ABOVE: Windham Weaponry MCS The M16/M4 weapon system entered a new era in 2003 and would redefine the term “modular rifle”. In 2003, Lewis Machine…
There are a number of defense expositions in Central and South America. The addition of Expodefensa in Bogota, Colombia has been well received, and it…
ABOVE: Brazilian Soldiers with Igla 9K38 missiles (Andre Gustavo Stumpf Filho) Brazil announced in September 2015 its intent to purchase seven antiaircraft batteries from Russia….
Advancing technology shrank red dot sights small enough to be used in conjunction with scopes, providing users with magnification on distant targets as well as…
ABOVE: Aimpoint 6XMag-1 Aimpoint These two products, when paired together are perfect for multiple applications. The Micro T-2 (AR Ready version refers to the type…
ABOVE: “Canadian Rangers test-fire the recently-adopted C-19 rifle”. (Image credit: Canadian Armed Forces) The Canadian Rangers are a sub-component of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve,…
QinetiQ North America’s EARS® SWATS® is a compact, shoulder-worn acoustic targeting system that instantly detects and locates the origin of hostile gunfire. This system provides…
Enhanced Weapon Sights for Dismounted Close Combat Warfighters Intro The roadmap for enhanced Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Engagement is becoming increasingly interesting as many nations…
ABOVE: Two 37mm “Pom-Pom” guns- large Maxim water-cooled machine guns with brass jackets, grace the entry to the exhibits. This pair of consecutive serial number…
There have been a number of attempts in the last decade to integrate all of the possible futuristic ideas for the modern “Battlespace.” Most are…
INTRODUCTION At the end of the 1950s the Italian economy was booming, thanks to both the creativity of manufacturers and the enormous boost provided by…
ABOVE: An airman fires a later model GUU-5/P with the M4-type barrel based on an early “slab-side” lower reciever (Air Force) In January 1991, the…
ABOVE: The Smith Enterprises barrel wrench is the finest in the industry. Being able to grab 14 points on the barrel nut is much more…
ABOVE: Barrett employee in an assault stance with the LWS, in the way that Barrett envisions the LWS being most useful in. The handguards allow…
The rifle above is a curious example of weapons coming full-circle and being reinvented. This is the “44 Bore” rifle, a colloquial name given to…
With the rapid advancement of micro technology, recreational remotely operated aerial vehicles (ROAV) or unmanned aerial systems-UASs, commonly known as “drones”, are hitting the market…
ABOVE: Peshmerga fighter with a Panzerfaust 3 recoilless weapon, 2015 (photo credit: original source unknown). Photos of arms now delivered to Kurdish forces being loaded…
ABOVE: Lcpl. Chandler with 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company 1/9 holds security while on a dismounted patrol inserted via helicopter into Now Zad District. Because this…
ABOVE: While Jim Schatz and other advocates campaign for immediate fielding of a LICCIW (Lightweight Intermediate Caliber Cartridge Individual Weapon), Big Army marches on. This…
ABOVE: Two combatants sit at rest. The K98k Mauser is above the Springfield M1903A4. Their army’s helmets lie next to them. One definition of a…
One of the most prominent and prolific military bullpup-style rifles in history reaches its 10th anniversary in the field in 2016. SADJ wants to acknowledge…
Truvelo Manufacturing started in the 1960s in South Africa manufacturing various electronic devices. In 1994, the Truvelo Armoury branch was formed and entered into the…
ABOVE: The new Sistema Integrado de Monitoramento de Fronteiras (Sisfron), will transforms all aspects of the Brazilian armed forces. Here a trooper demonstrates the new…
ABOVE: The Caracal CAR816 in the hands of a UAE soldier. This rifle is the basic assault rifle with a 14.5 inch cold hammer forged…
A sniper weapon system is a precision instrument. The basic components of a sniper weapon system is the rifle and the optic. This article will…
ABOVE: Accuracy International AX50 .50BMG rifle was designed with long range accuracy in mind. Accuracy International (AI) has been a well known entity in the…
ABOVE: Accuracy International AXMC338 Accuracy International Accuracy International AX50 Designed to withstand constant military deployment, the AX50 long range anti matériel rifle from Accuracy International…
ABOVE: Korean made K2 tank driving demo. Armed with 120mm smoothbore cannon and up-to-date electronics, this 55t tank is one of the best main battle…
ABOVE: M9A3 pistol equipped with a SilencerCo Octane 9mm sound suppressor. In 1985 a legend was retired. The highly regarded M1911A1 pistol was replaced with…
ABOVE: Compact, lighter than one might think, the MGA SAW in 6.8 SPC brings serious firepower to the engagement. In almost all modern militaries, the…
ABOVE: A crude Chinese made copy of the Mauser C96 pistol with detachable buttstock. During World War I, the primary weapon issued was the full-power,…
ABOVE: Shown is a UAE sniper using the Caracal bolt action 7.62x51mm CS308 rifle. SADJ first visited the at the time brand new Caracal firearms…
ABOVE: The new IWI US UZI Pro Pistol offers a civilian legal pistol version of the UZI Pro submachine gun. The UZI 9mm submachine gun…
ABOVE: Cased Telescoped. A useful comparison of the initial 5.56mm CT Squad Auto Weapon and a mockup of the 7.62mm Medium Machine Gun in the…
Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldiers from the Yahalom (“Diamond”) special unit, recovered hundreds of weapons as well as quantities of ammunition and explosives during a…
ABOVE: GLOCK offers users a choice in handguns chambered in 10MM Auto in the form of G29, G20, G40 MOS. Full stable of 10MMs with…
ABOVE: The P220 chambered in 10mm was tested with many different types of ammunition including Hornady Critical Duty, Hornady Custom, Buffalo Bore as well as…
ABOVE: Colt’s O1070CCU – COMBAT UNIT™ RAIL GUN® Colt The COMBAT UNIT™ RAIL GUN is an upgraded Duty Ready pistol based on the Colt Rail…
The Royal Malaysian Police Museum Modern Malaysia is a beautiful country, rich in agriculture and history, with a growing industrial base. It was born from…
