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

POTD: Where SCAR Meets FAMAS

Photo of the Day captures the Belgian Army’s Special Operations Regiment during Tropical Storm, a recurring multinational exercise conducted in Central Africa in cooperation with Gabonese authorities. Now in its fifth iteration, the exercise is designed to prepare a rapidly deployable task ...

By Eric B

[SHOT 2026] Black Rain Ordnance Freedom Fighter AK - American-Made

Black Rain Ordnance brought their Freedom Fighter AK  to SHOT Show 2026, marking the company's first production AK after shelving a prototype back in 2013. Built entirely in Neosho, Missouri, this isn't your typical import or parts-kit build. Black Rain went all-in on American manu...

By Sam.S

TFB Review: Wilde Custom Gear Chest Rig and Accessories

The market for tactical nylon gear is expansive. There are so many companies today producing bespoke high-end equipment for a wide variety of needs. It should be fair that, among the wild west of manufacturers all competing for your attention and mighty dollar, one of these companies has risen to...

By Toby M

[SHOT 2026] Stoeger STR9 Thinline+ & STR-45 Combat - Practical Upgrade

Stoeger rolled out two new STR-series pistols at SHOT Show 2026, and both are refinements of existing platforms rather than ground-up redesigns. The STR9 Thinline+ takes the slim concealment pistol and pushes capacity up to 19+1 with a ported barrel, while the STR-45 Combat brings .45 ACP authori...

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

M21 Sniper Rifle — A Short History

The renowned M14 service rifle has a complex history: it was the U.S. military’s shortest-lived service rifle yet one of the longest in service. While its time as a standard-issue rifle for G.I.s was brief, its power and performance have ensured its continued use as a sniper and Designated Mark...

By Cory Ross
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