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September 16, 2005

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Put Your Arms In the Air

Great news today. Indonesia has announced that it has a local small arms manufacturing company that has figured out how to make an automatic rifle for half the price (US$500) of the M-16 (US$1,000) and that the Indonesian military may soon replace the M-16 with this new SS-2 as its standard armament.

So, the armaments industry of a corruption-ridden Muslim nation has made the business of killing much cheaper for itself and for its neighbors, not to mention anyone else that might want to buy some. Although I can't possibly imagine any non-government organizations in Southeast Asia that might want them.

I shall look out for the SS-2 next time I go to Darra.

 posted by HK Dave on 09.16.05 at 11:21 AM in the




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Are they showing it at their stand at the arms fair in London this week?

 posted by: Bromgrev on 09.16.05 at 11:01 PM [permalink]

This is a little silly. There's been just such a gun on the market for decades (since the early 60s): the AR-180. Recently re-released as the AR-180b. I got mine used for $300, but they cost $500 new.
Singapore made 'em under license for a while for their military, and I think a branch of Sterling Arms made some too.
Basically, it's an M--16 lower receiver/trigger group, so you can use M-16 magazines, with an upper receiver based on the AK-47 (gas piston) for reliability. Cheap and good, but the cost of retooling US factories made the cheaper price not worth it to convert the US military arms to the AR-180.

link 1

link 2

link 3

I'm guessing this Indonesian rifle is just another licensed copy.

 posted by: Nathan on 09.17.05 at 09:14 AM [permalink]




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