The Firearm Blog

I was interview by The Escapist, a major gaming website, about guns and video games. The article quotes me many times.

Steve says the best way to gauge the realism of shooting guns in games is to compare it to the realism of anything else you can do in a game, like driving: "The best analogy that I can think of would be motorbikes. How realistic is riding a motorbike in GTA compared to riding a motorbike in real life? Not very. Same with guns."

The article is well written, although I don't think the majority of gun websites are "wonky" and I would have presented the gun crime stats a bit differently. Hopefully the article will encourage video gamers to give real guns a try.

"The Call of Duty effect" is the first phrase I have coined

This video is amazing. I wish I had half his talent!

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

I can't believe I did not see these at SHOT. Midway USA has them on backorder. Expected ship date is the 29th.

Photos by eringobragh

Extreme Tolerance points out that shipping from Midway USA comes to $8, nearly doubling the effective price of the $9.45 case.

UPDATE: Todd points out that basic USPS ship option was only $3.19

UPDATE: Review of the case over at Jason's blog.

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

If you did, please feel free to email me any photos of any interesting firearms you saw.

Hi Y'all,

Thanks for your kind words, I am feeling a bit better and I plan to be back blogging on Tuesday.

But ...

I have amassed hundreds of emails in my inbox. I estimate is would take many hours to reply to them all. It would mean another whole week of no blogging in order to clear the inbox

I know you want me back blogging, and I want to be back blogging, so to achieve this I am going to have to clear my inbox as fast as possible.

This means I will read but not reply to the vast majority of emails that are currently in my inbox. I promise to read them all so if you have sent me tips or press releases I will be sure to file them away for future blogging.

If you have emailed me regarding business, freelance writing or advertising I will do my best to get back to you ASAP. If I have not done so by the end of the week, feel free to send me a reminder.

I enjoy conversing with all of you, and will resume writing personal replies to all the emails I receive after the end of the week.

Thank you for your patience.

James shares his recent adventure.

In the Mumbai terrorist attack aftermath, the Mumbai police blamed their poor performance on being out gunned by the terrorists who were using MP5s while they were using Lee-Enfield rifles. The Indian National Security Guard (NSG) adopted the same PR strategy and claimed that the terrorists' MP5s were far superior to the AKs which they were using.

To prevent another "out gunned" scenario MetalTech, along with Indian special forces, have developed a $45,000 armored golf cart!

The MetalTech Anti-Terrorist Assault Cart (ATAC) can resist grenade blasts and gun fire. An interesting solution to the wrong problem (training the police to use their Enfields would, I my my humble opinion, be better money spent).

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

The Taser XREP is a 12 gauge less-lethal round that delivers an electric shock to the target it hits. It's certainty the most complex shotgun bullet ever made and also the most expensive.

I was able to handle, and photograph, a deactivated Taser XREP round. I have never before seen any photos published, other than the official Taser marketing photos, so this is a first.

The cartridge on the right is the unfired round. It can only be fired in a Mossberg X12 shotgun (and regular 12 gauge rounds can't be fired in the X12) It can be fired from any 12 gauge shotgun although Taser recommend the Mossberg X12 which cannot fire regular legal rounds (preventing tragic accidents). The X12 is a modified version of the pump action Mossberg 500.

The bullet as it looks when it leaves the muzzle is second from the right in the above photo. At the base you can see the fins which help stabilize the bullet. The spikes in front are electrodes.

Once the spikes make contact with the target, the body breaks away and very (very!) sharp needles are deployed. The Taser system requires two points of contact to adequacy shock a human being. The frontal spikes provide one point of contact and the needles provide another.

Taser XREP training round (right)

The XREP is a very complex device and expected it would be expensive, although I had not idea how expensive it would be!

The training round, a plastic projectile weighted the same as the live XREP costs $100 per five rounds! The live version of the XREP costs $800 per 5 rounds! That is $160 per round! I would hate to miss the target at a price that that!

Mossberg / Taser X12 shotgun.

