The Firearm Blog

The sale of Chiappa firearms in the USA is about to plummet. They have just made the worst gun industry PR move of the decade.

Earlier this week gun bloggers and forum readers noticed that Chiappa Firearms, Italy, had issued a press release saying that they were going to embed RFID chips into their firearms.

Proposed RFID "chip" embedded in Chiappa revolver frame.

RFID units are circuits that can wirelessly report whatever identifying information was programmed into them. They are embedded everywhere, in consumer electronics, credit cards, trees, animals, humans and even some very dubious prototype electronic firearms.

Generally they as passive devices (without an internal power source) and are powered by the radio waves emitted by the RFID reader (much like how a crystal radio set need no battery). Because they are low powered, their range is limited, Chiappa claim that the reader can't be more than a few inches from the gun to read it.

Here is the problem: RFID units can be detected at long ranges with the right equipment, even if the signal is to low to be accuracy read. Hacking RFID systems is always popular at the big hacker conventions. Last year a hacker at DEFCON was able to detect if an individual standing on the ground floor parking lot of the Las Vegas Riviera Hotel was carrying a certain brand of RFID chip from as far away as the 29th floor of the hotel.

Potentially a high powered reader could be developed to detect if anyone passing by was carrying a concealed Chiappa firearm, even though they would not be able to read the serial number. Most gun owners are probably a lot less concerned about people reading the serial number, as they are about people covertly identifying that they are carrying. This will worry many consumers.

Personally, if I bought a Chiappa, the first thing I would be is remove the grip and use my pocket knife to pry out the RFID chip.

Chiappa Firearms Kodiak .45-70

If you were MKS Distributing, the importer of Chiappa Firearms in the United States, how would you handle RFID-gate? I would immediately talk to Chiappa Firearms in Italy and tell them that US consumers do NOT want RFID chips in their guns. Instead, MKS Distributing issued a press release that mocked gun bloggers and concerned consumers. In the condescending press release (reproduced below) they reference CIA satellites, Mel Gibson and suggests people who are concerned about RFID should "wrap the revolver and their head in aluminum foil".

MKS Distributing press release ...

RFID "Chip" in Chiappa Firearms-what's up with that?

MKS Distributing, Dayton OH, July, 2011-Distributor for Chiappa Firearms

Recently there has been some blogger activity (credibility always guaranteed) concerning Chiappa Firearms putting a RFID (radio frequency identification) in Chiappa Firearms. Yes, but Chiappa will not be using the RFID system for at least a year.

RUMOR: (known as blogosphere food): The erroneous information about some sort of "chip" was put out by a blogger who translated Chiappa (Italian) technical information incorrectly. The incorrect translation and his interpretation came out as some sort of a GPS type tracking "chip" -which RFID isn't as it cannot transmit anything-it has NO power source (unlike cell phones).

THE FACTS: Recently several Italian gun makers (not just Chiappa) decided to utilize RFID technology to improve manufacturing and provide more accurate inventory control. We guarantee this technology will proliferate to other gun makers world wide as it is so efficient for everything from production QC control to export/import varification. Other industries already use passive RFID technology such as on DVDs, sunglasses, clothes and even some food products for example.

Basically Chiappa RFID (again it is radio frequency identification) assists the manufacturing process, inventory control and shipping. The type of information on the RFID ties in the firearm and proof house verification; the latter is required by the Italian Government for all firearms made in Italy. Passive RFID is also a final check that verifies that what is inside the sealed box is the same thing as shown on the box exterior bar code during shipping. Now, it will no longer be necessary to open/inspect hundreds of boxes by hand prior to packing in export containers.

BOTTOM LINE: The Chiappa PASSIVE RFID can be read ONLY when passed within (2-3 inches) of an active (and powered) reader that is dialed in for the particular long antenna radio frequency of the RFID-this is not random. And it will NOT go into operation for a year or more.

SUMMARIZING: RFIDs have NO power source or GPS locator. Rest assured they are NOT transmitting your identification and location information to a Chiappa Firearm tasked CIA satellite.

RFID Removal: For those still concerned you can simply remove the grip and remove the hot glued RFID from the frame in the grip area when (over a year from now) these begin to appear. Others may prefer to wrap the revolver and their head in aluminum foil, curl in a ball and watch reruns of Mel Gibson's 1997 film, Conspiracy Theory. Well, that's a plan too!

