#NATO

A trend towards ever more powerful and longer-ranged ammunition was cut short by the realities of the First World War: Technologies not previously invented or accounted for, such as the man-reaping machine gun and the portable infantry mortar, made the existing infantry tactics of long-range volley fire not just obsolete, but quaint. Further, new essential small arms projectile designs like tracers, armor piercing bullets, and exploding observation rounds demanded more space in the projectile envelope, putting the previously cutting-edge small-caliber 6.5mm rounds at a disadvantage. The advantages of these small-caliber rounds were virtually negated, too, by the advent in 1905 of the German S-Patrone, a flat-based, pointed projectile that was vastly more efficient in supersonic flight than previous round-nosed designs. Although French engineers preceded this design with the superior (and top secret) Balle D round, it was the German bullet that became the pattern for military rifle projectiles worldwide.

Håkan Spuhr, owner of Spuhr shared this on Facebook and Instagram and it’s worth considering:

As temperatures plunge below 30 degrees celsius, men and women from 11 different nations converge in Norway to learn how to fight in freezing conditions. Norway’s winter warriors show them how it’s done.

Fabryka Broni of Poland is eyeing more than just the 5.56mm market with its new MSBS rifle; the arms maker just announced a new, larger variant of the rifle chambered for the more powerful 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, called MSBS-7.62. Both assault and designated marksman rifle variants are planned, with the rifles reportedly being ready for showing in Fall of 2016 at the International Defense Industry Exhibition MSPO. Altair.com reports (below is a somewhat rocky machine translation of the original Polish, Polish readers should follow the link and read it in its original form):

The Czech government has made its first purchase of the new CZ 806 Bren 2 improved 5.56mm infantry rifles. The new weapons will complement the older 805 Bren model, while replacing it in production for the Army of The Czech Republic. Jane’s reports:

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 videos should know that burnout tests like this are not particularly safe; parts are liable to fail, rounds cooking off are a virtual guarantee, and they are – natrually – a fire hazard, as well. Having said that, Eric will do it so you don’t have to, so enjoy the video below:

Heckler & Koch has had an unusual relationship with the striker-fired handgun. The world’s first polymer-framed striker-fired production pistol, the VP70, was an H&K, and what many consider to be the company’s finest handgun ever, the P7, was also striker fired. However, aside from those two, Heckler & Koch had not produced any other striker-fired handguns, despite being one of the world’s major pistol design and manufacturing firms. Had, that is, until the summer of 2014, when the company released a brand new handgun, which harkened back to the aforementioned VP70 with the name VP9.

Broń i Amunicja posted to their Facebook page pictures of two of the early H&K prototypes that led to the G36, originally called “HK50”. The posts, and photos, are embedded below:

Poland is seeking to adopt a new sniper rifle as part of its modernization program. The new rifle, the tender for which was released earlier this week, will fire .338 Lapua Magnum and, with a conversion kit, 7.6x51mm NATO. Jane’s reports:

Previously, we looked at the Breda Model 39, an Italian rifle that competed against what would become the Beretta BM-59 in a bid to be the Italian military rifle of the 1950s and ’60s. TFB friend Trevor Weston sends along more photos of three Italian rifles that are not well known today. The first two are Beretta-made licensed-produced copies of the 7.62mm  SG 510-4 rifle, the more conventional one being the first Chilean contract rifle of 13,000 made by the company for that country. The other is a Beretta-made “improvement” of the 510, called the BL-62, with a combined buttstock and pistol grip.

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.

At this point, I’ve written relatively few articles about small arms design in general, due to my time going to a certain other writing project. However, small arms design and theory has always captivated me, since the beginning of my interest in firearms. Ian McCollum’s recent Forgotten Weapons video about the CMG-3 has really excited my interest, as the Colt machine gun design is a virtual incarnation of “best design practices”. The video, which includes disassembly and shooting segments, is embedded below:

The Imbel IA2, a 5.56mm caliber distant relative of the FAL which has been in development since 2008, has officially been standardized by the Brazilian Army.  From IHS Jane’s:

The woes continue for famed gunmaker Heckler & Koch. Apparently, the Bundeswehr’s procurement of the new HK121 7.62x51mm machine gun, designated MG5, has been delayed significantly, though the reasons why are vague.  DW.com reports:

Trevor Weston sends us more information on obscure Italian prototypes, this time two general purpose machine guns design by Breda. Trevor’s contact Vic Tuff writes: