Edward Felk was an Australian who decided to produce semiauto pistols in Australia. In 1994 he patented a couple features of his new design, and set about finding a way to produce it. He ended up subcontracting with Star of Spain to produce barrels and slides, while the polymer frames were produced in Australia. The Star parts were pretty well done, but the frames were fairly poor quality. The original translucent polymer magazines were also a problem; they tended to crack.
The first version of the gun was the TF919 in 9mm (also the TF400 in .40S&W), with an open slide reminiscent of the Beretta family, and a manual safety lever that pivots out the back of the trigger itself. A second pattern (the MTF919 and MTF400) came out in the late 1990s and used a more conventional closed slide and a Glock-like conventional trigger safety.
All of the patterns are quite scarce today, as the whole project was a commercial failure.
“(…)Edward Felk(…)Australian(…)1994(…)patented(…)”
I did cursory patent search and unveiled US5355768A
https://patents.google.com/patent/US5355768A
Automatic pistol with select fire mechanism
as its’ title says it described selective-fire variant. What prototype of such weapon created or it just stay as drawings?
My search unveiled also following fire-arms related patents of that inventor
US5410831A Extractors for automatic pistols (described element act as loaded chamber indicator)
US5678342A Automatic piston firing mechanism
US5906066A Automatic pistol mechanism
“Vanity Project” and “Commercial Firearm Success” just don’t belong together
I’m curious what makes you say it was a vanity project?
Manufacturing a gun for sale in a country where it’s nearly impossible to buy a gun lawfully is not what I’d call marketing genius. Also, the modern British commonwealth countries have a rather poor understanding of successful gun design.
Hank:
Until 1996 Australia had relative freedom to own arms, so the project made sense in that respect. Obviously the same cannot be said now, the Australian government is extremely unfriendly towards gun ownership, though perhaps not quite as bad as Canada.
And may we keep it up!
And, tell everyone what happened in Tasmania to trigger the federal government’s response.
? A mentally ill gunny maniac started killing people with his guns.
And try to tell us that the national government’s action were unpopular on any serious level! Like above 10% of the population!?
Wankers the lot of you.
We do NOT have any constitutional RIGHT to bear arms here in Australia. So stop projecting about that!
Do feel free to bother someone else you troll.
I saw this version announced in the 1992 Gun Digest as the American Arms “Aussie”. Reading the description and looking at the photo, my first though as a long time SciFan was “Some fool finally built a ‘cyberpunk’ polymer one-shot”.
Overall, it reminded me of a Mauser M1910/34 enlarged and fitted with a Petter-type Browning locking system.
None of the above would have induced me to buy one.
cheers
eon
Did it get a good “review” at the time? He he.
They thought it was an “economy clone” of the Beretta M92. Somehow overlooking everything about it that was more like a Beretta M1915.
Personally, I’d have rather taken a Beretta M1915 into an IA. It at least had the virtue that when you pulled the trigger, it went BANG.
cheers
eon
This was pre 96. Australia was making all sorts of things, and firearms were relatively easy to buy. Even now they are not “nearly impossible” to buy.
That Australian “triangle bolt” Ar180 thing forget what it was called; Interesting gun.
https://youtu.be/mHz4O3gFQ7s
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/rifles/australian-automatic-arms-sac/
That.
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/leader-dynamics-t2-mkv-video/
That even… Anyway the other video showed they were interested in Oz about trying to… Reduce costs. Type thing, around the same time. Doubtless trying to save a gun industry, on it’s arse.
How many were made in all configurations. Are there any quantities positivfely known?
Well you can sort of see what the idea was using this new “fandangled” tech of; polymer, it was to try and make it cheaper than if it was all metal. And he probably did that in principle. Polymer this polymer that, polymer were it was not a good idea… In practice.
Meh, I mean at least the safety is an actual safety as oppose; what… The Glocks “snag” safety. Even if not perhaps the most practical implementation of it; wee fiddly lever thing on the trigger, possibly could have used a trigger guard in such a manner. But doubtless it was a cheap enough fix; in regards the overall aim of the gun. Clearly overall it was not a good idea in practice, but if you imagine the time “Polymer” you can see why he thought it might have been and chanced it I.e. It’s… Er… Cost, offset so much it made up for it being a bit, poor quality… Quite probably he didn’t quite get, that the reduction in quality would have; too much of an impact, in regards the overall viability of the Pistol. In that it turned out, not as good as a highpoint.
But an easy mistake to make! At the time probably, fair play to him for trying. Even modern CNC “metal” made guns, run into quality issues; he he.
But it is less of an issue because “test on the public & recall” is the business model of everyone, cars/planes, guns etc… Regardless ironically of the availabity of endless internet reviews unlike in the 90’s etc were you had to buy; Guns and ammo or something for someone to review it.
Or perhaps, actual… Real quality went… Along with the workers who used to machine stuff before the advent of CNC so everyone is in the same boat. Meh, fart.
Marketing wise Felk… Felkhaus, Velkman, or something, other than felk; sort of Felching union concern ltd type name. Meh. You want to try and sound Swiss really, for the imagine of quality; once you could do it with German stuff… But less now. Swiss, sort of German but still good as oppose shit like everything else; Chinese or otherwise all made by the same equipment.
Are you putting forth proposal to use longer name, which is harder to remember? Is not that against common practice used in marketing?
What Felching union concern ltd or Felkhaus or such; velkmann, etc? If so yes; felch, is sort of fart. You know “The discharge of gas one may make inadvertently or otherwise as explained above.” In English.
Velk… Even. Sounds better. Like Volk makes you thing of krauts and quality in your imagination. Velkss pistole how about that ss “Trains run on time” sort of quality… assurance.