This is one epic fail. Goodbye Chiappa, its game over on this side of the Atlantic.

UPDATE: My friend and fellow blogger Albert Rasch has also blogged about the above press release. He writes ...

Having no small experience now with RFID, let me tell you that they can be read by the appropriate reader at 30 meters. Furthermore no RFID chip reader that is being used for logistical control will have its range limited to 3 inches. A carton, or even pallets of materials will need a reader set to several feet. " Passive RFID is also a final check that verifies that what is inside the sealed box is the same thing as shown on the box exterior bar code during shipping. Now, it will no longer be necessary to open/inspect hundreds of boxes by hand prior to packing in export containers. " 3 inches eh? How is it going to read a pallet of material at 3 inches? I can only assume that MKS Distributors thinks most people are idiots, and incapable of figuring things out on their own.

If you’re a fan of Barrett rifles, you might be interested in a current auction on Gunbroker – The Outpost Armory has listed a prototype Barrett rifle, the M99A1, in .50BMG.

From the auction description:

This AWESOME, ONE OF A KIND M99A1, direct from Barrett Firearms Manufacturing is a great find for any gun lover! The M99A1 featured in this auction has never been sold to an individual; However, it has been used by the manufacturer. This unique prototype target rifle features a heavy barrel, additional picatinny rail, cleaning guide rod, adjustable match grade trigger group (this trigger group has never been used in a production Model 99), a bipod and a custom made benchrest forend . It also comes with an extra large carry case, the Pelican 1770 (54.58″ x 15.58″ x 8.63″). Barrett Firearms is providing a signed, personalized letter of authenticity to the winner of this auction.

It is important to note that there are no sales to California. The auction ends August 9, 2011.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this. A company called “Holy Smoke, LLC” claims to offer the unique service of loading ammunition with human remains (ashes) contained in either the shot cup or sealed in the bullet/projectile.

The website does not offer much beyond a contact page and a description of the service offered – no sample photos or videos of the purported process are shown.

The service costs $1250 and results in 100 rounds of rifle ammunition, 250 shotshells, or 250 pistol cartridges, in the caliber/gauge of your choice. There is a surcharge for wildcat calibers and “larger” pistol and rifle calibers.

A Type 06 FFL is required to manufacture and sell ammunition in the United States, but there is no reference to this on the webpage, from what I could see.

Thanks to Tim at FoxFury for the heads up.

NOTE: To get up-to-date pricing & to purchase this rifle & ammunition, please click this link to visit Guns For Sale:7.62x51mm ammo for sale

The Century Arms G-1 is a copy of the Fn-Fal that uses surplus parts from metric versions as well as American made parts to comply with US gun laws. Century makes two types of the G-1. The only difference between the two is the buttstock. This particular example has the M-249 type stock. The stock is heavier than the standard and has a foldup wire shoulder support. This wire support was not used in this review.

After WWII the major powers all began the search for updated infantry weapons. Dieudonné Joseph Saive was the primary designer for FN. That name may strike a chord with readers since he worked with John Browning on the Browning Hi-Power design and completed it after Brownings death.

Saive team first designed the FN-49 in 1947. When work began on the Fal much of the action was taken from the 49. Strangely enough the decision for the caliber was a point of contention between the potential customers. FN wanted to use, of all things, the 7.92X33 Kurzt the Nazi’s used in the STG 44 assault rifle! The British wanted their new .280 cartridge while the US wanted the new 7.62x51. When all was said and done NATO standardized on the 7.62x51 cartridge.

The T-48 used in competition against the M-14

Another hurdle was which countries would adopt this main battle rifle. The most heated competition was in the US where the Fal was pitted against the T-44 that was later officially named the M-14. Of course we all know what happened the M-14 won and was adopted by the United States military. After the Korean War they adopted the M-14 as did various other countries. By a wide margin the Fal won out with 90 nations adopting it for military service. Even into the 21st century smaller nations still use the Fal. In fact if you keep track of world events you’ll see Libyan rebels using the Fal as the primary weapon in the fight against Khadafi.

The Fn-Fal was so widely used by western nations it was called “The right arm of the free world”.

