The Firearm Blog

Human Events has an interesting article about the use of Chinese armor-piercing bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan by insurgents.

China’s robust arms industry has been able to duplicate U.S.-made, armor-piercing rounds, and the bullets are being found with the enemy in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Two government sources tell HUMAN EVENTS the sniper ammunition is sending alarm bells through the Pentagon as it hurries to keep pace by producing improved body armor for soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors.

The sources said the Chinese munitions are not thought capable of defeating the super-hard ceramic plates that now protect service members against smalls-arms fire, including armor-piercing bullets.

I know very little about AP ammunition. Does anyone know if M948 (7.62mm Saboted Light Armor Penetrator) or M993 (7.62mm AP) can penetrate Type IV ballistic vests and a ceramic plate insert?

AP bullets. Click to expand. Image from DTIC.mil.

Defense Review discusses the implications of this and its potential impact on the mythical XSAPI armor plates that are in development.

Hat Tip: Defense Review

“Old Painless” from Box O’Truth has written a interesting article about fighting with a shotgun over

Some folks make the very dangerous assumption that owning a shotgun is the same as knowing how to fight with a shotgun. Such is not the case.

…

Birdshot is only for practice or shooting little birds.

….

“A sling is to a shotgun what a holster is to a handgun.”

The article mentions Clint smith with an H&R single shot shotgun. This video clip briefly shows him demonstrating the single shot:

RIA Novosti reports:

He fired from several grenades at the house, and then started shooting at the building with the automatic rifle.

The ex-girlfriend was unharmed in the attack, but her parents were injured and later hospitalized.

Doctors said their lives are not in danger. The attacker was arrested by police.

Crazy.

Atlantic Firearms just sold a Tromix converted Saiga 12 Shotgun for $3075. Atlantic normally sells them for about $1500!

Tromix has had such high demand they are not longer adding people to the waiting list. I think I read somewhere that those on the end of the waiting list will have to wait about 18 months.

#S06-Tromix Saiga 12ga. Price: $1,420

I wonder how much these evil black shotugns will sell for post-AWB 2.0.

Hat Tip: Saiga-12.com

Along with Ed Friedman, Uncle also confirms that a 4th generation glock will be unveiled at SHOT Show 2009.

This image was posted at the DownRange.tv forum:

I think this slide design is much more likely than the fish gill design.

Below is the results of the poll I was running on the "fish gill" design:

Hat Tip: SaysUncle

This video clip is from a marketing video made by H&K comparing the 10″ barreled HK 416 with the M4 when fired full of water, immediately after being submerged.

It is a pointless comparison. Obviously Stoner did not design the AR-15 platform to be fired waterlogged. If he had it would be piston driven. Still, it is interesting to see what happens.

H/T: MP.net

Gamo have released a new .117 pellet called the PBA ARMOR. The PBA stands for “Performance Ballistic Alloy” which is a non-lead alloy. The alloy used in these pellets is harder than the alloy used in the PBA/Raptor pellets, hence the name.

New ARMOR Performance Ballistic Alloy, the non-lead Alloy Airgun Ammunition that increases piercing power up to 20% over lead, while maintaining “match grade” accuracy. Specifically designed as a hunting load, the new P.B.A.™ ARMOR ammunition is 50% harder than lead causing penetration to be enhanced by up to 100% in tests in actual hunting situations as well as ballistic mediums. ARMOR P.B.A. test results show ballistic stability at super-sonic speeds and up to 90% weight retention using the new semi-pointed design.

Retail price: $12.95 / 80 pellets

H/T: Ammoland

The Fins are not happy with the Russians. DefenceTalk.com reports:

The Finnish Defence Forces are investigating what they suspect is unauthorised copying of the M05 camouflage pattern by the Russian military, Finnish business daily Taloussanomat reported on its website Tuesday.

The M05 battledress pattern is a protected design.

According to Taloussanomat, a pattern bearing striking resemblance to the M05 had been seen in Russia’s Yeger battledress in news footage.

Finnish M05 woodland pattern (photo from Wikipedia)

New Russian Camo that was on display
earlier this year (2008) (Photo from MP.net)

UPDATE:

BallisticBaggins in the comments think this may be the camo the Fins are referring to (see comments below for more information):

Over at SaysUncle and GunPundit, Uncle and Murdoc asked if anyone could identify a left handed AK charging handle. I just happened to come across the AK Lightning Bolt today and it is definitely the same system.

