did “MAC” come from? Had someone bought the brand or what? In typical firearm industry fashion, the brands are related by name but not by birth … at least that’s how I’m going to put it and let me explain why.

The Original Military Armaments Corporation (MAC)

The original MAC was founded in 1970 by engineer Gordon Ingram and businessman Mitchell WerBell III. MAC is best known for its iconic submachine guns (SMGs): the MAC-10 and MAC-11 that were featured in countless movies, TV series and video games.

The MAC SMGs were designed for military and law enforcement, these compact firearms quickly gained a reputation for their high rate of fire, affordability, and ease of concealment. While originally intended for professional use, their popularity soon extended to the civilian market.

Let’s sketch out a timeline:

  • 1969: Gordon Ingram joins SIONICS as Chief Engineer.
  • 1970: Ingram designs the original MAC-10 prototype.
  • 1970s: MAC manufactures and markets the MAC-10 and MAC-11, primarily to the military and law enforcement.
  • 1973: Production stopped due to internal politics
  • 1975: Financial problems worsened including failure to pay creditors and filed for brankruptcy
  • 1976: Bankruptcy sale of MAC assets including weapon and parts inventories (with some ATF-prohibited exceptions) and tooling

After that, various companies, including RPB, SWD and Cobray, manufactured versions of the MAC-10 and MAC-11. The MAC brand name kind of faded away and maybe for many reasons despite the iconic SMGs – the company failed, association with criminals, relatively low quality firearms, …. probably some combination but the MAC brand did die.

The Current Fate of the MAC Brand

As I’ve mentioned before, companies come and go but well known brands live on. Now MAC is an interesting case so someone email me if I am wrong because I am trying to string together nuggets of what I can find.

Let’s start with some background on the current owner – SDS Arms was founded in 2017 and is located in Knoxville, TN, and helps bring foreign firearms to the US market. Until October 2024, most us knew them as “SDS Imports” and the name change, according to them, was to better connect with their customers.

SDS Arms has a bevy of brands they import. The list includes: Tisas USA, Tokarev USA, Spandau Arms, Inglis Manufacturing and now, MAC.

In 2017, SDS revived the MAC name. They didn’t buy it from another firm – it would seem the MAC brand had fallen between the cracks in the industry brand ownership fabric and so SDS scooped it up. Well played SDS.

SDS has begun importing a number of firearms under the MAC brand name. The ones that caught my eye and caused me to want to find out more were the MAC-5 (MP5-clone) and the MAC-5K (MP5K-clone).

A quick comment on those two HK clones – they are made in Turkey but I think they are made by Mertsav. Interestingly, Mertsav is a subcontractor to MKE where they probably learned what they needed to know to pull this off.

Now who makes all of the parts that Mertsav is assembling from, that I do not know. There’s a lot of conjecture and not many facts. People seem to think that at least some of the components are from MKE while Mertsav builds up its capabilties.

In terms of MAC overall, they are importing a number of firearms including double stack 1911s, shotguns that look like Benelli M4 clones and more.

Summary

So, the MAC brand lives having been resucitated by SDS Arms. The MP5 and MP5K clones are being made Mertsav in Turkey and imported here. MAC is also selling other firearms as well.

I hope this helps you out.

The MP5 icon was downloaded from Wikimedia.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Firearms, PTR

What is the history of PTR Industries and the HK91?

It seems like roller-locked firearms are having a resurgence as of late with a number of vendors making them. My first roller lock was from a company that is still around and I actually just bought a MP5 clone from them that I need to write about. Before I do that, let’s review how PTR came into existence.

Timeline

  • Origins (1997-2005): The story begins with Jose Luis Diaz, a Cuban-American entrepreneur with a passion for firearms. In 1997, he established JLD Enterprises in Connecticut, aiming to manufacture American-made versions of the G3 rifle. JLD’s PTR-91 (Precision Tactical Rifle) gained traction among enthusiasts seeking a domestic alternative to imported G3s.
  • Acquisition of FMP Tooling (2003-2005): A pivotal moment occurred when JLD acquired the original tooling and machinery from Fábrica Militar de Braço de Prata (FMP) of Portugal, a licensed manufacturer of H&K G3 rifles. This acquisition included blueprints, gauges, and thousands of parts, granting JLD the capability to produce rifles using the same equipment that produced the original G3s. To be clear, PTR did not license the designs and what not from H&K – they bought them from FMP.
  • Formation of PTR Industries (2006-Present): In 2006, Diaz partnered with P. Everett Weed, an experienced manufacturer, to form PTR 91 Inc. This marked a rebranding and expansion of JLD Enterprises who was folded into PTR. Diaz left in late 2010 and the direction of PTR changed from a focus on assembling firearms from surplus parts to one of new designs and innovation. Currently, PTR has the in-house capabilities to make all of the parts of their firearms.

I really like MP5 and MP5K-type weapons, so let’s add key dates in for them:

  • 2017: PTR Industries first announced their plans to produce MP5 clones at the 2017 SHOT Show.
  • Late 2018 / Early 2019: PTR began shipping their first MP5 clones, the PTR 9CT pistol and the PTR 9KT pistol. These were essentially clones of the HK SP5K, a semi-automatic pistol version of the MP5K.
  • 2020: PTR expanded their MP5 clone lineup with the release of the PTR 9R rifle, a clone of the HK94 carbine.
  • 2021: PTR introduced the 5R rifle, a clone of the HK SP5, a semi-automatic rifle version of the MP5.

Key Individuals

  • Jose Luis Diaz: Was the founder of JLD Enterprises and the visionary behind bringing G3 rifle production to the United States. He left PTR in 2010.
  • P. Everett Weed: Instrumental in the formation of PTR 91 Inc. and the company’s growth through his manufacturing expertise and business acumen.

Conclusion:

PTR Industries has carved out a niche around the family of HK-related roller-locked weapons. Given the continued popularity of those types of firearms, they are well positioned. PTR is working on reselling and perhaps later making weapons such as the Archon B and D pistols and both Jack and Reacher shotguns.

So, PTR continues to evolve. I’ve found their products to be well done in the past and own a 9CT (MP5) currently. It will be interesting to see where the firm heads. I’ve owned a few PTR firearms over the years – a 91 clone, a 7.62x51PDWR and now the 9CT – I have no hesitation in recommending them.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Ammunition, Firearms

Sellier & Bellot (S&B) Ammo Was Bought By Colt CZ Group — Who is Colt CZ Group???

I recently posted a video of Ian McCollum touring the Sellier & Bellot (S&B) ammunition factory located in Vlašim, in the Czech Republic. In the back of my head, I knew S&B ownership had changed in 2024 but couldn’t recall the details.

S&B is one of the world’s largest ammunition companies and has changed hands a few times. In December 2023, Colt CZ announced it would acquire 100% of Sellier & Bellot from CBC of Brazil. for $703 million, excluding Sellier & Bellot’s net debt. The deal included cash and new Colt CZ common stock. It’s my understanding the deal closed in May 2024.

Okay, being an American, I saw “Colt” and immediately wondered if there was a relationship with the traditional Colt firearms brand in the US. As you often see in the firearms / defense industry, owners may come and go but established brand names rarely die and Samuel Colt’s name and brand continue to live on.

In 2021, the European company Česká zbrojovka Group (CZG) acquired Colt Holding Company, the parent company of Colt Manufacturing Company (CMC), for $220 million. On April 12, 2022, CZG renamed itself Colt CZ Group SE. The interesting thing is that CBC of Brazil is the second largest shareholder of Colt CZ after René Holeček, which owns Česká zbrojovka Partners SE.

The Colt CZ Group now owns quite a few brands including but not limited to:

Summary

The brands continue to move around. Colt is owned by CZ who changed the holding company’s name to “Colt CZ”. They bought S&B in May 2024. So, Colt CZ has a formidable lineup and it’s always interesting to see “who owns whom” at a given time.

I hope you found this interesting.

Note, the logo source was from Wikimedia.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Ammunition, Factory Tour

Ian McCollum Tours the S&B Factory – It’s a Very Cool Video

I am a huge fan of S&B ammo, factory tour videos and Ian McCollum’s Forgotten Weapons series (If you don’t know about Ian, click here for his website and here for his Youtube channel.) So, when he posted this morning about his tour of the S&B facility in Vlašim, in the Czech Republic, I knew I had to watch it.

As usual, Ian does a great job. Larry Vickers created a video back in 2018 of his tour and it was interesting to compare what Larry saw six-plus years ago to what Ian just saw.

I learned three new things watching Ian’s video:

  1. Literally every single round that ships from S&B is QC inspected at each step of manufacturing through various computerized methods – imaging, weight, etc. Literally, every single round – not samples – must pass their quality checks. No wonder their quality is so good.
  2. It takes 2-3 days to change over from one to another caliber so they want long production runs to absorb all the setup costs. I can only imagine the fixed costs are enormous too. A facility like you see in the video costs millions and millions of dollars.
  3. Civilian and military ammo both have their necks annealed. The only difference is that the military inspects want to be able to see that it happened whereas commercial/private shooters view seeing the discolored neck as defective so additional polishing is done to remove it. Other than the additional polishing – the process is the same.
The 100% QC capabilities are stunning. This machine will kick out any case that video inspection deems as being deffective. Literally every single case! All of my old school sampling and inspection methods from 30+ years ago sure seems dated now.

So, with no further to-do, here’s Ian’s S&B factory tour video:

Summary

This is S&B factory tour video is another great production by Ian. I have shot S&B for years – espectially 9mm, 10mm and .45ACP plus some .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua and they continue to impress me.

I hope you find this interesting also.

Note: All screen shots are from Ian’s video and remain his property.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols, ARBuilds

Built an Aero M5 – An Interesting Take On The AR10 .308 Platform

I’d bought an Aero M5 lower receiver on sale a while back and decided to build it. Over the years, I’ve assembled a couple of M4s and one M5 where I bought an assembled lower and upper but this was my first actual build. I’ve always found the quality of the Aero parts to be good and they definitely made some unique tweaks to their M5 vs. their M4.

Rather than “yet another post about how to build an AR”, I decided to comment on the differences I noticed about the M5 lower. In general, the AR10-series of weapons aren’t standardized and you have no guarantee that parts from different vendors can interchange so you need to do some research and plan your build.

It is a DPMS Gen 2 pattern lower with Aero’s own spin on it. With that said, even though it is patterned after the DPMS, verify any other brand parts before you try to use them. I can tell you that AR grips and stocks work plus triggers.

I opted for a 16″ Aero upper, bolt, charging handle, recoil spring, buffer and lower parts kit. However, I had a Trigger Tech Duty trigger pack I wanted to try out plus I wanted to use a Magpul grip and UBR stock. The UBR has been on my radar for years but hadn’t tried one before now.

It starts with a pile of parts.
The pile was getting more organized. Huh … I had two LPKs – one with a Magpul MOE grip and one without. Well, spare parts never hurt … especially when the detents launch into orbit…

A Closer Look At The Aero M5 Receiver

It is a forged receiver using 7075-T6 aluminum and that is just fine. Now, arguing forged vs. billet will start all kinds of arguments about which is stronger, lasts longer, can solve world peace, etc.

Ignore the marketing and people weighing in on forums who have no idea. From a purely practical perspective, buy a receiver that you like the looks of from a reputable firm and have read reviews about. Honestly, forget about forged vs. billet. End of story.

There are plenty of other things to worry about rather than theory vs. practical reality. A receiver is just part of the puzzle that includes the other parts of the firearm, the ammo, the optics, you (the shooter), the environment, the situation, and far, far more.

It’s a gracefully executed design. You can see the large flared mag well,the stylized “A” for Aero symbol, the integral oversized trigger guard, a shoulder screw is used instead of a roll pin for the bolt catch, pictogram around the selector, the rear takedown pin is oversized, and the buffer tube has a flat area on the side. Everything is nicely machined and the anodized surface has a nicely done uniform finish.
The bolt catch having a shoulder screw makes that part of the assembly very easy not to mention lowering the odds of scuffing the receiver if someone lacks the proper tools. The M5 just requires a 1.5mm hex head bit. In this case, I am using one from my Strebito precision screwdriver set.
Ok, did not expect this. The front detent spring and pin go in through the boss. It’s not exposed like an AR15/M4 so none of my regular tools would work.
I used a 1/4″ clevis pin to go through the bosses, I pushed the pin and spring down with a thin hex key while sliding the pin forward. The pin then captured/retained the detent and spring. I then carefully slid in the front takedown pin while keeping the clevis pin pushed against it. Once the channel in the pin was over the detent, it sprang forward and everything was set. I carefull rotated the pin to make sure the detent was in the channel and then pushed it into the open position to make sure the takdown pin was correctly captured.
There are two changes I want to point out in the grip screw area. Just to the right of the grip screw hole is the bottom of the nylon tipped tensioning screw. Before you install everything, install your upper and adjust this screw to get the tension you want so the upper doesn’t rattle. Too much tension and you will not be able to disassembe the rifle without a punch if at all. Note, I have the selector detent in there. I dumped it out before I flipped it over to install the upper. The hole to the right of the selector detent is the takedown detent hole. Because the M5 lower is longer, putting it here makes sense. Aero does have it tapped for a 4-40 set screw so you can elegantly capture the detent spring if you want to. Note, you do need to trim the detent spring level with the receiver using some nippers before you install the set screw if you go this route. Oddly enough, my lower parts kit either did not have the set screw or I lost the set screw so I did not go that route.
Here’s the hylon-tipped top of the tensioning set screw.
I set the tensioning screw just enough so the upper didn’t rattle but also such that I could push out the takedown pin by hand. Since I lacked the 4-40 set screw to capture it, I just juggled both detent springs as I installed the pistol grip. It wasn”t too hard actually but the set screw would definitely have made it easier.

Summary

First off, kudos to Aero for another fine set of parts. I found the small differences with the Aero M5 interesting. Aero Precision turns out quality – I’ve owned various ARs and even have a .308 Solus bolt rifle from them right now. I have no hesitation recommending their products.

I hope this helps you out.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Blades and Edged Weapons Including Khukuris

A Fantastic Deal on an 8″ OTF Knife From GLFA

My friend Scott Igert owns Michigan Gun Exchange and recently got in a bunch of out the front (OTF) automatic knives from Great Lakes Firearms and Ammunition (GLFA). This caught my attention for a couple of reasons – 1) I had never heard of GLFA. 2) The knives looked and felt decent 3) The 8″ model was only $45 at the time when Scott was introducing the model line. Well, I had to buy one right then and there to study it. At least, that would be my cover story if my wife asked.

Who is GLFA?

According to their “About Us” page – Great Lakes Firearms and Ammunition is located in Sparta, MI, and is a family owned business. They started in firearms retail in 2013 but noticed an opportunity for affordable AR rifles and started manufacturing. They now have over 30 CNC machines, do their own Cerakoting and are steadily expanding. They do not have any knife listings on their site – in general, their site is pretty light on products and details.

I’ll be honest, I did some reading on their ARs and they have mixed reviews. Some guys love their rifles and others don’t so I really can’t speak to them. The focus of this post is about the OTF knife I bought from Scott.

Opening The Box

At home, I took a hard look at the knife. It came in a box with a white label on it with a cheap sheath. It was pretty bare bones which immediately made me think it was made by somebody else – probably in China given the price point. I couldn’t think of any firms in the US being able to wholesale an OTF knife for under $45 (you can see the sticker on the box – that was what Scott was selling it for at the time).

The knife came in a bare bones package. The while label is pretty much a giveaway that another firm was the OEM.

I’m make my only real negative comment up front. It comes with a really cheap belt sheath that I would recommend replacing if you want a sheath. The stitching is light and I have zero faith in the velcro belt loop on the back.

I wouldn’t trust the velcro belt/equipment loop. I guess they felt they needed to include one but I would replace the sheath vs. ever use it *if* I wanted to carry the knife in a sheath.

Honestly, at the price point this sells at, this is the only thing I am going to ding them on and it’s not a big deal to get a good sheath. I’d rather they invested in the knife anyways.

The GLFA OTF Knife Itself

It’s just over 8″ open. It’s almost 8.5″ when you include the glass-breaker stud on the pommel. “GLFA” was engraved in the notched area on the handle below the thumb switch.
It comes with a decent belt clip that is secured by the glass breaker. It also serves to keep the halves together should the screws come loose.
The blade looks the same on both sides. You can see the grinding or milling “lines” on the blade. These are common on many knives and is an observation. Note the distinctively shaped lightening holes at the top. I think they are decorative but may have also been done to reduce mass.

Let’s Disassemble the Knife

To open up the knife, find a nice clear flat work area. The green work matt keeps small parts from rolling or bouncing away – it’s not just a decorative background. I’ve done my fair share of searching for small parts so I try to take some precautions now. Also, take lots of photos to remember how things go back together 🙂

By the way, you may need to do this some day if your knife gets dirty and will not cycle. You’ll need to open and clean it.

Opening it will require a #7 Torx bit to remove the handle screws. I have a Strebito precision screwdriver set that I use on electronics … and small knifes. You can find it on Amazon.
I removed the screws and then realized I needed to remove the glass breaker tip. I’d recommend you remove the tip first and then the screws. I just put my screwdrive in one of the holes and turned counterclockwise to remove it.
Lift the thin side where the screws were at off the thick part where the mechanism is. At this point, my moving things around ccased the spring clip on the left to slide up and snap back. Normally, it is all the was forward over that rectangular piece called the “lock actuator”
So the spring assemly is in the top middle. It’s sitting on the lock actuator. Under the top left of the actuator is the open lock and to the lower right is the closed lock. The locks look like small tabs seated in the handle.
Below the handle is the lock actuator. You can now see the two locks that remain in the handle. The blade could be slid out the end if so desired. By the way, my best guess is the handle is some zinc-aluminum alloy given the weight and color. Note, all of the maching is decent – even inside.
Here’s the blade – it just slides out. By the way, that funny looking piece of metal above it is the thumb stud/trigger. It’s upside down.
That little spring is what does the magic. Note the small tab is to the left and the longer one is to the right. They get stretched from the front to the end of the lock actuator. Given the size of the spring, you now also know why the blade needs to be clean and it doesn’t take much force to stop the forward momentum of the blade. I literally stopped the blade with a piece of 8.5×11″ 20 pound typing paper. The tip went through about an inch before it stopped. In this stalled state, the blade is “sprung”. You need to either pull it all the way forward to recock the spring or snap your wrist like a gravity knife to get it out and recock the spring.
I’d like to meet who figured out the combination of spring, locks and actuator. The formal name is the “machined lock actuator” and it has surfaces to depress the lock at one end or the other so the blade can spring forward or backward. It’s simple when you look at it but the person who first thought it up was pretty smart!!

To Re-Assemble

Stretch the spring from left with the short tab to the right end of the lock actuator witht he longest tab. Both tabs are face down. Yes, it takes a surprising amount of force to stretch that spring. Note the blade is in the handle and half way but not at one end or the other. You want it out of the way of the spring tabs or they will just pop up if they hit the stud on the blade.
So with the blade part way in, lay the actuator down on top. You then put the thumb switch back on the exposed vertical tab of the slide lock actuator.
Finally, put the other half of the handle on, reinstall the screws so they are snug and then the belt clip and glass breaker. Done. I definitely recommend the Strebito set if you need small screw driver bits.

