The Firearm Blog

The Remington's XCR II is a new long action Model 700 rifle. It does not supersede the original XCR, which was introduced in 2005, but will be offered alongside it.

It features a OD Green stock with rubber Hogue grip inserts. The stock looks very similar to the distinctive stock used for the very successful Remington VTR rifle. The gun's stainless steel metal work is finished with Remington's corrosion resistive TriNyte finish.

The rifle will be offered chambered in 25-06 Rem., 270 Win., 280 Rem., 7mm Rem. Mag, 300 WSM, 300 Win Mag , 300 Rem. Ultra Mag , 300 Rem. Ultra Mag , 300 Rem. Ultra Mag , 300 Rem. Ultra Mag , 375 Rem. Ultra Mag and 30-06 Springfield.

The following specs are for the .270 Win. version ...

Two special editions with a a Realtree AP HD Camo stock will be sold. The BoneCollector Edition and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Edition are chambered in .30-06 and .300 Rem. Ultra Mag respectively.

Standard Edition, BoneCollector Edition and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Edition

Yesterday PEO Solider had a media roundtable discussion. I should have phoned into the event but I only just realized it was on. One of the topics discussed was the Improved Carbine Competition. According to the PEO Solider twitter account, which was live updated during the roundtable event, the Improved Carbine Competition requirements do not specify a caliber.

Some companies are sure to submit 6.8 SPC chambered carbines; whether they get anywhere is another story altogether.

LTC Chris Lehner of PEO Solider wrote a comment on the blog that I thought deserved its own post. He addresses the issue of why the Army did not just adopt one of the existing anti-tilt follower designs instead of developing their own.

LTC Lehner here. My program office is responsible for the development, production, and fielding of the Improved Magazine (tan follower) along with all the pistols, shotguns, grenade launchers, sniper weapons, rifles/carbines, and even airburst weapons that our Army uses.

Hotgun, you are on target! Our Improved Magazine has been thoroughly tested in every environmental condition for the last several years. We have fired 40,000+ rounds through them, filmed their performance with high speed cameras, and did things to them to try and make them fail. Bottom line, these Improved Magazines offer a 50% reduction in the risk of a magazine related weapon stoppage over our previous Green follower magazines. P-mag, H+K, and others may have “tested” their magazines, but no one has the resources to test the way we do. When an Improved Magazine is fielded from my office (along with all the other kit we provide) there is a commitment and promise to our Soldiers that it will serve them extremely well in combat. The other manufactures of magazines (commercial magazines) usually will not or can not make this promise because of all the unknowns their magazines will face in battle.

As a side note, our Improved Magazines (with the tan, anti-tilt, follower) were developed a few years before similar magazines hit the market. The reason our magazines are only now available is due to the extensive testing regime we must put all of our equipment through. And it is a good thing we do, because there are many commercial magazines that our soldiers bought “off the shelf” that are starting to give them problems. More on this in the future.

For all Soldiers in OIF or OEF, be sure to keep your eyes open for the Armed Forces Network (AFN) Infomercial due out at the end of this month. You will actually learn valuable information on your Improved Magazine and where they are being issued in theater. Also you can log onto the PEO Soldier Web site to learn more about the magazine, new weapons, night vision devices, and body armor that we are fielding. Thank you for your time and keep up the fight!

Chris Lehner LTC, SF PM Individual Weapons

Read more about the Improved Magazine here.

The photo was taken by Daniel Garcia in Talcahunao, Chile on March 1, 2010. Those shipping containers are scattered amongst peoples homes! The high resolution version of this photo can be see at the Big Picture Blog.

More photos of the man guarding his house can be seen here.

[ Many thanks to Mik for emailing me the link. ]

Dr. Jim Clary has written about his recent hunting trip.

Real Guns has published a tutorial on a AR-10 style lower receiver.

[ Many thanks to Mik for emailing me the link. ]

Acusport is distributing a special version of the Remington Model 700 VTR. The VTR Tactical's main drawcard is the use of 5R rifling with a 1:11.25" twist. It also features a tactical style bolt handle.

According to AccurateShooter, the benefits of 5R rifling is a better gas seal (resulting in greater velocity), less fouling and less jacket deformation. 5R rifling is used on the Army's M24 rifle.

The VTR Tactical will only be available in .308 Win.

New Jovian Thunderbolt discusses the mythical Stoner 63 carbine/rifle/machine gun that never took off.

Navy SEAL in Vietnam with a Stoner 63 in a LMG configuration.

The action in this rifle is an inverted Enfield M1917 (or maybe Enfield P14). It was done so that a lefty could use it!

[ Hat Tip goes to Max Popenker for finding this bizarre creation. ]

New Zealand blogger WhaleOil emailed me a link to these photos of New Zealand SAS taken after a firefight in Kabul, Afghanistan. What is odd about the photos is that the elite SAS troops appear to have tied their magazines to the trigger guard with cord ... ?!?!

The British, Australian and New Zealand active and retired soldiers who read the blog may have to correct me, but I remember reading somewhere that British soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are not allowed to throw away empty their magazines in a firefight. I also recall reading that in the Vietnam war the NZ and Australian soldiers where also not allowed to dump empty magazines.

That seems the most likely explanation for the above photo but it seems bizarre!

Can anybody shed light on this?