Bet you didn’t know there was such a thing as secret squirrel mags, did ya? Well, never underestimate the lengths “cool kids” will go to close the “mil-spec” door in your face. What am I talking about? In this case, it’s extended magazines for the Blaser Tactical 2.
As we reported, the German government has determined that the Blaser Tactical 2 is a “military arm” and is not to be exported. HK & SIG previously got in some trouble for their weapons ending up in the hands of people who’s name was not on the ITAR paperwork. The Kurds popping up with HK G36’s is the most notorious instance.
So…the scramble is on. I am scrounging up various Tac 2 parts while I can still find them.
Without going through all the back and forth with Blaser USA in San Antonio and Blaser GMBH is Germany, here is the bottom line. There are extended magazines for the 338LM caliber and possibly the 7.62 caliber as well. None of these items were ever sold or documented in the retail or gray market literature.
I first became familiar with these when Australian snipers were using their Blasers in Afghanistan for the ISAF mission. Mostly in 338LM for the longer theoretical engagement distances. Obviously these not being standard TOE Blaser products, I snooped around for a few years with little success. Talk about pulling teeth. It took close to a year for Blaser to acknowledge that such a magazine existed! And I suspect, that was only because I had cornered them with photographic proof!
Eventually the story settled down and Blaser Germany said, “They were a special run for a military customer. None will be available for export”. Yeah right. This ain’t my first rodeo. Just ask Freeze. I have quite the success rate in sourcing hard to get weapons parts. One day I might share how I got Wilson Combat 1911 parts to a SF unit in Iraq. And yes, if any USGI 1911’s come out of CMP – Camp Perry with Wilson parts, they are probably mine. Yup. But I digress….
A while goes by and a contact of mine in Russia (yes, that Russia), sends me a photo with a note, “Guess what I’m looking at?”
Hot damn! I knew it! Extended mags! Outside the Australian military system! It was just a matter of time before my friend was able to track down his source and we would work out export / import details. Maybe they crossed the Afghanistan / Tajik border and worked their way up? Or maybe a Russian oligarch has more money than sense and brought them straight in from Australia? Blasers are better known in Russia then the US, so anything is possible. All was sweetness and light at this point.
Then it happened. Vladimir Putin grabbed Crimea and parts of Ukraine. Shortly thereafter, The United States and other Western nations placed sanctions on Russia. Which means gun part imports are verboten!
Fuck. Me. Running. You can’t make this shit up! More geopolitics cramping my style.
Now… I know that some of the mags are getting out of Australia so I put out some feelers and see what happens. A few months later, a new source inside the Australian MOD reaches out and sends over contact information for the Australian defense contractor, basic technical data and product names + SKU’s for the extended magazines. Only now am I figuring out that these magazines aren’t even made in Germany by Blaser but instead by Australians for Australians. Mostly likely with Blaser providing technical data per the terms of the MOD contract. Think Russia mandating Glock build pistols inside of their country and the US DOD making Beretta manufacture the Beretta 92 / M9 pistol stateside. Same-same.
So…where am I at now? Currently talking to a few US police agencies to see if they want to go in on some mags? The logic being, the bigger the order the more likely the maker is to fill it. The downside is, Australia has a terrible reputation when it comes to exporting weapons and parts. I have been told by at least one source, down under, that it will be shit-show of the first order getting stuff out.
Now for the good news. Two more contacts have popped up. One inside the USAMU and the other from the SIG Academy in Exeter, NH. Both say they have seen Blaser Extended Mags inside the US. And they were kind enough to send me photographic proof.
Maybe I can pull this off before something nuts happens again? Are Australia and New Zealand getting along these days? There isn’t a brewing Koala conflict or Kiwi war coming, is there? Fingers crossed.
Marky
www.tacticaltshirts.com
www.john1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
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