Israel’s “Grim Beeper” gambit seeded Hezbollah with booby-trapped pagers and radios, then lit them all at once. What led up to it, how it worked, and what it cost.
Table of contents
- Israel’s Independence: How a Tiny State Survived and Hit Back
- Jewish Contributions: Why a Small Population Punches Heavy
- Israel Defense Force From Six-Day Gamble to Strategic Reach
- Hate Inc: How Hezbollah’s Rage Fueled a Fatal Blind Spot
- Gaza Tragedy Context and Consequence
- Operation Grim Beeper The Masterstroke Exploding Pagers
- Nasrallah’s September 19 Statement and What Followed
- Inside the Details How the Pager Supply Chain Was Flipped
- The Hit One Message Then Detonation
- It Gets Worse The Radios Blew Next
- The Butcher’s Bill What the Pagers and Radios Cost
- Key Operation Facts Quick Reference
- Related Reads from GunsAmerica Digest
Israel’s Independence: How a Tiny State Survived and Hit Back
I don’t know where you stand on the whole “God’s Chosen People” thing. I have spent some time in Israel myself, and it is a predominantly secular country today. However, it’s tough to make a dispassionate assessment of Israeli history since 1948 and not think that there is something supernatural going on there.
Israel declared its independence on 14 May 1948. The following day, the surrounding Arab nations launched a coordinated attack to push the nascent nation into the sea. Despite suffocating arms embargoes and being lyrically outnumbered, the fledgling country inexplicably prevailed. The Israelis have been fighting pretty much ever since.
Antisemitism likewise baffles me. I was incredibly impressed with the Jewish work ethic and sense of community.
Every piece of that country is put to some kind of good use. It is all neat and well-maintained. By contrast, the Palestinian Territories looked like Mogadishu. If they just formed a line and swept through their communities to pick up the trash, they could double their property values. It was weird.
Jewish Contributions: Why a Small Population Punches Heavy
I’m not Jewish, but the Jews have made an objectively outsized contribution to the modern world. The ballpoint pen, the polio vaccine, the Polaroid camera, cell phones, the word processor, video games, the pressure cooker, Google, and those ridiculous yakkity-yak wind-up chattering novelty teeth are all Jewish inventions.
Jews represent 0.2% of the world’s population, yet 216 of history’s 965 Nobel Laureates have been either Jewish or had one Jewish parent. That’s 22%. The Jews have produced 110 times as many Nobel Prize winners as the general population.
Israel Defense Force From Six-Day Gamble to Strategic Reach
In 1967, Israel was surrounded by Arab nations planning yet another coordinated attack. They were severely outnumbered in tanks, guns, infantry, and combat aircraft.
On 5 June, the IDF (Israel Defense Force) launched a preemptive attack against long odds. Six days later, those hopelessly outnumbered Israelis were threatening Amman, Cairo, and Damascus. In less than a week, the Israelis had seized 27,000 square miles of territory, effectively tripling their land area.
Frantic intervention in the UN halted the Israeli armored advances. The Six-Day War gained Israel Gaza, the Sinai, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. My point is simply that, were I a betting man, I would not bet against the Israelis on the battlefield.
Hate Inc: How Hezbollah’s Rage Fueled a Fatal Blind Spot
Local Arabs call the Six-Day War “The Setback.” They seethe with hatred for the Jews and the Jewish state. Both sides have ample blood on their hands, and the issue of expanding settlements is a perennial thorn. However, this hatred feeds terrorist organizations from all points of the compass, all of which are bankrolled by Iran.
Hamas is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya. This translates to “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Hamas thrived in Gaza until 7 October 2023.
On that one bloody day, Hamas terrorists infiltrated neighboring Israeli communities and slaughtered some 1,200 Israelis. Scaled up to our population, that is the equivalent of Mexican narco-terrorists coming across our southern border and killing some 42,000 Americans…in a single day.
As one might imagine, the Israelis did not respond well to that. Neither would we. Since then, the IDF has systematically deconstructed both Hamas and Gaza. The Gaza Strip is now 140 square miles of rubble and misery. Hamas is castrated and leaderless.
Gaza Tragedy Context and Consequence
The situation in Gaza is undeniably tragic. However, nobody forced those guys to murder those 1,200 Israelis. Were Hamas to hand over the rest of the surviving hostages and stop killing innocent Israelis, the war would be over tomorrow.
On the northern front, you have Hezbollah. Hezbollah means “Party of God” in Arabic. Founded in 1982 and based in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah is an armed terrorist network the size of a modest army.
At least, they were the size of a modest army before they began lobbing rockets into northern Israel. That got the IDF activated. Now, most of their leadership positions remain vacant, and the organization is a shell of its former self. A big part of that is because of Operation Grim Beeper.
Operation Grim Beeper The Masterstroke Exploding Pagers
They actually call it that. The Israeli attack wherein they infiltrated more than a thousand booby-trapped exploding pagers into Lebanon is indeed known as Operation Grim Beeper. So long as you do not harbor any undue affection for Hezbollah terrorists, it could almost be funny.
