_________________________________________________________________________
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
The Cody Firearms Museum, part of The Buffalo Bill Centre of the West, located in Cody, Wyoming, is about to undergo a major overhaul. With some exhibits already deinstalled the newly renovated museum is set to reopen in 2019. The museum holds an astounding collection [Read More…]
The commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command has explained why the Corps is going to adopt the Army’s M17/M18 Modular Handgun System. Speaking at the recent Sea-Air-Space exposition, held at National Harbor, Maryland, Brigadier General Joseph Shrader, the [Read More…]
If you have a passion for the history of firearms or collecting old guns then you will probably be familiar with Collector Grade Publications, a publishing house which has been publishing excellent, well researched and curated books for nearly 40 years. I’m saddened [Read More…]
Marine Corps Systems Command have confirmed the signing of a five year, ‘firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract’ worth $30 million. In a USMC press release Corps officials confirmed that “the additional M27 IARs will partially replace [Read More…]
The US Marine Corps are working with the US Army to find a replacement for the 5.56x45mm ammunition currently available. The Army, has for some time been arguing that even the 5.56x45mm Enhanced Performance Round is insufficient to combat emerging threats. The Marine [Read More…]
At the 2018 Sea Air Space expo, April 9th – 11th 2018, the Marine Corps Systems Command showcased their latest version of the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer. The Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer III now has wireless connectivity for three more of the [Read More…]
MKU Ltd. and Thales have announced that they will work together to enter India’s Close Quarter Battle Rifle trials. The announcement came on the 10th April, at Defexpo 2018, as the two companies signed two memorandums of understanding (MoU) for strategic [Read More…]
On the 11th April, the British Ministry of Defence announced the official adoption of the newly updated L85A3. I covered this several weeks ago, discussing in-depth the changes made to the rifles, but the Press Release offers some new details. The SA80 or L85 is being [Read More…]
Recent changes to Youtube’s guidelines and rules pertaining to firearms content has seen a number of new video sites launched. The latest, GunStreamer, was launched at the end of March. The new site’s succinct ‘about us’ page gives little away, [Read More…]
The Austrian Army’s Military Police are to be issued a new version of the Bundesheer’s standard issue rifle, the StG 77. The new StG 77A1 MP will be issued to the Bundesheer’s military patrol and military police (Militärstreife) units. The official [Read More…]
Production at the long-planned and troubled Kalashnikov factory in Venezuela reportedly edges closer as politicians announce production is scheduled to begin rifle in late 2019. The construction of the plant was first confirmed way back in 2006. The Venezuelan defence [Read More…]
We at TFB have been following the progress of FB Radom’s MSBS/GROT for a while and back in October 2017 we reported that a semi-automatic civilian legal version would be launched in Europe. New reports reveal the civilian MSBS is about to be released in Europe. A [Read More…]
The Bundeswehr have narrowed their choice of rifles to replace the Heckler & Koch G36 down to two. The Heckler & Koch HK433 and the Haenel MK 556 are the final rifles competing for adoption. Previously, it had emerged that the Rheinmetall RS556, Heckler & [Read More…]
Hungary looks set to replace its AK-63 rifles with the Czech BREN 2 as a licensing deal is signed with Česká zbrojovka. The 10 year contract will allow Hungary’s state owned HM Arzenal to manufacture CZ designs. Milmag reports that the manufacturing deal is [Read More…]
Numerous media outlets have recently reported that Queensland police used a DroneShield Drone Gun to take down a errant drone that flew close to a Commonwealth Games venue. In reality it seems the drone was landed by its pilot. If the initial reports had proven to be [Read More…]
The Michigan-based Applied Ballistics LLC has been awarded a research and development contract to work on Advance Extreme Long-Range Sniper Capability for the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO). The CTTSO’s mission is to identify and develop [Read More…]
Arizona’s Tempe Police Department has begun equipping its motorcycle officers with an rifle mounting system to improve their firepower. The new mounts allow AR-15 rifles to be stored on police bikes for use in dangerous situations. Tempe PD have been using the [Read More…]
In recent months the Corps has been increasingly open about its intentions to adopt the M27 as its standard issue rifle. Back in August 2017, the USMC released a sole source notice for the acquisition of as many as 50,000 M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles. It now seems the [Read More…]
As previously reported Estonia is in the process of selecting a new service rifle. Estonia is moving forward with further testing of rifles submitted by three manufacturers. The contract is reported to be worth €75 million (approx. $86 million) and calls for as many [Read More…]
British historian Stephen Wisdom has built a full-scale replica of a World War One tank from fibreglass and wood. The recreation of a French Renault FT light tank has been built for the American Museum in Bath, UK. Wisdom built the fibreglass tank around a wooden frame [Read More…]
Germany’s Hesse state police are in search for a new 5.56x45mm rifle. The German defence blog Strategie-Technik reports that Hessian state police have published a tender for ‘mid-range weapons’ to replace their submachine guns currently in service. [Read More…]
After over 50 years of service, it looks like the Marine Corps is about to replace the venerable M40 Sniper Rifle. The USMC is set to purchase just over 350 new Mk 13 sniper rifles. The .308 Remington 700 bolt action hunting rifle entered Marine Corps service as the M40 [Read More…]
The US Marine Corps is interested in the Army’s Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS). Chambered in the longer ranged 7.62x51mm round, the CSASS has the edge over the Corps’ recently fielded M38 adaptation of the M27 IAR. While other outlets have [Read More…]
The Bundeswehr is seeking a new rifle optic for its yet-to-be selected G36 replacement. The Federal Agency for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Federal Armed Forces (BAAINBw) posted a Request for Proposals (RFP) on the 17th March calling for the [Read More…]
The Army looks set to turn the page on ceramic and Kevlar based armor systems of the past with a revolutionary new armour system. The US Army has signaled its decision to move away from its standard Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) body armour and adopt a new more [Read More…]
The British Army have begun issuing the newly upgraded SA80A3, the Grenadier Guards are the first regiment to receive the newly refitted bullpups. News of the upgrade to the British Army’s L85/SA80 first emerged back in 2016, but it appears the rifles are about [Read More…]
It has been a busy couple of days for the guys at InRange TV. Their decision to open an account on the porn site PornHub has seen them go not just viral but global. The decision to set up an account on the NSFW equivalent of YouTube has garnered attention from news [Read More…]
The first photographs of the tungsten carbide cores for the US Army’s new XM1158 round have surfaced. The Army’s 7.62x51mm XM1158 Advanced Armor Piercing (ADVAP) round featured in the US Army’s Manufacturing Technology program 2018 Fiscal Year [Read More…]
The US Army Materiel Command has shared an interesting behind the scenes video filmed at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama. Ever wonder what happens to the US Army’s tired small arms? All the M4s, M240s and M2 Heavy Machine Guns which have seen decades of [Read More…]
Qatar has used the opening ceremony of 2018’s Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) to announce the signing of a number of major defence agreement, including a manufacturing license with Italian small arms manufacturer Beretta. [Read More…]
Your Privacy Choices