The Firearm Blog

Sean @ Everything Hunting has written detail instructions on how to butcher deer yourself.

The price of butchering a deer ranges from $75-150. I don’t know about you, but that is a little much when you can butcher your own for free in about 4 hours. If you are content with paying someone so that you don’t have to worry about it then you have more money than me.

More here.

Say what you want about airsofters, but they sure know how to sell their products.

Roy @ The Download Monkey has many more.

Jason emailed me some great photos of his new Savage Slug Warrior (Model 210F). The rifle/shotgun chambers 3″ 12 gauge shells, weights in at 7.6 lbs, has a 24″ barrel and a 2 round magazine capacity. MSRP is $587.

Click to expand the photos.

A very nice looking shotgun/rifle. Thanks Jason!

UPDATE from Jason:

SO FAR I’VE PRINTED GROUPS AS CLOSE AS 3/8 INCH WITH THE HORNADY SST AT 50 YRDS.

BUT WITH ONE THING..SAVAGE NEEDS TO CORRECT THE FEEDING OF THE ROUNDS. THEY JAM WHEN CYCLEING. OTHER THAN THAT SMALL ISSUE, I HAVE NOTHING BUT THE BEST REGUARDS FOR THE MAKERS OF SAVAGE 210F.

Earlier this year Marlin introduced the value-for-money XL7 rifle cambered in 25-06, 270 and 30-06. I thought it was odd that they did not offer a short action version. John Snow reports that a short action version will be available shortly in .248, .308 and 7mm-08.

Marlin XL7 (the long action version)

John has the specs and a brief range report.

I have previously discussed the Ultimax 100 Mk4. This is the latest iteration of the Ultimax 100 design and is being entered into the IAR competition by General Dynamics, although it designed by Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK).

Photos by SMGLee. Click to expand:

Quick Change Barrel

I like the design of the ambidextrous fire selector.

Compared to the Mk4 the Mk5 takes unmodified STANAG (M16) magazine, has quad rails and a bipod/foregrip rather than a separate bipod and foregrip.

I am not sure if the Ultimax 100 Mk4 100 round drum magazine will be made compatible with the Mk5. The Mk4 took modified STANAG magazines.

Ultimax 100 Mk 4


Ultimax 100 Mk 5

UPDATE: Defense Review has more info.

The Colt IAR is Colt’s entry in the Marine IAR competition for a lightweight automatic rifle to replace the SAW in certain situations. It is an interesting weapon.

Photos by SMGLee. Click to expand

Under the barrel you can see a hefty heatsink. This is used to prevent cook-offs (when the primer of a chambered round is ignited by a hot chamber). It weights 9.5 lbs and has a 16″ barrel.

It looks like the barrel may be be changed by simply removing the bolt you can see just in front of the magazine well.

Surprisingly the rifle/machine gun does not use a gas piston and uses the AR-15/M16 direct gas impingement system.

The above photo does show a Magpul PMAG but the Marines have specified that the IAR must be compatible with 30 USGI magazines, so it is unlikely the military will be adopting PMAGs, even in a limited role with the IAR.

Other IAR entries can operate with either an open bolt, in automatic fire, or closed bolt in semi automatic mode. This allows the accuracy benefits of a closed bolt with the heat reduction and reduced chance of a cook off of a closed bolt. I am not sure if this weapon has this feature.

Colt already have a lightweight automatic rifle, the Colt Automatic Rifle (CAR), which itself may meet the Marines requirements. I do not know if the Colt IAR has anything in common with the CAR, other than the shared AR-15 heritage.

Colt Automatic Rifle

UPDATE: Defense Review has more info.

Carl Zeiss have built a spotting scope with a built in 7 megapixel digital camera … or maybe it is a digital camera with a built in spotting scope. Anyway it is pretty cool. The scope features a 15-45x zoom, flip out screen and Infa-red remote control.

One of these at the range would be great fun. Range reports would look great with a animated GIF of shots hitting the target!

PhotoScope 85 T* FL

H/T: Engadget

The Gun O’ Clock is an alarm clock that has to be shot in the bullseye with a toy laser gun to be turned off.

I love the idea. This is just what I need. I *often* turn my alarm clock off while still mostly asleep and then wake up late.

More info at UberReview

Check out Ammo, Guns and War.

The new ARX-160 Carbine is Beretta’s entry into the M4 replacement competition. Photos by SMG-Lee

M16 magazine, folding iron sights

Folding stock

UPDATE:

Originally I called this rifle the NRX after misreading the logo. It is in the ARX-160. Below is a photo (from MP.net) of the ARX-160 carbine (left) and the rifle version (right). Both have the new Beretta grenade launcher attached.

A big thanks to Ed who was kind enough to let me know about my mistake after he spoke to Beretta. He and has more info on the rifle/carbine.

Apparently the Italian Special Forces will be adopting it in 2009.

Browning will be releasing a line of A-Bolt Target rifles.

The rifle will come in three calibers: .223 Rem., .308 Win. and .300 Win. Mag. It is a pity they are not offering more exotic calibers. The stainless model will cost $1489 for .223 and .308 while the .300 will cost $1519.

More info @ Accurate Shooter

About 6 months ago Metal Storm was awarded AU$1.4 million in development contracts from the US Navy to develop a 12 guage (.729″ caliber, not the 12 gauge shotgun cartridge) multishot weapon that mounts under an M16 and M4.

The MAUL has no moving parts and weights just 2.75 pounds.

All four rounds can be loaded into the chamber at once and are electronically ignited. It can fire lethal rounds, such as grenades, and non lethal rounds.

The weapon system was exhibited at AUSA Expo this year and should be in production next year.

Wilco exhibited their embedded circuit rail system for the HK45 and HK 416 at ASAS. The fore grip can then be used to control all the accessories without wires. Very clever. SMGLee took some photos:

Marine Corps Times has an interesting article on the IAR competition. It seems the Army is not interested in a lightweight automatic rifle.

That’s why the Army, which also uses the M249, has ruled out a soldier version of the Marine IAR.

“We are not considering adopting an auto rifle for the infantry squad,” said Col. Robert Radcliffe, director of the Infantry Center’s Directorate of Combat Developments at Fort Benning, Ga.

…

The plan is to buy 4,100 IARs and reduce the number of SAWs in the Corps from 10,000 to 8,000, Cantwell said.

“We are still going to maintain SAWs in the company,” he said. “Only 2,000 SAWs will be replaced. The reminder will be kept as an organizational weapon for when commanders need them.”