“There is no doubt that we have been subjected to a major security and humanitarian blow that is unprecedented in the history of the resistance in Lebanon, at least, and unprecedented in the history of Lebanon.”
Nasrallah’s September 19 Statement and What Followed
Eight days after Hassan Nasrallah, then Secretary-General of Hezbollah, spoke those words he was dead, buried underneath untold tons of rubble after a focused Israeli airstrike in Beirut. The “humanitarian blow” to which the master terrorist referred was one of the most audacious and effective covert operations in military history.
Inside the Details How the Pager Supply Chain Was Flipped
I’m pretty boring myself. I don’t fear government surveillance, because I seldom have anything interesting to say. However, if any of you gentle readers might be moonlighting as terrorists or drug lords, you might want to ditch your cell phones.
Give him a reason to do so, and Uncle Sam can steal every word you share on that thing. The Israelis were doing the same thing in southern Lebanon. As a result, the Hezbollah leadership figured they would go old school. They put out feelers for a group buy on a bunch of pagers.
Outside of hospitals, not very many people use pagers anymore. When I was a medical resident, I despised these things. The appeal from a military perspective is that they do not transmit; they only receive. As a result, they cannot be tracked. That means pagers can be used to disseminate information without producing any usable targeting data. However, the Israelis saw this as an opportunity.
Somewhere around February 2024, Hezbollah leadership began distributing thousands of Gold Apollo AR-924 pagers to its subordinate commands.
They chose this particular model predominantly because of its legendary battery life. They only needed to be charged once a month or so. Hezbollah also got a great deal on them. Even terrorists need to be responsible stewards of their finances.
The Pager Plot Front Companies, Reprogramming, and PETN
The pagers came as a bulk purchase from a company based in Budapest called BAC Consulting Kft. Three years before, BAC had entered into a licensing agreement with the Taiwanese Gold Apollo Company to produce these pagers.
The funds passed through a variety of shell companies that made the digital fingerprint impossible to decipher. When investigators later went to the address of record for BAC in Hungary, they found an empty office sporting a sheet of paper taped to the door with the company name handwritten on it. It seems that BAC, along with all the rest, was actually a front for the Israeli Mossad.
The Mossad purchased 5,000 pagers well in advance, disassembled them, and replaced part of the internal battery with a PETN explosive charge. They also reprogrammed the devices. The Mossad then carefully repackaged the things and sold them to Hezbollah. The truly ironic part is that Hezbollah paid for the operation.
The Hit One Message Then Detonation
On 17 September 2024, at around 1530 local, pagers across Lebanon and Syria vibrated and beeped simultaneously. The pagers read, “You Have an Important Message,” and then displayed an error notice. To clear the error, operators were directed to press two buttons on the device simultaneously. This ensured that both hands were on the thing and that it was held close to the face. That’s when they exploded.
The pagers that were not answered detonated anyway. Thousands of Hezbollah terrorists lost eyes, fingers, and hands. Security footage taken in a market in Beirut showed a Hezbollah terrorist getting his balls blown off. Here’s the link.
12 people died, several of whom were reportedly civilians. There were purportedly two children counted among them. If the reports are to be believed, some 2,750 civilians were injured. However, these are terrorists. They lie a lot.
It Gets Worse The Radios Blew Next
The following day, Hezbollah was reeling from the attack. There were indignant protests and noisy funeral processions for the recently deceased. That’s when their walkie-talkies exploded.
The walkie-talkies were handheld ICOM IC-V82 VHF models. Curiously, I have a very similar device as a backup radio in my little fighter plane. I have no idea where mine originally came from. I can only hope it wasn’t Lebanon.
Just like Gold Apollo, the ICOM company immediately distanced itself from these devices. Manufacture of the IC-V82 ceased in 2014. They had issued a warning previously about knockoff radios being produced under their name.
The Butcher’s Bill What the Pagers and Radios Cost
The Lebanese health ministry reported that 300 people were completely blinded, while a further 500 lost one eye in the attacks. Iran deployed a dozen physicians to Lebanon to help treat the injuries. An anonymous Hezbollah official admitted that the attacks removed 1,500 front-line fighters from the zone of conflict. The total death toll was reported at 42 with nearly 4,000 wounded.
Mojtaba Amini, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, lost an eye in the attack. That begs the question as to why he was packing a Hezbollah terrorist pager in the first place. While the Iranians claim to be all peaceful and fun-loving, the entire planet knows better.
Inside the Operation Seeding, Pricing, and Intercepts
The unfiltered audacity of all this was frankly amazing. The Mossad began the operation back in 2015 by producing slick marketing videos aimed at Hezbollah decision makers, touting the many benefits of this particular pager and radio.
Lots of folks, other than Hezbollah, showed interest. However, the Mossad quoted an inflated price for non-Hezbollah customers while offering the devices to the terrorist organization below cost. Hezbollah was thrilled to get them.
The Turkish National Intelligence Organization later intercepted a further 1,300 pagers and 700 chargers at the Istanbul Airport that were laden with explosives and also destined for Lebanon. It seems one should indeed never cross the Israelis.
Key Operation Facts Quick Reference
| Operation Name | Operation Grim Beeper |
|---|---|
| Trigger Date | 17 September 2024 |
| Primary Devices | Gold Apollo AR-924 pagers |
| Secondary Devices | ICOM IC-V82 handheld VHF radios |
| Explosive | PETN charge in modified battery |
| Reported Impact | Thousands injured; multiple blinded; front-line losses admitted by Hezbollah |
M1A SOCOM and M1 Carbine photos courtesy of Springfield-Armory.com and Auto-Ordnance.com, respectively.
It was Elmer Ballance who began manufacturing and offering M1A rifles in the early 1970s based on the venerable M14. The Reese family took ownership of his fledgling Springfield Armory firm, moved it to Geneseo, Ill., and grew the company into national prominence as one of the industry’s most prominent manufacturers. The company’s entire M1A line remains highly desired by enthusiasts to this day.
Then, after a U.S. military report determined 5.56 NATO cartridges were ineffective at average engagement distances in Afghanistan, many original M14s stored in U.S. armories were retrofitted and issued to our troops. Reports were glowing about reliability and the improved performance of the 7.62 NATO cartridge it chambers.
Civilian interest peaked, and soon rugged, a number of combat-worthy aftermarket chassis—along with other accessories—hit the commercial market.
For those not interested in preserving the historic look, replacement of a worn wood stock gave the rifle an appealing high-speed, low-drag look. M1As continue to be hot sellers for Springfield Armory, particularly those coming from the factory with all the right gear, like the SOCOM seen (top photo) above.
M1 Garand
This year, there’s been an unexpected resurgence of interest in all things M1/M14 related, however, it’s not limited to the M1A. The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), as we reported before, is now offering freshly made M1 Garands manufactured so tightly to its World War II specs that it’s been cleared for use in the CMP’s vintage service rifle matches.
CMP has been offering surplus Garands for years, but factory-fresh versions are a new venture. The organization’s M1 Garand Match has fueled added interest in the rifle since it began in 1998. There’s no doubt these new models will attract more shooters to that firing line and others.
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine also saw duty during World War II. Its sleek profile makes it an attractive addition to any collection, but prices on used versions are getting more expensive by the day. The .30 Carbine cartridge it chambers is also sometimes a challenge to find at most retailers.
Auto Ordnance (bottom rifle in the photo above) and Inland Manufacturing have been offering them on the civilian market for years. They are popular choices and available in a couple different versions.
Chiappa Firearms recently introduced something slightly different, however. It’s a limited series of WW2 Commemorative Edition M1 Carbines chambered in .22 LR or 9 mm Luger. The company rolled them out for the 80th anniversary of the end of that war, and each rifle comes in a commemorative stamped box, a commemorative embedded eagle coin in the stock and certificate of authenticity matching the limited production.
This limited release is numbered, with only 1,945 rifles manufactured, marking the year the war ended. They may be more of a collectible than shooter, but their chamberings will likely see many of them put to use regularly.
Full-Auto BB Gun
As if that isn’t enough, Crosman recently introduced a M1 Full-Auto BB gun. Cosmetically it’s not exactly a perfect match with the original, but it’s close enough for government work and lots of inexpensive fun.
It also underscores an interesting trend. The M1 Garand, M14 and M1 Carbine are the kind of timeless designs that will never go out of style, but this year’s resurgence is something different altogether.
We’ll keep you up to date is any other manufacturers follow suit. In the meantime, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the appearance of new FN FALs, or a half dozen.
“There were also a number of diverse people who ran curiously to type, with drilled shoulders and a bone-deep sunburn, and a tolerant scorn of nearly everything on earth. Their speech was flavored with navy words, and … in easy hours their talk ran from the Tartar Wall beyond Pekin to the Southern Islands, down under Manila. … Rifles were high and holy things to them, and they knew five-inch broadside guns.
They talked patronizingly of the war, and were concerned about rations. They were the Leathernecks, the Old Timers … the old breed of American regular, regarding the service as home and war as an occupation; and they transmitted their temper and character and view-point to the high-hearted volunteer mass which filled the ranks of the Marine Brigade.”
The Browning Automatic Rifle served as a Squad Automatic Weapon back when Squad Automatic Weapons weren’t cool.
Think back to the last time you were alone and frightened. We live in such a remarkably insulated society that many modern Americans have never felt the uniquely synergistic fear that comes from both isolation and peril. For me it occurred back in the 1970’s while I was rabbit hunting with my dad and a bunch of friends.
Table of contents
I was maybe ten and was packing a Remington autoloading 20-gauge. Given my young age I was posted in the middle of the skirmish line as the beagles tore up the countryside looking for bunnies. It was wintertime in the Mississippi Delta and cold by our standards. As we swept through the woods we came across a thick stand of cane.
