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Sneak Peek – New Proprietary Rail on the Modern Carbine MC6 PDW-SD from Modern Outfitters

Tuesday, June 13th, 2017

Here’s a look at some initial design work for Modern Outfitters’ new proprietary rail on the Modern Carbine MC6 PDW-SD. The new 6″ .300 Blackout weapon system will be available in pistol, SBR, and PDW. The version shown incorporates the Law Tactical folder to bring the OAL to just 15 inches in the folded position. Perfect for dignitary protection, CQB, and is quite possibly the perfect “backpack/truck” gun.

Available from Modern Outfitters and authorized retailers in a few weeks.

Source: @cheezequintanilla on IG

Tags: Law Tactical, Modern Outfitters
Posted in Black Rifle, Weapon Accessories | 2 Comments »

Stag Arms to Dramatically Increase Manufacturing and Distribution Footprint

Friday, June 2nd, 2017

We are about to see some next-level manufacturing begin to enter the market from Connecticut gun maker Stag Arms – as the company has announced that it has been acquired by White Wolf Capital, LLC, a private investment firm that began operations in late 2011 and is focused on management buyouts, recapitalizations and investments in leading middle market companies in the Defense Industry and Manufacturing market segments.

With this acquisition, Stag will have access to a higher level of distribution and contracting vehicles through White Wolf, who have a strong history of building companies in the firearms, manufacturing and distribution lanes (to name a few).

Stag will also be able to expand their R&D capabilities through this new line of capital; developing new platforms and products with a higher degree of innovation and engineering for the end user.

Since its inception over a decade ago, Stag has remained at the forefront of innovation; first by offering 100% American made, left and right-handed MSR platforms, and then by designing new models and features based on customer recommendations.

Most recently, Stag’s team has been working overtime developing a new .308 and a new 9mm Carbine; further proving that the company maintains a forward thinking mindset to deliver the best possible products to their customers.

It’s thanks to their understanding and attention to their customers wants and needs, that they developed their left-handed platforms to use a mirror imaged upper receiver, and have the ejection port reversed for left-handed shooters. The safety selector control is also on the right side of the lower receiver, to ensure maximum capability.

Unlike many other “black gun” manufacturers, Stag truly stands behind their products and their customer service.

“One of the main reasons we were so excited about Stag, was largely in part because of their reputation with their customers,” stated Elie Azar, Managing Director of White Wolf. “We have always known Stag to maintain a foundation of reliable products and customer service, no matter what the situation.”

Stag Arms is known for its mil-spec quality. The products that come off the company’s assembly line are built to perform in virtually any given situation; from defensive to hunting, competitive and 3-Gun competitions. Further attesting they genuinely pay attention to each of their customer’s wants and needs.

The company quickly became a market leader and one of the largest MSR manufactures in the United States, with their model commonly known as the “Stag-15.” Their specialty models intended for 3-Gun competition and varmint rifles in .223 Rem., as well as chambering guns in .300 Blackout has kept them at the top of the market.

While the details of the transaction with White Wolf Capital have not been disclosed, Stag will now operate under a new FFL out of its New Britain, Conn., facility. And it’s with this new chapter that Stag will be able to manufacture newer and more innovative products to the industry, and dramatically expand their footprint with a fresh new Leadership and Management team.

White Wolf Capital is no stranger to the firearms industry, having previously acquired Aero Precision, Ballistic Advantage, VG6 Precision and Fall Machine, Co., to name a few.

Azar added, “We are very excited to add Stag to our portfolio of outstanding companies in the firearms industry. Stag is an iconic brand with a well-deserved reputation for product excellence and world-class customer service. We look forward to partnering with Stag’s strong management team and employees to grow the Company through new and innovative product offerings. In addition, we are delighted that Mark Malkowski, Stag’s founder, has agreed to remain engaged with the Company as a consultant. Mark’s deep knowledge of the industry will be invaluable as we build upon the excellent foundation that he put in place.”

Malkowski commented, “It is with great enthusiasm that I hand off ownership of Stag to the White Wolf team. I feel fortunate to be able to transition the business I started from scratch to a team that shares my philosophy and passion for the industry and who recognizes the exceptional capabilities of Stag’s dedicated employees.”

