Story of the Alar: A Simple Student-Made SMG
Forgotten Weapons
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The Alar is an interesting very rare Croatian domestic SMG. It is called the "Alar" after it's designer, Stipe Alar. He first came up with the design in 1971 and built one illegally - which resulted in him going to prison for a time. When the Croatian Homeland War broke out and guns were urgently needed, his design came back to light and students at the mechanical trade school in Sisak began to manufacture them.
Mechanically, the design uses a simple trigger, PPSh-style bolt, very basic underfolding stock, and modified MP40 magazines (in 9mm Parabellum). The barrels were made by Steyr, and smuggled over the Austrian border as material for car roof racks. We actually have three examples to look at today; the first prototype, one of the first productions guns made (which was used as a presentation gift) and one standard example.
Thanks to the Sisak Municipal Museum for giving me access to film this!
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