At the 2017 Association of the United States Army annual meeting, Oberndorf gunmaker Heckler & Koch had on display the latest configuration of their CSASS winning rifle, the G28E-based M110A1. The rifle is similar to the M110A1 displayed at the 2017 SHOT Show in Las [Read More…]
At this year’s IPAS 2017 held in Tehran, the Iranian state owned Defense Industries Organization unveiled a new anti-material rifle based on the U.S. produced .50 BMG M82 Barrett anti-material rifle. Similar to the U.S. version, the Iranian production variant is [Read More…]
The HK433 family is going full power, Heckler & Koch told TFB at the 2017 Association of the United States Army annual meeting. When speaking to representatives of the company about their new rifle which was being shown off in the USA for the first time, I asked the [Read More…]
What was most telling about Iran’s Defense Industries Organization’s display at this years IPAS 2017 was what was not present at the show. Previously we’ve reported on Iran’s attempt at an AR15 copy (currently in service with some units, in a [Read More…]
In an ongoing national conference where the top Indian Army generals are convening to discuss issues and ways to improve the military, one of the top issues is small arms program reform, especially in regards to the 5.56x45mm INSAS infantry rifle currently in use by [Read More…]
Marcolmar makes semi-automatic, legal copies of the Czech Uk.59, and similar copies of the Soviet PKM General Purpose Machine Gun. So why not clone the two together and bring the resulting creation into the 21st Century, with polymer furniture, an updated design, and Picatinny rails? Meet the UKM, [Read More…]
The Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte announced on 11 October that Russia would donate a substantial amount of defence hardware in support of the Philippine military’s fight against pro-Islamic State militants that have occupied city of Marawi since May. [Read More…]
Recent images have emerged of the Pakistani Special Service Group (SSG), the countries Naval Special Operations component, with New Hampshire based Sig Sauer, Inc. 5.56x45mm NATO SIG 516PDW carbines with 7.5 inch barrels, along with Steiner DBAL I2 ATPIALs mounted [Read More…]
In the recent battle of Hawija, in northern Iraq, Iraqi security forces and Paramilitary forces lost two marksmen in the fight against the so-called Islamic State. Both of these snipers were very effective in the counter insurgency war that Iraq has been waging for [Read More…]
The Turkish national law enforcement special response teams (Police Special Operations Department, Polis Özel Harekât Dairesi) have recently adopted Accuracy International’s .50 BMG AX50 anti-material rifle according to Aybars, a Turkish defense analyst on [Read More…]
This guest post has been submitted to TFB on behalf of Marawan M, an Egyptian firearms designer currently working in Turkey for a civilian Turkish firearms company. Recently he visited the Istanbul Military Museum and wrote up a summary of his visit along with [Read More…]
On the 5th of October, China and the Philippines held a handover ceremony for 3,000 rifles in Manilla. China has donated another 3,000 rifles to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines in an effort to aid the countries war on drugs and terrorism. The Norinco [Read More…]
According to a recent announcement by Mil Mag on the Polish defense magazine’s Facebook page, the semi-automatic version of the recently adopted (and recently renamed Grot) MSBS rifle by the Polish Land Forces (53,000 rifles for the Territorial Reserves) was [Read More…]
Polish small arms company Wytwornia Broni Popinski (Popinski’s Weapon Manufacturing), has brought to market a short barrel (10.2 inch barrel, compared to the 16.3 inch full length Jack from WBP) Kalashnikov chambered in 7.62x39mm, called the “Mini [Read More…]
While at the DSEI defense exposition in London, the Ukrainian/British company showcased an update to their flagship rifle (introduced in October 2016), the .300 WSM bolt action STL-016. Mainly, the replacement of the wooden stock with a polymer Archangel OPFOR [Read More…]
The current US administration is looking to release many of the restrictions on weapons exports, according to a recent article at Reuters. Currently, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) limit the ability for US arms companies to sell weapons overseas. [Read More…]
Fortunately night vision has come a very long way in terms of thermal and Infrared optics choices that today’s grunts have. However, once upon a time, 6 pound passive starlight PVS 2s were considered state of the art when it came to the capabilities of U.S. troops fighting at night. The scope [Read More…]
Irfan Z. is a long time friend of TFB, and has contributed tips about various subjects, particularly within Southeast Asia. This is his first guest post entirely written by him, for TFB. Malaysia has just completed Independence Day 2017 celebrations and just like every [Read More…]
Alton C. is a guest writer for TFB and has contributed a number of articles in the past. The HK G3 is still soldiering in active service on more than fifty years after its introduction, but its ergonomics requires updating in the modern age. The long length-of- pull is [Read More…]
John S. is a guest writer who is concentrating on the subject of body armor. This is his second article on TFB, his first one being For simplicity sake, I’m not going to go too in depth as it can be rather confusing. This also isn’t a blanket guide, different [Read More…]
John S. is a guest writer who is concentrating on the subject of body armor. This is his first article on TFB. We get it, body armor is a complicated subject. There are many kinds of materials, with their own distinct advantages, disadvantages, and properties. Then [Read More…]
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has just released a version of their Ruger American Rifle Ranch Model chambered in 7.62x39mm. The rifle is also designed to accept Ruger Mini Thirty magazines of varying capacities. Shipped with the rifle is a 5 round magazine, but [Read More…]
A recent news report in Arabic has highlighted the efforts of opposition forces in Yemen to emplace IEDs within Kalashnikov magazines, just above the floor plates of the magazines themselves. The magazines have several rounds loaded, around 4-8 to be precise. The [Read More…]
Competing elements of the Ukrainian Special Operations Command came together recently to participate in a skill of arms testing precision rifle capabilities, teamwork, handgun marksmanship, care under fire, among numerous other skill sets often required by sniper teams [Read More…]
A Bulgarian investigative journalist by the name of Dilyana Gaytandzhiev has published an article vigorously detailing the activities of the Azerbaijani state run airline Silk Way in providing arms shipments across the MENA region and Africa in the airlines diplomatic [Read More…]
Taiwan’s 205th Armory small arms design bureau has unveiled a 7.62x51mm NATO Designated Marksman’s rifle at the 2017 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition as evidenced by the Sohu news agency. Designated the XT107, it is a 7.62x51mm NATO [Read More…]
Lobaev Arms is a precision rifle company that produces high power precision rifles in calibers ranging from 6.5mm to .408 Chay Tac. The company is mostly focused on the civilian competition market, although the founder said in an interview to the Russian press that [Read More…]
Essentially Yugoslavian 7.62x39mm M70B1 rifles, the Tabuk series of small arms were produced in Iraq, with the help of Yugoslavian engineers in the late 1970s, just in time for the Iran-Iraq conflict that endured for an agonizing decade afterward. There were different iterations of the Tabuk, the [Read More…]
The NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico has long been established as one of the premier shooting locations within the United States. With everything from skeet, trap ranges to thousand yard and silhouette ranges, the center is truly an all encompassing [Read More…]
Kalashnikov Concern’s subsidiary Zala Aero Group has released a counter UAV device named the REX-1. The handheld device is designed to target a UAV/drone’s emergency land function, forcing it to land from a hovering position. Very importantly, it is [Read More…]