The recent and hasty withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces from the country of Afghanistan has been somewhat of a controversy. Many say that the withdrawal of US forces was irresponsible while others are lauding the decision as a step towards a more peaceful [Read More…]
In the comments section of my recent Brief Thoughts article regarding caseless ammunition, there was a discussion about whether the cookoff issues of caseless would also be problem for LSAT-style polymer cased telescoped ammunition. Based on conversations I have had [Read More…]
Caseless: The ammunition designer’s holy grail, and the engineer’s worst nightmare. It would obsolete the cartridge case overnight, resulting in cheaper, lighter, and more compact ammunition. Weapons would be able to carry 50, 60, or more rounds in slim, [Read More…]
If we can make a round that is significantly better than the existing 5.56mm or 7.62mm ammunition, shouldn’t the military just bite the bullet and switch, to the benefit of the servicemen and women in harm’s way? What’s stopping the powers that be from [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…]
Naval Sea Warfare Center Crane (NSWC-Crane) has issued a pre-solicitation notice that it intends to purchase new optics for small arms. It is NSWC Crane’s intent to set requirements for three optical systems on small arms, the Miniature Aiming System – Day [Read More…]
Much of the recent discourse regarding the future of infantry combat has centered around the long engagement distances encountered during the Afghan campaign, and the rise of designated marksmen as key elements in the infantry squad. However, arguably more important [Read More…]
There is an interesting cultural element of worshipping weapons in India. It is called Shastra Puja or Ayudha Puja, which literally means weapon worship. It takes place during an Indian religious annual festival in September. The celebration is dedicated to the Goddess [Read More…]
The AR-15-style combined safety/selector thumb lever has become a hallmark of modern assault rifle and carbine design, proving to be an ergonomic and simple design for fire control management. However, it wasn’t always that way. The AR-15’s selector lever [Read More…]
Due to both tradition and treaty, space today is a realm of peace between nations (although firearms have been taken up). However, it wasn’t always clear that it would be. At the dawn of the Space Race, both the Americans and Russians sought to weaponize space [Read More…]
If the 5.7x28mm FN is the first successful modern PDW round, then the 4.6x30mm HK is the second, and its biggest rival. German firm Heckler and developed the microcaliber 4.6mm in the 1990s as a response to a NATO solicitation for a Personal Defense Weapon, to which [Read More…]
In a previous post about the sometimes ambiguous meaning of the word “caliber”, we discussed how the word had mutated through the centuries, picking up different definitions and connotations along the way. In that article, I wrote: So “caliber” has gone [Read More…]
Previously, we discussed different concepts for lightening the soldier’s load, including aluminum-, composite-cased and caseless ammunition. Today we’re going to look at the weight-reducing concept that many believe is the horse to bet on when it comes to [Read More…]
One of the problems of small arms ammunition is that of swept volume. That is, the most ballistically efficient projectiles are the longest and thinnest ones, which cut through the air more easily than squatter, fatter projectiles. Yet, the best projectiles from a [Read More…]
Earlier this week, Business Insider released an article written by Christian Lowe entitled “6 weapons the US military should bring back from the dead“ with a very self-evident, but interesting premise. However, the weapons (all firearms, oddly) that the [Read More…]
One of the primary focuses of my study of modern small arms has been that of their terminal effectiveness, i.e. their “lethality” or “wounding”, although neither of these latter terms are exactly correct. Over the past several years, I have [Read More…]
It would seem, at least according to Colt Canada, that the United States Marine Corps is a partner (with Canadian & British militaries) in the development of C7 and C8 rifle upgrades. The announcement came from Colt Canada’s General Manager Jeff Macleod at the [Read More…]
I normally try to keep the worlds of guns and games separate, but sometimes, when everybody’s talking about it… Matt of Historical Firearms and Othais of C&Rsenal both have taken a look at the new trailer for Battlefield 1, the cheekily named WWI era [Read More…]
In history of the humankind one can find a lots of various types of small arms. Almost all of them were designed by humans for humans. But the Earth dominate species has also designed and developed in its history a very, very small amount of extremely rare modern [Read More…]
The first new rifles in the prototype batch made by Sako in Finland have been issued to Canadian Rangers, and initial reports are positive. The rifle, which has been designated “C-19”, will replace the venerable but aging .303-caliber Lee-Enfield rifles [Read More…]
I, for one, lament the change of the charging handle from the inside the carry-handle position to the rear of the weapon. While it has made it convenient for railed uppers, it is nowhere near as ergonomic. Okay, now that I am off my high-horse, I would like to turn your [Read More…]
The use of antiques in combat is something that often is overlooked, as many find greater interest in more modern weapons. However, though these older weapons are as obsolete as they are antique, they are still relevant articles of war, and still certainly lethal. [Read More…]
Below is a picture of some spent brass from a recent TFB writers’ shoot. Over at The Firearm Blog’s Instagram and Twitter pages, we ask our readers: What gun did this brass come from? Here is the hint for our readers: The ammunition was designed and made in [Read More…]
The state of 3D printed guns continues to improve. Hognose of WeaponsMan.com covers some of the recent developments: As we have expected to happen for some time, and as the initial Cody Wilson “Liberator” first demonstrated, 3D-printed firearms made of common [Read More…]
In the world of fully automatic rifles here in the States, there is no question that the M16 reigns supreme. If you are fortunate enough to possess a legally registered M16 lower receiver the world is your oyster; You essentially have a full auto tinker toy that you can [Read More…]
High Tower Armory’s innovative HTA 90/22 stock is shipping in a few weeks. The stock includes everything needed to make a standard Ruger 10/22 into a P90-ish bullpup and comes in three flavors; black, olive drab, and flat dark earth. The converted 10/22 has a [Read More…]
After almost ten months I was finally able to obtain a Kel-Tec KSG shotgun last month. The KSG has been tremendously hard to purchase or obtain for writers. In fact for those that have checked prices they were selling for almost twice the MSRP of $880.00. In my view [Read More…]
Much like the rebels did in Libya, the Syrian rebels are turning workshops into improvised weapon factories. Al Jazeera reports … Unguided rockets fired at an airfield miles away would be quite ineffectual, but those anti-tank shaped charge mines look like they [Read More…]
The Para GI Expert is a well made entry level 1911. Nothing fancy here this is a working gun. It has all the desirable features to get the job done and that’s the most important consideration. There are more and more of these entry level pistols being offered from [Read More…]
[ This guest post was written by Charles Gaines ] The last ten years of the US Army’s history has seen a refocus on the infantry and Special Operations communities as the main arms of warfare that hasn’t been seen since Vietnam. This is due to the asymetric nature [Read More…]
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