Thinking back, I should have had sense enough to go around. However, I just opted to press through the thicket instead. By the time I finally worked my way to the other side, the entire group was gone. The Army had not yet taught me the fine art of terrain association, so I just picked a likely direction and moved out smartly. That was a mistake.
Lost and Cold
In short order, it was snowing, and I had no idea where I was. Disoriented and freezing in the middle of no place, I began to feel the icy grip of terror closing in. My unfettered imagination ran away with me, and every sordid wilderness survival story I had ever heard came flooding back into my mind.
Eventually, I happened upon an empty cabin. I briefly considered trying to shoot the power line down in the ridiculous hope that the power company might somehow notice. Then I thought of maybe blowing the door open to see if I could find any food.
Along the way, I did a fair amount of passionate praying. Then I heard a shotgun in the distance. I pointed my Remington skyward and answered with a blast of my own. Half an hour later I was surrounded by the hunting party, and all was well. For that brief period, however, I was legit terrified.
With the benefit of hindsight I’d give myself a solid C. I didn’t panic, scream, or cry. Instead, I analyzed the situation and considered my options. I planned to use the available resources to give myself the best possible chance at survival. I suppose I did OK, though there was never any serious peril. They’d have found me eventually regardless. However, some three decades before, an Army PFC named Alton W. Knappenberger did so much better.
The Guy: “Knappie” Knappenberger
Alton Knappenberger was a truly great American.Alton W. “Knappie” Knappenberger was born in Cooperstown, PA, on the last day of 1923. He entered the US Army in March of 1943 in Spring Mount, Pennsylvania. Less than a year later, Knappenberger was a Private First Class assigned to the 30th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division slogging his way across the Italian peninsula.
From our perspective in the Information Age, we know that the Allies were ultimately victorious and the Germans got spanked. However, at this time and in this place the end result was far from certain. During the Battle of Cisterna, we got our butts kicked.
The Battle of Cisterna was a subset of the overarching invasion of Anzio. Titled Operation Shingle, the amphibious assault on Anzio was a critical part of the learning process that eventually successfully took us to Normandy. Cisterna was also where we figured out how not to employ US Army Rangers. The hard lessons we learned held us in good stead across Europe and into the German heartland.
One Out of Many
Here we see Knappie Knappenberger cleaning his Browning Automatic Rifle.Alton Knappenberger was just some guy, one of literally millions of American GIs who answered their nation’s call to go overseas and face down the forces of tyranny and oppression. However, PFC Knappenberger’s story is inexplicably tied to a unique weapon. Alton Knappenberger was a BAR man.
Grunts of the day spoke that term just as it sounds—“Barman.” By contrast, the weapon was referred to by its individual initials—“B…A…R.” Regardless of how you pronounced it, the Browning Automatic Rifle was a wonderful horrible gun.
The Weapon
The Browning Automatic Rifle was a First World War contrivance that was obsolete by the onset of WW2. However, the big gun soldiered on into Vietnam and was generally adored by the grunts who wielded it. John Browning designed the enormous weapon specifically to facilitate walking fire.
I was trained in the geriatric concept of walking fire when I first donned the uniform. The idea was that you would advance with your mates in line and fire a round from the hip every time a certain foot hit the ground. That’s great in theory, but it doesn’t work so well when facing dug-in, belt-fed MG08 Maxim guns. As a result, American grunts mostly just used the BAR like a man-portable machine gun.
Variety is the Spice of Life
The BAR came in three major variants. M1918 was the WW1 version, and it was just a big honking machine rifle without a bipod. The R75 Colt Monitor was essentially the same gun with a pistol grip, shortened barrel, and Cutts compensator made in very small numbers for the FBI as well as civilian consumption.
CPT Frank Hamer’s posse used an R75 Colt Monitor to gun down Bonnie and Clyde on 23 May 1934. Here’s that story if you’re interested. The M1918A2 was the most common military version.
Outfitted with a clunky bipod and complex buttstock, the M1918A2 weighed a whopping 19 pounds and fed from a 20-round detachable box magazine. Many GIs, particularly those serving in the South Pacific, stripped their BARs down by removing the bipods, carrying handles, and flash hiders to make them as light and maneuverable as possible.
Trigger Time
Despite firing a .30-06/7.62x63mm cartridge the size of my index finger, the M1918A2 remains quite controllable from the prone, hip, and offhand firing positions. The gun offers a user-selectable rate of fire between 400 and 600 rounds per minute. However, at 43.7 inches long, this thing is an absolute beast to carry.
While humping the BAR was not for the faint of heart, the gun invariably became the tactical center of gravity in any close to mid-range infantry engagement. The reassuring chug of the BAR endeared confidence in ways that semiautomatic rifle fire just couldn’t. It also reliably tore stuff up downrange.
Tactical Details
As I mentioned, the Battle of Cisterna was one we lost. On 1 February 1944, a concerted and powerful German counterattack splintered Knappenberger’s infantry battalion. Where many of his mates understandably fell back, Knappenberger pushed forward with his M1 onto a small rise with minimal cover.
