Behind the Scenes at Safariland

Editor’s Note: The author is associated with Safariland through the company’s Cadre program. His “behind the scenes” look at the company is based on his experiences and opinions. As a Safariland Cadre member and Safariland Cadre Dispatch writer, I was given a unique opport...

By Rick Hogg •

The M4A1 Carbine Evolution

The M4A1 is one of the most recognizable U.S. military carbines of the modern era. Still, the weapon that entered service in the 1990s is not quite the same M4A1 that soldiers and special operations forces use today. Its development has been driven by a recurring problem: how to keep the M4'...

By Lynndon Schooler •

Quick Overview of Barrel Service Life

Barrel-life specifications are a familiar sight in government solicitations, technical documents, and manufacturer literature, but what do they actually mean? A barrel rated for a certain number of rounds is not necessarily guaranteed to perform identically throughout that entire service life, an...

By Lynndon Schooler •

How M855A1 Changed AR-15 Magazine Design

M855A1’s exposed steel penetrator created a new challenge for the M4/M16 feed path. The solution came down largely to magazine geometry and presentation angle. The post How M855A1 Changed AR-15 Magazine Design appeared first on The Truth About Guns.

By Scott Witner •

The Ultimate Light Machine Gun Concept

The modern light machine gun sits at an interesting crossroads. For decades, the basic concept has been the same: provide a small infantry unit with a belt-fed weapon capable of delivering sustained fire while remaining mobile enough to maneuver with the riflemen. But the character of modern comb...

By Lynndon Schooler •

The 30 Year Search for the Army’s Squad Automatic Weapon

As the introduction of the SIG M250 potentially opens a new chapter in the U.S. Army's squad automatic weapon story, or more accurately, the GPMG role, it is worth looking back at the excitement around the M249 when it was adopted. The U.S. Army type-classified the M249 on February 1, 1982, ...

By Lynndon Schooler •

Ammunition Depot Launches AmmoVault, an Ammo Reserve You Can Build $5 at a Time

Ammunition Depot launched AmmoVault on Aug. 27, and I set up an account to see what it actually does. The short version: it’s a way to build an ammo reserve over time without buying a whole case at once. You pick the ammo, set a budget, and you can start with as little as five […] Rea...

By Luke McCoy •

The Geissele HICAR - Hypervelocity Improved Capability Assault Rifle

Back in May, when NSWC Crane  posted the Hypervelocity Improved Capability Assault Rifle (HICAR) solicitation, I closed my article  by asking whether any currently available carbine platform was genuinely built to handle sustained fire at 82,000 PSI, or whether every vendor would need a...

By Eric B •
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