Belgian Police adopt S&W M&P 9mm

This is a blog post I never thought I would write! Despite having the home field advantage, FN Herstal lost out on a contract to supply the Belgian Federal Police with pistols. Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm won the competition to replace the aging FN/Browning GP-35 (Hi-Power).

FNH, who have been laying off workers after losing contacts, are not happy. Lesoir.be reports (Translated Using Google) ...

Guy Francis, Senior Associate FGTB Metal. Which shows bitter: "It's a bit sad not to be a benchmark in our own country. The policy we already puts a spoke in the wheels for export licenses, if even now does not favor federal police in Belgium, where are we going to sell weapons? "

Gabriel SmaI, principal secretary to the CSC Metal Liège-Huy-Ware, "it is regrettable that the police do not equips a company owned 100% by the Walloon Region. This will particularly impact in terms of image. A bit like the Italian police were driving in a Renault Fiat rather than ... "

Misplaced nationalism? This is the view of Vincent Gilles, national president of the SLFP-Police, for whom he had to choose the best weapon.

[ Many thanks to Famas for emailing me the link. ]

Can surplus Hi-Powers be far behind?

Wow on a number of fronts.

As the article translation indicates, there is a tremendous political and cultural division in Belgium at this time. I’ve got to wonder if the political issues may have had something to do with the S&W win.

My assumption is Herstal (as in FN-Herstal) is French speaking and the National Police may have a strong Dutch speaking Flemish leadership.

Basically, no one is in charge… It is like Somalia in reverse. The country is relatively good economic shape but instead of fighting to lead the country, people are fighting not to lead (and potentially divide).

Odd. I had a M&P 9 and hated it. Sold it, bought a FNP45, love it.

well, i certainly chose the fnx-9 over the m&p. can’t see why anyone would pick the m&p over the fnx… just my 2¢

4cammer: I hope so!

Pete, I’m a radical libertarian, and I’m glad that Belgians realized they don’t need “wise and great leaders” in charge to control their lives.

Hopefully they won’t rust like the M&Ps S&W sold to the Detroit Police.

Yeah, odd. The FN handguns are sadly underrated. You’d think they’d at least get more appreciation in their native country. Especially since they can be operated the same way as a Browning Hi Power, which would ease the transition. Well, sorry Belgian cops. More for me, I guess. I love a rugged polymer firearm with all the modern convenience features, that can still be carried cocked & locked like an old school Hi Power or a 1911. Best of all worlds, really.

No real surprise if you are actually picking the handgun based on merit. It’s no coincidence that there are umpteen times more people competing with M&Ps compared to FNP/FXPs. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone competing with an FNP who is not sponsored by FN.

I own both an FNP and multiple M&Ps. If you are just bullseye shooting on a static range, I guess an FNP could be considered “better” for some people based on it’s better trigger. But the M&P’s trigger can be easily improved, and the M&P’s better ergonomics and lower bore axis are the reason why it is so much more popular in competitions and more “practical” shooting.

@Pete,

You gathered all that from the little bit of translation?

I actually was at a Federal Academy in Belgium a few month back for work, and had a talk about the sidearm chage with the guys there.

First, they already had a mix of old GPs (a few), gen2/3 Glock 17/19 (a lot) and HP-DA (you yanks know them as BDA). So going for a new handgun for everyone is a good idea. Thats in the same optic as the French Police going for the Sig 2022.

Second, the M&P9 was already chosen by the time i was there, but the Police Unions weren’t cool with the fact that it had been chosen by “pencil pushers” up in the food chain, so the guns went back on the testing range with the “frontline” guys. If the M&P9 prevailed again, that must mean it is the weapon for the job.

Third, last time the Belgian Federales bought anything from FN was when they got P90s and Five seveNs in the very early 90s.
I think the guys at FN are just pissed off because they keep losing contracts to other manufacturers, or to no real reason at all (SCAR, IAR…)

Pete gives us a perfect summary of the actual situation in Belgium, and indeed probably a “flemish” decision (the current minister responsible for the federal police is flemish) against the FN Herstal, 100 % owned by the French speaking region Wallonia.

Sounds a bit like the same story as their neighbors in Holland with the Sig Sauer.

See: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/03/14/hk-and-walther-take-dutch-government-to-court/

This maybe explains why the former chief of Police from Belgium gets away with spending 92.000 Euro (!!) on a week trip to a Qatar conference, maybe he got some more bonuses.

See:http://translate.google.nl/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hbvl.be%2Fnieuws%2Fbinnenland%2Faid1024794%2Ffernand-koekelberg-mocht-maar-35-000-euro-uitgeven-aan-reis.aspx&sl=nl&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Head of Belgian Police Mr. Koekelberg resigned recently after all the comments he received.

Does someone know if S&W was present at the Qatar conference?

PS The Steyr AUG they use (picture) is a 9mm Conversion, you could see this from the magazine.

Oh and for those waiting for suplus hi-power : first of all, the ones the federal police have are pretty used up. They’ve had them for a long time (they are mostly surplus and rebuilds that came frome the former federal police, the Gendarmerie) and they will be used as spare parts for the local and regional services that are still using the BHP as their main sidearm.

Why did you remove my comments these are facts?

Let the agencies choose the best gun for the task and let it be. Politics do not belong in the gun procurement business. Anyone remember WWI, WWII, Vietnam, present day wars? Politics + buying guns = the soldier/cop gets jipped out of a functional weapon.

Who ever meets the most requirements for the lowest price should get the contract. Save national pride for other political agendas.

@ FNH,

Instead of whining like a bunch of preschoolers why dont you guys make better guns and win more contracts? That philosophy has been working for all your competitors. Man the heck up, fix your design (if the design is the problem) and move on. But stop whining that nobody likes you anymore.

Seems they (FNH) are a little bitter about a US weapon be used by their government, they better be careful how much they complain, as it is a lot like the US government buying a whole lot of military small arms from a certain Belgian firm…FNH.

Can’t wait for the glut of surplus Hi-Powers.

