The Firearm Blog

Kimber introduced the new Advanced Tactical SOC (Special Operations Capable) rifle at the 2014 SHOT Show.  According to Kimber, the new gun is designed for high-performance.

The new rifles will be offered in both .308 Win and .300 Win Mag.  The .308 model will have a 22″ barrel and weighs in at 11.4 pounds.  The .300 Win Mag will have a 27″ barrel and total weight of 12 pounds.  Barrels are stainless steel and will use SureFire muzzle brakes that accept quick attach suppressors.

The rifles use detachable magazines.  A five round mag will ship with the rifle, and 10-round magazines will be available as a separate purchase.

The SOC rifle has a folding stock, and is adjustable for length of pull and comb height.  The rear stock also has an adjustable monopod to provide additional stability when working from a bipod (not included

New for 2014 is the RX Helix Explorer from Merkel.  Like the original RX Helix, the Explorer is a straight pull bolt design that is said to be extremely fast.  The new Explorer is designed to be more resistant to the elements when outdoors with a synthetic stock and new matte black finish.

Like the original rifle, the Explorer is a take down rifle.  Take down does not require any tools, and with a new barrel, bolt and magazine, the shooter can change to any of 12 different calibers.  Caliber choices cover popular American and European cartridges.

For those not interested in hunting by waiting in a blind, Nature Blinds released the Larry Weishuhn Signature Series StalkingShield. Nature Blunds collaborated with “Mr. Whitetail” himself to create shield to allow hunters “outside the box.” (Their words, not mine) The StalkingShield is large enough to hide most hunters at 26″ wide and 44″ tall. It comes complete with a carry handle and kick-stand.

Nature Blinds touts is all-American heritage: “Our manufacturing plant, located in Kerrville, Texas, proudly supports the local economy. We believe in the American worker.”

Nature Blinds highlights the following features:

• Lightweight and Portable
• Realistic Bark Texture
• Designed Collaboratively with Larry Weishuhn
• Integrated Kickstand Rotates for Upright or Prone Use
• Easy to Grip Handle

The Larry Weichuhn Signature Series StalkingShield can be purchased for $259.99, before shipping.

Depending on your point of view, a First Aid Kit holding a handgun and magazines might have a touch of irony. At SHOTShow 2014 G-Outdoors debuted a new line of discreet handgun cases. Designed to be discreet and deceptive, the cases are meant to allow to keep the handgun close whether you are at home, the office, or in a vehicle.

The best “First Aid Kit” I have ever seen.

Options include first aid kits, tissue boxes, jumper cables, hazard markets, or day planners. Each case is sized to fit most full-size handguns and spare magazines. Most cases can be customized for ri

At SHOT Show Media Day, I got some hands-on time with the new Benelli ETHOS 12 ga shotgun.

That’s not me, but rather, a Benelli marketing guy.

As the owner of a Benelli Vinci shotgun, I’m well acquainted with how well the Benelli platform works, but I’m also acquainted with its shortcomings. One of them is that the Vinci and its Inertia-Driven recoil system cannot handle light 7/8oz loads very well, often resulting in jams.

However, with the new ETHOS line, the bolt has been modified and Benelli has a new “Progressive Comfort” buttstock which has some unique innards to help manage lighter 7/8oz loads, and the recoil.

The Hidesight is a 1x red dot optic modifier that allows a shooter to view and engage targets from a position of cover.  The Hidesight mounts behind the optic on the rifle and allows for shooting from a normal position, or with a 45° or 90° angle.  A shooter can then expose the rifle without exposing much of his or her body for observation or shooting.

A normal image is maintained when using the Hidesight.  In other words, the image is not flipped:  right is still right, left is still left.

The unit is made of polymer, steel and aluminum.  The company states the construction is rugged and will operate normally in a wide range of temperatures.

Rudy Project has a new model for 2014, called Airblast. The main features are a lens that increases both vertical and peripheral vision by removing material on the top rim and extending the lens outward. It’s quite a noticeable difference side by side.

On the left is a pair of the new Airblasts. On the right is a pair of Rudy Project Genetyk glasses. Notice the Airblast’s larger lens and less material on the rim above the eyes.

