The Firearm Blog

The police in Guatemala have adopted the Israeli Tavor.

More photos here.

Marlin has introduced a new line of bolt action rifles this year, the XL7. It comes in two models, the XL7 and XL7C (Relatree Camo).

XL7C

It is available in 25-06, 270 and 30-06.

Specs:

Capacity: 4+1
Barrel: 22″
Weight : 6 1/2 lbs.

The XL7 has been built for those who demand premium features at a fair price. Noteworthy features include our NEW adjustable Pro-Fireâ„¢ trigger system, Soft-Techâ„¢ recoil pad, fluted bolt for speed and smoothness, a pillar bedded stock for accuracy and recessed “target style” muzzle crown Price right, the XL7 is a rifle that you can be proud of at a price you can afford.

More at Marlin

GunBlast has written a review:

I like accurate rifles. I especially like accurate rifles that are a real bargain in today’s market. I usually do not list prices in a review, as our articles stay up on Gunblast in the Archive section forever, and we are constantly getting new readers who find our site. In this case, however, I will make an exception, as this new XL7 carries a list price, as of this writing, of only $326 US. This price, combined with the accuracy, comfort, and handling of the rifle, along with that excellent trigger, makes this new Marlin XL7 one of the best bargains available in a quality rifle. In addition to that, it is made in the United States by American skilled workers. Considering reliability, accuracy, and price, the Marlin XL7 is hard to beat, and I highly recommend it.

More here.

Sako has launched a new 1 MOA guaranteed bolt action rifle, the A7.

It will come in two models. The A7 and A7 stainless. Both models are chambered for .243, .22-250, 7mm-8, .270 WSM, .300 WSM, .25-06, .270, 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag.

Prices:

UPDATE:

The press release:

ACCOKEEK, MD (January 28, 2008) — When it comes to buying a new hunting rifle, nothing is more important to a rifle shooter than accuracy and reliability. But equally important in today’s economy is value. The new Sako A7 meets all of these criteria straight out of the box. Available in 2008 as the new benchmark for the perfect American hunting rifle, mixing the world’s finest out-of-the-box accuracy rating with superior value, the new Sako A7 offers the rare combination of unprecedented accuracy and ultimate reliability at an affordable price.

The Sako A7 improves upon the world famous Sako 75 design, featuring a machined forged-steel bolt, match-grade hammer-forged barrel, adjustable single-stage trigger (adjustable between 2.2 and 4.9 pounds), detachable magazine and synthetic stock. The A7 also integrates the new “Total Control” Magazine Latch introduced on the Sako 85, eliminating any chance that the box magazine can come loose during operation. This new rifle is available in two finishes: blued and Sako’s no-glare Stainless Steel. The A7’s bolt offers a silky-smooth movement with a 70-degree throw. Together with Sako’s super-crisp trigger, the A7 provides an incredibly fast total lock time of less than 1.3 milliseconds.

Since 1921, Sako has led the industry in accuracy by setting the standard by which all other rifles are compared. Each rifle must place five shots within one inch at 100 yards or they don’t ship. Serious shooters know that in order to obtain consistent sub-inch groups one must start with a high-quality firearm and move forward from there. The new A7 not only holds the same level of accuracy as its brother the Sako 85, but it offers a price that makes the A7 the hands down best value in the American market.

The new Sako A7 rifle series is a superbly executed medley of tradition, technology, out-of-the-box accuracy and unprecedented value.

Established in 1921, Sako was originally created to build and service firearms for the Civil Guard in Finland. Since that time, the company has been dedicated to providing innovative solutions to shooters’ emerging needs for precision firearms. For decades now, Sako has developed world-class military, target and hunting rifles. The Sako brand offers the shooter uncompromising accuracy and reliability in a variety of calibers. Along side Beretta and its unique firearms traditions that reach all the way to the year 1526, Sako proudly carries on the precision rifle craftsmanship that has led to the success of the Sako products. Today, Sako manufactures, distributes and markets a complete line of rifles. Beretta USA is the exclusive distributor in North America for Sako products. For additional information visit: www.berettausa.com.

Hat Tip: AccurateShooter.com

A Soldier displays an M-1 rifle discovered in a suspected insurgent’s home

From MilitaryPhotos.net

DPMS/Panther introduced this big game AR this year. Chambered in .338 Federal it packs quite a punch.

With the LR-308’s growing popularity among hunters and competitive shooters, DPMS opened the LR Series up into several other popular calibers to increase versatility.

The LR-338L was designed with one thing in mind…

HUNTING.

The main focus of the rifle is lightweight, fast handling, and single round precision. The 18” lightweight barrel with custom compensator, carbon fiber hand-guard, skeletonized stock, and lightweight upper receiver, allows this rifle to weigh in under 8 lbs.

The new .338 Federal is a cartridge that provides the energy of a 7mm Remington Mag in a necked-up .308 case. It’s the ultimate big game caliber with 200fps more velocity than a standard .308 round.

The LR-338L is the large game hunting rifle.

It sells for about $1500, depending on how you customize it.