I have several Hi-Powers (both 9mm and .40 S&Ws) and a S&W M&P-9. I never thought anything could displace my HP-9 in my affections, but the S&W is on its way to doing just that. Both have lousy triggers out of the box (the HP being the worst) and both can be easily fixed but if the Belgian litigation climate is anything like the one here in the US, they’re probably loathe to remove the HP’s intrusive and annoying mag disconnect. All the S&W requires is essentially a drop-in Apex or similar trigger. The S&W is slightly easier to field strip and clean, and its mags hold marginally more rounds than the HP’s. I’ll certainly never get rid of my HPs but suspect that, over time, I’ll be shooting them more for nostalgia purposes than for sheer fun.

To each their own, but there isn’t anything wrong with my trigger or the bore axis on my fnx… I tried both, and the fnx felt much better in my hand

While I also prefer to own guns made in my own country (in this case the USA) I am not surprised that the M&P was selected. It is a very ergonomic, accurate and reliable handgun. It’s eating up the police market here and will surely get more than one contract abroad.

Well at least the Belgian military will carry HPs for years longer. Im surprised we beat out the Belgians themselves with FN being a Belgian company go USA.

Peter, nobody removed your comment.

This is not such a big surprise to me. FN really don’t make interesting handguns other than the Five-seveN, but it’s a too specialized weapon and I suppose the Belgian police was looking for something more conventional (and probably cheaper).

But talking about the Five-seveN, it’s time to FN to update it and the P-90… maybe the F2000 too. Yeah, FN really should stick to their oddballs they really show their creativity.

@Clairon. If the French government would have had the same mentality as the unions of FN when they ordered 10.000 MAG machine guns FN would have been dissapeared long time ago. But hey they probably ordered Belgian weapons because French minister of defence is a Walloon!!!! The idea that the decision not to buy the FNP (a weapon designed and made in the USA by the way) is some sort of Flemish “complot” against a Walloon owned company is rediculous. Its a fact that the FNP is at the moment not a succes among police forces, compared to Glocks, S&W etc…. Belgium is not the only country not choosing for the FNP. So. FN lost a competition today. I am sure it will win a competition tomorrow. A company like FN who exports 99% of what it produces has everything to loose from protectionism or nationalistic nonsense.

Complaining when FN loses countries in other countries because of protectionism and few days later asking for protectionism is well inconsequent. I ‘ve had it with Flemish idiots that say we are controlled by Walloon socialists and I’ve had with French speakers who say we are controlled by Flemish.

I agree with Nathan, and can’t wait to buy a few more Hi-Power pistols. The M&P is an OK pistol, albeit more modern than the HP. I wonder which companies other than FNH were in the running.

I really enjoy FN’s Machine gun, but handgun…………noway, I want a FN. SW ,Glock or P99 will be my choice.

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MI Cops Treat Taser-Seeking Citizens Like Children

I don’t carry a Taser. It’s one too many weapons systems for me. But if someone wants to carry a stun gun instead of gun, or in addition to a gun, why not? More specifically, if Michigan allows its citizens to carry concealed firearms, why would the po-po object to law-abiding members of the general public carrying a Taser? Reporter Heather Lynn Peters of The Muskegon Chronicle asked two top cops why they oppose civilian stun guns. Their answers reveal that the Wolverine State’s concealed carry laws have done sweet FA to alter the attitude of authoritarian condescension infecting local law enforcement . . .

“I think it’s a bad thing,” said [Muskegon County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Jeff] Blackmer, who has been a stun gun instructor for the sheriff’s office since 2009. “It’s bad enough to keep kids away from knives and firearms.

“People might treat (stun guns) like toys and they’re dangerous. There is an awful lot of power,” he said . . .

A Taser could be used for just about anything — an armed robbery, a car-jacking, any violent crime. They are far more persuasive than a knife,” he said.

And Deputy Blackmer’s logic is about as persuasive as the ATF’s logic for launching Operation Fast and Furious. Again, if adults can handle deadly weapons, why not not-so-deadly weapons? Because A) they’re too stupid and B) they might fall into the wrong hands. Gotcha.

So here we are again: legislative control to control criminal access to dangerous weapons, and stop people from doing dumb things with objects that can make others go owee. How’s that working out for ya at the moment? According to these 1960 – 2009 Michigan crime stats, same as it ever was.

While a Taser is arguably more “persuasive” than a knife, I know which one I’d rather face. More generally, where did Blackmer get the idea that protecting people from themselves—rather than each other—is a policeman’s proper role? Have we as a society decided that cops are now substitute parents and full-time social workers, not law enforcers?

Take it from someone who lived in the UK for 18 years, treating adults as children—the “Nanny state” philosophy—is a direct path to tyranny. Meanwhile, as always, beware the “reasonable man” . . .

Muskegon County Undersheriff Dan Stout said he sees “both sides” of the issue.

“I can see where people say, ‘I don’t want to kill somebody, but I want to protect my family,’” Stout said. “On the other hand, I can see people getting a false sense of security, too, and maybe not waiting for local law enforcement to get there. They need to let the true professionals take over.” . . .

His only concern about allowing “citizen Tasers” is the possibility that someone hit by a stun gun might recover more quickly than expected and cause trouble for the stun gun owner.

“In law enforcement, we train our people to react when we deploy a Taser and subdue a suspect,” Rosema said.

“You as a private citizen, you have to deal with the reaction of just Tasing somebody, and it’s usually not an enjoyable event for a person who has just been Tased.”

Hubris much? Honestly, someone needs to sit these cops down and explain the intersection of Darwinism and the U.S. Constitution, if you know what I mean.

Robert Farago is the Publisher and Managing Editor of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

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Obama on ATF Operation Fast and Furious: “I did not authorize it”

Thank God America has journalists who aren’t afraid to ask President Obama the tough questions about the brewing scandal knows as “Gunwalker.” [FYI: That's the name given the scheme whereby the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) enabled gun smugglers intent on providing Mexican drug cartels with weapons purchased in the United States.] Univision‘s Jorge Ramos grilled President Obama on the topic with some not-entirely-unpredictable results. Turns out the President of the United States didn’t tell the President of Mexico about the U.S. feds aiding and abetting gun smugglers because he — the president of the United States — didn’t know about it. What’s more, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is also doing a passable Sgt. Schultz imitation. I know nothing! Make the jump for the full transcript of the interchange . . .

