The paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne have been testing a lightweight howitzer for those special moments when you need to airmail some artillery. A battery of the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment has been documenting their testing of the Mandus Group’s Hawkeye Mobile Weapon System over the past few weeks. The system blends an M20
Military
The contract was awarded for a handgun sight to be used “for rapid day and night pistol target engagements in confined spaces, while prisoner handling, or in extremis after the primary weapon malfunctions.” (Photo: USSOCOM) The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Michigan-based Trijicon on Wednesdaya $7.62 million contract for handgun sights. The firm-fixed-price contract for
Then-U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno looks through the sight of an XM25 during his visit to Fort Belvoir, Va., Nov 1, 2013. Canceled by the Army last April, it was announced the program was officially ended last week. (Photo: DoD) The long-touted but unproven XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement weapon system has
Images of M17s fielded with the Army currently in circulation often show Safariland’s Level III 7TS holster series in use. (Photo: U.S. Army) The Pentagon announced Monday that a Virginia-based distributor won a contract to supply holsters for the Army’s new Modular Handgun System. Atlantic Diving Supply was awarded a $49 million firm-fixed-price contract for
3M agreed to pay $9.1 million for allegedly selling defective earplugs to the U.S. military. (Photo: Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke/Army Times) 3M Company will pay $9.1 million to resolve claims it knowingly supplied defective earplugs to the U.S. military, according to a news release from the Department of Justice published last week. The settlement comes
While it is not known what upper SOCOM has chosen from Sig Sauer, the company introduced their SUR300 .300 BLK Upper Reciever Group, compatible with both MCX and AR-style lowers, earlier this year. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com) The U.S. Special Operations Command last week awarded a contract for suppressed uppers from Sig Sauer in an effort
Members of Vista Outdoor’s leadership team present a check for more than $146,000 to the Veterans Community Project (Photo: PRNewsfoto/Vista Outdoor Inc.) Vista Outdoor raised more than $146,000 for a homeless veteran’s charity based in Kansas City earlier this month. The Veteran’s Community Project will use the funds to build “tiny house” communities and provide
A Remington Defense R4 series platform (Photo: Remington) Big Green announced this week that they have been awarded an unspecified contract for “commercial off the shelf” 5.56mm carbines to the U.S. Army. While details are scarce, Remington said the contract is through the Army “on behalf of key international allies,” with Remington CEO Anthony Acitelli
The AR-15 is a versatile platform, allowing shooters to tweak and customize its design to best suit their needs and budget. (Photo: Jacki Billings/Guns.com) While we’d all love to have the resources to piece out AR-15 builds without thinking of price, for most of us that’s not a possibility. Welcome to the budget build. The
If you were like me as a kid then you grew up watching action movies where black clad commandos rappelled in through the roof with MP5’s blazing, or you cut your teeth on games like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 where the MP5SD was a silent death dealer. It’s perhaps the most ubiquitous pistol caliber carbine
Brookshire, showing off an MFAL-equipped M17 handgun, itself a Streamlight TLR-8 on a modified Sig Sauer P320 (Photo: U.S. Army) Not to spoil the surprise, but the Army’s new Multifunction Aiming Light seems to be a modified Streamlight TLR-8, as shown off at a recent event During a “Close Combat Lethality Tech Day” demonstration at
The VKS by PepperBall is a non-lethal platform recently awarded a U.S. Army contract. (Photo: PepperBall) The U.S. Army awarded PepperBall a $650,000 contract for the company’s Variable Kinetic System, a non-lethal launcher that will grant troops non-lethal force protection while in the field. The award, announced Tuesday, is in support of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Joint
Sgt. Robert Brown fires an MP5 submachine gun at a range on the Iraqi Special Operations Forces compound at Baghdad’s Victory Base Complex, Oct. 16, 2009. (Photo: U.S. Army) The U.S. Army plans to award a flurry of small contracts to 10 different firearm companies for what it is terming “Sub Compact Weapons.” A synopsis
Caracal USA launches a discounted pricing program for LE and military. (Photo: Caracal USA) Caracal USA announced it will now provide discounted pricing on Caracal guns and accessories to military, law enforcement and public service professionals through its new Caracal Officer Program. “Caracal USA is a strong supporter of America’s law enforcement, military, and public
Without giving too many specifics, SureFire said, “The MasterFire performed as designed, validating the concept and fulfilling the requirement.” (Photo: SureFire) Fountain Valley, California-based SureFire says one of their new weapon light-interfacing MasterFire holsters have been used with success by military commandos. “Recently a US Special Operations team successfully conducted the first night combat jump
A Brief History In 1980 Ronnie Barrett decided to answer the age-old question “what if I need to disable an armored vehicle that’s about a mile away across a valley and also hiding behind a concrete wall?” The answer was the “Barrett Light Fifty” anti-materiel rifle. Originally designated the M82, it was a designed to
The Marines are increasingly using more realistic moving targets to simulate combat environments in training. The devices, supplied by Marathon Targets, look a little silly but as any practical or 3-gun competitor will vouch for, nailing a moving target is immensely harder and better training than spending a lot of lead equity zipping rounds through
The Colt 1851 Navy Revolver, the author’s favorite percussion revolver. (Photo: Terril James Herbert/Guns.com) In my Top 5 Percussion Revolvers, I listed the Colt 1851 Navy on top of that rather subjective list. Percussion revolvers and millennials don’t usually go together, but in my case I have owned and shot Colt Navy pistols more frequently
Moving away from the classic M40-series, Marine Scout Snipers have a new and improved precision rifle platform that is making it out to the Fleet. The Mk13 Mod 7 rifle is based on the Accuracy International AICS long action system. Whereas the legacy Remington 700-based M40, used and extensively upgraded since the 1960s by the
The Department of State released a draft proposal this week easing export restrictions on firearms and ammunition. The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls finally unveiled the suggested amendments to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) on Monday, shifting oversight of commercial arms sales to the Commerce Department and its Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The
Sig’s 1-6x24mm TANGO6 optic will top off a variant of the Heckler & Koch G28E rifle to serve as the Army’s new SDMR, replacing legacy accurized M14 rifles. (Photos: Sig Sauer) The Army has announced that Sig Sauer’s 1-6x24mm Tango6 optic has been selected to equip the service’s new Squad Designated Marksman Rifle. The Tango6
When you’re sick you call a doctor. When your car breaks down, you call a mechanic. When you want an artillery gun, you call Bob Bigando, or Dangerous Bob, as he’s more commonly referred to in the firearms community. Bigando is the one of the nation’s leading experts when it comes to big guns. He
The military of the Philippines had warehouses full of vintage M1 rifles. Getting them back to the U.S. was an epic struggle. The Garand Collector’s Association, which has been helping the Civilian Marksmanship Program inventory and classify a literal shipload of repatriated M1s, produced the above video chronicling the return to the states of some
U.S. martial M1911s were in production from 1912-1945 from companies as diverse as Ithaca, Remington-UMC, Singer, and US&S. (Photo: National Archives) The Civilian Marksmanship Program is set to offer to the public 8,000 vintage M1911 pistols transferred from the Army this year. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act approved by Congress last November outlines a
“Not sure where you’ll film, the shop is pretty small,” Ted Schumacher told me on the phone before the interview. That’s ok, I thought to myself while driving through the rolling hills and farmland that engulf southern Wisconsin. I’ve made due in small spaces that I’m sure have been worse. Remember Houston… Not exactly an assuring
el and gear company Virtus was founded on the shoulders of veterans and extreme athletes. Pictured above, founder David Wood. (Photo: Virtus) With a purposeful and methodical approach to the gear industry, Virtus looks to take the apparel and gear world by storm with its hybrid style. Founded by David Wood, Tristan Hungerford and Thomas
The Marines are looking to field as many as 15,000 more M27 IARs by 2023. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps) Heckler & Koch Defense, the domestic subsidiary of German gun maker HK last week secured a large contract for M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle systems for the U.S. Marine Corps. The M27, a select-fire variant of the
Adam Jackson, founder of Edge AI, developed facial recognition software capable of detecting violent offenders before they enter a soft target. (Photo: Beacon Center of Tennessee) A military veteran in Tennessee wants to install groundbreaking facial recognition software at vulnerable targets to thwart potential attacks — except a state licensing board won’t let him, according
R. Lee Ermey, 1944-2018. (Photo: The Outdoor Channel) Long associated with Glocks, guns, and everything Marines, Ronald Lee Ermey died Saturday from after complications from pneumonia. With a life that included more than a decade on active duty in the Marine Corps, over 120 acting credits and becoming a fixture in the firearms community, Ermey’s
A scout sniper candidate secures a strap to the current Marine scout sniper rifle, the M40A6. (Photo: Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil) Marine snipers will soon retire the M40A6 in favor of a new sniper rifle system, the Mk13 Mod 7. Marine spokesman Capt. Christopher Harrision confirmed to the Marine Corps Times on Monday that Marine