The Firearm Blog

The 6x45mm SAW was an experimental round developed by the US Army in the 1970s.

Black Hills ammunition will be selling 6x45mm ammunition next month. Why is it being resurrected? It can be used in an AR-15 with no other changes than a new barrel and the round gives better ballistic performance than the 5.56mm NATO.

It uses standard .243 bullets (85 and 100 grain with 115 grain AP round being developed).

Sporting Products LLC will be distributing a range of uppers and compete rifles chambered in 6x45mm.

Pricing for the ammunition is not yet decided, but I was told it will cost around the same as match grade 5.56x45mm.

UPDATE: Commenters have pointed out that it cannot be the same case as the original 6x45mm SAW. They were not giving out ballistic info so I don't know if it matches the original ballistic performance of the SAW. They certainty mentioned the SAW when I was talking with them.

The Remington GPC was on display for the first time ever today. It makes use of a propriety gas system that is not based on the Bushmaster piston or the piston system of any other company (the company has been careful to avoid using patented technology).

Remington GPC

The GPC will be Remington's entry into the DoD M4 upgrade competition, while the Remington ACR is the entry into the next-gen carbine competition. The company has got all bases covered!

I was unfortunately not allowed to disassemble the gas system.

Piston can be seen through handguard.

The good news is that Remington plan on selling a semi-automatic version of this rifle to civilians. Either complete rifles or uppers will be offered. Don't expect them before the 2nd quarter of next year.

Note the angler shaped receiver. This us just for looks. The bolt is monolithic but dimensions are not different.

Otis, a well known manufacturer and military supplier of cleaning kits, has entered the AR-15 accessory market.

Otis handguard.

The Otis TRS rail system was developed after the company made a few go/no-go gauges for testing picatinny rails. They found that few rails were actually within spec.

The picatinny go/no-go gauge

The TRS will retail for $260.

One of Colt's people at Media Day told me that the Colt SCW (Sub Compact Weapon), or at least the short buffer tube and foldable stock, will be coming to a semi-automatic civilian legal rifle.

Colt SCW at Media Day. © Bryan William Jones

The full auto version was on display at SHOT and I had the opportunity to shoot it. Lots of fun

Stock folded back

AR-15 aficionados will be pleased to learn that the Knights Armament's SR-15 E3 rifle's uppers and lowers are now avalible for purchase separately.

Lower

The lower features a 4.5 lbs two stage match trigger and ambidextrous fire selector, bolt release and magazine release. Knesek Guns have it listed for $700.

Upper

The upper features ...

• Flat Top Upper Receiver with M4 Feed Ramp Cuts
• 16" Cold Hammer Forged Chrome Lined Barrel
• URX Free Floating Rail with Integrated Front Sight
• KAC Mid Length Gas system
• KAC 2-600m Flip-Up Rear Sight P/N/ 98474
• KAC E3 Rounded Lug Bolt

Knesek Guns have it listed for $1310.

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

This video shows the internals of the H&K HK416. One nifty feature is that the handguard screws were designed so that they could be unscrewed using the bolt lugs. The video is well worth watching.

Video was made by GunWebsites.

The civilian HK416 is expected to arrive next year.

[ Many thanks to the reader who emailed me the video. ]

[ I am pleased to present this review of the new Magpul AFG (Angled ForeGrip). The review was written by Isaac. ]

Let me preface this review by first establishing that anything to do with how your body interfaces with a weapon system will not be a review that’s binary in nature. There is no universal ‘this works’ or ‘this does not work’ as empirical facts on these types of products. What feels good to one person feels bad to another.

There’s been a rapid transition from vertical grips being used in the broom-handle sense, i.e hands fully around the column, and thus providing very little stability over the center axis of the rifle. So as the hand moves higher up along the line of the bore (in terms of grip) we’ve found that we need less tall of vertical grips to accomplish that need. A further variation on that is the idea of a hand-stop, which whittles away any unnecessary design to provide only a reference point for the hand to exert rearward pressure on.

The hand-stop concept is fantastic if you run a high tang grip. For me as a shooter I run my reaction side hand (or primary if working transitions) high, to the point where my knuckles are on top of the rail. The one issue that has been raised is the supination to the shooter’s wrist, or the over-extension caused by a hard 90-degree cant on the grip; the AFG works to solve this by using an angled gripping surface for the shooter.

Magpul AFG on Knights 11.5" SBR (Note angle of the wrist in relation to the AFG)

This review was compiled from the experiences of 3 shooters, myself, and two other experienced AR shooters who spent about 100+ rounds on each of my guns (11.5 Costa-style SBR, which is fitting for this test, and my KAC SR-15). Obviously the build quality is fantastic, it’s an affordably made, and well thought out product in terms of execution. The grip comes with two finger groove inserts, one in the A2 style nub, and one that’s smooth. I found for my hands the A2 groove interfered with my smaller hands, and I had to switch out to the flat profile insert (swappable within 1-2 minutes with only removing two screws to separate the AFG in half). The AFG mounts to the rail using a flat head screw and nut, to lock it in to the rail. The AFG takes up approximately the entire length of a standard 7” carbine rail. However you can position it further forward on the rail depending on what feels best for the shooter.