The author firing the M6 PSD MKII chambered in 6.8x43mm SPC caliber. Notice the proprietary Magpul magazine designed for optimal feeding of the 6.8mm SPC…
National Guard of Ukraine Amongst arms and equipment inspected by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, one suppressed rifle stands out. The display of military hardware took…
ABOVE: In El Salvador, the AML-90 was relegated to perform security escort to artillery units, with an UR-416 traveling alongside — not with mechanized infantry,…
This early IA2 prototype is fitted with a longer barrel than the current 330mm (350mm, with flash hider) unit, while its polymer foldable stock, also…
Range vehicles presented realistic ambush scenarios during Barrett REC 7 DI T&E. Barrett has taken its vision of the AR rifle another step forward with…
Photo credit: Sergei Gritts/AP Untrained observers frequently confuse superficially similar small arms and light weapon (SALW) systems, particularly with the pressure of covering a current…
Shows AKM type rifle and PKMT undergoing refurbishment. Libyan workshop refurbishes small arms for ongoing conflict. Photo credit: Hassan Morajea (Armament Research Services) In a…
National Defense Industrial Association’s Small Arms Group: NDIA started out in 1919 as the Army Ordnance Association and through various mergers over the last century,…
Advancements in optoelectronics is changing the firearms sighting device industry as we know it today and it is likewise changing society’s very perception. It’s no…
Left to Right: SWFA 3-9x42mm, Leupold VXR Patrol 3-9x40mm, Vortex PST 2.5-10x32mm, Burris XTR II 2-10×42, Leupold MK4 LRT 3.5-10x40mm Front Focal, Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x32mm,…
ABOVE: Firing the MGA SAW K in .300 Blackout from an overlook in the badlands of Utah. “Squad Automatic Weapon”- the “SAW.” The phrase has…
Pictures supplied to ARES show a Caracal F semi-automatic pistol, produced by Caracal, a United Arab Emirates-based firearms manufacturer. This particular Model F is the…
The QLZ87 is a direct gas impingement operated, selective fire grenade launcher chambered for the Chinese 35 x 32SR mm cartridge. With an effective range…
In a previous article SADJ covered ISAF armament on Camp Leatherneck from the American and British perspective. In this one SADJ will cover small arms…
ABOVE: MG5 A2 (HK121) is the new MMG for the German defense to replace their aging MG3 machine guns. It is being promoted by H&K…
FN 15 Military Collector M4 The FN 15™ Military Collector Series M4 and M16 bring to market military replica rifles made to FN’s exacting specifications….
Images uploaded to Twitter by the Free Syrian Amy’s ‘Division 30’ show combatants with US-made arms. In one image, a Mk 14 EBR (enhanced battle…
ABOVE: Infantry rifle should perform adequately on any possible terrain, but some current battlefields overstretch the capabilities of weapons that were built for total war…
ABOVE: POF’s engineers did not just add some extra parts. They perfected this gun. There’s something better about this rifle. Under sustained full auto fire,…
ABOVE: April 23, 2006, Staff Sgt. Brad Smith from 3-320th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division with his 14.5inch barrel M4, sitting in the middle of…
ABOVE: Soldiers of the Waffen-SS equipped with an early PzB 38 during exercises. After the annexation of the Sudetenland and the destruction of Czechoslovakia as…
Introduction At the time of this writing, computers and related information technologies are a part of almost everything we say and do—a situation arguably both…
The Evolution of the 9mm AR Carbine Christopher R. Bartocci Features, History, Volume 7, V7N6 ABOVE: The Colt 9mm-pattern carbines never achieved the success they…
The Kuwait Shooting Sport Federation has its base at an amazing facility on the Sixth Ring Road in Kuwait City, called the Kuwait Shooting Sport…
Law enforcement personnel firing armor-piercing shotgun projectiles during protests in Ukraine. Sergei Grits (AP Photo). In January 2014, various journalists, aid workers, and others have…
ABOVE: 1939 Lahti 20mm anti-tank cannon, converted to .50 BMG, mounted on FN30 tripod. Note in the inset, how the magazine has been shortened to…
ABOVE: Beam weapons in the battlespace. Envisioned in this 2008 illustration promoting the Navy’s Maritime Laser Demonstration feasibility project, a carrier task force fights off…
ABOVE: The VP9 is inspired by the Welrod design but modernized for Veterinary use. The legendary silenced Welrod pistol that was developed during the Second…
ABOVE: CZ Engineer Martin Sanda puts rounds downrange and brass in the air during the test of the 5.56x45mm CZ 807 AI assault rifle, using…
ABOVE: Third generation model Colt LE1020 successfully passing a mud test in 2008. Although never put into production, the final production LE6940P/APC is a direct…
ABOVE: The Russian ORSIS T-5000. (Yuri Lyamin) Recent photos to emerge from Iraq show government troops with new Iranian AM50 (sometimes written as ‘AM-50′) anti-materiel…
Have you ever thought about all the tests that must be used during the development of a firearm? A recently introduced test device will change…
ABOVE: Circa 1950, an Air Force officer with his modernized version of the M2 carbine featured an in-line stock, raised sights, muzzle brake and bipod….
ABOVE: A home-made anti-materiel rifle (AMR) made by Syrian rebels. (YouTube video) The Syrian conflict continues to yield interesting expedient small-arm designs. ARES has received…
ABOVE: The Mk12 SPR has seen significant amount of action in the Global War on Terrorism being very popular with the Special Operations operators who…
Once seen as an enhancement to your duty or combat rifle, quality RDS (Red Dot Sights) have become all but mandatory equipment for many working…
Images emerged from the Ukraine following fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk region on the 25th of May, 2014 showing alleged pro-Russian Ukrainian separatist fighters in possession of…
ABOVE: Black Hornet is a “flyable robotic video camera” that bears a resemblance to a helicopter if you can see it – it is small…
During the ongoing civil unrest in Kiev, several images have circulated showing Ukrainian security forces equipped with a range of lethal weapons, including sniper rifles….
