The Firearm Blog

A reader sent me this video published by IWI showing the Galil Ace with a Micro Galil folding stock and cheek riser. All the marketing material from IWI that I had seen previously featured the gun with their new M4-style adjustable stock. The Galil Micro is the compact PDW version of the original Galil with an 8" barrel.

The background music for the video is a song by the notorious anti-government/anti-war/anti-the-man band Rage Against The Machine. Why would an arms manufacturer feature music by this band in their marketing material (undoubtedly without the approval of the band)? The Israeli defense industry is well known for their kitschy. almost satirical, promotional videos. If you want a good laugh, watch this bollywood-style video by Israeli arms giant Rafael.

Security Scholar reports that the Australian Federal Police tactical response teams are evaluating the KRISS Vector SMG.

It came to my attention whilst talking to a KRISS representative in Las Vegas that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had – and presumably were continuing – to test and evaluate (T&E) the Vector SMG. A few phone calls revealed, as expected, that the weapon was being evaluated by the Operational Readiness Group (ORG) for use by their Tactical Response Teams (TRTs). The ORG TRTs provide tactical response options to all high-risk AFP operations nationally, and are often tasked to deploy overseas on peacekeeping missions as part of the International Deployment Group (IDG).

I have blogged about the KRISS Vector many times before. I have used both the civilian-legal carbine and the LEO/mil submachine gun. Both are a lot of fun to use and the initial problems reported when they were first introduced appear to have been fixed.

In the upcoming season of MythBusters, the team will be seeing what happens when an RPG hits a bullet midair.

Most (all?) RPG warheads are detonated by a piezoelectric sensor/fuse in the nose of the round. If a bullet/warhead collision can transfer enough energy in the piezoelectric fuse, causing it to generate enough electricity to detonate the explosive, then the round will explode. In Mybusters style, if a .22 LR does not blow up an RPG, they will just upgrade to an 18th century cannon or 20th century howitzer

Firing an RPG is very high on my bucket list. I am hoping I do not have to go all the way to Vietnam to try some out.

If all you do today is watch this video, it will be day well spent, trust me!

The video was shot by Insight Visual Media Productions to test a new high speed camera ...

We recently had a new IDT Y5 HDiablo sent to us as a demo. This is the first of 3 high speed cameras we will be testing this month before we make a decision on which one to purchase.

We shot in several different types of situations over a 2 day period and this quick little demo was made for the purpose of including the Y5 in a realistic workflow from concept to final cut. We'll be writing a blog about it later. The two other cameras we will be testing are the Photron BC2 and the Phantom Flex.

Equipment: Canon 5D, 7D, Lots of lenses, IDT Y5 Diablo, 300mm Zeiss PL, 35mm Zeiss super speed, Zylight & Lightpanels

Guns: M-249 SAW, M4 (7" Barrel), HK-53, MG-42, G-17 select fire, PPSh-41, AR-15 & M-16

ArmyRecognition.com published a photo of an IWI UZI Pro on display at DSEi '11 (London's Defense Expo) featuring a new stock design and slightly different forend. The new stock is polymer with an adjustable cheek piece. I cannot make out if the stock is foldable. The previous stock was the standard UZI steel side folder. The newer forend now incorporates a collapsable foregrip and a slightly different trigger guard.

The newer version of the UZI Pro

The UZI Pro was introduced last year. It is a Micro UZI with a polymer lower reciever. The lower has an integrated Tavor-style trigger-guard and forward side rails.

The original UZI Pro what was unveiled last year.

Aimpoint had their FCS12 sight/Fire Control System on display at DSEi '11. The system works with the venerable Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle and the Panzerfaust 3 RPG. The system incorporates a 1x red dot sight with a laser range finder. The device can be programmed with up to 50 different ballistic profiles so that the operator can selected a profile to match the round loaded. A grip can be installed on the launcher that communicates with the FCS12 wirelessly so that the operator never has to take his hand off the weapon (buttons can still be used in an emergency).

A nifty piece of gear!

[ Many thanks to Lionel for the photo. ]

Springfield Armory is now selling the .45 ACP version of their XD-M 5.25" Competition pistol. The gun has a capacity of 13+1.

[Hat Tip: Defense Review]

Daniel P, the president and founder of PAFOA, has launched a free gun classifieds site.

Daniel says ...

Arms Dealer 2.0 has launched with an easy to use new look and free classifieds. The new site is purpose-built from the ground up to allow you to easily buy or sell firearms and related items. At ArmsDealer.net, we’re committed to making classifieds just work. Unlike most sites that use forum and blog software to (badly) handle classifieds listing, we’ve custom built our own software from the ground up specifically to help people buy and sell firearm-related items.

We’ve got a big list of new features for you to check out:

• Free Classifieds, no posting or transactional fees.
• Buyers can filter classifieds by Product, Manufacturer, or State to find exactly what they’re looking for.
• Custom software lets you find local buyers and sellers in your area.
• Easy to use, uniquely structured Feedback System that allows you to have a clear picture of who you’re dealing with.
• Private Messaging system that lets buyers and sellers coordinate sales.

Daniel is also running a competition to promote the classifieds where you can win gear.

Discovery will be premiering a new gun store reality show entitled American Guns. The show revolves around the family who own the Gunsmoke gun shop in Denver, Colorado.

From the press release ...

The Wyatts are your typical suburban family... who just happened to own one of the premiere firearms facilities in the world. Rich Wyatt and his wife Renee own Gunsmoke, located outside Denver, Colorado, where they buy, sell and trade guns - from hand canons to hunting rifles. And if you don't see what you want, they'll build one for you - from nothing more than a block of metal. Gunsmoke has the largest and most experienced group of gunsmiths in the state. When the Wyatts aren't building or selling guns, they're shooting them. No gun leaves their shop without being test fired by the family first. They - and the one-of-a-kind and historic guns they make and sell - are featured in the all-new series AMERICAN GUNS, premiering Monday, October 10th at 10PM ET/PT.

The Wyatt family takes their guns very seriously. For 18 years they have owned Gunsmoke, turning the small business into a firearms enterprise. Rich is a master firearms trainer and former police officer with more than 22 years experience in law enforcement. He is one of only six people in the world certified by Colonel Jeff Cooper, a master firearms instructor and one of the 20th century's foremost experts on the use and history of small arms. And Rich is an extremely talented gunsmith. Give him a block of steel and he'll create art.

It sounds like the guns covered will be quite different from Discovery's Sons of Guns. It will feature more traditional/historic guns rather than tacti-cool firearms.

My dreams have come true. It is now possible to use a desktop 3D printer to print an AR-15 magazine, floorplate, follower and spring!

The 3D models have been opensource, so anyone can use them, modify them and distribute them. All you need a MakerBot desktop 3D printer. The latest MakerBot is sold in kit form for $1,299.

An AR-15 lower receiver 3D printer model has also been published, although nobody has published photos of the end result.

Do any TFB readers have a MakerBot or similar printer?

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