Snesk peek of the LMT L129A1 from the upcoming AR-15 (Volume 2) by Larry Vickers.
www.vickersguide.com/purchase/ar15-standard
Archive for the ‘Black Rifle’ Category
Sneak Peek – Vickers Guide To The AR-15 (Volume 2)
Sunday, May 7th, 2017NRAAM 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.
US Secret Service Issues Pre-solicitation For New Carbine
Tuesday, April 11th, 2017This 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.
Grey Ghost Precision – Grim Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor
Tuesday, April 11th, 2017I 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.
LaRue Tactical – Limited-Edition FDE 7.62 Heavy-Barreled PredatAR Rifle
Tuesday, April 11th, 2017Recently several readers have brought up LaRue Tactical’s recent 1st place showing at the USASOC Sniper Comp. They recently announced a second release of their Limited-Edition FDE 7.62 Heavy-Barreled PredatAR Rifle on Facebook. Below is their post, and yes, it looks like owner Mark LaRue is keeping number 500 all to himself.
By popular demand, we’ve made the 2nd release of last year’s Limited-Edition 7.62 “Heavy-Barreled” PredatAR, in FDE.
The first 125 units (match-numbered on the upper and lower) sold at high noon on New Year’s Day 2016 in 4 minutes flat.
For those of you who know the “Costa Edition” 5.56 Rifle, this 7.62 offering closely follows the same configuration. It beautifully combines the popular and lightweight PredatAR chassis with our 16″ heavy LaRue Barrel. If you have a Costa and want a matching serial number, let us know … we are trying to accommodate.
Each Upper Receiver, Lower Receiver, and Handguard is finished in FDE.
Selected black components and black GAP rail covers provide dramatic contrast.
The 2nd release comprises Serial numbers 126 – 499.
Please pardon my reach, but the 500th one is mine.
This will go hot at high noon Central Time Wednesday April 12th. Go take a look now, kick the tires, even if you are not interested, as that will leave bandwidth for those that are to crowd in and make their buy on Wednesday.
If you are wondering about LaRue accuracy, the 1st place finishers at the USASOC 2017 Military Sniper Competition won 2 weeks ago with a pair of LaRue rifles. That makes two years in a row LaRue rifles took 1st Place.
www.larue.com/predatar-762-16-heavy-barrel-fde
For those ordering a rifle, there will be a follow-on post-sale offering of great accessories, at great prices.
Daniel Defense -Tested. Proven. Chosen…
Monday, April 10th, 2017Somewhere in the world, law enforcement and military personnel are, at this very moment, trusting their lives with our products, and that’s not something we take lightly. We’ve made a promise to these brave men and women—and to all of our customers—to provide them with products that not only meet but also exceed their expectations. We fulfill that promise through cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art manufacturing, and an unwavering commitment to excellence and quality. When you go with Daniel Defense, you have our word—and our name—on it.
Christensen Arms Releases New CA-15 and CA-10 Gen 2 Rifles
Tuesday, March 28th, 2017
Gunnison, UT – (March 27, 2017) First debuted at Shot Show 2017, Christensen Arms is proud to announce the official release of the CA-15 and CA-10 Gen 2 rifles. These rifles are available with either stainless steel or carbon fiber barrels and feature newly designed, billet 7075 receiver sets that were engineered to mate seamlessly with a slim-profile, aerograde carbon fiber handguard. Both rifles feature a true free-floating barrel and boast the Christensen Arms Sub-Moa Accuracy Guarantee.
Weighing less than 6 lbs., the CA-15 G2 is one of the lightest and most accurate AR15 platforms available. It is offered in Black Anodize, Tungsten Cerakote, or Burnt Bronze Cerakote and is chambered in .223 Wylde. MSRP is $1,749 for the stainless steel barrel configuration and $2,295 for the carbon fiber.
Combining aerospace alloys and ultra-lightweight carbon fiber, the CA-10 G2 weighs a mere 7.2 lbs., making it one of the lightest AR10 platforms ever created. It is available in either .308 Win or 6.5 Creedmoor, and comes in your choice of 3 color offerings. MSRP comes in at $2,595 for the stainless barrel variant and $2,995 for the carbon fiber.
For more information on either rifle, visit the Christensen Arms website.
Hodge Defense Systems Handguards and Upper Receivers Available Now From O P Tactical
Friday, March 17th, 2017I often hear that Hodge parts are as rare as rocking horse dung, so when I find out Wedge Lock Rails and Upper Receivers are in stock somewhere I figure I’d better warn you.
Made from 7075-T6 Aluminum, these genuine Hodge Defense components are ultra strong, and allow the rails to be extremely slim. Combined with the included Titanium barrel nut and you have one of the strongest, thinnest, and lightest systems on the market. SLR GB-7 Pin Micro Gas Blocks designed to work with the rail system are also in stock.
