Brownells, once the unquestioned leader in the retro AR space, is beefing up their lineup once again. These three new retro uppers add a newer twist to the range. Let’s break them down. More Retro Guns @ TFB: [SHOT 2023] The Carry Handle Corner: Retro And Clone [Read More…]
Ergo Grips has some new and new/old handguards and grips for the AR-15. Ergo was one of the original makers of AR upgrade parts. This latest batch of offerings refreshes some of their classic designs for the modern day. More Retro Gun Articles @ TFB: [SHOT 2023] The [Read More…]
Hi-Lux Optics offers a full range of optics for firearms, including a large selection of reproduction scopes for vintage rifles in their Malcolm lineup. One of the most interesting is the USMC 8x Gen II which is a modern take on the classic Unertl target scope. [Read More…]
Perhaps no modern trend is as polarizing as the resurgence of the carry handle equipped AR-15s. Love them or hate them there were many of them on the show floor at SHOT 2023. Last year my Retro Roundup featured mostly AR-related items. This year there were so many new [Read More…]
One of my favorite stories to write each SHOT is a summary of all things throwback. The Retro Roundup gives me an excuse to snoop around the show looking for anything new in the world of the old. This year’s offerings were so plentiful that I split the article [Read More…]
![[SHOT 2023] New XM177 From Windham Weaponry](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20230117_095746-660x260.jpg)
Windham Weaponry continues to add new rifles to its lineup, including an XM177 variant. The XM177 family was one of the first AR-style carbines to enter wide use. Several variants were used, including the XM177E2 and GAU5/A. Most original versions featured a ~4″ [Read More…]
![[SHOT 2023] WA 2000 And FG-42 Reproductions You Can Afford: Rhineland Arms R2000 And FG-9](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20230119_113231-660x260.jpg)
Rhineland Arms had some very unique guns on display at their SHOT Show booth. They had two replicas of legendary designs (WA 2000 And FG-42) that are far more accessible than the originals. [SHOT 2023] WA 2000 And FG-42 Reproductions You Can Afford: Rhineland Arms [Read More…]
The carry handle. Love it or hate it, it’s an iconic feature of the AR-15. In recent years there has been a resurgence in their popularity. Unfortunately, this has led to some misunderstandings and incorrect advertising. So let’s take a look at the common [Read More…]
OEM parts supplier Unbranded AR has released a new stripped lower receiver with throwback markings. Nothing ruins a good carry handle build like a rollmark with the wrong vibes, but this one will blend right in. AR Lower Receivers @ TFB: JP Rifles’ ASF-20 [Read More…]
![[SHOT 2022] The Retro Roundup](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Windham-2-660x260.jpg)
[SHOT 2022] The Retro Roundup Retro guns have been undergoing a renaissance lately, with an increasing number of manufacturers offering firearms that appeal to more classic tastes. Many SHOT Show 2022 vendors displayed wares of interest for the carry handle gang or [Read More…]
NEW GLOCK DAY! In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves meets with the gang at Lipsey’s to talk about their exclusive, retro, throwback Gen 1 Glock 17, the Glock 17 P80. The P80 is a faithful replication of the original Gen 1 Glock 17 that has been thoughtfully planned out, down to a [Read More…]
Brownells have released California compliant versions of their Retro family of reproduction rifles. As you know, these rifles have a lot of “scary” features such as pistol grips and flash hiders, however, deleting these features or replacing them with [Read More…]
Would you believe I wrote 1/17/19, corrected it to 1/1/7/20, and only after typing up most of this article I realized it was wrong? Well, it doesn’t really matter. Here’s some deals to drain your wallet. Colt M16A1 Parts Kit w/ Triangle Handguard – [Read More…]
Brownells had the most announcements of anyone I visited here at SHOT SHOW. It took me most of one morning just gathering the info on their SHOT SHOW releases. They are heavy on their RETRO line, which I think is pretty cool. I am finally old enough to appreciate it. [Read More…]
We recently wrote about Enhanced Tactical Arms with their new grip design at SHOT 2018. But during the show, we were able to get a behind the scenes look at the small companies efforts to replicate the developmental history of the M4 carbine from the early beginnings [Read More…]
Earlier, we have reported about the Brownells’ launch of retro M16A1 build components. The recently released videos by Chris Bartocci of Small Arms Solution is a good followup to this subject. Let’s see what the former Colt employee and renown AR-15 expert [Read More…]
I’m not gonna lie, I am super excited to see more retro AR-15 parts like new production retro M16A1 furniture hit the market since M16A1 kits have become very hard to come across in good, complete condition and they often cost nearly as much as a complete rifle. [Read More…]
An employee of Yankee Hill Machine with a superior artistic hand and a flare for the retro dirt bike scene, used a customer’s Honda CR125 dirt bike as inspiration for this unique AR15 build. Besides the color and and decals, the builder used a Fox Air Shock for [Read More…]
Back in 2012, we mentioned a small outfit, Olongapo Outfitters, which was offering some unique wares for the day, molle compatible Garand clip pouches. Since then, they’ve done a bit of expansion, building up their retro-focused nylon empire to ensure that they [Read More…]
I’ve got a build that’s been percolating through my brain housing group for the last year. I’m not all about the whole “retro” scene but some of the old guns truly had the right idea. With the veritable plethora of tactical accessories on [Read More…]
While sifting through the news this last weekend I came across the terrible shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge but noticed something interesting about some of the responding officers. Several of the officers that responded to the shooting and those guarding the [Read More…]
With all the recent press on retro-styled AR rifle offerings by Colt, Troy and others, I thought it would be fitting to highlight one of the original (and most technically accurate) manufacturers of “clone” receivers and parts. Beginning in 2005, NoDak Spud, [Read More…]
At the 2016 SHOT Show, Troy introduced their first retro AR-15 replica, the Air Force’s GAU-5A/A Colt carbine as used by the Sơn Tây raiders in Operation Ivory Coast. Now, at the 2016 NRA Annual Meeting, Troy has introduced its US Army counterpart: The XM177E2 [Read More…]
Sometimes, it seems like few gun designers are willing to throw caution to the wind and try something truly new, and that even fewer financiers are willing to help those few designers achieve their vision. The Gyrojet family of weapons is perhaps an excellent example of [Read More…]
Old promotional videos and literature aren’t just entertaining for their nostalgic qualities, but also as important tools for the historian. Features being marketed in a video or pamphlet give the viewer decades later a marker for when those had been introduced, [Read More…]
Probably my favorite “retro” AR-15 build comes from ar15.com poster and master AR builder John Thomas, and isn’t a faithful representation of any actual historical AR-15 at all. Rather, it’s a “what-if?” that John calls the [Read More…]
Earlier this week, we blogged about an AR-15 that had seen half a century of service; a weapon originally made by General Motors between January of 1969 and the end of 1971. Recently, pictures were circulated on Facebook of a rifle even older than that firearm: A Colt [Read More…]
Retro AR-15s seem to appeal on more than just a level of nostalgia. Of course, ’80s action movies, Clancy novels, and other media featuring the early Black Rifles activate a certain nostalgic fondness, but aesthetically these first generation guns have much to [Read More…]
After the Ichord report of 1967 identified the early failures of the M16 rifle in combat, particularly failures to extract, solutions to the problem of fouling were investigated by Colt, as well as Rock Island Arsenal (a government entity), and Olin/Winchester. [Read More…]
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