RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) is a technology that practically permeates our modern lives. Everything from your passport, your keyfob at work, tags on the back of your equipment, and even your dog or cat probably has an RFID tag in it that contains important [Read More…]
Trigger Point Technology is a small company in California that has integrated visible and IR light and aiming lasers into controls on the magazine well and trigger of the AR platform. Terry Abst realized the need for quick, accurate engagement, particularly with hostage [Read More…]
At SHOT Show 2018 TFBTV’s Corey Wardrop looks at new developments in range technologies with Radetec Firearms Technologies. Despite electronics’ bad rap in the industry, Radetec seeks to make the range safe and comfortable for novices, and lessen the liability of range owners and staff. [Read More…]
In today’s episode, we follow Miles to Shot Show 2018 Media Day at the Range and visit Ben with Ellison Dynamic Concepts. Ellison Dynamic Concepts offers a new take on direct thread rifle suppressors with their bulbous-shaped cans. While this is their first entry into small arms, Ellison Dynamic [Read More…]
At an AUSA breakfast conference yesterday, US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley gave us a hint at exactly what the US Army’s next rifle could look like, and the focus was on extended range capability. The rifle, Milley said, will give a 10x improvement in [Read More…]
Bushnell recently announced a new Impulse trail camera that is said to dramatically improve cellular connectivity and and imaging. The new cameras come in two versions – one for AT&T networks and one for Verizon networks. According to the company, photos can [Read More…]
Canton Ohio custom gunmaker Middlebranch Machine has released a teaser image of a new kind of suppressor, which they say is made of “carbon fiber composite” construction. Unlike previous efforts at making carbon fiber suppressors, Middlebranch [Read More…]
In the comments section of my recent Brief Thoughts article regarding caseless ammunition, there was a discussion about whether the cookoff issues of caseless would also be problem for LSAT-style polymer cased telescoped ammunition. Based on conversations I have had [Read More…]
Caseless: The ammunition designer’s holy grail, and the engineer’s worst nightmare. It would obsolete the cartridge case overnight, resulting in cheaper, lighter, and more compact ammunition. Weapons would be able to carry 50, 60, or more rounds in slim, [Read More…]
Smart gun technology in the United States usually refers to various measures being taken by a manufacturer in which they aim to make firearms harder to access by non-owners, or those without special permissions for that particular firearm. Korean S&T Motiv is going [Read More…]
We have already seen the 6.5mm CT Carbine prototype brought out by Textron for the 2017 Association of the United States Army annual meeting, but TFB also got an up close and personal look at Textron’s cased telescoped machine guns. Textron has two different cased [Read More…]
At the 2017 Association of the US Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting, Textron System displayed for the very first time their firing 6.5mm CT Carbine prototype. Previously, only non-firing mockups had been shown to the public, but after successful tests this summer the real [Read More…]
Yes, you don’t own a flying car, but at least some of the promises of the future are coming true: The United States Navy has successfully tested its railgun prototype in multi-shot (autoloading) mode, earlier this summer. Although the US Navy has been testing [Read More…]
Billing itself as “The Ultimate Hunting Multi-Tool,” the Geo-Pak Hunt app offers hunters a variety of planning and stalking tools that are run from your phone or tablet. The Geo-Pak Hunt app can be had on the Google Play and Apple App Store. Believe it or [Read More…]
DARPA’s Squad X program has recently taken a major step forward with the U.S. Army awarding the preliminary team contract to Lockheed Martin to develop the technological projects within the program, at a value of $12.9 million. The program is an experiment by [Read More…]
Lend me your EARS: QinetiQ North America, a US subsidiary of the UK-based defense company, has an interesting product to pinpoint hostile gunfire quickly while dismounted from a vehicle: Man-portable gunshot detection. Their EARS system has been operational for a while as a vehicle and building [Read More…]
In the development and testing phases since at least 2004, the German Ministry of Defense has purchased enough IdZ-ES (Infanterist der Zukunft-Infantryman of the future, also know as Gladius) Future Soldier Systems to outfit 68 platoons of mechanized infantry/2,460 [Read More…]
Can a computer pick out and identify guns directly from video footage, without the aid of a human? That’s the technology being demonstrated by a program at the Spanish University of Granada, which earlier this year released a video purporting to show an computer [Read More…]
While I will certainly complain about the, in my opinion, vast market of overdone Glocks, I am however a fan of the technical machining and treatments that go one behind the scenes to create the functional works of art. Modern multi-axis CNC equipment works wonders in [Read More…]
Not long after SHOT Show, I got the chance to interview Mrs. Kori Phillips, former program officer for the Army’s Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program, and current program officer for the Cased Telescoped Small Arms Systems (CTSAS) program. We talked [Read More…]
Not long after SHOT Show, I got the chance to interview Mrs. Kori Phillips, former program officer for the Army’s Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program, and current program officer for the Cased Telescoped Small Arms Systems (CTSAS) program. We talked [Read More…]
Not long after SHOT Show, I got the chance to interview Mrs. Kori Phillips, former program officer for the Army’s Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program, and current program officer for the Cased Telescoped Small Arms Systems (CTSAS) program. We talked [Read More…]
Drones are a huge boon to the filmmaking world. Coupled with high-quality small cameras, drones can and do capture breathtaking footage of the world’s modern-day events. I would say there has not been a writer’s event that I have been to where there has not [Read More…]
The metallic cartridge case was invented in the 1840s, and – starting in the 1860s – its military application brought with it a host of of advantages for the soldier: Now, ammunition was self-contained, weatherproof, and durable. Yet, despite it being a [Read More…]
Earlier this month, I posted an article about new 9mm cases that are being introduced by Shell Shock Technologies. The cases use a number of different approaches to manufacturing with the most obvious being the two piece construction. There were a number of questions [Read More…]
A new start up company, by the name of ZORE has come up with a novel approach to gun locks. Their lock consists of a sort of expanding dimensional correct simulated bullet. Once “chambered” and the lock button is pressed, the bullet expands out into the [Read More…]
The United Kingdom has become the first nation in the world to receive a modern cased telescoped ammunition (CTA) automatic weapon, the French 40mm CTCS, according to IHS Jane’s. The UK procured the weapons in July of last year to upgrade their Warrior IFVs, and [Read More…]
Yesterday, we discussed the past, present, and future of infantry small arms calibers. That post was a highly introductory one, and there’s much, much more ground to cover on that subject. Today, we’ll talk about a technology that didn’t quite make it [Read More…]
Caldwell Shooting Supplies has come out with a long range target camera system, labeled as the Ballistic Precision LR. Essentially it is a camera system that you set up, facing your target downrange, and is connected to a receiver that you set up at your shooting [Read More…]
Smart guns are at the front of the gun industry’s mind right now. This is due in large part to Obama’s recent order that the Department of Defense, Justice Department, and Department of Homeland Security must come up with a viable plan to speed along the [Read More…]