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Texas Armament Muzzle Devices

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Dan Pinto, Photo Editor

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    Posted: Jan 29 2022 at 3:23pm
2022-A

Texas Armament Company

Muzzle Devices

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A1.jpg


 

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

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A2.jpg

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.

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A3.jpg

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.

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A4.jpg

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.





http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A6.jpg



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.

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A8.jpg

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.

 

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A10.jpg

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.

 


http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A12.jpg

 

 

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

 http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/uploads/5600/2022A13.jpg

 

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:

Texas Armament Co. history and M1 carbine receiver on our commercial pages

 

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

 

War Baby Series pgs 612-615, 621-624, 1334, 1340-1342




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Anders View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Anders Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 29 2022 at 8:22pm
Thank you New2Brass for that fantastic documentation. What a great job you have done!
 


Edited by Dan Pinto - Jan 29 2022 at 8:48pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote welbytwo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 29 2022 at 8:40pm
excellent article--commend you and Jim for your relentless pursuit for the club
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HammerGrunt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 30 2022 at 9:35am
Thank you for this outstanding and very educational post. 

The average American citizen and sadly far too many military historians under report and underestimate the amazing versatility of this relatively small in size but huge in usefulness USGI military weapon!  The M1 Carbine continues to amaze me. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pro Libertate Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 30 2022 at 1:24pm
What I really want to know is... where in heaven's name can I get carbine accessories at those prices? Wink

A very informative post, Dan-- as always.

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Dan Pinto, Photo Editor

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote New2brass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 30 2022 at 2:00pm
Originally posted by Pro Libertate Pro Libertate wrote:

What I really want to know is... where in heaven's name can I get carbine accessories at those prices? Wink



Build a time machine!

What I did not delve into in the article was that in the early days of carbine collecting these items were confused as possibly USGI items. One of the newsletters on the flash/break combo was presented as USGI and later it was pointed out that the reporting was erroneous.

Most of the articles on these devices only report them as made somewhere in Texas.
Due to this, to this day, people think these are real deal USGI components.

There was a TAC grenade launcher that the seller had listed as a rare USGI variant, but refused to show a picture of the rear of the device. If you know what to look at you do not need to see the back.

I have to thank Marcus on this one as he was the one that educated me on the details of the TAC items.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote welbytwo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 30 2022 at 3:42pm
thank Bill Ricca--he educated me!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote New2brass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 22 2022 at 12:26pm
Here is a variation of the blank fire adapter from Texas Armament.
The one on the left only has a small hole at the front. The one on the right is from the article. It has 4 additional holes around the side.

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/uploads/5600/TABlank.jpg
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Dan Pinto, Photo Editor

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote New2brass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 13 2023 at 2:30pm
If anyone is interested in the following devices from the LR collection let me know
T-23 Flash Hider (SOLD)
T24 Recoil Check (Sold)

T12 Blank Fire (on eBay)
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