The Firearm Blog

AccurateShooter has written about a couple of very interesting benchrest rifles made by Gene Beggs. A picture says a thousand words …

The two discs can be rotated to tune the rifle.

Two of these rifles have been made and are chambered for the custom 220 Beggs and 6mm Beggs, both of which are based on the 220 Russian.
More about it here.

Next month Kahr Arms will be shipping the P380, a new .380 pistol that is even smaller than the Kel-Tec P3AT.

Along with the fairly new Ruger LCP, competition in the .380 compact carry niche is really heating up.

The P380 features a DAO trigger, 6+1 capacity and is obviously chambered in .380 ACP. Much the same specs as the Ruger LCP and Kel-Tec P3AT.

Click to expand all images.

Kel-Tec P3AT vs. Kahr P380

Some photos of the pistol:

Specs:

Caliber .380
Capacity 6+1
Barrel 2.5″, polygonal rifling
Length O/A 4.9″
Height 3.9″
Slide Width .75″
Weight Pistol 9.97 ounces (w/o magazine)
Grips Textured polymer
Sights Drift adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights
Finish Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide
Magazines 2 - 6 rd, Stainless

More at Kahr Arms.

More pics from glocktalk:

Hat Tip: Suburban’s Domain

James reported on this last week, but I thought I should mention it:

From Strategypage.com:

The world’s first light machine-gun, the Danish Madsen has finally been retired from service after over a century of use. The State Police of the Brazilian state of Rio De Janerio were the last users of the twenty pound weapon…

The Madsen required some precise machining, but it was not exceptionally costly to make. It was reliable, although it used an awkward top loaded magazine, carrying 25, 30 or 40 rounds. Over its long career, it was equipped to fire ammunition from 6.5mm to 8mm. The Brazilian Madsens fired NATO 7.62mm (.30 caliber) ammo. It’s rate of fire was 450 rounds per minute.

Firearms last a long time!

These photos of of a replica of the 8mm model which can be bought here. They are the best photos I could find and are probably close to the original.

Click to expand the images.

Reader Joe kindly sent through photos of his .45 cal Philadelphia derringer made from a kit I blogged about some time ago.

It looks great!

Here are four pics of the derringer I built in 1978 at age 19. I colored the wood by staining with a Minwax walnut and then handrubbing linseed oil over it. I did not cold blue the barrel. For some reason I inlaid the side brass pieces where the pin comes through the barrel and stock.

Thanks Joe.

If anyone else has unique, custom, interesting or a firearm with a good story. Please send pictures through!

I spotted this rifle over at longrangehunting.com. Is it anti-air artillery or a deer rifle?
Built by a New Zealander … they sure know how to build a cool rifle.

Click to expand the photos

Beautiful scenery

The rifle has a custom suppressor with a muzzle break! Here is a close up:

I assume the “404″ refers to the 404 Jeffries.

my suppressed 7mm/404 which weighs 20 pounds all up, and pushes a 180 grain Berger at 3350 fps.

QBZ-95 rifle

The above photo shows Chinese UN peacekeepers performing during a medal ceremony in Lebanon. It is interesting to see how they hold the bullpup to use the bayonet.

Hat Tip: MP.net

The blackpowder cannon enthusiasts over at the Graybeard forums came up with some amazing pieces of artillery.

CU_Cannon built the “Nano-mortar”. It fires .177″ BBs. The bed it sits on is 1″ long.

Click to expand the images.

The Nano-mortar

Here is a video of it in action

Blueprints

Cal.45 built a 3mm mortar called the “Pico “Mortar”

The “Pico Mortar”

The pico mortar was build solely with a drill-press, some files and emery paper. It fires 3mm shot pellets (0.118 inch diameter) and has a maximum load of 0.2 grains of blackpowder. It has a barrel length of 8mm (0.315″) and can fire 6 meters (20 feet)

Anyways. I started with a load of about 0.2gr Swiss #2 but this did just a sizzling sound, so from the next shots on I used Swiss #1 (which is even finer in granulation: about 0.011 to 0.015 inch) which produced a nice snapping. Cheesy.

The touch hole is 0.5 millimeters = close to 0.02 inch (that makes it about 16% of the bore diameter (if one may still call it so).

Priming was done by filling the touch hole granule by granule; sweaty hands help maneuvering these tiny particlesin place.