As mentioned above, the blade will be sprung. You will need to either pull the blade out to recock the spring or flick it down like a gravity knife. I did the latter out of habit to recock the spring and then everything worked fine.

Here it is by a ruler for scale.

Note, a knife like this needs to break in / wear in as parts get smoother with use. If you need to lubricate it, use a dry lube and not oil. For example, Dupont’s Dry Film Lubricant spray.

Who made the knife?

Whomever built this knew what they were doing and had masws production capabilities to drive the price down. From my perspective, there was no way GLFA could produce a decent OTF knife like this, at such a low price point and still have time to make their rifles. Clearly they were OEM’ing them from someone. As mentioned earlier, I was almost certain it was a Chinese company.

I did some digging based on the four relatively unique design elements that I figured would be rare to see combined – the shape of the handle, profile of the blade, the distinctive successively larger lightening holes in the blade and the glass breaker tip.

I used Google Images and some industry trade sites I know of and narrowed it down to the most likely candidate who does OEM knife work including OTF knives: Yangjiang Honglin Industrial Co., Ltd of Guangdong, China. They claim to have been in business for more than 10 years, have over 20,000 square meters of manufacturing, over 10 production lines and several Chinese quality certifications. They can build a knifefrom the point of raw materials to finished goods.

Could I be wrong about the manufacturer? Yes, but nobody else had all of those design elements present in the photos of sample products I saw.

So, they are a legit knife maker and that then makes my best guess that the knife steel is the Chinese 8CR13MOV which is a perfect decent/average stainless alloy. The average hardness of 8CR13MOV is 58-60 HRC but that’s an industry average and no guarantee of what the Chinese company actually did.

In short, they did a decent job designing and building the knife. I doubt they used junk steel and it’s what you’d find in many sub $40 retail Chinese import blades from Kershaw and others.

By the way, this is not a negative post about GLFA. I was curious as to who made this. Finding and importing quality products takes effort and money.

Summary

For the price, you can’t beat the GLFA OTF knife. You can afford to buy one, use it, enjoy it and not worry about it getting lost or damaged. Speaking for myself, the more expensive a knife gets, the more inclined I am to baby it than use it. I’ll use this GLFA and not worry about it and I’m saying that in a good way.

If you are interested, you can order this and other models from Scott’s website or visit his Michigan Gun Exchange store in Saint Joseph, MI.

I hope this helps you out.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

MAC/VMAC

Why is my bolt binding as it moves to the rear – How to Fit VMAC9 / MAC-11 9mm Uppers

As I mentioned in the first post, a fit of nostalgia over the MACs and then seeing the 3D printed firearms coming out using MAC uppers started me digging. What really cemented the deal is that you can build a VMAC9 very affordably. I’d argue it’s one of the best deals out there and at the end of the day, you have a modular firearm you can change over time as your needs change.

There are a number of companies that make complete uppers and I am only going to list the ones I heard good things about. Just remember that any person or business can produce a defect. I look for general trends, comments about customer service and how much money is being spent. The reason for this is that under a certain price level, I will gamble. Conversely, once somethings is over a certain level, I will not.

So, here’s the list if you are looking for MAC-type uppers and I’d recommend you do some research to here what folks are currently saying about a given company:

Velocity Firearms Uppers

Being new to building a MAC, I decided to one stop shop and buy the lower and upper parts kits from Velocity Firearms. I went with side cocking uppers because I wanted a Picatinny rail on top to mount optics. I bought their 5.5″, 11.25″ and 16.7″ complete uppers – they had their barrels installed and came with complete bolt and spring assemblies.

Up to this point, I had three assembled lower receivers. Once married with their respective uppers, I created two pistols and one rifle subject to the applicable regulations of the ATF and laws of Michigan. The two pistols had to be registered as such. Note, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. I will tell you one thing – know what laws and regulations apply to whatever you build.

