The Firearm Blog

John Snow has the latest:

This gorgeous beast won’t be ready for some months yet according to Skip Patel, Bushmaster’s executive vice president for research and development. Among other thing, Skip told me, was the need to trim some weight from the rifle, which tips the scales at about 15 pound right now.

Not surprising since Bushmaster acquired Cobb Mfg. last year but still cool.

Cobb MCR 400 .338 Lapua. Photo from SecArms.

John also says that a .416 Rigby may be on the way!

More @ The Gun Shots

The Army dust test results are out. As you can see above the M4 has fared very badly.

Weapons officials at the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., exposed Colt Defense LLC’s M4, along with the Heckler & Koch XM8, FNH USA’s Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle and the H&K 416 to sandstorm conditions from late September to late November, firing 6,000 rounds through each test weapon.

When the test was completed, ATEC officials found that the M4 performed “significantly worse” than the other three weapons, sources told Army Times.

Officials tested 10 each of the four carbine models, firing a total of 60,000 rounds per model. Here’s how they ranked, according to the total number of times each model stopped firing:

* XM8: 127 stoppages.
* MK16 SCAR Light: 226 stoppages.
* 416: 233 stoppages.
* M4: 882 stoppages.

The results of the test were “a wake-up call,” but Army officials continue to stand by the current carbine, said Brig. Gen. Mark Brown, commander of Program Executive Office Soldier, the command that is responsible for equipping soldiers.

You can bet H&K, FN and Magpul are happy about these results!

Hat Tip: Murdoc Online

Yes, I know, I am the last gun blogger to blog about this!

From HKPRO.com

While sources in the U.S. report that the civilian 416/417 will not be ready for SHOT Show 2008, it might possibly be by NRA show, with an estimated preparedness for production in Q3, 2008. One can easily understand why with a projected deadline and unforeseen delays and missed deadlines creates hostility in the gun buying public, that they are now hesitant to be held to that. I can only commend them for that. Progressive companies like MAGPUL have ceased giving estimated delivery dates for their new products completely. So, it’s not likely that you’ll be able to stroll into your authorized HK dealer for a new 416 or 417 until 2009 at the earliest. But still, how much better than not at all?

Photos from the BKA document approving the MR223 and MR308 rifles (416 and 417) for German civilian sales.

The impact on those selling existing upper receivers from lawfully imported select fire 416s will be immediately obvious. Many gunowners will jump at the chance to own an HK manufactured piston driven AR variant or upper receiver kit. Some will not, forever having forsworn any allegiance to HK after the initial “thumbing of the nose” at the civilian HK customer. While HK is primarily a gun manufacturer specializing in police and military firearms, one only need to look in the gun safe for an HK91, 93 or 94 to remember the different perspective that HK had at one time. However, 2007 is not 1983, neither in managerial philosophy nor statutorily. And one must remain mindful of that.

It will be interesting to see what the eventual price will be.

More here.