First I wanted to enlarge the touch hole to fuse diameter and keep the rest at the smaller diameter (to keep some pressure) but the wall thickness is that small, that this wasnot possible.

Ignition with a lighter proofed to be better than trying to do it with a match: the flame produces soot but therefore does not function (kept them as size reference on the photo though).

Whatever. At first I thought that the shot would barely leve the muzzle: wrong!

Firing from the kitchen table I shot dimples into the door! This was 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) away! By the trajectory (angle of the mortar and height of impact) this means an estimated firing distance of 6 meters (about 20 feet): I would never have guessed this to be possible with a piece that has a barrel length of just 8 millimeters (0.315 inch).

The “Pico Mortar” being fired

“Pico Mortar” blueprints

Rickk built the “Nano Cannon”

The “Nano Cannon”

Now I know what only the others who have made one know… what the tremendous roar they make sounds like Grin

Bore is 3/16 (.186), so it will take a BB. Fuse is 5/64, so it will takes 1/16 fuse.

Trunions, as well as cascable, are 3/16 inch steel rod pressed into shallow 3/16 holes and then brazed in place.

All the work was done on my drill press, with some help from an angle grinder and a file for shaping.

It needs a pit more polishing, but I just couldn’t wait to fire it ! Total time into is so far is about 2 hours.

The “Nano Cannon” with carriage

I found the smoldering paper towel pieces about 15 feet away, and the gun recoils back about 6 inches!

BTW, for BB caliber, Q-tips make excellent cleaning rods.

Terry C. built the the very first micro-gonne. A hand gonne is a hand held cannon. It fires #4 buckshot.

the micro-gonne

The micro hand gonne being fired. Note the wooden rod attached.

Victor build a bigger scale hand gonne:

Mini 14 rifles are infamous for their poor accuracy. Even the target model only offers 1 MOA with a barrel tuner. Accuracy Systems sell custom mini 14 rifles that shoot sub MOA.

This of course comes at a price. The “Ultra Match Premium Air Gauged Barrel (Stainless steel) Complete Package” costs $799.95. And you need to supply the rifle! On the positive side it appears you can choose a caliber:

1. 416 Stainless steel air gauged barrel
2. Barrel diameters- 1″ Bull, .875″ Varmint, .750″ medium and .625″
3. Length from 16″ to 24″
4. Twist rate to be determined by us depending on the weight & caliber of bullet. Finish on barrel satin matte or brushed.
5. 3 point steel bedding pillars
6. New operating rod where needed or upgrade yours
7. True bolt & action if needed
8. 3.5# match trigger with set and over travel if needed.
9. New over sized hand guard to fit thicker barrel
10. New gas block, sling swivel, gas pipe and operating rod cup bushing
11. Sub MOA accuracy guarantee ( 1.040″ is a MOA) Selected Ammo
12. Calibers available @ this price. .223 Rem., .222 Rem, .204 Ruger, 6mm X .223, .17 Rem. Others call for pricing.

Here are some of their other products

Guaranteed 1 MOA or better @ 100 yards. Price: $2199.95

1/2″ MOA or better @ 100 yards. Price: $1939.95

ASI Bull Pup Carbine Standard Model. Price: $1617.00

ASI Accurized Mini 14 Urban Brawler.

Here is a video showing the recoil reduction system (muzzle break):

Hat Tip: Tech, Guns, and Food

I cam across this interesting M14 made by Harrington & Richardson on gunbroker. It features a folding stock and a lightened receiver. The rifle was made in 1961 for military trials into a folding stock rifle for use by paratroopers, vehicle drivers, and tank crews.

The price: $29,995.00 (it is a class III)

Click to expand the photos.

H2O MAN, a reader of this blog, has lots of photos of his M14 collection at his website.

From GeorgiaPacking.org

The inventor of the Akins Accelerator, the replacement stock for a Ruger 10/22 that allows controlled bump firing, is suing the United States over the BATFE’s ruling that the Accelerator wasn’t a machine gun, but now is. Here’s the complaint.

If you have not been following the saga: the ATF initially approved the sale for the stock, then sometime later declared that it converted a rifle into a machine gun.

Hat Tip: SaysUncle.com

I came across these stunning photos of the Czech 601st Special Forces Group in Afghanistan at MP.net (Click through for these photos in high resolution).

I did not realize the Czech special forces use an AR/M16 variant.