We thoroughly enjoyed shooting, handling and just plain admiring the beautiful Korth-Waffen pistols and revolvers at SHOT Show. Here are some more photos from the show taken by, and copyright, Bryan Jones.

MasterPiece Arms announced a new rifle called the MPAR 6.8.  The gun is chambered in 6.8 SPC and uses a short-stroke pistol system.  The gun does not need a buffer tube, so the company outfitted the gun with a six-position stock that can also fold to the side.

The guns will be available in a variety of finishes including a black phosphate, ATACS camo and hydrodipped Vista Camo.

A 16″ barrel with a 1:11″ twist is standard.  The handguard will have a Picatinny rail on top and bottom, with the option of adding side rails.

The rifles should be available for purchase by April 2014.

Details:

• chambered in 6.8 SPC
• short-stroke piston system
• side folding, six position stock
• 16″ barrel
• MSRP: $1028-1103 depending on finish

Here are some pictures of Evelyn Owen’s homebuilt .22 submachine gun made from bits of scrap steel and .22 short rifle parts in his younger years. Some time after a test firing session at a local beach, it was discovered carelessly left against a garage wall by his neighbor, who fatefully happened to manage the Port Kembla plant of Lysaght’s Newcastle Works. Impressed with his simplistic design he arranged for him to be transferred to the Australian Army Invention Board where he began work on what would later became the Owen Machine Carbine.

The design contains a hilariously simple trigger made from a piece of spring steel which also catches the end of the bolt handle. It’s magazine is interestingly powered by a large flat coil spring. Can anyone decipher this component’s workings further? By all accounts it functioned quite well.

Sig Sauer just sent out a newsletter for a pretty awesome deal, if you buy one of their featured 1911s you’ll get a free 1911-22. OK, so it’s not actually buy a .45ACP 1911 and get a full .45ACP 1911 free. However the Sig 1911-22 retails for $419 and is a pretty sweet .22lr pistol. I have the GSG 1911-22 which is essentially the same gun and it’s one of my favorite handguns to shoot. Check out the list of 1911 models included in the promo and the terms below.

Featured Models
1911 Ultra TT (1911U-45-TSS)
1911 Compact C3 (1911CO-45-T-C3)
1911 Carry Nightmare (1911FCA-45-NMR)
1911 Tacops (1911R-45-TACOPS)
1911 Spartan (1911-45-SPARTAN)
1911 Stainless (1911R-45-SSS-CA)

Terms and conditions: Promotion ends April 30, 2014. Participating dealers only. Supplies are limited. Check with your participating dealer for availability. State restrictions where applicable. You must purchase one of the six full-size 1911 pistols to receive a FREE 1911-22. Pistol is free. Transfers fees, taxes and all other costs are assumed by the consumer. Offer s

Streamlight broadened its line of compact laser/light units with the introduction of the TLR-4 G at the 2014 SHOT Show.  Like the prior TLR-4 models, the new light and laser unit is designed for compact handguns.  Unlike the prior models, this one uses a green aiming laser.

Streamlight previously released a green laser version of the TLR-2.  While I found that laser to be extremely effective, I did find it to be somewhat limited by its operating temperature range (32° to 104° F).  I tossed mine in a freezer and found that performance was definitely hampered when used at sub-freezing temps.

The new TLR-4 G fixes that with a much wider range of operating temps:  -20° to 120° F.

The white light puts out 115 lumens and 5,200 candela, which should provide enough light for most self defense situations.  On a single CR2 battery, the unit will run the light and laser for a full hour.  Using only the light or the las

G2 Research’s Radically Invasive Projectile “R.I.P.” has a fantastic marketing campaign, generating lots of buzz. Our own post has over 144 comments debating the effectiveness of the ammunition. Steve sums it up nicely:

“The company claims its 96 gr copper bullet is “the last round you will ever need”. The design is inspired by a triangular tipped surgical tool called the Trocar. It has 8 segmented spikes which break off as the bullet enters its target, while the solid base continues on its original trajectory.”

