The RPK: The Soviet Choice of Commonality Over Capability

In the mid-1950s, the Soviet high command accepted a compromise that would shape frontline infantry small arms for decades: prioritizing platform commonality over dedicated squad-level suppressive fire capability. That decision, formalized with the 1959 adoption of an AK-derived automatic rifle, ...

By Lynndon Schooler

[SHOT 2026] RISE Triggers Rev 535 - Snap-In AR Trigger System

RISE Triggers rolled out something different at SHOT Show 2026 with the Rev 535  trigger, and the standout feature is how it installs. The company built a new Slide-and-Snap system that eliminates the usual trigger pin hassle and gets the whole thing locked in place in under 60 seconds on mi...

By Sam.S

The RPD - Soviet Union’s First Squad Automatic Weapon

In the years after World War II, the Soviet military asked a simple question: how could an infantry squad bring a higher volume of automatic fire without surrendering mobility? A lesson they learned from the Eastern Front, where volume of fire was king. The answer, in part, was the RPD; this ligh...

By Lynndon Schooler

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15: First Soviet Swept-Wing Fighter

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 entered the Cold War as a swept-wing jet fighter that stunned Western planners and demonstrated its lethality in the skies over Korea. In this article, Peter Suciu examines how its advanced aerodynamics, heavy cannon armament, and combat performance against American ai...

By Peter Suciu

REVIEW: Griffin Armament MK2 11.5” CQB

I’ve been a fan of Griffin Armament for a while, having used their M2 iron sights for years, enjoying the quality of their silencers, and, more recently, appreciating significant value in their optics line after reviewing the 1-10x Mil-R SFP LPVO. Perhaps I’ve been working backwards, but it m...

By Darwin Nercesian

[SHOT 2026] SDS Arms Inglis 2035 9mm – Modernized Hi-Power

SDS Arms is an importer of a hoard of popular firearms, spanning rifles, shotguns, and handguns through their brands of Tisas, Tokarev USA, Spandau Arms, Military Armament Corporation (MAC), and Inglis. The last brand is the one we want to discuss because they have announced a new, modernized Hi-...

By Adam Scepaniak
« Newer Posts Older Posts »