By Paul Evancoe Better is the enemy of good enough. While this statement remains valid for most everything that costs...

By David Jordan The Army is continuing its efforts to modernize the force and build towards the Army of 2030...

By Dan Shea Part of Military Systems Group’s CNC alley – a variety of high-quality machines with the capability of...

By Dan Shea In the 1970s-80s, there was a movement in the U.S. to create rifles in .50 BMG (12.7x99mm.)...

By Dan Shea For many years I’ve been involved in performing and chronicling MIL-SPEC testing for firearms. I’ve also been...

COLD STEEL, INC. 4 MAX Scout The 4 Max Scout features an extra wide, drop-point blade and stonewash finish, which...

HORNADY’S NEW 6mm CARTRIDGE Hornady® is proud to introduce the new 6mm ARC (Advanced Rifle Cartridge). Recently tested, selected and...

By Kristóf Nagy Introduction The Hungarian-developed and -produced 42M hand grenade and the later 42/48M variant became the primary weapon...

Cold War Conflicts and ‘Brushfire Wars’ 1970s–1980s By Robert Bruce In the course of decades of researching various sources including...

STEINEL AMMUNITION                            9mm Subcompact Carry Ammo The Steinel 9mm Subcompact Carry load is perfectly suitable for any 9mm, regardless of...

How Multiple Machine Gun Mounts Shaped Wars in Latin America By Julio A. Montes As they overflew the Swan Islands,...

The AlmaDK company comes from Kazakhstan and makes ammunition and tear gas grenades. AlmaDK offers a few non-lethal cartridges:• 9x18...

In the course of decades of research in various military and museum archives, Robert Bruce has acquired a treasure trove...

Computer-aided design, advanced metallurgy, polymer composites, material forming technology and propellant formulation enable today’s ammunition advances, and that subsequently drives...

The Toophan-3 is a recent addition to the family of anti-tank missiles that grew out of licensed TOW production in...

In the course of decades of research in various military and museum archives, Robert Bruce has acquired a treasure trove...

27-30 April 2020, Columbus, GA Advancing Combat Lethality Recently the influential and well-known NDIA Small Arms Symposium combined with some...

OSHKOSH DEFENSE JOINT LIGHT TACTICAL VEHICLE WITH REMOTE WEAPON STATION NORTHROP GRUMMAN–ARMAMENT SYSTEMS The Oshkosh JLTV with the KONGSBERG RWS...

ALIEN GEAR Rapid Force Duty Holster Alien Gear Holsters, the top-selling, award winning and most trusted American-made brand for civilian...

American soldiers in WWI—a few are wearing “experimental” helmets that were designed to provide better production than the British-design MK...

Main entrance to the Patriot Park exposition centre on what proved to be a wet and windy show for those...

Perhaps one of the more elusive Dragunov clones in recent small arms history, the 7.62x54mmR Al-Kadesiah precision rifle is one...

In the course of decades of research in various military and museum archives, Robert Bruce has acquired a treasure trove...

By Dan Shea June 21, 2019, in the Swiss Alps outside of Montreux: “Smoke on the Water” playing on the...

For a long time, there have been various rumors that IWI (Israeli Weapon Industries) is working on a new 5.56mm...

The VSS Vintorez and AS Val display at the Tula State Museum of Weapons. In the mid-1980s, the Soviet Union...

Have you have ever wondered how effective your barrel cleaning routine is? If so, then the Borecam™ Digital Borescope with...

The Tb 41 was a crew-serve weapon. Normally, it took seven men to set up the gun, but only one...

What comes to mind when you see the word MIL-SPEC listed in a product’s specs? It seems semi-slick marketing executives...

Ground forces have been using drones, also known as small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), for years, both in-theater and out....

Mistakes happen. Although one may try to minimize the chance of an error, human nature, miscommunication and plain ignorance can...

Christensen Arms has been awarded contract number 4400021290 by the State of South Carolina to produce a version of the...

Lead Nation and the 20th anniversary of the Armed Forces Exhibition. The Polish Armaments Group is MSPO's Strategic Partner. MSPO...

