Beretta’s new Model 92A1 and 96A1 pistols

The 9mm Beretta 92FS and 96 have been updated for 2010. The new 92A1 and 96A1 feature

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The .40 S&W Model 96A1

  • Higher capacity magazines (17 rounds for 92A1 and 12 rounds for 96A1). They are still compatible with older magazines.
  • Picatinny rail.
  • Rounded trigger guard.
  • Removable front sight.
  • Captive recoil assembly. Less chance of losing springs!
  • Recoil buffer (96A1 only).

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Recoil assembly.

The A1 line does not replace the older models, but will be offered alongside them.

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Posted by Steve on Jan 19th 2010 | Filed in handguns | Comments (9)
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Tapco Mini-14 30 round magazine

Tapco will soon be selling a 30 round polymer magazine for the Ruger Mini-14 rifle.

Tapco Mini 14 30 round magazine photo
Mini-14 in Tapco stock and magazine

Tapco Mini 14 30 round magazine photo

The price will be $15.

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Posted by Steve on Jan 19th 2010 | Filed in rifles | Comments (7)
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Bushmaster ACR launched!

The LONG anticipated Bushmaster ACR has been officially launched. I warn you in advance that it is priced FAR higher than what was rumored!

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As you can see above, there are four models (ACR SS 16M B, ACR SS 16M C, ACR FR 16M B and ACR FR 16M C ). Essentially there are two colors (Black and "Coyote Brown") and two types (Basic and Enhanced). Each model is available in 5.56mm or 6.8 SPC (but can be quickly swapped from one caliber to the other by changing barrel and bolt head).

The Basic model features:

  • 16.5-inch cold hammer-forged barrel system
  • A2 birdcage-style suppressor
  • Magpul MBUS iron sights
  • A-Frame style stock
  • Free floating monolithic top rail.

The Enhanced model adds the following features:

  • Three sided handguard rail ( giving a quad rail setup with the monolithic top rail at 12 o'clock ).
  • AAC Blackout flash hider
  • 6 position folding stock. This stock is what we all think of as "THE" ACR stock.

Now what you have been waiting for ...

The suggested retail price for the Basic models is $2,685 and for the enhanced it is $3,061! This is what I expected, although many were hoping for it to fall into the $1000-$2000 price range.

I will try to find out the price of caliber conversion kits and additional barrels when I am at SHOT.

[ Many thanks to Daniel and Josh for emailing me info about this rifle. ]

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Posted by Steve on Jan 19th 2010 | Filed in rifles | Comments (78)
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Media Day disclosure

In the interests of full disclosure, these were the free gifts given to me at Media Day (the industry shoot before SHOW Show starts).

Media Day disclosure photo

What you have there is four caps, one notebook, eye and ear protection (not really a gift), a backpack and a Otis cleaning kit-in-a-can (a promotional version of their kit, I think).

These were not given to me personally, but were on offer to all attendees of Media Day.

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Posted by Steve on Jan 19th 2010 | Filed in misc | Comments (8)

Trijicon bible verse controversy

Trijicon are under fire after it was discovered that Trijicon scopes supplied to the US Army contain a references to bible verses inscribed on them.

ABC News reports ...

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

The tradition of inscribing bible verse references on the sights was started by the founder, a devout Christian, and continued after his death in 2003.

[ Many thanks to all the readers who emailed in this story ]

UPDATE: Brits also complaining.

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Posted by Steve on Jan 19th 2010 | Filed in military | Comments (56)
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Steyr Arms has aquired Merkel USA

From the press release ...

Steyr Arms announced the acquisition of Merkel USA today. Merkel USA is the U.S. importer and service center for Merkel’s side-by-side and over/under shotguns, fine double rifles, drillings, combination guns, K1 single-shot stalking rifles, the innovative KR1 bolt-action rifle, and the exceptionally reliable SR1 semiautomatic rifle. Merkel Hunting And Sporting Arms was created in 1898 in Suhl, Germany, and its firearms have been available in the U.S. since 1991, two years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Merkel USA is also the importer for Anschutz precision rimfire sporting rifles. It also imports Grulla’s exquisite line of Spanish-made sidelock side-by-side shotguns as well as Docter Optic sights and scopes.