All of Stag’s rifles come with an industry leading lifetime transferable warranty and an infinite shot guarantee on the barrel.

This new opportunity with White Wolf Capital allows the company to continue providing their customers with the best products the industry has come to know and love. Over the last 13 years, Stag has offered high quality, low cost rifles, and this acquisition will only reinforce that dedication to providing extraordinary craftsmanship at a great price point. We can expect to see great things coming from Stag!

www.stagarms.com

Tags: Stag Arms, White Wolf Capital LLC
Posted in Black Rifle, Industry, Press Release, weapons | 4 Comments »

Taurus USA Introduced The T4SA Rifle at NRAAM

Monday, May 8th, 2017

Taurus USA introduced its new AR-style rifle at NRAAM called the T4SA. It seems an odd time to release an AR, considering the current market glut.

However, they’ve treated the weapon’s critical components with Melonite and displayed a rifle that had fired over 6,500 rounds with no lubricant.

Additionally, they are offering variants featuring Jungle Green and Sand Cerakote.

Below is their press release.

Based on the iconic M4 platform, the Taurus T4SA is a lightweight, gas-impingement 5.56 mm semi-automatic carbine that was engineered and manufactured entirely in the United States.

Features include a forged upper receiver 1913 rail that includes “T” Mark reference points for convenient mounting and reattaching of accessories. It comes standard with a lightweight, low-profile KeyMod or M-LOK aluminum handguard.

Additionally, the Taurus T4SA utilizes an M16-style bolt carrier, which reduces the recoil pulse during firing. The barrel is chambered in 5.56 NATO and fires both 5.56 and .223 Rem. ammunition. The 1:7″ twist, chromoly barrel utilizes the Melonite process on all interior and exterior surface areas, rendering it corrosion resistant and easy to clean.

The T4SA has a dual pinned Melonite low-profile gas block that replaces standard fixed front sight post gas blocks—reducing overall weight and allowing handguards to extend unimpeded past the gas block.

The forged lower receiver is equipped with a Magpul grip with internal storage and a Magpul oversized trigger guard and all fire control parts are manufactured to MIL-SPEC standards. It also includes a MIL-SPEC buffer tube, recoil spring, H2 buffer and a staked castle nut.

The T4SA also features a lightweight, six-position Magpul CTR buttstock with a no-snag triangle shape. The buttstock comes standard with right and left side Quick Disconnect (QD) attachment points as well as slots for use with standard slings and/or sling cords. It will accommodate most major sling designs and features a shock-absorbing buttstock pad to reduce felt recoil and provide a non-slip surface for positive contact between the carbine and operator.

www.taurust4.com

Tags: NRAAM, Taurus
Posted in Black Rifle, NRA, Press Release | 10 Comments »

USASOC Envisions Taking SOPMOD Into The 2020s With A New Upper Receiver Group For Its M4A1s

Monday, May 8th, 2017

During last week’s NDIA Armaments Conference, United States Army Special Operations Command’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements (G8), COL Samuel Ashley briefed an upcoming program. The command is interested in fielding a new Upper Reciever Group for its M4A1 SOPMOD carbines.

This isn’t the same program as the current Suppressed UpperReceiver Group (SURG) intended to procure an integrally suppressed upper, which can be still held despite going through a brutal protocol of eight magazines.

The Special Operations Peculiar Modifications or SOPMOD program was begun in the early 1990s to offer specialized weapon modifications and accessories for SOF’s carbines. Paid for by Major Force Program-11 funds, M-4 carbines received rail systems and a toolkit of optics and weapon lights. MFP-11 is USOCOM’s budget authority, while Army SOF get their service common items like M9 pistols, M320 Grenade Launchers and Mk 19 AGLs from the Army via MFP-2.

But before anything else happens with this program, Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane, which has responsibility for the development, procurement and life-cycle management of SOCOM’s small arms fleet, has to publish the results of a Mid-length vs Carbine-length gas study it’s finishing up. That study will inform this URG requirement. Officials won’t say what they expect to find during the study, but quite a bit of headway has been made in the commercial market with mid-length gas systems, particularly when paired with suppressors.

