Need Assist, 18B?
 

I work for THOR Global Defense Group of Van Burren, Arkansas. It is the manufacturing arm of Knesek Guns Incorporated, both owned by Larry Knesek.

I can be contacted, jcargile@knesekgroup.com and I have a profile on Linkedin that can be viewed as my diplomas and certs, as well as endorsements from THOR and other manufacturers can be verified. Just so you know you are not entertaining a 13 year old or other "shadey" type.

This is where I am at.

Colt attempted an open-bolt version of the M16 a while back and it was not very reliable; However, LWRC seems to have perfected the design.

When Surefire brought the 60 round mags to the table, it really made the use of an open-bolt battle rifle as a SAW practical in my way of thinking.

I have some ideas somewhat developed as to how to keep the bolt to the rear when in full auto mode, but, if there is anyone out there who has first hand experience on the pros and cons of this design or can save me a lot of asprin as to trying to tackle this project, I am very much hoping for first hand experience and am not opposed to discussing theory for that matter. I have been mistaken a time or two in my life and do not pretend to have all of the answers.

I have no problem discussing this in an open forum or privately via my company email account.

Thank You,

Juc Cargile
THOR Global Defense Group
Representative SE Asia

I am an American citizen and use US based servers only. Our company is registered with the State Department and we are ITAR compliant. All communications are confidential. I will not discuss anything with non US citizens.

From a builder’s (non-QP) perspective:

“When Surefire brought the 60 round mags to the table…..” ?

From my understanding the reputation of the Surefire Mags in a dusty or combat environment is terrible. I have not met anyone that takes the Mags seriously other than a novelty. I have also personally witnessed on separate occasions the 60 Round Surefire Mag blow apart out the top of the Mag at public ranges. Maybe Surefire has fixed the issues, but I have not seen one that works properly yet without high maintenance and lubes. At least not in long term functionality. (YMMV)

“I have some ideas somewhat developed as to how to keep the bolt to the rear when in full auto mode, but, if there is anyone out there who has first hand experience on the pros and cons of this design or can save me….”

This would indicate to me that you are not ready to take on this project.(My opinion) It is very vague in that it seems like you do not understand why you would want to make this weapon system. It is also confusing because you state that LWRC has perfected the design. Are you attempting something different? I know that your company is a dealer in LWRC, are you creating a new brand? It reads to me, like you are fishing for marketing statistics and customers again.

If you are serious, can you please indicate that you have any technical knowledge on how the operation of the bolt and fire control group would work together and why you think the operation would be more beneficial to today’s soldiers on the current and future battle front? There are some great papers in the “Small Arms Review” databases and “Small arms of the World” get into some pretty indepth discussions of the variations. The pros and cons are very well documented.

No problem, just send us $100,000 in $20's and we'll get right on that design.......:munchin

Well, you are making a lot of assumptions and contributing nothing to the post that I have here. Luckily for me, nothing of what I have before me will require that I impress you and I would appreciate it very much if you remove yourself from this discussion, actually I going to insist you do.

Pass the :munchin

My modifying a rifle we already produce for very little added cost vs our distributing an open-bolt for another company that costs about the same price as an FN SAW is the biggest advantage by far. We also distribute a belt-fed upper, but, the damn thing IS a closed bolt and I can not believe that! We NEED an open-bolt option in a bad way.

Once a barrel gets above a temperature that I want to say is just above 200 F and I have read 4-500 F, the chambered round will ignite or cook off from the heat of the chamber, that is why proper machine guns use an open bolt design. I know that towards the end of a combat load of just over 200 rounds you can start to have these "cook offs", but, it depends on the frequency and amount of rounds fired and the ambient temperature of the environment.

The piston type AR was developed after I got "out of boots" and I am told the operating rod actually keeps the bolt, carrier and chamber cooler than the impingement design. I can see how the piston keeps the bolt and carrier cleaner and cooler, maybe even the chamber to some extent, but, the chamber would SEEM to me to be a source of heat regardless of method to cycle.

The open bolt also will help to increase the rate of fire and with the safety of having the bolt held in the open position, this design in an M4 type rifle can actually be used with true high capacity magazines such as Surefire's 60 round and even 100 round design or you could use Beta drums and have a smaller and lighter squad automatic weapon for less money than the traditional FN designs of belt-fed SAW.

My main bitch with closed bolt weapons on full auto is they are not very accurate and as an Infantryman, I only used FA fire when I was forced to by a superior. If you have ever compared an Uzi to an MP5, you clearly understand the difference as an open-bolt has an even exchange between the bolt slamming forward and immediately getting knocked back. Ideally, when this design is placed in semi, it returns to the traditional closed bolt design.

This will be significantly heavier than an M4 generally issued currently. The stress on the pins in the lower receiver would most likely destroy the alloy receiver currently used and a heavier alloy (maybe even steel) or a much wider reinforced ring around the pins will have to be installed to handle the extra strain.

Wow! This is going to be a very interesting thread to follow/watch if it stays up very long. :munchin

Let me make this perfectly clear...

YOU DO NOT INSIST ON ANYTHING IN OUR HOUSE!

I am calling two strikes here already, judcargile.

This is not your forum, and you are asking people to help you.

Frankly, at this point, I am no sure why anyone would want to, but I guess some just have a morbid curiosity.

Remember to show respect in order to receive it.

TR

Crystal,

I apologize, I just let that rub me the wrong way. Maybe the gentleman has actually done more than build an AR or two out his garage and is not in his retirement years looking for something he can nit-pick; I am just as guilty for making my own assumptions. My face, name and resume are available to the public as I originally stated and instead of contributing to the project at hand, he wanted to debate the business that I had to post it. The response that I have gotten through usual means has exceeded my expectations and I will remove this post in a few days.