This article presents some S&T Motiv’s small arms at the trade fair for the Defense Industry, Defense Expo Korea, held...

By Major (Ret.) Walter Christian Håland Staff Sgt Shawn P. Linhares, a Sierra Vista, Arizona native, 25th Infantry Division, surveys...

Heading Toward the Future There are several companies that offer mobility platforms upon which manipulators are mounted or are gun...

The defense and sporting firearms communities are bombarded on a near daily basis with articles and advertisements promoting new “game...

The trend towards shrinking firearms into smaller and lighter packages is full steam ahead. The recently introduced SIG SAUER MPX...

Turkey has a longstanding tradition of manufacturing licensed models, then producing evolved domestic variants. The Canik series of handguns started...

Switzerland, long the neutral party of Europe with a deeply rooted gun culture, was recently confronted with a referendum to...

During World War II, the basic weapons of the U.S. infantryman were the rifle, light machine gun and fragmentation grenades....

On March 3, 2019, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unexpected statement while visiting the city of Amethi during his...

REAP-IR has a toggle switch on the right side for choosing between multitudes of options available with the Trijicon optic....

Thomas B. Nelson The name Thomas B. Nelson is synonymous with the small arms community of the last 60 years....

ABOVE: A representative from Kodiklatad Polytechnic demonstrates the Indonesian version of the “Corner Shot” device, here equipped with a Glock...

ABOVE: On the range with the Vityaz-SN and a Zenitco suppressor. A High Performance SMG Despite Growing Pains In 1993,...

The Smith Enterprises Vortex Flash Eliminator uses helical twisting prongs to reduce the temperature and velocity of gasses produced when...

ABOVE: Ethiopian AKM, right-side view. An Ethiopian Surprise In the age of Google, Facebook, Reddit and all the AK-47-centered internet...

LONG WAR JOURNALA still taken from a Taliban propaganda video features equipment captured in Kandahar province. From left to right,...

British De Lisle Carbine Bolt-Action Rifle The De Lisle Carbine manually operated rifle was the brainchild of William Godfray de...

ABOVE: Pro Gun Club PKM built by Rifle Dynamics on a VLTOR Weapon System receiver. A common story in Eastern...

ABOVE: K3Para Light Machine Gun. Still unadopted but suggested to the Korean Army special forces. This one is not only...

In today’s complex fight, the sniper has to be able to quickly flex into a posture that allows him leverage...

SIG P320 X-VTAC: Tactical Benefits The SIG SAUER P320 polymer-frame striker-fired handguns have quickly evolved into an industry leader for...

ABOVE: Advantages of caseless ammunition; the rounds are lighter in weight and less expensive to manufacture. Disadvantages include a problem...

A Long Way from Fender Guitars Established in Anaheim, California, in 1977 by founders Dave Sanderson and Steve Kottman, SKB...

Close Combat Symposium The Close Combat Symposium (CCS) was held at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom over July...

ABOVE: The Tactical Sniper Bench being employed by an elite IDF sniper. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Counter Terror (CT)...

For all of our many-splendored modern accomplishments man has really not advanced much farther than his primitive forebears when it...

Gunshot localization systems have been in use for several decades by both the military and law enforcement. Their purpose is...

ABOVE: Nammo’s liquid countermass maintains uniform viscosity across all war fighting environmental temperature ranges. The atomized cloud formed by mass...

By ImproGuns A shootout with police in the Ukrainian city of Odessa on January 19, 2017, left three people dead...

ABOVE: THeMIS live firing with .50 cal. HMG on FN Herstal FN M3R RWS. UGVs Being Developed for Dangerous Missions...

ABOVE: U.S. Army Sniper Course Instructors competing in the target detection event. Along white, sun-burned hilltops outside the city of...

ABOVE: Mr. Graham Rockwell, Product Manager, explaining the Ruger Product Line to Mr. Howard Kent, CEO of the Armor Development...

Thousands Descend Upon the Biennial Expo This will be the 8th Biennial Tri-service event in Jakarta, Indonesia; when they say...

