The Firearm Blog

The Beretta ARX 160 is the new assault rifle being adopted the the Italians. I first mentioned it on in blog post last October and now thanks to REMOV I have the specs and some detailed photos (copyright Armi e Tiro/Beretta). According to REMOV the R&D cost 4 million euros, 70,000 man hours and 500,000 rounds of ammunition for testing!

Click to expand the photos.

GLX 160 grenade launcher attached.

The weapon has been designed to be modular and easy to maintain in the field. It has an upper/lower polymer receiver, much like the AR-15, a gas piston system and a rotating bolt. An interesting feature, for an assault rifle, is the ultra-quick change barrel system. Beretta claim barrels can be swapped in two seconds without tools by simply depressing two latches in the upper receiver! Quad Picatinny rails allow for accessories to be attached.

Ergonomics have been an important design goal in the development of this rifle. To this end the ejection and charging handle can be switched from one side to the other in no longer than a minute. All selector switches and buttons are fully ambidextrous and the folding stock is collapsible (four position).

The rifle will come three variants: the Special Forces (12″ barrel), Carbine (16″ barrel) and Designated Marksmen / light Sniper (16″ heavy barrel). This is the first time I have seen a designated marksmen rifle come standard with a 16″ barrel and is another step in the current trend towards shorter carbines and sub-carbines.

The standard rifle configurations are chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO and use STANAG (M16) magazines. By swapping the bolt head, lower receiver and barrel the rifle can be reconfigured to use 5.45×39mm, 7.62×39mm or 6.8mm SPC rounds.

12″ barrel (bottom and middle) and 16″ barrel (top)

The GLX 160 grenade launcher can be quickly attached to the ARX 160 or be used as a stand-alone weapon. In its most basic configuration is weighs less than 1 kg (2.2 lbs) and 2.2 kb (4.8 lbs) when fitted with a collapsible stock and grenade iron sights.

The GLFCS ( Grenade Launcher Fire Control System ) is a range finder / ballistics calculator for the GLX that attaches to the ARX 160 allowing for accurate fire.

Not much has been said about this rifle while the Bushmaster ACR and FN SCAR have been getting all the attention. I think the ARX / GLX 160 is an impressive package and I look forward to seeing how it performs in Italian service.

Credit for this blog post needs to go to REMOV who provided me with a lot of information. Thanks Remi.

The CZ 75 SP-01 Phantom came out early last year in the Czech Republic and I think was available mid-year in the US. I missed the launch and have been meaning to cover it for a while. Anyway, here it is:

The SP-01 Phantom is a polymer version of the CZ 75 SP-01 TACTICAL. The use of polymers has reduced the weight by 33%.

The pistol features:

* SA/DA action
* Decocking lever, safety stop on hammer and a firing pin safety.
* Interchangeable grip inserts
* Accessory rail.

Specs:

Capacity: 19+1 capacity and can use older CZ 75 magazines
Barrel Length: 4.7″
Weight: 1.8 lbs
Overall Length: 8.1″
Height: 5.8″
Width: 1.5″
Rate of twist: 1:9.7

The MSRP is $695. I did spot it priced for $626.99 at Impact Guns.

A video of the pistol being shot:

I missed the announcement for the Micro Desert Eagle, but I think it came out in mid November.

Ad for the Micro Eagle

Magnum Research are claiming this is a new pistol but CZF (@ THR) identified it as a the Kevin pistol manufactured by Czech company ZVI. The Kevin itself is fairly new and was introduced in 2007.

ZVI Kevin

This Micro Eagle is an interesting pistol that does differentiate itself from other .380 Auto sub compact pistols. It features what Magnum Research call “gas assisted blowback” and what ZVI call “reverse gas withdrawal”. From ZVI:

The pistol has a dynamic breech, DAO trigger mechanism, and fixed sight. The pistol does not require any safety lever due do the DAO system. Its frame is made of a high strength aluminium alloy, the barrel and slide of steel. A comfortable and precise fire is secured by the use of a reverse gas withdrawal to slow down the slide (patented).

Specs:

Caliber: .380 Auto
Length: 4.52″ / 116 mm
Length of the Barrel: 2.22″ / 57 mm
Height: 3.71″ / 95 mm
Width: 0.90″ / 23 mm
Finish: Nickel Teflon
Weight: Empty 14 oz / 400 grams
Magazine Capacity: 6 Rounds
Trigger Mechanism: DAO
Safety: DAO (which I think means none)
Sights: Fixed/Non-Adjustable

It is retailing at the Magnum Research website for $535.

What does legendary gun smith Bill WIlson carry? The “Bill Wilson Carry Pistol”.

From Wilson Combat:

After the Television appearances by the boss (Bill Wilson), we received so many calls to find out which pistol Bill carries on a daily basis. Well here it is!! The “Bill Wilson Carry Pistol” is the pistol Bill carries every day.