This is the 5.5″ pistol upper on a lower during test fitting. The magazine is a refinished Israeli 20 round Sten unit. You can get a barrel with either just the original 3/4″x10 rear threads or with the 1/2″x28 front threads also.
This is the 11″.25″ upper. They used an adapter on the barrel’s 3/4×10 threads to mount an AR handguard. What you see there is a free-floated handgurd where a ring is turned backwards to extend and lock the handguard in place and a set screw is tightened to secure it.
This is the 16.7″ upper and the cylindrical handguard you see mounts directly on the barrel’s 3/14×10 rear threads.

Fitting Will Likely Be Required

The front of the upper receiver has a trunnion that holds the front in position. The rear of the upper is held up by a spacer. I’ve seen it called the “Flat Rear Spring”, “Sear Spring Holder” and “Rear Spacer”. Regardless of the name, it’s height matters a great deal.

Velocity Firearms calls this rear spacer the “VMAC9 Flat Rear Spring”. It sets the rear height which is critical to smooth operation. This must be sitting flat at the rear and may need to be bent either closed or open a tad to set the height.
See those two holes on the right? The top is where the end of the recoil rod sits and the bottom is for the ejector rod. The upper receiver is sitting on top of the flat spring. The top hole is for the recoil rod and the bottom is the ejector rod.
This is the bolt but it is sitting on it’s side – the left side is face up and the bottom is in the shade. The important thing is to look at the rods – the recoil rod with the spring is at the top and would be at the top in the firearm. The bare steel is the ejector rod.
So here’s the problem – the bolt is moving front and back in the upper tube. It’s vertical travel is limited. The rods are vertically aligned at the rear by sitting in the holes in the receiver. If the upper, bolt and end of the rods aren’t sufficiently aligned then the bolt will bind as it moves towards the rear.

Why was my bolt binding?

Well, I hinted at the problem above. My flat springs were sitting on the bushing of my Practical Solutions 1913 rail adapters. When I racked the slide back, the alignment issue was so bad that the bolt would jam open at the rear plus the upper did not want to go back into the raised portion of the lower.

I write these posts after I build firearms and may seem like I have things figured out but let me assure you – at the time, I was having a WTF? moment. I somehow wound up talking to Sam Schneider, who owns Practical Solutions, who is a class 2 manufacturer specializing in MACs and Class III firearms. He has a wealth of knowledge about the MACs and explained the importance of getting the vertical spacing right. My “flat spring” sitting on the bushing of his adapter was throwing everything off when the bolt travelled backwards.

Ahhhh … That made sense. The bolt is at the mercy of the upper’s channel and it also rides the recoil and ejector rods that are spaceed by going into the back of the receiver. Of course it would make things bind up if they were off.

So, after talking to Sam, I knew I needed to fix this. I would cut a slot so the “flat spring” could sit flat plus it would cradle the oblong bushing so it could be tightened.
I used my calipers to find the center and then mark the offset on both sides so I cut out the notch with a Dremel. I deburred it when I was done.
I noticed some welds in the corners that I ground down out of the way.
Once the notch was done, and the welds were gone the spacer could sit flat.

At this point, it cycled better but I could still feel it binding just a bit. The last step was to crush the flat spring just a bit in my vise to lower the upper a bit further.

This took me three or four tries – I’d squish the flat spring just a bit and then test fit and cycle the VMAC. By the last time, it felt really good so I called it even. The trick is to not rush and just bend it a little bit followed by testing. I bought a couple of spare flat springs just in case.

Summary

There are a lot of MAC/VMAC upper options out there. Make sure your flat spring is seated on the bottom of the lower and is at the right height. If you feel binding, odds are it is too high and you can see this because the upper is hitting the top rear of the lower and not wanting to seat fully. Just take your time and bend the flat spring and test over and over until it fits.

I hope this helps you out.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@*********ps.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

When Strength and Quality Matter Most