The Latest in Textron Systems’ LSAT Program Small Arms Defense Journal was granted a unique interview with Textron Systems about...

ABOVE: Snipers employing the M110 SASS from Knight’s Armament Company in its original configuration. We’ve all heard jokes about the...

ABOVE: The RGW 90 LRMP (Long Range Multi-Purpose) is a lightweight weapon with a programmable warhead fuze, which is very...

ABOVE: Right side view of Paratus select-fire DMR, with Trijicon VCOG 1x6 optic, Elite Iron Bravo 1 suppressor and Harris...

ABOVE: The M240B here is equipped with the Trijicon Machine Gun Reflex Sight ballistically calibrated for use on the M240...

Think of it like dinner at a restaurant. The chef prepares your food and arranges it on the serving plate...

“Modern Day Warfighter: Ready, Lethal, Adaptable” Story By Robert Bruce, Military Affairs Editor “We’re going to go shopping; we’re going...

ABOVE: The KMS+Nexter Defense Systems outdoor pavilion. The gate guardian is the European Main Battle Tank (EMBT), a new concept...

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones) are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) which includes the...

ABOVE: This launching of even a little grenade from the little FAMAS bullpup features a grinning French soldier enjoying the...

Science Fiction Becomes Science Fact as Navies Explore Novel Ways to Defend Against Enemy Divers Between imagination and reality, a...

ABOVE: February 2017, Northern lights, an ice cold night in Finnmark, Northern Norway. Norwegian soldiers from Infantry Battalion 2 are...

It began as furtive whispers at the SHOT Show and hushed conversations in the back corners of gun shops across...

Innovations in AR Platform and Optics Make a Perfect Team The urge to take advantage of AR modularity, ergonomics, optics...

This article describes one example of a multisensor thermal binocular for sniper team use and some selected top modern night...

2018 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference and Exhibition The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is a unified command whose...

As noted, before a scope is integral to a rifle when used by a designated marksman or a sniper. High...

When you picture a sniper, the image that comes to mind is often a camouflage-clad man carrying some variant of...

ABOVE: VZ58 polymer handguards to be packaged and shipped. SADJ Tours the Family– Owned FAB-Defense Factory The use of polymer...

ABOVE: AK-12 right suppressed. The “Ratnik” Trials The “Ratnik” trials program was organized by the Russian Army as a result...

ABOVE: K9’s 1,000hp MTU engine with Allison automatic transmission engine delivers high power-to-weight ratio and has equal mobility as modern...

It’s a truism that a rifle does not make the marksman, same as a camera doesn’t make the photographer or...

ABOVE: The long-established optical sight manufacturer Schmidt & Bender booth, one of many offering optical and sighting devices for the...

ABOVE: Firing an RPG-7—During a three-day cross training program, designated personnel from the HDF 25th Klapka György Infantry Brigade (Tata)...

ABOVE: A mix of various caliber centerfire ammunition surrounding .22 rimfire cartridges too small to accommodate a centerfire primer. No...

One of the more famous episodes in the history of the USMC occurred with the various Machine Gun Battalions that...

ABOVE: Complete thermal and night vision product line including monocular, binocular, clip-ons and dedicated magnified optics. Whenever I see recent...

Newer isn’t always better, but in the case of American-made Inceptor Ammunition, we beg to differ. For a relatively young...

Colonel George M. Chinn Award Richard D. Jones The Chinn Award is perhaps the most prominent award ever presented in...

New Standard for Long-Range AR Performance What comes to mind when someone mentions that they are looking for a specialized...

Dismounted infantry units have a variety of weapons. These are assault rifles, add-on grenade launchers, light and medium machine guns...

ABOVE: The original UZI with wooden furniture. Israel is a small country with an interesting history. Since their declaration of...

The Sten submachine gun was created out of necessity during World War II by the British, who were standing alone...

ABOVE: A red hot blizzard of small, uniform-sized steel fragments blasts out from detonation of a single M67 grenade during...

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time lets us discover/explore something we have never considered before. After...

