The Firearm Blog

At the end of the month Benelli will be unveiling their much hyped Vinci shotgun, which they hail as a revolution in shotgun design. A commenter on my last post about the firearm said he knew that it in fact uses the KRISS MVS operating mechanism.
The KRISS MVS, which is currently vaporware, makes use of a downward ejecting / feeding operating system designed to reduce felt recoil. I have searched in vain for more information other than this tiny diagram (I enlarged it below) and a single paragraph of text.

From TDI:

TDI is in final development of what will be the most innovative breakthrough in auto-loading shotgun operating systems in more than 100 years. The KRISS MVS 12ga. shotgun will be chambered to 3″, feature a downward eject/feed system, and in keeping with the tradition of the KRISS Super V System, will reduce felt recoil and barrel elevation by as much as 50% over competitve gas or mechanically-operated auto-loaders and will be the fastest-cycling and lightest weapon in its class. No matter if your passion is the field, the pond or the range, please stay tuned to this site and look for the introduction of the KRISS MVS 12ga. at the 2008 ShotShow in Las Vegas..

From what I can see it makes use of a buffer tube in the stock like the AR-15, other than that I cannot make anything out apart from the obvious fact that it has a tube magazine. I cannot see any similarities to the KRISS Super V submachine gun. As far as I know it was not shown at SHOT Show 2008 but if it was, nobody has been talking and no photos were leaked onto the internet.

I tried to following up the comment and find out the source of this information but the commenter never got back to me. It seems plausible.

UPDATE: A reputable source (who shall forever remain anonymous) has told me that the KRISS MVS is not the basis for the Vinci.

Extreme Shock Ammunition are producing a .50 BMG projectile that can penetrate 1″ of meal and yet will not over penetrate soft tissue. The Fragmenting High Velocity (FHVL) round is made up of a propriety tungsten powder/flake compound.

From the press release:

Extreme Shock Ammunition, known for producing the world’s most advanced ammunition, continues to raise the bar with the redesign of their 50 BMG ammo. It is the only 50 in the world that will penetrate 1 inch of metal but will not exit a soft tissue target. Extreme Shock Ammunition continues to impress with the astounding performance and safety enhancements found in their 50 BMG.

The Fragmenting High Velocity (FHVL) Round is a lead-free replacement that offers far superior tactical capability over the lead core bullet. The FHVL has the same range and accuracy as a lead bullet of similar weight. Long range, reduced ricochet, controlled penetration, and exceptional accuracy make the FHVL the most technically advanced tactical round available today. The FHVL grants the operator enhanced tactical capability, such as controlled penetration (NO EXIT) and increased ability to eliminate threats instantly, all while eliminating ricochet and over-penetration hazards.

Impressive.

No military at this point in time is going to use expanding anti-personal expanding ammunition because it would be in breach of the Hague Convention (1899) (regardless of wether they signed it or if a 110 year old treaty is worth honoring). I cannot see civilians needing or wanting to use this ammunition and I cannot recall seeing photos of cops with .50 BMG rifles. I think this ammunition is likely being marketed to paramilitary / anti-terrorism / internal security forces such as the Mexican Army who regularly conduct internal operations and who like their .50 Barretts.

The cost is $161.14 for a box of 15 rounds.

Not well (nothing serious). Will be back blogging tomorrow.

The ShotCam is a new product for 2009 from Burris. It is a rail mounted video camera that includes a flashlight, laser and the ability to take 3.2 megapixel still images.

The video function can be set to kick in the moment the pistol it is mounted on is unholstered. Additionally it can be configured to take a still shots during recoil (and presumably after the recoil). The primary purpose of the ShotCam is to document self defense shooting by civilians and law enforcement, but it would be great for hunting and plinking to show off your one-hit-wonder shots.

The device can be mounted on pistols, rifles or shotguns

Midway have it listed for $695.

Thanks to Heath for sending me the link.

The KRISS .45 submachine-style gun is now available in a Short Barrel Rifle (SBR) configuration (I say submachine-style because the civilian version is semi-automatic). The SRB/SO features a 5.5″ barrel and weight 5.6 lbs when unloaded.

The Vector is fed from Glock 21 magazines.

More info here.

Can any of you remember a time in your life where laser guns were not just a few years away? Sven found a photo that was published in a German military journal from 1964.

Very rifle like. Click to expand.

The caption:

“The laser rifle…that was developed by an American company and now presented for the first time is lighter than an infantry rifle. 10 kg baggage in form of batteries make it possible to shoot 10,000 times. The effect in the target is quite small. Only if the enemy coincidentally looks into the muzzle of the laser rifle he’ll have serious eye damage even at a distance of 1.5 km as a result of the strong dazzling. Fire effects are at such distances not possible yet, and it’s still a long way to the “death rays”. “

Sven pointed out that the first laser guided bombs were developed only a few years later. These bombs were guided by a laser mounted in the back seat canopy of an F-4 cockpit and manually operated by the Weapons System Operator. The laser used was probably very similar to the one use in the above photo.

Thanks to Sven, who blogs at Defense and Freedom, for the scan and translation.

Tam shared her wisdom on the topic of not giving away your position. In short she says that unless you plan on ambushing a military opponent you don’t need to worry about the bad guy seeing your night sights. She makes a good point, although when hunting this is a serious consideration – you can’t start hanging laser pointers off your hunting AR-15.

Sig Sauer have in the past shipped two magazines with their pistols. They announced today that they would only be shipping one magazine because of unprecedented demand. From the press release:

This change in configuration is a result of the critical shortage of magazines throughout the industry. SIG SAUER’s decision to ship commercial pistols with one magazine will allow existing and new orders to be processed without interruption.

Without this change in policy, magazine availability would severely hinder SIG SAUER’s ability to meet market demand and ship product in a timely manner. Distributor and dealer single magazine pistol shipments commence immediately.

I do wonder if this is simply a way to make extra profit and spinning it in a positive manner.

The Colt LE6940 Monolithic Advanced Law Enforcement Carbine, an upgrade of the 6920, have started popping up for sale. The rifle features Colt’s new monolithic upper receiver. This 1-piece receiver is machined from aluminum billet and includes a full length rail.

Photos from Gunbroker auction

The LE6940 has a 16.1″ free-floating, barrel, MaTech back-up rear iron sight and gas block mounted front sight. The rifles pictured are semi-automatic, but I am sure Colt will produce a variant with a rock-and-roll switch for law enforcement.

Bottom rail detaches from monolithic upper receiver (from Gunbroker)

The Colt name does not come cheap, although neither do monolithic receivers, and if you can find one for sale it will probably cost you $2400-$2800. It does come with two 20 round magazines and a sling … if that makes the price easier to swallow.

Some more photos:

Caleb just posted on his blog that the Boberg XR-9 is going to launch this year.

The pistol features a unique design in which the magazine sits beneath the chamber instead of behind it. This allows a longer barrel, thereby generating more muzzle energy than a shorter barreled pistol of a similar size chambering in the same cartridge. I wrote a blog post about the pistol last year.

More information at Gun Nuts Media.

Photographer and shooter Shin-Ae recently held an exhibit entitled “Challenging Resistance” at Gana Art Gallery in New York.

Stunning photography. Photo by Cemetery’s Gun Blob

Cemetery’s Gun Blob has more photos (photos of the photos on exhibit) and information about the artist and the exhibit.

James explains what the antiquated term means and the history behind it.

AmmoEngine.com is a very useful website that indexes ammo prices from a variety of online retailers allowing you to easily compare prices and find good deals.

Listing .380 ACP

The infamous fake news / satire website The Onion have made a video entitled “Manufacturer Recalls Hollow Point Bullets That Fail To Explode Inside Targets”.

It is pretty funny, even though it is making fun of us and that they do not know the difference between handgun and rifle ammo.

Thanks to David for the link.