Nathaniel is a history enthusiast and firearms hobbyist whose primary interest lies in military small arms technological developments beginning with the smokeless powder era. He can be reached via email at nathaniel.f@staff.thefirearmblog.com.
In the twilight of the blackpowder era, the British tested many designs in one of the biggest firearms competitions of the era, in an effort to replace their increasingly obsolete Martini-Henry rifle. The winning design was the brainchild of Scottish-American designer [Read More…]
In 2013, TFB reported on the latest developments of the Taiwanese next-generation rifle program, then called “XT-97”. It is now being reported that the latest variants are called “XT-105”, and that the rifle, developed by the 205th Armory of the [Read More…]
Remington has announced major changes in its senior leadership, including the vacation of its chairman and CEO, and of other major board members. RECOIL Web reports: Remington Outdoor Company, once known as Freedom Group, today announced big changes to its senior [Read More…]
Heckler and Koch announced in a recent press release that Nicola Marinelli has been appointed to the Board of Executives, and would be taking over as manager of operations: Oberndorf. Effective June 1st, 2015, Nicola Marinelli has been appointed to the Executive Board [Read More…]
H&K’s troubles are mounting, as the German Minister of Defense is now investigating the MG5, the Bundeswehr’s designation for the 7.62mm HK121 machine gun. Spiegel Online reports: Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) for a device approved by [Read More…]
Gun forums across the internet were abuzz this past weekend with news that some distributors had in stock examples of the new H&K VP40 handgun. Some of the relevant posts are replicated below: From HKPro: estesmonkey VP40 released I realize that I am very ill right [Read More…]
Kramer Defense has released a new round for the AR-15 that they are calling the “6.8x45mm Urban Combat Cartridge”. The round is based on the 5.56mm case, necked up to .277″ caliber: Las Vegas, Nev. – -(Ammoland.com)- After four years of research and [Read More…]
Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, may soon be lining up for a unique attraction: Shooting Revolutionary War-era muskets at a period-correct shooting range. WTKR.com reports: Williamsburg, Va. – Soon you could be able to shoot an 18th Century weapon in the [Read More…]
In late 1963, photographer Arthur Rickerby snapped photos of a Colt demonstration of its new AR-15 rifle. The photos appeared TIME Magazine, and their focus was on more than just the rifles themselves: Present at the shoot was 1962 Miss America pageant winner Maria [Read More…]
This time last year, the Denver Post collected a series of color images taken during the D-Day landings that occured 71 years ago today. Some of the images are reproduced below, but our readers are strongly urged to click through and take a look at every one: The [Read More…]
This is the second part of a series of posts seeking to describe and analyze the 7.62mm Light Rifle concept promoted by the Americans, and subsequently adopted by NATO in various forms. This series will cover development from before World War II to the present day, [Read More…]
Command Arms Accessories has introduced a shot counter for Glock users. The shot counter counts split times, as well as total round count for maintenance. From Military.com’s KitUp!: Command Arms Accessories USA is now offering a high-tech shot counter for several [Read More…]
How light can an AR-15 made entirely with off-the-shelf components be? Guns & Tactics sought to answer that question with their ultralight black rifle build project detailed in a recent article: Two years ago, it would not have been possible to build a functioning [Read More…]
Kalashnikov Concern has made an effort to rebrand itself following its consolidation, and spurred by the US sanctions of 2014, that prevent the importation of the Concern’s products to the lucrative American civilian market. VICE News, online offshoot of VICE [Read More…]
The Small Arms Defense Journal website have published an article written by Leszek Erenfeicht describing the history and function of the MSBS Radon rifle, one of the major dark horses of 21st Century rifle designs. The Radon was designed from a clean sheet, ignoring [Read More…]
Earlier this week, we blogged about an AR-15 that had seen half a century of service; a weapon originally made by General Motors between January of 1969 and the end of 1971. Recently, pictures were circulated on Facebook of a rifle even older than that firearm: A Colt [Read More…]
Glock handguns used by the police department of the Kentucky city of Bardstown have developed serious cracks after more than 15 years of duty. WDRB 41 Louisville News covered the issues in a segment available online, saying the issues affected a dozen handguns [Read More…]
Lancer has released a statement pertaining to its L5AWM magazines manufactured in the month of March 2015, which may be defective: Notice of possible L5AWM Compatibility Issue May 29, 2015 To Our Customers: If you recently purchased an L5AWM magazine, it may contain a [Read More…]
India’s rifle competition may be on the verge of cancellation. From Jane’s: India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) is likely to scrap its 2011 tender for 66,000 multi-calibre assault rifles after four overseas vendors failed to meet the Indian [Read More…]
Today, we tend to take the metallic cartridge and the guns that fire them for granted, but before the invention and perfection of the metallic cartridge case, arms designers faced stiff challenges in realizing the breechloading military rifle. Early attempts, most [Read More…]
The state of 3D printed guns continues to improve. Hognose of WeaponsMan.com covers some of the recent developments: As we have expected to happen for some time, and as the initial Cody Wilson “Liberator” first demonstrated, 3D-printed firearms made of common [Read More…]
More bad news for America’s oldest gunmaker. Daniel Defense has sued Remington again, this time for use of its “V3” trademark. From Guns.com: Daniel Defense, Inc. filed suit against Remington Outdoor Company for trademark infringement in a Georgia [Read More…]
I am not someone who is very concerned with gear. My main rifle is close to bone stock, besides the optic, and is only “blinged out” with a USGI web sling. My Glock uses the much-maligned stock sights, because those work fine for me. I generally look at [Read More…]
Bolt-action rifles are generally regarded as slower than semi-automatics, but Sniper’s Hide Cup 2015 competitor Marcus Blanchard proves that is more a matter of shooter skill than it is of mechanisms with his performance three days ago on the 540 yard Moving [Read More…]
This is the zeroeth part of a series of posts seeking to describe and analyze the 7.62mm Light Rifle concept promoted by the Americans, and subsequently adopted by NATO in various forms. This series will cover development from before World War II to the present day, [Read More…]
In 1957, the T44E4 rifle was formally adopted by the United States Armed Forces as the United States Rifle, 7.62mm, M14, but this only marked the beginning of the rifle’s troubles. After numerous delays and production crises – including the rejection in [Read More…]
Disclaimer: I don’t really speak financialese, and therefore would urge readers to double-check anything I’ve written on the subject. Don’t be afraid to correct me in the comments, either! Daniel Watters, the inimitable author of The 5.56 Timeline, has [Read More…]
Today we remember those men and women who served, and who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Many of us will celebrate this holiday with family, friends, and food, the way we’ve been taught to honor those who have gone before us. We at TFB honor [Read More…]
Controversial “smart gun” manufacturer Armatix has filed the German equivalent of Chapter 11 restructuring. From Fortune: Armatix pulls out of tech fair, but vows to continue operating The manufacturer of the only so-called “smart” pistol available on [Read More…]
Since I started this series, I’ve reviewed books according to criteria of relevance, appropriate audience, strengths, and weaknesses. This method is a shortcut allowing me to provide a compass for my readers without wasting their time. This time, though, [Read More…]