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Textron Systems To Develop Prototype For US Army’s Next-Generation Squad Automatic Weapon

Friday, July 13th, 2018

Textron Systems has over 14 of experience developing Case-Telescoped weapons and ammunition.

In fact, it’s their Lightweight Small Arms Technology demonstrator (6.5mm box fed version seen below) which served as the inspiration for the US Army’s Next-Generation Squad Automatic Rifle program.

Earlier this year, the Army released a Production Opportunity Notice for NGSAR, which is intended to replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in Brigade Combat Teams. Based on program requirements, the prototype must weigh less than 12 pounds, with ammunition weighing 20 percent less than an equivalent brass case.

Textron Systems is one of six companies selected by the Army to develop a weapon under the PON. Textron Systems’ prototype will be an intermediate caliber, high-velocity, magazine-fed system.

This builds upon two related awards that Textron Systems recently received from the Army for advanced weapons and fire control technologies; one for Next Generation Squad Weapon Technologies (NGSW-T), and another for fire control capability development.

On a final note, I’d like to point out that this is an answer and not the answer to the Army’s requirement. There are several other solutions which will be looked at which include ammunition. What’s more, there will be a couple more times at bat before the Army picks its solution.

NGSAR is the most ambitious small arms program ever. A lot will be learned and much can happen in the ensuing years; new materials developed and scientific breakthroughs. On the other hand, new priorities may take hold in the years it will take to develop this requirement and solution.

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Posted in Contracts, Disruptive Tech, weapons | 12 Comments »

Lockhart Tactical UBS-12 Under Barrel Mount – Shotgun Attachment System – 870 and Clones

Wednesday, July 11th, 2018

The UBS-12 (Under Barrel Shotgun 12 Gauge) is a door breaching shotgun system manufactured by Lockhart Tactical.

Typically, Soldiers or Law Enforcement officers are forced to carry a breaching shotgun in addition to their standard issue rifle during operations.

The Lockhart Tactical UBS-12 removes this requirement. Consisting of a Grizzly shotgun embedded in their proprietary quick release mount, it is used in an underbarrel configuration much like the M203 grenade launcher.

This shotgun cannot be operated independently due to not having a pistol grip behind the trigger. When firing the UBS, the magazine of the parent firearm must be used as a pistol grip. Soon, they’ll release a proprietary Pistol grip and Buttstock which will be able to be quickly attached and detached on the UBS for independent firing without being attached to another firearm.

What can the UBS-12 Mount do for me?

Whether or not you’re a Solider, LE Officer or Professional using this device for breaching, our UBS has a lot to offer. Civilian Hunters can benefit immensely by carrying our tiny UBS under their favorite bolt action hunting rifle.

Apart for security reasons, Hunters could also quickly attach the UBS to help ensure they don’t go home from a hunt empty handed. Maybe you won’t see a deer cross your path, but if an unlucky flock of turkeys happens to surprise you… Seize the day! It features a 2+1 magazine which means its perfectly legal for hunting.

Attachment Mechanism:
The Lockhart Tactical UBS-12 features dual locking levers manufactured 100% in the USA by American Defense.

Mount Features:

The proprietary billet aluminum mounts are machined entirely in BC, Canada and requires a mere 10 picatinny rail slots (4″ / 10cm”) to attach securely. The UBS-12 mount features a proprietary quick attach Buttstock and Pistol grip combination to convert into a shoulder fire-able compact shotgun which still retains the ability to be under barrel mounted. The Quick Attach Optic mount will sit on top of the UBS while in the shoulder fired configuration and shall retain zero on optics when detached and reattached.

Firearm Platforms:

Our mounts will be compatible with the following firearms:

• AR15

• AR10

• SKS

• M4

• M14

• M16

• Robinson Arms XCR

• Norinco Type 97

• Just Right Carbines (9mm, .40, .45)

• Ruger 10/22

• MP15-22

• Mossberg Tactical 715T

• SCAR

• Heckler & Koch HK416

• Sig Sauer 522

• Sig Sauer 516

• SR-47

• AK47

• And More! (Strong Bottom Rail Required!)