ABOVE: 100,000 bears only this stamp and not the usual stack of serial numbers. A ceremony was scheduled for August...

As a competition shooter, not only do I spend my free time practicing and shooting matches, but I also spend...

You can file this under “Things Arizona Has That Your State Probably Doesn’t”: a grand opening party at a firearms...

The Close Combat Symposium (CCS) held over July 25-27, 2017, is a follow-on to the former Small Arms & Cannon...

ABOVE: The MkIII Sten was designed to speed production and reduce cost. The integral design proved inferior when tested against...

Increasing lethality within a unit’s sniper section requires leadership to understand the key elements of overmatch. Overmatch is the sniper’s...

ABOVE: Thale's F90MBR At DSEI 2017, Thales (Thales, Australia) launched the next generation of the F90 rifle, the F90 MBR...

ABOVE: This early (circa 2008-2009) 5.56x45mm IA2 prototype was fitted with a longer (480mm) barrel. The gun’s overall length of...

ABOVE: The MRAD.338 LapMag from Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. is the new sniper rifle for the Norwegian Armed Forces. The...

ABOVE: FMR Unique RS1 Commando Introduction We tested a French rifle (match barrel, bolt, action, beam) designed for the civilian...

ABOVE: “Gladiator” is a modular high-tech harness training system developed for realistic training of special units, combat troops and police....

Only in the last 30 years has the weapon accessory mounting solution become standardized. In decades (and century) past, scope...

For 20 years, as of 2016, the German Armed Forces’ (Bundeswehr) standard assault rifle Heckler & Koch G36, caliber 5.56x45mm...

Expo has Plenty to Offer Seoul ADEX (Aerospace and Defense Exhibition) is South Korea’s most prolific defense exposition; originally begun...

On today’s modern battlefield, sniper teams are required to engage moving combatants at distances that can exceed 300 meters. However,...

“Cry ‘Havoc’, and let slip the dogs of war.” This is a familiar saying to those who had to memorize...

ABOVE: Howa produces the Minimi 5.56mm light machine gun under license. This weapon fitted with an older optical sight is...

In combat, most targets will be moving; the enemy or a bad guy with a gun will not present himself...

Introduction The biggest French sniper rifle is intended for specific military purposes. Cut for the work of Hercules at very...

Innovations Draw Thousands to Bi-annual Show “Our goal at ISDEF is to continue to operate at the highest and most...

The Vortex Razor AMG UH-1 offers a holographic 65 MOA circle and 1 MOA center dot reticle that is renowned...

The 2017 AUSA EXPO, held Oct. 9-11 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., offered a number...

ABOVE: A Norwegian sniper with the Barrett MRAD .338 caliber. Simen Rudi/Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) Designated Marksmen and Snipers...

ABOVE: A sniper uses a Kestrel 5700 Elite Weather Meter with Applied Ballistics to gauge the wind prior to taking...

ABOVE: To be a good shooter–the Mantra is “train–train–train!” Soldiers from tactical transport troop, on a shooting range outside Mazar...

ABOVE: George Salg fires the RAS47 during the semi-automatic testing at the Sportsman’s Club of Franklin County range. Century Arms’...

ABOVE: The seaman’s book of Colonel Niemöller. He travelled to Yokohama aboard the blockade runner “Tannenfels” and covered as a...

At Milipol Paris 2017, the USA and Canada Pavilions are Invitations to International Cooperation It has been two years since...

ABOVE: A member of the “BGS” (Bundesgrenzschutz = federal border police) armed with a G 1. Note the early training...

The CSA45 carbine by Flint River Armory is a gas piston design chambered in 45ACP. In the world densely populated...

Biennial Arms Event Attracts 42,000 from Around the World This was the seventh biennial meeting of SITDEF in Lima, Peru....

“The Third Offset Initiative: Armament System Challenges—Advancing Capability” In its second year at the impressive Fredericksburg (Virginia) Expo and Conference...

ABOVE: Pittman Range, Fort Meade, MD, 2016. An Operational Advisor sharpens his M4A1 Carbine skills in CQB shooting. Photo courtesy...

