Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2024 i Firearms News

Innovative Industries makes an identical copy of the XM177 Moderator, as used in the late stages of the Vietnam War. In the late 1960s, Colt had a problem. Their XM177 (it ended up with almost a dozen different model designations) was very popular with the troops, at least until they fired one at night. Then the nuclear-flame muzzle blast was eye-searing, and the short barrel had functional problems due to a difficulty we would later call dwell time. What Colt did, besides extending the barrel from ten inches to eleven-and-a-half, was add a “moderator” or flash-hider, or gas-release-delay gizmo. That, and some other changes, made the Colt Commando work. And work so well it is still in inventory in the Air Force as the GAU/5. By mechanical definition, it is…

The latest inspiration to be born out of the Springfield Armory is actually a throwback to an earlier time. The SA-16A2 is a new-made semiauto rendition of the classic M16A2 US military service rifle. Featuring Uncle Sam’s A2 upgrades along with Springfield Armory’s well-established penchant for quality, the SA-16A2 is the retro service rifle tough enough for serious use. The M16A2 upon which the SA-16A2 is based was itself a product-improved version of the original M16A1 that carried US forces through the war in Vietnam. Featuring enhanced sights, a heavier barrel, redesigned furniture, and a three-round burst fire control system in the place of the original full auto sort, the M16A2 was the ultimate Cold War-vintage M16 direct gas impingement service rifle. The new SA-16A2 folds all that tactical sweetness…

First adopted in 1945 as a replacement for the m/37-39 Suomi, the m/45 SMG was designed by Gunner Johanson and served as the standard SMG for the Swedish Army until 1965. Prior to the adoption of the m/45, Sweden had held trials to select a new SMG between 1944 and 1945. Another Swedish entry had been the HOVEA manufactured by Husqvarna. Various iterations of the HOVEA, which was based to a large extent on the British Sten, had been tested. At the same time, the m/45 had been under development by the Swedish Carl Gustaf State Arsenal. The HOVEA design was not dead, however, as the rights to it were sold to Denmark where it became the basis for the Danish m/49 SMG, which is similar to the Swedish m/45.…

Eighty-one years ago, 7.92x33mm Kurz weapon systems were just starting to be fielded in numbers on the Eastern Front during World War II. While the MP43/MP44/StG44 weapon systems firing it are historically significant, it was their short “intermediate” cartridge that was most noteworthy. