One of the guys in the group, Carey Jones, was good enough to tell us about some of the select-fire guns they brought to the shoot, and which one was his personal favorite.
“On the line currently, we got a couple PKMs. We actually brought two. Because what’s better than one PKM? Two,” Jones said.
The PK machine gun is of Russian origin, and fires the 7.62×54mmR cartridge. It was first produced in 1961, but is still used by militaries around the world. At regular intervals during the shoot, Jones and his friend Gordan Gipson fired 200 rounds each through the PKMs in unison. The sheer firepower was impressive. Not once did the guns jam. PKMs are very reliable machine guns.
Related: Which Would You Prefer – The PKM or UKM Machine Gun?
Jones continued our tour. “Moving from the PKMs, we got what we describe as the ‘El Diablo’. You’ll probably see footage of that thing shooting this evening. It’s pretty vicious,” said Jones.
The El Diablo is a select-fire version of the Primary Weapons Systems MK107 MOD 2-M Rifle. It features a PWS long stroke piston system that makes it run reliably with a 7.75-inch barrel. The reason Jones referred to seeing footage of it at night is because with its short barrel, it emits a big fireball from the muzzle when fired in the dark.
A few of the other guns in the Texas tent was an M240, M60, some M1 Thompsons, an HK MP5, and a few other goodies.
Jones' favorite machine gun however is his MG42. “This is an original World War II bring-back. It is currently set up in 7.62x51 Bundeswehr dag plastic ammo. This is the most versatile machine gun in the world. It changed the world of machine guns. So, everything you see out here is influenced by this. So this would be my favorite,” said Jones.
The MG42 is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun that first went into production in 1942. It normally fires the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge. However, MG42s can be converted to fire the 7.62x51 NATO round.
The plastic rounds Jones was firing from his MG42 were German training rounds. They’re cheaper to shoot and less powerful than standard 7.62x51 NATO rounds. In order to make the MG42 cycle the plastic ammo, Jones added a DAG Muzzle-Device to the end of the barrel.
The Big Sandy Shoot was a ton of fun this year, and 2024 will mark the 20th anniversary of the shoot. So, mark your calendars for next fall. The Big Sandy Shoot should be off the charts. If you decide to go, we'll see you there.
