The Firearm Blog

Acusport is distributing a special version of the Remington Model 700 VTR. The VTR Tactical's main drawcard is the use of 5R rifling with a 1:11.25" twist. It also features a tactical style bolt handle.

According to AccurateShooter, the benefits of 5R rifling is a better gas seal (resulting in greater velocity), less fouling and less jacket deformation. 5R rifling is used on the Army's M24 rifle.

The VTR Tactical will only be available in .308 Win.

The new Savage Long Range Hunter is a very compelling rifle. As the name suggests, it is designed for long range hunting where accuracy is paramount. It is packed full of features including the AccuStock, an adjustable muzzle brake and an adjustable comb.

Savage Model 11 Long Range Hunter

Savage Model 11 Long Range Hunter (top)

I believe this is the first rifle to feature Savage's new adjustable muzzle brake. The idea behind adjustable brakes is that they can be find tuned for individual loads so that the rifle jumps back on target, allowing the shooter to see if the game was hit. I have heard it also said that adjusting a brake can help accuracy.

Adjustable muzzlebrake

The Savage rifles are now equipped with Savage P.A.D (Personal Anti-Recoil Device) recoil pads. Premium recoil pads are now commonplace, so this is not a big deal.

The new 300-SD for .300 Win. Mag. and .308 Win. is a baby version of the .338 LM TiTAN-QD. Unfortunately civilian sales are on hold until military contracts have been fulfilled.

By the way, AAC are advertising for an assembler position.

I think Bushmaster is on to a real winner with their new AR-10 style carbine. Priced at just $1395 it is a fantastic entry-level rifle.

It features a A3-style receiver and premium 16" heavy profile chrome lined barrel, mid length gas system, A2-style flashhider, heavy oval hand guards

Like its 5.56mm ORC cousin, it does not ship with iron sights, and is designed for use with optics (scope, hologram, etc.) although iron sights can easily be added to the rear A3-style picatinny rail and Bushmaster’s BMAS Front Flip-up Sight for V Match Rifles can be mounted on the milled gas block. It ships with two 1/2" risers which can be used to raise up a scope if needed.

I really want one of these!

AWC Systems M91 BDR is a breakdown rifle based on the Remington 700. The conventional approach to breakdown rifles is to have a detachable barrel. AWC have instead made the butt stock detach. While this is going to be less compact than a detachable barrel breakdown rifle, it will be more accurate (in theory anyway).

The AWC M91 BDR is available in .308 Win. or .223 Rem. and with a 16.5" or 18.5" barrel.

The SIG 716 is the new piston operated 7.62x51mm / .308 Win. rifle from Sig Sauer.

SIG716 Precision Sniper (non-standard desert finish) Photo © Bryan Jones

SIG517 Patrol . Photo by pizzigr1

The rifle will be offered in four configurations:

• Tactical Patrol (12.5" barrel, almost certainly only on offer to law enforcement and military)
• Patrol (16" barrel)
• Precision Marksman (16" barrel)
• Precision Sniper (20" barrel)

Every model is equipped with free-floating quad rail and chrome-lined barrels. The Marksmen models feature heavy match barrels. The non-marksmen models come with backup iron sights. The 517 makes use of Armalite's AR-10 Gen II magazine.

Close up of receiver. Photo by pizzigr1

According to pizzigr1 at AR15.com, Sig are using Armalite AR-10 Bolt Carrier Groups (BCG).

No word on pricing or availability.

It was announced earlier this year that Lewis Machine & Tool's 7.62mm AR-10 style rifle was selected by the British Army as their new marksmen weapon. They had the L129A1 on display at SHOT.

Mary Jo, a LMT employee

The version sold in the United States. The new LMT .308

Since the last time I wrote about the Australian International Arms M-10 Lee Enfield clone the company has expanded their product line, secured a EU importer (Polish firm LD Diana) and may be exporting to the US in the near future.

The new M10-A1 7.62x39mm Jungle Carbine

I was very surprised to learn that they had listed a US export model on their website. American Enfield fans have long been waiting to get their hands on the rifle. Because parts of the rifle were made in Vietnam importing it stateside would be illegal. If AIA are truly gearing up to export to the United States they must be manufacturing at least the export model elsewhere.