ShootingTheBull410 has posted the first video review of the new ammunition to YouTube using ballistic gel. If you have not seen his reviews before, ShootingTheBull is known for his pursuit of the perfect “

Also seen at SHOT 2014 was the new AR15 Magazine Lock by Franzen International. Many of you are familiar with Franzen, as the company has been manufacturing firearms safety locks for years.

The Magazine Lock is inserted into the magazine well of your favorite AR-style rifle. The relatively unobtrusive red plastic block renders the weapon safe and impossible to use until removed, locking the two receivers together. Compared to trigger locks, the Magazine Lock does not allow anyone to insert a magazine or chamber a round, which an improperly set up trigger lock could fire.

When not in use, the keys to the Magazine Lock cannot be removed unless the unit is in the locked position.

Your eyes do not deceive you. That grip is not broken. Sam Cadle and I were able to go hands-on with the prototype variable-angle “tactical angular grip” (TAG) coming soon from  LMT  Developed in partnership with Hopkins Industry, LLC chaired by an active Coast Guard shooter, the TAG adds additional ergonomics to your rifle. In prototype form, the grip had five settings: centered, mid, and high-offset angles (left and right, respectively).

The variable angle grip canted away from a right -hand shooter.

Admittedly my first impression was skeptical, but as the inven

For the past six months I have been in touch with Joseph Zawaideh, the co-founder of a tech start up named Levitate Technologies. The company, based in San Diego, are developing an interesting harness that assists its operator in carrying or holding heavy objects and keeping them steady.  The harness is fully mechanical, using a system of springs and pulleys, and is lightweight. The first thing I asked the company was if the system would allow the operator to shoot from the prone position. They investigated my question and have determined that it would not interfere with prone shooting (nor would it help). I can see this system helping soldiers who carry heavy DMR, Sniper, LMG or GPMG small arms and would like to shoot them in the off hand, squatting, kneeling or sitting positions.

It may also help hunters who, maybe because of old age or disability, are unable to hold a rifle steady. This video demonstrates the system …

Seventy pistols manufactured by Sig SAUER GmbH (Germany) were allegedly sold to the Kazakhstan Republican Guard in 2010. According to export paperwork, they were being exported to the USA for civilian sales. An unnamed company in the USA then obtained export approval from the State Department and send these German-made Sig pistols to Kazakhstan.

This kind of gun deal, know as a bypass transaction, is illegal in most countries and in Germany is a violation of the Foreign Trade Act and the Arms Act. End-user certificates showing the final destination of the weapons must be presented when applying for export approval. A few days ago Sig SAUER GmbH (Germany) were raided by a SWAT unit, 12 detectives and the state prosecutor’s office.

I would guess that the police raid’s purpose was to discover if Sig SAUER employees had known the pistols were actually going to end up in Kazakhstan. I would not be surprised to learn that the relevant federal law enforcement agencies in the USA are also investigating the transfer. It would also not

New for 2014, B-Square announced a line of AR-15 accessories.  One of the new accessories is the new RK-M4 Forend Rail Kit.

The kit bolts on to a standard handguard, and gives the shooter three short rails in the 45°, 180°, and 315° positions.  The rail carries a suggested retail price of $40.00.

Also new this year is the BSACC1, which is a polymer magazine well grip.  At this time, no pictures are available for the new grip.  According to the company, the bottom of the adaptor is beveled and can assist with decreasing reload times.

B-Square states no tools or hardware are needed to install the grip.  MSRP will be $19.99.

Bushnell, an industry leader in optics, has released a new red dot optic in their Elite Tactical line.  The CQTS 1x32mm red dot optic looks to take aim at the higher-end market of red dot optics, such as EOTech and Aimpoint, with competitive features and a significantly smaller price tag.

The CQTS has a very similar appearance to the older Bushnell TRS-32.  In fact I think the two share the same basic housing unit with some minor cosmetic changes for the CQTS.  However, beyond that the CQTS is a completely new optic, with all new and enhanced holographic technology, better multi-coated lenses for enhanced clarity, and a 3 MOA dot instead of the TRS-32’s 5 MOA dot.