The Firearm Blog

Last week Kalashnikov wrote an open letter addressed to the citizens, Prime Minister and President of Russia. He is very unhappy about rumors, presumably in the media, that Izhmash, the company that produces the AK and other military and sporting arms, is in trouble and will close down soon.

He attributes the rumors to foreign nations trying to undermine Russian power and goes on to encourage Russian law enforcement, who use Izhmash firearms, to punish the rumor spreaders.

I translated the letter using Google Translate (originally from the Izhmash website):

Dear Dmitry!
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!
Dear fellow citizens!

Today, I appeal to you all a very sad occasion. Nearly half a year stretches harassment plant Izhmash, where I worked for 60 years and I feel proud of our country.

As the country goes unknown to anyone Committee employees and veterans’ Izhmasha. ” It is far from the factory, people acting on behalf izhmashevtsev and say that the plant surviving the last few days.

Those who spread rumors about the collapse of “Izhmash” - issued wishful thinking!

I work with “Izhmashe, and I see that the plant continues to operate normally today. We are actively engaged in fulfilling the state defense order to rearm our Army and international military-technical cooperation. Our hunting weapons demand worldwide. Russian athletes win with our new weapons and new awards. Great honor for us was that the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, visiting “Izhmash” in February this year, called it the pride of Russian industry.

There are people who want to cross out all of this, the credibility of the “Izhmashu” in Russia and abroad, deprive him of his orders and thus an opportunity to select and further improve our weapons. They hide behind good goals, good goals but do not reach through lies.

I do not know who it is. But I think the ability to do so only those foreign nations who want to undermine the power of Russia, or banditry groups that want to gain force again, to get the plant for the production of small arms.

I appeal to all our law enforcement agencies. After all, you have to work with us, because you know that without arms “Izhmasha” Our country will not have the great power that it has become in recent years. I ask you to prevent this flow of lies and punish the guilty.

Best regards,
Mikhail Kalashnikov Timofeyevich

S&W have just released a press release saying that they are supplying 7500 M&P9 pistols to the Iraq Military and security forces. I don’t know how long they have been using the pistol. I was not aware they had adopted the M&P9 before reading the press release.

Nichols, added, “In addition to the M&P9s currently used in Iraq, Smith & Wesson firearms have also been used in active duty for the last two years with several security forces in Afghanistan including the Afghanistan National Army and Border Patrol as well as the Afghanistan National Police. To date, over 80,000 Smith & Wesson firearms are currently being used in these two countries. Reports from the field continue to indicate that the firearms are exceeding all expectations in the areas of reliability and durability. We are honored to continue delivering firearms that support men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and we remain committed to supplying high-quality small arms to the military and federal government.”

Smith & Wesson M&P9

Full press release here.

Earlier this month Browning announced, to much fanfare, a new 12 gauge autoloader shotgun called the “Browning Maxus” at the annual sales meeting. Browning have really hyped this shotgun and have called it “The Most Reliable Autoloading Shotgun the World Has Ever Known.”.

The Browning Maxus Stalker model

The Browning Maxus Mossy Oak Duck Blind model

Browning claim the shotgun generates 18% less felt recoil, 44% less muzzle jump, 19% faster bolt speed and 24% faster locktime. The shotgun has a variety of improvements that make this performance increase possible:

* A new gas system called the “Power Drive Gas System” which is cleaner and more reliable with light loads.

* A new trigger called the “Lightning Trigger System” which has an average lock time of .0052 seconds.

* A new recoil pad called the “Inflex Technology Recoil Pad” which claims to decrease muzzle rise (I recently bought a grind-to-fit Limbsaver recoil pad recently that claimed the same thing).

It also has some nice magazine improvements. A feed system called “Speed Load Plus” allows the first shell inserted into the magazine to go directly into the chamber without cycling the action! Don’t ask me how this works but I look forward to examining the magazine system when it makes its way into the gun shops.

Browning have also introduced an improved magazine plug that can be inserted and removed in seconds using a car key.

The shotgun will be offered in two models (see above photos) and each model will be available in either a 3″ chamber or 3 1/2″ chamber and a 26″ barrel or 28″ barrel. Depending on the configuration the price will range from $1,199 - $1,499. It will be available sometime next year (2009).