Felk… Meh. Anyway, cut out slide portions; I reckon he was “Overcome” with emotions such as this new plastic stuff could make a pistol really cheap that is as good. So, fair enpough he tried. At the time.
“(…)highpoint(…)”
What is this?
“(…)Even modern CNC “metal” made guns, run into quality issues; he he.(…)”
Did not you consider material used orthogonal to quality achieved?
“(…)Along with the workers who used to machine stuff before the advent of CNC so everyone is in the same boat.(…)”
Now I am confused, does not CNC allows keeping better precision (smaller standard deviation of dimensions of parts procured)?
“(…)Meh, fart.”
What does that mean?
Dw i ddim yn hoffi. You want to learn English, what does FART mean? Fart…
A fart Sir means: The release of flatulence from ones posterior; such as at a wedding or indeed a funeral.
A physical emittance, a discharge of bodily gas; to pump.
Possibly with an unpleasent smell.
An example.
“My God Mildred Uncle Ebenzeer has Farted at the funeral of that poor urchin; Tiny Tim, may God smote him such in his posterior and bring upon him his demise”
Quite. Roger.
Your problem is, that Cyrill fellow wrote normal letters backwards and upside down; which is not our fault, you should try harder to read the correct way round; in English. Fair play to him for christening you heathens mind. It is a bit like Austrailia they may claim they are the right way up so the moon is not upside down, but they are mistaken… North is the correct English orientation throughout the universe, and you Sir are to the East. Do you deny that? No, you do not. So kindy read correct English in future and understand the designation of fart; you will find it stamped on most U.K products he he.
“(…)Tiny Tim(…)”
Now, you must be aware of some very peculiar connection, as I fail to see one between what you describe and https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/tiny-tim-missile/nasm_A19660030000
Now I fear to ask for further explanation of highpoint is.
Er… Little John that probably; Robin hood… John was very big… As oppose the Charles Dickens Tiny Tim chap. Tiny Tim being tiny… As oppose John. Who was nicknamed something opposite to reality I.e He was big, not tiny…
Highloint being made, of none polymer materials.
orthogonal; Is that Russian or something.
I assume you mean, it is cheaper to use such a shape of steel in such a shape and cnc it.
Doubtless it is.
Crap though aren’t they compared to Roth Steyrs for example; I mean they just look like cheap bland shit, which they are. Not cheap though eh. Inflationary by definition; more of but shit.
Sorry; More production of said units, but less quality per unit.
“orthogonal; Is that Russian or something. (…)”
???
https://archive.org/details/con00ciseoxforddicfowlrich/page/576/mode/2up
orthogonal of or involving right angles
That is material used (allowing values of polymer and metal) and (allowing values of low and high) as axes and having polymer-low, polymer-high, metal-low, metal-high.
Thank you, I am sure you are right.
It is within our ability to create stuff that is not disposible shit.
Felching eh, I bet that has brightened up “Hopefully” some of Forgotten weapons over 18 audience. I garnered the term from Viz a popular “once popular” topical periodical published in the U.K every 3 weeks or so as a disclaimer. So suck my balls, bishop.
Is that illegal in Russia? Bishop ball sucking or Bishops sucking balls. Well… You can bet it goes on eh; hence the existence of the West per se.
“Is that illegal in Russia?(…)”
This is question to 63-ФЗ which you can read there
https://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%A3%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%A4%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8
The molding of the polymer lower appears to be quite rough and I can see why it would have been a visible turn-off to prospective buyers. Functionally, I am not so sure how much effect the quality of the lower had on the ability of the Felk pistol to perform as intended. Perhaps I am wrong, but the bore axis appears to be quite low compared to similar pistols of the period, so it might be possible that the Felk could prove to be a reasonably good shooter or better. Does anyone here have more information or actual experience with the pistol to help us understand it a little better?
Almost all the polymer framed pistols are made of some kind of fiber-reinforced plastic, while this seem to be made of simple injection plastic.
While injection plastic is still good for the job, one of the the main virtues of the fiber-reinforced kind is that it feels less “plastic-y”.
I certainly agree with you on all counts. All of the modern striker and hammer-fired pistols in my inventory that use polymer lower frames clearly have some form of composite reinforcement such as fiberglass. There certainly is nothing lacking structurally or even cosmetically ( if properly finished ) in straight injection molded plastic as long as said plastic is of the specification for the application at hand. If done correctly, even the plastic-like feel you are alluding to will not be apparent. Unfortunately for the Felk pistol, based on Ian’s assessment, this appears to not have been achieved even if the structural goals were fulfilled. Details aside, I’d still like to know how well the Felk actually performs on the range.
Anyway, the trigger guard could fufill the function of wee safety on the trigger; It could rotate, via a half “pivot” at the front of the trigger guard with a piece of it that sat behind the trigger; to prevent depressing it, until you moved it out of the way to the left with your trigger finger. Perhaps. Probably less fiddly than the wee lever thing on the trigger. It does resemble a Mauser M1910/34 somewhat actually. I am not clicking that link Daweo it looks “Somewhat dubious; what is it like? Bishop porn, niche; he he.” anyway… Meh. Soon be spring.
It would make you look more sensible if you’d posted ‘an Australian’.
Australia as a nation and its defence force have come up with excellent weapons.
Like the Owen Gun and the F1 SMG. The latter being as reliable and way easier to carry. NOT as easy to control first time around but learnable.
I was at the time a qualified Marksman and Coach in our Army.
Is pistol DAO ?
Also, is that a galvanizing on a magazine ??
Thats novel, tbh never seen it used for gun parts.