Above: The image shows a Galil ACE Model 21 carbine reportedly in the possession of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Air Force. The ACE…
ABOVE: TIGRES operators are trained at Lepaterique, Francisco Morazán, where they attend a 12-week course provided by Colombian police Jungle Commandos, and 7th USSF Group,…
Sphinx SDP Compact Sphinx Systems Limited is a Swiss-based manufacturer that produces an evolved CZ 75 design, and while their previous offerings have been rather…
ABOVE: Markings on a PPZR Grom E2 missile launch tube. (Ukraine Military TV YouTube channel) An interesting video was released by the Ukraine Military TV…
The demand for firearms in Libya has brought to light three handguns so far undocumented, at least in the English-speaking world. At least one of…
ABOVE: The RCE is CMMG’s version of a “Recce” or Recon AR. The driving force behind the Recon was to give sniper/observer teams a support…
Nammo Lapua .338 PS The Nordic Ammunition Company, or Nammo, is a familiar name in the defense industry, and their products are well known to…
“Future Soldier Programs” has become a term for many nations, and now Russia has equipped its armed forces personnel with Ratnik (Warrior) Infantry Combat System…
EDITOR’S NOTE: It has come to our attention that the author of this article submitted photos that misidentified which military the soldiers were from. The…
If you’ve ever used an anemometer, or a wind meter, chances are it was a Kestrel. The anemometer is invaluable to anyone seeking to achieve…
ABOVE: Norwegian infantry MG gunner fires the MINIMI 5.56mm. The MG is equipped with an Aimpoint optical sight. An under-mounted polymer ammunition container helps keep…
ABOVE: Explosively bonded aluminum and stainless steel Model 1911 .45ACP by Uselton Arms Manufacturing offers a weight savings of 33% over a conventional steel frame and slide. Militaries of…
ABOVE: As designed at the request of SOCOM, the Lewis Machine and Tool Enhanced Bolt Carrier Group. Note the addition of an additional gas port….
ABOVE: IWI eLog SADJ has always traveled the world in search of the innovators in small arms and weapons. Sometimes we’re able to coordinate visits…
ABOVE: Dave Walls posing with the rifles he brought into the precision rifle community. The L96 (top) was Accuracy International’s first major contract and brought…
Press Release Deal is part of $227 Million GMLRS Rocket Production Contract DALLAS, Sept. 16, 2015 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a $227 million…
News release FAUN Trackway USA will be launching its latest innovation, a multi-role packaging solution for its range of expedient helipads, at Modern Day Marine…
ABOVE: Business side of the Full Scale MPIMS Area denial and protection has been a key factor in most combat missions from the beginning. For…
ABOVE: Where the Dror springs were made. ‘Israel,’ the boss, stands in the doorway. (Carl E. Ekdahl) For reasons never made clear, Slavin took his…
ABOVE: US team ready to go for Precision Rifle. “We have to understand that it is called “international” terrorism, however, we as Special Forces, special…
ABOVE: This Marine corporal from the 1st “Sea Dragon” Marine Division is wearing the old uniform. He is cradling a 5.56mm K1A submachine gun. A…
As computing power and speed increases, new weapons and technologies are being developed that employ artificial intelligence (A/I). Within the next ten years, the advance…
ABOVE: Field expedient firing positions were utilized during GII SASS evaluation at Echo Valley Training Center’s “Jungle Walk” range. DPMS offers one of the broadest…
ABOVE: After a thorough evaluation, the FNS 9 stands head and shoulder above many other 9mm handguns. A Superior Polymer Pistol The FNS 9 9mm…
ABOVE: The direct impingement Modern Musket harkens back to our early nation’s history. It is no secret that the Eugene Stoner’s AR platform is the…
Weapons captured from rebel forces in South Sudan. (The East African (forum)) Captured From Rebel Forces in South Sudan Seen in the bottom centre of…
ABOVE: Carl Ekdahl shoulders a Johnson LMG outside the factory. (John Ekdahl) Niagara Falls, N.Y., Monday afternoon, February 24, 1947. Parked by the wintry highway,…
Armed combatants in the Crimean peninsula. One of the GM-94 grenade launchers pictured is fitted with an EOTech-type holographic weapon sight. (Livejournal, original source unknown)…
ABOVE: The original POF rifle in its Gen 1 configuration. The first rifles were chambered in 5.56mm. The upper receiver is a standard forged upper…
ABOVE: 14 March 2014, Alaska, USA. Soldiers on the range engage targets with M16A2 rifles during the 59th Signal Battalion Soldier of the Year Competition….
ABOVE: Weighing 24 lbs., the GD-OTS Light Weight Medium Machine Gun is a full 5.5 lbs. lighter than the M240B, while the .338NM round has…
SADJ has known and covered the products from U.S. Ordnance in Reno, Nevada for many years. Their US MK43 Mod 0 (M60E4) machine gun is…
Expodefensa in Bogota, Colombia is a bi-annual show that has strong regional attendance. It is heavily attended by the Colombian military groups, and their buyers…
ABOVE: Some of the locally manufactured vehicles on display at Indo Defence 2014. These are all products of PT Pindad, with Anoa 6×6 armored personnel…
ABOVE: Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) flagship machine gun, the MG3, is considered to be one of the best made versions of the old high-speed design….
Aimpoint has had a lot of success in the individual weapon categories, with their military and civilian programs. After years of being asked to address…
ABOVE: Norbert Piechota of FB Radom demonstrates the MSBS-5.56B rifle. Note the steadiness of the weapon in full-auto firing: two cases are already flying, the…
ABOVE: T-5000 with night vision adapter. Until recently, Russian small arms were famous mostly for their ruggedness, durability and reliability, even under the harshest of…
ABOVE: Author firing an MD1A1 at Fábrica de Itajubá; the weapon offering a moderate cyclic rate of fire in the region of 550 rounds per…
ABOVE: Jeff Hoffman adjusting his scope on a Lewis Machine & Tool LM8MWS 7.62x51mm rifle as he engages targets out to 850 yards. Notice the…
ABOVE: The P320 in full business attire. The extra-long Picatinny spec rail allows for a multitude of add-ons. SIG Sauer means quality and performance. Their…
ABOVE: This particular example of a scoped Argentine rifle shown in a publicity photo has the cocking handle on the left side and, barely discernible,…
ABOVE: Mexican soldier atop of a Humvee with a RL-83 Blindicide. This is an obsolete AT weapon, but still applicable to the potential threats faced…
ABOVE: The scope mount had to be canted to the left and the carrying handle to the right to locate the handle at the rifle’s…
ABOVE: From left to right: 20x30B K-11; 20x42B PAW 20; 25x40B XM25; 25x59B LW25; 30x29B VOG-17; 35mm CL DFS10. The VOG-17 is genuine; the others…
ABOVE: ISAF Troops returning fire in Afghanistan. Insurgent forces partially overran COP Kahler in Afghanistan in July 2008 in part due to the failure of…
ABOVE: A useful comparison of similarities between the 7.62 NATO caliber HK121/MG5 in front, with its predecessor, the 5.56mm MG4 in the background. The 22…
Our fighting soldiers – the recon units and scouts and expeditionary fighting forces that carry all of their equipment on their backs in and out…
ABOVE: South Africa’s famous SS77 machine gun from Vektor has a venerable history, replacing the FN MAG as the General Purpose Machine Gun in South…
ABOVE: Steyr STM 556 assault rifle. (Steyr) Eurosatory 2014, the Defence and Security Exhibition was held in Paris Nord Villepinte (near Charles de Gaulle airport)…
ABOVE: Police Officer and SWAT Sniper Fabian Rivera firing the H&K USP Tactical. Notice the pistol is in full recoil. His SWAT team carried USP45…
On August 5 and 6, 2014, the F.A.I.R. Trade Group (F.A.I.R.) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) held their annual Import/Export Conference at the…
ABOVE: Sniper team from CCG 4-3 INF Reg using an Applied Ballistics Kestrel at the Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho VT. “The point is…
ABOVE: UA Arms explosively bonded Model 1911 CQB used in testing with full ceramic coating. The explosive bonding process has been understood for most of…
ABOVE: Col. Michael Manning (L), Marine Corps Systems Command’s program manager for Infantry Weapons Systems, congratulates Salvatore Fanelli (R) on winning the Donald Roebling Award….
ABOVE: Desert Tech of Salt Lake City, Utah, displayed their new bull-pup rifle, the dual-caliber (.308 and .223) modular Micro Dynamic Rifle, premiered at the…
ABOVE: Right side view of the Type 11 LMG In preparing research for this article it was found that there was no consistent consensus on…
ABOVE: The Avtomat Nikonova 94 The war machine of the Soviet Union has always been a source of intrigue to those interested in the development…
ABOVE: Salvadorian soldiers parade with M67 RCL. The U.S. supplied some 379 M67 RCLs to El Salvador between 1981 and 1992 to arm the soldiers,…
ABOVE: Right side of the Colt LE901 with the Smith Enterprise Vortex flash hider and the folding front sight base. Most of the Black Rifle…
Barrett is known for their innovative approaches in designing rifles. Much of this stems from Barrett’s non-typical background for a firearms firm. Their first product the semiautomatic M82 .50 BMG’s typifies this. Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee was founded in 1982 and centered on Ronnie Barrett’s idea of a shoulder-fired .50 BMG rifle. Barrett’s first conventional military success was the sale of about 100 M82A1 rifles to the Swedish Army in 1989. World events then transpired to give Barrett a major impetus towards success in 1990, when the United States armed forces purchased significant numbers of the M82A1 during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Kuwait and Iraq. About 125 rifles were initially bought by the United States Marine Corps, and orders from the Army and Air Force soon followed. The success of the Barrett .50 BMG rifles allowed for Barrett to expand its product line to include AR and precision bolt action rifles.
SADJ has been in contact with IDEAS Media Manager Ehtesham Bari for many years, planning to attend the IDEAS show in Karachi. We missed the 2008 show due to some issues with travel restrictions and the 2010 show had been unfortunately canceled due to the flooding tragedy. It was exciting to finally be able to set up at the show, and LMO’s Chief Armorer Instructor Matt Babb, Jason M. Wong from Hurricane Butterfly and I set out for Karachi to man the booth, explore the show, and then travel north to Islamabad and the Pakistan Ordnance Factories at Wah Cannt, and the Khyber Pass region.
ABOVE: Germans with Maxim MG08. Judging from their cloth-covered spiked helmets, this apparently posed photo was taken early in the war when quantities of their…
SchleTek, a German chemical company operating throughout Europe, has recently offered a line of premium gun care products. Our evaluation of this product was taken on with a degree of enthusiasm – as most things German are expected to be outstanding – and we were not disappointed with the outcome. We only tested four of the nine products offered to get a feel for the performance of these chemicals. We were impressed with the four products we tested and assume that the others we did not test will be equally impressive.
The fourth biannual BRIDEX (pronounced Brih-dex) exhibition was another marked success for this small South East Asian nation on the northern tip of the island of Borneo. While a relatively small regional show, it drew a solid representation of buyers and vendors in the region, reaching all the way to Africa and the Mideast. The U.S. and UK were well represented as were other European nations. In some ways this event was a bit smaller in scale than the last, but the floors were packed with VIPs who engaged with the vendors, and that’s what counts.
Throughout the industry there are numerous combination tools for the AR-15/M16-series rifle. Most of them are not what you would consider to be armorer combination tools. They are mostly combination tools for cleaning such as the eFECT maintenance tool, Multi Tasker and the Samson Field Survivor to name just a few. These will often contain sight adjustment tools, firing pin retainer pin removal tool, carbon cleaning tools, punch, scraper and screw driver for optics. Some also will come with a broken shell extractor as well as cleaning brushes and or cables. None of these were intended for repair but just field cleaning.
