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TheFirearmBlog.com – Managing Editor
OvertDefense.com – Managing Editor
Matt is a British historian specialising in small arms development and military history. He has written several books and for a variety of publications in both the US and UK. He also runs Historical Firearms, a blog that explores the history, development and use of firearms. Matt is also co-founder of The Armourer’s Bench, a video series on historically significant small arms.
Here on TFB he covers product and current military small arms news.
Reach Matt at: matt@thefirearmblog.com
Back in December local news in Baltimore reported that Baltimore County Police had problems with their FNS-40 pistols and were looking to replace them with Glocks. Baltimore County Police Department began reviewed their FN pistols in October 2018, and have made the [Read More…]
The US Army has launched their official Prototype Project Opportunity Notice (PPON) inviting design submission for both the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle (NGSW-R) and the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Automatic Rifle (NGSW-AR), both chambered in the Army’s [Read More…]
Stoeger, best known for their shotguns and air guns, have introduced their new 9x19mm striker fired pistol, the STR-9. With an MSRP of $349 Stoeger hope to bring reliability and utility without breaking the bank with the STR-9. The new polymer-framed Stoeger has a 4.17 [Read More…]
Today’s photo features a pair of venerable World War Two Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk2 rifles, but they’re not your usual surplus fare. Captured by the Israeli Defence Force in Bani Na’im, in the West Bank back in 2017, the two No.4s have been re-chambered from [Read More…]
Magpul have unveiled their latest drum magazine, building on the success of their D-60 5.56x45mm drum PMAG they have developed a 7.62x51mm variant. The D-50 can hold 50 rounds of 7.62 and weighs in at 1.7 lbs unloaded. Magpul say the D-50 incorporates proven GEN M3 [Read More…]
Minnesota-based Maxim Defense have announced the launch of their new compact personal defence weapon, the PDX. The PDX will be available as both a short barrelled rifle and as a pistol with a brace. The PDX will be available in two chamberings, 7.62x39mm and 5.56x45mm. [Read More…]
The US Army has announced that they have awarded LaserMaxDefense a contract for 20,000 Pistol Enhancers, LMD’s multifunction aiming light (MFAL). The Army was seeking a commercial off the shelf laser/light system for its new pistols. The LMD-PE-IR-1 [Read More…]
Towards the end of last year I had the chance to look at unique early breechloader, an example of Frederic Prince’s breechloading percussion rifle dating from the 1850s. Prince’s rifle (no, not the gunsmith formerly known as…) used a sliding barrel action, [Read More…]
On the 21 December, the US Army Contracting Command released a special notice for a ‘Squad Fire Control’ optic to be used in conjunction with the Army’s Next Generation Weapons. With the effective range of the Army’s new weapons expected to far [Read More…]
Magpul have introduced their 27 round, 9x19mm Glock PMAG. The PMAG 27 GL9 joins the companies Glock Series of products and joins their 10, 12, 15 and 17 round Glock magazines. The new magazine offers has optimized feed geometry, meets competition length requirements and [Read More…]
At their pre-SHOT Show range day SIG Sauer have demonstrated their new light machine gun, the SLMAG. TFB reported back in October 2018, that SIG Sauer had displayed their new light machine gun at the 2018 Association of the United States Army exposition. Now, thanks to [Read More…]
Composite munitions manufacturer True Velocity has announced their partnership with General Dynamics – Ordnance & Tactical Systems in working to win the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon system program. Back in July 2018, TFB reported that General [Read More…]
Today’s photo features graduating Somalian Army conscripts being sworn in next to some new Turkish MPT-76 rifles and MG-3 general purpose machine guns made by Turkey’s state-owned small arms manufacturer MKEK. The photo was taken at a graduation ceremony for [Read More…]
In 2019 Springfield Armory are introducing new barrel lengths to its XDE series of pistols. The 9x19mm hammer-fired pistols will now be available in 3.8 and 4.5 inch barrel lengths. The XD-E 3.8 inch weighs in at 24 oz with an overall length of 7.16 inches while the [Read More…]