Along the way, he retrieved a Browning Automatic Rifle and ammunition from a dead comrade. This vantage gave him an excellent view of the surrounding area and a decent field of fire, but it left him woefully exposed. Suddenly an enemy machinegun team spotted him and opened fire from a distance of about 85 meters.
German belt-fed machine guns were rightfully respected. The MG34 and MG42 were reliable, portable, accurate, and fast. This crew chewed up Knappenberger’s position, snapping big 7.92mm rounds within six inches of his head. In response, Knappenberger rose to his knees, shouldered his spanking new BAR, and blew the German MG crew away, killing two and wounding the third.
It Gets Worse for Knappenberger
Taking advantage of the chaos, a pair of stalwart German Landsers crept to within 20 meters of Knappenberger’s position and threw a couple of potato masher grenades.
However, in its simplest form, the German Stielhandgranate was an offensive grenade with a thin sheet steel casing. While it offered ample blast effect, actual shrapnel was minimal. Knappenberger successfully weathered the explosions, indexed his big auto rifle, and killed both of the German grenadiers with a single generous burst.
The BAR’s 20-round magazine capacity, along with its lack of a quick-change barrel, proved to be the limiting factors in the gun’s employment. Knappenberger swapped magazines as needed as targets bore. By now he was finding his stride.
A second German belt-fed machinegun opened up from a range of roughly 100 meters. In response, Knappenberger laid his gun just as he had been trained and dispatched that crew as well.
The surviving Germans then unlimbered a fast-firing 20mm antiaircraft gun. That’s when things went really sideways.
Next Level Chaos
Those 20mm AA guns could be found in both single and quad mounts. The Flak-38 was the most common and fed its high explosive projectiles from a 20-round box magazine at a cyclic rate of 450 rpm.
Such a weapon figured prominently in the epic climactic scene in Saving Private Ryan. I really cannot imagine facing such a meat chopper in action. However, Alton Knappenberger just drew a careful bead with his liberated BAR, and decrewed that gun as well.
By now the Germans were losing their sense of humor with this solitary grunt from Pennsylvania. They advanced on his position en masse armed with rifles and machine pistols supported by shellfire from both tanks and artillery.
Every time one of these Germans stuck his head up, PFC Knappenberger just shot it off. Eventually, however, the intrepid young American grunt ran out of ammo.
Though the BAR fed from a 20-round box magazine and the M1 Garand used 8-round en bloc clips, the rounds were interchangeable between the two weapons.
PFC Knappenberger crawled some fifteen yards under fire to reach a downed GI and relieve the man’s body of his M1 clips. He then kept up the fight until all available ammunition was consumed. Now defenseless, Knappenberger quietly slipped rearward to rejoin his battalion. He had singlehandedly stopped this concerted German counterattack for more than two hours.
Knappenberger’s Grand Finale
Alton “Knappie” Knappenberger was one of 472 Medal of Honor recipients from WW2.Knappenberger survived the war and came home with Staff Sergeant’s stripes on his arms and the Medal of Honor around his neck. He was one of only six from his original 200-man company not killed or wounded. Once home he eschewed social events organized in his honor, making his living driving an asphalt truck and running construction equipment while living humbly in a trailer.
Alton Knappenberger was a hero laid to rest in a field of heroes at Arlington.Knappie lived out the rest of his days quietly in Pennsylvania, eventually dying in Pottstown at the ripe age of 84. SSG Knappenberger ran that BAR like he owned it and then came home to make the world a better place. He was the absolute best of us.
Persian legends speak of the Manticore, a mysterious beast with the head of a human, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. Although this mythological creature’s individual features were recognizable, they came together to form something uniquely different from its constituent parts.
With this in mind, TandemKross (TK) dubbed one of the latest additions to its extensive catalog of Ruger 10/22-compatible components and upgrades, the Manticore X. Simply stated, there is nothing else quite like it on the market. It’s different enough that it took me a minute to get my head around it, even with the photos and descriptions the company provided to writers just ahead of its launch.
But once I got it, I had to test-drive it for myself. The most straightforward way to do that was to build a 10/22-pattern rifle, in .22 LR, using the Manticore X as the starting point. TK offers the rest of the top-notch, in-house components required to flesh out the platform with the exception of two major components, the serial-numbered receiver and the barrel. In this case, I reached out to the good folks at Fletcher Rifle Works to request an innovative OpenTop 11/22 receiver and Summit Precision for one of the company’s sleek carbon-fiber wrapped barrels to complete the parts set. Here’s how this unique at-home rimfire rifle build came together:
TK Manticore X Lower Assembly
A typical 10/22-type trigger housing, from front to back, contains the magazine release mechanism, the external safety, the fire control group, the trigger guard and trigger. This polymer or aluminum assembly is secured to the rifle’s receiver using two pins. These pins are, in turn, held in place by the shoulder stock, which is secured to the receiver via a stock screw.
The Manticore X arrives ready to use with a set of receiver pins, buffer, grip screw and stock mounting parts.