Naturally, this means that these will be direct impingement uppers, unlike the M27 IAR, piston-driven rifles the Marine Corps is considering for expanded fielding. Despite interest from the peanut gallery, there are no plans for SOCOM-wide fielding of the HK416.

Although exact details of the requirement have not been released, USASOC did not develop them in a vacuum.

An ongoing Soldier Enhancement Program initiative, launched in 2014, has been leveraged to inform the requirement. Initially, the Army purchased a small number of AU-MOD 2s from Hodge Defense Systems, Inc which were evaluated by Picatinny as well as USASOC. This was the first time a carbine had been evaluated under SEP. Later in 2016, the Army purchased rifles from other manufacturers which included LMT, Daniel Defense and SIG, amongst others.

COL Ashley said that they see two variants of the URG, a 14.5″ and 10.5″, denoting barrel lengths which replicate their current capability. Of course, the mid-length gas system would only apply to the 14.5″ and not the 10.5″ upper.

One thing we know, this URG program will include the M-LOK attachment system, which is backward compatible with MIL STD 1913 via adapters. Based on the briefing slide, it also looks like USASOC wants to go with the SureFire WarComp, in negative timing mode. The WarComp is compatible with SureFire suppressors and COL Ashley mentioned that the command is quite pleased with the performance of its current suppressors.

While USASOC has interest in several new calibers, none of them are for their carbine. The URG will be in 5.56mm NATO, intended to fire the M855A1 cartridge, which COL Ashley related, USASOC is very satisfied with.

However within SOCOM, there is a Naval Special Warfare driven requirement for a Personal Defense Weapon in .300 Blackout. Additionally, USASOC is conducting a 6.5mm caliber ammunition evaluation for a Intermediate Caliber Sniper Rifle/Carbine as well as Intermediate Caliber Assault Machine Gun. Finally, SOCOM plans to field an Advanced Sniper Rifle in .300 Norma Magnum to be accompanied by a .338NM cartridge which may also see service with a Lightweight Medium Machine Gun, combining the weight of an M240 with the reach of an M2 Machine Gun.

Programs like this not only help ensure that SOCOM’s M-4A1 platform benefits from upgrades from the latest technology, but the Army, and other services, can also adopt this URG, to improve the performance of their carbines. COL Ashley said to look for this requirement to hit the streets in FY18.

Tags: USASOC
Posted in Black Rifle, SOF | 73 Comments »

Sneak Peek – Vickers Guide To The AR-15 (Volume 2)

Sunday, May 7th, 2017

Snesk peek of the LMT L129A1 from the upcoming AR-15 (Volume 2) by Larry Vickers.

www.vickersguide.com/purchase/ar15-standard

Tags: Larry Vickers
Posted in Black Rifle, History | 4 Comments »

NRAAM 2017 – XAR Folding Rifle from F&D Defense

Monday, May 1st, 2017

F&D Defense’s XAR Folding Rifle is the most remarkable thing I saw at this year’s NRA Annual Meeting. I’ve seen other folding designs but the invariably feature a folding stock.

The XAR hinges just in front of the upper receiver. The barrel folds to the side.

The secret is the taper around the barrel extension which allows it to pivot right into position in the tapered upper receiver. Then, the barrel is locked into place via a latch, similar to many suitcases.

This short video shows you how it works.

F&D Defense will be releasing the XAR Invicta (5.56/AR15 platform) in summer of 2017.

www.fddefense.com/rifles/xar

Tags: F&D Defense, NRAAM
Posted in Black Rifle, NRA | 26 Comments »

US Secret Service Issues Pre-solicitation For New Carbine

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017

This week, the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Secret Service issued a pre-solicitation for a new rifle in 5.56x45mm. There are no set asides and they anticipate an open bid process with a contract award for a five year IDIQ.

The United States Secret Service has a requirement for 5.56 x 45mm rifle, equipped with full- and semi-automatic firing capability. USSS seeks to establish a single-award Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle for a period of five (5) years. The Draft Statement of Requirements is attached as reference for potential offerors and is subject to change at the time of solicitation posting. This Presolicitation notice is associated with a Request for Information notice posted March 11, 2016. The anticipated award will be made in Fiscal Year 2018.

The weapon itself is pretty straight forward. They want an ambidextrous carbine. Interestingly, they will only accept Magpul PMAGs as magazines. Additionally, testing will be conducted while wearing Mechanix Wear Vent gloves.

According to the notice:
The weapon shall be operable, without modification or alteration, by a right or left-handed user, firing with the right or left hand, depending on handedness.

All external metal parts of the weapon shall have a dark subdued, rust/corrosion resistant finish. The finish shall be unaffected by commercially available gun cleaning solvents, such as Simple Green, used in heated ultrasonic cleaning tanks. Flaking, peeling, blotching, etc. of the finish is unacceptable.

The weapon shall be chambered in accordance with current U.S. Military specifications for 5.56 x 45mm, and function with assorted ammunition ranging in weight from 55 to 77 grains (to include all common SAAMI-spec and Mil-Spec ammunition) as well as frangible ammunition.

Dimensional Requirements:
Height (no taller than, sights folded, w/o accessories or magazine) 8.5 inches
Weight (no heavier than, w/o accessories) 7.5 pounds
O/A Length (no longer than, w/stock fully extended) 34 inches
Barrel length (min – max) 10-12 inches
Rifling (5.56) 1 turn 7” inch twist RH

Operating System.
The weapon shall utilize a direct-impingement gas-operated system or a short- stroke gas piston system.

Barrel.
The barrel shall have a minimum service life of 15,000 rounds.
Barrel service life is defined as a not exceeding 5 Minutes-of-Angle (MOA) and exhibiting no more than 125 ft/sec decrease in velocity (in accordance with USSS velocity testing procedures), with observance of offeror’s submitted maintenance protocols.
The barrel shall be free of cracks, seams, and other injurious defects and the bore and chamber shall be free of pockets, rings, bulges, and other deformations. The bore and chamber shall be chromium plated, or of equivalent corrosion resistance. Any coating in the chamber and bore shall be free of nodules, flaking, pits, stripping, anode burrs and evidence of etched base steel. Burrs and sharp edges shall be removed from the chamber edges, and bolt locking lugs.
The muzzle of the barrel should bear a thread size of 1?2” x 28 tpi, with shoulder geometry of
90 deg.
The muzzle should be equipped with a flash hider device, installed with shims as necessary.
Crush washers are not acceptable.
Mode of Fire. The weapon shall be selective fire, i.e. semi-automatic and full automatic. A “burst limiter” in the full-automatic mode is not acceptable.

Fire Selector.
The fire control selector shall be ambidextrous in design, and be a single lever paddle mounted on the side of the receiver, adjacent to the rear pistol grip, thereby not requiring the shooter to significantly break their firing grip when actuating.
The fire control selector shall be a rotary type and shall have three positions; safe, semi- automatic and automatic and shall rotate manually without binding from one position to another when the hammer is cocked. The selector shall remain in place in each position by a perceptible spring detent load until manually reset.

Trigger.
With the hammer cocked, when the selector is placed in the “SAFE” position, it shall prevent the trigger from releasing the hammer so that the weapon is incapable of being fired.
When the selector is placed in the “SEMI AUTOMATIC” position, it shall have a disconnect, so that the weapon is capable of semi-automatic fire only (one shot with each pull of the trigger).
When the selector is placed in the “AUTO” position, the weapon shall be capable of automatic fire (continuous firing until the trigger is released or all cartridges are expended) at a rate of no less than 600, and no greater than 900, rounds-per- minute, while utilizing M193 ammunition.
The trigger shall hold the hammer in the cocked position until the trigger is pulled. After partial or complete trigger pull, the trigger shall return to its normal forward positions (cocked and uncocked) under spring action.
The trigger pull shall not measure less than 4.0 pounds, nor more than 6.5 pounds, regardless if the fire selector is set on semi or full-automatic fire.
The trigger configuration shall be two-stage with no adjustment screws or set screws.
The trigger shall have a smooth face, cannot be wider than the trigger guard, and shall be the only control inside the area enclosed by the trigger guard. Any other controls (bolt catch/release, magazine/catch release, etc.) inside the area enclosed by the trigger guard are not acceptable.
While utilizing gloves, the trigger shall not pinch the trigger finger between the trigger and the side of the receiver or between the trigger and the inside bottom of the trigger guard. Any manipulation/modification to the trigger guard to meet this requirement is not acceptable.

