#5.56

Winchester has just completed its first historic ammunition delivery for the United States Warfighter by means of shipments of both 5.56x45mm NATO and 50 BMG ammunition departing to various armed forces locations across the globe. The Lake City Ammunition Plant has been producing ammunition since 1941 and this first shipment is part of a 7-year contract with the United States Army that was awarded in 2019.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the largest Russian annual arms exhibition, ARMY, was not canceled and started as scheduled. During this exhibition,  Kalashnikov Concern introduced several new small arms products including a new LMG, a smart shotgun and the AK-19, a 5.56×45 rifle based on the AK-12.

Welcome everyone to the 43rd edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or does it only have Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Leapers have been teasing the pictures of this new AR-15 magazine for at least a year and apparently, it became available on their website at the beginning of the current year. This is a 30-round .223 Remington / 5.56x45mm NATO windowed magazine made of glass-reinforced polymer.

Hey, folks welcome back to another Featured Deals of the Week. One of these days Grammarly is going to stop assuming that “another Featured Deals” should be “another Featured Deal” or “other Featured deals”, but it is not this day. Without any further ado, let’s make our wallets cry.

Welcome back dear readers to another Featured Deals of the Week. I’m your host, Benjamin F, and this week’s theme is “the first post since SHOT”. Let’s dive right in.

In an effort to better respond to any acts of terrorism, the Australian Federal Police have selected Daniel Defense’s Mk18 short barreled rifles (SBR’s) for use in protecting Australian airports.  The Federal Police released the information as a press release to inform the public of why they may see officers patrolling with upgraded hardware.  They explained that there is not currently any elevated threat level, but that they are now better prepared in the event that an armed response is necessary in the form of Protection Operation Response Teams (PORT).

Welcome to the TFB Field Strip series. The AR-15 pattern of rifles hardly needs any introduction. While Eugene Stoner’s iconic design may sometimes be the focus of unwanted attention, this sometimes spurs a newly-acquired desire for people to learn more about it. Thus, I have put together this edition of field strip, looking at the AR-15. This is for the newbies, who will be starting from an experience level of zero – maybe having held one in a video game once, or not even having held one virtually.

The S2 Delta company recently released their 1-4×24 Carbine Scope. S2 Delta was already in the business of making rifle slings, but this was their first venture into rifle optics.  As the 1-4x implies, the S2 Delta scope is a low power variable optic (LPVO) that lets the user engage targets from several yards out to several hundred yards.  The optic’s reticle has a Bullet Drop Compensator (BDC) with quick reference points for windage.  The reticle is in the second focal plane to keep the reticle the same size no matter what power setting the scope is set to.  The 1-4×24 optic has a 30mm diameter tube that I paired with an Aero Precision Ultralight Scope Mount, courtesy of S2 Delta for the review. Let’s dig in.

Lage Manufacturing has been developing the MAX-11/15 upper receiver for several years. Earlier we talked about the progress of this project. Recently, they announced that this 5.56/223 upper receiver designed for M-11/9 submachine guns lower receivers is now available for purchase.

Over the last 6 months, I’ve run the Primary Weapons Systems as my main rifle and it’s been an interesting ride. When I first started looking at PWS line up of guns, I was really curious how the long stroke gas piston system worked so I ordered the MK116 MOD 2-M rifle. The rifle may look like an AR-15 but apart from looks, the gun is almost entirely different from your standard AR rifle.

TFB’s First Firearm Series is dedicated to those that haven’t yet taken the plunge into firearm ownership, or for the particular firearm at hand. So, if you’re looking at getting your first AR15, I hope we can ease any confusion you may have. The current market for the AR15 pattern rifle has heavy aftermarket support and affordable price ranges on rifles and accessories alike.

Thanks for tuning in to the last Gun Deals of the year folks, have a Happy New Year!

In part 1 of this review of Fort Scott Munitions’ TUI (Tumble upon impact) Solid copper spun (brass in the case of the 5.56) ammunition, we took a look at their short range offerings in 9mm and .300 Blackout.  To reiterate:  These rounds are designed to tumble upon impact with soft tissue and create wound trauma via hydrostatic shock while retaining over 95% of the original weight of the projectile.  While the .300 Blackout and 9mm offerings performed well, Fort Scott also sent me some 5.56 and .308 cartridges to try out.

It’s almost become commonplace to hear a story about a 300 Blackout round finding its way into a 5.56 AR pattern rifle (or vise versa).  It seems like this stories have become almost routine to hear among AR enthusiasts, a group that often owns both calibers. Now as most of you already know, this is an easy mistake to make.  Both rounds were designed to use the same magazine, making it easy to slip in the wrong round when you’re not looking.