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PROOF Research Announces Partnership With H&G Marketing

Monday, October 16th, 2017

Leading manufacturing sales team will represent and increase market share nationally for PROOF Research’s innovative carbon fiber and stainless steel barrels and rifle platforms.

Columbia Falls, MT (October 2017) PROOF Research, the industry leader in the production of aerospace-grade carbon fiber rifle barrels, cut-rifled stainless steel rifle barrels, and lightweight hunting and military rifle systems, has chosen H&G Marketing to represent them throughout the United States.

“We are very pleased to announce this newly-formed partnership with H&G Marketing,” said Kelly Streiff, Director of Sales at PROOF Research. “Just as we at PROOF ensure our products uphold the highest standards of quality and reliability, so does the representation that H&G Marketing provides. Our companies have the same stringent core values and goals for our customers and end users. We feel we have chosen one of the leading sales organizations in the country to represent PROOF on a national basis.”

H&G Marketing, headquartered in Big Lake, MN, is a national sales and marketing organization with over thirty-five years of experience. With over thirty-five regional representatives and managers with countless years of combined experience, H&G Marketing provides sporting goods manufacturers throughout the United States with expertise on the industry and proven marketing techniques, including in-store promotions, product training and trade show exposure.

“Our staff of trained sales and marketing professionals located throughout the country will help PROOF Research grow their brand at both the dealer and distributor levels, said Scott Dobry, Vice President of Sales at H&G Marketing. “We appreciate the opportunity to represent PROOF and look forward to a long and enhanced relationship with them.”

PROOF Research is a science-driven manufacturer of lightweight precision rifle systems and record-breaking steel barrels and carbon fiber-wrapped barrels. The company’s Advanced Composites Division develops next-generation materials to produce innovative weapon systems that lighten warfighter load while increasing durability and effectiveness.

For more information about H&G Marketing, contact Scott Dobry at sdobry@hgreps.com or visit their website: www.hgreps.com.

Tags: H&G Marketing, Proof Research
Posted in Industry, Press Release, weapons | Comments Off on PROOF Research Announces Partnership With H&G Marketing

“Our next individual and squad combat weapon will come in with a 10X improvement over any existing current system in the world” or How To Kick The Can Down The Road

Sunday, October 15th, 2017

During last week’s AUSA Annual Meeting I listened to Chief of Staff, GEN Mark Miley’s speech about the state of the Army. He said a lot of great stuff, but his comment on Small Arms was most interesting to me, based on the short-lived 7.62mm Interim Combat Service Rifle requirement.

“Our next individual and squad combat weapon will come in with a 10X improvement over any existing current system in the world,” GEN Mark Milley, CSA.

Notice that “10x improvement”. That’s beyond leap ahead. That’s phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range territory.

Since ICSR’s demise, everyone is talking Lightweight Small Arms Technology, a program which has been under development (and government funding) for over a decade and relies on ammunition which finds its roots in the Advanced Combat Rifle program of the last 1980s. The Army’s Next Gen Squad Weapon requirment is heavily informed by LSAT, the latest in a long line of Joint Service Small Arms Program efforts. Going back to the 60s, not one JSSAP’s rifle programs (Special Purpose Individual Weapon, Future Rifle Program, Advanced Combat Rifle, or Objective Individual Combat Weapon) have amounted to anything fieldable.

My takeaway based on GEN Milley’s comment? The Army doesn’t actually want to do anything. The ACR program of the 1980s was only looking to double the lethality of the M16A2, and it failed to achieve even that. Now they want 10x lethality. I suppose it comes down to the question of how to measure lethality, but still.

Just a few years ago, the Army blew a great opportunity to modernize its rifle, when it ~~cancelled~~ concluded the Individual Carbine program. While the focus this time was reliability, the Army claimed the program was stopped because of industry’s failure to offer a great enough advancement over the then current, M4. Everything the industrial base is better now, but it’s not 10x better.

Instead, the Army has kicked the can down the road, way down the road. The Next Gen Squad Weapon program won’t see the light of day until the mid to late 2020s, if ever. That’s because they expect such a drastic improvement that, barring energy weapons, is impossible. However, it also gives the LSAT team lots more years under contract with no expectation of performance.

During AUSA, LSAT contractor Textron was in full court press. They had an invite only firing simulator on the show floor to demonstrate how they had lowered recoil and increased hits. The only problem is that it was a game, with the weapons being operated by gas and the targets engaged by a laser on a screen. Anyone who walked away impressed didn’t realize they had just played an expensive version of Duck Hunter.

Some of you may remember when GEN Milley told Congress earlier this year, he had a body armor threat he needed to defeat. He also told industry he needed a 7.62 rifle to do that. Industry took up that challenge and offered their best. Before the evaluation even began, the effort was cancelled, for a promise of “10x improvement”, delivery date unknown. That threat? It’s still there. So tell us GEN Milley, how are you going to defeat it? With the maximum effective range of a promise from a contractor that’s been working on the same thing for years and years?

Posted in AUSA, weapons | 65 Comments »

FightLite Industries – SCR Pistol

Sunday, October 15th, 2017

This beauty showed up on the Shockwave Technologies Facebook page. It’s a Shockwave Raptor Grip R870 mounted to FightLite Industries SCR pistol lower receiver. The SCR is legal in all 50 states and accepts AR uppers. This model is 21″ OAL, 7.5″ barrel, and just 3.9 lbs.