Now some may be wondering why the British named their version the L1A1 while others used Fn-Fal. The answer is pretty simple the British used the inch system of measure while European countries used metric measurement. There really is very little difference between the two rifles. One important fact to note is the inch version can use metric magazines as well while the metric rifle can only use metric magazines. I would discourage using metric mags in a British model since they tend to be rather loose fitting.

The Century G-1 model is a metric version. All of the controls and internals operate in the same manner as the inch models. The gas system can be regulated by rotating the ring, that is located just behind the front sight. This is a handy arrangement. When other rifles are very dirty or become fouled with sand, mud etc. they have to be cleaned to stay in the fight. With the G-1 you simply adjust the gas system to allow higher gas pressure in the system that allows it to continue working in adverse conditions. With the gas system off rifle grenades can be used. The standard gas setting is set on the number three. The adjustment ring goes from 1 through 9.

The front sight is adjustable for elevation only. Once set it needs no further adjustment. The rear sight is adjustable for Windage and elevation. When sighting in the rifle the first time the rear sight should be set at 200 meters. The front post is then adjusted until zero is achieved at 100 meters. The rear sight slides on a ramp with markings to indicate 100/200 through 600 meters. A small spring loaded plug in depressed allowing the shooter to move the rear sight forward and to the rear. To adjust Windage the rear sight moves on a track. There is one screw on the left and one on the right. The user loosens one screw and tightens the one on the opposite side to make windage adjustments.

The left side windage screw is just under the spring plunger in this picture.

This Century model featured in these pictures is the metric with an M-249 buttstock. In the above picture shown just under the windage adjustment is the takedown lever. When the user pulls it back the rifle breaks open. Remove the receiver cover by sliding it to the rear. The bolt assembly can then be pulled straight back and out of the receiver. Then clean the bolt and carrier as usual. This also gives access to the barrel for cleaning.

One thing Century did was to attach an American made flash suppressor rather than the original long suppressor. This is much more effective at reducing recoil and flash. The thumb safety is standard for most military rifles these days. It’s located on the left side just under the shooters left thumb. Up is safe down is fire.

The Century G-1 has a carry handle above the ejection port as well as a steel bi-pod which is standard on the heavy barrel versions. The bi-pod also rotates to the left and right allowing adjustment on uneven surfaces.

Range Time

When I received this test rifle from Century I disassembled it, cleaned and lubricated it. The surplus parts which are mainly the internals showed little wear. I reassembled the rifle and headed for the range

I set my targets up at 100 yards and sighted the rifle in. I laid out my shooting mat and got down to business. My ammunition was 147 grain FMJ Winchester white box.

The Fn-Fal is known for average accuracy. The research I did showed an average of three to four inches with iron sights at 100 yards. I fired several groups of five rounds then measured. The average group size after 80 rounds was 3.5 inches showing this example to be right with the established groups. This is certainly good enough for a main battle rifle. There were no failures or malfunctions of any kind. This example was pleasant to shoot with only moderate recoil thanks to the gas system and the standard number three setting on the gas regulator. Brass was ejected approximately four yards directly right. When I retrieved the brass there was a dent halfway back on the case. This would keep me from attempting to reload these used cases. This is nothing unusual in a military rifle. The H&K family of rifles does the same thing.

Conclusion

I’ve owned an inch version of the L1A1 British rifle and always enjoyed it. This metric Century model was no different. The rifle was 100% reliable, reasonably accurate, the internal parts were not overly worn insuring many years of life left in the rifle. The fit and finish was very good with no defects noted.

In all likelihood I would change the stock back to the standard version even though this model was comfortable to shoot. I’m a bit of a traditionalist I guess I do like the bi-pod. When folded it fit snuggly against the metal heatshield and in no way interfered with a good forward grip. Magazines are very reasonable in price. Century includes two twenty round mags with each rifle. These mags appeared to be new surplus.

With the reasonable price of approximately $600 and performance of this rifle I would have no problem recommending the Century G-1 to the military rifle enthusiast or casual shooter.

Not that long ago electronic ear muffs were priced out of the reach of most casual shooters.  Prices generally started around $200 and went up.

Fortunately, times have changed.  Unlike ammo, the price on entry-level electronic hearing protection has come down significantly, and all but the most cash-strapped shooters can afford them.

