Jeff Carpenter has produced an excellent online primer for those that want to take a look at the features of various commercially available collapsible butt stocks.
Check it out at 03 Design Group.
Archive for the ‘Black Rifle’ Category
Carbine Butt Stock Primer
Monday, March 22nd, 2010The Black Rifle – M16 Retrospective
Friday, March 5th, 2010
There is a lot of hyperbole floating around on the internet these days in regard to the current US military service rifle and its little brother the carbine. Much of it is coming out of the gun press but unfortunately quite a bit stems from within the military itself. The student of modern small arms would do himself great good to read “The Black Rifle” by R Blake Stevens and Edward C Ezell. It’s good to have a basic understanding of how we got where we are today. Armed with such knowledge you will be able to dispel common inaccuracies about the M16 family of small arms and knowledgeably speak about small arms development in regard to that system.
“The Black Rifle – M16 Retrospective” is available directly from its publisher, Collector Grade Publications as well as another fine book entitled, “Black Rifle II – The M16 Into the 21st Century” which picks up where “Black rifle” leaves off. Neither are inexpensive but both are well worth the cost if you are serious about this business.
Colt 6720 from Clyde Armory
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Clyde Armory of Athens, Georgia is exclusively offering the Colt 6720. The Colt AR15-A4, Lightweight LE Carbine model 6720 is, in a nutshell a 6920 with a 6520 barrel and MATech flip up rear. The 16″ barrel features a 1:7 twist and the MATech flip up rear site has been standard military issue for years. The rifle also comes fitted with GI furniture including pistol grip, collapsible butt stock, and hand guards.
Overall, it looks to be a solid lightweight rifle built to Mil-Spec. However, pricing has been set by serial number (which you can choose) and there is a serious difference in price between the lower numbers available now and higher numbers available this summer. With the current of glut of guns on the market I just don’t see these becoming collectibles unless you have a vanity issue over a certain number.
More information is available at colt6720.com.
Lightweight Hammer Forged Barrels from Centurion Arms
Monday, February 8th, 2010Centurion Arms has just announced a new line of hammer forged barrels. Just like in the load carrying world, with the advent of modularity, small arms have become overloaded and a movement has formed to begin taking the weight off the rifles. One of the easiest means is to remove unneeded accessories, or to combine functionality into fewer items. Another move has been to produce lighter barrels. One way this is possible is through the hammer forging process.
Hammer forging is a process in which a drilled and reamed blank has its rifled bore and chamber formed by swaging. During production of the barrel, the internal profile is formed by a series of opposing power hammers which concentrically “crush†the drilled blank around a precision-ground and hardened mandrel. This process yields an extremely uniform bore with a tough, consistent surface finish on the inside of the barrel. Producers use differing methods of honing and Centurion combines theirs with a specially tapered section of rifling formed during the forging process to improve accuracy. They specified a 1:7 twist rate and a Mil-Spec 5.56mm chamber. Naturally, they chose to finish the barrels with a manganese phosphate finish (Mil-Spec A-A-59267).
Centurion Arms specifies that the hard chromium lining used to coat the chamber and bore is applied to twice the thickness of standard small arms barrels. The actual steel itself used for the barrels is a Chrome-Moly steel alloy specifically developed as a machinegun barrel steel providing increased barrel life under prolonged rigorous firing schedules. The forging process also work hardens the barrel steel resulting in a very durable and much longer lasting barrel. Finally, the barrels are HPT (High Pressure Testing) tested which is a process wherein a proof load rated at 70,000 psi (far exceeding the pressure of a normal round) is fired trough the barrel. The barrel is then tested with a non-destructive process called MPI (Magnetic Particle Inspection) to detect any flaws in the barrel extension and barrel from the proof load.
The barrels retails for $325.00. For more information, please contact Centurion Arms at www.centurionarms.com.
“New” from H&K – MR 556
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
At SHOT Show H&K displayed the MR 556 and MR 762 civilian variants of the HK-416 and 417. That they have new names this year is step toward demonstrating that these are not clones of the rifles released in Europe. As we posted in November, the takedown pins are in the same location as Mil Std US Stoner-style rifles. However, take a look at the close up of the takedown pins. They appear smaller in diameter than Mil Std pins, but I was assured by an engineer from Obendorf that this is not the case. What is different about these pins is that the center must be depressed with a punch or similar item in order to be moved. This is required when breaking the weapon down as well as when putting it back together. Interestingly, the MR 762 did not have the new takedown pins (UPDATE: because these are the same samples exhibited last year). Pricing was still not nailed down and discussions of release dates were met with “four months.”
H&K employees manning the booth stated that they had just received the samples on Friday and that they were not yet completely familiar with them. The weapons were assembled at Daniel Defense but bear the proof marks of HK’s assembly plant co-located with Wilcox Industries in New Hampshire.
Colt Tactical Launches at SHOT
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010Colt, perennial manufacturer of the M16/M4 family of small arms as well as a line of quality Law Enforcement and civilian versions is launching a new division at SHOT Show. Colt Tactical will focus on bringing Colt firearms to the masses in a new way. Their new website to launch during SHOT show is very interactive and will allow the customer to order his rifle online and have it shipped directly to his FFL holder. Expect to see a few new variants to coincide with the launch of this new venture. In addition to complete rifles we are hoping that you will be able to purchase complete upper and lower assemblies as well as parts.
If you are in the market for a Mil Spec gun, Colt is the place to get it. Like they say; “There’s quality and there’s Colt quality.” Look for www.coltactical.com to launch soon and don’t forget to visit Colt at SHOT Show in booth #12629.
NY Times on the M4
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010The NY Times published a great article on the M4 and compares the barrels used on the Army issue carbine with SOCOM’s M4A1 heavier barrel profile. Check it out and watch the videos. I think that they speak for themselves and that the article is well balanced and avoids the sensationalism surrounding small arms found on many military blogs.
FAILZERO for Your Black Rifle
Friday, December 18th, 2009FAILZERO has been gaining a lot of momentum on the net lately and for good reason. I first ran into them almost a year ago at SHOT Show in Orlando. They displayed several pistols that had been treated but in the meantime they developed an M16/M4 kit (There is also an AR-15 kit available). The key to FAILZERO is their EXO Technology, a surface technology that provides permanent dry lubricity which eliminates the need to apply oil or grease to treated parts for the life of the weapon. Plus it makes clean up a snap.
FAILZERO developed a completely assembled, ready to install, M16/4 Bolt and Carrier System. The kit includes six critical parts that are treated with EXO Technology, . Additionally, EXO Technology is 40% more wear resistant than Chrome with a very Low Coefficient of Friction.
The kit includes:
• *Case Hardened, Shot Peened and MPI Bolt (Magnetic Particle Inspected)
• *Bolt Carrier
• *Chrome Lined Gas Key hardened and staked to Mil-Spec
• *Hammer
• *Extractor
• *Cam Pin
• Mil-Spec Gas Rings
• Grade 8 Hardened Fasteners
• Blue Extractor Insert
• Firing Pin and Retainer
* Parts treated with EXO Technology
The kit is available from Extreme Outfitters.
Note: (It is the buyer’s responsibility to observe all firearm laws)
