During my visit to Slovenia, I had a chance to tour the AREX Defense factory in Šentjernej. I came away really impressed by the quality and the breadth of operations that the factory performs in-house. They have only been making their own handgun designs for about 5 years, but they have been a subcontractor making parts for other big-name companies (like FN) for decades.
Conversion
Arex AKB-15: A Lost AK Modernization Project
The AKB-15 was a project developed by Arex Defense in Slovenia in 2015. The company received a request from a small country (they decline to reveal exactly who) to modernize a stock of AKM rifles […]
Semiauto Rifles
Slovenian SAR80: Sterling Out-Simplifies the AR-180
The British Sterling firm designed the SAR-80 (specifically, their engineer Frank Waters) as a very simple rifle to sell to countries outside the main NATO/Warsaw spheres of influence. Sterling ended up getting a license to […]
Accessories
How’s It Made: A Giant Machine That Make MG Links
When I got a tour of Arex Defense in Slovenia, one of the really neat things I saw (which I had not seen elsewhere before) was a machine for making MG links. It’s a single […]
I’m glad I’m not the only one who geeks out about things like this! Please keep this kind of content coming.
That’s way cool buddy!! I had no idea about the whole process. Thank you!
^ what Mike said
^ What Keith said.
^ What Mikeith said.
^ Or what Mikeithed said!
Loved this video!! My Arex Zero2 is one of my favorite pistols, and my Maternal Grandmother was a immigrant from Slovenia (Yugoslavia at the time) just after WWII.
Wild. Ian has been a machinist in the past and his appreciation of the mechanics involved comes through. Very educational video.
Sure, all up to date. What is the ‘magic’ behind it?
Western market, western money. What else to expect? Just like elsewhere in this world be it Europe, US or Canada. Go to Tikka-Sako-Beretta, same thing. You cannot tell them apart.
You cannot buy trained skilled engineers and workers. That only comes from priceless experience. Having the most modern machines and tools does certainly help of course.
About the barrels hammering, what becomes of the rifling mandrel when it’s done ? How is it removed since it must have been quenched in the process ? Is it used only once or several times (how many) ?