Reviews

ARSENAL® JSCO, BULGARIA MG-1M The 7.62x54mm ARSENAL MG-1M machine guns are powerful automatic weapons, used as armament against enemy troops...

“Solving the Riddle of Steel” By Dan Shea   “The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery....

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

SMITH & WESSON M&P M.A.G.I.C.® Assisted Opening Liner Lock Folding Knife Smith & Wesson® Large M&P® M.A.G.I.C.® Assisted Opening Liner...

A Bolt-Action Variant for Every Use and Taste By Oleg Volk The Mossberg MVP line of rifles was introduced in 2012....

Expodefensa: A Hub Linking North and South America By Julio A. Montes Expodefensa was held for the first time in...

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) had depended upon its F88 5.56mm rifle—a Thales Australian-built variant of the Austeyr or Steyr...

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

Author Dean Roxby using the Nikon Black RangeX 4K Laser Rangefinder. When laser rangefinders (LRFs) first appeared on the civilian...

Completed Bizon build. The collapse of the Soviet Union plunged the new Russian state into chaos, plagued by organized crime...

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

The XM17 Modular Handgun System The P320-M17 is available with standard 17-round magazines, but factory 22-round versions are also available....

At the turn of this century, American tactical shotguns were generally tube-fed pumps and semiautos. The few attempts at box...

Nikon Sport Optics has manufactured quality optics for decades. Several years ago, Nikon released the BLACK X1000 series riflescopes. The...

In terms of firearm product development, we live in exciting times. Computers, compact circuitry and manufacturing techniques have opened a...

FN HERSTAL FN® FCU Mk3 Fire Control Unit The FN FCU Mk3 Fire Control Unit provides a complete sighting and...

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

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

There has been a resounding boom in popularity of suppressors in recent years. They have become less the stuff of...

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

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

A History of South African Firearms South Africa has a rich history evident in its firearms, but this is a...

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

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

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

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

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

KRUŠIK HOLDING CORPORATION Hand Grenades M-84 & M-75 M-84 Hand Grenade Manufacturer: Krusik Holding Corporation Model: M-84 Type: Hand Grenade...

ABOVE: The Razor adds little weight or bulk to the Aklys Defense ZK22 bullpup conversion of 10-22 action. Designed in...

ABOVE: YANKEE HILL MACHINE 5.56 Turbo Suppressor YANKEE HILL MACHINE 5.56 Turbo Suppressor The Turbo™ was designed to meet the...

BLASER Primus 8x56 King of the Night & 8x42 Universal Genius Binoculars Rather than outsourcing production, these Binoculars are made...

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

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...

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

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

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

The venerable HK G3 family is a reliable warhorse that canfeel dated in its ergonomics and accessory interface. With an...

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

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

ABOVE: FIME Group FM-AK-47-11 Rifle FIME Group Introduces the FM-AK-47-11 Rifle FIME Group of Las Vegas, Nevada, introduces the latest...

ABOVE: Windham Weaponry MCS The M16/M4 weapon system entered a new era in 2003 and would redefine the term “modular...

ABOVE: “Canadian Rangers test-fire the recently-adopted C-19 rifle”. (Image credit: Canadian Armed Forces) The Canadian Rangers are a sub-component of...

There have been a number of attempts in the last decade to integrate all of the possible futuristic ideas for...

INTRODUCTION At the end of the 1950s the Italian economy was booming, thanks to both the creativity of manufacturers and...

ABOVE: Barrett employee in an assault stance with the LWS, in the way that Barrett envisions the LWS being most...

Truvelo Manufacturing started in the 1960s in South Africa manufacturing various electronic devices. In 1994, the Truvelo Armoury branch was...

ABOVE: The Caracal CAR816 in the hands of a UAE soldier. This rifle is the basic assault rifle with a...

ABOVE: Accuracy International AX50 .50BMG rifle was designed with long range accuracy in mind. Accuracy International (AI) has been a...

