Desert01, I examined your posts on other forums, particularly
http://www.ak47.net/lite/topic.html?b=6&f=2&t=263896. I tried to determine if any of the SWATriplex-18 shotguns have survived. Does that SWATriplex-18 in Norway still exist,
Desert01?
Apparently five of the SWATriplex-18's were imported into the U.S.A. in the late 1970's or early 1980's. You have corresponded with two of the importers who had considered a partnership. Did you learn the year of importation to the U.S.A.,
Desert01?
Some of the five, or possibly all five, were eventually taken into the possession of the BATF, as non-sporting weapons, not eligible for import. Did you learn the year that the SWATriplex-18's were "donated" to the BATF,
Desert01?
I have corresponded several times this weekend with Mr. Evan P. Marshall, site administrator of
http://www.stoppingpower.net. On 20 Oct 2002 a thread asked, "Does anyone remember who made the SWATriplex-18?" Mr. Marshall answered, "South African though I'm not sure of the name - Neostadt? Would only work with 2 3/4" 00 buck shot. I tried it with slugs and it wasn't reliable. I shot it at Norfolk Naval Base when I worked for Ruger."
http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=950
After several correspondences, Mr. Marshall and I determined that it was indeed the SWATriplex-18 shotgun (and not the Truvelo NeoStead-2000 shotgun) that he tested at Norfolk Naval Base in 1989-1991 when he worked for Ruger. The Truvelo NeoStead-2000 was first produced in 2000-2001. It was partially modeled after the SWATriplex-18.
It was apparently one of the five SWATriplex-18's that were imported to the U.S.A. that Mr. Marshall held in his hands and it had survived destruction until at least 1989-1991. Moreover, Mr. Marshall personally verified that the SWATriplex-18 was not reliable with slugs. That also was a clue, because the NeoStead-2000 is reliable with all 2.75" shells.
Mr. Marshall reported that about 1989-1991 while he worked at Ruger, there was a large demonstration of a variety of firearms manufacturers at Norfolk Naval Base, but he added, "I can no longer recall why we were using that facility." I was unclear who Mr. Marshall meant by "we," but he also "worked for the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Secure Transportation, training the Federal agents who transport nukes, for 5½ years."
Production of the SWATriplex-18 apparently ceased in the early 1980's from the poor health and financial problems of its inventor, Mr. John W. Winter. Do you have any information suggesting that Mr. Winter was unlikely to have still been personally promoting the SWATriplex-18 in 1989-1991,
Desert01? When did Mr. Winter die,
Desert01, and was he a South African citizen? If so, I will delete the list in the above post of deceased Americans who were named John W. Winter.
If not Mr. Winter, himself, then of course I cannot determine who at the Norfolk Naval Base had custody of the SWATriplex-18 shotgun that Mr. Marshall shot.
Because that firearms demonstration about 1989-1991 was at the Norfolk Naval Base, I had considered that perhaps those manufacturers were demonstrating their firearms for the Department of the Navy, or for the Navy SEALs at Virginia Beach, Virginia, but possibly it was for the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Secure Transportation.
It would be important to learn if the five imported SWATriplex-18's were "donated" to the BATF before 1989-1991,
Desert01, because that might indicate that our military still had a small curiousity at that time about this shotgun.