n 1968 the Kennedy administration closed the Springfield Armory. For the most part, it ended a long-standing process where the Government designed and produced small arms and medium cannons. The change resulted in private industry competing for contracts to procure weapons on a “best value” basis that ended up saving the taxpayer money. The change also meant that private industry would need to develop sales campaigns in order to get their products in front of military customers. Companies need promotional material, giveaways, and advertisement campaigns….
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 origin of the company lies in the establishment by the Finnish government in 1923 of a cartridge factory in the town of Lapua in western Finland. The State Cartridge Factory (as it was named in 1927) was the main supplier of ammunition to the Finnish Army during the Winter and Continuation Wars with the USSR between 1939 and 1944. In 1991 it became an independent company under the new name Cartridge Factory Lapua, Ltd. The next year, Lapua acquired the German cartridge factory SK Jagd- und Sportmunitions GmbH. In 1996, Finnish military manufacturers were combined under the banner of Patria Industries; Lapua became Patria Lapua. In 1998 Patria Industries Oyj from Finland….
Law enforcement and military ammunition has come a long way in the last 20 years. Military ammunition, not so much due to the Hague and Geneva convention restrictions but advances in LE ammunition have made calibers known for being poor man stoppers into very effective and efficient man stoppers. Federal has always been one of the top industry leaders in advanced ammunition development – perhaps the first true high performance hollow point with the introduction of the Hydra-Shok round that really saw its popularity peak in the mid to late 1980s. The new HST round has currently in the opinion of many been found to be one of if not the best LE/personal defense projectile on the market….
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 name Barnes is renowned in the firearms industry. It has been since its founding in 1932 by Fred Barnes. In 1965, the company was sold and renamed the Colorado Bullet Company. Then in 1974, Randy and Coni Brooks purchased the company. After getting consult from Fred Barnes, they acquired the right to change the name back to Barnes Bullets. To date, Barnes has been known for producing solid copper projectile for hunting, law enforcement and military applications. They also load cartridges with OTM (Open Tip Match) projectiles….
Steyr Mannlicher is located in the town of Steyr in Austria. Josef Werndl founded the “Josef und Franz Werndl & Comp Waffenfabrik und Sagemuhle in Oberletten” and subsequently the Steyr Werke AG of which Steyr Mannlicher was a division. In 1885 the Austrian Hungarian army accepted a new bolt action rifle designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher from whence came the Mannlicher name….
The origin of RUAG Ammotec can be traced back to the Eidgenossische Munitionsfabrik established by the Swiss Confederation in Thun in 1863. In 1995, this was merged with another Swiss firm, Munitionsfabrik Altdorf to form the Schweizerische Munitionsfabrik (SM), following which expansions and reorganization occurred rapidly. In 1999, RUAG Holding was formed to incorporate SM; the name changed to RUAG Munition in 2001. The small arms ammunition sector of Dynamit Nobel was acquired in 2002, leading to the….
Alphonse William Vallerand was an American veteran of the Korean War, and a quiet giant in the Class III collector community. He mentored many of us about military weapons. You can read about him in his interview at www.smallarmsoftheworld.com. Bill was one of the founders of Small Arms Review magazine and one of his passions was the study of magazines, belts, links, and other feeding devices. He began studying them in the 1950s and started developing identification systems with Dan Shea in the 1980s. During the 1990s….
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….
(Left) Pre World War II U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Armored Tank Corps Division with red horse’s head and red stripe on yellow shield designating the…
World War I era U.S. Cavalry officer’s tunic collar insignia. Worn in pairs, these collar insignia represent the Machine Gun Squadron of the cavalry. From…
Japanese interwar or early World War II machine gunner commemorative discharge sake pourer featuring the Army star, Japanese battle flag and a Type 11 light…
Oil on canvas painting (1906) entitled ‘Off Duty’ by Julius M. Price; in the days when the British Royal Navy ruled the Seven Seas. Sharp…
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….
Eurosatory – the largest military and small arms defense show in Europe opened June 11 – 15, 2012 to exhibitors from more than 60 countries. Representing small arms, medium and large caliber gun systems, vehicles, aircraft, and missiles, the exhibition was well attended by visitors from around the world….
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….
In the movies, the scary music always gets louder just before they go around the blind corner. For operators, worrying about what is waiting around the corner can be the worst. The Corner Shot CSM is the tool that takes that worry away, and makes the bad guys worry about what’s coming around the corner for them….
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….
SOST: A Way Forward in Contemporary Understanding of the 1899 Hague Declaration on Expanding Bullets
In 2006, the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Special Operations & Technology (SOST) office tasked the Crane Division, Surface Warfare Center, to develop a general combat ball round that would exhibit enhanced internal and external ballistics, and improved consistency in its terminal ballistics. It required a capability to defeat intermediate barriers such as auto glass and doors when fired in a carbine-length weapon system. The ammunition would have to maintain full compatibility with all existing weapon platforms….
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….
At SHOT Show 2010, SIG showed their new Model 516 and 716 rifles to the industry. The 516, a short stroke tappet version of the M4 was released to compete in the military and law enforcement markets both world wide as well as the U.S. With the direct gas versus piston operated controversy, SIG decided everyone is making a direct gas gun, why not then make a high quality piston operated rifle to satisfy those who have the piston bug. The 5.56mm SIG 516 is an M4 carbine with the only major differences being….
In December of 2012, the Korean company S&T Motive received a contract with South Korean DAPA (Defense Acquisition and Purchase Agency; an agency who performs all government defense purchasing) to supply 3.2 billion won (close to 3 million USD) worth of K14 sniper rifles with all optics and accessories, including training ammunition. These are for the Korean Army for delivery during 2013. This is the first time the ROK (Republic of Korea) Army has purchased a large number of sniper rifles, and the K14….
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….
Negrini srl and International Case Company are introducing the Tactica Concealed Carry line of lightweight travel and security cases dedicated to shooters and collectors of tactical weapons and handguns. Designed specifically for today’s handgun and tactical weapon shooters, Negrini Tactica CC cases hide their intended use with attractive Italian design instead of looking like typical gun cases. The Tactica CC cases also offer….
Classification: (noun) A way or condition of being arranged. The act of putting into classes. A subdivision of a larger group. Classification. What’s the…
Oregon State Police (OSP) Sergeant Tyler Lee reports that on January 4, 2013 at approximately 9:13 p.m., a 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser driven by John Noveske, age 36, from Grants Pass, was westbound on Highway 260 near El Camino Way. As the vehicle negotiated a right curve, it traveled across the oncoming lane onto the dirt highway shoulder until it struck two large boulders. The vehicle rolled and Mr. Noveske was ejected. Noveske, who is the owner of a local rifle manufacturing company, was not using safety restraints and was pronounced….
“May you live in interesting times…” supposedly a Chinese curse, the U.S. arms export trade is currently facing unprecedented challenges and difficulties. Faced with threats from the United Nations via the Arms Trade Treaty, threats of new Federal and State legislation limiting the manufacture of firearms and magazines, and the recent unprecedented consumer demand for firearms have created shortages of nearly all firearms and ammunition. Those involved in the export of semiautomatic firearms from the United States know that sourcing firearms has been challenging since the end of 2012….
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. reported that third-quarter sales were up 39 percent compared to the same period last year. “Performance gains were driven by continued robust consumer demand for firearms as well as increased sales of our M&P polymer pistols and modern sporting rifles. Based on incremental improvements in expanding our production capacity, which will be further deployed in the fourth quarter, we are increasing our financial guidance for the full fiscal year 2013,” said President and CEO James Debney….
The George M. Chinn Award is presented annually to honor a government or industry individual who, in the opinion of the Small Arms Systems Division Executive Board, has made significant contributions to the field of small arms and/or infantry weapons systems. A significant contribution is considered to be a creative invention, new design or innovative concept in small arms weapons, ammunition or ancillary equipment that provides an advancement in the state-of-the-art or capability enhancement that clearly benefits the warfighting….
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…
On October 17-19, 2012, the Future Soldier Exhibition & Conference (FSEC) took place at the Letňany exhibition centre in Prague. It is a specific international event consisting of a military fair, a meeting of the highest level representatives of military and armament staff, and a professional conference on a specific topic – this year it was “Future of Cyber.”
The see-saw battle of armor protection versus armament has been going on since the first wooden shield deflected a bone or stone tipped spear. Most people associate the knights of medieval times as the epitome of armor over armament. In Europe, plate armor reached its peak in the 16th century until the evolution of firearms brought an end to plate armor ascendancy. Research & Development (R&D) in armor protection continued behind the scenes without managing to catch up to firearm effectiveness for hundreds of years…..
At the beginning of 1938, the Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (ERMA) received an official order for the development a new submachine gun from the Heereswaffenamt (office for army weapons). Already a few months later, at the beginning of June 1938, ERMA presented the Maschinenpistole MP38. This achievement is impressive; however the time interval seems to be much too short for developing such a new weapon. This fact must arouse suspicions that a (nearly) ready draft must have slumbered in the drawers of ERMA….
Today’s ground forces are preparing for tomorrow’s demanding missions in which combat strategies and tactics must be seamlessly implemented – from open to urban terrain and through a three-block war scenario. Saab has extensive experience in supporting ground forces with solutions designed to meet the need for enhanced operational capabilities at a higher level of effectiveness. A weapon’s multi-role capacity can mean the difference between combat success and failure. In 1978 during a patrol mission in a valley in Lebanon, Norwegian soldiers….
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was founded in 1982 and was centered on Ronnie Barrett’s idea of a shoulder-fired .50 BMG rifle. Many…
The Global War on Terrorism has put to the test many new weapon systems adopted in the post Cold War period. Many of those weapons and tactics had never really been tested in a real combat environment. They worked well in the lab and in testing but never really saw combat until the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Small arms were no exception; in fact they would be the first to be put on trial….