Specs:

Barrel: 18″ Fluted Barrel. 6 grooves, right-hand 1×9 twist, button rifled.
Weight: 7.9 lbs.
Sights: None
Magazine capacity: 19

I wrote a post last year about Orange County Sheriff’s Office has purchasing 14 Alexander Arms .50 Beowulf AR-15 rifles so that they would be equipped to deal with big game escaping from theme parks. A rifle in this caliber would be more appropriate to take on marauding elephants and provide much longer range.

MilitaryPhotos.net has some interesting photos of the Chinese International Criminal Police Organization.

Some interesting suppressed AKs, they look like AK-103’s but could be something else, and what is probably a Norinco CQ (M16A1 clone) or CQ-M4 (you guessed it, an M4 clone).

Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if these were airsofters (btw, I have nothing against airsoft).

It seems the Afghans are moving to the AR platform, along with the Georgians.

After a frustratingly long three-year wait, the fledging Afghan National Army finally has a new weapon in its arsenal: the Canadian C7 rifle.

Some 42 boxes of surplus weapons arrived at the ANA base just up the road from Kandahar Airfield last week, Brig.-Gen. Gul Aqa said Wednesday in an interview with The Canadian Press. And training is already underway. Aimed at replacing the Afghan army’s old Soviet-era AK-47s in order to bring the force’s fire power capabilities in line with that of NATO countries, the Canadian rifles are a welcome addition, Aqa said. “They’re very modern and new weapons and the C7 is a real necessity for the ANA,” he said through a translator. He said the AK-47s often jam, leaving soldiers vulnerable to enemy fire. “It’s the difference between old and new.”

It’s a project that’s been in the works for several years.

The C7 rifle

Hat Tip: The Western Star

A clip from the U.S. Army’s International Sniper Competition.

I missed this. If any one recorded this please let me know.

I came across some nice Steyr AUG photos at MilitaryPhotos.net.

More here.

An interesting comparison between a suppressed .308 FAL vs. an Unsuppressed FAL.

The unsuppressed shot comes right at the end of the video.

They were using a AAC Cyclone 7.62MM Suppressor:

The CYCLONE is a thread-mounting silencer for 7.62mm bolt action and semi-automatic rifles. Constructed entirely from welded 300 series stainless steel, the 8.38″ Lg x 1.50″ diameter CYCLONE is the most compact and durable 7.62mm rifle silencer on the market. The computer optimized baffle stack of the CYCLONE delivers a substantial frequency shift, and the resulting muzzle report is indistinguishable from the ballistic crack of the projectile in flight. The weapon’s flash signature is completely eliminated, and recoil is reduced to the extent the shooter can actually see bullet impact through the scope. The slight added weight of the CYCLONE will assist in reducing barrel harmonics which can equate to a significant increase in accuracy with many host-weapons.

More on the suppressor here

DEMIGOD LLC has an interesting article on the .260 Remington, a necked down .308.

The .260 Remington provides long-range ballistics conventionally limited to the magnum calibers. Because its parent case is the ubiquitous .308 Winchester, building a rifle in .260 can be as easy as fitting a new barrel. The .260 provides much less wind drift and drop than .308 but has less recoil.

The hunting pedigree of 6.5 mm in Europe proves the caliber is formidable for practical use. For long-range shooters who want a better cartridge than .308, but don’t want the costs associated with big overbore magnums, the .260 is just the ticket.

More here

Winchester will be launching a new line of Safari ammo. They will be offering it in calibers 375 H&H Magnum, 416 Rigby, 458 Winchester Magnum and 416 Remington Magnum cartridge and will be using Nosler Partition and Nosler Solid bullets.

The new ammo will be available later this year.

They have not yet updated their website with the details.

The Press release:

When Africa calls, so does the need for being equipped with the proper ammunition to take down the game on your hunting list—and being prepared for game that may not be. Winchester’s new Safari Ammunition line was engineered to not only tackle the toughest game in Africa and the rest of the continents with supreme confidence, but to provide performance and versatility in virtually any situation.

Offered in the venerable 375 H&H Magnum, 416 Rigby and 458 Winchester Magnum, as well as the 416 Remington Magnum cartridge, the new Winchester® Safari line makes the most of these popular and proven African cartridges by pairing them with the finest bullet choices available—Nosler® Partition® and the new Nosler Solid™.

Nosler Partition bullets—with copper alloy jackets and lead-alloy cores—have long been favored around the world for accuracy and terminal performance on game. The new Nosler Solids—featuring a unique design and homogenous lead-free alloy construction—provide spectacular penetration and an impressively straight wound channel on large, thick-skinned game.

According to Glen Weeks, Winchester Centerfire Product Manager, “The Safari line was developed to meet the most demanding hunting needs. Each of the cartridges in the line provides the energy and knockdown power needed for the largest and most dangerous game. The Partition offerings are ideal for dangerous, or large thinner skin game, while the Solids will offer maximum penetration on the toughest hide and bone.”

Winchester Safari Ammunition features nickel-plated cartridge cases and is packaged in reusable 20-round plastic boxes with labels featuring recently discovered vintage Winchester artwork. The line will be available summer 2008.

Robinson Arms have just released an updated PDF Brochure of their XCR rifle.

The XCR

They have also said on their website that the SBR (Short Barreled Rifle) version of the XCR is becoming very popular.
Download it here.

After feeding him some of my wife’s famous lasagna (we always feed our servicemen) he gave me a dry demo of the new Tavor Commando and let me try it out.

Read more here.