The Firearm Blog

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Jason emailed me photos of his SCAR 16S (5.56x45mm). He must have been one of the lucky few to get hold of one of the initial limited production run. Click to expand the photos.

A big thanks to Jason for taking the time to take the photos.

More photos after the jump. Continue Reading »

The new aptly named Venture is a entry level priced rifle that guarantees 1 MOA accuracy!

Thompson/Center introduces the New T/C Venture, the most value-packed bolt action rifle available on the market today. Designed to deliver top end quality and accuracy at an entry level price, the Thompson/Center Venture offers a 5R rifled match grade barrel and match grade crown, adjustable precision trigger and a classic style composite stock that puts it in a class all its own. A rugged, reliable tool for the outdoorsman, the T/C Venture features T/C’s renowned innovation, craftsmanship and cutting edge barrel technology. Guaranteed to deliver Minute of angle accuracy… 1 inch groups at 100 yards.

It features:

* 60 degree bolt lift
* Adjustable trigger
* 5R match-grade rifling
* Long action.

It will be available chambered in .270 Win., 7mm Rem. Mag., 30-06, .300 Win Mag.

Although I have yet to see pricing for this rifle, if it indeed is entry level pricing with a 1 MOA guarantee this will be one popular rifle and will give Weatherby with their 1.5 MOA guarantee a run for their money (no doubt being popular with folks who cannot shoot MOA anyway).

I expect a short action will be announced within a year.

The Bone Collector is a premium .50 caliber muzzle loader.

Over the standard Triumph model it features:
* Wethershield coated receiver and barrel.
* 28″ fluted barrel with QLA muzzle system
* Fiber optic sights
* Reversible hammer extension.
* Power Rob Ramrod

Walther have scaled up the P22 pistol and produced the PK380, a .380 ACP chambered pistol.

The PK380 features:

• 8+1 capacity
• polymer grip, steel frame and slide
• 3.66" barrel
• Overall length of 6.5"
• Picatinny-style rail
• Ambidextrous mag release and safety.
• Drift-adjustable rear sight.
• Unloaded weight: 19.4 ounces
• Width is 1.2"

Four models will be available:

First Edition: a limited series model with "First Edition markings", holster and two mags. Two tone: nickel-plated slide. Standard: All black Laser model: Standard model with laser

They should be available later this year.

Photo Copyright Ken Lunde. Used with permission.

From the press release:

For 2009, Walther® has once again exceeded expectations with the introduction of the new PK380. Engineered on one of Walther’s most popular platforms, the P22, the PK380 delivers .380 power into a lightweight, ambidextrous pistol. Versatile, comfortable and nearly the same size as the P22, the Walther PK380 continues the company’s longstanding tradition of German innovation and technical expertise.

TC have added a sub-moa rifle to the ICON range. The Precision Hunter is the suitable for varminting or hunting.

Click to expand.

It features:

* Picatinny style scope bases.
* Adjustable trigger (3.5 lbs – 5 lb).
* Convection Enhancement System engineered to disperse heat from the barrel and forend.
* 5R rifling.
* Heavy 22″ fluted barrel.
* 3 round detachable magazine.

Certified to deliver sub-minute of angle accuracy right out of the box, the ICON Precision Hunter features the Interlock Bedding System along with a match-grade barrel with 5R Rifling.

Whether at the range or in the field, the ICON Precision Hunter embodies all of the aspects of a dependable long-range hunting firearm and the perfect target rifle. From its solid machined receiver to its heavy fluted barrel, the ICON Precision Hunter is a breed apart.

It will be available chambered in .204 Ruger, .223 Rem., .22-250 Rem., .243 Win. and .308 Win.. All have a heavy 22″ barrel.

Browning have two webcams in their booth.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in the UK is developing a new type of armor for vehicles that is cheaper and lighter to produce. It is made from ultra hard steel and covered in holes.

The armor.

The holes, or the edges of the holes, deflect bullets making them tumble so the “blunt” side hits the armor instead of the front. This spreads out the kinetic energy over the length of the bullet instead of it being concentrated at the front.

I don’t think this would have any effect on shaped charges, which are a mass of hot metal (usually copper), so this type of armor would probably be used in vehicles that would not be armored against shaped charges, such as RPG rounds, in the first place, for example VIP transport vehicles.

RPG-7 launcher and grenade.

From the press release:

It may seem like a strange solution but introducing holes to vehicle armour can actually provide a ective advantage. The trick is to think of them as circular ‘edges’ rather than holes. When a bullet hits an edge, it gets deflected and turns from a sharp projectile into a blunt fragment which makes it much easier to stop. The introduction of holes also reduces weight. As a result perforated Super Bainite steel armour is ballistically very efficient.

Invented, designed and manufactured in the UK, Super Bainite is experimental high performance armour steel developed to save the lives of UK Armed Forces. Traditionally the MOD has utilised offshore suppliers to fulfil its specialist armour requirements. However, following successful industrial production trials, directed by Dstl in partnership with Corus and Bodycote, the UK is now well placed to develop a secure onshore supply of specialist, high hardness steel armour.

Hat Tip: Defense Talk and “null”.

Prensa Latina reports:

A SEDENA pamphlet handed over to several entities explains what type of guns they can use to fight organized crime, the way to acquire them and the way to request them, even abroad.

The newly allowed guns include calibre-40 and fragmentation grenades.

The SEDENA document also explains the type of training and confidence control tests to be undergone by those using the guns.

I presume .40 means .40 S&W. Personally, unless I had a multi-shot 40mm grenade launcher as my sidearms and something big enough to read-out-and-touch-someone from a significant distance as my primary arm I don’t think I would even remotely consider Mexican police work … and even then

Remington have released two types of lead free ammo. The first is the Disintegrator Varmint in .223 Rem and .22-250 Rem., both with 45 grain bullets. Disintegrating ammo is normally lead free so that in itself is no special. It is a pity they have confined their offering to two calibers (and not 6mm for me )

Now you see him. Now you don’t. Introducing new Disintegrator® Varmint. Loaded with new lead-free frangible bullets that meet the requirements of non-toxic hunting areas, this ammunition delivers radical, explosive expansion that shatters the capabilities of conventional lead core/copper jacketed bullets. Because they break into tiny fragments at impact, Disintegrator Varmint bullets will not ricochet, offering added peace of mind wherever you shoot. Extremely tight manufacturing tolerances combined with our industry-leading components produce tiny groups on paper as well.

The second lead free ammo is the Remington Premier Copper Solid. Because copper is lighter than lead the bullet has to be longer to hold the same weight, this results in a very high ballistic co-efficient, which in turns produces good long ranger performance. The downside is that copper is much harder than lead so the bullet will give the barrel a very hard time. It will be available in 30-06, .270 Win, .243 Win, 300 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Mag and 308 Win.

For 2009, Big Green is proud to launch a truly superior bullet design onto the lead-free scene. While our new Copper Solid™ complies with non-toxic regulations, it dispatches big game with lightning authority in any neck of the woods. It delivers extremely deep penetration with nearly 100% weight retention and has a sleek ogive profile with a polymer tip and boat tail base that gives it outstanding flight characteristics. In fact, it’s one of the finest extended-range lead-free hunting bullets we’ve ever offered due to its extremely high ballistic coefficient. At impact, the polymer tip acts as a wedge, plowing through a built-in expansion chamber and initiating a mushroom that’s consistently 1.8x bullet diameter – creating a large terminal wound channel from close range to the farthest reaches of your shooting ability.