The primary goal of the Manticore X design is to serve as a lower receiver, which eliminates the need for a stock or chassis system. Its CNC-machined aluminum housing serves the same role as a traditional 10/22 trigger housing. However, it has been extended at key points to support the magazine, the 10/22 upper receiver, an AR-15-type pistol grip and a Picatinny rail that serves as a shoulder-stock mounting point. The receiver’s cross pins, provided in the Manticore X, kit are fitted with ball detents to secure them in place.
The Manticore X is compatible with a wide variety of Ruger-brand and aftermarket fixed-barrel and takedown-type receivers. If you already own a factory-assembled gun, remove it from the stock, slip out the trigger housing and install the Manticore X to give your favorite rimfire a set of competition-grade controls, an adjustable trigger, pistol grip and a folding stock all in one step.
The controls and internals have been upgraded with TK competition components.
The Manticore X arrives ready to use and loaded with TK’s competition upgrades. Bright orange rubber strips are set along either side where it meets the upper receiver to guarantee a snug fit. The textured paddle Fireswitch magazine release is bi-directional, meaning it can be pushed forward or pulled back to drop the magazine.
The Bolt Keeper bolt hold-open lever, which rests to the left of the over sized integral trigger guard, is fitted with an extended knob for easy operation. The ambidextrous Cornerstone Rotary safety selector levers are set into the front of the trigger guard where they can be quickly moved up into the Safe position, or down into the Fire position using the tip of the trigger finger.
The stock rail can be configured for a straight stock or a 12-degree downward cant.
The Manticore X ships with TK’s Ultimate Trigger Kit. This includes a textured, flat-faced Victory trigger shoe, which is adjustable for overtravel. The single-stage trigger’s pull weight can be adjusted between 2.5 lbs. to over 5 lbs. It was set at 3 lbs., 8 ozs. for this evaluation and exhibited a short arc of travel with a smooth, clean feel.
The inside edge of the stock extension features three ports that are used to store the two upgraded receiver KrossPins and the rubber Shock Block Bolt Buffer, which are provided in the kit. The grip’s mounting point will accommodate a variety of AR-15-pattern pistol grips, with or without beavertail extensions.
The stock mounting rail’s base features an angled cut and a rounded connector. This allows the two-slot aluminum rail to be rotated for either a straight configuration or a 12 degree downward cant, depending on the height of the optic used. The rounded connector is also a quick-disconnect (QD) sling-mounting socket, which can be faced towards the right or left side of the receiver.
TK Pro Bundle for Manticore X
With the Manticore X lower in hand, folks are free to outfit it with the accessories they prefer, including those from TK or other manufacturers. But to simplify the process of building out the lower, TK offers the Pro Bundle kit of which includes the company’s M-Lok fore-end, hiveGrip and a Rim/Edge-brand folding shoulder stock. This bundle costs about $40 less than purchasing each of these components separately, so you essentially get the grip for free.
The Pro Bundle set costs less than buying these three components separately.
The American-made M-Lok fore-end for Manticore X is a minimalist’s delight. Only 8″ long, this lightweight CNC-machined aluminum rail free-floats the barrel and is just wide enough for three M-Lok accessory slots on the left and right sides with four along the bottom edge. It’s mounted to the upper receiver’s stock screw port using a single support screw, along with three tension screws that allow it to be adjusted for various factory and aftermarket receivers. It’s a suitable fit for bench rests, sand bags and bipods, but not all that comfortable to hold when shooting from the off-hand position. It would benefit from a set of rubber M-Lok rail covers to provide added purchase for the support hand.
I test drove the AR-15 hiveGrip for the first time with the Tippmann M4-22 Redline and found it to be a great fit for target shooting rimfires like this one. It has a hand-filling, finger-grooved and textured rubber surface that comfortably hugs the shooting hand. It also has a removable base plate with a water-resistant seal so that the grip’s hollow can be used as a storage compartment.
The skeletonized aluminum Rim/Edge folding shoulder stock features a Picatinny-mount hinging assembly, a QD socket and textured-rubber butt pad. The hinge and stock can be configured to fold to the left or right side of the rifle. It has two ports for the stock arm’s support screw, which allows for half an inch of height adjustment.
Additional TK Components & DoubleKross Magazines
Because this was a from-scratch build using a stripped 11/22 receiver, a few more TK parts were required. The hardened-steel KrossFire bolt assembly ships with the company’s Eagle’s Talon Extractor, a Fire Starter Titanium Firing Pin and a durable black PVD coating. The Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle assembly features an oversized and skeletonized aluminum extension that is available in black (shown), red or silver finishes. The in-house bright-red Barrel Retaining V-Block was secured with a set of black Rim/Edge V-Block screws.
Tandemkross currently offers all of the parts needed to build a custom 10/22 rifle except for barrels or serial-numbered receivers.
One of the more recent additions to the TK catalog is the fully assembled, ready-to-use DoubleKross 20-round magazine (in the past, only the housings were available). Instead of the more common banana-like profile of aftermarket 15- and 25-round magazines, the translucent DoubleKross is essentially two BX-10 rotary magazines fused together at their bases. This configuration is robust, easy to use and quite compact. Two DoubleKross magazines stacked end-to-end are only about 0.25″ longer than one 15-round BX-15 magazine. That’s 25 more rounds in the same range bag or backpack pocket space.