An interesting revolver I came across for sale at gunbroker.com

There are very few examples of these revolvers known. I know of only two others reported in print. Note the distinctive hammer and grip. Seven shot cylinder, Birmingham proof marks, nickle plated brass frame and butcap. A rare revolver.

Two of these revolvers were reported by W.C. Dowell in his book, THE WEBLEY STORY. See also pages 43 and 45 of WEBLEY REVOLVERS by Bruce and Reinhart. These are the only examples I know of.

From 1864 to 1866 Webley had a licencing agreement with Smith & Wesson to make .22 tip-up revolvers. However, I believe this revolver pre-dates that agreement and thus Webley did not want to be known as the maker. Although the workmanship appears to be excellent.

On page 45 of Webley Revolvers, there is a photo of an almost identical revolver to this one. The revolver pictured is serial number 4 with a silver plated frame. Also mentioned in the text is serial number 2 which was reported by Dowel as having a gold plated frame. Due to corrosion of the front of the cylinder and the face of the barrel, the numbers on this revolver are no longer visible, if it ever had any numbers at all.

Like the two revolvers mentioned in the above books, this revolver has Birmingham proof house markings and nothing else. The lack of Webley markings may indicate that this was made before the licencing agreement was obtained. After the licence was granted, Webley produced several different single action models, some of which resembled Smith and Wesson rim fire revolvers and some did not. Webley soon dropped single action pocket pistols in favor of his successful line of double action Bull Dogs. All of the early single action rim fire revolvers are extremely scarce.

Military.com reported a few days ago that the entire Iraqi army is moving to the M16A2 and M4. Some Iraqi units have been using M16s since May last year. The move was originally announced last April.

So far, the U.S. military has helped the Iraqi army purchase 43,000 rifles - a mix of full-stock M-16A2s and compact M-4 carbines. Another 50,000 rifles are currently on order, and the objective is to outfit the entire Iraqi army with 165,000 American rifles in a one-for-one replacement of the AK-47.

“Our goal is to give every Iraqi soldier an M-16A2 or an M-4,” Scott said. “And as the Iraqi army grows, we will adjust.” - Military.com

Reasons given are logistical and that the M16 is a superior and more reliable weapon. Many think it is superior but few would say more reliable. It is easier to see the logistical benefits. I imagine training will also be easier.

The big advantage is that the rifles can be easily traced. Mexico has gone down this route by using a weapon they themselves designed. If a FX-05 “Xiuhcoatl” ends up in the hands of a drug runner, the Mexican army will know where to find the culprit who supplied it.

Last year it was reported that then an Iraqi soldier gets issued an M16 he is finger printed, undergoes a digital retina scan, and is photographed with the rifle serial number. The information is then transfered into a central database.

The weapon exchange is just the first step in a five-day program of instruction for the Iraqis. However, new rifles are not handed out in a one-for-one swap. Coalition Forces assign each IA recruit a weapon using a high-tech, biometric issue system.

Verified against a master list and having tuned in his old rifle, the IA soldier and his new M-16 continue on to one of ten biometric stations, where he is finger printed, undergoes a digital retinal scan and is photographed with the M16’s serial number. Officials then transfer the information to a database in Baghdad, to ensure accountability and to prevent the weapon from ending up in the wrong hands. - Blackanthem Military News

The BAT (Biometrics Automated Toolset) in Iraq

The DOD Biometric Task Force

My thoughts on the move to the M16

The move of course also sends money to American factories. It makes sense as hundreds of millions have been spent on arms for the Iraqi army. At the end of last year Iraq’s defence Minister Abdul-Qadir al-Obaidi announced a US$230 million deal with Serbia for what is likely to be rifles, machine guns, explosives and ammo.

Serbia has signed a US$230m (£116m) deal with Iraq to sell weapons and military equipment, the defence ministry said yesterday.

It did not specify the weapons but Serbian military experts believe they include Serbian-made assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and explosives. - IRAQ UPDATES

Training with M16s in Iraq. May 2007. US Army photo.

Unfortunately for the rest of us who do not own shares in ammunition manufacturers the supply of 5.56mm to yet another army at war, and who will be at war for a long time, means the price is only going to go up and up.

What does not make sense is why they do not supply them with the gas piston AR variants. Politics would be my guess. I think they had enough media attention over the body armor, they don’t want to be accused of issuing the Iraqi superior rifles.

Iraqi Army soldier loading
5.56mm ammo.