I apologize for my outburst, I COULD have handled that better. In the future, who would be my POC for submitting a hurt feelings report?

I should also add here that at one time it seemed to be a slam dunk that to do a semi version in an open-bolt would have been the "ticket" with a slide fire stock. (they seem to work well, but, I have never had hands on one.) Who has 15K to put on a registered sear?

WARNING!!!
Open-bolt weapons (even semi) have been reported to me by people in authority to be forbidden by the NFA division for civilian markets. You should not attempt beyond design stages for expressed information purposes ONLY. The companies that I contract for hold the proper permits for their facilities.

There are those here who know weapons design, and there are some that know your parent company to some degree. I have little doubt that members of this website could create the design you are after, however I also somewhat doubt they will do it pro bono. It may have been your misfortune to be rude to the one person who has worked out a clever mechanism such as you seek (35NCO). A lot of dreamers and wannabe's come through here so he may have been vetting you a bit. I don't know the first thing about rifle design but I suspect that what 35NCO is getting at is actually the first thing about autoloading rifle design, i.e. the magazine is the rifle. Since he clearly knows the first thing about rifle design it may behoove you to make amends as it appears you have started.

Surely you have noticed that LWRC kept their rifle buttoned up extremely tight, and also you surely noticed two other things: they didn't win and no one else had an open/closed bolt system (if I remember). You will find it nearly impossible, I think, to retrofit current AR's for "very little added cost", or it would have been done.

The rifle would have the obvious design advantages noted but the disadvantages would depend on the cleverness of the mechanism and would be inversely proportional to the cost (as is always the case with design). Finally I will add that increasing the rate of fire has never been an issue on the AR and I will also add that an automatic rifle such as the SAW has the size and weight it does for many reasons and not all of which involve the belt feed mechanism.

For reference I will recommend the AR bible, called "The Black Rifle" or something similar. For further reference I would suggest getting a DTIC account and you might look up something called the "cone of fire". Good luck, if your idea pans out, you won't have to tell us as we'll know.
Justin

P.S. TR is The Reaper, he is not Crystal. I may be a big pussy but the last thing I would do would be to call an SF guy named "The Reaper" a girl's name but maybe because I'm a soft fat candy ass.

Well, having served in the Army in the early 90s, when a superior locked your heels and clarified something, then asked you if things we now clear, it was common to rely "crystal" as in crystal clear. Times change and so do minor traditions I suppose.

I have never claimed to be John Browning and do not know everything by any stretch of the imagination; However, I do have some world's first under my belt (in the works) and until a couple of years ago was completely on my own. Now a days I have yet to have earned a top billing in the industry, but, eventually I hope to work to advance the changes I see needed that will impact and perhaps change the industry as we know it. I do have my foot in the door at this point.

Presently, I am forced to work within the same decades old designs because that is where the highest demands are in the market. Larry Knesek and THOR are not very involved in this project directly as open-bolt designs would not have much value in the civilian market. I do understand why most anyone would assume this is an in house project. The firearms industry is more cut-throat than I would have imagined and I could tell stories even at my green stage in the game that would be rather eye opening for many of you. The market that a partner of ours has REALLY could use this design and in MY opinion ALL select-fire rifles need to fire from a closed bolt on semi and open on full-auto. My primary agrees.

All of the companies that I am contracting for range from coming out of the ground to about five years old. None of these are house hold names; But, one of them is probably one of the best in the world in my opinion. This game is like any other game, it comes down to funding. You give me the training budget that some units have and will take an average unit and turn them into one of the most capable forces in existence. I have to start with small and humble things to generate the funds to operate how I want to. I want nothing more than to make that 1000 yard shot and I am convinced that I have the plan and field craft to pull it off, but, I have to start with the 50 and then the 100, so forth and so on.

Let us PLEASE not turn this thread into a contest. If you want to look me up, go to Linkedin and look up my profile and in turn the people who endorse me and those that have endorsed them. I may go broke on my way up this ladder or blow myself up in my super secret laboratory, sometimes the unforeseen just happens or I may be a casualty of tunnel vision. All I know is that I got something inside me that I can not turn off.

I admire the quality of Steyr and the efficiency of Norinco. If I need to help these existing manufactures get into the best possible position that is possible and generate funds to expand that would allow for the R&D that I need to bring MY ORIGINAL ideas out of my head and onto shelf to put these superior weapon systems at affordable prices into the hands of ALL free men.

Just read the original thread, operating on theory can waste a lot of time and money. Why do I have to transverse a mine field when I can ask someone for a map or at least a coordinate and direction?

Salesmanship
 

JudCargile,

If and when you do design/create the newest and best rifle for our Soldiers to carry, you will have to convince a group of people to do what you want them to do, because they want to do it. I would like to see another rifle design for our military, simply because I'm sure a better one can be made.

You've pissed off and entertained at your expense several people here. When you are selling someone something, the first thing I have in my mind is how can I help them solve their problems? When I place their interests first they are more likely to purchase, because they want to and it benefits them. If you want assistance from the QPs here, you need to convince them it is in their best interests to help you. That's not going to be an easy sell.

I would recommend listening to Zig Ziglar's Sales Mastery Academy, a Dale Carnegie course, Tom Hopkins Sales training CDs, or Brian Tracey CDs on Selling, if you want to help out our Soldiers with a better rifle.

:munchin