Archive for the ‘Black Rifle’ Category
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Tuesday, February 11th, 2014LWRCI’s 50 State Compliant Rifle Demonstrator
Monday, January 20th, 2014At SHOT Show, LWRCI showed me an interesting new carbine demonstrator. It looks like their standard IC-style carbine with a 10 round magazine peeking out from the mag well. But then I noticed that there is no magazine release.
Turns out, it features a 10 round, spring loaded, fixed magazine, you grasp the bottom of the magazine and pull until the bullet-shaped loading gate aligns. Then you can feed ammunition into the magazine to top it off. When you are done, you release the magazine and it automatically closes under spring pressure.
This is still a concept demonstrator and not yet ready for primetime but it’s good to see industry developing rifles for every segment of the market; even those who live in areas with restrictive gun laws. When the latest wave of legislation was proposed last year, I knew that someone would analyze the laws and begin to work on technologies that accommodate them, yet allow the user to continually top off the magazine and in a for factor we all know and love, the Stoner AR platform.
I was so impressed with the concept that, during SHOT Show, I mentioned this rifle when asked by others what I had seen that was cool. Many in industry were intrigued with the idea and supported the notion. In fact, I was so struck by the rifle that I uncharacteristically shot and posted a quick video on the demonstrator to the SSD Facebook page. However, I was quite dismayed by the reaction from the readers. I noticed industry fans liked the rifle. Many, disappointingly, were outraged by LWRCI’s development of the rifle which they felt was an act of capitulation to laws they don’t agree with. Some mentioned that LWRCI should spend their money on legal action, opposing prohibitive gun legislation. Apparently, they don’t realize how much money the firearms industry pours into organizations that lobby for your gun rights.
I cannot explain this upside down attitude that would rather leave citizens without guns, than offer them something that complies with these laws. The attitude reminds of a spoiled child who won’t accept something unless they get it the way they want it. I find it to be a defeatist attitude that eschews resistance via innovation in favoring hunkering down awaiting change via legislation or the court system, or worse yet, abandoning areas with restrictive gun laws altogether. Naturally, the issue must be confronted via the middle path, with a balance of adaption during periods of prohibition combined with legislative and legal actions including education, lobbying, and court challenges.
Whether you agree with their LWRCI’s actions on a philosophical level, you have to admit that it is an innovative approach and I hope that it spurs more innovation industry-wide.
SHOT Show – NRA Booth Features Hodge Defense
Friday, January 17th, 2014I’m walking along minding my own business at SHOT Show when I run smack into the NRA booth. And when I look up, what do I see but a Hodge Defense AU Mod 1.
Not too shabby….
SHOT Show – LWRCi
Friday, January 17th, 2014LWRCi’s long awaited Six8 platform is now available but in a bigger way than I had expected. As you may recall it is dedicated to the improved 6.8mm round which was developed with ATK for an overseas contract. It is a 90grain Gold dot projectile at 1700 fps out of the UICW’s 8.5″ barrel.
Their Six8A2 is an entry level gun. It features ambi controls and a quad rail. Next, is the SPR which is similar to their IC platform developed for the US Army Individual Carbine competition. It features a mono forged upper receiver as well as ambi controls. The Limited Edition Razorback model is the same as the SPR but features a laser engraved razorback and comes with 500 rounds of ammo. There is also the Six8 UICW that was sold overseas under contract and they are working on a PDW variant.
Remember, these use proprietary magazines developed specifically for the gun by Magpul but LWRCi tells me these are available.
Rainier Arms Announces RUC Mod 2
Thursday, January 9th, 2014The new Rainier Arms RUC Mod 2 premiers today. Weighing at a dry 6lbs even with a 15″ rail, the RUC Mod 2 offers a full auto carrier as well as HPT/MPI tested barrel and bolt, tuned mil-spec trigger, and many upgrades you can see in the specs below.