Can't think what to get the wife, girlfriend or sweetheart for Valentine's Day? The Firearm Blog has you covered Pink is the new black and SHOT was awash in it ...

Tapco pink Ruger 10/22 and AR-15 stocks.

Pink camo clothing.

CamoDiv clothing (not pink, but close enought)

Taurus Judge now in pink.

Pink Camo Tasers

Pink compound bow

These advertisements appeared in issues of Guns Magazine in 1959.

At that price I would haven taken 'em all.

The Blue Book of Gun Values has increase in price as much as the guns inside it.

The following advertisement for Norma ammunition surprised me because it is so modern looking in contrast the above ads. Compare it with the cover of Hornady's Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (below).

Cover of Hornady's Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (7th Edition)

[ Many thanks to Tarkan for emailing me the pics. ]

I recently exchanged a few emails with a Japanese guy who makes blank firing replica guns. Apparently building replicas is a popular hobby over there. Their guns are pretty amazing.

Someone needs to give these guys a greencard, machine shop and a gun range. I am sure they would be able to cook up some interesting weapons if they lived in a country where it was legal to do so.

[ Many thanks to KEI for the info. ]

You all may as well get a laugh out of the top three stupid things I did at SHOT Show ...

• At Media Day I was having a great time shooting offhand with a Ruger No. 1 chambered in .300 H&H Magnum. A poor cheek weld on one of the shots left me with a bruised jaw for the rest of the week. I know better than to shoot with a poor cheek weld.

• I was playing with the knives and on of the booth and cut my finger on an incredibly sharp blade. It would not be particually embaressing, but it would not stop bleeding (Murdoc can attest to that) and so many observant attendees and exhibiters asked me, with a smirk on their face, which knife booths I had been visiting If you play with knives you are gonna get cut.

• At GemTech's booth I removed the dust cover on an ATI Kalashnikov. I had not yet been to the ATI booth and wanted to see what was going on under it. Problem was that I could not figure out how to put it back on ... which really pissed off a GemTech staff member.

Gemtech Suppressors (ATI Kalashnikov, middle)

As many of you saw, I had to resort to public begging to get into the Advance Armament Corporation party aka. BIG BANG 2010. Fortunately Cara Brittingham took pity on me and hooked me up with tickets not only for myself but also for my talented photographers Bryan and Isaac.

A Maxim girl (back). Photo © Bryan Jones

Lots more photos after the jump ... Continue Reading »

I admit to being one of those smart-asses you find lurking in gun shops who insist on using the correct pronunciation for the names of foreign guns Laurent was kind enough to record an MP3 for us which demonstrates the pronunciation of French firearms and manufactures.

The transcript of the words he is saying is below. I suggest reading along as you listen to the audio.

Transcript of Words Pronounced in the MP3

MAB
Manufacture d'Armes de Bayonne
MAB P15

MAC
Manufacture d'Armes de Châtellerault
Pistolet Automatique MAC 50

MAS
Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne
Fusil MAS 36, Fusil Semi-Automatique MAS 49/56
Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne
FAMAS F1 FAMAS G1 FAMAS G2 FAMAS FELIN
Fusil à Répétition F1 FRF1
Fusil à Répétition F2 FRF2
Pistolet Automatique MAS G1S PA-MAS G1S

Manufacture d'Armes de Tulle (MAT)
Pistolet-Mitrailleur =mitraillette MAT 49

Berthier
Mousqueton Berthier

fusil de chasse Chapuis

fusil Chassepot 1886

revolver Lefaucheux

Manufrance

Manurhin
Manurhin MR-73

Unique

Verney-Carron

Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN)
Fusil automatique léger FAL
Mitrailleuse d'appui général MAG
Minimi Mini-Mitrailleuse

Pistolet Automatique MAC 50. Photo from Wikipedia.

Explication of some French terms

Manufactures d'Armes : Armory, like in Springfield Armory
Pistolet Automatique : semi-auto pistol, in the french military nomenclature
Pistolet-Mitrailleur or Mitraillette : SMG
Fusil : rifle
Fusil à répétition (lacking : manuelle) : bolt-action rifle