Steyr Arms have announced a new version of their Scout Rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. The new chambering joins the line of light, handy bolt actions. The new 6.5 Creedmoor chambered rifle joins other calibres in the Scout Rifle line which include .223 Remington, 243 [Read More…]
Back in December 2017 we reported that Barrett would be launching their new 7.62x51mm REC10 rifle, now in 2019 it’s finally here. Barrett have confirmed that the REC10 will be introduced at SHOT Show 2019. The new rifle is chambered in 7.62x51mm, uses an [Read More…]
Well it’s not technically a musket, it isn’t a smooth bore, it has straight rifling rather than spiralled. You may remember the hype which surrounded Franklin Armory’s mysterious Reformation in the run up to SHOT Show 2018. Well almost exactly a year [Read More…]
Last August the German Ministry of Defence brought the Bundeswehr’s newest rifle to the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona for testing. The G95K was put through gruelling environmental testing which simulated real-world conditions similar to those [Read More…]
Rock Island Armory have introduced their new semi-automatic shotgun – the VR80. Developed by Rock Island Armory’s Philippine parent company Armscor, the new AR-style 12 gauge, magazine fed shotgun will hit shelves in 2019. Rock Island Armory are called the [Read More…]
Back in March 2018, Eric broke the news that B&T were finally set to offer a 7.62x51mm APC, the APC308. The rifle was unveiled at the 2018 Enforce TAC show but no details on when it might arrive in the US were given. It now appears that B&T USA are preparing to [Read More…]
Westley Richards make some of the most beautiful firearms in the world. The Birmingham, UK, based gunmakers has been in operation for over 200 years, since 1812. Westley Richards’ handmade shotguns, double rifles and bolt action rifles command princely sums and in [Read More…]
Henry Repeating Arms have announced some new additions to their range, including a new ‘Long Ranger’ hunting rifle and a new .22, the American Eagle. The latest Long Ranger will be chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and joins the series that already includes .223 [Read More…]
The Israeli company ZORE have celebrated the shipping of 10,00 of their X Core pistol locks 10 months after they launched their rotary combination lock system. The X Core was initially launched back in February 2018 with a 9x19mm version of the locking device. The [Read More…]
Dickinson Arms have introduced an elegant new side by side shotgun which combines the classic side by side layout with features from more modern sporting shotgun incorporating a rib sight and a semi-pistol grip stock. The Plantation SXR, built in Turkey, uses fine [Read More…]
The US Army’s Contracting Command has awarded Knight’s Armament Company a contract for more 7.62x51mm M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Systems (SASS). Over 10 years on since it was first adopted and nearly five years since the Army began its programme to replace [Read More…]
ZEV Technologies, best known for their aftermarket Glock parts, has introduced their first pistol, the O.Z-9. The new pistol, reputedly 12 years in the making, boasts a modular system composed of slide, frame and an internal steel receiver. Here’s ZEV’s [Read More…]
Just after Christmas Hi-Point, the well known budget firearms manufacturer, suffered a fire at their factory in Mansfield, Ohio. The budget pistol and pistol calibre carbine makers have not made any comment on the fire but local news report that it caused thousands of [Read More…]
L3 Technologies, parent company of EOTECH, has confirmed they have been awarded a $26.3 million contract to supplied the latest version of their EOTECH holographic weapon sight and G33 magnifier to USSOCOM. The five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity [Read More…]
Recently Mossberg, one of America’s oldest gun companies best known for their shotguns, launched their first pistol – the Mossberg MC1. Well not quite their first, 100 years ago this year, the company launched another small, compact pistol – the [Read More…]
FN America have announced the launch of a new model in their 509 family, a mid sized carry pistol. FN have also confirmed that the FN Tactical will also be available in a matte black finish in 2019. The new mid size, chambered in 9x19mm, has a four inch slide and a [Read More…]
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