JR: THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT COMPLAINS THAT THEY WERE NOT INFORMED ABOUT THE “FAST AND FURIOUS” OPERATION. DID YOU AUTHORIZE THIS OPERATION AND WAS PRESIDENT CALDERON PROPERLY INFORMED ABOUT IT?

PBO: Well, first of all I did not authorize it. Eric Holder, the Attorney General, did not authorize it. He’s been very clear that our policy is to catch gun runners and put them into jail. So what he’s done is he’s assigned an I.G., an inspector general, to investigate what exactly happened…

JR: SO WHO AUTHORIZED IT?

PBO: Well, we don’t have all the facts. That’s why the I.G. is in business. To collect the facts.

JR: AND YOU WERE NOT EVEN INFORMED ABOUT IT?

PBO: Absolutely not, this is a pretty big government, the United States government. I got a lot of moving parts. But I want to be very clear, I spoke to President Calderon when he came to visit just a few weeks ago, our policy is to ramp up the interdiction of guns flowing south because that’s contributing to some of the security problems that are taking place in Mexico and what we are doing is trying to build the kind of cooperation between Mexico and the United States that we haven’t seen before. That ensures that we have a comprehensive approach.

I’ve said to President Calderon and I’ve said it publicly, we’ve got obligations. It’s not just Mexico’s problem, it’s also our problem. We got to reduce demand for drugs, which is why even though we got obviously significant deficits; we are allocating 10 billion dollars in our budget to try to reduce demand through prevention programs and education programs.

We have to make sure that we are enforcing the kinds of measures that will stop the flow of guns and cash down south that is helping to fuel these transnational drug cartels. So we’ve initiated excellent cooperation, there may be a situation here in which a serious mistake was made, if that’s the case then we’ll find out and will hold somebody accountable.

JR: MEXICO WAS NOT INFORMED THEN?

PBO: Well, if I wasn’t informed I assure you that Mexico wasn’t either.

Right. Because there’s no way that the ATF would keep the President of the United States and the Attorney General in the dark about the main thrust of its firearms interdiction program—for which they received an extra $200m or so—and tell the Mexicans what they were up to. Because shhhh. It’s a secret!

We can now conclude that President Obama isn’t the ringleader in a large criminal conspiracy perpetuated by a federal law enforcement agency against an ally. I repeat: the buck doesn’t stop there. But this exchange does reveal the Prez and his number one law enforcement guy as disconnected and incompetent.

Now, shall we talk about the cover-up?

Robert Farago is the Publisher and Managing Editor of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

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Sig 1911 TACOPS Video

OpticsPlanet offers the World's best selection of scopes, red dots, gun lights, night vision, holsters, range finders, laser sights, binoculars, goggles, flashlights, & spotting scopes from top brands - Blackhawk Holsters, Crimson Trace Lasers, Leupold Rifle Scopes, EOTech Sights, Galco Holsters, Pelican Gun Cases, Nightforce Scopes, Surefire Flashlights, and much more!

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Advanced Armament’s Ruger 10/22 Video

The AAC’s new Ruger 10/22 seems like its going to be a huge winner when its finally available later this year.  Mike over at Advanced Armament shows off AAC’s  new cross company project in the video below which made me that much more impatient for these hushed plinkers to come out.

The new AAC 10/22s are not only integrally suppressed, but a ported barrel underneath the shroud which reduces bullet velocity essentially turning any .22 LR ammo you put through it, into subsonic ammunition. 

Untitled from Jason AAC on Vimeo.

View the original article here

Shotgun Guitar

Swedish police discovered a double barrel shotgun disguised as a guitar when they raided the home of a man suspected of dealing in stolen weapons.

The Local reports ...

Aside from the six more conventional weapons found in the apartment and a quantity of ammunition, police discovered that a wall-mounted guitar was not quite as it first appeared.

The neck of the guitar has been hollowed out and equipped with two shotgun barrels, while the body of the string instrument contained the beginnings of trigger mechanism.

They also discovered a homemade submachine gun and a walking stick rifle.

[ Many thanks to Marko for emailing me the link. ]

I love this! reminds me of those mariachi gunslinger guys from those Robert Rodriguez movies. good thing the authorities nailed the guy

Sweden has very restrictive gun control laws (for better or for worse) and while I don’t have any principal issues with illegal gun ownership this guy was definitely up to no good. In addition to the wide array of illegal firearms the police also found evidence that suggests gang affiliation and a stolen mauser rifle

All that, in a Fender? What is the world coming to…

Well, I guess the victim has…

*Glasses*

Played their last song.

Any future PC Game or Hollywood film will try to plug this one somewhere on the script…

@Edgar – Too late. Check out the anime, FLCL.

Seems like it would be painful to use…on top of that how well would it actually hold together after the first shot?

[img]http://www.kuriren.nu/inc/imagehandler.ashx?id=5844869&height=312&quality=75[/image]

He had this too, as well as a few handguns and weapon parts. And a cane made in to a firearm.

Doesn’t sound like a violent criminal. Sounds like a gun enthusiast in a country that hates dun enthusiasts.

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Magpul Dynamics Precision Rifle Courses

To go along with their up coming Precision Rifle DVD, Magpul Dynamics is now going to offer Precision Rifle courses headed by former US Marine Corps Scout/Sniper instructor, Caylen Wojcik.  One would be wise to sign up for these classes as soon as possible considering that most of Magpul’s classes seem to fill up immediately and I would expect this new course to do the same.

There will be a total of 3 different Precision Rifle courses offered by Magpul.  Precision Rifle 1 will take aspiring or experienced long range shooters through the fundalmentals of long range shooting and as expected, Precision Rifle 2 will  build upon that foundation to go into more advanced concepts.  The last course offered is a DMR/SPR Course which will help shooters learn how to effectively manipulate special purpose rifles such as SASS (semi auto sniper systesms) and will focus on target engagement out to 600 yards.  Listed below is a breakdown of the classes:

Precision Rifle 1

Precision Weapon System NomenclatureWeapon Set-Up and AccessoriesTelescopic Sight Theory and OperationAngular Units of MeasureFundamentals of Precision Rifle MarksmanshipWeapon and Optic ManipulationPrecision Weapons MaintenanceRecording and Analyzing DataExternal Ballistics and PDA Ballistic Software SystemsRange Estimation TechniquesEffects of Weather, Wind and MirageUnsupported/Unusual Shooting PositionsMultiple Target EngagementsTarget Engagements from 100 to 1100 yards

Precision Rifle 2

Internal and External BallisticsAdvanced features of Ballistic PDA ProgramsOptic Theory and Techniques of OperationsMaximum Point Blank TheoryHolds for Elevation and WindPrecision Weapon ManipulationSling, Unsupported, Unusual Shooting PositionsLimited Exposure Multiple Target EngagementSelf-Shot ObservationStress ShootingTarget Engagements from 15 to 1100 yards.

Special Purpose Rifle / Designated Marksman Rifle

SPR/DMR Weapon System NomenclatureWeapon Set-Up and AccessoriesBasic Telescopic Sight Theory and OperationBasic Angular Units of MeasureFundamentals of Precision Rifle MarksmanshipWeapon and Optic ManipulationBasic External BallisticsRange Estimation TechniquesEffects of Weather and WindUnsupported/Unusual Shooting PositionsThreat acquisition and IDIntroduction to Multiple Target EngagementsTarget Engagements from 100 to 600 yard

To see a class schedule or to sign up for a class, check out Magpul Dynamics.

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UTS-15: The World’s Ugliest Bullpup Shotgun?

If the Turkish-made UTS-15 [above] is the world’s ugliest bullpup shotgun, it must be said that it achieved this dubious honor by beating two competitors. The first, the Neostead 2000, was built in the Republic of South Africa in limited quantities just after Y2K destroyed the world’s computer systems. The videogames Fallout and Mirror’s Edge featured the NeoStead 2000. According to mirrorsedge.wikia.com, it was not a great choice. “The structure is very heavy, causing the Faith to run slowly and jump very low (about 25% as high as jumping with no weapons equipped) which is a very bad disadvantage if she has low health, indicated by a darker gray screen, or has to run somewhere quickly . . .

When she’s holding this weapon, Faith can’t use any of her running skills (speed vault, climb, pole swing, etc.) except for sliding. It unfortunately only has enough ammo for 3 shots, but it does have a slightly better damage rating if only some of the shotgun blast hits the enemy so it is smart to get close to the enemy when holding the Neostead 2000.

Well that sucks. But at least the NeoStead 2000 has that sleek, streamlined Batman-meets-Volga-carburator steampunk look that was so fashionable at the turn of the century.

In contrast, the Kel-Tec KSG suffers from a pox of grip squares: the same sort of indentations that help distance Springfield’s XDs from the Glock’s Batman-meets-lead-ingot style.

The KSG is all picatinny rails and snout. Flip up the sights and it looks like Darth Vader’s five-dollar foot-long Subway sandwich with a hard-on. Well, two. Add an optic and the KSG looks like Darth Vader’s five-dollar foot-long Subway sandwich with two hard-ons imitating a python that ate a large mouse about two days ago.

And now this, the Turkish-made UTS-15. I’ll start by saying that it’s way cool that the shotgun’s made out of carbon fiber—a material famous for disintegrating to dust during high impacts. But the police and law enforcement officers for which the gun was copied—I mean “designed” will appreciate the light weight.

And don’t discount the UTS-15's WTF factor; imagine a perp staring at a snout so ugly a feral pig wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole. The UTS-15 is so aesthetically-challenged the ATF doesn’t consider it sporting.

Saying that, creating a Barbie version of the plastic fantastic KSG simply requires removing the firing pin. Like most modern Turkish guns I’ve encountered, the UTS-15 looks like it’s got some heavy duty metal bits. Well, excluding that funny little hinged door hanging off the side. And I like what U.S. importer Hatfield Gun Company has done with the graphics (i.e. nothing).

Bottom line: in the not-entirely-crucial fugliness contest between the Neostead 2000, Kel-Tec KSG and UTS-15, the latter two tie for first. Both guns get nul points for style. But it you’re facing a bunch of bad guys in anything more spacious than a prison cell, well, it’s got to be the Saiga 12 doesn’t it? More rounds, more style, more velocity.

Robert Farago is the Publisher and Managing Editor of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

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New Leupold Camo Finishes and Leupold VX2

Leupold is now going to be offering a new Mossy Oak camo finish to their popular VX-I and UltimateSlam 3-9x40mm scope models.  The Mossy Oak camo is applied to their popular hunting scopes with an advanced anodization process that bonds the camo pattern directly to the scope, making for one durable finish.  This will prove useful to hunters that may already own a Mossy Oak pattern rifle or shotgun letting them complete their concealment pattern on their guns.  A lot of whitetail deer hunters prefer the mossy oak pattern since they’re usually sitting up in a tree stand doing their best to stay hidden.

Along with their new Mossy Oak VX-I and UltimateSlam, Leupold will be releasing a new optic 1-5x optic called the VX2.  I don’t have too much information right now, but more will come.  From the looks of it and from the file I received, it looks to be at true 1-5x scope, which will definitely make it an instant favorite of 3 gunners provided it follows the same Leupold tradition of quality with its optics.  More to come later this week on the new Leupold VX2.

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Eight Rules of Handgun Magazine Management

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Do you carry a spare magazine? A lot of concealed carriers don’t. They consider it too much of burden, too uncomfortable or too “paranoid.” And yet you can shoot even the highest capacity magazines dry in seconds. Or less. And there’s never been a self-defense shooter who faced down an enemy and said “Wow, I wish I hadn’t brought all these bullets with me!” A spare mag (or two) isn’t just for extended gun fights. It’s also a vital replacement for a damaged magazine. What are the odds? Higher than you’d think. Feed lips get bent, springs weaken, followers jam—the magazine is the semi-automatic firearm’s weakest link. As back-up mags are mission critical, you’ve got to manage your spare resource properly. Here are Eight Rules of Handgun Magazine Management:

1.  Make sure the magazine(s) within the mag pouch faces the same direction every time. Without directional consistency, you won’t know which way to load your magazine into your pistol. Checking the mag’s orientation slows the reloading process. While most shooters face the bullets towards the front (as I do) some people prefer to orient them “backwards.” No matter. Consistent orientation is the key to fast and successful reloads.

2. Never place empty mags back into your pouch. When you reach for a magazine, it must always be loaded with bullets. Eject your empty mags onto the ground during reloads. You can pocket partially spent mags, but only full mags should reside in your pouch.

3. Never catch an ejected “empty” magazine. Your job: get your pistol reloaded as fast as possible. So let empty mags fall onto the ground—they won’t do you any good. As this harsh treatment damages mags, it’s best to have two classes of magazines: practice and carry. When I arrive at the range, I remove and secure my carry mags and replace them with my practice mags. When I leave, I replace my carry mags.

4. Shoot your carry magazines at least every six months to ensure all is well. Don’t drop your carry magazines when they’re empty. Keep them as pristine as possible. Change the springs in your carry magazines annually. I put the weaker springs into my carry magazines; they’ll induce failures, reating more opportunities to practice failure drills.

5. Label your magazines. As mags wear and become damaged, you need to know which one is causing you problems. I mark my carry mags C1, C2, C3. I label my practice mags P1, P2, P3… I recommend writing the designation on the bottom of the mag in large letters with a paintpen (found at any hardware store) .

6. Reach for your spare magazine before you jettison the mag in your pistol. In the stress of a fight, it is possible to forget you’ve already reloaded your gun. The magazine may have fallen out during a scuffle or run (we see that a lot in force on force training). You may forgotten to include one in your daily dress. You’re better off keeping a partially loaded magazine, or running away, than trying to load a phantom mag.

7. Carry one spare magazine, two for practice and own eight more. Mags are disposable; they will not function forever. With the threat of anti-gun loons removing our ability to buy full capacity magazines, I recommend that you own at least 10 magazines per gun.

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The M4 replacement competition that isn’t

Army.mil reports (emphasis added) ...

Another lawmaker questioned Fuller about the Army's individual carbine competition, to find a follow-on to the M4 Carbine weapon Soldiers are using now in Afghanistan. Fuller told the lawmaker the competition was not about meeting a specific need but about seeing if there was something better for Soldiers.

"We want to continue to improve the M4 -- not necessarily associated with a complaint or challenge the field might be having -- but we want to refresh that technology," Fuller said. He told legislators there's been 63 improvements to the M4 since it was first fielded in 1991

"This (competition) is another iteration of improvements," he said. "We want to see through a full and open competition is there something better? That's what this competition will be doing for our individual carbine."

After competition, he said, the Army would evaluate what comes out of that and measure it against the current M4 to build a business case for making the investment to replace it.

Rather than the M4 Carbine competing against the challengers, the challengers will first have to fight it out1 before the powers that be will even consider if the M4 needs a replacement. This is weak sauce.

[ Many thanks to Lance for emailing me the link. ]

I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise.

The only way anything will change is if Gates pulls a McNamara and just picks a replacement and forces it on the branches. And since he is in full on budget cutting mode, that will not happen.

Get used to your M4s/M16s. They’re gonna be around for a while.

The problem here is that the Army has invested in the AR platform. Like the M-1, the Army chained itself to the tech of the last wars.

The thing a new rifle will have to beat is cost (forget the ACR) and reliability. Even then, the plan to keep the M-4/M-16 for “non-combat” troops seems to be a poison pill if the M-4 loses. Either replace the M-4 outright or just admit that you’re under the spell of Colt Defense.

I have been following this issue passively and I am not surprised that it boils down to “prove that X system is markedly better than current system and we might look into it”. The venue is open and there is room for improvement. I hope that something of value comes from this. Like many readers of this blog I think that 5.56 is a little small and a 6.8 or 6.5 is better(although I believe caliber is not part of this comp). We know the benefits of a short operating gas piston design over direct gas impingement one. And we know that clearing a double feed malf on an M16 type takes alot of time due to control layout. Then there is the M4 barrel length/profile issues. On the other hand, D.O.D. has many constraints, and not much motivation to fix stuff that works. Defense spending is being cut and the ground pounders seem to always be last in line for new gear. IMO, this issue will be looked at from the usual top down cost/benefit analysis, with some improvement made to the currrent M16/M4 (read gas piston/heavier barrel profile) and/or a more serious look at the alternatives. Just one more step in the never ending cycle of technological advancement mixed with bureaucratic intrigue.

I would like to see a chronological list of all the improvements the M16/M4 platform has gone through since day one. I think it’d be a nice little thing to have on hand.

Yep, that was obvious from the start.

So was the calibre issue, which might be expressed as: “you can use any calibre you want, but if you want to be taken seriously it will be the 5.56mm M855A1?.

Didn’t H&K already go virtually bankrupt in the 80s building the G11 for an Army competition?

What about FN, anyone care to guess how many millions that they lost designing the SCAR, which, as of writing this, has been used by absolutely no police or military forces in existence? Short of civilian sales, they have not sold it to anyone.

Personally, I am amazed that firearm manufacturers actually bother showing up at US Army rifle procurement events anymore. Supplying the worlds richest army, and all 2.3 million of their personnel with a new rifle is the holy grail of the the firearms world, but it seems to be little more than a pipe-dream for the foreseeable future.

Nothing is really being improved until you improve the caliber the rifle is chambered for.. These other rifles are just another .223/5.56.. nothing really changes..

They said months ago any competitor would have to been a significant improvement. Well, even SOCOM said the SCAR didn’t really do anything the M4 didn’t already do.

The Army isn’t looking for incremental baby steps with ambidextrous doodads, or where somebody decides to put the piston this week. It’s about hit probability, what delivers a higher percent of rounds IN the target. Full auto does that, red dots help do that, what’s next?

Ammo at half the weight can do that, you carry and shoot twice as much. That’s a huge increase in hit probability. What was last weeks sudden revelation, the feature not previously discussed but put on the table? Hyperburst, the ability to put to rounds in the same hole. With small high speed bullets, another one offers more incapacitation. It’s difficult to get that from current designs, it doesn’t mean more hits, just more effective ones.

That’s a picture window into the mindset of the Command chain and what they are thinking, and it’s not operator based baby steps in mounting offset sights, another optic on top of the existing one, or the other almost useless stuff marketed to the shooting public.

Weapons designs are evolving toward lighter guns, less recoil, faster bullets, more of them fired, and better sighting methods. The most improvement we can do in this technical environment is eliminate the brass case.

If only the pentagon had bought one less F-22 Raptor. Instead get 233,333 new carbines (if priced at $1500 like the M4).
My reasoning…when’s the last time we actually shot down an enemy aircraft with the invincible F-22?

Word up Nadnerbus

Thing is most competitors are M-4 upgrades anyway so if the army is updating the M-4 whats the point?

There is nothing wrong with the AR based weapons they work.

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Nikonova AN-94 Abakan Rifle

Shooting Illustrated has published a detailed account of the fascinating AN-94 "Abakan" rifle.

In 1993, a mysterious rifle appeared at an arms display at the elite Taman Guards Division outside Moscow. The strange new rifle was labeled “ASN”—a Russian acronym for Avtomat Spetsialnyi Nikonov. The soldiers at the show could give no meaningful information about it beyond the basic information on the placard. Shortly thereafter, data began to emerge indicating it was an advanced combat rifle, but its status remained a mystery. The Russian Ministry of Defense cleared up the mystery in 1995 by announcing that the ASN had passed all its troop trials and that it had been type classified as the “Avtomat Nikonova-94” (AN-94). The number “94” is the year the rifle was officially type classified and adopted for military service to replace the Kalashnikov-designed AK-47/AKM/AK-74-series rifles.

The AN-94 has a canted magazine.

I think Shooting Illustrated’s account is an excerpt from Charles Cutshaw’s Book “The New World of Russian Small Arms and Ammo.”

Ah yes, the AN-94. This has to be one of my favorite rifles, not just aesthetically but also functionally. The whole rifle was designed around the idea of a marksman rifle, but with the capability of sending more than one round into the target with minimal to no recoil. Thus, it’s operating system has a 2 round burst firing mode where the cycle actually sneaks a second round into the chamber and fires it almost directly after the first.

This is one of those guns that I would love to handle at some point in my life. I think it represents innovation of modern firearms quite well – even if it isn’t perfect.

I also had no clue that the magazine was canted to the side like that! Crazy.

As interesting as the AN-94 concept is, anecdotal information trickling out of Russia suggests it is an armourer’s nightmare. Too many failures to operate as intended in field conditions. Too many parts that need constant replacement and maintenance. That may explain why Russia’s military are obtaining new AK derivatives as a back up in the traditional 7.62 x 39mm.

Clearly, it has not replaced the AK series rifles, being used only by some special forces units. It is a real surprise that it was ever adopted, considering it is far too complicated for general issue – a complete contrast with the simple, bomb-proof AK.

Huh. I never realized the AN94 had a canted magazine on top of everything else.

Fascinating weapon in many aspects. Soooo fiddly though. There’s a reason it only saw limited use.

@KTBabs, also with more then triple the amount of parts then a conventional rifle and with any fouling keeping the weapon from functioning, on paper it could be in my top rifles (but two rounds of small ammunition would be the same as one larger round but I digress) but I wouldn’t trust that rifle in combat for a second

The way this thing works is crazy, and includes a cable in the mechanism. I have seen a few drawings that attempt to show the mechanism in action, and I am somewhat baffled still. Here is a great link for more pics and info:

http://roman-forums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=77

Here is a link to whats probably the best description of the AN-94 you can find online
http://roman-forums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=77

KTBabs,

The AN-94 was designed around the same concept as the G11 and AAI ACR, which was to increase the chances that at least one of the rounds from the burst strikes a fleeing target or to compensate for a shooter’s aiming error during combat stress. The Germans and Americans called this concept salvo burst- the simultaneous discharge of multiple projectiles at a high rate in a defined pattern.

Although, at certain ranges the AN-94 can put both rounds from the burst on target, the major purpose of the 2 round burst from the AN-94 was to increase hit probability (not multiple rounds on the same target) through reduced dispersion (AN-94 has 13 times less dispersion compared to AKM)

The mag goes in sideways? Wow that is weird. While a good gun for SpetzNAZ it isn’t peasant proof with its 500 parts for common solders a technological leap YES the AK replacement and Russia’s new rilfe NO.

Honestly, I love the AN-94, but it doesn’t seem to have gone much further from it’s prototype stage. The mechanism is far more complicated than traditional Russian weapons, which of course naturally makes it less reliable (though their claims of improved reliability could be true), but what matters more is the doubled training time and cost required for soldiers to effectively use the two round burst setting and be able to properly disassemble and clean the gun. Also, more pointy edges means snagging, the smaller rear sight can get dirty easier, the folded stock doesn’t allow you to fire, and some reviewers complain about the angle of the grip…

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Palm38 Tri‐Plex Multi-Projectile .38 Special Cartridge

Constitution Arms, the firm behind the Palm Pistol, has developed an interesting multi-projectile .38 Special cartridge called the Palm38 Tri-Plex.

Three lead bullets, totaling 158 grain, are stacked on top of each other and backed by a copper gas check. The load has been designed to have ultra-low recoil and has a velocity of 658-678 ft/sec depending on the model of revolver it has been fired from. The maximum range of the round is 10 feet.

The idea behind this round is to increase the frontal surface area of the wound channels, at the expense of penetration.

The concept is similar to the Winchester PDX1 Self Defense .410 Shotshell round that was designed for use in the Taurus Judge line of .410 revolvers. Winchester loads the PDX1 with three copper discs backed by shot pellets.

Winchester PDX1 Self Defense Shotshell ammo

If you are interested in the rounds specifications and testing results you should take a look at this PDF document from Constitution Arms.

The round will go on sale next month. If the Taurus Judge has taught us anything, it is that there is a market for interesting self-defense ammunition. I expect it to sell well.

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Desert Tactical Arms SRS Covert Rifle

The Desert Tactical Arms SRS Covert Rifle was definitely one of the niftiest guns at SHOT Show. With a short 16" barrel, chambered in 308 Win, .300 Win or .338 Lapua Magnum, this gun has an overall length of just 26". It is tiny but powerful package.

My only concern would be firing a .338 Lapua Magnum with a muzzle brake so close to my hears. The blast must be ear shattering.

I heard some interesting news about Desert Tactical Arms at the show. Apparently they have sold sniper rifles to Georgia (the country).

UPDATE: I found a note I took when I was at the booth. DTA has been using .338 LM loads with a 300 grain bullets, being pushed at 2250 ft/sec and 250 grain bullets at 2500 ft/sec. That is slightly slower than a .308 Win., but with a much heavier bullet. Not bad for a 16" barrel.

Ok I have to admit that that gun looks super awesome.

But I have to question the need for a bolt action that small. I can understand makeing a compact magnum caliber rifle but I would much rather gave that last 4? of barrel in a 20? to give full ballistics. Hat would still put this unit about the length of a m4.

This makes my nostrils flutter with delight. It is lovely.

Interesting.
It almost seems like the took an idea from Center Balance Systems and ran with it. The designs are pretty close when looking at the Mosin Nagant rifle package.
http://www.cbrps.com/Products.html

Email inbound to you Steve with some kickass HD photos if you want them, and a video showing the Muzzle Blast.

I have one up here in Canada, with the 308 and .338 Lapua barrels.

The muzzle brakes are very effective. When pushing a 250 grain bullet with 92.3 grains of powder behind it in .338 Lapua, the recoil feels like a modestly loaded 308. Accuracy was superb, with groupings under 1? at 100 meters.

As noted, the muzzle blast is significant, but that is more due to the effective design of the brake then the proximity to your ears with the Bulpup designs.

I don’t get it. What’s the point?

Can’t wait to see the pistol version….

I can see using the version with the suppressor- but the 16 inch barrel isn’t generally a good idea with something like .300 winmag or .338 lapua, let alone in a bullpup design where length has been reduced drastically anyway.

Still, the DSR seems like a cool rifle.

Wow cool, somebody took an RFB, turned it into a bolt action rifle with very little hope of being able to cycle the action while it’s still on your shoulder. Awesome, very new an innovative.

Sarcasm aside:
I’ve actually held one of these, my local dealer just sold one. The guy who bought it said it’s a fun bench gun but it’s really hard to run the bolt if there isn’t a table to set the gun on. The trigger was very nice and the fit and finish were awesome. With a suppressor I’ve been told it’s not bad to shoot either. It’s not a gun I’d own, but they’ve sold at least one so I could be in the minority.

I find it odd that companies continue to release .308 and larger calibers in such a short barrel config. So much power is lost there. What I would like to see is a semi-auto bullpup with the 16? barrel (for some CQC ass kickin’ action) but then also include a 24? quick change barrel. That way, you could use it for standard patrols or in a role of a DMR when utilizing it past a few hundred yards.

Mr AB: “It almost seems like the took an idea from Center Balance Systems and ran with it. The designs are pretty close when looking at the Mosin Nagant rifle package.”

Actually, I’m pretty sure the inspiration to the SRS was the German DSR-1:
http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sniper-rifles/de/dsr-1-e.html

The main difference between the two (aside from the lack of a pseudo-magwell in front of the grip) is probably that the SRS is actually affordable enough to be handled by people other than GSG-9 sharpshooters and Hollywood armorers

Jim, the point is not having to lug around (possibly in and out of a vehicle) a rifle that has a 16+” barrel and the added length of a stock and action.

Its why many of the militaries in the world have been moving to bulpup designs, because the ergonomics work, and the mass and space of the weapon is better used to house functional parts instead of dead space or solid wood / metal.

Will someone PLEASE export a few to Turkey. I want one.

The 300 grains bullet is certainly much better than the 250 one for this barrel, since being this short the bullet must rely more on it’s mass than on speed.

Also, I suppose the 250 grain would leave too much unburnt powder and increase the muzzle blast.

If I’m shelling out for Lapua, I want to be ringing gongs at 1200 plus. I can shoot MOA at 100 yds with a .22 for almost nothing.

What’s it like working the bolt on a bullpup rifle? It seems like it would be awkward to me.

OMG they are loud though suppressor is a must. Way to uncomfortable to the shooter just too loud to be depolyable.

Does a such a short rifle have any practical purpose when it is a bolt action?

A bolt action bullpup? Why bother? Someone wake me when they make a semi version.

I didn’t think .338 Lapua stabilized in under 20? of barrel

Seems pretty pointless to me, though I could see a market for a heavy built semi auto bullpup in something like .510 whisper, a western version of the russian straight pull VKS (a gun I would love somebody to make popular).

I recall an article in a Gun Digest from the 90's about a guy who built a 7-08 bullpup bolt on a Rem 788 action. Very similar to this. He was 20 years ahead of himself.

So is the idea behind this and the HK heavy barrier penetration at typical police/terrorist distances, such as standoffs? In those situations there is no need to be covert for a sniper, so why not use a full size weapon? If it’s designed as a covert action/infiltration weapon someone is gonna just have to carry it plus a carbine anyway.. again seems redundant. Because it’s the first thing I’d leave behind if I had to extract in a hurry. If I was a Forsythe character, I’d use a breakdown as well. So… tacticool and nothing else? I’d love to hear what GSG9 operators trhink about this system and its role.

Is there a feasible way of moving the bolt handle to the front of the gun without hindering ejection?

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Perp to Steven Seagal: Tanks for the Memories

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Louis Theroux’s African Hunting Holiday

Louis Theroux journeys to the centre of the controversial South African hunting industry. It’s big business, attracting thousands of holiday hunters annually. Keeping wild animals fenced in on farms has made it cheaper and easier to hunt than ever before, but Louis discovers that this industry, instead of endangering species, has actually increased animal numbers. Staying at a safari hunting lodge, Louis hears that each kill has a price. The potential shopping list is endless, ranging from $250 for a porcupine to $100,000 for a rhino. It’s a hunter’s paradise.

A couple of years old, but seems pretty good.  I haven’t finished watching it yet though.

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UTS–15 Tactical Pump-Action Shotgun: Big and Badass

At the start of this year the only dual magazine shotgun I knew of was the almost mythical South African NEOSTEAD. In January Kel-Tec introduced the KSG bullpup Shotgun. Now Turkish firm UTAS has brought another mean-looking dual magazine pump-action shotgun to market.

Each of the UTS-15 magazines hold 7 rounds of 2.75" sized shot shells (it can also chamber 3" shells), giving it a 14+1 capacity. A selector allows the operator to select which magazine to feed or to automatically alternate between the magazines.

Note the shell counters along the length of the receiver.

The body of the gun is made from carbon fiber to save weight. The lower receiver has a built-in button operated laser and light. It also comes with iron sights mounted on the full length picatinny rail.

The shotgun has an overall length of 27" and weight of 7.2 lbs.

Unlike the Kel-Tec KSG, this gun is not being marketed to consumers, but to law enforcement and military. UTAS have acknowledged that they would not be able to export to consumers in the United States because it would not classify as a sporting gun by the BATFE.

Woah.

Looks gnarly. I’m digging all these recent bullpup designs.

thats just fine that its not being marketed to me. i dont want anything to do with that thing! i want a KSG in a bad way but not this. It looks like someone took a band saw and ripped a few guns then bolted it into a shotgun sandwich.

Per an email I have from NeoStad the UTS-15 is the NeoStad.

This gun just doesn’t look…natural.

the other dual magazine guys didn’t impress me, this one does! I wonder when we’ll get reviews for its performance compared to our good old 870s…

Neat. While I normally don’t critique the look of a firearm… ouch, this doesn’t look very nice. I wonder why they went with the M16 style grip? I’ve always found there to be much more comfortable grip styles on the market.

Be interesting to see if any LEO’s like it!

On the other hand this thing makes me want a KSG even more.

Not to belabor the point, but:

It’s the consumer’s job, not the government’s, to determine sporting purpose. If I want to hunt deer, grizzlies or field mice with this monstrosity, I should be able to try.

This looks superb, but I always liked the G11. The ergonomics of the G11 were described as a piece of 2X4 lumber with a pistol grip. I guess it is like the hot redhead at the end of the bar. I know I like the look, but I will know more when I can get my hands on one

I got to shoot a Remington 2200 years ago at one of the SOF conventions in LV, it was a right hand and a left hand 1100 mated to one trigger and stock, and it was full auto, man that thing was a beast.

Those holes in the mag tubes remind me of the chauchat.

Good thing I can’t get it or else I’d have to choose

This thing has a serious case of the uglies.

At a length of 27?, it is definitely outmoded by the Kel Tec KSG. Go USA!

All these overbarrel dual-tube bullpup shotguns makes me wonder what’s the status on the patent for the Neostead?

Also, I think the capability of alternating between magazines is one of the reasons it’s being prohibited from consumers. I’v suspected that the KSG has to be manually switched is more for BATFE compliance than a design or engineering drawback.

I do like the ability to feed the magazine tubes without dropping the sight picture, a flaw that the break-open loading on the Neostead had and without resorting to the ejection port-feed ramp compromise of the KSG.

I discovered the Neostead playing Battlefield: Bad Company, and for a while I loved the idea of it. But when it really comes down to it, does the extra ammunition validate the increase mechanical complexity?

That said, after thinking about it it seems to me that the weighting of a shotgun (especially with that much ammo) would make loading a bullpup design awkwardly balanced and hard to do under stress.

Buuuuut, I doubt law enforcement would have need to fire more than 15 shotgun rounds in a single conflict, and if they do they’re in some pretty deep trouble, so why not?

I wouldn’t mind having one of these.

Just wondering how fast it is to change the magazines.

3 sling attachment points(!!!)

Does anyone else think this looks like something the Helghast from the video game Killzone would have?

I guess I’m the odd man out here who would LOVE to see something like this in semi-auto.

I was about to jump out of my seat until I read the last paragraph. It looks like the SCAR, the Neostead and the Marine Pulse Rifle from ALIENS all blended together. I love the look, it is mean and down-to-business. I have heard that the KSG doesn’t have exceptionally good fit and finish. I would have sprung for one of these instead.

Any bets that this will make it’s way into BF3?

Looks heavy. Even with the carbon fiber.
Seems like a lot of over-engineering of a design (regular pump-action) that’s pretty damn good already.

The sights seem very high away from the barrel. I wonder how good that will work with a reddot sight, sighted in for shotgun fighting distances.

Looks pretty angry….but somewhat bulky and ungainly in comparison to the KSG

That oughta make a great sci-fi movie prop :-p

It’s a shame we’ll never ever be able to get this imported.

On the other hand this looks way more complicated and fiddly than the KSG.

I would take this over the KSG. The ability to have it alternate between mags (and not have to worry about switching them, unless you want to) is a feature that the KSG is missing.

Some interesting bits of this shotgun:

Machine-gun like folding topcover
Ejection seems to be manually switchable left-right.

Tube selector switch is on top, which makes sense for top-feed but is a bit odd ergonomically. At least you can see at a glance which tube you’re feeding from.

Curious 3-position indicator in the last shot is curious. Does this thing have an option for a neostead-like alternating feed?

I’ll bite. I like these designs. granted, not firing one i can’t make a full comment, but still.

as for the import thing, if the KSG is here, why can’t these guys claim that it’s the same as the KSG? or is that just how the laws work here?

Not sporting…

Tell that to the home invader, that he isnt being “sporting”.

Seems like it has extra height for no reason…what’s that tube below the barrel?

That will certainly scare the hell out of the turkeys this spring.

Looks REALLY big.

FYI,

One of the guys behind the Neostead (I believe it is Mr Stead) is also involved in the UTS-15 design.

What are the numbers printed on the top? Is it a mechanical shot counter?

Carbon fiber, eh? Sounds expensive.

Wouldn’t this be much nicer as a semi-auto?

Sure isn’t pretty, but still a damn nifty gun.

Here’s a video showing it being fired:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAHUEaTN7ys

How much will they be imported here? pls pls pls!!!!!!!!

It looks intimidating and all that. I like that the KSG is a lot more compact, it uses the feed tubes to slide the foregrip along. This thing is so tall because you have the pump slide, then the barrel above that and the feed tubes above that. The UTS looks like something from Halo or Killzone, looks cool but is it really all that practical?

looks kinda bulky
I’d rather have the Kel-Tec

Is it just me, or does it look like something out of a video game?

Seriously, it looks like something I’d pick up and use while playing Crysis 2 or something.

it looks like something that can lay down the hate!

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