#Ar

The United States Secret Service has put out a request for a new rifle, as listed on this Federal Government business solicitation page, and as reported by Soldier Systems Daily. I recommend reading both as they have different sets of information. There will be a conference in DC on April 4th for any companies/parties that are interested in participating in the competition. Essentially they want a 34 inch, folding stock, 5.56x45mm rifle for their agents. Soldier Systems Daily reported that this is probably going to be an upgrade from the Services current MP5s (which they also have full length M4s, interestingly enough, most of their uniformed side uses them). They also want it to last 20,000 rounds, and 10 years in service, in addition to 10,000 such rifles. According to their website, they have 4,500 agents, so this contract will give them roughly twice the number of rifles that it would take to equip every single agent they have on staff. Of course, some of these agents probably won’t be issued this depending on their jobs, but it still seems like that is a large amount of rifles for the amount of agents they have, also factoring in guns going down for repair or replacement. They also mentioned that it could either be a direct gas impingement, or a piston operated gun, so it looks like they are looking for some sort of full auto AR15 platform as well. Interestingly there is nothing about magazine capacity, apart from the height which would limit it to maybe a 30 round STANAG magazine. The need for a 5.56x45mm round might be from the increasing threat of assailants with body armor that could stop the current 9x19mm MP5s that they are issued.

Odds are good you have an AR-15 – or two, or three – in your gun safe. One of the great things about the popularity of the AR-15 is the not only the number of options out there for purchasing the gun itself but the phenomenal number of after-market parts. You certainly have options when it comes to after-market additions to your AR and when it comes to stocks those options are practically endless. But can your stocks do what the new FAB Defense stock does?F

Debris testing has been done to death. Here at TFB, we’ve covered mud and sand tests conducted by  InRange TV, Guns & Ammo TV, and the Military Arms Channel on everything from the AK,  AR-15 to the Vz. 58. So what about ice, instead?

ERGO Grips is giving away a custom AR-15 at their SHOT Show booth. The rifle is worth $2,500 and includes components from Viking Armament, LANTAC USA, Vortex Optics and of course ERGO Grip. It is a fine looking firearm.

Windham Weaponry has entered a product onto the market, that is a reintroduction of a product that came out around eight years ago or so. It is also an expansion of their MCS1 upper receiver kits. The MGI Hydra was a proof of concept rifle that by changing out the bolt carrier, barrel, and magazine well, a shooter could switch from a number of calibers, from 5.56×45, 7.62×39, 9mm, and .45 ACP within literally minutes, by pulling out on a knob on the handguard, switching bolts, and then clicking in a new magazine well for the intended cartridge, with different adaptors for AK, Glock, AR15, and M3 Grease Gun magazines. There were a number of different versions as well, some in pistol form, and in more calibers. The product didn’t gain massive support, but it appears that Windham Weaponry feels that the company can make it work this time around, just in time for SHOT. They’ve added .300 BLK to the caliber availability and have expanded the types of packages that a customer can buy the conversion system in. The basic package comes with a 5.56x45mm and a .300 BLK barrel, that goes for $1738, called the RMCS-2. The RMCS-3 comes with a 5.56x45mm, .300 BLK, and 7.62x39mm barrel and goes for $2391. The RMCS-4 has all the above calibers, in addition to 9mm, and is going for $2971. All of these kits have the complete rifle in them.

Wilson Combat announced a new AR-style pistol called the ARP Tactical Pistol. ARP stands for AR Pistol.

A company by the name of Dahmer Arms has announced on their webpage that they will be making a limited lot of 10 AR lower receivers out of Damascus Steel. Each receiver will be billed at 5,000 dollars, a hefty toll for a one of a kind production item. They say that they will be ready in the Fall this year. The company is mostly centered around producing Damascus Steel 1911 grips, in addition to various other configurations of metal 1911 grips. This will be their first attempt at producing a Damascus Steel lower receiver.

Newcomer to the firearms industry (though with established success with Crossbows), TriggerTech has announced the release of “The Zero Creep” AR trigger. The new trigger promises to have “1911 Single-Action” performance in a non-linear trigger pull.

Andrew writes …

It’s almost Christmas and if you’re looking for a gift for a shooter – or a little something for yourself – take a look at the new optics from Aimpoint. The new line is made up of Micro T-2 and Micro H-2. The new optics are designed to be mounted quickly and easily. Aimpoint is marketing them as “AR-ready.”

A report by Janes Defense has highlighted the purchase of 24 additional 5.56x45mm HK416A5 rifles and four 7.62x51mm G28 (HK417) rifles by Portugal for their Rapid Reaction Brigade (SOF). This is in addition to 18 rifles in November of 2014, and 22 HK416s in February of this year. This recent purchase brings the total amount of HK416s to 64 that have been reported to the media, or essentially enough for a reinforced platoon. Now, seeing that these purchases are more or less in sets of 20, I’m assuming that each batch is going to a separate and new team of their SOF, with each team retiring the service rifles they had before, at the rate that they are going with now. The rifles come equipped with a number of goodies, to include bipods, PMags, Aimpoints, AN/PEQ 16s, suppressors with Manta M700 shrouds, and the picture appears to have a high power optic with Accuracy International scope caps (not sure if these are made by AI, because I’ve seen Schmitt & Bender scopes with AI adjustment caps). Barrel lengths are ranging from 14.5 inch barrels for some batches and 16.5 for others. It is interesting to see a number of features on their weapon systems that imitate some American tendencies. Such as the PEQ16s, zip tieing their attachments, and their choice in accessories.

Meprolight has just won a contract to supply the Israeli Defense Forces with the Mepro M5 Reflex sight for the next several years. It appears that this is going to be a whole issue, because it seems that many IDF units have a number of pieces of equipment going on, from Galils, to Tavors, and M4s, to Elbits, ACOGs, Eotechs, and Meprolights already in service. The sight takes a single AA battery, which I would assume will be much more appreciated than the 123 volt batteries that some military equipment comes standard with. In addition it is GEN II and Gen III NVG compatible which will also be great for the IDF because I don’t think they have jumped on the whole AN/PEQ 1/15/16 bit of usage that has engulfed the U.S. Military. It also appears to have one of the largest focal apertures of many optical sights around. Compared to the Eotech for instance. The IDF probably likes this alot because of the large amount of operations and fighting that goes on in extreme close quarters and built up areas. It also has a low battery indicator which seems kind of neat as well, something that other sights don’t usually have. But in the mean time, we shall see how well this mass issue fares.

Dustin Ellermann recently conducted a simple test in which he shot various firearms of varying calibers through a chronograph with and without suppressors on each, in order to test their velocity. The overall findings are that, yes suppressors will increase the velocity of a round, with the exception of the .223 in his specific test, mostly with an average of by 18 Feet Per Second (excluding .223). I’m no ballistics guru by any means, but I would just be curious as to what the chronograph is calibrated to and how accurate it is. Because those figures are pretty minute in the overall scheme of velocity, so in the end, does this really matter when it comes to point of impact? I do know, working with 7.62 M40A5s and M110 SASSs in a Marine sniper platoon, that it was common knowledge that two factors would raise the point of impact- a suppressor mounted, or higher temperatures in the weather from previous shooting. So if we started shooting on a cold morning, and continued shooting throughout the day when it would get hotter, our point of impacts would rise. However, these changes weren’t evident until ranges of perhaps 400 yards and beyond. So that makes a large difference with precision rifles out past 400, but most shooting in general is done at probably 300 and in, of firearms of all calibers. So whether or not this will affect your shot at 150 meters while deer hunting, it probably won’t. Either way, good tidbit of knowledge.

So a strapping young lad that goes by the username of MyDifferentUserName on Youtube, has over the years come out with over a hundred different LEGO 1:1 scale reproductions that have controls that function, but don’t actually propel a LEGO projectile or similar object like some other LEGO 1:1 scale productions. LEGO creations are nothing new on the Youtube or internet scene, but I don’t think anyone has made them to just the sheer quantity of this guy. Another interesting tidbit is the guy lives in the U.S. and has videos of going out and shooting “real steel” to borrow a phrase from the airsoft world. A certain amount of firearms replication occurs in places where it is harder or impossible to get ahold of actual firearms and thus people settle for their own creations, such as the .22 rifles in deactivated machine guns that we featured earlier, or the wooden replicas made by a teacher in the U.K. Regardless, this guy has everything from Lee Enfields, SCARs, Mini-guns, revolvers, the LSAT, break open shotguns, and much more, over 100 different firearms. Most of his inspiration seems to come from video games such as Counter-Strike, and Battlefield. But a few are historically inspired such as the Lee Enfield No.1. I can absolutely empathize with him on this point, because I myself built cardboard replicas of video game firearms when I was in elementary school, starting with models from video games, and later branching off into historical small arms. What I like about his videos that differentiate them from other LEGO firearm videos is that he goes in depth with each one, touching on history, operation, form and function.

Daniel Defense has released its highly anticipated 7.62mm rifle, the DD5V1. It features a 4-bolt mount for the front handguard that is integral to the upper receiver forging, and a cold-hammer-forged barrel.