SI takes a look at: Armscorp of America

Shooting Industry, Dec, 1989 by Howard Brant

SI Takes A Look At:

You're going to be hearing a lot more about Armscorp of America, Inc. The Maryland-based firearms combine is not only the producer of the popular civilian version of the historic M14 service rifle but its president Jack Friese has formally announced it is now the sole U.S. distributor for S.A.B./Renato Gamba - those Italian craftsmen who today continue to create some of the world's finest over/under and side-by-side shotguns in a variety of configurations.

Basically, Armscorp of America remains an import operation, albeit a quality one. Headquartered in the suburbs of Baltimore, and overseen by the amiable Jack Friese, Armscorp has available to retailers any number of quality firearms as well as ammunition that can be purchased on a direct-to-dealer basis. In other words, no distributors or jobbers are involved. You can purchase Armscorp merchandise from its Maryland warehouse/manufacturing plant at intriguing prices.

Armscorp is a relative newcomer to the sport shooting world yet it has the expertise and wherewithal of any old-line combine. It actually had its inception just eight years ago and was then based at Silver Springs, Maryland. However, Friese moved the operation to the outskirts of Baltimore only last year primarily to be closer to more convenient transportation modes and skilled machinists.

Armscorp boasts a complete machine shop and manufacturing facility and since its inception has manufactured semi-automatic M14 receivers as well as assembled M14s in National Match and Service grades. In addition, its custom shop can add scopes, hone triggers and perform any number of other "accuracy" operations on its M14s to suit the individual requirements and demands of your customers.

The arms combine also has the capability of producing quality FAL (LSR) competition-quality rifles as well, although we're all well aware of the nationwide hysteria to ban the possession of such arms. Yet according to Jim Murray, Armscorp's vice president of marketing, "we are fully capable of manufacturing top quality FAL (LSR) receivers and can assemble FALs in both inch and metric models."

Murray added, however, that today Armscorp has a hold on future production of FAL arms and receivers until current anti-firearms legislation is ultimately resolved. "It is a sad day that our legislators have taken such a tack when it comes to firearms," Murray related. "What personally irks me is when the news media speaks of assault rifles it lumps all such arms including semi-automatic arms in the very same category. Actually the true definition of a so-called assault rifle is one which is capable of sustained full automatic fire. Our FALs are semi-automatic and can only be fired by pressing the trigger for each shot.

"Yet the news media continues to place such 'look-a-likes" (FALs) in the same category as fully automatic arms - nothing can be farther from the truth. Remember, all arms capable of full automatic fire (machineguns) must be purchased through a Class III dealer and licensed by the BATF. Also, no full-auto weapon with a receiver manufactured after may 19, 1986, can be sold to the general public. Further no semi-automatic rifle can be legally converted to full-auto fire," Murray pointed out.

Nevertheless, Armscorp continues to operate its machine shop on a three-shift, 24-hour, seven-day a week basis purely to meet the on-going demand for its M14 receivers and assembled M14s.

In the competitive-shooting world the Armscorp M14 is judged the best in its class. It features forged metal parts and an investment cast grade receiver and its National Match version is wholly capable of producing one-ince groups with consistency at 100 yards. It further boasts a full one-year warranty.

Hugh Palmer, DCM special projects coordinator and formerly the DCM coordinator for the PR&PA, field-tested Armscorp's M14 and according to him a sample picked at random from the production line passed all pre-firing functional tests without problems and that there were no malfunctions when actually shooting the service grade model on the range with M80 and M118 ammunition.

Palmer actually had this to say of the actual test firing of the M14. "The results with M80 ball are superior to the average groups fired for new M14 rifles tested during government production and procurement, and are equal to those obtained by TRW-produced rifles which were considered by many experts to be the best of the M14s. In short, this is good accuracy for a service grade rifle with service grade ammunition."

"The groups fired with M118 match ammo easily surpassed the two-minute-of-angle level which is generally regarded as the upper limit of match accuracy. Although this rifle did not meet the accuracy criteria of 1.5 minute used by the Pennsylvania Rifle & Pistol Association, its performance with M118 readily exceeded that of the Springfield Armory National Match (3.26 inches) and Super Match (1.82 inches) MIA rifles we tested previously. Although this is a service grade weapon, its accuracy level is sufficient for competitive use by all classes of shooters up to and including expert," Palmer stated.