ABOVE: M9A3 pistol equipped with a SilencerCo Octane 9mm sound suppressor. In 1985 a legend was retired. The highly regarded...

ABOVE: Compact, lighter than one might think, the MGA SAW in 6.8 SPC brings serious firepower to the engagement. In...

ABOVE: The new IWI US UZI Pro Pistol offers a civilian legal pistol version of the UZI Pro submachine gun....

Every so often a product comes along that is completely, unequivocally “new.” Not just a new variation on an old...

ABOVE: GLOCK offers users a choice in handguns chambered in 10MM Auto in the form of G29, G20, G40 MOS....

ABOVE: The P220 chambered in 10mm was tested with many different types of ammunition including Hornady Critical Duty, Hornady Custom,...

ABOVE: Colt's O1070CCU – COMBAT UNIT™ RAIL GUN® Colt The COMBAT UNIT™ RAIL GUN is an upgraded Duty Ready pistol...

The First Ever Large Scale Sale of a 6.8x43mm Caliber Rifle to a Military Back in 2001 a new cartridge...

Range vehicles presented realistic ambush scenarios during Barrett REC 7 DI T&E. Barrett has taken its vision of the AR...

Scopes around 3-9x cover a majority of rifle sighting requirements: powerful enough for extended distances, but can be dialed down...

From soldiering to civilian life I have had the opportunity to use some of the world’s greatest CQ optics. SADJ...

ABOVE: POF’s engineers did not just add some extra parts. They perfected this gun. There’s something better about this rifle....

ABOVE: The VP9 is inspired by the Welrod design but modernized for Veterinary use. The legendary silenced Welrod pistol that...

U.S. MACHINE GUN ARMORY ANNOUNCES THE MGA SAW K The U.S. Machine Gun Armory, an international provider of multi-caliber military...

ABOVE: The Mk12 SPR has seen significant amount of action in the Global War on Terrorism being very popular with...

Once seen as an enhancement to your duty or combat rifle, quality RDS (Red Dot Sights) have become all but...

Kivaari .338 Lapua Rifle Now Shipping DRD Tactical is happy to announce that they have started shipping their new Kivarri...

ABOVE: The RCE is CMMG’s version of a “Recce” or Recon AR. The driving force behind the Recon was to...

The Nordic Ammunition Company, or Nammo, is a familiar name in the defense industry, and their products are well known...

ABOVE: Field expedient firing positions were utilized during GII SASS evaluation at Echo Valley Training Center’s “Jungle Walk” range. DPMS...

ABOVE: After a thorough evaluation, the FNS 9 stands head and shoulder above many other 9mm handguns. A Superior Polymer...

The MLE will exceed every intent and expectation of the combat shotgun. By and large the shotgun has been traditionally...

ABOVE: Rheinmetall Vario-Ray SWIR Rheinmetall adds a new offering to its line of electro-optical equipment: the Vario-Ray (LLM-VR). It’s designed...

SureFire Releases Its Most Powerful LED Flashlight Ever SureFire, LLC, manufacturer of high-end illumination tools and tactical products, has commenced...

Aimpoint has had a lot of success in the individual weapon categories, with their military and civilian programs. After years...

ABOVE: The P320 in full business attire. The extra-long Picatinny spec rail allows for a multitude of add-ons. SIG Sauer...

Our fighting soldiers - the recon units and scouts and expeditionary fighting forces that carry all of their equipment on...

ABOVE: Police Officer and SWAT Sniper Fabian Rivera firing the H&K USP Tactical. Notice the pistol is in full recoil....

ABOVE: The Avtomat Nikonova 94 The war machine of the Soviet Union has always been a source of intrigue to...

ABOVE: Right side of the Colt LE901 with the Smith Enterprise Vortex flash hider and the folding front sight base....

Barrett is known for their innovative approaches in designing rifles. Much of this stems from Barrett’s non-typical background for a...

Throughout the industry there are numerous combination tools for the AR-15/M16-series rifle. Most of them are not what you would...

The key to reliability with any auto loading firearm is the feeding device whether it is a magazine, clip, belt...

It is nice to see a product evolve over time. The ArmaLite AR-31 .308 Win rifle is a great case...

In January of 1990 a new cartridge hit the market that would pretty much be a game changer as to...

They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If that is the case, Norinco of China is...

The Accuracy International AX PSR was developed to compete in USSOCOM’s solicitation H92222-09-PSR2 for a “Precision Sniper Rifle” on 15...

One does not often think of shotguns as viable combat weapons and in the law enforcement arena, shotguns have lost...

Feedback from Afghanistan was clear – much small-arms combat was taking place at far greater distances than expected, a lot...

While military or law enforcement budgets often fixate on high end equipment procurement, it is the unspoken rule that trained...

With the creation of NATO, several programs were put into place for militaries of these nations to have some sort...

The NG7 is a light machine gun (LMG) operated by a gas system called “gas impact.” The firearm starts the...

Maneuvering with pinpoint accuracy and efficiency at night as well as in daytime requires situational awareness, target classification and target...

The corporate symbol for Sirarms rifles is the halberd; a two-handed pole weapon (5 to 6 feet long) that consists...

In the early 1980s a requirement came down from the U.S. Army for a new pistol that would replace the...

In the movies, the scary music always gets louder just before they go around the blind corner.  For operators, worrying...

Over the last several years many new calibers have been introduced to the AR-type platform; from the .204 Ruger, 6.8mm...

At SHOT Show 2010, SIG showed their new Model 516 and 716 rifles to the industry. The 516, a short...

In December of 2012, the Korean company S&T Motive received a contract with South Korean DAPA (Defense Acquisition and Purchase...

The first edition was published in 2008 and takes the reader through the development of the assault rifle, manufacturers in...

Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was founded in 1982 and was centered on Ronnie Barrett’s idea of a...

The Global War on Terrorism has put to the test many new weapon systems adopted in the post Cold War...

The Galil, the first IDF assault rifle, has been completely redesigned by IWI engineers developing a version that incorporates a...

For a compact assassination pistol, the Soviet PSS with its companion SP4 silent ammunition is a hard combination to beat....

It was clear that the EF88 is significantly better than its predecessors, and exhibits all of the traits of a...

The famous MAG-58 General Purpose Machine Gun has its roots in John Browning’s 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle: the BAR. FN...

At the 2012 SHOT Show, ArmaLite introduced their new and long anticipated AR-10A family of rifles. This is an AR-10...

Choosing the name of the most popular home video cassette system for your nation’s rifle might not have been intentional,...

The familiar look, feel and function of the legendary 1911 pistol designed over 100 years ago are alive in this...

Over the last several decades, counter-terrorism operations became very important for most ‘civilized world’ law enforcement organizations.  Increased terrorism threats...

To appreciate the complexity of situations where police or military forces charged with peacekeeping duties utilize force, one must conceptualize...

For a rifle to be considered versatile it must be able to satisfy multiple roles with equal aplomb. A viable...

The B&T Advanced Police Carbine 9 (APC9) is a rather nice blend of existing, proven design and some truly unique...

For the last 15 or so years, the AR-10 has seen a rebirth from the dust on the floor of...

The Czech arms industry made a great impact in 20th century weaponry history with a large range of remarkable products....

Afghanistan, November 13, 2011: A gang of armed Taliban terrorists hold 18 hostages in the Kabul offices of Esko International,...

Early in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq it was clear by the entire sniping community there was a need...

A direct derivation from the TAR-21 Tavor bullpup rifle, adopted in 2003 by the Israel Defence Forces, we are going to...

The end of the first decade of the new millennium saw Czechs and Slovaks as the Last of Mohicans in...

Chinese submachine gun technology has come a long way in the past 50 years. From the days of chop-shop PPSh-41...