Bringing the HK G3 into the 21st Century The HK G3 is still soldiering on more than 50 years after...

Possibly the most common classification of an AOW is the smooth bore handgun. According to the legal description of a...

Chemring Ordnance (COR), an operating company within the Energetic Systems sector of Chemring Group, is a global center of excellence...

The Korean armed forces are armed with Korean-developed K1- and K2-series 5.56mm weapons; the development and evolution story is not...

ABOVE: The above photo is one frame from a high speed video of the second round of a 200-round belt....

ABOVE: Military Systems Group Inc. is a long-term US Government contractor providing mount solutions. They’re well known in this marketplace...

THE GRIM REAPER The Story of the Weapon of Choice for Many of the World’s Armies This is a very...

LEWIS MACHINE & TOOL L2B LMT’S M203 Rail-Mounted Grenade Launcher gives your team the arsenal power it needs. With versatility...

ABOVE: General view of one of the three Riocentro Convention Center halls used for LAAD Defence & Security 2017. The...

ABOVE: James Richard “Jim” Schatz. Dan Shea | SADJ 10 December 1959 – 16 March 2017 The small arms community...

World War I, known as “The War to End All Wars,” had a very improbable beginning. While visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia,...

A video posted to social media on November 25, 2016, shows Shi’a militia fighters making use of what appears to...

There’s nothing quite like visiting a foreign country–experiencing different food, smells and cultures adds to the travel experience. Attending a...

ABOVE: Photo credit: Kurdish social media Between August 16 and 23, 2016, the People’s Protection Unit (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel; YPG)...

ABOVE: China’s Poly-Technologies presented a first viewing of the “Shoulder Launched Rocket–with Low Collateral Damage.” The display and accompanying brochure...

ABOVE: The HK433 has fully ambidextrous operation for both right- and left-handed shooters. Its non-reciprocating charging handle can be switched...

ABOVE: K2C with BUIS, with stock fully extended. This gun is Cerakoated. As many of our readers know, the K2...

“Unlocking Africa’s Aerospace and Defence Potential” Africa at times is a continent stewing in discontent and danger, rapid government changes,...

A Nigerian Army operation targeting armed bandits suspected of cattle rustling killed 18 individuals near Dansadau in Nigeria’s northwestern state...

Various thermal imaging sights and imaging devices are available to both commercial and military markets that claim near miraculous capabilities....

ARES recently reported on the presence of the uncommon North Korean Type 73 general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in Iraq, Syria...

18-21 April, 2016, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The 15th edition of the DSA show was held at the Putra World Trade...

A Russian news segment, released September 28, 2015, contains rare footage of Syrian government special operations forces (SOF). The Vesti...

In the German armed forces pistols have always been in short supply, even though the serial production of the most...

In August 2015, ARES documented the appearance of Iran’s RU-series thermal weapon sights on the Iraqi battlefield and their use...

The question in June 2016 was “Who will supply the French Army’s next assault rifle?” The French Army’s standard assault...

ABOVE: ASh-12 rifle with tactical sound suppressor and 10-round magazine. Photo: KBP, Russia ASh-12 assault rifle is one of the...

The Vietnam War witnessed new weapons and munitions on the battlefield, such as U.S. cluster bombs and its small caliber...

ABOVE: A soldier fires his issued M9 handgun while in training in the United States. Throughout the Gulf War to...

All one needs to do to suffer complete confusion is walk down the aisle of any gun store where the...

ABOVE: A combat group of 2e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (2e RIMa) equipped with FÉLIN. The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment...

At far right, the image above appears to show a Belgian FN CAL (Carabine Automatique Légère; Light Automatic Carbine) rifle...

ABOVE: Modular turret weapon station from Dillon, the MMC-R.(Multi-Mission Compatible Rapid) The 24th MSPO (International Defense Industry Fair) in Kielce,...

An image posted to Twitter on October 20, 2015, appears to show a Jabhat al-Nusra fighter in Syria wielding a...

ABOVE: The AT4 CS HE with Aimpoint FCS51. With regards to impact/airburst: The gunner chooses impact or airburst on the...

Since 2011, Bulgarian Arsenal 5.56 x 45 mm AR-M9 and AR-M9F self-loading rifles have been documented in the hands of...

The Russian army has made several attempts to develop and introduce a replacement for the “Kalashnikov Automatic Rifle model 1974”—AK-74....

Multiple videos shared by pro-Houthi media channels during October 2015 show Houthi rebel fighters employing Barrett Model 82A1 (M82A1) anti-materiel...

DX (Defense Expo) Korea is, literally, a defense exposition held bi-annually in Korea. Originally, there was one major international defense...

ABOVE: The .40 S&W Taurus CTT40C is the semi-auto-only version of the SMT40 subgun, and has entered service with PMERJ–Polícia...

“Bolstering Defence Industry Cooperation: Achieving a Global Maritime Fulcrum and Secure World” November 2-5, 2016, Jakarta Indonesia: This was the...

ABOVE: Pistola Ametralladora P.A.M. In the Second World War Argentina was officially neutral. However, from the beginning, the government was...

Over the past two decades, the 9 mm SMG has all but died in the law enforcement and military roles...

This was the Sixth biennial meeting of SITDEF in Lima, Peru. SITDEF occurs every two years and has since the...

ABOVE: Combat proven. More than 40 nations have Carl-Gustaf in their armed forces inventory. U.S. Special Forces soldiers fires a...

The 2016 exhibition of Eurosatory was held from June 13 to 17, at Paris-Nord Villepinte, covering 50 acres and having...

ABOVE: Fort Copacabana There is considerable military lineage in this beautiful Brazilian City—invisible to most and yet, clearly present all...

ABOVE: The author ran the gun through some CQB drills with the excellent Innovative Arms Grunt-M suppressor attached. The suppressor...

ARES has documented Houthi fighters with two models of anti-materiel rifle (AMR) manufactured in Canada and the United States of...

ABOVE: It saves hours of time and does a better job. Soosung Defense Industries is offering large bore automatic bore...

ABOVE: The B+T Universal Service Weapon with folded stock, light, Nano sight and ‘+2’ magazine, left and right side The...

President Trump Should Use Executive Authority to Improve the Regulatory Environment for the U.S. Firearms Industry The election of Donald...

NDIA Small Arms Group’s Col. George M. Chinn Award: The George M. Chinn Award is presented annually to honor a...

There are many political and legal challenges facing America’s small arms industry. Their future could be in jeopardy should highly...

Along with the documented ‘R9-Arms’ pistol, another previously unknown 9 mm submachine gun (‘machine pistol’) has been seized in significant...

The Convoluted Path in Formation Flows Photos posted to Twitter show a pro-government fighter in northern Quneitra, Syria, with a...

SOFEX 11th Edition 2016: Networking for Global Security The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is host...

A video posted to YouTube on October 29, 2015 shows two Russian-made MRO-A rocket launchers and a Soviet or Russian...

Paratus: DRD Tactical & the Covert Arms of the Free WorldDan SheaFeatures, Reviews, Volume 9, V9N1 ABOVE: With the Paratus,...

ABOVE: Marine Zone. Marine Corps Systems Command’s impressive presence in Tent B anchors what is commonly called the “Marine Zone,”...

The NFA world is a difficult one (dealing with Title II firearms). The landmines in regulations are frequent; seemingly common...

ABOVE: Combined Tactical Systems 40mm Impact+ Baton COMBINED TACTICAL SYSTEMS: Product Name: 40 mm Impact+ Baton Product Description: An impact...

I’ve mentioned many times in our magazines the trade shows and other events I personally consider to be critical for...

CLOSE COMBAT SYMPOSIUM – 19-21 July 2016 The Close Combat Symposium held over July 19-21, 2016 is a follow-on Symposia...

ABOVE: The Sniper Weapon & Observer Reconnaissance Device (SWORD) is seen here fitted to a rifle at the Colt stand....