Knights Armament SR-15

So how does it feel? Well…I’d say it’s a mixed bag. My KAC SBR uses a KAC hand-stop, and the longer SR-15 uses a non-QD Tango Down Stubby vertical grip. Each gun has it’s own unique setup as I run two completely different light/laser rigs on each. So lets start with the SR-15 first. On the Knights SR-15 the combination of Surefire Scout, AN/PEQ-15, and Magpul AFG did not feel good for me at all. The previous setup (and keep in mind this is a combination of interactions on different parts) which used the TD Stubby allowed me to slightly extend my left thumb forward to activate the light, and when using the PEQ (pressure pad is directly under the PEQ-15, placed in between the left and top rail) all I have to do is a slight wrist rotation to hit the pressure switch. When the AFG is in place it’s a much more pronounced move to hit the light. And with the PEQ-15 instead of rotating my hand back a few degrees to allow my thumb access to the pad I now have to extend my whole hand out since it’s already canted. Simply put it’s comfortable when shooting, but it’s uncomfortable when trying to work with the light and laser. The AFG also interferes with rail-mounted accessories like Larue mounts. The AFG cannot slide next to them without the user removing part of the AFG with a Dremel. This isn’t a big issue and is user-solvable quickly, but it’s still an issue worth pointing out. Since the review I’ve switched back to the Stubby, and I’ll get back to that in my conclusions.

Magpul AFG used in combination light and laser (Surefire Scout, and Insight Technology AN/PEQ-15)

On the SBR the results were notably better. Because I run my Surefire at the 1 o’clock position this allowed me to better high grip on the AFG, and the results were comfortable, though not perfect. The 11.5” SBR also provides an interesting test bed. As my rifle is very similar to Chris Costa’s (I run a different light setup however) so it’s a situation where my rifle matches up very closely to those in the marketing material. So taking that in to account the biggest differences become the difference in body mechanics between the two shooters.

Magpul AFG on Knights 11.5" SBR

To summarize how the AFG feels, and all the shooters independently confirmed this after our demo (we all came to the same results separately) is that the AFG can be equated to a slippage in physical purchase (grip, not money). I equate it to sitting on your back, feet against the wall, as you push out with your feet you have a solid action/re-action to what you’re pushing against. The AFG feels more like pushing against an angled surface, in that the force is somewhat translated but the force also wants to go up and out. So while it accomplishes the job of pulling back it feels less positive in terms grip. The tango down grip provides a solid 90-degree point of reference for my hands and the hands of the shooters who demoed the AFG (and I can keep an extra 123A battery in the stubby). The same can be said of the KAC hand-stop. I will admit I like the AFG just a tiny bit more over the KAC hand-stop, which is why I’ll continue to use the AFG going forward. However I’ve found that the AFG for me at least was not the right choice for my longer SR-15. I understand the mentality behind the AFG, and I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a solution searching for a problem. As I said earlier this is not going to be a binary review, this is however going to be a binary product. You will either love it or hate it. My response to it on it being announced was very mixed bag, my response to it in use is still the same. The human body is absolutely unique among individuals; ergonomics is always about creating a compromise. It’s about making what feels good to the largest percentage of individuals. I’m in the percentage that just barely considers it an improvement.

However at 35 dollars it’s too cheap not to try out for yourself, make these decisions after some range time, and see how it works for yourself. I do want to thank Magpul for allowing me to try one of these out for free, and come to these conclusions myself as impartially as possible.

I came across Imperial Defense, a British company, who manufacturer M16 and M4 clones.

Imperial Defense MG4A5 (M4 Carbine clone)

Imperial Defense MG4A6 (M4 Commando clone)

According to this post at the MP.net forum, the guns are manufactured in Vietnam! This makes Vietnam the second communist country to manufacture M16s.

I would guess that the guns are copied off China's Norinco CQ 5.56 (M4A1 clone).

This is not the first time a Vietnam company has manufactured clones of Western weaponry. They notably manufacture a Lee Enfield clone, the AIA M-10, much to the frustration of American Lee Enfield enthusiats who cannot import the rifle due to BATFE rules which ban firearm imports from Vietnam.

A mighty suspicious picture frame ...

[ Hat Tip: SaysUncle ]

I first mentioned the new "Tan" M16/M4 magazine back in June.

New and old, and older

The Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier agency has just blogged about it ...

“With the improved magazines, we’re taking weapons reliability up another notch,” said LTC Chris Lehner, Product Manager Individual Weapons. “By incorporating a heavier, more corrosion resistant spring, along with a new follower design that does not tilt inside the casing, our engineers were able to develop a magazine that presents a round to the weapon with even greater stability. Increased magazine reliability results in overall improved weapon system performance.”

