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US Army Fields Modular Handgun System to the Military Police School

Tuesday, February 19th, 2019

In December of last year, the US Army commenced fielding the M17 and M18 variants of the Modular Handgun System manufactured by SIG the Military Police School At Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

According to Mark Farley, USAMPS deputy commandant, “The (Beretta M9s) we currently have are breaking more often, which causes readiness issues,” explaining that the school’s M9s have fired on average about 20,000 to 30,000 rounds. He stated that a typical handgun will last through only about 10,000 before they start to have significant issues.

USAMPS instructor Gary Homer stated that every MHS is test fired before leaving the factory with 13 rounds; three to break in the weapon and 10 to test accuracy. He said each one must hit 10 out of 10 at 25 meters in a 3-inch group. Additionally, he claimed that MHS barrels last for 25,000 rounds.

“The Military Police Corps, is about 16 percent female Soldiers, so this is a big deal when you’re talking about Soldier lethality and accuracy,” Farley said as he touted the Modular grips of the pistol. “For all Soldiers to be able to hold that weapon with a proper grip and use the right fundamentals of firing — it’s very important in order for them to be able to engage the target and thereafter. One size does not fit all.”

The instructors also like the consistent trigger pull with MHS. Rather than the M9’s initial trigger pull of about 14 pounds and then about five pounds as the pistol transitions to single action, MHS is the same no matter which round you are firing.

Scarborough believes the grip size and consistent trigger pull will really help when Soldiers qualify using the new firing table now hitting the field.

Although they’ve only been fielded 100 pistols so far, the MP School eventually expects to receive 1,400 MHS.

Posted in weapons | 12 Comments »

Century Arms Announces New Lifetime Warranty for VSKA AK Rifle

Monday, February 18th, 2019

DELRAY BEACH, Florida – (FEBRUARY 15, 2019) – Century Arms, North America’s premier AK manufacturer, is proud to announce their new heavy duty AK rifle, the VSKA, is now backed with a Lifetime Warranty.

Announced in October 2018, the 2019 VSKA (vis-kuh) from Century Arms represents the latest in an American-built AK rifle. Critical components are machined from S7 tool steel, including the bolt carrier, front trunnion and feed ramp, all heat-treated for maximum durability. S7, often referred to as a “Shock-Resisting Tool Steel,” is commonly used for tools like chisels and jackhammer tips as it has maximum shock resistance and high compression strength, while retaining toughness. The front trunnion and bolt are machined from billet and exceeded the durability goals for the project. Additionally, the VSKA features a nitro-carburized 4140 steel bolt, a chrome-moly 4150 barrel, and sports the RAK-1 Enhanced Trigger Group for an impressive trigger pull. Along with a magnesium-phosphate finish, Century adds a little style to the heavy-duty brute with an American Maple wood buttstock and forend.

Each VSKA ships with one 30-round standard-capacity magazine and has an MSRP of $735.95.

“We are extremely proud of this product and the value it delivers to AK enthusiasts”, says Jason Karvois, Director of Sales for Century Arms. “The addition of this new lifetime warranty to every VSKA backs our belief that this rifle, whose development included an unprecedented level of testing for the platform, will perform for years to come.”

In addition to new purchasers, the warranty will be available for all VSKA rifles purchased prior to this announcement. Owners should keep their receipts as they will be required for warranty service. Learn more about the VSKA at centuryarms.com.

Posted in Press Release, weapons | 4 Comments »

Announcing Brace Built Firearms – Lightweight Performance Machines

Thursday, February 14th, 2019

Brace Built combined the Modern Outfitters™ Modern Carbine™ line with new rifles created by master gunsmith Stephen Barrier, formerly of Surgeon Rifles™, to create a family of the best lightweight, accurate rifles for discerning customers under one brand. These rifles are field proven with over 3,000 units in the hands of private hunters and shooters and over 20 police departments around the country, and now they have a consistent look, feel, and branding to match their reputation for reliability, durability, accuracy, and light weight.

Our brand video walks through the value propositions of our firearms.

