#Radom

Who doesn’t like Krinkovs? Especially ones made by a reputable company like the Polish Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” – Radom. At SHOT Show 2020,  Arms of America announced that they will start importing FB Radom Mini Beryl pistols chambered in .223 Remington / 5.56x45mm NATO and .22LR. Let’s take a closer look.

It has been reported that Pioneer Arms Corp are working on an AR-15. The Polish defence publication, Milmag, recently reported that Poland’s Pioneer Arms Corp have unveiled prototypes of what will be their next product line.

Previously on TFB we covered the 26,000 Beryl rifle order by the active component of the Polish Land Forces. That May 2016 contract was at the time the largest acquisitions order in recent Łucznik-Radom history, but this confirmed order of 53,400 5.56x45mm NATO 96C Beryl rifles and 3,800 wz. 96C Mini-Beryl carbines doubles the contract size of the earlier 26,000 rifles for the active component. Details from Polish Defense site Defense24 specify the contract valued at PLN 350 million for this particular order. However, there is more to come, with the planned overall contract of 86,000 rifles (including the aforementioned 57,200) to possibly include the MSBS modular infantry rifle ( Or not, as Nathaniel F. points out). There hasn’t been a specification as to what optics these wz. 96Cs will be issued with.

If you’re in London please take time to visit one of the Imperial War Museums.

The Polish magazine Bron Amunicia TAC has recently made light of Fabryka Broni releasing both a 7.62x39mm version of the MSBS at the International Defense Industry Exhibition MSPO in Poland, and a STANAG compatible 5.56x45mm magazine (separate from the exhibition). Having a 7.62x39mm model or conversion has always been of interest since the early 2000s among a number of firearms manufacturers. It originates from a civilian market that wants to make use of the 7.62x39mm round in firearms other than the AK, in addition to a number of military groups that see potential in the round being used for a battlefield pick up, or allowing the ability of forces to convert their existing battle rifles to fire the enemies ammunition. Of course, this scenario is really only forceable with SF types that encounter enemy munitions, and not your line companies that would probably only be around significant enemy ammunition during a siege or similar situation.

Do you like history? Do you like Poland? Do you sing the lyrics to “40:1” in the shower when no one’s around? Then boy have I got a treat for you! At the 2016 National Rifle Association Annual Meeting, there were more than just companies showing off their wares; there was an entire section for collectors, as well. One of the booths that caught my eye (you’ll see exactly why in a minute) was that of the Virginia Gun Collectors Association, which was showing off the largest Radom Vis pistol collection in the United States:

The Polish government is expected to have signed a contract Wednesday for the first MSBS rifles, specifically for the MSBS-R variant, which will replace the venerable Russian SKS rifle in ceremonial/guard units. The MSBS-R will be the first indigenous design to be adopted by the Polish honor guards ever, and if adopted by the regular Army, and, if adopted for general issue, the first in the Polish general army, as well. From Altair.com:

At the day before Industry Day at the Range, we swung by the Radom booth and were charmed by this little pistol fresh from Poland. Disassembly is easy, the pistol feels nice in the hand, and they are now pending ATF approval for importation.

At the Radom booth at SHOT 2016, we got a glimpse at a wonderful offering that will soon be imported to the United States in pistol form. This neat little gun fires 9mm from a closed bolt, and features an Uzi-style quick change barrel, collapsible stock, great sights, and varying magazine capacities.

The Polish National Police is in the business of updating their armory with Walter P99s produced under license through Radom, the largest Polish arms company. The pistols even have “Walter” on the parts. Apparently the competition came down to the number of years the companies were willing to guarantee/service their handguns.

The Small Arms Defense Journal website have published an article written by Leszek Erenfeicht describing the history and function of the MSBS Radon rifle, one of the major dark horses of 21st Century rifle designs. The Radon was designed from a clean sheet, ignoring previous Polish developments and attempting to draw from the best industry knowledge available. The rifle began as a collation of “good ideas” and was refined through hard work by the folks at Radon into something very much its own:

Larry Vickers’ TacTV YouTube channel has updated with an excellent series of videos on the major full-size service pistols used by the German Wehrmacht in World War II. The videos include both an overview of the handguns’ histories, as well as timed shooting trials with each. Larry’s claim, early in the first video, that viewers will learn something certainly held true for me:

I had seen the Fabryka Broni Łucznik (Radom) BRS-99 Tactical SBR on display at SHOT Show in past years, but this year was my first opportunity to actually shoot it. For those of you not familiar with it, the BRS-99 is the semi-automatic version of the Polish PM-06 submachine gun. It is an improved version of the PM-98 submachine gun, which in turn is an improvement of the PM-84, which was first adopted by the Polish military in 1984.

Polish company Radom, maker of Beryl AK-type rifles, was demoing their MSBS rifle on the firing line at Industry Day. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, they were having difficulty finding ammunition that was compatible, and were not allowing folks to shoot either example.

Being a writer in the industry, we get bombarded with videos, pictures, and media on a daily basis. Sometimes, something just stands out by virtue of the filming, weapon system, production value, or a combination of the three.