...

“Soldiers can remember it like this: ‘Tan – is the plan. Green – start to lean. Black – take it back,’” said LTC Lehner. “While the improved magazines increase reliability to an even greater degree, the new magazines by no means reduce the importance of Soldiers keeping their weapons clean and lubricated appropriately for the environment. Also, Soldiers must be proficient on conducting immediate action (SPORTS) if their weapon has a stoppage.”

The Army has also developed a nifty tool to check if the feed lips are worn out. It is kind of a no-go gauge for magazines. If this does not already exist for civilians or law enforcement, I imagine it would be a popular accessory.

Feed lip wear tool.

[ Thanks to Solomon and Daniel for the link ]

From MP.net ...

AGUSAN DEL SUR, PHILIPPINES - DECEMBER 12: Hostages of tribal gunmen are seen on December 12, 2009 in San Martin, Philippines. The suspected bandits, reported to be former government-armed militia led by Danilo 'Ondo' Perez, have abducted dozens of villagers, included schoolchildren and teachers, in the Southern Philippines.

I was surprised to see a polymer Thermold magazine being used by these bandits.

Thermold's nylon AR-15 / M16 magazine.

Most of you, I think, know what is meant by a term "STANAG magazine". For those of you who do not, it refers to a specification prepared by NATO which describes the dimensions of an AR-15 / M16 compatible magazine. An example of the usage of the term is in the Magpul's Masada spec document (emphasis added) ...

Multiple ammunition magazine capability is accomplished with unique lower receivers to accept either the NATO STANAG (USGI M-16) or the Automatic Kalashnikov (AK) magazine. Additional lowers receivers that accept other maga- zine types are also possible.

I received an interesting email from Roberto, a NATO employee, who explained that despite the term being commonly used, the specification does not exist. Apparently the draft STANAG 4179 was never ratified by member states and therefor it was discarded by default. If you call up the NATO Standardisation Agency (Bruxelles) and ask them for the STANAG 4179 document they will tell you that it does not exist.

This slide comes from a NATO presentation ...

So there you have it - STANAG 4179 does not exist! "USGI compatible" is a more correct term than "STANAG compatible" when referring to AR-15 magazines.

Many thanks to Roberto for this information.

I have to admit that I have long fantasied about going hunting with high vision goggles and scopes. The idea probably fills most hunters with disgust, and rightly so. There cannot be even be a pretense of fair chase. AR Guns & Hunting has published a brief article about their nigh-time hunting experience with a crew called Tactical Hog Control. The feral pig population is out of control and they do much damage to landowners properties and the use of nigh-vision gear allows quicker culling.

From THC's website ...

Since we began hunting together in April 2008, our talley on hogs is just over 260 as of December 1, 2009. Of these hogs, only 3 were not processed and made use of by ourselves, our guests, or someone in need. Well over 90% are neck/head shots so loss of use due to less than perfect bullet placement is minimal. We work to maintain this record by getting in close for the kill and by being patient while waiting for the right shot presentation. The typical shot is at 3o to 40 yards standing off of shooting sticks. We are a one shot-one kill style of hunting.

...

Hunts can be booked by calling Randy at 210-884-7311 or Gerald at 210-884-7462 or by email at nighthogs@gmail.com. We are located in Seguin, Texas which is 35 miles east of San Antonio on IH10 and 160 miles west of Houston. Hunting locations are within a 30 minute drive of Seguin. We have reduced our price for 2009 to $300 per person for up to 4 people. There is no trophy fee and no cleaning fee. If you book for two consecutive nights it is $550 per person. We are so confident in getting you a shot at a hog, we will offer this guarantee. If we can’t put you within 75 yards of a hog with a shot opportunity, we will invite you back for a free hunt.

Click on calendar under “links” for available hunting dates.

I wonder if cavemen spent nights around the camp fire discussing whether or not the newly invented spear was fair on the wooly mammoths and saber toothed tigers that they hunted In all seriousness, when it comes to culling animals, anything humane goes. Night vision probably gives less of advantage than the helicopters do in the parts of the world where they are used for hunting.

[ Just a warning: any anti-hunting comments, "these guys are idiots" comments and other unhelpful comments will be deleted ]

Umarex is manufacturing this .22 LR rifle patterned on the HK416¹ . It features ...

• Metal receivers.
• Functional dust cover.
• Full length picatinny rail.
• Adjustable stock.
• H&K style diopter iron sights. Adjustable for elevation or windage.
• 16" barrel.
• Pistol grip with compartment (for spare batteries, tools, etc.)

The rifle will be sold with either a 10 or 20 round magazine but 30 round mags will be available for purchase.

The previous Umarex .22 rifle, the Colt M4, had some serious problems. Justin Biddle, Umarex's Marketing Manager, assured me that they have been made changes to the Umarex action and sorted out the issues experienced by the M4 owners.

Hat Tip: On Point Supply