ABOVE: We first spotted this polymer and brass .50 caliber BMG ammo at MARCORSYSCOM’s display at MDM way back in 2009. We’re pleased to report…
The Galil, the first IDF assault rifle, has been completely redesigned by IWI engineers developing a version that incorporates a fair number of improvements concerning ergonomics and materials, giving to this military classic a new operative life. When Ysrael Galil and Ya’akov Lior designed the Galil they were solving an emergency. During 1973, Israelis were equipped with the Belgian FAL in two versions: the “Aleph” model as individual weapon and the “Beth” model…
This was the fifth year in a row that the ISDEF show was put on in Tel Aviv. It shows strong growth and the show has expanded from last year. What started out as a show sponsored by large contractor TAR Ideal Concepts, Ltd. to gather their associates and customers together, has turned into a small but increasingly world class event. We booked SADJ in for 2013’s show, of course. The promoters have decided to switch to an every two year format, like many other military shows. This gives the attendees time to work on their contacts and prepare for the next show….
During our last visit, we were able to see the newest offerings from the ST Kinetics Small Arms Division. The CPW, or Compact Personal Weapon, was the first item we looked at. We were impressed with the ergonomic design, the light weight, and the multiple caliber concept. On this visit, we got a deeper look at a matured design that is coming to market. The choice was made to stay with 9x19mm due to the prevalence of the caliber…
International Defence Exhibition Bratislava is organized every two years in Bratislava, the capital of Slovak Republic. Under the auspices of the Slovak President, Prime minister…
The Russians still say that the 65 year old Avtomat Kalashnikova would soldier on for decades, yet they are painfully aware that it’s getting out of touch with modernity – despite numerous modernizations. That’s precisely why they created the AK-12, or 5th Generation Avtomat Kalashnikova, presented in January 2012. The AK-100 series successor wasn’t created overnight – the first models were already evaluated by 2009. The new rifle even got designated then as the AK-200 – but still arguments abounded whether that should be another modified 100-series rifle….
For a compact assassination pistol, the Soviet PSS with its companion SP4 silent ammunition is a hard combination to beat. While the PSS resembles a somewhat large conventional blowback pistol, it is definitely unique. The weapon is 6.7 inches long and weighs 30 ounces. Its size is comparable to a SIG P226 pistol, but the specialized ammunition delivers a close range lethal projectile with almost no sound signature….
Recently there has been an upswing in interest regarding the weapons of North Korea. This is due not only to the current saber rattling in the region and the changing of the leadership, but to how difficult it is to obtain accurate information as well as the disinformation campaigns that have been successfully waged by the North Korean propaganda bureaus. Heebum Hong and Dan Shea have studied the small arms of North Korea for decades….
Col. Lewis was a United States Military Academy (West Point) graduate (1884) and spent twenty-five years in the United States Army assigned primarily to Coastal Artillery units. He was a keen inventor and received a number of patents for artillery rangefinders and other artillery related equipment. He also studied in Europe for several years learning about the armament industry. It was while in Europe that he discovered that America was at least ten years behind in artillery and small arms manufacturing – particularly machine guns….
It was clear that the EF88 is significantly better than its predecessors, and exhibits all of the traits of a competitive modern assault rifle. Within its niche as an advanced bullpup rifle, it has little competition – perhaps only from the IMI Tavor series – and exceeds the standards provided by Defence under Land 125. Thales Australia have managed to correct some of the weaknesses of the F88SA2 (poor cheek weld, excessive weight….
As a rising superpower, China has entered the arms trade show circuit since 2002. The sixth Asia Pacific China Police show was held on May 22-25, 2012 in Beijing China. Situated within the China National Convention Center, the show is located within the Olympic Park Complex. The National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest) and the National Aquatics Center (also known as the Water Cube) are within the same complex….
One day in November 2010, the battle to get Antonio Ezekiel Cárdenas Guillén, one of the most feared and wanted drug lords in Mexico, had lasted eight-hours. The Scorpions – the capo’s own army – presented a stiff resistance to hundreds of soldiers and federal policemen while a 660-strong Marine battalion fought its way to his whereabouts in Matamoros. This is a small city in Tamaulipas, just across the border from Texas. The government forces…
At the 2012 SHOT Show, ArmaLite introduced their new and long anticipated AR-10A family of rifles. This is an AR-10 that uses the standard magazine rather than the proprietary M14 based magazine that the ArmaLite AR-10B rifles have used since their introduction in 1995. To trace the history a little, the ArmaLite AR-10B series was introduced to the commercial market in 1995, which was one year after the infliction of the 1994 assault weapon ban that prohibited production of magazines that held more than 10 rounds for commercial purposes. Former U.S. Army Ordnance officer and President of ArmaLite Mark Westrom had a dilemma on his hands while….
Since 2005, the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) have been providing a paramilitary force capable of stabilizing reconstruction efforts and will continue to provide a long term security force for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. This essay takes a look at the small arms, equipment, and organization of a Police unit based out of the Loy Kolay Precinct, Nawa district in Helmand province. During the time frame of this article, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Infantry Regiment (1/9) was supporting the AUP and ANA positions in Nawa Ye-Baraksi district. Since then, 2/6 has taken over. (A note on abbreviations, AUP was formally designated Afghan National Police (ANP)….