The Champion Electronic Earmuffs are an inexpensive model of electronic hearing protection, with many retailers selling them for $35 or less.

They offer a stated 25 db of protection.  The electronics cut off harmful noises, but allow you to amplify more quiet sounds.

The Champion ear muffs have two mics, one for each ear, allowing for true stereo sound.  Each muff has its own volume control, allowing you to boost the volume in one ear more than the other.

The earmuffs use four (4) AAA batteries, two in each side.  A set of standard Duracell batteries lasted through multiple trips to the range, so battery life seemed good to me.

The muffs fold up into a very compact package for easy storage.  This may seem like a trivial thing, but space in my range bag is at a premium.  Compact is good.

The muffs fit my head well and provided a very good seal around the ears.  I previously reviewed the Caldwell E-MAX  electronic muffs, and feel the Champion earmuffs did a much better job at fitting around the ears and dampening loud noises.

However, I experienced other problems with the Champion Electonic Earmuffs that made them an obviously inferior product that I cannot recommend.

The mic/speakers did not work very well at all.  The speaker in the left muff cut in and out constantly, creating a highly annoying situation.  The right muff was better, but it would also cut in and out.

No amount of playing around with the muffs would fix the problem.  This problem alone prevents me from recommending this product.

There were two other issues with the Champion ear muffs, though neither was a deal killer in and of themselves.

First, the audio quality (apart from the cutting in and out) wasn’t terribly good.  The speakers could only reproduce a very narrow frequency band, meaning that everyone sounded pretty awful when talking.  As a gag, I tried listening to music through them.  The audio reproduction redefined “bad.”

The second issue is the lack of LED or other warning light signifying the earmuffs are “on.”  It would be very easy to turn the muffs on and forget to turn them off after you remove them from your head.

The competing Caldwell product has a small red light that is plainly visible when the circuitry is active.

Not having a light may not be a deal killer, but it would likely kill more than a few batteries around my house.

I had high hopes for the Champion Electronic Earmuffs.  They look and feel nicer than the Caldwell muffs, but their performance was horrible.  If you decide to give these a try, make sure you save your receipt.

From the press release ...

Wixom, MI - Trijicon, Inc., global provider of innovative Brilliant Aiming Solutions™ for hunters, shooters, military and law enforcement personnel, is pleased to announce that the U.S. Army has commissioned an additional 10,000 TA31RCO-M150 Rifle Combat Optics to fill its TACOM IDIQ contract. The Army-designated TA31RCO-M150 is known by many simply as the 4x32 ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight®.)

…

The fixed 4-power M150 sight differs from ACOG units supplied to the U.S. Marine Corps in that its external windage and elevation adjusters allow the unit to be fully waterproof to an astounding 11 meters, even without its turret caps in place. This proven durability is one reason why the ACOG was awarded the Army's demanding M150 contract.

This new order is in addition to existing 43,000 M150s already ordered through TACOM IDIQ contract, as well as the original IDIQ contract from the U.S. Army for 135,000 M150 units, placed in 2007.

Ares Armor has developed a tunable compensator for 5.56mm weapons with 1/2-28 muzzle threads, which they are calling the “EFFIN-A.”

Jesse of Predator Intel describes the device:

This is the first Compensator that can be both stacked and tuned to
custom fit each rifle and the its gas dispersal. The EFFIN-A features
4 rows and 7 columns and 4 rows of ports that can be either opened or
closed off with of set screws. Threading is cut short eliminate the
possibility of a screw entering the chamber. This also bottoms out the
screw making sure you have a tight fit and withstand the pressure of
the gas forcing it out. You can also stack the Compensator allowing
for other options.

This Compensator combats muzzle climb in two ways; The EFFIN-A
Compensator’s timed and tunable exit ports act as an outside force
that returns the weapon to a “position of rest” by directly countering
the force of the round being fired in relation to the standard
shooter’s contact points on the weapon. This Compensator is also
designed to directly increase the weapons moment of inertia by
accurately counter balancing the mass of the front of the weapon in
relation to the force of motion created by the original force.

