Smith Enterprise Inc. (SEI) is a firearm and accessory manufacturing facility based in

Tempe, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Vale of Tempe , image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg , imagesize = 260px , image_caption = Tempe skyline as se ...

that is known for making

flash suppressor A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...

muzzle brake A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted ...

sound suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity of the muzzle report (sound of a gunshot) and muzzle rise when a gun (firearm or air gun) is discharged, b ...

M14 rifle The M14 rifle, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire battle rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO (.308 in) cartridge. It became the standard-issue rifle for the U.S. military in 1959, ...

s and accessories for M14 rifles. Smith Enterprise played a key role in the M14 rifle modernization projects for the U.S. military in the early 21st century including the US Navy's Mark 14 Mod 0 rifle.

History

Smith Enterprise was founded as Western Ordnance in 1979 by Ron Smith in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

and the company made numerous types of rifles, but specialized in

M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S Army during World War ...

s and M14s. In 1993, Ron Smith reformed the company as Smith Enterprise and relocated production to Tempe.Poyer (2006), p. 21 In 2013 Smith Enterprise was identified as one of a group of firearms manufacturers who have taken a public stance against the

gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...

movement by publicly stating that they will not sell their products to any government agency in any state that severely restricts its citizens' rights to own firearms. Smith Enterprise has doubled its sales and production numbers during this same time period due to proposed legislation and its impact in

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

Vortex Flash Hider

The Vortex Flash Hider is a

made by Smith Enterprise and has been called the "most effective flash hider available short of a (sound) suppressor" by writer and gunsmith Patrick Sweeney, when used on an

AR-15 An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation d ...

. The Vortex made for AR-15 type rifles weighs 3 ounces, is 2.25 inches in length and does not require a lock washer for attachment to the barrel. The Vortex was developed in 1984 and a patent was secured in 1995. The Vortex is somewhat reminiscent of the original “three-prong flash hider” found on the original Vietnam-era

M16 rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...

. However, the Vortex is more robust and makes use of four solid tines which are closer together than those found on the original and are more closely proportioned . The Vortex is unique in that it is a helical flute design that breaks up the flash at multiple locations and angles. SEI makes the Vortex for M16s, AR-15s, M14s,

Steyr AUG The Steyr AUG () is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG. It was adopted by the Austrian Arm ...

s and certain pistols such as the

Heckler & Koch USP The USP (''Universelle Selbstladepistole'' or "universal self-loading pistol") is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns. History Design work on a new family of p ...

Tactical Model. The Vortex Flash Hider has been used on the US Army's SOCCOM M14 and was chosen because it reduces visible flash by 99%. In 2011

Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division) is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane). NSA Crane is a United States Navy installation located approximately southwest of Bloomingt ...

adopted the Vortex Flash Hider for use on 50-caliber machine guns and rifles after it was rated the number one suppressor in their test report. The testing performed by CRANE showed that the Vortex maintained a 95% flash reduction threshold through 10,000 rounds of machine gun fire and was proven to not adversely affect normal combat functions, weapon firing or cycling, or interfere with mechanical sights. The Vortex 50 Caliber Flash Eliminator is assigned the NSN code of 1005-01-588-9516 - PN 6021V.

M14 rifles

Since 1980, Smith Enterprise has built and rebuilt numerous M14 rifles for the US Military and the militaries of Colombia, Canada and other nations. The United States Department of Defense has contracted Smith Enterprise to build and modify M14 rifles for use by soldiers, Marines and sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan.Poyer (2006), pp. 37-38 Smith Enterprise was a major player in the M14 rifle modernization projects for various US military units which resulted in the development of the United States Navy Mark 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle. The company's history included originally making forged receivers for M14 rifles and briefly switching to investment casting. Smith stopped making receivers for a few years, but reentered the market with receivers machined from bar stock in 2002. In 2003 Smith Enterprise Inc. created its version of the M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle known as the MK14 Mod 0, type SEI. The rifle used a medium heavy weight 18.0" barrel and was used as a basis to create the US Navy's Mark 14 Mod 0 with Springfield Armory, Inc. being tasked to supply the necessary machinery in cooperation with the

. SEI builds an improved M14 gas cylinder as a component of their specialized rifles and a part for the military to upgrade older rifles. The gas cylinder is assigned the NATO Stock Number: NSN 5120-01-512-4959. The M21A5

designated marksman rifle A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern telescopic sight, scoped high-Accuracy and precision, precision rifle used by infantrymen in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement effective range, range gap between ...

used by the US Military is built by Smith Enterprise Inc. and is known commercially as the Crazy Horse rifle. The M21A5's metal components are cryogenically treated prior to assembly, which eliminates the need for bedding the stock with fiberglass. Additional upgrades include a completely adjustable trigger system (from 2.5 to 5 lbs) and an extended bolt handle for use in extreme cold environments.

Sound suppressors

Smith Enterprise manufactures a sound suppressor that is made to install over Vortex flash hiders in what the company refers to as a direct-connect method. The current production model is called the

Wind Talker sound suppressor The Wind Talker sound suppressor is a direct-connect sound suppressor made by Smith Enterprise Inc. for use by the US military on M14 rifles and M4 carbines that utilize a Vortex Flash Hider. It is an improvement over the older M14 Direct Connect (M ...

and it is the current evolution of the M14 Direct Connect Suppressor.

Scope rings and scope mounts

Smith Enterprise builds 30 mm scope rings and scope mounts primarily for use on AR-15, M16, M1A and M14 rifles. In 2005, Smith was the only company in the United States to produce scope rings and mounts via wire-cut

electrical discharge machining Electrical discharge machining (EDM), also known as spark machining, spark eroding, die sinking, wire burning or wire erosion, is a metal fabrication process whereby a desired shape is obtained by using electrical discharges (sparks). Material i ...

(EDM). All of these designs are currently used by the US Military and are assigned a

NATO Stock Number A NATO Stock Number, or National Stock Number (NSN) as it is known in the US, is a 13-digit numeric code used by the NATO military alliance, identifying all the 'standardized material items of supply' as they have been recognized by all member s ...

. *30 mm Heavy Duty Scope Rings, High, 0.865" high for lenses up to 56 mm (NSN 1005-01-535-4385 - PN 7010) *30 mm Heavy Duty Scope Rings, Low, 0.264" high for lenses up to 44 mm (NSN 1005-01-535-4374 - PN 7008) *30 mm Heavy Duty Scope Rings, Medium, 0.50" high for lenses up to 50 mm (NSN 1005-01-535-4423 - PN 7018) *30 mm Heavy Duty Scope Rings, Low, 0.25" high for lenses up to 44 mm (NSN 1005-01-535-4417 - PN 7002) *30 mm .50 Cal BMG Scope Rings (NSN 1005-01-535-4395 - PN 7003) *M14 Scope Mount Assembly, ACOG/MIL STD 1913 (NSN 1005-01-535-4430 - PN 2005) *M14 Scope Mount (NSN 5855-01-506-5750 - PN 2006) *M14 Extended Scope Mount (NSN 1005-01-533-8160 - PN 2008) *M4/M16 Carry Handle MIL STD 1913/STANAG (NSN 1005-01-534-8696 - PN 1037)

Other tools

SEI builds an M4/M16 Armorers Wrench which has been adopted by the United States Marine Corps to work on all of the M4 and M16 rifles in the Corps' inventory. The wrench is assigned the Nato Stock Number: NSN 5120-01-512-4959.

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{Official, http://www.smithenterprise.com Firearm manufacturers of the United States Privately held companies based in Arizona American companies established in 1979