Merkel USA is an importer and should not be confused with Merkel in Germany who manufacture firearms.

clip image 001 tfb tm Steyr Arms has aquired Merkel USA photo

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Posted by Steve on Jan 19th 2010 | Filed in news, rifles | Comments (2)
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Space gun idea revived

Last year I blogged about NASA's incredibly powerful hybrid/air gun used for simulating impacts from meteor and space debris. Quicklaunch is taking the concept even further. PopSci reports on their proposed cannon which could be used to launch fuel, supplies and satellites into space.

The Quicklaunch cannon would float at sea at the equator. The proposed firing system works by burning natural gas inside a heat exchanger. The heat from the burning natural gas is used to heat hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas expands quickly and pushes the projectile out of the barrel. Release valves prevent over pressure inside the barrel. There is a photo at the PopSci website.

The idea of launching objects into space from a cannon is not new. In the 1960s Canada and the United States attempted to develop a Space Gun as part of the High Altitude Research (HARP) Project. The most infamous attempt at building a Space Gun was Saddam Hussein's Babylon Project which fortunately never came to fruition before the project was dismantled following the fist Gulf War.

Space gun idea revived photo
Barrel sections of Iraqi supergun Big Babylon at the Imperial War Museum

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

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Posted by Steve on Jan 18th 2010 | Filed in military, strange guns | Comments (20)
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Ruger LCR coming in .357 Mag!

NRANews's Cam and Company [ iTunes Link, 1/14/10 episode ] let slip the news that Ruger would have a LCR chambered in .357 Magnum on display. I am sure that this is the wheel gun that Michael Bane recently blogged about!

The original .38 Special Ruger LCR was announced at SHOT Show last year.

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Ruger Lightweight Compact Revolver (LCR) .38 Special

[ Many thanks to Nick for alerting me to the news. ]

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Posted by Steve on Jan 18th 2010 | Filed in handguns | Comments (25)
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Robinson Arms sues Remington, Magpul and others

Solider system reports ...

Robinson Arms, manufacturers of the XCR have filed suit yesterday in US District Court for Utah against Remington, Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, and Magpul Industries based on alleged infingement of their patent (Multi-caliber ambidextrously controllable firearm #7,596,900) issued 6 October, 2009 and initially filed in August of 2003.

I will be sure to ask Robarms about this at SHOT (and they will be sure to tell me they cannot say anything for legal reasons).

xcr 556 pdw rs 1 tfb tm Robinson Arms sues Remington, Magpul and others photo
RobArms

The patent in question can be read after the jump.

[ Many thanks to jdun1911 for emailing me the link. ] Continue Reading »

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Posted by Steve on Jan 18th 2010 | Filed in news, rifles | Comments (22)
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Magpul Dynamics New DVDs

I won't normally post trailers for training DVDs, but the Magpul Dynamics series is REALLY good.

Art of the Dynamic Handgun

Aerial Platform Operations!!!!

[ Many thanks to Dave who emailed in these videos. ]

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Posted by Steve on Jan 15th 2010 | Filed in video | Comments (23)
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Quick note on my blogging schedule and email

Hey y'all,

I have been traveling extensively over the past couple of weeks and spending very little time in one place. Until SHOT Show I will be moving around a lot! I am blogging as much as I can!

My mail box has 173 emails which need a reply! I promise to read every email I get, but at this point please do not expect a reply in the near future!

Tomorrow I plan on posting about my visit the NRA Vault :)

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Posted by Steve on Jan 15th 2010 | Filed in misc | Comments Off

My visit to NRA HQ

Ed Friedman, Associate Editor of the NRA's Shooting Illustrated magazine and gun blogger, was kind enough to organize for me a tour of the NRA. I had the pleasure of meeting most the editors for the Shooting Illustrated, American Hunter, American Rifleman and Insight magazines.

img 0387 2 tfb My visit to NRA HQ photo
Ed's tidy office. The NRA HQ is in a very nice and modern office building (not in a dungeon under the GOP headquarters and without snipers on the roof ;) )