Due to the amount of time and money we spent on researching the amount
of pressure released during the act of firing a round and adjusting
the Compensator’s balance to correspond to it we will not be releasing
the exact weight until after the pre-order is finished and products
have already shipped. Note: testing was conducting with two types of
ammunition, Matchgrade and GreenTips. The general weight is between 4
and 5 ounces.

The Compensator has an outer diameter of 1″ and is 1.95″ inches in
length when the cap is removed. You have the choice of selecting the
EFFIN-A Compensator in Black or Stainless Steel depending on which
aesthetic appeals to you or best matches your weapon.

WARNING If you attempt to modify or use these devices in any way
attempting to create baffles for a suppressor, it will instantly void
our warranty and possibly land you in jail. PLEASE OBEY THE LAW!

We do not recommend stacking more than two of these on top of each
other. If you do so, you do it at your own risk and it will also void
the warranty.

A promo video showing various people using AR-15s equipped with the device has been released; this is the “clean” version, which has loud music playing in order to block out profanity.

Although threads are not shown in the 3D rendering below, the cap is screwed on with the same 1/2-28 threads. It is thus possible to attach another EFFIN-A Comp to the front of the device. This exploded view shows how the device is “tunable.”

Tunable compensators have been made before, but I do not believe that I have ever seen a compensator threaded to accept another compensator (or other muzzle device).

The “EFFIN-A” is available for pre-order at PredatorArmament.com, with a projected availability date of September 1st. It is available in black and stainless. The pre-order price is $90.99.

An ARFCOM readers S&W M&P15T suffered an incredible catastrophic failure, probably the worst I have seen.

NVCapCop reports ...

My S&W M&P15T was destroyed today with an epic Kaboom (catastrophic failure).

I did not suffer any major physical injuries - received a welt on my left bicep (MagPul AFG hold) that looks like a bad bug bite or bee sting from shrapnel impacting my skin. A tiny little cut on the left forearm as well as lots of tiny red dots on inner side of elbow. The injuries felt kind of like a rug burn a few hours after the event.

Cartridge #45 out of the first 50 round box. USAammo 223 55 gr FMJ Lot #2906113.

The ammo was recently purchased USAammo, remanufactured on once fired LC brass. As you can see from the pics, the usual parts suffered catastrophic damage. The Troy quadrail seems to have helped keep the upper receiver from completely coming apart.

The destruction: Both sides of S&W factory upper assembly, the dustcover, both front corners of the magwell, hairline fractures directly under the left and right sides of the picatinny rail, cracked barrel extension in the middle of the feedramp, factory lower bulged on the bolt catch side. The PSA MPI bolt, the Failzero bolt carrier, and the PMag were completely damaged also.

Possible damage: BCM vltor gunfighter CH, RRA 2 stage trigger/hammer, pivot pins.

...

Update 7/26/11: Spoke to the CEO this a.m. He is eager to investigate the ammo lots so KBs don't happen to other purchasers. He admitted that some of his ammo has been overpressured due to "Western" powder supplier using powders with faster burn rates. The overpressure would also explain why my buddy had so many stuck cases of .308 175 gr. match ammo in his ArmaLite AR-10.

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

Wolf Ammo announced a new 7.62x54R cartridge for 2011.  The new load is called Extra Match, and Wolf claims it is “one of the most accurate 7.62x54R rounds in the world.”

The load uses a 200 gr FMJ bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2435 fps.  The case is brass, and is promoted as “reloadable.”  However, the primers are Berdan primers.  If you reload in the United States, make sure you have a source of Berdan primers, as the Boxer primers are incompatible.

As a CZ-75 fan, it was great to visit the CZ factory in the Czech Republic. One of the highlights of the trip was examining the first prototype of the CZ-75 as well as the first serialized production model and the one millionth pistol made.

Alice Poluchova, president of CZ-USA, gave us an overview of what makes the CZ-75 such a popular firearm and discussed some of the newer models based on the 75 design. Thirty-six years after it was first introduced, it’s still being copied widely, not to mention produced in great numbers by CZ.

Also, I had a chance to examine some beautiful engraved CZs in 9mm and .45. Words can’t describe their beauty – watch the video!

Here are photos of some of the handguns discussed in the videos:

Prototype of CZ-75

First serialized production CZ-75

Millionth CZ-75 made

Engraved CZ-75

Engraved CZ-97