The 20-round DoubleKross magazine is more compact that BX 15-round magazines.
The Fletcher Rifle Works 11/22 OpenTop Upper
For this build, it seemed only fitting to find a receiver as innovative as the the Manticore X lower, which is why I went with the OpenTop 11/22. It was originally developed near Vienna, Austria by Sebastian Unger in his uncle’s garage. After the design was turned down by Ruger, he took it to the U.S.-based Fletcher Rifle Works team to bring it to market.
The Fletcher OpenTop 11/22 is available with either a railed (shown) or smooth cover plate.
CNC-machined from an aluminum billet and outfitted with stainless steel detents, pins and springs, the OpenTop 11/22 features a sliding top plate that provides access to the bolt assembly without disassembling the rifle. The plate is secured by a captured pin with a small handle located on the left side of the receiver. Just pull the pin out most of the way and then press the plate back towards the shoulder stock to access and remove the bolt assembly. At the front of the receiver is an integral 3.75″ optics rail ideally positioned for use with red-dot optics. The OpenTop 11/22 is available with either a smooth top plate or a plate that extends the optics rail to 9″ for longer magnified rimfire riflescopes.
Pulling the OpenTop 11/22 left-side release pin allows the cover plate to be partially or completely removed from the receiver.
This sliding plate is primarily intended for cleaning purposes, but it’s also quite handy for dealing with the relatively frequent jams associated with rimfire ammunition. Remove the magazine, lock open the bolt, release the top plate, and you have wide open access to the barrel’s chamber for removing stubbornly stuck spent cartridge cases.
Summit Precision Barrel & Compensator
Thicker profile bull barrels (0.920″ diameter) have been a preferred feature for precision-shooting 10/22 carbines for quite some time. This is because the increased diameter reduces barrel flex under recoil, which contributes to better accuracy. However, all-steel barrels are relatively heavy, which is fine for bench work but not so much for shooting in the field.
Summit Precision specializes in precision bull barrels for 10/22 rifles at fair prices.
Summit Precision offers competition-grade barrels featuring a slim, post-tension barrel housed inside a 0.920″ carbon-fiber sleeve. Capped off with 416 stainless steel fittings at either end, it offers the desirable stiffness of a solid steel barrel but with less weight. The solid steel bull barrels can weigh upwards of 48 ozs., while Ruger factory 10/22 tapered carbine barrels hover around 30 ozs. Available in 20″, 18.5″ or 16.1″ lengths, the Summit 18.5″ barrel shown here weighs just 23.2 ozs. before adding on muzzle accessories.
This post-tension, carbon-sleeve barrel is stiff like an all steel-barrel but significantly lighter.
This barrel features a .22 Bentz competition-style chamber with a bore that’s button-rifled at a 1:16″ twist rate. Folks can choose from fixed or takedown barrel configurations with either a natural stainless (shown) or matte black finish for the muzzle and chamber. The carbon fiber tubes are available in a variety of solid colors or mixed color weaves. The barrel shown here is black and gray with touches of silver and blue, which are subtly eye-catching in person, yet difficult to appreciate in photographs.
The slotted compensator shown here has a removable end cap for easier cleaning.
The muzzle is threaded at 1/2×28 TPI and ships with a smooth thread protector installed. For this evaluation, the barrel was fitted with Summit’s in-house 17-4 stainless steel slotted compensator. Ports are intentionally omitted at the 5- and 7-o’clock positions to avoid stirring up dust or debris when shooting from a prone position. The front cap is removable, for easier cleaning, and this compensator ships with a self-timing jam nut, which means that no crush washer or shims are required for a just-right fit.
Built Rifle Specifications
When fully assembled, this build was a sight to behold! The gun looks like the offspring of a rimfire race gun and tactical carbine, which works for me. With its mostly matte black finish, the stainless steel pins of the receiver tie in nicely with the stainless fittings and silver carbon-fiber flecks of the blue/black Summit barrel.
The completed Manticore X build weighs in at just 4 lbs., 7.3 ozs.
In the middle of it all is a splash of red from the partially visible TK V-Block. Altogether, the rifle’s profile and features draw attention without hollering for it, which is just what I wanted. For those who do want a bit more race-gun “zing,” the Manticore X lower is available with red appointments, and the Summit barrel is available with matching red carbon-fiber highlights.
As configured, the stock assembly provides a 12.5” length of pull.
As configured, it tips the scales at 4 lbs., 7.3 ozs. without a magazine or an optic installed. It’s 34.63″ long with the Rim/Edge stock extended, 26.5″ with the stock folded and 6.13″ tall when measured from the top of the receiver’s rail to the base of the TK hiveGrip. I enjoyed trying out all of the various stock configurations.
The Manticore X assembly gives this rifle a profile unlike any other currently available on the market.
What I settled on for the range test was a left-side folding, straight profile with the stock set to the bottom port of the hinge. Configured this way, it provides a 12.5″ length-of-pull, and it will comfortably accommodate a red-dot optic using a low-profile rail mount.
The skeletonized aluminum should stock folds easily to the left or right side of the carbine, depending on the orientation of the hinged mounting plate.
Swamp Fox Justice II
Swamp Fox Optics recently released its RMR footprint Justice II micro red-dot optic, which is optimized for use with competition guns. The 7075-T6 aluminum housing and hood have been strengthened to better protect the internals. The generously sized, ruby-coated 30 mm lens proved to be an ideal fit when paired with this company’s low-mount 1913 Picatinny rail base. The 6-m.o.a. dot features 10 brightness settings with a Shake ‘N Wake automatic on/off function to conserve the CR1632 battery’s power. For those who prefer a taller, AR-style red-dot height, take a look at the Swamp Fox Rebel Riser mount.
The Swamp Fox Justice II is an ideal red-dot optic for a multi-purpose rimfire like this one.
At The Range
This hybrid carbine was put through its paces at the shooting range using a mix of magazines, including a pair of the DoubleKross magazines from TK, Ruger factory BX magazines in 10-, 15- and 25-round capacities, along with a Black Dog Machine 25-rounder and a decades old Butler Creek Hot Lips 25-rounder, which was rolled into the set to keep things interesting.
In the course of firing hundreds of rounds, from practice-grade to premium hollow-point loads, there were three failed primers and one stuck case. This is pretty much par for the course when the ammo used includes budget-priced bulk-box loads. Otherwise, it was totally smooth sailing. All of the components, controls and magazines worked smoothly and properly for what proved to be an exceptionally enjoyable shooting session.
This build’s features make it a good fit for bench-rested shooting or for use in the field.
For the formal bench-rested accuracy testing conducted at 50 yards, I intentionally didn’t do this gun’s Bentz chamber any special favors in regards to ammunition selection. One point to keep in mind is that Summit Precision advises against the use of “hyper-velocity” ammunition in its .22 Bentz chamber. This is not to say that the Browning BPR, Federal Automatch or the Remington Target loads are bad choices for rimfire ammunition. On the contrary, I’ve used these loads extensively with positive results across several different platforms.
This semi-automatic operated reliably with a diverse mix of magazine brands and capacities.
However, they are more representative of what one finds in big box stores’ general use ammunition selection than the dedicated (and more expensive) high-grade target shooting loads preferred by rimfire competitors. This lightweight, folding-stock 10/22-pattern build is configured as a multi-purpose carbine, so it was wrung out with mostly multi-purpose ammo. But based on the following results, I’m looking forward to attaching a magnified riflescope and loading it up with competition-grade loads to see what it can really do:
Parting Shots
At the conclusion of this evaluation, it’s evident that the Tandemkross Manticore X lower assembly paired with the TK PRO Bundle parts succeeds in three ways. First, it strips away as much fat as possible for a lightweight 10/22-pattern rifle build. It’s lean, clean, and the minimalists in the crowd will love it. Secondly, the company set out to incorporate the best-of AR-15 design features including easily separated upper and lower receivers and modular grip and shoulder stock compatibility. Finally, TK serves up a generous helping of what they do best, namely, the upgraded components and controls that make race-gun enthusiasts smile with room in the mix for folks to pick out the barrel, receiver, grip and shoulder stock they prefer.
Sub-1” groups were common with this rifle using readily available ammunition options.
Some folks are not going to care for the looks or features of this more tactical interpretation of the much beloved Ruger 10/22 carbine. And that’s just fine. Folks should own and shoot what they like. But for those of us who are into more cutting-edge design, this semi-automatic rimfire is enjoyable and simple to assemble along with being all kinds of good fun to shoot.
With the innovative Fletcher upper receiver and the precise Summit barrel, it can be a handy plinker, a lightweight backpack gun, a small game hunter and a bench-rested paper puncher. It can do it all and do so with a style all its own. For more information, see the manufacturer links shown below.
The Build Sheet
Fletcher Rifle Works OpenTop 11/22 Receiver; solid picatinny rail, black, $275
Summit Precision Carbon Fiber Barrel; blue/black, $250
Summit Precision Slotted Compensator; $100
Swampfox Justice II 1×30 Dot Sight; (JTC2130-6R), $259
Swampfox Picatinny (optic) Mount; (LJA-PBM-6061B), $20
TandemKross Components:
Maniticore X Lower Assembly; black (TK18N0511BLK1), $500
Manticore X PRO Bundle; (TK18N0533BLK1), $200
KrossFire Bolt Assembly, black; (TK18N0122BLK1), $140
Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle, black; (TK18N0121BLK1), $28
Barrel Retaining V-Block; red (TK18N0449RED1), $20
Rim/Edge V-Block Screws 2-Pack; black (TK18N0453BLK1), $6
Assembeled DoubleKross Magazine; 20-round (TK18N0105CLRA), $50
Categories
Gun Engraving
