The German Police in Schleswig-Holstein (location: think Northern Germany, Kiel) are spending $1.4 million USD to buy 522 pieces of SIG MCX rifles. The total includes accessories. The reason? To be better armed and prepared in the event of a terrorist attack. The [Read More…]
A couple of months ago Interfax news agency reported that according to Russian military officials they are going to adopt an unmanned ground vehicle called Nerekhta (name of a town in Russia). The Russian military has been testing a number of similar UGVs during the [Read More…]
WarLeaks recently published a video on their Youtube channel showing Ukranian Paratroopers of the 1st Battalion, 95th Separate Airmobile Brigade in a live fire range shooting modified DShKs. This footage is actually U.S. DOD footage shot during Rapid Trident 2017, a [Read More…]
Photographs of Egyptian Security Forces armed with 7.62x39mm CZ 807s have recently surfaced, thanks to the efforts of Egypt Defense Review and Mahmoud Gamal, both in-depth analysts of Egyptian defense programs. The 7.62x39mm rifles were recently seen in what appears to [Read More…]
The ability to execute complex operations in conditions of low light or complete darkness has been an asset unique to NATO militaries since the 1990s when fighting against local insurgencies. Often within planning sessions for OIF, OEF, or the current Resolute Support [Read More…]
We shoot Hornady .357 Sig 147gr XTP ammunition from a Glock 22 with a 4.25″ .357 Sig conversion barrel into Clearballistics ballistic gel to measure velocity, penetration, expansion/fragmentation, and retained weight. Buy it at Ventura Munitions. Bare gel Penetration: 23.6″, [Read More…]
Poland’s elite counter terrorism unit, Jednostka Wojskowa GROM (JW GROM) are set to procure more M134 Miniguns. In a contract award notice published 12 December, it was confirmed that Poland would purchase a small, but unspecified, number of M134s. The Polish [Read More…]
In what is certainly one of Magpul Industries largest contracts yet, Defense Logistics Agency has awarded the company a $12,792,000 definite quantity for GEN M3 PMAG magazines (mislabeled as magazine cartridges in the announcement wording). The contract specifically [Read More…]
We at TFB have extensively covered AFA LLC’s automated speedloader and the troubles they experienced on IndieGoGo previously. Well, AFA LLC is not just a one trick show. They have a pretty broad portfolio of products which now includes Bulletproof Jackets. After [Read More…]
What do you think of when you think about SOCOM Operators? Beards, Heckler & Koch MK 23s and HK416s? Well maybe you should be picturing multi-lingual, water polo loving dads instead. US SOCOM have just released their 2018 Fact Book,written by USSOCOM’s Office [Read More…]
The US Army’s new sidearm, the SIG Sauer M17 Modular Handgun System, will soon be available for purchase on the civilian market. SIG’s Chief Marketing Officer Tom Taylor told Military.com about the decision, saying that about 5,000 of the full size M17 [Read More…]
The United States Marine Corps has finally officially announced its adoption of the 5.56mm M855A1 EPR round, developed in the late 2000s by the US Army, marking an important step towards ammunition commonality between the two services. Until now, the USMC has officially [Read More…]
In addition to adopting a new service rifle, Poland is also seeking to replace its current P64, P83 and WIST-94 pistols. In addition to the MSBS Grot 5.56×45 rifle, FB “Łucznik” Radom will also provide the PR-15 RAGUN, the Polish army’s new [Read More…]
We shoot Hornady .44spl 165gr FTX ammunition from a S&W Model 69 with a 4.25″ barrel into Clearballistics ballistic gel to measure velocity, penetration, expansion/fragmentation, and retained weight. Buy it at Ventura Munitions Bare gel: Penetration: 11.3″, 11.7″ Retained [Read More…]
Recently on The Firearm Blog we talked about one of the great might-have-beens, the German caseless G11 rifle developed by Heckler & Koch during the 1970s and 1980s. Today we have a video from 1990 filmed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds of a demonstration of the G11K2 [Read More…]
It’s almost 3 in the morning, and I’m lying awake in bed thinking about small arms. I’m trying to put everything out of my mind so I can go to sleep and wake up in the morning, go to the range, and bring you some raw ballistic data. So of course what [Read More…]
Is the US Army pushing for a new high-powered 6.Xmm caliber with their new NGSAR program? Recently, the listing for the NGSAR industry day in December was updated with a document describing in part the agenda of the second conference. Scheduled for 9:45 in the morning [Read More…]
The first holster to be issued with the US Army’s new Modular Handgun System, including both the M17 and M18 pistols, will be a variant of the Safariland 7TS holster, featuring both ALS and SLS locking systems. The holster is the first of at least three holsters [Read More…]
Back in July, we reported that the Estonian Army was in the market for a new service rifle. A tender worth €75 million (approx. $86 million) was released calling for 20,000 new rifles, to be chambered in both 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm. The rifles are to replace the [Read More…]
Back in September TFB reported that Poland had officially renamed its new MSBS 5.56x45mm infantry rifle the ‘Grot’. The move to rename the MSBS came as Poland increased its orders for the new rifle. The significance of the new name has a great deal of [Read More…]
Recent evidence has suggested that there is an uptick of mounting evidence to suggest that rebels in the Jammu and Kashmir province of Northeastern India are slowly trading their traditionally used 7.62x39mm Kalashnikov patterned derivatives for 5.56x45mm M4 [Read More…]
Marine Systems Command is currently testing and looking to put out a solicitation for a next-generation “Miles-like” system that will replace current training simulators that allow Infantry Marines to train more realistically by being able to engage each [Read More…]
A Twitter user has recently posted a video apparently showing members of the Syrian rebel group Tahrir al-Sham firing a Chinese W85 copy of the Soviet 12.7x108mm DShK heavy machine gun from a short mount that is somehow clamped to the back seat of a common motorcycle. The video only lasts a few [Read More…]
The US Army has announced a decision to field the M17 MHS as a sidearm to more soldiers than were previously issued M9 handguns. Where previously only senior leadership were authorized to carry handguns, with the new M17 and M18 Modular Handgun System squad and team [Read More…]
A recent propaganda film put out by the al-Rahman Corps (a rebel group currently fighting in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus) showcases an entire industry of craft produced and almost semi-industrial small arms and light weapons production facility. Most of what is [Read More…]
Bare gel: Penetration: 13.2″, 13.8″ Retained weight: 177.0gr, 175.2gr Max expansion: 0.741″, 0.721″ Min expansion: 0.540″, 0.504″ Buy it at Ventura Munitions. We shoot Fiocchi .357mag 125gr XTP ammunition from a S&W Model 13L with a 4″ barrel and a Rossi [Read More…]
Mortal combat has been the cause of study for military historians since the Greek teacher Herodotus. But what it is like being on a two-way shooting range? What sorts of thoughts and emotions are experienced by those who participate as Infantrymen or Law Enforcement? Myself and a friend of mine sat [Read More…]
You’ve heard the old saying “everything old is new again”. Well, that applies to the tried and true Remington 870 shotgun. The 870 is probably the most popular police shotgun ever. Remington has given the 870 a facelift with several new magazine fed [Read More…]
Whatever the next infantry small arms configuration is, I hope it does away with the failure that is the belt-fed Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). Why? Let’s talk about it. On the surface, the idea of augmenting the firepower of a rifle squad with a belt-fed machine [Read More…]
The Czech Republic are to purchase over 100 general purpose machine guns from FN Herstal. The Czech Army has agreed a deal to procure FN’s version of the Minimi light machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm. In a contract notice published on 22 November, the Czech [Read More…]