The Firearm Blog

Engineers at Picatinny Arsenal, the military research and manufacturing facility, have been experimenting with machine gun barrels made from cobalt alloys.

Cobalt alloy barrels produced using the flow forming technique.

Army.mil reports ...

During testing, the first rifled, cobalt-alloy machine gun barrel ever produced using the "flow forming" process consistently reached high temperatures without degraded performance.

The proof-of-concept barrel was made of an alloy that contains more than 50 percent of the metal cobalt. Cobalt alloys are erosion- and corrosion-resistant metals that are designed to retain high strength during long-term exposure to high temperatures.

Cobalt alloys are frequently used in the aerospace industry, such as the hot-gas section of turbine engines, explained Leto. Cobalt alloys are also used as short liners for machine gun barrels.

"If you look at steel in a machine gun environment, it gets very hot at a high rate of fire," said Leto. "The benefit of the cobalt alloy is that it is designed to operate in high-temperature, high-stress environments. It has the added benefits of corrosion and erosion resistance."

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

Umarex USA will soon be importing their first centerfire pistol, the Regent .45 ACP 1911. This pistol, manufactured by the Turkish firm Trabzon Gun Industry, was previously imported by IAC. Umarex have told me that they have been working closely with Trabzon to ensure more strict quality standards. Unlike the previous Regent 1911s imported by IAC, the Umarex Regent all feature Hogue grips.

From the press release ...

The steel investment cast frame gives the Regent the weight of the original M1911, while the 7-­-round steel detachable magazine allows for quick reloading. The wide spur hammer, arched mainspring housing, and low cut ejection port are all designed to give maximum performance and accuracy. From the standard feature Hogue® grips to the stainless steel hammer forged barrel, the Regent is truly an outstanding value for the quality.

The MSRP for the blued version of $499. A stainless version will be introduced later this year with a retail price of $599.

[Richard Johnson is a firearms instructor, law enforcement veteran, contributor to Guns and Patriots, and the publisher of Guns Holsters And Gear.]

Announced just before the 2011 SHOT Show, the Ruger LC9 made an appearance at the Media Day at the Range.  The gun apparently was very popular with the media as I shot the last two magazines of ammunition Ruger had at their station.

The LC9 is a subcompact 9mm pistol, modeled after the LCP, Ruger’s .380 ACP pistol.  Slightly larger than the LCP, the LC9 added a number of welcome features such as usable sights, a manual safety and one additional round in the magazine (7+1 vs 6+1).  The sights are even dovetailed, meaning you can add some other sights if you so desired.

I found the LC9 was very comfortable to shoot.  I any handgun that light and small, recoil from even the normally mild 9mm can be rough.  I did not find the recoil to be any worse than a snub nose .38 Special, and slightly easier to shoot than a pocket revolver due to the fit to my hand.

Perhaps 14 rounds is not much of a review, but I saw nothing that raised any flags of concern.  Based on my short interaction with the pistol, it seemed reasonably accurate at about seven yards, and it had no malfunctions.

I look forward to getting a production LC9 and running it through its paces.

Tim Ellwood dug up some photos of SHOT Show back in 1987. SHOT is a LOT bigger now.

Taurus has given the Protector Polymer revolver line a refresh for 2011. The 5-shot revolver now comes chambered in both .38 Special +P and .357 Magnum. Both are available with a stainless or blued finish.

.38 Special +P Model with wood colored grip

.357 Magnum model with black grip

Both models have 2.5" barrels and weigh 18.2 ounces. MSRP is between $445 and $461 depending on caliber and finish.

Remington posted these photos on their Facebook page showing the Versa Max shotgun in various stages of manufacture at their manufacturing facility in Ilion, NY.

Yesterday I wrote about the Double Glock Machine Pistol. My German friend Axel emailed me to say that another double gun made by the same person, this time a CZ 52 chambered in 7.62x25mm, is currently being auctioned off online.

The auction description is below (translated by Google) ...

So what was never intended to be offered, Egun!

You are bidding on a prototype of a double gun, consisting of two CZ M52 7.62 Tokarev. The guns are means of two welded rails bolted together, this screw allows adjustment of both the weapons to each other so that both guns "shoot together. The guns are shooting horizontally held ergonomic, in the middle of Weaver rail is fitted, the assembly of target equipment, like red dot sight, ZF etc. permits. The weapon was developed to make manageable set fire guns, because the weapon when firing in the target is always to allow for ergonomic shooting. Who will be asked to fast finger on something to show the trends (aim), it has an ergonomic posture, ie, the pointing hand is perfectly level. It is with this hand position, this double shot with pistol. About this development (by HP Sigg), from then finally fully automatic "Double Glock pistol" was the one) was a detailed article in the Swiss gun magazine (12/1997 written, the pictures of this auction are included. For whom the resolution is too low can be, for me the article in higher resolution request. It is certainly not a weapon for everyday use, but a very interesting piece for collectors and those interested in the history of weapons development and fun you have while shooting also J

Shipping costs € 10.90, only to EWB. For this particular weapon requires two permits to purchase handguns, because it is so excessive number two weapons involved. To avoid questions: There are ordinary (semi-automatic) pistols, not a series of firearms. The weapon can of course be picked up personally.

Foreign Shipping:

I never send weapons to foreign countries. Anyone who still wants the BID from abroad, the auction a German arms dealer named according to which the weapon can be sent and then export to the purchaser makes.

Here in Egun there are various professional arms dealers, this service offering, for example here: http://www.egun.de/market/item.php?id=3090122

Shipping to foreign countries:

I never ship guns to foreign countries, but I can ship to a licensed German gunsmith, located in Germany, who will do the export for you. Requests in English are welcome.

The Rossi multi-caliber single shot Wizard rifles are now available with a attractive nickel finish.

Rifle barrel options include .17 HMR, .22LR, .22 Mag., .22-250 Rem, .270 Win., .223, .30-06 SPRG, .308 Win., .35 Whelen, .38-357 Mag., .44 Mag., ..454 Casull, 45-70 Gov. and 7.62x39. Muzzleloader barrel options include .45 and .50. Shotgun barrel options include .410 bore, 28 gauge, 20 gauge, 20 gauge slug, 12 gauge and 12 gauge slug. The Wizard’s barrel measures 23 inches with an overall length of 36.5 inches and weighs seven pounds.

The MSRP is $352.

STS Arms is producing Oregon State Beavers and Oregon Ducks themed AR-15s. The guns are ceramic coated.

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

The first of many Gander Mountain Academy training centers has opened in Lake Mary, Florida. Along with a live-fire range they offer a virtual range and a simulation system.

Pro V SIM 300

The Academy has two immersive simulator systems, the Pro V SIM 300 and Pro V SIM 180. The V SIM 300 surrounds you with 300 degrees of screens. The V SIM 180 has 180 degrees of screens.

The V SIM 180 costs $40 / 30 minutes and the V SIM 300 costs $50 / 30 minutes.

I have used one of the simulator systems used by the military with a simulated M16 and it was a lot of fun. From what I have seen on their website, Gander only offer pistol simulations. Hopefully they will introduce rifle simulations as well.