Photo from Browning.com. An apparent reference
to the fictional Gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius

As part of the launch Browning released a video on youtube. It has some very impressive videography. If you are not interested in the shotgun itself skip to the middle to watch the shooting.

The Kahr P380 .380 micro compact pistol will be shipping next month (November 2008). This pistol competes with the Ruger LCP and the Kel-Tec P3AT.

The pistol was originally supposed to be shipping earlier this year in June. The press release today came shortly after the Ruger announced a recall on the .380 LCP. Coincidental? I think not.

Ruger: This is getting really old. Both your new pistols have been recalled. How do you expect us to trust you?

The press release:

SOUTHPORT, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE:RGR - News) announces that it has recently received a small number of reports from the field indicating that LCP pistols can discharge when dropped onto a hard surface with a round in the chamber. Although no injuries have been reported, we are firmly committed to safety and will retrofit all older LCP pistols (described below). The retrofit involves installation of an upgraded hammer mechanism at no charge to the customer.

As a responsible manufacturer, we want to make our customers aware of this FREE safety upgrade. All LCP pistols bearing the prefix “370” (that is, serial number 370-xxxxx) may be affected. LCP owners can sign up for the safety upgrade or obtain additional information by:

* Visiting our LCP recall website at www.ruger.com/lcprecall
* E-mail: LCPrecall@ruger.com
* Fax: 928-541-8873
* Calling the LCP Recall hotline at 1-800-784-3701

The new parts are being built and we will retrofit LCP pistols on a first-come, first-served basis as soon as they are available. When Ruger is ready to retrofit a consumer’s pistol, Ruger will send a shipping label and package with instructions for the FREE return of the LCP pistol to our factory in Prescott, Arizona. Ruger will install the new hammer mechanism, plus some other functional upgrades that have been added since the LCP’s introduction, at no charge to the consumer and the pistol will be returned at Ruger expense. All owners will receive a FREE LCP magazine with the new finger grip extension as a “thank you” for their patience and cooperation.

A big thanks to Ed for correcting my mistake, I had misread the logo. What I thought was called the NRX is in fact the ARX-160 as you can see in the blown up logo below. I had assumed the “NRX” was the M4 equivalent of the ARX-160.

I have update the blog post. Ed has more info about this rifle/carbine at Tell Me Why.

Deminer posted scanned images from a Russian sniper handbook. The picture below is interesting. It shows how to setup MON-50 (claymore like) mines so that a cluster can be set off by a sniper.

More images here.

In 2009 Remington will launch the new 12 gauge Model 870 Express Tactical pump action shotgun.

The shotgun will be available in two models. The ghost ring model will include a weaver rail mounted rear XS Ghost Sight and XS Blade foresight. The standard model has a front bead sight and no rail.

Both models have a 2 round magazine extension (7+1 magazine capacity), black synthetic stocks, 18.5″ barrel, forward sling swivel and Tactical Extended Remington Choke.

Tactical Extended Rem Choke

As you can see above the tactical choke includes a muzzle break, which should decrease recoil, and breach teeth.

The shotgun will be marketed to both law enforcement and to civilians as a home defense shotgun.

Next year (2009) the Remington R15 will be available with a thumbhole stock made by Bell & Carlson.

Is Remington hedging their bets against an unfavorable election result?

If they are it is a clever strategic move. The R15 has very little “evil”. With the new stock it has no free standing pistol grip, a 5 round magazine, an unthreaded barrel with no flash hider or muzzle break and is camo colored.

test post 3

Test post 2

The IDF field the FN Mag and IWI Negev machine guns. Doubletapper has written a detailed post about each and the of the various configurations they are available in.

CNET reports that Toronto police have launched a digital cameras for firearms program.

A handgun or assault rifle is worth a $400 Nikon Coolpix S52 and a shotgun nets a $250 Nikon Coolpix P60. The deal includes free photography lessons.

… we all know how effective these programs are.

A couple of weeks ago SayUncle asked for advice on getting started reloading. The comments are worth reading if you are thinking about reloading, as I am.