Designed for rifle-length ‘direct impingement’ or external-piston gas systems, these MOE handguards can be installed by the operator. Like all MOE handguards they feature slots for accessories including removable Picatinny rail sections. They are available from Magpul or from retailers featuring quality firearms accessories.
Just shy of a year after being raided by the ATF, Sabre Defence Industries is being offered for sale by creditors. The ATF raid was connected to allegations against individual employees rather than the firm itself, but it wasn’t the first or last time the company had been in controversy. In late 2009 they were sued by a sub-contractor for non-payment for M2 machine gun bolts. Then, late last year, they lost the license to produce the AUGA3 from Steyr.
We don’t know which if any of these unfortunate events are to blame for the demise of Sabre Defence but it is currently being offered for sale under an Article 9 Foreclosure which is generally considered a friendly foreclosure. Interested parties have until 14 February to bid but you have to be serious as the creditor is asking for a $100k deposit in order to bid.
Full details of the sale are available at sabresale.com.
Interestingly, the Sabre Defence website is still working. www.sabredefence.com
On Wednesday, we learned from PEO Soldier that troops are calling the XM25 the “Punisher” after several months and what was characterized of 100s of rounds expended in Afghanistan. However, after some digging Military.com’s Kilt Up! got some raw data on a couple of engagements involving the XM25. It seems as if the initial information received during the media round table was a bit more optimistic than the actual data may indicate. So head on over to Kit Up! and decide for yourself. And good job on Military.com for sticking to their guns on this.
According to information released by COL Douglas Tamilio, PM Soldier Weapons, the XM25 deployment we wrote about last fall has been going very well. Despite the fact that the Army was only able to deploy five developmental systems to theater, the XM25 has been referred to as a “game changer”. In fact, BG Peter Fuller revealed to a group of journalists attending PEO Soldier’s media round table that while the Army still hadn’t come up with a name for the XM25, Soldiers certainly had. Dubbed the “Punisher” by troops, the XM25 is said to end engagements with enemy combatants in a matter of minutes. Soldiers fire the 25mm airburst munitions on enemy emplacements and return fire disappears.
The XM25 utilizes specialized 25mm airburst munitions that receive range to target information from the weapons sighting system. The weapon programs the grenade prior to launch and it detonates once it reaches the target. This allows the shooter to detonate the grenade above dug in adversaries or behind other forms of cover.
The only problem so far with the weapon is that there aren’t enough of them to go around. The Army is currently seeking funds for an additional 36 weapons but even once funding is secured, it will be at least a year before they are ready. As the program is still in Milestone B meaning it remains in development, no weapons or ammunition has been produced by the contractor in three years and there are no spares. Given a go ahead to produce more of both would require subcontractors to begin the work of hand building additional weapons and ammunition. At this point, production as we commonly perceive it does not yet exist for the XM25. Ammunition currently costs about $1000 per round for the hand crafted versions but COL Tamilio expects production versions to go for $35. If the program remains on its current schedule, the XM25 should reach Milestone C which is a production decision in FY2013.
When asked about future enhancements to the system, COL Tamilio responded that Soldiers are asking for increased range beyond the 500M for point and 700m for area targets to around 1000m. He felt that this was fully achievable but that everything is a balancing act and in order to increase range the warhead would have to be reworked. Additionally, such changes meant that new certifications would have to be completed which can take more than six months to accomplish. As far as weight is concerned, most Soldiers who have employed the weapon were not concerned with the current 12.5 lbs due to its effectiveness. And, most of these troops were carrying additional weapons for self protection. Finally, there is interest in developing a longer lasting battery since the current rechargeable is difficult to support in the field.
COL Tamilio also revealed that the idea to deploy the weapon to Afghanistan actually originated in his office and that a rudimentary plan had already been formulated before the Operational Needs Statement was received from OEF forces. This allowed them to rapidly support the ONS which was received 8 October, 2010 with a fielding 30 days later.
The systems were accompanied initially by training personnel but as they were used in combat by various small units in differing terrain they were always accompanied by a senior NCO from the Maneuver Center of Excellence as well as a Major from PM Soldier Weapons. During this period, 100s of rounds were expended in contact with the enemy. The Army Test and Evaluation Command is current writing a report on the XM25’s deployment which was formally referred to as a Forward Area Operational Assessment.
Based on information in the FOAA report, the Army will have a better idea of how the program should proceed. Additionally, the information may be used to validate operational employment concepts for the system. In the meantime, one thing remains certain. The Army has no plans to replace the newly fielded M320 40mm grenade launcher with the XM25. It will be purely a supplemental capability.
Bottom line to the new Congress…Free up some cash for the XM25 so we can keep this thing on track.
The Army has taken yet another step toward fielding a new rifle. It has released a pre-solicitation draft Request for Proposals (Solicitation Number: W15QKN-11-R-F003) for a new rifle. Dubbed the Improved Carbine in Army documents, this new shoulder weapon is meant to replace the M16 family of small arms that has served for five decades.
Overall, the Army is looking for a weapon with these generic attributes:
The Individual Carbine will enable the engagement of enemy combatants with a highly reliable weapon system throughout the range of military operations and environments. The IC will also possess the ability to utilize current and future weapon accessories and optics through the use of an integrated rail system.
An important statement in the RFP is, “The Government has determined a need to find the best IC weapon that provides the best value to the Government.” Readers need to understand that the Army is not necessarily looking for the best weapon, but rather the best value. The term “best value” is determined based on a set of factors that have yet to be revealed to us. It may be cost, accuracy, lethality, or a combination of these or other factors. Ultimately, it may turn out that the best value for the Army is to do nothing, if it turns out that none of the candidate weapons presents a significant improvement over currently fielded rifles. Don’t forget, the Army is mitigating risk by pursuing a “dual path strategy” that upgrades currently fielded M4s while it investigates a new IC to ultimately replace them.
As we said awhile back, the solicitation is not caliber or operating system specific so it will be interesting to see what concepts are submitted.
The draft status of this RFP gives potential offerors the opportunity to submit questions to the program office before March 10th. In addition to the heads up, the Army is planning an Industry Day (Pre-proposal Conference) for the IC program on 30 March, 2011 in Crystal City. Once these two events have passed they will no longer respond to questions.
The entire draft RFP (Solicitation Number: W15QKN-11-R-F003) can be read at www.fedbizopps.gov.
Interestingly, while under two separate Program Managers, between the IC and Family of Camo programs, PEO-Soldier looks to have their hands full this year. Since the Family of Camo RFP has been already been delayed let’s hope the IC program stays on its current schedule.
The Modular Vertical Foregrip for AR15-style rifles (MVF-515) is now available from Crimson Trace. There are numerous vertical foregrips on the market but what makes this one unique is that permits complete change-out of the laser, allowing you to switch the module between red and green lasers. On the opposite side of the laser the MVF contains a 150/200 Lumen LED white light module with selectable light intensity.
Some very exciting news from Tactical Night Vision Company. They are now selling Class1 Infrared Lasers for Civilians. Laser Devices, Inc (LDI) has begun manufacturing Class1 (eye safe) IR lasers for commercial sale and TNVC, a distributor for LDI, is now stocking these units. Class1 lasers are 0.07mW, providing a precise weapon-mounted aiming solution out to 75-100 yards. These are the first true, IR lasers available for commercial sale and this is the first time civilians can purchase them. Standard power IR lasers (class IIIb) are restricted to government purchase by the FDA. These units are built using LDI’s legacy Milspec body housings which are precision machined aerospace grade aluminum with a Mil-Spec surface anodizing. They have been proven on the battlefield and will stand up to harsh recoil and field abuse. Class1 lasers are available in four variants:
DBLA-I² – Class1 IR laser/ Class IIIa Visible Laser (red or green)
OTAL – Class1 IR Laser
ITAL – Class1 IR Laser
EOLAD 1L – Class1 IR Laser/ Eotech 552 Holo Sight
Now available at www.TNVC.com
Jeremy Scahill, long obsessed with all things Blackwater, recently made a point about Mossberg selling shotguns emblazoned with the Blackwater logo. Sometimes, I forget that this stuff isn’t common knowledge and don’t realize I should write about it.
You see, there is more to this story that Jeremy apparently didn’t know. He just saw the Bear Paw and lost it. When Erik Prince recently sold Blackwater aka Blackwater USA aka Blackwater Worldwide aka Xe aka US Training Center to his friends (USTC), he kept all of the rights to the Blackwater logo and name. In addition to Mossberg’s guns, Sig also has produces Blackwater branded pistols and has for some time. These licensing agreements predate the sale of the company so are still in effect. No word on how long they are good for, or if Erik Prince is looking to expand his licensing options.
But alas, due to the trademark issue, the BW-15s previously assembled by the armorers at US Training Center may no longer be produced. At some point, they may go back into production building AR-style rifles but the market is already pretty well saturated and they were already over priced. The only reason anyone would have paid their prices was for the Bear Paw logo etched into the receiver. Now that it is no longer an option, USTC may go in another direction producing accurized precision rifles. Time will tell.
So, at this point, Blackwater only exists as a brand and Erik Prince, shrewd business man that he is, kept it for himself. This explains why the Pro shop near Fort Bragg closed so quickly. It was run by Xe and they were losing the right to the Blackwater branding. All of the operations and real estate associated with the former Blackwater now belong to a group of investors collectively referred to as USTC.
Of course, the real takeaway is that Mossberg has retained a license for the Blackwater logo despite the amount of negative press that organization has received over the years. It is a testament to the brand’s popularity, at least among the gun toting public.