Offerings

Brace Built offers the billet MC6 AR15 in 5.56mm, the billet MC7 AR10 in 6.5mm Creedmoor and .308 Winchester, the Barrier Tactical rifle in 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Creedmoor, and .308 Winchester, and the left folding billet Barrier Tactical chassis that is compatible with the Barrier action and Remington 700 actions. MC6s and MC7s come in the customers’ choice of black, tungsten, OD green, or burnt bronze Cerakote for the upper, lower, and slimline MLOK® handguard along with Brace Built’s signature orange highlights for the trigger and the ambidextrous controls. The Barrier Tactical rifles come with the same color choices for the barreled action and orange highlights for the trigger and controls.

Barrier created the signature Barrier action with a 3 lug bolt and 60 degree throw to solve three common precision bolt action rifle pain points – the primary extraction issue found in many bolt action rifles, the lack of durability of chassis systems, and the nightmare of assembly/disassembly. He combined this action with Bartlein™ cut-rifled barrels in 18”-24” lengths to create sub 1/2 MOA out of the box performance. He then focused on making the best tactical chassis system he could out of billet that was simple, durable, and affordable.

bracebuilt.com

Tags: Brace Built Firearms
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Arnold Defense to display FLETCHER Laser Guided Rocket Launcher at IDEX 2019

Thursday, February 14th, 2019

Arnold Defense, the St Louis based manufacturer of 2.75-inch rocket launchers, will be at this year’s International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2019) to showcase the FLETCHER Laser Guided Rocket Launcher. IDEX 2019 will take place 17-21 February 2019 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and the FLETCHER 2.75-inch/70mm weapon system will be mounted on NIMR’s AJBAN Long Range Special Operations Vehicle (LRSOV) on Stand Number 05-A05.

Arnold Defense’s FLETCHER weapon system, first unveiled in 2017 at London’s DSEi Exhibition, has completed rigorous test-firing protocols, with laser target designation from both ground and air platforms, and is now in initial production. With FLETCHER, Arnold Defense has made a bold departure from the traditional concept of use for 2.75-inch rocket systems; that of an area suppression weapon ordinarily delivered by aviation assets. Arnold’s evolution has FLETCHER using advanced rocket-guidance technology to utilize ground-based launch platforms, meeting the demands of modern, vehicle-mounted and dismounted asymmetric warfare.

FLETCHER’s unique design allows for ease of operation, maintenance and sustainment. It employs an existing suite of guidance modules, rockets and warheads, already used in well-known programs and readily available to global forces. FLETCHER recently successfully completed a four-round live firing using multiple airborne laser platforms, confirming the ability to use laser designation from ground and air from various angles and offsets to a distance nearly 6km.

Following exceptional levels of interest expressed in FLETCHER, Arnold Defense is also developing a number of supplementary ground and maritime-based concepts. These exciting new concepts will expand FLETCHER’s utility into the arena of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV), naval and littoral platforms. It his anticipated that the first of these integrated systems will be unveiled within months.

FLETCHER is supported by a team of global defense industry companies, collaborating under Arnold Defense’s leadership to combine their complimentary expertise. The team is able to provide a full-system approach to FLETCHER; incorporating design, validation, testing, manufacture and full-system integration within a wide range of ground-to-ground engagement scenarios.

Jim Hager, President and CEO of Arnold Defense said “Since launching FLETCHER, Arnold Defense has exhibited the system widely on the international market, where it has garnered significant interest, especially from military special operations units. Our rocket launchers are already well-established internationally on airborne platforms, so transitioning into the land and marine environments with FLETCHER has been a natural progression and will provide these forces with a completely new capability.”

He added: “Exhibiting FLETCHER in partnership with NIMR Automotive demonstrates the wide scope and utility of our concept and we look forward to maximizing the opportunities that IDEX 2019 will offer to establish and deepen relationships with regional government departments, defense and security agencies and international businesses.”

Posted in Press Release, weapons | 2 Comments »

New Arisaka Defense Products For February 2019

Monday, February 11th, 2019

The new Side Scout Mount (SSM) is designed for use with Surefire Scout Lights, the Arisaka 300 and 600 Series, and the Streamlight Protac Rail Mount lights. It replaces the stock Picatinny rail adapter with a low profile mount for M-Lok, KeyMod, and Picatinny handguards, and tucks the light underneath either side of the ATPIAL laser/illuminator series, including the ATPIAL-C, AN/PEQ15, and LA-5/PEQ. It will also allow the light to clear the QD lever on the Steiner DBAL I2, A3, and D2. Now shipping for M-Lok, KeyMod, and Picatinny

Our new Streamlight Tailcap Adapter allows the Protac Rail Mount 1 and 2 to use Surefire Scout tailcaps and remote switches, including the DS tailcap with SR-D-IT dual remote switch for use with laser/illuminators. The Rail Mount 1 and 2 version is available now, while the HL-X model has an ETA of early March.

Tags: Arisaka Defense
Posted in Lights, Press Release, weapons | 1 Comment »

SIG SAUER M18 Sets New Standard for U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System (MHS) Reliability Testing

Tuesday, February 5th, 2019

NEWINGTON, N.H., (February 5, 2019) –SIG SAUER, Inc. is proud to announce the M18, the compact variant of the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System (MHS), has successfully completed a recent Lot Acceptance Test (LAT) with zero stoppages during the required MHS Material Reliability Testing.

Historically, Lot Acceptance Testing would include testing handguns to 5,000 rounds and allow for up to 12 stoppages to pass. The recent MHS Material Reliability Test consisted of firing three M18 pistols to an unprecedented 12,000 rounds each, and in an extraordinary display of reliability, the M18 performed with zero stoppages. Additionally, despite undergoing this level of strenuous testing the M18 passed a parts interchange test, met all of the stringent accuracy and dispersion requirements, was tested for firing pin indent and trigger pull measurements to ensure consistency, and conformed to all workmanship standards.

The success of the MHS program, and the performance of both the M17 and M18 pistols, was further confirmed in the recently published Director of Operation Testing and Evaluation (DOT&E) Annual Report, which provides an independent review and analysis of the U.S. Department of Defense weapons systems. The report states that, “the MHS meets or exceeds requirements for accuracy, lethality, ergonomics, and safety,” in addition to stating that, “both the XM17 and the XM18 are operationally effective and suitable.”

Ron Cohen, President & CEO of SIG SAUER, Inc., began, “the results of this testing for the M18 pistol is truly impressive. The M18 withstood the harsh testing and performance requirements set forth in the MHS contract and has set a new standard for reliability in service pistols.”

The M18 is a 9mm, striker-fired pistol featuring a coyote-tan PVD coated stainless steel slide with black controls. The pistol is equipped with SIGLITE front night sights and removable night sight rear plate, and manual safety.

After one of the most rigorous and highly competitive selection processes in the history of military firearms, SIG SAUER was awarded the Modular Handgun System (MHS) contract for the full-size M17 and the compact M18 with the P320-based pistol platform. Both the M17 and M18 pistols are being adopted by the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The MHS contract was awarded to SIG SAUER in January 2017 for delivery of 480,000 pistols over a period of ten years; to date SIG SAUER has delivered over 20,000 pistols.

“For this testing the U.S. Army set very high standards for quality and performance, and at SIG we relish the opportunity to meet a challenge and exceed expectations. The performance of the M18 not only surpassed the U.S. Army’s testing requirements, its performance was simply outstanding and nothing short of perfection,” concluded Cohen.

www.sigsauer.com

Posted in Advertiser, Press Release, weapons | 38 Comments »

Ask SSD – “How Mature Is The SIG Machine Gun Design?”

Friday, February 1st, 2019

After our articles on the new SIG Lightweight Machine Gun or SL MAG, we were asked how mature the design is.

Well, they’re obviously very serious about it. They’ve already written a -10.

The SL MAG in 338 NM ran fine during the demonstration I witnessed at SIG Range Day. However, I heard there were a few stoppages during the ISOF Range. Considering this is its first public outing, we think the design is very mature. In fact, a similar model is SIG’s entry for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle Other Transaction Authority Production Opportunity. We look forward to seeing how these guns fare throughout further testing.

Posted in Advertiser, Ask SSD, weapons | 44 Comments »

US Army Issues Prototype Project Opportunity Notice (PPON) for Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW)

Thursday, January 31st, 2019

Late last night, the U.S. Army Contracting Command – New Jersey (ACC-NJ), on behalf of Project Manager Soldier Weapons, released a much anticipated solicitation seeking proposals in regards to a Prototype Project Opportunity Notice (PPON) for Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW).

The NGSW PPON details how the Government intends to award up to three prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2371b, with each vendor developing two weapon variants under the NGSW program and 6.8 millimeter ammunition common to both weapons (this is NOT the 6.8 SPC cartridge evaluated by USSOCOM in the early 00s).

The weapons include the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle (NGSW-R) and the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Automatic Rifle (NGSW-AR). The NGSW-R is the planned replacement for the M4/M4A1 Carbine and the NGSW-AR is the planned replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) in the Automatic Rifleman Role in the Close Combat Force.

Unlike the current PON for the Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle currently underway, this PPON seems to be for all the marbles.

The companies currently involved in the NGSAR PON include:
W15QKN-18-9-1017 – AAI Corporation Textron Systems
W15QKN-18-9-1018 – FN America LLC. (Design 1)
W15QKN-18-9-1019 – FN America LLC. (Design 2)
W15QKN-18-9-1020 – General Dynamics-OTS Inc.
W15QKN-18-9-1021 – PCP Tactical, LLC W15QKN-18-9-1022 – Sig Sauer Inc.

We would suspect that they all stand a good chance of competing for this latest bid.

Curiously, the NGSAR PON currently underway was intended to inform this new solicitation, but none of these companies has even delivered a weapon, let alone ammunition yet. However, we have seen glimpses of what these weapons might look like.

SIG famously unveiled their Next Generation candidate and hybrid ammunition at AUSA and then demonstrated an upscaled 338 Norma Mag variant at SHOT Show.

Likewise, GD has shown their 338 NM machine gun design for years giving us some insight into their capabilities.

Although FN has held their cards close to the chest, we understand they have both belt fed and box fed designs and demonstrated a derivative of the SCAR HAMR for PEO Soldier, BG Potts during a visit to their facility last year.

But the weapon we’ve all seen the most of is Textron’s Lightweight Small Arms Technology demonstrator with its radical Case Telescoping ammunition.

Over the years, they’ve shown a great deal of adaptability in configuring the technology as carbine as well as Belt Fed Machine Gun in several calibers.

According to the solicitation, the duration for each prototype OTA is estimated to be up to eight years. The first 27 months will be for prototyping the NGSW-R, NGSW-AR, and ammunition. Following this prototyping effort, there may be additional iterative prototyping efforts for the NGSW-R, NGSW-AR, and ammunition. These iterative prototyping efforts will each have separate durations and will occur within the eight year duration.

Furthermore, in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2371b(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project (or any subsequent iterative prototyping efforts) was successfully completed under the competitively awarded OTA(s), a follow-on production contract(s) or OTA(s) may be awarded without the use of competitive procedures.

Because of the duration of the OTA, and that prototype OTA will undergo two prototype test events including Soldier Touch Points, they are asking for a lot more weapons and ammunition than in the current NGSAR PON. Deliverables for each prototype OTA include 53 NGSW-R weapons, 43 NGSW-AR weapons, 845,000 rounds of ammunition, spare parts, test barrels, tools/gauges/accessories, engineering support, and iterative prototyping efforts as defined in the Statement of Work.

The follow-on production award(s) is planned to be an Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) based contract with Firm Fixed Price Delivery Orders up to ten years or a fixed amount OTA up to ten years. The production award(s) may include 250,000 total weapons system(s) (NGSW-R, NGSW-AR, or both), 150,000,000 rounds of ammunition, spare parts, tools/gauges/accessories, and engineering support. The value of this follow-on production award(s) is estimated to be $10M in the first year and estimated $150M per year at the higher production rates. While the Government intends to make one production award for the NGSW-R, NGSW- AR, and Ammunition, it reserves the right to: 1) make one award for NGSW-R with Ammunition; or 2) make one award for NGSW-AR with Ammunition; or 3) make one award for NGSW-R with Ammunition to one Offeror and one award for NGSW-AR with Ammunition to a different Offeror.

Even considering those numbers, that still isn’t enough weapons to replace the current inventory of small arms. Currently, the US Army alone owns almost 1,000,000 M4/M16s meaning that the Next Generation Weapons will at least initially be fielded to close combat forces and that M4 and the 5.56mm ammunition it fires will continue to soldier on for decades. This means that the Army has to seriously consider what ammunition technology it will adopt for the new next generation 6.8 round, lest it find itself manufacturing two radically different types of small arms ammunition.

The prototypes must have these characteristics:

a. allow for ambidextrous operation and controls;

b. include a flash hider, removable suppressor (with or without flash hider installed), and a tool for suppressor removal after firing or for maintenance;

c. include a tactical carrying sling with quick release attachments;

d. include selection positions for Safe, Semi-Automatic Firing, and Automatic Firing modes;

e. be resistant to corrosion, abrasion, impact and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defense contaminants, decontaminants, battlefield-chemicals, electromagnetic pulse and cyber-attacks;

f. reduce visual detection via a neutral non-reflective, non-black color not lighter than Light Coyote 481 and not darker than Coyote 499;

g. function in all environments and weather conditions, including ambient, cold, hot, marine, high humidity, rain, and desert conditions;

h. be compatible with combat clothing (including body armor and Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment), CBRN defense, wet weather, and cold weather gear;

i. provide interchangeable magazines between both weapons if NGSW-AR utilizes a magazine; and

j. include, at a minimum, a 12 o-clock position rail(s) that is compliant to Attachment 2- Picatinny Smart Rail Interface Control Documents. Weapon configurations include a non-battery and a battery configuration:

• A non-battery configuration: battery removed. This is the primary configuration for all weapon deliveries and is included in the overall weapon weight.

• Replaceable battery configurations: rechargeable battery assembly and non- rechargeable battery assembly that are fully contained within the envelope of the NGSW-R and NGSW-AR and common to both. The battery assembly shall operate at 6-32 volts. The rechargeable battery assembly shall interface with the Universal Battery Charger (NSN: 6130-01-659-7090). The weight of the battery assembly will not be included in the overall weapon weight.

Both the rechargeable battery assembly and the non-rechargeable battery assembly shall meet the requirements for safety and transportation per the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulation.

The Government will conduct the following tests on the NGSW-R, NGSW-AR, and the Ammunition:

Prototype Test #1 (PT#1)

This Government test will inform the COMPANY of current design compliance to select performance requirements. The test has an estimated duration of 3 months.

Soldier Touch Point A: Mobility & User Acceptance

This Government test will provide the COMPANY with Soldier feedback on areas related to mobility and maneuverability on Army relevant obstacles, and user acceptance scenario testing. Reference Attachment 6 – STP Mobility and Attachment 7 – STP User Acceptance.

Prototype Test #2 (PT#2)

This Government test will be used to assess compliance to the COMPANY proposed performance requirements and utilized in follow-on award decisions. The test has an estimated duration of six months.

Soldier Touch Point B: Mobility, User Acceptance, Controllability

This test is a Government conducted evaluation on areas related to mobility, maneuverability on Army relevant obstacles, user acceptance scenario testing, and controllability. Reference Attachment 6 – STP Mobility, Attachment 7 – STP User Acceptance, and Attachment 8 – STP Controllability

Soldier Touch Point C: Limited User Test

This test is a Government conducted limited evaluation with Soldiers in the loop to assess the suitability and effectiveness for combat operations. These evaluations may be conducted with multiple squads.

Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E)

This is a test and analysis effort required to support the ballistic lethality evaluation, focusing on the terminal ballistics of the system.

Written proposals are due on 24 April 2019 at 11:00AM EST and bid samples are due on 30 May 2019.

Posted in Ammo, Contracts, Disruptive Tech, PEO-Soldier, weapons | 6 Comments »