Barrel Specs
16”(Mid) or 18”(Rifle) M249 Chrome
Lined Machine Gun Barrel
1-7 twist 5.56 NATO Spec Chamber
Pinned RA Match Low Pro gas block
Rainier Arms Compensator (RAC™)
Upper Specs
RA Forged A4 flat top upper
15” RA Force™ Key Mod Rail
RA Raptor™ Ambi Charging Handle
RA MPI/HP Bolt w/ staked FA carrier
Lower Specs
RA Forged Lower
Mil-Spec 6 Pos. extension w/ H Buffer
Mission First Tactical Minimalist Stock
Mission First Tactical Engage Grip
Quality Tuned Mil Spec Trigger
B.A.D. Ambidextrous Safety Selector
Quick Detach End plate
Accessories
30 Round magazine where legal
RA Patriot Hard Case
Johnny PMAGs Still Available Through Grey Ghost
Wednesday, January 8th, 2014Limited numbers of these magazines are still available for those who want to support John’s kids.
During SHOT Show Drake Clark reached me about helping out with an upcoming project. John Noveske had just passed away and Magpul was going to commit to a run of special “Johnny” PMAGs to raise money for his family. He asked if I would help. While I had only met John once through the introduction of Stickman, we had quite a few friends in common. And, I appreciated his hard work and innovation. “Sure,” I told Drake, “count me in!”
Now, I know some of you guys are asking yourselves why the family of a guy who owned a business would need money. Well, my answer is simple. It’s for his kids. Very, very few small business owners are rich, or even well off. They work insane hours and put everything extra back into the business. And now, in the case of Noveske Rifleworks, John – the creative force behind the brand, is gone. It will never be the same and the lives of his kids will never be the same. As a father and small business owner, I can tell you, none of this was lost on me. It’s the reason I agreed to be a part of this and a reason I purchased some of these magazines when they were first available.
Now mind you, all of this planning for the Johnny mag was going on during the panic of 2013. Despite this, Magpul came through with the initial push which they offered in conjunction with Noveske. And then, another tragedy struck, and a similar magazine-based fundraising campaign came along. And during that period, in late Spring, 300 Johnny PMAGs showed up at my door. When I was planning to start this fundraising effort, I foolishly thought I could offer them through PayPal, but I soon found out that wasn’t possible. Then, eBay was a bust. SSD has a long reach but what we don’t have is a web store. Once the other fundraising effort ended I reached out to my friends at Grey Ghost Gear and they thankfully agreed to handle the sales aspect of this effort.
If you missed out on the initial run of Johnny mags, Grey Ghost has just under 300 (they are selling already). The Johnny PMAG is a Magpul GEN M2 30 round PMAG designed for 5.56×45 NATO and .223 Remington AR15/ M4 platform weapons. This memorial magazine includes the Noveske “Flaming Pig” on one side, and the Noveske logo on the flip side.
Please join us in supporting the Noveske and remembering an innovator by purchasing one or more of these memorial magazines.
www.greyghostgear.com/accessories/johnny-memorial-pmag
H&K Announces SD models of the MR556 and MR762 with OSS Suppressors
Wednesday, January 8th, 2014I had a chance to shoot an H&K MR556 equipped with an OSS Inc suppressor about a year ago. The guys at OSS brought me in, showed me behind the curtain – opening up its unique innards for me to peruse, and then let me try it out for myself in a room that is about 8′ x 6′. I was amazed at how quiet the weapon was and how I didn’t experience any blowback of gas.
Fast forward to late last week and we saw the first glimpse of the new MR762A1-SD. For those of you unfamiliar with the SD suffix that is German (Schalldämpfer) which means suppressor. In addition to the suppressor, the rifles also integrate a new Modular Rail System that looks to be related to the open source KeyMod system. Although, the ‘keyholes’ face the wrong direction for KeyMod. As with KeyMod, the MRS is said to have indentations at the rear that lock accessories in place so that they won’t walk under fire. A couple of other things we now know about the MRS. It’s octagonal like the suppressor it shields. This helps with mitigating the effects of mirage. Additionally, we now know that the 556 version is offered in 9″ and 14″ variants and the 762 model boasts 14.7″.
40 years after the after the introduction of the HKMP5 SD, HK introduces the NEW MR556 SD and MR762 SD. The new SD design incorporates OSS suppression technology on the combat proven 416/417 Operating Systems. The OTB “over the Barrel” and “flow through” design aspects of OSS suppressor integration maintains the legacy SD aspects of maximizing the tactical aspect of suppression while minimizing an increase to the weapons overall length. In addition to these HKSD benchmarks, the new SD’s add; caliber and configuration modularity, individual suppressor component sustainability, greater than 90% reduction in blowback and bolt velocity increase, unprecedented accuracy, repeatability and durability. Welcome to the next generation of weapon suppression.
