#RumorMill

With the recent push for small arms ammunition with increased range, power and capability, are military customers in danger of being taken for a ride by industry marketeers working to sell rifles in new calibers? Is the primary driving force behind new infantry calibers not in fact a need to be addressed, but a desire to sell weapons in a stagnant small arms market?

We have just seen the cancellation of the Interim Combat Service Rifle, which gives me a good springboard to talk about marketing. Specifically, we will be discussing a kind of undercover word-of-mouth marketing that I’ve encountered a number of times over the years.

The new FBI Glock has been something of a mystery since the Austrian pistol was selected as the FBI’s next sidearm. Some photoshop generated renderings have been put together using the solicitation as a guide, while other Glock enthusiasts have carefully been combing through the requirements to determine what features may be included.