Charging Handle.
The charging handle shall be situated in the upper receiver. The charging handle shall not reciprocate with the bolt when the weapon is fired. The charging handle shall be capable of being operated with one hand while the shooters other hand is grasping the pistol grip or forend grip.

Bolt Hold-Open Device.
The rifle shall be equipped with a magazine activated bolt hold open device. The bolt hold open device shall also be capable of being activated manually by the operator. When the bolt hold open device is activated by the magazine follower and the magazine is subsequently removed, the bolt shall remain in the rear or open position. When the bolt is in the rear or open position and a full magazine is inserted, the bolt shall remain in the rear or open position until the operator manually activates the bolt release. When the bolt catch is released, the bolt shall return to the battery position. Upon release, the bolt shall strip a round from the loaded magazine and load it into the chamber.

Magazine.
The weapon magazine well shall be compatible with the standard NATO STANAG 30 round M16 series magazine (NSN 1005-01-561-7200) and the Magpul PMAG 30 AR/M4, 5.56×45 Magazine (NSN 1005-01-628-5106 and NSN 1005-01-615-5169).
Only the Magpul PMAG 30 AR/M4, 5.56×45 Magazine (NSN 1005-01-615-5169; Mfr Part # MAG556) will be acceptable for solicitation submission and subsequent testing.
The magazine release shall securely retain the magazine in the magazine well. The magazine (whether empty or full) shall fall free from the magazine well once the magazine release button is activated without any further operator assistance. The magazine release button shall be spring loaded and the design of the receiver shall provide some shielding against inadvertent activation when placed against standard USSS uniform and/or body armor. The activation of the magazine release button shall be accomplished with minimum effort by the operator with only one hand.
The magazine should reliably feed all types of ammunition utilized in the USSS Evaluation and Testing protocols.
Magazines shall contain an anti-tilt follower that shall be able to activate the weapon’s bolt hold open device after the last round in the magazine is fired.
The magazine shall be capable of being inserted directly into the magazine well by the operator with one hand, and without any “rocking” type motion.

Lower Receiver.
The lower receiver shall have a permanently affixed plate, label, or laser- etching, displaying a QR code or barcode, readable via commercially-available optical reader. This code shall be embedded with information specific to the host firearm, including (but not limited to) make, model/variant, and unique serial number.

Upper Receiver.
The weapon shall be equipped with a Mil-Std-1913 Picatinny attachment rail on the top of the receiver for mounting of optics, iron sights, lasers, etc.

Forend/Handguard.
The weapon shall have a modular free-floating handguard assembly measuring no less than 9.0 inches of functional/configurable railspace (measured along the 6:00 o’clock position of the rail).

The handguard assembly shall have the ability to attach Mil-Std-1913 Picatinny rail segment along the length of the handguard at the 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 o’clock positions simultaneously. The manufacturer shall provide a sufficient quantity of rail segments to cover the length of the handguard at the 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 o’clock positions simultaneously. Handguards with permanently attached Mil-Std 1913 Picatinny railssections the length of the handguard at the 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 o’clock positions shall also be considered.
When assembled to the weapon, the upper most rail of the free-floating handguard assembly shall align and be at the same height as the rail on the receiver. A one piece receiver/handguard assembly is acceptable as long as the barrel is free-floating, the above rail positioning interfaces are present, and handguard portion meets the minimum length requirement detailed in Section 2.

Pistol Grip.
The rear pistol grip shall be securely attached to the lower portion of the receiver and shall not interfere with the operation of the selector lever. If applicable to the submission, vendor shall provide interchangeable rear pistol grip adapters (backstraps).