The bolt system was designed by Colorado Shooting Sports. It looks like it offers a significant improvement in reloading time:

One of the true AK innovations of the last 60 years. A left-side cocking system. This project started over a year ago and already hundreds of AKLB units are in service here in and abroad. Several units just finished a punishing 7,000 round torture test.

1.)Make tactical reloads faster and operate more ergonomically to ensure that you stay focused on the threat not on your weapon.

2.)Allow you to keep your hand on the pistol grip which will make you safer and remove movements that take time to learn to do well with a standard right side cocking mechanism.

3.)The top covers charging handle openning will allow your rifle to cool faster during high rates of fire.

The AKLighting bolt is available for the following weapons: AK-47 and all variants, AK-74 and all variants including the AKS-74U Krinkov, Israeli Galil, Finlands Valmet, Saiga rifles and shotguns, RPKs, VZ-58s, All Yugo AKs,STGs, and many more.

The AKLightning Bolt is being sold by Tactical Response Gear for $225.

The Savage Model 10 Predator Hunter rifle which was introduced last year is now available in Realtree Snow camo as well as Mossy Oak Brush Pattern camo. From the press release:

Every year when the weather starts to cool down, the predator hunting starts to heat up. That’s why Savage is expanding its very successful line of camouflage packages with the addition of snow camo, with the Model 10 Predator Hunter Package leading the way. These unique package guns come with full-coverage Realtree Hardwoods Snow camo on the stock, barreled action, scope and rings.

Model 10 Predator Hunter in Realtree Hardwoods Snow camo

The rifle is chambered in .223 Rem, .204 Ruger, .22-250 Rem and .243 Win. and has a suggested retail price of $760.

Military.com has an interesting article on the M14:

The growing need to equip these new marksmen with accurized rifles prompted the Army to reconsider the role of the venerable M-14 rifle for the war on terror. Back in Desert Storm, armorers from the 10th Special Forces group took M-14s equipped with a match barrels and fitted a gas piston on them for optimal performance, re-designating it the M-25. They replaced the stock with a McMillan M1A fiberglass one, developed a scope mount and added a Bausch & Lomb 10×40mm fixed-power optic or a Leupold Mark 4.

Hat Tip: Murdoc @ GunPundit

Ruger and Hornady have teamed up to produce the new .416 Ruger cartridge which will be available next year (2009).

The round is basically a necked up .375 Ruger and offers performance comparable to the classic .416 Rigby in a standard length cartridge. The Ruger M77 Hawkeye bolt action will be available chambered in this cartridge.

Hornady claim on their website that the 416 Ruger offers the same performance in the compact 20″ barreled Ruger M77 Hawkeye Alaskan as the .416 Rugby in a full length rifle.

416 Ruger cartridge delivers the same performance as the fabled 416 Rigby, but does it in a shorter 20″ barreled Ruger Hawkeye rifle that is extremely compact and easy to carry.

I am skeptical about this claim. It will be interesting to see what results firearm magazine writers get when they test the ammunition.

Ruger M77 Hawkeye Alaskan (20″ Barrel)

Ballistic infomation:

Click to expand.

Product Video (there are a couple of video snippets at the start of charging elephants being shot. Really crazy stuff!):

The .375 Ruger has proved to be popular and I think so could the .416 Ruger. The standard length action is a compelling reason to choose this cartridge over the .416 Rigby and .416 Rem. Mag.

More info at Hornady.

I saw over at Guns Holsters and Gear that Hornady will be selling a new line of ammunition next year (2009) that is specifically designed for civilian self defense and for use in common carry handguns.

The line is called “Critical Defense” and will be available in .380 ACP, .38 Special, .38 Special + P and 9mm Parabellum.

A Critical Defense round

A common argument against hollow points is that when they are fired through heavy clothing the hollow point can clog up with fabrics and then act as a FMJ round. The Critical Defense bullets feature a hollow point with a rubber insert (same material as the Flex Tip used on the Hornady LEVERevolution ammunition) which prevents the bullet clogging up with fabric and allow controlled reliable expansion.

The idea of putting something in a hollow point to prevent it being clogged up with fabric or, in the case of hunting ammunition, fur, is not a new idea. It will be interesting to see if the Flex Tip material improves on this idea.

Another useful feature of this line is decrease muzzle flash.

For each type of cartridge and load the bullet has been individually designed for maximum performance.

Product video:

More info at Guns Holsters and Gear and Hornady.

We shall soon see if the Glock ad is a fake or not. Ed Friedman, who blogs at Tell Me Why?, spoke to Glock and they confirmed a 4th generation would be unveiled at SHOT Show in January next year (2009), but would not reveal any of its features.

We will have to wait and see.

Thanks Ed!