#Seals

A confidential source at Dam Neck Naval Base has recently shared photographs of the newest addition to the armory of the infamous direct action element within SEAL Team Six. Due to urgent operational requirements to work covertly in extremely hostile environments, DEVGRU (known for the OBL raid) recently had a rush purchase of what would appear to the naked eye as a craft produced shotgun. Apparently, this is exactly what the secretive force had in mind in order to clandestinely approach a target location and be able to have a breaching solution that wouldn’t alert civilians in the vicinity to the true nature of the mission. From what we know, it appears that any sighting of the force in the open would be more akin to a local gang collecting hashish revenue than an actual JSOC component in the wild.

Arms of the 80’s, a blog that focuses on firearms advertising from the 1980s, has uploaded and shared a fascinating documentary made in the 1990s. The Stoner Machine Gun: A Navy Seal Remembers, features an interview with retired SEAL  Lt. Cmdr. Michael J. Walsh.

Alliant Techsystems’ (ATK) spinoff company Vista Outdoor has won a contract worth $52 million for Mk. 311 Mod 3 frangible ammunition to supply the US Army, with a completion date of June 22, 2022, according to the June Department of Defense contracts press release. The contract is likely for 100 million rounds of ammunition or more, which will probably be used mostly for training at ranges with limited backstops.

The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is seeking something a little smaller than its existing M4A1 and Mk.18 carbines: The command just released a request for information (RFI) to the industry seeking proposals for conversion kits for M4A1 Carbine receivers that turn the weapons into sub-6lb, sub-26″ .300 Blackout caliber weapons. The RFI was released on March 9th, and submitting companies have until 3 PM Eastern on April 10th to respond. The RFI’s requirements read:

The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has revised its solicitation for the Suppressor Upper Receiver Ground (SURG) program ( via FBO.gov). The SURG program is intended to provide an upper receiver for the M4A1 Carbine which would be designed for continuous suppressed use. Last year, SOCOM released the initial solicitation, but some of the original requirements were apparently too difficult for the industry to meet. The new SURG requirements are supposedly more in-line with the industry’s capabilities at the moment, which means we might be able to expect a new SURG upper receiver to be selected in the near future.

Axelson Tactical, a family company created in honor of fallen Navy SEAL Matt Axelson in Operation Redwing (as memorilized in Lone Survivor) is auctioning off a tribute rifle in honor of fellow fallen SEAL, Danny Dietz. Only 100 of the rifles will be created by Axelson, serial numbers Dietz01 – Dietz99.

Today knowledge of Operation Red Wings is fairly widespread as a result of the movie Lone Survivor, which followed on the heels of the book by the same name. Of course, many movie-goers did not and still do not realize they were watching a tragic story play out that was not manufactured by Hollywood but actually took place in the shale-strewn mountains of the Hindu Kush. It’s been a decade since those four Navy SEALs were inserted into Afghanistan’s Kunar Province, a decade since Lieutenant Michael Murphy, Petty Officer Second Class Danny Dietz, and Petty Officer Second Class Matt Axelson lost their lives in a ferocious fight to the death against known terrorists. A decade since the one survivor, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Marcus Luttrell, fell down a mountain, crawled to a stream, and was quite literally saved by a Pashtun by the name of Gulab. Ten years later, families continue to mourn the loss of their husbands, brothers, and sons. But in the case of the family of SEAL Matt Axelson, they’ve found a way to help his memory live on by founding Axelson Tactical.

BLACKHAWK! was founded more than two decades ago, but the idea for its existence started a little earlier, in 1990. At that time, the company’s founder, who was a Navy SEAL, was attempting to cross a minefield, and his pack failed. As the story goes, he watched his gear fall from the useless pack and vowed to one day make his own truly durable, reliable equipment – should he get out alive, of course. He did, and made good on his vow, founding BLACKHAWK! which has gained an undeniably solid reputation in the industry for everything from packs to holsters to boots.

If you previously watched on how water can deflect bullets in the D-Day post last week, one should know that merely a few feet of water is enough to slow a conventional bullet down from lethal to an annoying bump. As such, its an interesting question on how divers can engage in projectile-based combat.

It’s been just over two years since the day former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle was shot and killed by a man he’d been working to help. To honor his memory, Weatherby will be donating engraved Chris Kyle Memorial firearms to this weekend’s Sporting Clays Shoot in Fort Worth, Texas. The shoot is part of the annual Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit and Auction and is being hosted by Bass Pro. In addition to the commemorative firearms being donated for the event Weatherby is also awarding their Vanguard Sporter in .257 WBY Mag to the shoot’s High Point Veteran. Hooyah to Weatherby, Bass Pro, and all those involved for taking part in honoring service members through the annual benefit and donations.

I am absolute awe of the tenacity and never-give-up attitude of Special Forces. Adding to the litany of reasons that I am grateful that rough men stand at the door is the story of SEAL Senior Chief Mike Day, who cleared a room of four combatants after taking multiple hits in plates, limbs, and extremities. After clearing the structure, he walked out.

Act Of Valor is a fictional movie, due to hit theaters next year, about a team of US Navy SEALs on a mission to rescue a kidnapped CIA operative. Apparently some of the actors are themselves active duty US Navy Seals. The trailer looks pretty good.

From the WHQ Forum …