Sarco, Inc

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Springfield Armory was the primary center of manufacture for firearms used by the US military from 1777, a year after the advent of the revolutionary, until 1968, when it shuttered during the Vietnam conflict. Springfield was the first federal armory, and one of the first factories in the US dedicated to the manufacture of weapons. Today, the armory is preserved as a national historic site, which features the world’s largest collection of historic American firearms. The Springfield Armory was first used as the US’s primary arsenal during the Revolutionary War. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it became the site of numerous technological innovations that shook the globe, including the development of interchangeable parts, the assembly line style of mass production, and modern business practices such as hourly wages. The numerous firearms manufactured at the Springfield Armory from 1794 to 1968 are known as Springfield rifles. One...

The need for a reliable semi-automatic pistol originated in the Phillipine-American war. The islands’ jungle terrain was unsuited to the current range of US military pistols, which included the Colt M1892 revolver, and the .38 Long Colt. The M1911 was entered into preliminary military trials in 1906, where it competed against six other pistols. A series of field tests was held between 1907 and 1911 to determine which design was best, and to allow the designers to refine their weapons over time. The Colt M1911 eventually won out. During one test, the Colt fired six thousand rounds over the course of two days without a single malfunction. The M1911 operates using principles of short-recoil operation. As combustion gases force their way down the barrel, they give reverse momentum to the slide and barrel, which are locked together during this portion of the firing cycle. After the bullet has left the barrel, the slide and barrel continue rearward, before a link pivots the rear ...

Helmets became an important part of armed forces’ body armor during World War I when heavy artillery emerged as a staple of military strategy. Artillery softened positions along the front with rolling barrages of flame and iron, bits of shrapnel bursting forth from the impact points. Because they could not protect their soldiers with suits of steel, saving their wrists and ankles from bullets, German, French, and British army commands developed separately the Stahlhelm, Adrian, and Brodie, which cased the brain in protective metal, and preserved the soldier’s sense of relative safety. The development of WW2 Helmets built upon the innovations demanded by the trench warfare of its predecessor. The USA’s M1 helmet was composed of an outer, metal shell constructed from non-magnetic Hadfield steel, and called the “steel pot.” It was primarily designed to protect soldiers from shrapnel. Informal testing of the M1 showed that the helmet’s shell was able to stop pistol fire. Two sim...

Springfield Armory’s M1903 is a seriously legendary piece of equipment and is about as steeped in history as any firearm you could find. It needs no introduction but is worth repeating that the M1903 saw widespread service alongside American troops throughout The Great War and the Second World War, and survived through the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. Much equipment survives through course of necessity, but the M1903’s rock solid action, dependable performance and powerful, widespread pairing with the .30-06 Springfield cartridge gave it the staying power that made it the icon it is today. Even outside of conflict, the rifle’s performance has made it a mainstay among civilian marksmen and hunters. For those who like to keep a little piece of history, the M1903’s irrefutable record of staunch service perhaps as well as its handsome works and dignified full stock give it a huge amount of material and sentimental value to collectors. It’s one of those bits of history tha...

The Star Model BM, produced by Star Bonifacio Echeverria, a Spanish manufacturer of small arms from 1905 to 1997, is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol. Single-action” means that the trigger performs only a single action: releasing the hammer to discharge the sidearm each time the trigger is pulled. It does not perform the secondary action of cocking the hammer. “Semi-automatic” means that energy of a shot bullet is re-used by the weapon to chamber the next bullet. After a round is fired, the casing is ejected, and a new round is cycled into the chamber. Most pistols manage this via recoil operation, whereby only a portion of the firearm recoils, while another portion is held motionless by inertia. Although it remembers the M1911, which was the standard-issue for the US Armed Forces for over seven decades, it differs in several respects. It does not have the 1911’s grip safety, nor does its thumb safety block the sear, instead blocking the hammer on the Star BM. At Sarco Inc., we...

The M1911 served as the standard-issue sidearm for the US Army from 1911 to 1986. Also known as the Colt Government or Government pistol, the 1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic weapon. “Single-action” means that the trigger performs only a single action: releasing the hammer to discharge the sidearm each time the trigger is pulled. It does not perform the secondary action of cocking the hammer. “Semi-automatic” means that the energy of a shot bullet is re-used by the weapon to chamber the next bullet. After a round is fired, the casing is ejected, and a new round is cycled into the chamber. Most pistols manage this via recoil operation, whereby only a portion of the firearm recoils, while another portion is held motionless by inertia. In the case of the M1911, the barrel is kept motionless, while the bolt recoils, feeding the next round into the chamber. Designed by John Browning, a genius inventor who manufactured his first firearm in his father’s gun shop at the age of...

Established in 1962 by a young, enthusiastic ex-marine named Charles E. “Cholly” Steen III, Sarco Inc. (short for Steen Armament Research Company), began life on the gun show circuit and has since expanded into what is arguably the largest dealer of surplus military materials in the country. With three generations of Steens now in the mix, Sarco continues its family focus on rare original firearms parts while expanding into complete firearms, commercial firearms, accessories, militaria, and re-enactment accouterments. We have the largest supply of firearms and machine gun parts in the world, as well as one of the best ranges of World War 2 Helmets . There were type main types of World War 2 Helmets: the M1, worn by US soldiers, as well as a variety of other allies, and the Stahlhelm (German for steel helmet) of which the M35 is the most recognizable. The M1 was, essentially, two helmets in one. The outer, metal shell was made of non-magnetic Hadfield steel. It was called ...