Butt-Stock.
The butt stock shall be quickly adjustable for length of pull without the use of any tools. The butt stock shall have, at minimum total of four positions, including fully extended and fully collapsed.

Backup Sights.
When utilized, the front/rear ‘backup’ sights shall be viewable through an Aimpoint Model T2 while mounted on a suitable optic-specific commercially available sight mount.
The front sight shall be a folding locking type, capable of being locked in both the up and down positions (lever lock, friction lock, spring detent, etc.). The front sight shall be located at the front of the weapon either on top of the gas block or at the end of the rail on the hand guard. The front sight shall be a post profile type, adjustable for elevation as part of operator zeroing procedures. The profile of the sighting portion of the post shall be .050 to .075 inches in thickness. At no time shall the sight unlock from its position as a result of firing the weapon.
The rear sight shall be a folding locking type, capable of being locked in both the up and down positions (lever lock, friction lock, spring detent etc.). The rear sight shall be an aperture type, adjustable for windage and elevation as part of operator zeroing procedures. At no time shall the sight unlock from its position as a result of firing the weapon.

Sling Mount.
The weapon shall be supplied with means to mount a sling to, at minimum, the rear area of the receiver and the handguard, via quick-detach sling swivel. All sling mounting/attachment points will be required to be rotation-limited (4-position) quick-detach cups, to allow interface with quick-detach push button swivels.

For full details visit www.fbo.gov.

Tags: US Secret Service
Posted in Black Rifle, Contracts | 30 Comments »

Grey Ghost Precision – Grim Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017

I had the pleasure of spending last week with several brands at the High Bar Homestead near Gillette, Wyoming along with several other writers. This facility is amazing, with a variety of range, from 25 out to 2000 yds.

The rifles were all from Grey Ghost Precision. I’ve owned a GGP S-series Heavy rifle in .308 since they first came out and it’s been a reliable companion on several hog hunts as well as for range trips, so you can say I’m a fan of the brand. Their receiver sets are manufactured from 7075-T651 aluminum billets to their specs by Mega Arms and True Black Type III Mil Spec Hard Coat Anodized. The builds are excellent.

GGP brought rifles in .223, .300 and .308 but what caught my eye was the new Grim in 6.5 Creedmoor.

While I checked them all out in turn, I found myself going back to the 6.5, regardless of the range we were on at the time. It was a dream to shoot. The recoil was a push, while I felt that the .308 S-series Heavy had a stronger recoil. The accuracy was amazing, making it a snap to score hits out to 1000 yds, even in winds. I could easily shoot a full 20 round magazine on steel at 800 yds and hear that comforting ping after each shot. After one of these events, a friend said, “Good shooting, Eric” but I had to admit to him that it was the rifle and not me. It shot so well that any misses were definitely on me and while I did indeed miss a few, that gun was a laser out to 800 yds. It almost took the fun out of it…almost.

The lower is ambidextrous with ambi safety, magazine and bolt release, but left-side only catch. The Grim is outfitted with a 16” hand KeyMod or M-Lok handguard and comes stock with a curved or flat face CMC 2-stage 2lb set/2lb release, but users can choose an optional Geissele SSA-E for a slight upcharge. The stock is the Magpul Gen 3 PRS. All excellent components, but I think some of the magic in this gun is the 22” Proof Research stainless barrel with 1/8 Twist. You’ll notice in the images that the barrel isn’t coated and that’s because during testing they found it affected the performance of the rifle. It also has a slightly longer rifle Length gas system, with an extra 2” long, paired with a Superlative Arms Adjustable Gas Block.

If you’re already shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor bolt gun like I am, and are looking for a reliable gas gun to pair with it, I suggest you check out the Grey Ghost Precision Grim. If you already own a GGP S-series Heavy, I understand they’ll be introducing a 6.5 Creed upper receiver group soon.

www.greyghostprecision.com

Tags: Grey Ghost Precision
Posted in Advertiser, Black Rifle | Comments Off on Grey Ghost Precision – Grim Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor