Texas Armament Company

Muzzle Devices

The earliest information found for the Texas Armament Co. (TAC) was found in Guns Magazine, October 1971 in an advertisement for M1A1 parts.

Catalogs show they were selling military surplus parts and accessories with the claim that “over 70% of the parts we ship are new”.

A 1974 catalog lists: Model 03-A3 Springfield, M16 – AR15, Government Model .45 Automatic Pistol, Smith and Wesson M&P K-38, M-1 Garand, M14 Rifle, and the M1 Carbine.

Here is the price list for the M1 Carbine Accessories

Note the mix of new-made as well as commercially made parts. Of note is the Flash Hider, Muzzle Brake, and the Blank Adaptor.

The TAC Flash Hider is a copy of the Hider, Flash, T23 of which development was initiated in late 1944. While this was being developed a requirement was set up by the Board of Engineers for a flash hider to be used in conjunction with the T3 carbine with the M2 Sniperscope based on recommendations of the field trials with the M1 Sniperscope.

Note the T23 nomenclature.

The Hider, Flash, T23 was tested, and the first recommendation was to use a wingnut with a nylon insert. It was also found that the wingnut pointing upward when used on an M2 carbine was distracting when sighting and subsequently, a change was made.

The resulting Hider, Flash, M3 was recommended for standardization and approved 27 September, 1945.

 The Muzzle Brake as developed for the M2 carbine was the Check, Recoil, T13 where again the wingnut pointed upward.

11 October, 1945 the T13 was recommended for adoption with the wing nut pointing downward. It was standardized as the Check, Recoil, M1.

TAC got the nomenclature correct but notice the wingnut is pointing upward.

14 June, 1945 a project for the development of a Blank firing attachment T12 was initiated. The result was a device that clamped around the front sight but was not retained by a wingnut. instead, a retainer was slid into the device and pinned into position. No additional information has ever surfaced on this device other than the testing.

The TAC blank fire devices have been reported in clear wrap with a nomenclature tag or in a cardboard tube with the nomenclature tag glued on the tube.

The TAC blank fire adaptor looks nothing like the T12. Note there are no markings on the device.

It should be noted that these blank fire adaptors may not fit all barrels based on the diameter of the muzzle. It may be that they were attempting to create a tighter seal to prevent escaping gasses.

WARNING: firing regular ammunition with this device will result in a ruined carbine, at best, and personal injury or death, at worst! Not all blank ammunition is the same. Using the incorrect blanks with this device can result in a ruined carbine, at best, and personal injury or death, at worst!

1977 dealers catalog depicts a T-24 Recoil check

This T-24 recoil check seems to be a pure fantasy item and may be based on another weapon. In this catalog, there is an offering “At last available, A Flash Hider for the Ruger Mini-14” and maybe the brainchild for the T-24.

Note there are no markings. It uses the same clamping arrangement used on all the TAC muzzle devices for the M1 Carbine.

The 1977 dealers catalog also has an offering of M-8 Carbine Grenade Launchers.

Note the mention of use on a M3 carbine which seems comical. Also, the mention of fitting most commercial carbines. Some commercial barrels are thicker and might be an issue for all their muzzle devices.

The USGI M-8 did use the wingnut in the upward direction as well.

The nomenclature used on USGI grenade launchers for the M1/M2 carbines has been observed as M-8 Grenade Launcher or Grenade Launcher M-8. All USGI M-8 grenade launchers have a manufacture marking on the latch. The TAC is absent a manufacture marking.

The construction of the TAC carbine muzzle devices is consistent across all of them. One of the telltale features is the sandwich of two plates on the bottom welded in place to create a stop for the front sight.

Here is a comparison of a USGI device on the left and a TAC on the right.

The USGI device has the stop machined in the body and the clamp welded on. The TAC device has the lower hinge as part of the body and the stops welded in place.

A few other items of interest in the 1977 dealers catalog was a closeout on “M-3 Trench Knife, copy of the US model, new” as well as blank fire adaptors for the M-1 Garand, M-16/AR-15, M-14 M1A.

Both catalogs offer 5, 15, and 30 round magazines as well as a no drilling or tapping scope mount for the M1 carbine. It is possible that they sourced these items and are the same as those other commercial manufacturers offered.

For further reading see:

http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_TxArms.html" rel="nofollow -

TAC Blank Fire Attachment CCNLs 88, 204, 205

T12 Blank Fire Attachment USGI CCNLs 165, 168

T12, T13 Check, Recoil, USGI CCNLs 139, 147, 155

TAC T13, T24 Recoil Check CCNL 147 (see CCNL 155 for clarification on erronious info)

M3, T23 Hider, Flash USGI CCNL 139, 98

T23 Flash Hider TAC CCNL 7, 98