Mount Specifications:

Weight: 0.2 lbs

Length: 7″

Width: 1.25″

Height: 2.75″

Available in Black or Flat Dark Earth.

www.lockharttactical.com

Posted in International, weapons | 12 Comments »

US Army Cancels Sub Compact Weapon Sole Source Awards

Saturday, July 7th, 2018

In May, the US Army issued a sources sought notice for a 9mm Sub Compact Weapon to be used by Personal Security Detachments. In June, the Army issued sole source purchase notices for numerous examples of various commercial examples of the weapon.

Earlier this week, the Army cancelled the opportunity.

This Synopsis of Contract Award is amended on 02 July 2018 to notify industry that due to changes in the Government’s requirement, this opportunity is hereby cancelled effective immediately.

The Government is in the process of establishing new requirements for the Sub Compact Weapon Program and will announce the changes on fbo.gov within the next two weeks. Vendors interested in being notified for this new opportunity are encouraged to sign up under the “Interested Vendors List” tab of this announcement.

At one point during development of this requirement, the Army is said to have considered adoption of 300 BLK weapons to fulfill the need, but decided against it as the round is not readily available within DoD or with NATO allies. However, as USSOCOM’s Personal Defense Weapon, a 300 BLK upper receiver kit fit the M4, requirement takes shape, the Army may once again look at M4 compatibility, rather than a completely new weapon.

Posted in Contracts, weapons | 13 Comments »

US Customs and Border Protection Releases Solicitation for New Pistol

Friday, July 6th, 2018

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the parent agency of the United States Border Patrol, has issued a solicitation for a family of lightweight, striker-fired, semi-automatic handguns chambered in 9mm.  With a 10-year period of performance and a contract ceiling listed at $85M, this is likely to be the largest handgun contract in the history of US law enforcement.

What We Know So Far

Unlike other agencies in recent contracts, CBP is looking for a family of firearms.  In their own words, the contract “shall include three distinct variations of sizes”.  This sounds like it will leave CBP the option of purchasing full-size, mid-size, or compact handguns for their agents.  Of particular note is that the full and mid-size handguns are required to include an optics ready slide cut, allowing the firearm to be compatible with both the Trijicon RMR and Delta Point Pro Mircro Red Dot Sights (MRDS).

Testing protocols are also unique for this solicitation.  The government is requiring manufacturers to foot the bill for all testing at a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) laboratory, prior to the close of the solicitation.  While it is not readily apparent what CBP’s motivation is for this, it certainly seems to make the process more fair and transparent than some of the typical closed-door government testing done in secret.

The performance testing standards seem to cover all the standard procedures we are used to seeing, but CBP takes things a step further by adding tests like rough handling, “Linear Guided” drop tests, and extreme sand and salt-water exposure tests.  The handguns will be tested to over 10,000 rounds each using two types of ammunition (Winchester Ranger 147gr. JHP, and Speer Gold Dot 124gr.+P JHP), and nearly half of those rounds will be fired with a SureFire X300U-A attached to the pistol.

To make things even more interesting, it seems as though CBP will be allowing actual field agents to rate the handguns as part of what they’re calling an Operational Personnel Handgun Evaluation.  The solicitation shows law enforcement personnel rating the guns on: Ease of Disassembly; General Ergonomics; Vehicle Entry and Obstacle Clearance exercises; Perceived Accuracy; Trigger Pull; Fast Fire Control; Ease of Reloading; and Slick Grip Firing.  By the look of the solicitation, this portion of the evaluation will happen only after CBP narrows down the submissions to the top four highest scoring vendors.

Who Meets The Requirements?

At first glance, no one currentky meets all of the requiremenes, at least with what we know is on the market.  CBP effectively rules out everyone at some point in the requirements, while leaving the door open for any manufacturer who is willing to put in a little effort.  As it stands right now, there doesn’t seem to be a single manufacturer with handguns meeting every specification.  While the biggest limitation may be the requirement of three sizes of the same type of gun (as well as red-inert and blue-marking variants), most others would only require simple modifications to an existing line of guns.  With a contract this size, it seems reasonable that most companies would be willing to make a few small changes for a chance to wind up in the holsters of the county’s largest law enforcement agency.

Specs:

·         Three sizes of handguns, with 70% overall interchangeability
·         Preferred that a trigger pull is not required for disassembly, and shall not require the use of tools
·         Matte black or dark grey finish (FDE and Ranger Green should be available as an option)
·         Polished internal components
·         No external safety (trigger safety OK)
·         Consistent trigger pull between 4.5 and 8 pounds
·         Aggressively textured polymer frame capable of accepting Streamlight and SureFire weapon lights
·         Multiple grip sizes for each pistol
·         Beveled magazine well, which is equal in height across the front edge
·         Integral magazine well flare is preferred
·         Magazine floor plate “toe” must extend past the front of the grip
·         Low Bore Axis
·         Full front and rear slide serrations
·         Optics ready with cover plate, compatible with Trijicon RMR and Delta Point Pro
·         Full ambidextrous controls
·         Trijicon HD style sights

CBP is also requiring extended magazines and suppressor-height sights to be available on contract.

All in all, this sounds like it could be an interesting duty handgun designed to include all the best features a shooter could ask for in a single package.  The solicitation closes on September 19, 2018, so before long we may be seeing some new guns on the market.

To read the solicitation in full, check it out at www.fbo.gov.

Posted in Contracts, LE, weapons | 27 Comments »

Kit Badger – 8.6 Creedmoor & The Fix by Q

Thursday, June 28th, 2018

Kit Badger goes over the new 8.6 Creedmoor, essentially the big brother to the 300 Blackout. The platform is The Fix by Q.

To read the rest of the story, visit kitbadger.com/8-6-creedmoor-the-fix-by-q

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Posted in Ammo, Guest Post, weapons | 15 Comments »

Black Aces Tactical announces a new Semiautomatic Shockwave

Wednesday, June 27th, 2018

Black Aces Tactical (BAT), an American manufacturer best known for its patented custom shotguns, is excited to announce the release of the company’s new Semiautomatic Shockwave and Peacekeeper shotguns.

Said Lemoine, “The Shockwave platform has been nothing short of a phenomenon.  We have always felt, and more importantly the customers have always felt, that a semiautomatic version is inevitable.  The brass ring has always been a semiautomatic 12 gauge platform in the most compact package possible.  We feel that we have created an incredible weapon here.”.

At $949 retail – a shooter has choices. Both the Semiautomatic Shockwave and Peacekeeper Pistol Grip versions can be had in 18.5 6+1 trim as well as the uber cool 12.5” 4+1 SBS trim.  For a few dollars more, Black Aces Tactical will install a 6 position folding stock.

“For as long as we can remember, the gun industry has been playing follow the leader.  Our goal is to give the customer something that other manufacturers won’t.”.

Both the Shockwave Semiautomatic and Peacekeeper Pistol Grip models feature a number of innovations.

First and most obvious, the recoil assembly must be relocated and old recoil tube modified to accept the grip.  Next the gas ports are tuned to operate both low and high brass.  Finally the trigger is addressed in order to facilitate fast feeding.  “Being that we use a Remington 1100 base, we have identified addressed a number of weak points.”, said Lemoine.

For more information about Black Aces Tactical, contact Eric Lemoine at 407-630-9359, email sales@blackacestactical.com, or visit www.blackacestactical.com

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Posted in Press Release, weapons | 12 Comments »

P320 X-Carry to Become the Standard Service Pistol for the Danish Ministry of Defense

Monday, June 25th, 2018

We just got this announcement from SIG. It’s a pretty big deal for them and Denmark isn’t the only recent adoption of the P320 X-Carry.

Newington, N.H. (June 25, 2018) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the Danish Ministry of Defense (MoD) has selected the SIG SAUER P320 X-Carry to replace their standard service pistol covering the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The Danish MoD is the ministry within the Danish government charged with ensuring peace and security, both nationally and internationally, and is comprised of the Danish armed forces, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, and the Danish Emergency Management Agency.

The procurement process for the Danish MoD’s new standard service pistol lasted four weeks in which the Glock 17 Gen 5, Beretta APX, Canik TP 9 SF, and the SIG P320 X-Carry, were tested under all possible conditions and varying circumstances that the pistol would be used. Testing for accuracy, night shooting, and field testing were conducted by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and SOCOM. Additional drop, penetration, and precision testing were conducted by various selected experts for each of the contenders.

“By far SIG SAUER’s P320 X-Carry outperformed the competition throughout our rigorous and stringent testing process,” Tom Elvius-Brisson, Chief of Weaponry Branch, Danish Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization. “The P320 X-Carry pistol is the modern firearm we were looking for to support our soldiers. The P320 X-Carry has a larger magazine capacity, comes reflex red-dot ready for sighting, and has the ability to incorporate a suppressor – all extremely important features to our soldiers for their sidearm today and are all features which were missing on the current pistol in service in the Danish Defense.”

The P320 X-Carry is a modular, striker-fired pistol with a serialized trigger group available in varying grip sizes and adaptable to multiple calibers. The standard service P320 X-Carry pistol that will be issued by the Danish MoD comes with an enhanced X-carry polymer grip, flat trigger, extended beaver tail, extended removable magwell, and a deep trigger guard undercut. The pistol will come standard with XRAY 3 Night-Sights with the option to easily interchange reflex red-dot sights. The intuitive 3-point takedown requires no trigger pull for disassembly, and safety features include a striker safety, disconnect safety, and optional manual safety.

The SIG SAUER P320 X-Carry will replace all pistols currently in service across the Danish Ministry of Defense.

“At SIG SAUER we are committed to manufacturing and providing firearms for the global military and defense community that surpass expectations in quality, performance, and safety. We are very proud that the P320 continues to be the top choice by military and law enforcement from around the world as their standard issue pistol.” added Ron Cohen, President and CEO of SIG SAUER, Inc. “It’s an honor to earn the confidence of the Danish Ministry of Defense, to support their mission, and to strengthen our partnership through this selection of the SIG SAUER P320 X-Carry.”

Denmark is the first European NATO country to officially select a SIG SAUER P320 series pistol as the officially issued standard service firearm. The MOD contract will be serviced by our partner in Denmark, CT Solutions ApS.

www.sigsauer.com

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Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, International, Press Release, weapons | 13 Comments »

Texas Department of Public Safety Selects SIG SAUER P320

Friday, June 22nd, 2018

NEWINGTON, N.H., (June 20, 2018) – Today, SIG SAUER, Inc., announced the Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) has integrated the SIG SAUER P320 as its official service firearm throughout its divisions.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is the statewide agency responsible for law enforcement and vehicle registration headquartered in Austin, Texas. The TXDPS is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country and is comprised of thirteen divisions including the Texas Highway Patrol, and the Texas Rangers.

“We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with the Texas Department of Public Safety and honored that they have chosen the SIG SAUER P320 as their official service firearm,” began Tom Jankiewicz, Executive Vice President, Law Enforcement Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “The modularity and ability to customize the P320 pistol, combined with the ultimate in reliability and accuracy, made it the right choice for the diverse needs, across all divisions, for the Texas Department of Safety.”

The P320 is a modular, striker-fired pistol available in full-size, carry, compact, and subcompact sizing. The serialized trigger group makes the P320 adaptable to multiple caliber, size, and grip options. The P320 is available in 9mm, .357SIG, 40S&W, and .45ACP, with a choice of contrast, or SIGLITE Night Sights. The intuitive 3-point takedown requires no trigger pull for disassembly, and safety features include a striker safety, disconnect safety, and optional manual safety.

The Texas Department of Public Safety will acquire 4,000 SIG SAUER P320 pistols for official service use throughout the TXDPS Highway Patrol, Criminal Investigations Divisions (CID), Aircraft Division, Executive Protection Bureau, Intelligence and Counterterrorism, Texas Rangers, SWAT, and Special Operations Group.

“To earn the confidence of such a highly revered law enforcement agency is truly a privilege for all of us within the SIG SAUER organization. We value and appreciate the opportunity to assist the men and women of the Texas Department of Public Safety in carrying out its mission – to protect and serve the citizens of Texas,” concluded Jankiewicz.

www.sigsauer.com

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Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, LE, Press Release, weapons | 2 Comments »

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