The redheaded stepchild of the SCAR contract was Robinson Arms’ XCR, an interesting design from a small company in Salt Lake City, UT. A rifle that is part AR-15, part FNC, and part noodle, the XCR represents an attractive looking and interesting might-have been, [Read More…]
DRD Tactical previously came out with their break down 7.62x51mm Paratus rifle, and now they have a 5.56x45mm version. We featured the Aptus on TFB TV with Edward O if you want to give that a look. It should be coming to the U.S. civilian market in Spring of this year, [Read More…]
One of the most interesting firearms for me at the 2017 SHOT Show was Hill & Mac’s quasi-reproduction of the WWII-era StG-44 Sturmgewehr. We’ve covered this weapon twice before at trade shows, including SHOT 2016 and the NRA 2016 Annual Meeting, and I am [Read More…]
During SHOT Show 2017 Industry Day at the Range, I dropped by the IWI USA booth to see what they had for attendees to shoot. Besides their highly competitive Galil ACE 308, they had also brought the 5.56mm variant of the ACE, which is just now making it into the [Read More…]
Would you like to know what the future of silencer design looks like? Take a long look at the Brevis II Ultra, a six ounce 5.56mm centerfire rifle suppressor. It represents what we may later regard as one of the biggest breakthroughs firearms development in recent [Read More…]
I am not normally a fan of posting press release-type news, but I am a fan of both silencers and value. Yesterday, the team over at Silencer Shop forwarded me the specs on a new rifle suppressor from Yankee Hill Machine. Branded the ‘Turbo’, YHM has created [Read More…]
Recent experience in Afghanistan, coupled with concerns about the effectiveness of the M4 Carbine – and perhaps also just a general long-term swing of the pendulum – has spurred many to advocate for a new configuration of infantry weapon centered around [Read More…]
The Mk12 has been the SPR of choice for United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for more than a decade. SOF operators rely on the rifle for its precision and reliability, two key attributes that cannot be in question in combat. There are other important [Read More…]
In a post on AR15.com, a gunsmith going by the screen name “IronBalaclava” recounts being presented with the aftermath of a catastrophic failure. The customer was shooting three rifles that day: two chambered in 5.56 and one in .300BLK. The incident occurred [Read More…]
Information on this round and the weapons designed to fire it is scarce, so the details in this article may be at times incorrect. Just letting you know. -NF Before the SIG SG 550 was adopted by the Swiss Army as the Stgw. 90, there was another series of rifles, called [Read More…]
If any of you still had doubts about the HK416’s rumored win of the French AIF (Arme Individuelle du Futur – Future Individual Weapon) contract, doubt no more. The French DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement, their defense procurement office) has released [Read More…]
CruxOrd is introducing a new .22 lr to .223/5.56 muzzle brake that looks like it is going to do a wonderful job of not only reducing felt recoil, but also destroying the hearing of anyone you shoot with. I kid well… sort of. The new muzzle device features some [Read More…]
A military group requested a heat shield on the barrels to protect slings, cables and pouches. Since the Micro Gun is so short it would be easy to swing it and have it touch something. Here is what Empty Shell came up with. It looks slick.
What was the first military .22 caliber high velocity infantry rifle round ever developed? Many would name the 5.56mm round designed in the 1950s to that title, but that would be incorrect. In truth, it’s probably impossible to know for sure due to the large [Read More…]
Today I want to address something that has come up in small arms ammunition development several times in the past 150 years: The small caliber bullet problem. For the sake of this article, I’ll characterize this problem as a perceived trend recognized on several [Read More…]
We have been covering the US Army’s latest M855A1 and M80A1 “Enhanced Performance Rounds” (EPRs) here at TFB for the past few years. We’ve seen how in independent tests both M855A1 and M80A1 fragment early, thanks to their yaw-independent [Read More…]
We live in a world today that is completely inundated with AR-15 pattern rifles. In 2016, for just five Benjamins – sometimes even less! – you can purchase your very own fantactical black rifle and rely on it to work when you need to and shoot where you [Read More…]
@Empty_Shell_LLC and @Aeroknox have been posting progress pics of their 5.56 minigun project and their D12 bullpup shotgun project. Here is a video of a successful test fire. It is a burst of 5.56. Looks like 10-15 rounds. The first clip of the video is real [Read More…]
While I am sure that most would opt to select .223/5.56 NATO over .22LR for home defense, but I have heard the argument that .22 would be “better” for home defense since its reduced energy would mean that it would penetrate through fewer walls. On the flip [Read More…]
Back in March, I wrote a post on caliber configuration, or the effort to create and standardize effective and economical ammunition for infantry small arms. As mentioned in the post itself, it was written as a more in-depth companion article for a podcast recorded by [Read More…]
As I am sure many would attest, being “Mil Spec” does not necessarily mean that something will be the exact same between different manufacturers. Manufacturing methodologies, tolerance stack-ups, etc all contribute to variations of the same product. A prime [Read More…]
This post was written as a companion to an upcoming Gun Guy Radio podcast, hosted by Ryan Michad. The discussion below will be expanded upon in the show when it’s released later this month, but for now, read on to learn more about the past, present, and future of [Read More…]
The Rock River Arms PDS – Piston Driven System – may not be new, but this SBR certainly is. At the Rock River Arms booth at SHOT Show this year they showcased a few guns so new they had little information available beyond the caliber and length of barrel. [Read More…]
Hill & Mac Gunworks brought to the show their brand new rifle, the HMG Sturmgewehr, a reproduction of the famous German StG-44 assault rifle of World War II. The company bought prototypes of three different configurations of the new gun, the STG-N, a rifle, the [Read More…]
SIG Sauer featured a wide variety of firearms at their own range event the Monday that kicked off SHOT Show 2016. Among those guns was the SIG M400 Predator, a rifle that was originally debuted in 2013 but has now been upgraded. The SIG M400 Predator comes chambered in [Read More…]
Gun blogger superstar Eric of the Iraqveteran8888 YouTube channel is happy to once again get behind a rifle going cyclic until failure. This time, Eric’s victim is a Vepr 7.62×39 AK rifle made by Molot and modified by Copper Custom. Those who watch these [Read More…]
George Kellgren is certainly one of the most inventive small arms designers alive today, although his company Kel-Tec has unfortunately become known for their QC troubles and availability problems more than how inspired the designs are. The latest offering from Kel-Tec [Read More…]
The Finnish Commander of the Army has announced that the Nordic country will not be purchasing 5.56mm replacements for their existing 7.62x39mm caliber Rk. 62 rifles, but instead will seek to upgrade the venerable Kalashnikov-based Valmet. Altair.com reports (machine [Read More…]
Have you ever wanted a major piece of Armalite/Colt history? Then the rifle for you is up for auction at GunBroker: A low serial Colt 601, the first AR-15 variant manufactured at Colt. Still marked “Armalite”, this rifle’s serial number is 00059X: [Read More…]
The Stoner legacy goes beyond just the AR-15. Several firearms designed either by Stoner or based off his work continue to impress modern shooters at the range and in use. One very notable such weapon is the Stoner 63 LMG, the weapon Larry Vickers has taken to the range [Read More…]
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