During my recent visit to the IWA Outdoor Classics in Germany I ran into Polymer80 in the Brownells booth. Imagine seeing them in Europe, considering our perception of their gun laws.
I hadn’t talked to them in awhile, so they showed me their new 80% Sub-Compact Frame.
The PF940SC will allow you to build a G26-style pistol.
CMSgt Gene Alcock (USAF, Ret) has long served his country in both the Air Force and industry. These past years, he’s continued as a historian, documenting the history of the Combat Control Teams he served on. He recently shared this photo from 1965 which depicts one of the earliest uses of the AR-15 rifle in a combat setting.
USAF NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HQ, 2D AIR DIVISION (PACAF), APO SAN FRANCISCO, CA 93307
14 OCTOBER 1965 – BONG SON SPECIAL FORCES CAMP, RVN – CCT TSgt Stan Williams, 32, of Erwin, NC “talks in” a C-123 Provider of the 315th Air Commando Group during an airlift of Army of the Republic of Vietnam troops at Bong Son Special Forces camp. The army unit was heading for Tuy Hoa North, after spending more than two months in the field. Watching the aircraft land is TSgt Gene Adcock, 28, of Christopher, IL, another member of the team.
The radio vehicle pictured is the MRC-94. The weapon, an Armalite AR-15 and a B- 2 air traffic control light are shown on the ground at the right wheel.
(Air Force Photo by SSgt B. W. Cook)
“Black Powder, Red Earth” fans rejoice. Internet sensation Garand Thumb checked out the Cold Harbor Special Projects Group Carbine and produced this video. Cold Harbor is the fictional PMC featured in BPRE.
Regardless of whether you produce or consume content concerning firearms on YouTube, these new rules are worth reviewing.
According to the Department of the Navy’s recently published DoD Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Estimates for Marine Corps Procurement, the service plans to spend $6.3 million in 2019 to purchase 35,000 Modular Handgun Systems.
Way down in the notes on page 105 of this document, is the following statement:
The Modular Handgun System will be purchased to replace the legacy M9, M9A1, M45A1, and M007 pistols with a more affordable and efficient pistol for maintenance. The MHS also provides modularity and greater shooter ergonomics over the current models which will allow for more accurate fire for military personnel of different sizes. (Emphasis added)
SIG SAUER won the Modular Handgun System competition in January 2017 and since then has been delivering weapons which consist of a pistol, configurable as the full-size M17 or the compact M18, along with several new cartridges, including Ball and Special Purpose ammunition.
Just last year, the Marine Corps adopted the FBI’s Glock 19M as the M007, a tongue-in-cheek nomenclature if there ever was one. But this purchase for their Criminal Investigation Division members, seems short-lived.
Granted, this doesn’t mean that all Glocks in the Marine Corps will be replaced, just the M007s. MARSOC will keep their SOCOM-issued G19s. However, this move will most likely also affect the M007s requested under UONS to 2nd MARDIV.
To be sure, there are plenty of other gems in this document, like money allocated for additional M27 IARs as well as fielding CSASS and the M320 Grenade Launcher, but that the Marine Corps is announcing the replacement of the M007 so quickly is worth singling out.
The Glocks won’t be the only things to go. Naturally, the Beretta M9 and M9A1 pistols are slated to be removed from service, since was the goal of the program all along. But even the 1911-derived M45A1 CQB pistols produced by Colt for the Reconnaissance community will be replaced as well.
For those of you who think this is a new development, it’s really not. The Marine Corps is a participant in the MHS program and has been open about their plans to adopt MHS. Interestingly, when this slide was briefed at last year’s NDIA Armaments Conference in May, the M007 pistol hadn’t even been announced yet.
Just a few years ago, the Marine Corps scrubbed most of the handguns from their unit-level Tables of Organization and Equipment. That 35,000 number for MHS may represent the vast majority of their service-wide buy. But that’s the way the Marines like to handle their procurements; swiftly.
We’ve mentioned SureFire’s Advanced Rifle Operating Core (AROC) in the past but now it’s in production and has been demonstrated to several customers. There is a great deal of excitement surrounding this new weapon concept. It consists of a new Upper Receiver, including Bolt Carrier Group, as well as Action Spring and Buffer, all of which can be used with existing Lower Receivers.
The AROC bolt lugs are 1/3 longer, making them twice as strong as a standard mil-spec bolt. Naturally, this requires a matching barrel extension. The longer barrel extension reduces the steep feed ramp angle as found on a standard M4, for smoother and more reliable feeding of ammunition.
The AROC Bolt Carrier has an additional .400” of travel into the receiver extension requiring a shorter buffer. Along with the additional bolt carrier travel, there is a spring loaded weight in the rear of the carrier that acts as a counter weight to increase dwell time, reducing the cyclic rate to 590-610 rpm depending on ammunition. This makes the weapon easy to control on full automatic fire, increasing accuracy and effectiveness of the weapon. The AROC’s Bolt also has a set of interlocking Inconel gas rings that never wear out. Known in stand-alone mode as the Optimized Bolt Carrier, it is available as a drop-in accessory for existing AR pattern weapons, but you won’t get all of the advantages of the full AROC.
The AROC also has a heavy duty gas tube to handle full automatic fire. The delayed unlocking of the bolt reduces carbon fouling allowing the AROC to fire thousands of rounds without cleaning or lubrication. That’s right, no lube necessary. All the testing for the AROC was done with no lubrication.
The AROC is available as a Carbine, Designated Marksman Rifle, or a box fed lightweight squad machine gun. It’s a super reliable, very controllable, upper receiver that can be added to an M4 or HK416 lower receiver. The AROC pictured has a 14.5” machine gun, chrome lined barrel. Weight is 7.9 pounds with M4 lower receiver. However, shorter and longer barrel lengths will be available as well. Shown with the SOCOM556-RC-TN contract suppressor.
The AROC will be at The USASOC Sniper Competition held at Range 37, March 22-23. For more info contact SureFire VP of Military Sales, Jamie Wiedeman, jwiedeman@surefire.com.
I snapped a couple of photos of the new HK416A7, recently selected for use by the German Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) during Enforce Tac.
It offers ambi controls as well as a new grip which accepts inserts for different palm swells.
It’s in RAL8000 color and will be issued with the new HK Gen3 Polymer Magazine.
Finally, here’s an image of the muzzle device.
During last week’s Enforce Tac, Heckler & Koch gave us a sneak peek at the latest Version 4 of the HK433 in their RAL8000 color which is a Tan variant.
You’ll notice that the different materials have a slightly different shade. This is because the coloration formulations are different for each material and are absorbed and reflect differently. At least for now, H&K isn’t going to work to match the shades precisely.
As you can see, the HK433 offers both HK416 and G36 style ambidextrous controls. It also has a two position gas port for use with or without a suppressor.
The folding stock is adjustable for comb height along with length of pull, and the weapon will function with the stock folded.
The HK433 is currently competing with a carbine produced by Haenel, one of which will replace the G36 in the German Army.
Based on this competition there are still a couple of changes in store for the HK433’s Version 5. The Charging Hane will be moved a bit more to the rear because the current location can get in the way of accessories like flashlights. Additionally, the charging handle is reversible from left to right by the shooter, but H&K is going to make it just a little more difficult to do to avoid inadvertent removal.
The HK433 will be offered with the new Gen3 Polymer Magazine we showed you last week.