The key to reliability with any auto loading firearm is the feeding device whether it is a magazine, clip, belt or whatnot; the buck stops at the feeding mechanism front door. Over the last several years the industry has produced many different magazines for the black rifle. With the popularity of the rifle there simply wasn’t enough to go around as the demand was overwhelming. On the other side, there have been numerous attempts and some successful endeavors to improve greatly upon the standard aluminum GI magazine. Though not the first to produce a polymer AR magazine, Magpul has revolutionized the way we feed the black rifle. Earlier attempts to make a durable polymer magazine met with disaster. Magpul’s introduction of the PMag set a new standard, not only for polymer magazines but for the AR magazine in general.
A large group of friends and family gathered today at the front of the old MOD Pattern Room at Enfield Lock, England, for the dedication of a plaque honoring the life and contributions of Herbert J. “Bertie” Woodend, the former Curator of the famous MOD Pattern Room in England. This is one of the largest collections of military small arms in the world, and starting in 1966 “Herbie” was the driving force at Enfield Lock and later in the 1980s-90s at Royal Ordnance in Nottingham, until the Pattern Room was moved over to the Royal Armouries in Leeds in 2002. The collection is now the core of the National Firearms Centre at the Royal Armouries.
During its history, Romania was occupied by Turks, Austrians, Greeks and Russians. The principality of Moldavia and Walachia were acquired in 1861. Romania was an ally of Russia during its war against Turkey in 1877 and became independent one year later. Allied with Greece and Serbia, Romania fought against Bulgaria in 1913. In 1916, it entered in the Great World War beside the Allies. Between the two world wars, Romania was member of several alliances with other Balkan or Central European countries. The king renounced the throne in 1940, after a coup d’état organised by officers favourable to the Axis. So Romania, allied with Germany, entered the war against the Soviet Union in 1941. In 1944, the situation reversed after an insurrection managed by the communists.
The 18th Worldwide Exhibition of Internal Security was held in Paris from November 19 to 22, 2013. There were 915 exhibitors from all over the…
It is nice to see a product evolve over time. The ArmaLite AR-31 .308 Win rifle is a great case in point. The AR-31 shares its design lineage
with previous ArmaLite precision rifles in the form of the AR-30 and its updated version AR-30A1. The AR-30A1 rifle is chambered in “long
action” bolt cartridges such as .300 WinMag and .338 Lapua. The AR-31 takes the no nonsense ArmaLite concept of the tactical rifle another
step forward. While the AR-31 (and AR-30A1) may resemble its AR-30 predecessor, only the pistol grip, buttpad, trigger, and a few small
components from the original AR-30 transferred over to the AR-31. All other components are new or redesigned. This is especially true with
the AR-31’s bolt action. The AR-31’s “short action” describes the length the bolt needs to travel to function/cycle the .308Win cartridge.
The longer .300 WinMag and .338 Lapua cartridges require a “long action.” The AR-31’s shorter action provides for a stiffer receiver often
translating into better accuracy.
In January of 1990 a new cartridge hit the market that would pretty much be a game changer as to the cartridge preferred by law enforcement. The product of a joint effort between Smith & Wesson and Winchester would spawn the .40 S&W cartridge. The .40 caliber cartridges roots go back to the 10mm Auto cartridge when it was tested by the FBI as a potential replacement for their 9x19mm caliber pistols and .38 Special/.357 Magnum caliber revolvers. When tested, the FBI found two major problems with the 10mm Auto caliber firearm. First was the heavy recoil and second was that the current pistols did not hold up to the potent round. Due to the power it was difficult if not impossible to make a small compact version of the pistol. What if you could make a 10mm Short? Reduce the powder charge to make recoil manageable and shorten the overall length of the 10mm cartridge so it will fit in a 9x19mm size magazine/mid size pistol frame? Thus, here is the introduction of the .40 S&W. The first defensive cartridges in this new caliber were Winchester 180 grain jacketed hollow points.
From 1990 to very recently, the ROK (Republic of Korea; or South Korea) army had a tendency to reduce the presence of 7.62mm NATO light or medium machine guns. From the 1970s to 1990, the South Korea military used M60 GPMGs as their ‘almost universal’ machine gun; first supplied from the U.S. as military support when the ROK military dispatched a considerable number of troops to Vietnam and then manufactured under license by Daewoo Precision Industry, Co. (today’s S&T Motive). It was used everywhere machine guns were used: infantry, vehicle mounted, helicopter mounted, etc. Since the ROK military was heavily influenced under U.S. doctrine, it was quite natural and that influence led to the development of the K3 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon), since the U.S. Army used the M249 SAW from the 1980s. The K3 is the ‘Koreanized’ version of the famous Minimi, and the role of K3 in ROK Army/Marine Corps was initially quite similar to that of the M249 in U.S. military.
The Defence Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2013 exhibition was held in the London Docklands ExCeL Exhibition Centre on September 10-13, 2013. It is a bi-annual event, held in the autumn to avoid conflict with the other major international defence exhibitions such as IDEX in Abu Dhabi held earlier in the year and Eurosatory in Paris traditionally held the following year.
According to company literature, the first Glock pistols imported into the U.S. came in January of 1986. These guns had serial numbers beginning with a two letter alpha prefix of “AF” followed by a three digit number. This means for every two letter combination, there were up to 1,000 pistols produced with numbers from 000 to 999. As of this writing, current new production Glock….
After the end of the Second World War, the United States military, the Army especially, saw its mission as one of countering potential Soviet aggression. If this were to come, the most likely battlefield would be in Northern Europe. With the Soviet Union’s acquisition of nuclear weapons the two world powers settled into the Cold War. Though a major land war between the two in Europe would have been catastrophic, other fronts presented more potential. By supporting insurgencies around the world the Soviet Union….
Since it gained independence, Chad has been shaken by numerous armed risings, invasions of the neighboring military, conflicts regarding borders and scuffles among political leaders. Since 1973 the northern part of the country was placed under control of the guerrilla insurgents supported by Libya, but with French help the uprising was repressed and operations of Libyan troops were suppressed….
Much has already been written about German military weapons. But still today some real treasures are left to be discovered. Some of them are re-discovered – like the Erma EMP44 of the Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (in short “Erma”)….
Up until the 1960s all machine guns manufactured in China were of foreign design. The first heavy machine gun to be produced in China was the 12.7mm Type 54, a straight-up copy of the Soviet DShKM 1938/46, made on Soviet machinery, using Soviet documentation and assistance. This weapon fired the 12.7x108mm round of Soviet origin, which was roughly similar in performance to the American .50 BMG round….
This event is held annually in the last full working week of August at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. It remains the focal point for European infantry weapons and small arms developments and complements the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Joint Armaments conference normally held annually in May in the United States…..
They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If that is the case, Norinco of China is the Mecca of flattery. Aside from their original designs, Norinco of China has copied many firearms and sold them including the M1911, Remington shotgun, SIG P226 pistol, M14 and also the M16. In the early 1980s, Norinco introduced the CQ M311-1. This was a semiautomatic only version of the M16A1 intended…..
The Emerson Electric Company was founded in 1890 in St. Louis, Missouri as the Emerson Electric Manufacturing Company. The company initially produced electric motors and then went on to produce entire electricity powered machines like fans, sewing machines, and power tools. By the time the Second World War broke out, Emerson turned its already half century of experience with electric power….
ABOVE: These company-level PF98 120mm rocket launchers have just a basic optical sight system. Note the basic tripod dropped to its lowest position. In a…
The Accuracy International AX PSR was developed to compete in USSOCOM’s solicitation H92222-09-PSR2 for a “Precision Sniper Rifle” on 15 January 2009. The essence behind this solicitation and the numerous amendments that followed resulted in a final request for a modular rifle that could be quickly transformed from a 7.62mm to a .300 Winchester Magnum to a .338 Lapua Magnum….
Mesko, Poland’s leading ammunition manufacturer turns 90 this summer. From the beginning it was meant to provide the Polish Army with high-quality ammunition – and within the intervening years that’s what the plant, through its many guises, always did….
A defining moment for a sniper is when he can positively identify a threat within his area of operation and exercise certain actions, from an intelligence report to target neutralization. The ability to identify a target is vital in a stability operation or counterinsurgency (COIN) environment, where precisely aimed fire is at a premium and collateral damage isn’t an option….
One does not often think of shotguns as viable combat weapons and in the law enforcement arena, shotguns have lost traction in favor of the patrol carbine. The destructive power of the 12 gauge shotgun is not disputed; the real issues with the changeover had more to do with the patrol carbine being more versatile with its ability to penetrate body armor and reduce collateral damage from stray pellets. In the military arena, the shotgun still has its place but it’s rather limited. The standard….
The Croatian Armed Forces are changing from an army of defenders of their homeland, and becoming an Armed Forces that are preparing for entry into Euro-Atlantic political-military associations. They have become an army that contributes to building peace and stability, by taking part in peacekeeping missions under leadership of the UN or NATO. From a country that was the recipient of peace missions during the Homeland War, Croatia and its Armed Forces have, in a very short time, become an important factor in establishing and keeping peace in the world. Participation in peace missions is undoubtedly a confirmation of the maturity….
At foreign missions in the military area, there is often no infrastructure that will meet the needs of troops. In Afghanistan, the military camps of the “International Assistance Force” (ISAF) form the infrastructural backbone and the logistical hub. It acts as an alarm and withdrawal base for rapid deployment, material depot, area hospital, military control center and also act as a rest and regeneration place for the away from home operating forces. Without this fixed infrastructure….
Almost lost in a sea of plastic-fantastic new-wave “museums of idea, not objects” resplendent in touch-screens and 3D displays, but lacking substance and exhibits, in Germany there is a besieged island of a good, old time museum close to bursting its seams with the most fascinating hardware; a variety and quality of which is getting harder and harder to find….
The AR-15/M16/M4 series rifle is undoubtedly the most popular rifle in the United State for all military, law enforcement and commercial markets. It is the most versatile platform of a rifle on the face of the planet. Another rifle has crept up into that popularity; one that was on the scrap heap of the U.S. Army for nearly 40 years. That would be the one that started it all, the AR-10. “Tomorrow’s Rifle Today” in the late 1950s has turned out to be today’s rifle today. The rifle that Ordnance Corp….
Feedback from Afghanistan was clear – much small-arms combat was taking place at far greater distances than expected, a lot more than the U.S. Army’s standard carbine and light machine gun were designed for. The Army was being outgunned, and had to rush older, more powerful weapons to the dismounted troops. These did the job, at the cost of significantly greater weight and recoil. Mitch Shoffner has come up with a different solution – the 6.5×40, a new cartridge designed to fit….
Up until the 1960s, all machine guns manufactured in China were of foreign design. Earliest of these were well known copies of the German Maxim MG 08, generally known as Type 24 machine guns, chambered for 7.9mm Mauser ammunition of German origin. Lesser known weapons were locally made copies of the Browning M1917 and Schwarzlose M1907/12 machine guns, made between the two World Wars in very limited numbers. Light machine guns included domestic copies of Czechoslovak ZB-26 and ZB-30, as well as the Swiss SIG KE-7 machine guns, also chambered for 7.9mm Mauser ammunition…..
At this year’s 21st International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO is an acronym from Polish name of the fair: Międzynarodowy Salon Przemysłu Obronnego), almost 25,000 square metres of exhibition space was the showcase for 400 companies from 23 countries. It is a tradition of the MSPO to designate the Leading Nation, which has a national pavilion to promote its defense industry’s capabilities. This year was Turkey, which signified two important anniversaries in Polish-Turkish….
While military or law enforcement budgets often fixate on high end equipment procurement, it is the unspoken rule that trained personnel are the real commodity in any organization. There are multiple companies involved in producing ballistic protection systems. This business competition has not only spurred R&D, but also lowered the cost making it available to a wider range of clients besides the military; such as law enforcement, private security, and individual citizens. A leading ballistic protection….
With the creation of NATO, several programs were put into place for militaries of these nations to have some sort of compatibility. One part of that would be standardization of small arms ammunition. Throughout the NATO countries numerous calibers and different types of weapons were being used. The United States had great influence in the NATO ammunition trials, or it could be better said, they drove it. Even after World War II and the success of the StG44 Sturmgewehr or assault rifle, NATO countries….
There are many manufacturers making ammunition as well as remanufacturing it. Few have a reputation of being precision ammunition manufacturers let alone manufacturing military grade ammunition. But consider ammunition that is match grade loaded to military specifications? Trying to bridge match grade accuracy and ability to produce military reliability is very difficult. Loading any precision round is difficult in mass production. But there is one company out there that has done it, and that is Black Hills Ammunition owned by Jeff Hoffman and his wife Kristi, who is a co-owner and an integral, indispensable part of….
Under Land 40 Phase 2 (L40/2), the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) are intending to deliver two new direct fire support weapons to the Army’s infantry battalions and special operations forces, and to the Royal Australian Air Force’s Airfield Defence Guards. The first, the Medium Direct Fire Support Weapon (MDFSW), has already been selected and fielded, with the M3 Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifle replacing the M2 variant previously in service. The second system, slated to be a “Light Weight Automatic Grenade Launcher (LWAGL)….
The name Hornady is well known throughout the industry. Hornady is a much diversified company being involved in ammunition production, manufacturing bullets for the reloading community, manufacturing reloading supplies (presses, scales, etc.) and so on. The ammunition business provides advanced projectiles for commercial hunters, target shooters and law enforcement….
The NG7 is a light machine gun (LMG) operated by a gas system called “gas impact.” The firearm starts the shooting cycle with the open bolt to avoid cook-off after prolonged fire. When the trigger is pulled the bolt, that is locked in a full rear position, is released and starts to go forward pushed by two compressed recoil springs. During its travel a cartridge is taken from the belt, chambered and the bolt, thanks to its locking lugs, engages the corresponding lugs in the barrel extension and locks. The bolt carrier, in this phase, keeps going forward….
As Latin America’s largest country and with a population of 200 million souls, Brazil faces massive defense problems. Although it does not have to cope with any imminent threat from overseas or any of the ten bordering nations, properly watching and defending 8.5 million square kilometers of land territory and an unbroken coastline of just about 7,500 kilometers long (corresponding to 3.5 million square kilometers of territorial waters) requires substantial effort from the three independent military services, the Exército Brasileiro (Army)….
The B&T AG (Brügger & Thomet) Police Equipment Show took place over the 12-13 of June 2013. The show, which is an invitation only event, is organized by Brügger & Thomet and takes place in their home city of Thun, in Switzerland. The show, as the name implies, is aimed at the law enforcement community and is held at the large spacious Swiss Army range facility of Guntelsey on the outskirts of Thun. There were two indoor exhibition areas, the ground floor and first floor of the range firing points where nearly 40 manufacturers and distributers had more than ample space to display their product lines….
The Pacific Salt shares size, basic blade design and handle ergonomics with the Endura, but this generation was purpose built to survive maritime environments. Most notably, Spyderco forged their 3.8-inch PlainEdged blade out of H-1 Steel. (Steel generally consists of iron alloyed with carbon, (1050 usually around 1% carbon by weight as opposed to H-1 with .15%). The Carbon provides hardness and strength, but carbon steels corrode easily. Stainless Steels also add manganese, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, boron, and vanadium….
The only military trade show in Taiwan, the Taiwan Aerospace and Defense Technology Exposition was held from August 15 – 18, 2013 in Taipei, Taiwan. As the premier opportunity for the Taiwanese Ministry of Nation Defense to highlight equipment and capabilities, the show was hosted at the Taiwan World Trade Center, in the shadow of the Taipei 101 skyscraper. Although the show was a means to highlight and display of Taiwan’s military might, a number of international exhibitors were present to show off weapons….
The speed at which the United States geared up for World War II in the days after Pearl Harbor must be the paramount industrial wonder of the 20th century. Peacetime manufacturing and occupations quickly became part of the war effort with an agility that seems impossible today. Many manufacturers with no experience in small arms were tasked with converting all or part of their operations over to produce them. Singer Manufacturing, Rock-Ola, and several divisions of General Motors are among these well-known to have made the hasty transition….
Maneuvering with pinpoint accuracy and efficiency at night as well as in daytime requires situational awareness, target classification and target identification capability. Cooled thermal imagers provide superior range performance and large field of view at night and in adverse weather conditions, with a compact design and sensitive detectors with high resolution together with large depth of focus. As part of the Soldier Modernization Program IdZ, the Federal Armed Forces of Germany implemented a cooled thermal sight for infantry weapons….
The corporate symbol for Sirarms rifles is the halberd; a two-handed pole weapon (5 to 6 feet long) that consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft with a hook on the back side of the axe for grappling mounted combatants. For over two centuries, the halberd was one of the most valuable tools of war in use among soldiers, a weapon that allowed them to be able to withstand cavalry charges, unseat the attackers and counter attack. The emotional appeal to its effectiveness in the field therefore makes the brand mark….
In the early 1980s a requirement came down from the U.S. Army for a new pistol that would replace the legendary but well aged M1911 pistol. With the new NATO standardization, the new pistol would be chambered in the 9x19mm NATO cartridge: hence the beginning of the XM9 program. This would be entered by several manufacturers including Smith & Wesson, Colt, FN, H&K, Star, Beretta and SIG Sauer. After the testing was done and the reports were in, there were only two left standing: the Beretta 92F and the SIG Sauer P226….
In 1939, just a month after the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland in September, the Soviet Red Army invaded Finland. The primary reason used for the 30 November 1939 attack was to reclaim territory lost during the Russian Civil War of 1917. Soviet leaders wanted to extend their borders primarily as a buffer zone to protect the city of Leningrad from a foreign invasion….
The M203 grenade launcher has been in continuous service since 1968. It was developed during the Vietnam War to get the grenadier into the battle when his launcher was either out of grenades or in an area where it would be ineffective. The grenadier armed with a standalone M79 grenade launcher was considered a man down in an ambush or firefight because he did not have a rifle. The thought was to combine both the grenade launcher with the M16A1 rifle. Now we have severely increased the firepower on that individual level….
During the 12 long years of brutal and bloody internal conflict in the 1980s, military correspondents mentioned the Salvadorian Maestranza countless times. Among others, the Armed Forces National Workshop built over 130 guntrucks and IFVs in the 70-80s, using Jupiter (7 ton), Man 630 (5 ton), Unimog (2 ton), GM/Ford (5 ton) trucks, F-250 and Dodge M37B pickups, as well as 23 tracked Woodmaster tractors. It also tackled the conversion of elderly Madsen LMGs to 7.62mm caliber, many other small arms transformations, and became notorious for performing conversions and modifications….
On April 24-25, 2013 the Fourth Rheinmetall Infantry Symposium was held in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, Germany. Once again it was organized by Rheinmetall Defence’s division of Rheinmetall Weapons and Ammunition. SADJ was there with about two dozen defense media writers invited from three continents. This year’s Symposium gathered over 200 participants from several countries, mostly European NATO members and neutral countries….
The project to replace the current M4 Carbine, the Army’s standard infantry rifle, started in 2011 with a request for proposals from small-arms manufacturers. An analysis of the proposals resulted in a shortlist of six, with designs from Fabrique Nationale of Belgium, Heckler & Koch of Germany, Beretta of Italy and three US companies: Colt, Adcor Defense, and a joint effort by Remington, Magpul and Bushmaster. The competition reached Phase II – testing the shortlisted carbines – with a decision expected by the end of 2013….
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) returned to China’s bosom on 1 July 1997. As troops of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) rode into the former British colony, it was clear that the sun had finally set on 156 years of British rule. One thing of interest on that day in 1997 was the fact that arriving Chinese troops were wielding a hitherto unseen type of weapon. Known as the QBZ95 (or Type 95) assault rifle, it marked a distinct break with convention for the Chinese military – it was a bullpup design and it introduced a brand new….
Over the last several years many new calibers have been introduced to the AR-type platform; from the .204 Ruger, 6.8mm Rem SPC, 6.5 Grendel, 7.62x39mm, 5.45x39mm, 5.7mm, .450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM, .50 Beauwolf and .499 LWR. These are just for the AR-15 platform; there is a whole other array to the AR-10. Of all those mentioned, the only one who has really done well is the 6.8mm Rem SPC. There are several manufacturers of rifles as well as ammunition. As of this writing this author could not find any ammunition….
There are many hundreds of vehicles across the world in international peace making/peace keeping operations that are not equipped with remote controlled weapon protection systems on the vehicle’s roof that can protect the gunner who could sit in the inside of the armoured vehicle. Many vehicles are only equipped with a machine gun that the gunner has to operate unprotected when he/she is staying in the vehicle’s roof opening. In situations like this, the gunner is exposed to a very dangerous unprotected situation being a target for snipers….
Many years before WWII started, small arms designers of the world noted that in the real world the power of the rifle round was seldom used to the full extent. The late 19th Century saw the extraordinary surge in rifle shooting distance capability. The introduction of smokeless cartridges with small caliber jacketed bullets extended the individual effective range of fire far beyond the limitations of the open sights. At 2,000 yards, where these bullets were still lethal, a man-sized target would hide completely behind even the thinnest….
Early last June 2012, news from Paraguay indicated that 321 police agents had been dispatched to Curuguaty. The police officers, supported by a couple of helicopters, were there to disband several peasants who had occupied a Ranch owned by a local politician. However, the aftermath of the police raid left 11 peasants and 6 police officers dead. Local reports later claimed that the police reinforcements had been ambushed by elements of a local peasant community organization (Liga Nacional de Carperos), and among those killed….
The first edition was published in 2008 and takes the reader through the development of the assault rifle, manufacturers in Russia, detailed looks at the 1st-3rd generation AK-47 rifles, AKM update, AK-74 family of weapons, AK-100 series, other Kalashnikov designs, Warsaw Pact countries manufacturing AK-type rifles, AK-derivatives, AK comes to America, made in USA AK-47 rifles, magazine and ammunition variations. The second edition greatly enhances the reader’s knowledge by the addition of many detailed photographs of various models, additional information and updated information of the current status of this family of weapons….
DSEI is the largest fully integrated defense and security show in the world, featuring Air, Naval, Land and Security show content. Based in ExCeL, London every two years, the event provides unrivalled access to key markets across the globe. Combining a high quality of exhibitors across the supply chain, networking opportunities and the ability to see new technologies first hand on the show floor, DSEI provides an inspirational experience to nearly 30,000 visitors…..
5.56mm is the ammunition of the infantrymen who have used it for the combat at short distance since the war in Vietnam. Its current range for battlefield use is approximately 440 yards (400 m) and its performance improved with the introduction of the 5.56mm NATO whose SS 109 bullet made it possible to engage up to 650 yards (600 m). For shooting up to 1,100 yards (1,000 m), sniper rifles and machine-guns in 7.62mm NATO are used….
In his 1922 book, Story of the North West Frontier Province, author JM Ewart writes: “That gap in the low hills (south of Peshawar city) marks the Kohat Pass, which really has a better claim to being a historic highway of invasion than the Khyber itself. By it, across a neck of Afridi country, runs the Frontier Road to Kohat and Bannu, to Dera Ismail Khan and Razmak. The villages of the pass are famed for a strange industry — the manufacture entirely by hand of rifles and ammunitions, especially rifles, to the eye so like the products of European arsenals…
