When I started the Modern Intermediate Calibers series, I did not expect it to grow as large as it has. The initial plan was for 7 major calibers, which grew into well over 20, and the spinoff Modern Personal Defense Weapon Calibers, which itself will have at least 20 [Read More…]
One potential solution to the problem of a suitable anti-armor pistol and submachine gun round is to take the existing ammunition system and introduce one or more new kinds of ammunition which provide additional armor piercing capability through higher muzzle velocity [Read More…]
So far in the Modern PDW Calibers series we’ve talked about small caliber, high velocity PDW rounds like the 5.7mm FN and 4.6mm HK, and we’ve tackled larger, punchier calibers like the 10mm Norma Auto and the 7.5mm FK. However, we still have not tackled the [Read More…]
Today on Modern PDW Calibers we’re going to look at what might seem like a humdrum round, but which represents an important performance band for the modern personal defense weapon. That round is the 5.56x30mm MARS, a purpose built “micro assault rifle” [Read More…]
It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these Modern PDW Calibers installments, but we’re back, and today we’re looking at a very new round on the market, one that is currently making some pretty big waves in the pistol world. I am talking of [Read More…]
The staff at Battle Arms Development with their white lab coats were at it again this year, showing off AR15s you swear are works of art instead of rifles, save for the 5.56x45mm stampings on the receiver. Specifically new for 2017 was the companies .300 BLK rifle [Read More…]
If you noticed the green barrels in the FLIR video: we did too! We took Edward O and the camera crew over to the Falkor booth to learn about their new Dracos straight jacket barrel sleeve system. This barrel uses a composite sleeve as a heat sink to maintain accuracy even after thousands of high [Read More…]
Since the beginning of the modern era, the question of how to arm the increasingly large body of non-infantry troops has become both more pressing and more difficult to solve. Initially, these men could be armed with pistols, or perhaps submachine guns firing pistol [Read More…]
Honey badger doesn’t give a crap, it gets right back up like nothing happened. Dormant for two years after Remington’s announcement that it would come to market, the Honey Badger has appeared again, but not with Remington. Pictures “Honey Badger [Read More…]
It’s hard to believe that more than a decade has past since the development and release of the original KRISS Vector. By now, if you haven’t shot a KRISS, know someone who owns one or at least handled one in a gun store, it’s safe to say you’ve [Read More…]
Since we’ve covered the two most prominent PDW rounds of today, I want to take a quick detour and look at an interesting – but obscure – personal defense weapon/assault rifle round from history. After World War II, the apparati of the German war [Read More…]
If the 5.7x28mm FN is the first successful modern PDW round, then the 4.6x30mm HK is the second, and its biggest rival. German firm Heckler and developed the microcaliber 4.6mm in the 1990s as a response to a NATO solicitation for a Personal Defense Weapon, to which [Read More…]
At this point, we’ve talked about 25 different intermediate and full power calibers as part of a series comparing different types of modern small arms ammunition. However, one subject not yet thoroughly covered is rounds for personal defense weapons (PDWs). These [Read More…]
The National Firearms Act really is a drag. Thanks to its legal restrictions on short barreled rifles, some of the lightest and handiest classes of firearms are substantially restricted from common ownership in the US. The police carbine (semiautomatic short barreled [Read More…]
Today’s photo is a 7.5″ 300 Blackout. AR-15 format, but Low Visibility Gear and a lot of fun to shoot. AAC’s “Honey Badger” did play a part as a role model for this rifle (it’s not a “pistol”), and there’s a B&T [Read More…]
In May of this year, I got the rare opportunity to travel to Heckler & Koch’s headquarters in Ashburn, VA, to take a look at some of the experimental and prototype firearms they have located there in their famous “Grey Room”. It wouldn’t be worth as much for [Read More…]
Kalashnikov Concern’s newest weapon releases have received quite a lot of attention since they were first shown off at the ARMY 2016 military and technology forum in Moscow, and as the conference winds down, I want to take a more thorough pass through four of [Read More…]
In a previous article on TFB, we compared a Mauser 712 Schnellfeuer to a Glock 17 with an auto sear, and along the way discussed how very limited the usefulness of the modern machine pistol is. Fully automatic pistol-sized weapons have been around for over a hundred [Read More…]
Switzerland, a country with gun laws that would make a lot of (but far from all) Americans jealous. What a great country to get represented by this Blitz SBR! In summary, their gun laws can be described as less restrictive than most other European countries. On the [Read More…]
The pursuit of short operating systems for AR-15s and their derivatives has been insanely fun to watch. Options keep getting shorter and shorter, especially with the latest offerings from Battle Arms Development, Maxim Defense, and others, all using a modified base [Read More…]
Swiss company B&T is only a small to medium sized company, but with big ears and very short distance from demand to R&D to production and delivery. Don’t ask why Heckler & Koch springs to mind as something being the total opposite. To meet the latest [Read More…]
Precision Firearms had a booth at the Great American Outdoor (GAO) Show. They had a 9mm SBR PDW stolen. According to the report it was a one of a kind prototype build that they showcased at the show. The reporter calls it a “sub machine gun” but I do not [Read More…]
Among a number of interesting products on display from Lewis Machine & Tool, was an exceptionally short AR Personal Defense Weapon (PDW). Now, when we talk about short ARs, it might be in terms of barrel length, or maybe some of those different folding stock [Read More…]
In October, I traveled out to see my co-writer Alex C. to collect data on the weights of different long guns and some of their components. Over that weekend, I weighed 58 rifles and submachine guns, and numerous magazines, bolts, bolt carriers, and other miscellaneous [Read More…]
Though rare in the wild, mostly seeing use with special units and some police departments, is a favorite of Hollywood movie-makers and Triple-A video game developers, thanks to its compact size, striking looks, and fully automatic firepower. The gun itself, however, [Read More…]
New from Strike Industries comes a picatinny top rail with integrated backup iron sights for the H&K MP7. This must easily be the most niche product Strike have ever developed! The front post and rear aperture sights fold down into the rail to avoid obstructing [Read More…]
The submachine gun had been perfected by the end of World War II as a dirt cheap, nearly disposable weapon for arming large numbers of men to fight the largest war of economy in history. However, despite this, post-war submachine gun designers would seek to push the [Read More…]
Gun blogger and MVD agent KardeN released some rare high-definition photos of the unique Russian PP-2000 submachine gun. This lightweight select-fire weapon was designed as a concealable PDW and CQB weapon for VIP protection and special police and military units. [Read More…]
I am partnering with C&Rsenal’s Othais to bring you companion articles to his Primer series of videos looking at some of the most important firearms in history. First, Othais tackles the iconic Mauser C96 pistol, used by diverse characters from Chinese [Read More…]
Last month, I featured a couple of photos from British gun author Anthony Williams, which showcased some of the major developments in PDW ammunition in the last century. While his collection certainly beats mine for completeness, I still figured it would be worthwhile [Read More…]