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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: [email protected]
The Royal Danish Army, Hæren, are reportedly about to embark on trials to replace the venerable SIG P210, which has been in Danish service since 1949. The iconic P210 is world renowned as one of the finest pistols ever to be issued as a standard issue sidearm. [Read More…]
The latest edition of Larry Vickers’ series of coffee table reference books, the Vickers Guides, has been released. The fourth book in the series which has already featured editions looking at the AR-15 and 1911 – while the new book will focus on [Read More…]
Colt have produced a limited run of Civilian-legal M203 grenade launchers. The iconic under-barrel grenade launcher will be offered through Arms Unlimited – one of Colt Defense’s law enforcement distributors. While this isn’t the first 37mm M203 to hit [Read More…]
Kalashnikov Media continue their fascinating series looking at rare Russian small arms, the latest video brings us a look at an early, pre-production prototype AKS. Kalashnikov Media helpfully provide a short history of the AK-47’s design and development to give [Read More…]
The USMC have officially adopted Glock’s 19M and designated it the M007. The new concealed carry pistol is being issued to Marine Corps Criminal Investigators first. For Corps personnel requiring a easily concealable sidearm the M007 replaces the larger M9 [Read More…]
Turkey’s state-run Makina Ve Kimya Endustrisi Kurumu/Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK) have announced that non-commercial military exports of their new MPT-76 rifle have begun. Turkish news site Hurriyet report that MKEK have already secured a [Read More…]
Over recent weeks Kalashnikov Media, of Kalashnikov Concern’s media department, have been treating us to videos looking at some very interesting and historically significant firearms including Mikhail Kalashnikov’s automatic pistol prototype and the PP-71 [Read More…]
SureFire have been awarded an additional contract to provide the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with suppressors, muzzle breaks and blank firing adapters. SureFire were first awarded the SOCOM suppressor contract back in 2011, when an indefinite quantity contract [Read More…]
Portugal are about to embark on a major new small arms procurement programme. Jane’s reports that Request for Proposals for new infantry weapons will be issued soon. The Portuguese government and military have agreed to have NATO’s Support and Procurement [Read More…]
Ever wanted your own field gun but never had the garage space to keep one? Well look no further, a small group of British gunsmiths have developed a working scale replica of the World War Two-era British Ordnance QF 17-pounder! The 1/6th scale replica of the iconic [Read More…]
South Korea’s S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo) have unveiled the next generation of their K2 rifle. Displayed for the first time at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2017) the K2C-2 is expected to enter production in the 2020s. The K2C-2 is [Read More…]
Poland is another step closer to issuing the new MSBS 5.56 (AKA the GROT) as the rifle completes its first round of operational testing ahead of schedule. Milmag report that samples of the new rifle completed the first part of qualification testing on 11 October, five [Read More…]
With the first Hudson H9’s finally shipping Advanced Holster have introduced a new modular holster for Hudson Mfg’s pistol. The H9’s unusual frame shape narrows the available holster choices and Advanced Holster are one of the first manufacturers to [Read More…]
Kalashnikov Concern have shown off a rare example of Mikhail Kalashnikov’s automatic pistol developed in the late 1940s. Kalashnikov’s pistol was beaten by Igor Stechkin’s entry into the trials, the APS. In the late 1940s, the Soviet Union began a [Read More…]
An interesting 19th century revolver turned up during a Police raid in Liverpool, UK. The revolver has a tip up break action and appears to be styled similarly to the Webley-Pryse cartridge revolvers of the 1870s-80s with an octagonal barrel. Sadly, no [Read More…]
The Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte announced on 11 October that Russia would donate a substantial amount of defence hardware in support of the Philippine military’s fight against pro-Islamic State militants that have occupied city of Marawi since May. [Read More…]
On the 11 October the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) announced the selection of Heckler & Koch’s KH416A7 for Germany’s Special Forces. The new rifle will be adopted as the G95 and will [Read More…]
The Italian Army are to transfer as many as 5,000 Beretta AR70/90 5.56x45mm Rifles to Albania by the end of 2017. Albania is one of Italy’s regional strategic allies and the donation of AR70/90s, along with two Iveco VTLM light multirole vehicles, is in an effort [Read More…]
The Department of Homeland Security’s United States Secret Service Has released a Request for Proposals solicitation for a new 5.56x45mm carbine. The Secret Service are offering a five year Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery (IQ/ID) contract, this however, [Read More…]
Officers of the Spokane Police Department are set to be issued suppressors for their patrol rifles. The Department says the move is an effort to protect officers and civilian bystanders’ hearing. Spokane PD will equip all 181 of their patrol rifles with Gemtech [Read More…]
In the wake of the tragic shooting in Las Vegas two important shooting organisations have released a joint statement calling for a review of bump fire-type stocks. The statement below comes from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the Sporting Arms and [Read More…]
It has been announced that the US Army’s Modular Handgun System, the XM17, will officially become the M17 and begin issue to units near the end of the year. The Army anticipates that the XM17 will complete the materiel release process, which ensures equipment [Read More…]
On the 5th of October, China and the Philippines held a handover ceremony for 3,000 rifles in Manilla. China has donated another 3,000 rifles to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines in an effort to aid the countries war on drugs and terrorism. The Norinco [Read More…]
In a scene reminiscent of Riggs’s unwitting intervention on a movie set in Lethal Weapon 3 Indiana police mistook an actor playing a bank robber for the real thing. The incident is currently being investigated by Indiana State Police. Bodycam footage of a cop [Read More…]
The armed wing of London’s Metropolitan Police have submitted plans for a new £50 million base in Limehouse in the east of the capital. The Specialist Firearms Command (SCO19) already has a training establishment at Hendon in the north of London but deputy [Read More…]
It has emerged that the UK’s Ministry of Defence Police have failed to meet firearms training standards. The specialist non-military police force is tasked with protecting sites of national importance such as the Royal Navy’s base at Faslane, Scotland [Read More…]
Britishmuzzleloaders is one of my favourite historical shooting youtube channels so I am always pleased to see a new video from Rob. In his latest he explains some of the differences between the MkI Lee-Enfield and the earlier MkI Lee-Metford. The Lee family of rifles [Read More…]
A Czech man has been sentenced to five years in prison for bringing several illegal firearms into the UK. 59 year old Jaromir Hrbek, from he Czech Republic, was stopped by the UK Border Force in August as he drove through the port of Dover to board a ferry back to [Read More…]
Last month SilencerCo unveiled their latest innovative product, a suppressed firearm that is completely legal in all 50 US states. The Maxim 50 ingeniously sidesteps the NFA’s suppressor restrictions, although some individual states including New Jersey, [Read More…]
On 6 September a man calmly walked into the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of Scheels sporting goods store and moments later waddled out with a stolen rifle stuffed down his pants leg. The Des Moines Register reported that the thief managed to slip a full stocked Ruger [Read More…]