Tags: FightLite Industries, Shockwave Technologies
Posted in As Seen On Facebook, weapons | 18 Comments »

Kit Badger – How To Hack A Standard M4 Pistol Grip

Saturday, October 14th, 2017

In this video, Ivan of Kit Badger shows how with a bit of time, and hand tools, one can modify the stock M4 pistol grip into something a bit more ergonomic and comfortable.

kitbadger.com/hacking-your-standard-m-4-pistol-grip

Tags: Kit Badger
Posted in weapons | 8 Comments »

SPARTANAT – German KSK Adopts HK416A7

Friday, October 13th, 2017

SPARTANAT: This is the new rifle of German Special Forces

On October 10, the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology of the German Armed Forces) ordered Heckler & Koch from Oberndorf to supply 1,745 H&K 416 A7 weapons and accessories.

The Bundeswehr designation is expected to be G95 (G is Gewehr which is German for Rifle). It is a gas piston rifle in the caliber 5.56 mm x 45 NATO. The weapon has a weight of 3.690 kg and a barrel length of 14.5″. The G95 is to be the new standard gun of the KSK ( Kommando Spezialkräfte) and the special forces command of the Navy (KSM) and is expected to be delivered to the force beginning January 2019. Technical testing at the military service center 91 as well as tactical testing by the special forces starts in November 2017. This German Special Forces adoption is of a newer edition of the HK416 than that which in use with US and UK SOF. It will be very interesting to see which laser boxes and optics will be chosen for the new Sturmgewehr Spezialkräfte.

Larry Vickers noted that the A7 model is the first variant of the HK416 with a 45 Deg throw lever safety. Interestingly, this feature is also on the HK433.

Heckler & Koch on the Internet: www.heckler-koch.com
SPARTANAT: www.spartanat.com

Tags: Heckler & Koch, Spartanat
Posted in Contracts, International, weapons | 4 Comments »

New DHS Sidearm SIG SAUER’s P320C Currently In FAT

Thursday, October 12th, 2017

Although the Department of Homeland Security selected the compact variant of the SIG P320 early this year, it was kept quiet.

Initially, there was the matter of a Government Accounting Office protest to wait on. That cleared up fairly quickly, but still the Department has kept mum on the subject despite an announcement via InSight, their internal news system. This screenshot originated on pistol-forum.com.

Currently, the P320C is in First Article Testing, a process which ensures production models will meet the same government requirements as the prototypes did during the solicitation.

This is the pistol they selected, as seen at AUSA.

Of the commercial P320 line, the DHS pistol is closest to the closest to the X Carry. Additionally, each fielded firearm comes with eight magazines, a cleaning kit, parts to support use out to 10K rounds, HD sights, training, manuals and cable lock, as per the contract.

www.sigsauer.com/products/firearms/pistols/p320

Tags: Sig Sauer
Posted in Advertiser, weapons | 21 Comments »

AUSA 17 – First Display Of HK 433 In US

Thursday, October 12th, 2017

Developed to compete in the German Army’s replacement for the G36, AUSA 2017 was the first time Heckler & Koch has publicly displayed the HK 433 here in the US.

The 5.56mm HK433 shares attributes from both the G36 and HK416 like. In fact, it was designed as a less expansive option after the German government rejected the HK416 as too expensive for adoption as a G36 replacement.

H&K also believes that it’s ergonomics make it an easy transition for current M16 family users to the AR18’s piston design. Lower receivers are available with ambidextrous G36 (paddle mag release) or HK416 controls. Additionally, the safety is a 45 Deg throw. The ergonomic pistol grip has optional back straps and side panels.

The monolithic upper receiver features STANAG 4694 profile at 12 o’clock position as well as Picatinny rail (MIL-STD 1913) on 6 o’clock position. Additionally, there’s a maintenance-free round counter integrated into the receiver which requires no power supply and can be queried via RFID.

One interesting feature is the non-reciprocating charging handle. Not only can it be revered from left to right side by the user, it can also be used as a forward assist.

The slim line foreend features HKeyMod but when queried about standard KeyMod or M-Lok, H&K personnel answered that they would offer whichever system a client specified.

Here you can see the front and rear back up sights.

This is both sides of the 5-position folding stock, as well as it fully extended. The stock also features adjustable comb.

Here, you can see the rear of the receiver with the stock folded. The rifle can be fired in this configuration.

Although they didn’t display an example, the HK433 is also available in Flat Dark Earth and RAL8000.

Barrels can be swapped by the user and are available in 11″, 12.5″, 14.5″, 16.5″, 18.9″ and 20″. Weight and length with a 11″ barrel is 7.6 lbs and 32.2″ extended /22.7″ folded, while it’s 8.5 lbs and 41.7″ extended / 31.1″ folded with a 20″ barrel. Additionally, the gas port can be adjusted without tools for use with suppressors. The muzzle thread is M15x1.

So far, there are no plans to sell the HK433 commercially, while they concentrate on the Bundeswehr’s requirement. However, generally, H&K releases their guns to the commercial market in Germany first, so we’ll keep an eye on what happens at next Spring’s IWA.

hk-usa.com

Tags: Heckler & Koch
Posted in AUSA, weapons | 25 Comments »

AUSA – KAC 7.62 Assault Machine Gun

Tuesday, October 10th, 2017

At AUSA, Knight’s Armament Co displayed an example of their 7.62mm NATO Assault Machine Gun. Basically, it’s a big brother to the 5.56mm variant we recently featured. Since they are finalizing production of the 5.56mm gun, they wanted to start development of the 7.62mm version in order to provide as much part commonality as possible between the weapons.