Colt Defense and Springfield Armory are both in the running to have one of their 1911 pistols adopted by the Marines as the M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol. Military.com reports ...
Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn., and Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Ill., sent samples of their latest 1911 pistols to acquisition officers this fall, company officials said Jan. 18 during the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, known as SHOT Show, in Las Vegas. The Corps is expected to seek proposals from the defense industry soon.
The M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol is modeled after earlier versions of the semi-automatic 1911 pistol used since the 1980s by Force Reconnaissance units. The Corps could buy between 400 and 12,000 as part of a contract worth up to $22.5 million, according to Marine Corps Systems Command.
If you have a good memory, you may recall that Daniel Watters broke the news of the M45 on The Firearm Blog in September '09.
[ Many thanks to Lance for emailing me the link. ]
This time last year Bushmaster introduced the Bushmaster .308 ORC, an entry level AR-10-style rifle chambered in .308. This year they have expanded the .308 line and added the Bushmaster MOE.308 Mid-length (fitted with Magpul Original Equipment). Also added is the .308 Hunter and .308 Vista Hunter (in camo).
Bushmaster MOE.308 Mid-length
The MSRP is $1618 for the Vista Hunter, $1518 for the .308 Hunter and $1448 for the MOE model.
Later this year AAC will be selling a Remington Model 7 rifle chambered in 300 BLK.
I do not yet have pricing info.
This video shows a modified off-the-shelf remote control Tricopter armed with fireworks, and firing them at hydrogen-filled balloons.
More information about how to build one of these balloon-busters can be found here.
The future is here 
[Hat Tip: Tech Crunch]
This is the first video I have seen of the .308 / 7.62mm NATO version of Robarms XCR rifle.
[ Many thanks to Vitor for emailing me the link. ]
The most nifty gun at SHOT that I did not see must have been the Beretta A400 Xcel, the new competition model in the Beretta A400 line.
Its most immediately noticeable feature is the unusual blue anodized aluminum receiver. This immediately sets it apart from fowling pieces (bird shotguns). Few camo-clad bird shooters are going to take a bright blue shotgun into the field and risk ridicule from their shooting buddies. That aside, what makes this shotgun really unique is the onboard computer, the Gun Pod.
The Gun Pod is no doubt inspired by the FN's Black Box and similar shot computers developed for military rifles. It sits in the shotgun's pistol grip and records the outside temperature (which affects performance of the gun), the number of shots fired, and shot power. I imagine the latter two measurements are recorded with a piezoelectric sensor that measures the energy of the bolt when it hit the back of the receiver.
Is the Gun Pod is gimmick? I am not sure. The shot counter is probably useful to a competition shooter wanting to maintain maximum performance. The combination of a thermometer along with a power gauge could give a shooter good feedback about ammunition performance in different weather conditions. I look forward to seeing how well it performs for competition shooters.
American Hunter Managing Editor Jeff Johnston examines the A400 Xcel in this video ...
Two readers from the Netherlands emailed me information about the new Sig Sauer PPNL (Police Pistol Netherlands), a version of the SIG Sauer P250 DC designed for the Dutch police force. One reader said ...
After a long and thorough public tender the Dutch ministry of Security and Justice announced today the choice of a new service pistol for the police of the Netherlands.
The German company of Sig Sauer will produce the new pistol, the Sig sauer PPNL (Police Pistol Netherlands), based on the existing model P250 DC.
The new pistol will replace the existing pistols: Walther P5 and Glock 17. Part of the replacement operation will be the extra training of the police officers for their qualification with the new handgun. This operation will take place from 2011 up to 2013 and will include around 45.000 police officers.
In the introduction of the new pistol the special police-units and key instructors for further training will have the priority.
During the research for this new pistol the whole process was monitored by the national Police Internal Investigations Department to watch for any irregularities, but none occurred
[ Many thanks to my Jas & "Dutch Source" for emailing me the info. ]
Dear Readers,
Today I have a huge announcement to make: The Firearm Blog has been acquired by GunsForSale.com!
Before I say anything else, and before you start freaking out, let me first say that I am now employed as the Editor-In-Chief and will be continuing to blog. You are stuck with me
You all no doubt have plenty of questions. I will do my best to address them all below.
Continue Reading »
Below is the teaser for the "Art of the Precision Rifle " DVD from Magpul Dynamics. It looks great!
'We are not trying to change the world, we are just trying to question everything'
[ Many thanks to Nathan for emailing me the link. ]
Accuracy International, whose rifles are widely regarded as the best money can buy, have launched a new long range .338 Lapua rifle. It builds on its predecessor, the .338 Lapua AX Magnum, adding a more modern looking stock as well as an improved bolt and action.
Accuracy International AX338
The action is longer and wider to accommodate a ten round double stack magazine. The bolt head is larger, and stronger, than the AX Magnum bolt head. The stock is more ergonomic and, in my opinion, nicer looking than the older stock.
I do not know what the pricing will be. Being AI, it is guaranteed to be expensive.
AX AICS Stock for Remington 700
AI will also be introducing an AX version of the AICS stock for the Remington 700 rifle. Again, I do not know the pricing of this product.
More photos below ...