Matt Sharpe, Assistant Curator, gave me a personal tour of the NRA National Firearms Museum. The museum is amazing. If you are in the DC metro area, you must go and see it. After the tour I was privileged to be taken down to the infamous vault and see the vast collection of guns not on display :)

img 0371 tfb My visit to NRA HQ photo
Matt patiently posing for me while I try and figure out how to work my camera. He is holding a Valmet Rk.62

During the tour I was briefly interview by Danielle Sturgis, the Senior Media Specialist, who blogged about my visit at NRABlog.com.

picture 1 tfb tm1 My visit to NRA HQ photo
My visit at NRABlog.com

My visit to NRA HQ photo
The gun range workshop. Everything you would need to fix a gun. Not shown are the drill presses, grinders and belt sanders.

To round off my trip Tyler Kries (Firearms Manager, blogger and the guy with the coolest office I have ever seen - it resembles a high end gun shop) organized a shoot of the new Savage BA .338 Lapua Magnum. Shooting a .338 with a big fraking muzzle brake in a small room (about 60 yards long and a few yards wide) was quite an experience! I am not sure my heart could put up with much more than the two rounds each of us put through it! I joke, it was a LOT of fun.

My visit to NRA HQ photo
Savage BA .338 (yes, I am an aweful photographer!)

Many thanks to everyone involved with the tour (including Danny-The-Interen), especially Ed Friedman who invited me and organized it. I had an amazing time and look forward to catching up with y'all again at SHOT.

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Posted by Steve on Jan 15th 2010 | Filed in misc | Comments (9)
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NRA National Firearms Museum

The NRA National Firearms Museum (website not working at present) is situated in the same building complex as the NRA Headquarters Fairfax, Virginia. The Assistant Curator, Matt Sharpe, was kind enough to give me a personal tour (exclusive tours can be arranged in advance 1 ) . The exhibits start with the development of the first handheld cannons and continue through history to the present. I cannot speak more highly of the museum - it holds an amazing and diverse collection of guns, many of which you will never see anywhere else,

The photos I took are pretty bad, but I hope to do a follow up post with better quality photos taken by professional photographers.

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The Mayflower gun. This .66 caliber gun is the pride of the Museum. It was found hidden in the home of John Alden (one of the Pilgrim leaders who came over in the Mayflower)

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A handgonne

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I have forgotten what this was, but it was beautiful.

NRA National Firearms Museum photo
The Confederate display.

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WWII

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This was the personal arm of Police Officer Walter Weaver, who lost his life during rescue operations at Ground Zero. The gun was found in the rubble and returned to his family. They donated the gun to the NRA.

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A failed attempt at modernizing the Thompson submachine gun.

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"Model 10". Don't know this is. It resembles a Ruger 10/22 inside a bullpup stock. That big thing on the front is a flashlight.UPDATE: MP pointed out in the comments that the Model 10 was a failed attempted at a semi-auto police shotgun.

img 0340 tfb NRA National Firearms Museum photo
A miniature Luger that actually fires tiny cartridges!

NRA National Firearms Museum photo
A 4 Bore that belonged to Henry Morton Stanley!

I am pretty sure admission to the Museum is free. If you are without a car, catch the DC Metro (orange line) to Fairfax, VA and then go the remainder of the distance by Taxi (the taxi cost me about $16).

National Firearms Museum
11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400, United States
(703) 267-1600‎

mapdata tfb NRA National Firearms Museum photo

Again, many thanks to Matt for giving me the tour and sharing with me his extensive knowledge of the collection.

Tomorrow I will post photos of the NRA Vault :)

  1. According to NRABlog.com, exclusive tours can be arranged by calling (703) 267-1600‎. ↩

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Posted by Steve on Jan 15th 2010 | Filed in photos, rifles, strange guns | Comments (25)
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Homemade 9mm Pistol

This incredibably ugly (but in a good way) pistol uses Sten 9mm mag, an AK fire control group and a Luger barrel!

ta 520n tfb tm Homemade 9mm Pistol photo

ame 8vc tfb tm Homemade 9mm Pistol photo

Lots more photos and info here.

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

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Posted by Steve on Jan 13th 2010 | Filed in handguns | Comments (20)
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