“The world is filled with violence. Because criminals carry guns, we decent, law-abiding citizens should also have guns. Otherwise, they will win, and the decent people will lose.” — James Earl Jones.
If you had told me in 2026 I would own an AR-15 chambered in 7.92 Kurz, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you followed that up with the fact that I would own a 7.92 Kurz AR-15 that once belonged to James Earl Jones, I would have laughed. Yet, here I am, with James Earl Jones’ 7.92 Kurz AR-15.
Many folks don’t know that veteran and legendary actor James Earl Jones defied the typical Hollywood mindset when it came to firearms. He was incredibly pro-gun, being a noted member of the NRA.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
His firearm collection would likely make most of us drool. It’s been rumored that he had one of the few WA2000s in existence. There is even an old joke that goes, “If only ten of a certain gun exists, James Earl Jones owns five of them.” Some of his collection has come up for sale, and it shows an incredibly eclectic taste in firearms.
Of all the guns listed for sale in the collection, this 7.92 Kurz AR stood out the most, and it was priced at a price I couldn’t refuse. A week later, I had this unique rifle in my hands, complete with a certificate of authenticity and one big question: why?
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Why a 7.92 Kurz AR-15?
I can’t possibly answer why James Earl Jones desired such a unique rifle. However, as a collector of the weird and obscure, I can see the desire to own such a thing. The desire usually comes down to, “Why not?”
Different is fun, different is interesting, and the AR is so modular that if you were to make a 7.92 Kurz rifle, it seems like the perfect platform to do so. Judging by the few of his firearms that are for sale, it’s clear he had an interest in the odd.
The 7.92 Kurz originated in Nazi Germany during World War II for the StG 44. The StG 44 is widely credited as the first assault rifle. It’s also known as the 8mm Kurz and the 7.92 x 33 mm. The projectile uses the same caliber as the 7.92x57mm used by the standard German army in the Karabiner 98k. The projectile is lighter, at 125 grains.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Kurz means short, and you’ll see the “K” designation with numerous firearms and calibers. It’s become the standard nomenclature for a shorter variant of a specific firearm or caliber. The MP5K, the 9mm Kurz, and even the “k” in 98k mean “kurz.”
The 7.92 Kurz was never an extremely popular cartridge. Most weapons produced for the cartridge were prototypes for the StG 44 program. There were a few experiments here and there, but it was never widely adopted outside of Nazi Germany.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Remington produced an XP-100 bolt-action pistol in 7.92 Kurz, and AMT produced an Automag in the cartridge as well. Beyond that, any commercial 7.92 Kurz firearm or barrel was often a custom option. For example, the upper on this rifle was custom-made by SSK Firearms at the behest of James Earl Jones.
SSK Firearms & the Kurz
I reached out to SSK Firearms to see if there was any history on the firearm. Unfortunately, the records from so long ago are gone, and they were relying on memory. It was a one-off custom rifle. According to SSK, they undertook several very unusual projects for him.
The rifle itself is a mostly standard AR. The lower is from Doublestar and marked 5.56. It features standard AR controls, a fixed A2 stock, and a 16.5-inch, heavy, stainless-steel barrel with what has to be a custom A2 flash-hider muzzle device. The handguard is a basic aluminum tube that’s quite nice. The rifle is fairly well-balanced, a tad heavy, but fine overall.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The bolt features trim and slim walls around the breech face. This is about the only way to use a 7.92 or even a 7.62 load in an AR-15-sized platform. What’s neat is that before I ever shot the rifle, I took it apart to examine it, and it had seemingly been shot a fair bit, judging by the carbon that rubbed off on my fingers.
It’s neat to think the man who played Thulsa Doom, Mufasa, and Vice Admiral James Greer had fired this rifle a fair bit and likely enjoyed it.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
It’s Not Semi-Auto
This rifle is New York State compliant. To comply with New York and keep the supposed “super dangerous” features like a pistol grip and flash hider, the rifle is not semi-auto. It’s a straight-pull bolt action. As in, you pull the charging handle rearward for every shot fired.
The rifle has a gas block and gas tube, but according to SSK, the barrel lacks a gas port. It wouldn’t be difficult for a gunsmith to add a port and turn this into a semi-automatic rifle.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The front takedown pin is welded shut. It only breaks open at the rear. I’m not quite sure why. I initially thought it was some wacky New York law, but it doesn’t seem to be.
Ammo & Magazines
The rifle came with one ancient 5.56 Thermold magazine, which, in my experience, are terrible magazine. The 7.92 Kurz fits, with a pronounced gap between the magazine’s front and the projectile’s tip.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
I was extremely excited to shoot this rifle. Sadly, ammo is exceptionally rare right now. Prvi Partizan is the only ammo company that regularly produces 7.92 Kurz. They do small runs, and it’s fairly affordable, but with the current global conflicts, it seems like they’ve scaled it back a fair bit.
I found 30 rounds of surplus 7.92 from 1961. It’s steel-cased, corrosive, and costs three dollars a round. I didn’t mind paying the cost to get the chance to shoot this rifle. C’mon, it’s the rifle of Darth Vader! I don’t have the capability to turn 7.62 NATO into 33mm cases and reload my own, but that might be my future.
At the Range with the 7.92 Kurz AR
Off the bat, if you want a reliable feeding magazine, don’t load more than four rounds. Anything beyond that is a hassle. What about using a 7.62x39mm magazine? I tried, but the AR-Stoner 7.62x39mm magazine wouldn’t fit in this lower.
Occasionally, the rounds would also seemingly get stuck in the chamber, requiring quite a pull to free them. At other times, the round’s blowback would partially open the bolt, making ejection easier.
As you’d expect from steel-cased, surplus ammo from 1961, the accuracy wasn’t 1 MOA. Due to my low ammo amount, I only shot this gun at 50 yards and in. After zeroing the Vector Paragon at 50 yards, I fired a three-round group from a semi-supported position using a blue barrel as a rest. The group was about two inches wide.
Recoil was largely on par with that of a 7.62x39mm AR. It’s not much, but noticeably more than a 5.56 AR. This is a straight-pull action, but it does have a buffer that engages when the action partially opens. It’s still just an intermediate caliber, so it’s not going to thump you all that much.
Even with its quirky compliant design, I greatly enjoyed firing the rifle. Every round brought a smile to my face. Every ding of steel echoing over the range was a satisfying one. This rifle is a perfect mix of weird in an unusual and rare caliber.
One Odd AR
It’s the first time I’ve ever fired the 7.92 Kurz in anything, and there are likely very few 7.92 Kurz ARs out there. It’s also just a ton of fun to shoot a rifle that once belonged to such a legendary actor, veteran, and gun rights advocate who strayed from the anti-gun mindset of many of his colleagues.
This rifle, and many others listed on Checkpoint Charlie’s, show an unusual and eclectic taste in firearms. I imagine his full collection is even more fascinating, unusual, and rare. Maybe one day we’ll know the full extent of his collection, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some truly unique pieces.
