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Posts Tagged ‘B&T’

US Army Selects 6 Companies For Sub Compact Weapon Prototype Opportunity

Monday, September 17th, 2018

Late last week, the Army notified six companies that they were selected to participate in the Sub Compact Weapon Prototype Opportunity.

Those companies are:
Angstadt Arms
B&T USA
Global Ordnance, LLC
Shield Arms
SIG SAUER
Trident Rifles, LLC

It is important to note that the companies have been notified they were selected and it is still up to them to accept the Army’s offer to participate. So far, we don’t have verification that all of the contractual agreements have been executed.

The Weapons
Interestingly, Trident Rifles will also offer a weapon from Swiss manufacturer Brugger & Thomet along with B&T USA.


B&T APC9 SD

We fully expect the B&T offerings to be APC9 models (SD and K) and the SIG weapon to be an MPX derivative.


SIG MPX K

Two of the companies build AR-style 9mm Sub Guns; Angstadt manufactures the UDP-9, and Shield Arms makes the SA9K.


Angstadt UDP-9

Global Ordnance is the unknown, but word is that they may have an MP-5 variant.

The Requirement
While the requirement for a Sub Compact Weapon has been in the books for years, it finally got off to a somewhat rocky start earlier this year. Initially, the Army offered limited contracts to multiple companies (here and here) for evaluation samples. Then, the Army rescinded the offers and issued a Prototype Opportunity Notice.

According to the requirement, the Sub Compact Weapon is a highly concealable 9mm system capable of engaging threat personnel with a high volume of lethal force while accurately firing at close range with minimal collateral damage.

If you’re curious what the weapon will be used for, it’s because United States military operations take place worldwide and in all types of terrains as well as under every environmental condition. The Secretary of the Army and/or the Chief of Staff approves senior commanders and key personnel as High Risk Personnel (HRP). HRPs are authorized a Personal Security Detail (PSD), which are assigned to guard against outlined threats. To address this operational need, PSD military personnel require weapons with greater lethality than pistols that are more concealable than rifles.

The PON calls for delivery of 15 weapons within 30 days, with the purchase of 350 weapons at a time (if a solution is selected) up to 1,000 total weapons. Beyond the delivery of the initial prototypes there is no hard schedule.

B&T USW-320

Thursday, May 10th, 2018

Released earlier this year, the USW-320 is based on B&T’s Universal Service Weapon, except that it’s a drop in lower receiver for the SIG P320 Fire Control Unit and Slide rather than a full firearm. Like the USW, it incorporates a right-side, fixed-length, side-folding stock.

As more and more organizations adopt the P320, this offers a more stable platform for those longer shots.

The USW 320 is pretty bare bones. You must also install a P320 magazine release. Additionally, a red dot optic can be mounted, but it has to be on the P320 slide you’ve provided. Hopefully, this spartan approach will keep the cost down so more people can take advantage of it.

www.bt-ag.ch

B&T – 40MM Ammo Carriers

Wednesday, March 15th, 2017

I spied these leg mounted subloads for 40mm rounds in the Brügger & Thomet booth during Germany’s Enforce Tac expo in Germany. The carrier is meant to be used with the B&T GL06, but they could be handy for anyone using 40mm launchers.

They are offered in different sizes to carry different numbers of rounds, but as you can see, the carriers are long enough for riot control rounds and feature indentations on the sides of the individual round carriers to offer some friction and keep them in place.

www.bt-ag.ch

Aimpoint’s Nano Sight Available As Component of B&T’s Universal Service Weapon

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

Last year we mentioned the upcoming Nano red-dot weapon sight from Aimpoint. We were hoping it would be released at SHOT Show but when we asked the crew manning the Aimpoint booth, they suggested we check out Brügger & Thomet, down in the basement. Sure enough, it was there but the weapon it was mounted to, hasn’t seemed to resonate with the American market. Perhaps it’s the folding stock on a pistol that has so many scratching their heads. But now, we’re at Enforce Tac, a European Security Show and the B&T USW has generated quite a bit of interest.

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The USW is duty pistol size but intended to offer a more stable platform to police and security forces. It features a DA/SA trigger and ambi decocking lever. Additionally, the mag release can be configured left or right.

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Interestingly, the Nano stays put on the bridge of the receiver and doesn’t reciprocate on the slide. They’ve also incorporate charging ears on the slide to help with racking the slide.

The Nano comes standard on the B&T USW, and so far, that’s the only way you’re going to get one. The UsW also comes equipped with a side folding stock, level 3 retention holster, 3 magazines (17, 19, and 30 round) single point sling, cleaning kit, transportation box and a B&T Advanced Pistol Light which is made by Inforce. In fact, the only option is for a suppressor.

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