No.4 Mk 4 - Blued US export model

7.62x51mm No.4 Mk 4 - Blued US export model
No.4 Mk 4 (7.62mm NATO)
No.4 & No.4(T) rifle configuration, 10-rd.
Parkerized finish on standard model.
Adjustable frontsight, elevation & windage, dual rear aperture at 200, 400m.
Provision for steel Picatinny rail to fit telescopic sight.

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

Accuracy International has updated their .308 Win. AE rifle and Shooting Illustrated has posted an article about it online ...

Accuracy International (AI) rifles have always been something of an enigma with mainstream shooters in the United States. These distinctive-looking bolt guns are known to tactical shooters around the world as accurate and extremely well-made precision rifles, but AI once had the less-flattering reputation of being slow or altogether absent in the customer-service department. Part of the problem was due to a patchwork of U.S.-based support centers, while a state of financial flux for the company in England added to the issue.

Read the entire article here.

The MKII features Accuracy International's folding stock which is also available for the Rem. 700. It is an amazing stock (also an amazingly high price).

The long-awaited 7.62x51mm PMAG has finally been given a name and is now in production. At $19.95, Magpul are going to be selling truck loads of these mags.

The PMAG-LR holds 20 rounds of 7.62x51mm or .308 Winchester rounds and is compatible with the following rifles ...

• Mk11 / M110
• KAC SR25
• DPMS LR308
• LMT 7.62 MRP
• LaRue Tactical OBR
• LWRC REPR
• POF P-308

It is not compatible with the AR-10, M14/M1A or SCAR-H.

Interesting, SCAR-H compatibility (or incompatibility) is not mentioned. I am not sure what to make of this omission.

Many thanks to optimus.prime for sending me the information.

UPDATE: Thanks to R.A.W and Rex for SCAR-H info.

Accurate Shooter reports that Lapua will soon introduce a .308 Winchester case that uses small primers instead of large rifle primers.

Adam Braverman of Nammo-Lapua just confirmed that Lapua, at the behest of the U.S. Palma team, has been quietly developing a NEW version of the .308 Winchester cartridge that has a small BR-style primer pocket. That’s right, this is no joke. Lapua has crafted small primer pocket .308 Winchester brass that will be introduced at SHOT Show in Las Vegas (Jan. 19-22).

Apparently small primers are more consistent than large primers and therefor more accurate. It won't be long till we see wildcats based on this case.

More info at Accurate Shooter.

I was very surprised when a reader email me about this new rifle from Winchester. The poor Browning BAR hunting rifle has been through yet another evolution and rebranding.

In early 2008 FN announced a tactical sniper rifle, the FNAR, based on the Browning BAR (FN owns both Browning and Winchester Arms). It added a detachable magazine, pistol grip and top, bottom and side picatinny rails.

The new SX-AR is a heavy barreled FNAR in a Mossy Oak camo finish but without the side rails and full length top rail (interestingly the bottom rail remains). It comes full circle, taking the tactical FNAR improvements back to the hunting market.

Winchester SX-AR

This rifle will have been developed to fight the new AR-10 based hunting rifles that have been coming into the market, for example, the Remington R-25. I suspect the reason it is being rebranded and marketed under Winchester, and not Browning, is so that the risk of the BAR being named in any Assault Weapon Ban (federal or state) is reduced. The Browning BAR can continue to be a "traditional" styled hunting rifle.

For comparison, there are photos of the SX-AR ancestors ...

Browning BAR

FNAR

A big thank you to Reese for emailing me about this new rifle.

Federal have produced two new loads, under the American Eagle brand, for the M1A (M14) and M1 Garand rifles. The cartridges have staked primers and the powders used were chosen with the rifle’s specific gas system design in mind.

The M1 (.30-06) load pushes a 150 grain FMJ bullet at 2740 fps fps and the M1A (7.62×51mm NATO) load a 168 grain Open Tip Match (OTM) bullet at 2650 fps.

Also from Federal is a Power-Shok hunting load optimized for AR-10 style rifles chambered in .338 Federal. The loads pushes a 200 grain soft point at 2700 fps.

After being delayed a few time the Kel-Tec RFB .308 Bullpup is now shipping.

Kel-Tec:

We are happy to confirm that the RFB is in production and shipping to distributors (yes, it’s true!). We are currently shipping small batches, however full-scale production will commence in the coming weeks! On a similar note, we have purchased three (3) new CNC machines specifically for RFB production.

More info on the RFB.