He gave me the complete list of his favorite touches and how a carry gun should be outfitted. Take a Wilson Combat CQB Compact, add the new “Round Butt” treatment, shorten the slide stop pin and counter sink the frame (giving you the option to use the Crimson Trace laser grips), slide top serrations, our new “Carry Cuts”, and finally this wonderful pistol is fitted with Bill’s favorite thumb-safety.

This “Carry pistol” is outfitted exactly as Bill would want it, wearing a set of Wilson Combat Starburst G10 grips with a black slide over a grey frame custom built to exacting standard by some of the best pistolsmiths in the world today. If you are looking for the perfect carry pistol and you were never sure how exactly it should be, here it is with all the features handpicked to match the gun that Bill carries daily.

Price: 2,850.00

Del-Ton is selling a range of their own AR-15s under the brand name DTI. These rifles were originally announced at the beginning of the year and are now being distributed by American Tactical Imports.

The above pictured M4gery is the DTI-4 and features:

a 16″ barrel with M4 profile, 1×9 twist, 6 positon M4 stock, CAR handguards with single heat shields, and A2 Flash Hider. The rifle also comes with a hard case, sling, 2 30rd mags and a buttstock cleaning kit.

The price is $750.00.

The entire Del-Ton DTI range can be seen here.

Hat Tip: Outdoor Wire.

Ruger Charger Stainless with Black Laminate Stock

AcuSport is the distributor for the new Ruger Charger in stainless steel. The Ruger Charger is a pistol build on the Ruger 10/22 .22LR rifle action.

UPDATE: Brian at AcuSport old me the MSRP is $387.25.

More on the Ruger Charger here.

Hat Tip: Shooting Wire.

Ammoland has the info:

The Desert Digital Special Edition is a matched set featuring the SIG556 ER folding stock rifle and P226 pistol in 9mm. Both rifle and pistol share unique matching serial numbers and ship in a custom tactical hard carry case by Pelican.

The set includes (1) double 30 round magazine set for the rifle and (3) 15 round magazines for the pistol. A certificate of authenticity is included. This collectors edition is limited to 1500 units total.

Pretty cool. No word on price.

More info at Ammoland.

For a while I have been waiting for Colt to a announce a ultra-reliable ultra-high capacity magazine that will accompany the Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle. One of the requirements for the Marine IAR is a ultra-high capacity magazine.

At the Pakistan IDEAS-2008 expo an M16/M203 was on display with a MWG 90 Rounder High Capacity Magazine, sitting directly above a Colt IAR poster (Photo by skybolt @ Defence.pk).

The tan colored weapon on the poster is the Colt IAR. Click to expand.

I think it would be safe to assume that Colt is going with the MWG 90.

MWG 90 Rounder High Capacity Magazine

If you look closely at the first image it appears that the MWG 90 magazine is attached to the M16 upper receiver. Something is attached to the receiver which extends towards the magazine. Anyone know what this is? It does not appear visible on MWG promotional photos, such as this one:

Colt may have customized the MWG 90 to increase reliability/durability.

These days it seems no defense exhibition is complete without the unveiling of a new Corner Shot clone. The Pakistan IDEAS-2008 expo, which finished today, did not disappointed!

The POF Eye was purportedly developed in only 6 months by Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF).

Click to expand. Photos from Defence.pk.

According to Wikipedia, there will be three variants: pistol, submachine gun and grenade launcher.

While I have always been skeptical about the usefulness of the Corner Shot concept I think a grenade launcher could be very useful, especially in police-type situations using non-lethal ammunition.

The original Corner Shot also has a 40mm grenade option as well as an “Assault Pistol” (5.56mm M16 pistol) configuration.

Pakistan joins Iran, who early this year announced a clone, and China whose clone is called the HD66 (scroll down link for photo).

Thanks to Shoaib for letting me know about the POF Eye.

In 2006 Sauer, a 257 year old German company, produced their first semi-automatic rifle the S 303

(Sauer should not be confused with Sig Sauer, which is the American arm of the European conglomerate that owns J. P. Sauer & Sohn).

In the January 2009 issue of Guns Magazine they review the S303 and call it a “new” rifle. I think they mean “new in the USA”.

Sauer S 303 Elegance model with scope.

The rifle is a high-end elegant rifle (in other words: a non-evil non-black rifle) designed for European drive hunts. In drive hunts game is flushed out towards hunters and quick shots are needed as they run past; at least that is my understanding of drive hunts, never having seen one.

The S 303 includes some interesting features. It has a feature called the Silent Cocking System (SCS) which Guns magazine describes:

With the magazine in place if the cocking lever is pulled back and allowed to go forward the firearm is cocked and ready to go. However, if you allow the lever to go forward slowly, it stops about 1″ shy of actually closing and then can be pushed into place silently.

I can’t quire figure out what this mean in practice. Walking around with the bolt open 1″ with a round not quite chambered seems to me like asking for a jam but I am sure there is more to it than that.

The cocking/decocking lever can be seem at “1″.Click to expand.

The S 303 also features a innovative detachable mounting system called isiMount. The scope can be move into two different positions, depending on desired eye relief, without effecting point of impact.

isiMount bottom diagram. Smart Tube gas system top diagram.

The under barrel gas system, Smart Tube, has been designed with accuracy in mind.

Specs:

Models: Classic (least expensive), Elegance, Individual (most expensive)
Barrel length: 510 / 560 mm – 20″ / 22”
Total length: 1065 / 1115 mm – 41.9″ / 43.9”
Weight: 3.25 / 3.35 kg (7.16 / 7.38 lbs)
Calibres: 7×64mm, .30-06, 8×57mm IS, 9.3×62mm, .300 Win. Mag.
Magazine: 2 rounds (optional 5 round magazine available)

Guns Magazine says that the price will be $3999 (presumably for the least expensive Classic model).

The top end Individual model. Look at that wood!

With its elegant non-threatening appearance I think Sauer have a winner on their hands. While the rifle is expensive, it is not when compared with the double rifles it is competing with. It also has many advantages compared too double rifles such as decreased recoil (semi-auto action) and increase accuracy (one barrel).

It is available in 9.3×62mm which is the minimum African dangerous game caliber so it should be more than sufficient for any animal found in Europe or North America. Due to import restrictions on semi-automatic rifles it is unlikely that many (if any at all) will end up hunting the Big 5.

More info available at Sauer and Guns Magazine (Jan 2009 issue).

(Photos and diagrams from Sauer-Waffen.de)

Earlier this month SIG announced an the new SIG 556 Classic. The design is modeled on the SIG 550. From what I can see the primary difference is the swiss style folding stock and polymer handguard.

SIG 556 Classic

SIG 550 (Photo from Wikipedia)

I am surprised they did not duplicate the “classic” 550 handguard exactly since the main selling point of this rifle is the look. It does not include the 550 integral bipod.

Specs:

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Overall Length: 37.1”
With stock collapsed: 34.3”
With stock folded: 28.1”
Barrel Length: 17”
Rifling: 1 in 7”
Weight (w/o magazine): 8 lbs. 2 oz.
MSRP: $1998.00

I like the lines on the Classic. Very sleek looking, at a price.

Hat Tip: Police One

JARD Inc have released a new semi automatic .50 BMG rifle, the JARD J50.

It uses a direct gas impingement system, free floating barrel and handguard, fixed barrel and adjustable trigger to improve accuracy.

The J50 allows quick takedown in the field.

Specs:

* Caliber 50 BMG (12.7 X 99mm)
* Semi Automatic
*Fixed barrel
*30” stainless steel cut rifled barrel
*Length assembled 58”
*Disassembled length 48 ¾”
*Weight with 30” barrel empty 26 lbs
*Gas operated direct impingement
*Rotating bolt locking mechanism (9 lugs)
*Free float barrel and forearm
*Detachable 5 round magazine
*Weaver style scope rail 30 min. elevation (others optional)
*Adjustable trigger

MSRP: $8450.00

Hat Tip: Defense Review

Over the past few months Colt has been unveiling a variety of new AR-15 firearms. If a replacement for the M16 or M4 is chosen they want it to be a Colt. To ensure this designed a range of weapons that should cover all bases. David @ Defense Review has been relentlessly covering the new firearms.

Many of the improvements Colt have developed have been applied to all these guns, I won’t list them all, click the links to read the full details.

Colt Sub-Compact Weapon (SCW)

A 5.56mm 10.3″ barreled sub-carbine/PDW featuring the new Colt side-folding stock. It is able to use an upgraded gas impingement system or the Colt Piston System (CPS)

Side Folding Stock. Photo by SMGLee.

Colt ACC-M (Advanced Colt Carbine-Monolithic)

This is basically an upgraded M4. It features many small improvements over the M4A1 and Colt’s new monolithic rail system. If it was adopted it I think it would probably be named the M4A2.

Colt Advanced Piston Carbine (APC)

David calls this the HK416 killer. It utilizes the Colt Articulating-Link Piston (ALP) system.

Colt Advanced Hybrid Carbine (AHC)

This carbine features a hybrid gas impingement and gas piston system. I am very interested to see how that works.

Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR)

I covered this a few weeks ago on the blog. It is a light machine gun and Colt’s entry into the Marine Infantry Automatic Rifle competition.

Colt IAR. Photo by SMGLee

In May (2008) I blogged that Winchester were going to offer reduced recoil .460 S&W.

features a 250-grain jacketed hollow point bullet, a muzzle velocity of 1,450 feet per second (fps) and an impressive 1,517 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.

Muzzle energy is a function of bullet weight and velocity. I did not notice it at the time but those figures are impossible. I am sure it was a typo, but I am surprised that it has taken Winchester over 6 months to issue a correct press release!

From the “new” press release:

features a 250-grain jacketed hollow point bullet, a muzzle velocity of 1,450 feet per second (fps) and an impressive 1,167 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.

So it generates 50% less recoil and has 50% less power. I don’t see the point, might as well use a .44 magnum, but the game being shot probably won’t notice the difference.