The new Gemtech Quicksand sound suppressor, now available for purchase, is used on 7.62 NATO rifles and utilizes a patented...

The reintroduction of the AR-10/SR-25 in the early 1990s re-revolutionized the use of semiautomatic rifles as sniper/tactical rifles. The direct...

Greg Felton of Law Enforcement International (LEI) in the UK, was trying to meet the requirements of a friendly Government...

The name ArmaLite is synonymous with innovation and design excellence.  As the company started it was ahead of the rest...

At the 2007 SHOT Show, Magpul introduced their Masada Adaptive Combat Weapon System.  There was quite a buzz around the...

Entering NATO made the Polish Army face an uneasy choice of new armament, poised to function under totally different strategic,...

The 40mm grenade launcher has seemingly become ubiquitous in the catalog of modern rifle manufacturers.  It seems that no catalog...

Daewoo Precision, maker of the USAS12 combat shotgun, K1 and K2 battle rifles, and the K3 LMG, has manufactured well...

When Small Arms Defense Journal was contacted to see if we were interested in testing the initial batch of Caracal...

Over the last 15 or so years, the sniper rifle in both concept and rifle has changed.  It was not...

The industry has seen much change over the last 10 to 15 years in caliber as well as weapon revivals....

At SHOT Show 2004, a new black rifle was introduced that was not just a copy of the standard design...

The phone call from Carl Bertil Johansson in early summer 2009 came out of the blue.  The founder of the...

The Blyskawica (‘Lightning’, pronounced bwiskavitsa, with ‘wi’ to be read like in ‘wisdom’) was designed and manufactured fully clandestine, for...

At the NRA Show in early 2009, Ruger introduced a new member to their semiautomatic rifle line: the SR-556 –...

A relatively new product on the U.S. market, the Multi-Purpose Aiming Reflex Sight (MARS) has been on the international market for...

The handgun is an ideal candidate for suppression in instances where concealability of a quiet weapon with reasonable terminal ballistics...

Many of us remember the finale in the 1965 movie Thunderball when James Bond and his allies battle Emilio Largo,...

The strategic placement of elements on the battlefield has been the subject of millions of words, from many sources, both...

Switzerland is well known for its exquisite time pieces, fine chocolate, and its highly professional banking practices.  The firearms manufactured...

There are few people intimately involved with the gun industry who have not had a favorite 1911 or two.  Testing...

The authors were invited to attend the presentation ceremony of the new Beretta ARX 160 Assault Rifle from the world’s...

The SSG 08 is a new marksman bolt-action rifle intended to replace the aging Austrian sniper legend Scharfschützengewehr 69, or...

Since the introduction of the AR-15/M16 series weapons in the early 1960s, the weapon was envisioned by Colt to be...

The United States Government (TACOM) has just announced an order has been placed with U.S. Ordnance, for 548 M2HB Flex...

The Soviet Union and its current iteration, Russia, have long been known for innovative weapon development; only some of which...

Little is known in the Western world of the Soviet silent pistols utilizing special silent ammunition. The package consists of...

The late 1980s and early 1990s were a time of change for Poland; shaking-off the results of 45 years of...

LWRC (Land Warfare Resources Company) began as Leitner-Wise Rifle Company.  The company was a research and development firm dedicated to...

Chambering the Black Rifle in .308 Win. (7.62x51mm NATO) is anything but a new idea.  From the early ArmaLites to...

Throughout the years, flashlights were considered a separate entity from firearms – something to be held in the other hand. ...

Weighing in at only 7.2 ounces including the recoil device and with a diameter of only 1.25 inches, the Gemtech...

What’s not to like about a real machine gun that’s significantly lighter than a chunky M240, about the same size...

Over the past 10 years the industry has seen several new weapon systems emerge with the older piston technology making...

The sniper and spotter have been lying in their concealed position for hours observing the handful of windows and doors....