TYR Tactical

Archive for the ‘weapons’ Category

US Army Awards FN America LLC Contract for M240L Machine Guns

Thursday, February 3rd, 2022

The Department of Defense recently announced the following contract award:

FN America LLC, Columbia, South Carolina, was awarded a $49,973,579 firm-fixed-price contract for M240L medium machine guns and titanium receivers. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 27, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-22-D-0010).

Developed in 2011, the M240L sheds five pounds from the standard model thanks to a Titanium receiver and polymer trigger frame. Additionally, it is equipped with a 4? shorter barrel and a redesigned collapsible buttstock assembly. The M240L variant is equipped with the forward-mounted MIL-STD 1913 rail kit.

Kalashnikov-USA Introduced New Rifles and Calibers at SHOT Show 2022 Including A 5.56mm KR-101

Friday, January 28th, 2022

Pompano Beach, Florida January 28, 2022: Kalashnikov-USA (KUSA), the premier manufacturer of AK-pattern firearms in the United States, introduced an expanded line of rifle caliber AKs during the 2022 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show held in Las Vegas January 18-21. The new models include a 7.62x39mm KR-104 short barreled rifle (SBR)* featuring a 12.25” hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a folding stock.  A pistol version, the KP-104 is being introduced at the same time as the SBR.  This reduced length version of the KR-103 weighs just over 7 pounds and is only 22.3” when folded (or in pistol form) thus offering users a very compact firearm.  Using standard 124 grain FMJ ammunition, the KR-104 will produce muzzle velocities of approximately 2,200 feet per second (FPS) as compared to 2,350 FPS with the standard 16.3” barreled KR-103.  

Kalashnikov-USA also introduced a 5.56mm NATO caliber rifle, based on the AK-101 platform, to be called the KR-101.  The rifle features a side-folding stock, 16.5” barrel and uses the popular Bulgarian-style 5.56mm mags commonly found in the marketplace.  KUSA will also produce their own steel reinforced magazine for the new firearm.  A 12” barreled pistol version, dubbed the KP-102, is also being launched in the same time frame:  late spring/early summer 2022.

“Kalashnikov-USA is listening to our customers and we’re expanding our product line to give Americans the variety of AK firearms they seek— all while maintaining our strong focus on quality and fidelity to the original Russian designs” said David Garretson, VP of Marketing at Kalashnikov-USA.  “In addition to the 7.62x39mm KR-104/KP-104 and the 5.56x45mm KR-101/KP-102 we are looking to produce 5.45x39mm semi-auto firearms, the KR-74M rifle and KP-105 pistol, later this year” he added.  

Kalashnikov-USA has grown enormously in recent years as more American shooters discover the incredible reliability offered by Mikhail Kalashnikov’s iconic long-stroke gas piston design.  The company’s product line includes rifles, pistols and 12 gauge shotguns.  KUSA offers both civilian-legal variants for US consumers and several select-fire versions for bona fide Military and Law Enforcement agencies.  Exports are available to qualified buyers in accordance with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) as administered by the U.S. State Department.   Additional information can be obtained by visiting the company’s website at www.kalashnikov-usa.com.

*Short barreled rifles (SBRs) are regulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA) and require additional paperwork and the payment of a $200 transfer tax by individuals acquiring them  Interested purchasers should consult with a Federal Firearms Dealer holding a Class 3 Special Occupational Tax designation (i.e. “Class 3 Dealer”) in order to purchase a short-barreled rifle. Note that some states and municipalities prohibit SBRs.  

FN Announces Safety Bulletin for the FN 502 Tactical

Thursday, January 27th, 2022

(McLean, VA – January 27, 2022) FN America, LLC announces a safety bulletin for the FN 502 Tactical .22LR pistol. The company has become aware that a very limited number of FN 502 Tactical pistols in the field may have an improperly installed manual safety. In these cases, the external safety lever will not function as designed and may result in unintended firing. To ensure the pistol’s safe operation, FN is asking owners of the FN 502 Tactical to suspend use of their pistol and perform a function check to verify the manual safety is operating correctly, following the function check guide located here. 

For more information, please see the FN 502 Tactical safety bulletin at fnamerica.com/customer-support/fn-502-safety-bulletin/. For assistance in returning a firearm, please contact FN Support at customerservice@fnamerica.com or call 1-800-635-1321, ext. 145, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. 

2021: AFSOC’s Year of Innovation

Tuesday, January 25th, 2022

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —  

An aircrew with the 492nd Special Operations Training Group Detachment 2, Hurlburt Field, Florida, conducted the palletized munitions platform’s first live-fire test from an MC-130J Combat Talon II for the Rapid Dragon program, Dec. 16, 2021, over the Gulf of Mexico.

Air Force Special Operations Command’s year of innovative projects started with the creation of mission sustainment teams and leapt to the conceptualization of an amphibious capable MC-130J concept. These pathfinding efforts pave the way for a ready and relevant force of future warfighters.

The final demonstration of the palletized munitions platform showcased a new capability for mobility aircraft that gives any airdrop-capable cargo aircraft the ability to retarget and employ standoff munitions en masse.

“Rapid Dragon is one of our pathfinding efforts that showcases the speed of capability development when the right teams are partnered together, combined with a rapid iterative design process that builds, tests and refines prototypes as fast as possible throughout the year,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Ryan Pinner, chief of pathfinding and innovation for AFSOC. “We started 2021 by airdropping 15,000lb steel boxes to identify the best parachute configurations during the Emerald Warrior exercise in March. Following a total of 15 flight demonstrations on three different aircraft, we sunk our target on the Eglin Overwater Test Range before the end of the year.”

Adding palletized munitions to an aircraft designed as a multi-mission combat transport and special operations tanker enables combatant commanders to increase the number of platforms available to put adversary targets at risk.

“As the weapon system goes back into design to incorporate mixed loads and future weapons, I look forward to integrating this capability with the downrange combatant commands in the near future,” said Pinner.

The live-fire exercise is a result of a pioneering partnership between the Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office and AFSOC, as well as U.S. Special Operations Command Detachment 1, the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren, Standoff Munitions Application Center, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Systima Technologies, Safran Electronics & Defense, Parachutes USA and R4 Integration, Inc.

Earlier in the year, the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, stood up three mission sustainment teams comprised of 60 members who train, operate and deploy together.

“This team trains together, learning operational functions of each other’s career fields and bond together establishing a family-type relationship to deploy in support of special operations forces elements,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Justin Lukso, chief of plans and integration with AFSOC. “They don’t just speak the lingo of their own [Air Force Specialty Code], but also of those other career fields they train alongside within their SOF force generation cycle as a member of the MST.”

Having a variety of career fields working as one allows AFSOC to incorporate faster movement and sustainment during contingency operations.

“An MST provides the capability to establish, sustain and retrograde from a forward operating base while simultaneously supporting up to three contingency locations and enabling command and control, and mission generation,” said Lukso. “This is incredibly valuable in keeping adversaries guessing and maintaining unpredictability while competing on a global scale. The ability to effectively support SOF operations with a minimal footprint at multiple locations provides a competitive advantage.”

During the Air Force Association 2021 Air, Space and Cyber Conference, AFSOC announced the development of the MC-130J Combat Talon II Amphibious Capability. The removable amphibious float modification allows improvement of the aircraft’s global reach, and survivability of the aircraft and Air Commandos.

“The MAC helps the Air Force and [U.S. Special Operations Command] create cost-effective and complex dilemmas for our adversaries, particularly with runway independence for the Joint Force and our allies,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Joshua Trantham, deputy chief of science systems, technology and innovation division with AFSOC. “We need distributed operations. Opening seaborne operations vastly expands options in Joint Operations Areas beyond what adversaries can easily address, which is highly valuable from both conventional and special operations perspectives and logistics under attack requirements.”

As the battlefield changes, so will AFSOC as it continues to ‘path find’ new operational concepts and technologies for the Air Force while aligning experimentation efforts with the Joint SOF enterprise.

“We are accelerating change within the command to ensure we are the AFSOC that is needed in the future,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Eric Hill, deputy commander of AFSOC. “These innovative examples demonstrate our ability to turn fast and create new capacity out of existing capability. I am proud of the accomplishments we’ve made this past year and look forward to the many pathfinding efforts our Air Commandos will bring to the future fight.”

Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

SHOT Show 22 – Geissele Automatics GFR in 6mm ARC

Monday, January 24th, 2022

Geissele Automatics launched their GFR in 6mm ARC. Barrel lengths will be 14.5″, 16″, 18″, and 20″ Stratomatch.

They’ve also introduced two muzzle devices.

Above is now their standard muzzle device and below is the Swavvy Muzzle Brake.

SHOT Show 22 – LMT MARS-H in 6.8TVCM

Thursday, January 20th, 2022

True Velocity has this LMT MARS-H in the new 6.8 TVCM cartridge.

6.8 TVCM is the commercial version of the polymer cases ammunition developed by True Velocity for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program. Having recently received SAAMI approval, this cartridge has the same overall length as the 7.62 x 51 NATO round, but it fires a larger projectile at a higher velocity.

True Velocity, along with SIG SAUER remain as the two contenders for that program which promises to replace the 5.56mm NATO firing M4 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapons in Close Combat Formations. This is a photo of the RM777, the TV entry for the NGSW Rifle component.

According to TV, they plan to offer this rifle commercially. Additionally, other manufacturers such as Daniel Defense are working on firearms for use with 6.8 TVCM.

SHOT Show 22 – Ohio Ordnance Works REAPR

Tuesday, January 18th, 2022

Although they’re still keeping the new REAPR under wraps, Ohio Ordnance Works has entered the .338 Norma Mag machine guns game. Look for details on the Recoil Enhanced Automatic Precision Rifle soon.

The Legend, Reborn: Introducing The All-New FN High Power

Tuesday, January 18th, 2022

(McLean, VA – January 18, 2022) FN America, LLC proudly announces the introduction of the all-new FN High Power™, a completely reimagined pistol based on the legendary 1935 design conceived by John Moses Browning and perfected by Dieudonné Saive. The FN High Power carries forward the most iconic features of the original design, modernized for today’s sport shooter.

“The High Power is such an iconic design, and synonymous with FN really. We recognized the gravity of reintroducing this newly redesigned pistol with such a storied history,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC. “Rather than introduce a clone of the original, we had to deliver much more than other brands, knowing the FN High Power would be held to a higher standard. FN pays homage to the prolific design, while modernizing the ergonomics, functionality and operation. We respect what this pistol has meant to generations of FN collectors and feel the new FN High Power dovetails perfectly with the rest of the FN pistol line, carrying a future-forward design to the next generation of shooting enthusiasts.”

Paying Homage to a Legend

The FN High Power is one of the most distinct and recognizable designs in the metal pistol category with its signature keyhole muzzle profile, tapered slide, longarm slide release, rounded hammer and more. These key features are ubiquitous with a FN High Power and have been carefully integrated into the new design.

“FN conducted a thorough historical design study into the classic High Power design to identify what truly makes High Power what it is,” said John Ryan, Director of Product Management for FN America, LLC. “These features set the design apart from other metal pistols in the market and were extremely important for us to include in the modern evolution of the new FN High Power so as to pay respect to the significance of Browning’s original design.”

Ten specific core elements were selected as areas of priority, with the signature elements of the keyhole muzzle, long arm slide release, taper of the dust cover and John Browning’s overall influence, the underpinnings of the classic design are embedded into a modern arms masterpiece, built for today’s sport shooter.

A Truly Modern Pistol

While the new FN High Power is inspired by the original aesthetically, this new gun features dramatic improvements to ergonomics and fire control design, accuracy and increased magazine capacity, besting any clone of the original.

“The original High Power design was prolific, with more than one million produced and sold over its 80-year history. As the enduring last design of John Browning, we’ve done our due diligence to include those unique features that set this pistol apart while modernizing the design with features we expect in today’s market,” said Chris Cole, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, FN America, LLC. “Through current manufacturing and design expertise, the all-new FN High Power addresses everything from trigger pull and feel, ergonomics, reliability with current 9mm loads and more, all to appeal to a modern gun buyer looking to expand their gun collection with timeless style and superior performance.”

With improved internals and a modern barrel lockup, the new FN High Power design is more robust and capable of cycling most 9mm loads, something that the original design lacks in today’s world. Sport shooters desire more magazine capacity, so FN upped the ante, increasing capacity to 17+1 rounds. Ambidextrous controls aid in overall operability and the elimination of the magazine disconnect makes for a single-action trigger that breaks crisply and cleanly.

Overall improved ergonomics, new grip and frame texturing to aid in control during fire and extending the beavertail to address the often remarked ‘High Power hammer and slide bite,’ and more, the FN High Power feels and functions the way a modern pistol should.

Taking the design even further, FN engineers resolved the complex takedown method of the original design and updated it to current standards. Now, disassembling your FN High Power for cleaning and maintenance is as simple as taking down any modern polymer pistol, simply rotating the takedown lever allows shooters to instantly field strip a FN High Power.

From NATO’s trusted sidearm for more than 80 years to a modern pistol designed for today’s sport shooter, the FN High Power has been enhanced to exceed every expectation. Each new gun ships with two pairs of polymer grips, and with three new frame colors and seven accessory grips, perfecting and personalizing your FN High Power has never been easier.

The new FN High Power is equally at home stacking small groups on target or protecting what matters most, pointing naturally with driftable steel sights and shooting with pinpoint precision, thanks to the smooth, single action trigger. FN adds 25% more rounds over the original, with an industry-first 17+1 capacity.

At 40 ounces, the robust design keeps the signature rake of the dust cover and long arm slide release, adding ambidextrous controls for instinctive operation. An extended beavertail and raised hammer fit perfectly in hand, thanks to the future-forward design.

 To learn more about the all-new FN High Power, visit the FN Booth (#11860) at the 2022 NSSF SHOT Show, January 18-21, 2022, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. More information can be found at www.fnamerica.com/highpower.