TROY Defense has produced a series of carbines called the Special Operations Compatible Carbines (SOCC) for 2017. The new SOCC carbine family offer 7.5″, 10.5″, and 14.5″ barrel configurations, with several familiar and several brand new Troy [Read More…]
Hill & Mac Gunworks’ flagship is their ambitious project to create an affordable, shootable reproduction of the WWII-era German StG-44, but another thing they have been working on is a recreation of the CETME-L Cold War era Spanish assault rifle. Unlike their [Read More…]
Ten-X ammunition has introduced a line of frangible ammunition under the PolyFrang product name. Ten-X is most famous for their Cowboy Action loads, but in recent years they have been aggressively expanding into more “specialty” lines of ammunition as well. [Read More…]
Mag Pump AR-15 Loader One of the coolest gadgets I saw at the Industry Day at the Range was the Mag Pump AR-15 ammunition loader. This well designed ammunition loader was actually at several vendor’s booths, and everyone I talked to had very positive comments [Read More…]
The issue of ammunition standardization between the United States Army and the Marine Corps has come to a head: Congress has delivered an ultimatum in the final version of the FY 2017 National Defense Appropriations Act for the two services to kiss and make up. [Read More…]
Looking at the 24 different calibers we’ve covered as part of the Modern Intermediate Calibers series, some patterns begin to emerge. We see that larger rounds with heavier bullets weigh more, and have more recoil, that more slender bullets shoot further for their [Read More…]
France has just adopted the HK416 as its new standard infantry rifle, replacing the FAMAS, and Germany is on a path to a new weapon, aiming to divest herself of the controversial G36. This raises the question: Will Germany and France adopt a unified arm? These two [Read More…]
It seems the Iranian small arms industry is experiencing a bit of a boom – just released last week is another new rifle, called the MASAF, following the Fateh, Nabi, and two other unnamed rifles. The MASAF is obviously based on the AR-15, with a short-stroke [Read More…]
If any of you still had doubts about the HK416’s rumored win of the French AIF (Arme Individuelle du Futur – Future Individual Weapon) contract, doubt no more. The French DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement, their defense procurement office) has released [Read More…]
It’s not just the Yanks that are getting improved ammunition: Our friends across the pond have developed their own firepower upgrade for 5.56mm and 7.62mm weapons alike. Jane’s has a modest article on the subject, while The Register provides a quite good [Read More…]
Among the interesting concepts that were tested in the mid-late 20th Century is that of an extremely light for caliber, very long bullet made in part of a lightweight material like aluminum and plastic. The 7.92×40 CETME, which if I can find a specimen I will cover [Read More…]
What was the first military .22 caliber high velocity infantry rifle round ever developed? Many would name the 5.56mm round designed in the 1950s to that title, but that would be incorrect. In truth, it’s probably impossible to know for sure due to the large [Read More…]
“Nathaniel’s starting another series? Oh brother…” Bear with me. I think that there is a lot of rhetoric thrown around with regards to modern defensive/military calibers that exists apart from the necessary additional data and context of the [Read More…]
We reported previously on the New Zealand Defence Force’s purchase of new LMT-made infantry rifles, but beyond a brief promo video released after the selection was announced, we haven’t yet seen an in-depth look at the rifles, which are based on the recently [Read More…]
In the latest installment of the Indian next generation rifle procurement saga, the nation-subcontinent has decided to forgo their “Excalibur” rifle development program, which consisted of essentially a product-improved INSAS rifle, in favor of a new [Read More…]
We have been covering the US Army’s latest M855A1 and M80A1 “Enhanced Performance Rounds” (EPRs) here at TFB for the past few years. We’ve seen how in independent tests both M855A1 and M80A1 fragment early, thanks to their yaw-independent [Read More…]
S&T Motiv, the successor to Korean defense company Daewoo Precision Industries, was showing off a new variant of their K2 rifle that equips the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, alongside the M16A1 which remains in use with second-line units. The new rifle is called [Read More…]
Colt’s Manufacturing Co., LLC, announced at the 2016 National Rifle Association Annual meeting that they would be introducing new semi automatic reproductions of their previous military AR-15 and CAR-15 offerings to the civilian market. According to [Read More…]
Big news at the National Rifle Association Annual Meeting 2016, importer Lithgow Arms USA will be bringing the EF88/F90 improved bullpup assault rifle to the USA. The F90 is a variant of the Steyr AUG developed for the Australian Defence Force to replace the F88 (their [Read More…]
Why do some cartridges burn barrels more than others? What makes a smaller-caliber, higher velocity round toastier to your bore, and how can you compare one caliber to another in this respect? While it’s not the whole answer to this question, today we’re [Read More…]
This post was written as a companion to an upcoming Gun Guy Radio podcast, hosted by Ryan Michad. The discussion below will be expanded upon in the show when it’s released later this month, but for now, read on to learn more about the past, present, and future of [Read More…]
Since the announcement that Fabryka Broni is seeking to import the MSBS modular rifle into the United States civilian market, there has been a great deal of discussion about the relationship of the MSBS to the Remington ACR or Magpul Masada. The two rifles are very [Read More…]
The KAC Light Machine Gun is a weapon that appears in media often, but has so far existed in the real world as a prototype only. Knight’s Armament Company announced at the 2016 SHOT Show that the thirty-year development of the weapon was nearing its conclusion and [Read More…]
The Czech government has made its first purchase of the new CZ 806 Bren 2 improved 5.56mm infantry rifles. The new weapons will complement the older 805 Bren model, while replacing it in production for the Army of The Czech Republic. Jane’s reports: The Army of [Read More…]
Recently, the New Zealand Defence Force selected Lewis Machine & Tool Company to be the supplier of rifles to replace their aging Austrian-designed Steyr AUG bullpups. The exact model of rifle was not revealed in the press release regarding LMT’s selection, [Read More…]
There’s a lot that can be learned by shooting different rounds at various targets, barriers, armors, etc, but the knowledge that can be gleaned from these sorts of tests is limited without the aid of very high speed recordings, which allow us to actually see [Read More…]
Let it not be said that when provoked, Paris won’t respond in kind. Following the cowardly attacks on the city last week, the French National Police came out in force armed with several different kinds of firearms, some fairly old but still very capable in the [Read More…]
Another new rifle from the Islamic Republic of Iran was being shown at the 15th IPAS Exhibition. It is a modern-looking weapon, distinct from the very modern looking Fateh announced in 2014. It was developed by the state-owned Iran Defense Industries Organization, [Read More…]
Broń i Amunicja posted to their Facebook page pictures of two of the early H&K prototypes that led to the G36, originally called “HK50”. The posts, and photos, are embedded below: The G36 is currently embroiled in controversy, as the von der Leyen-led [Read More…]
Czech small arms manufacturer Česká zbrojovka has introduced an improved, lighter variant of its 805 Bren rifle, called the 806 Bren 2. Altair.com reports: By the end of 2015, the Czech national arms manufacturer Ceska Zbrojovka provide the army last game of the [Read More…]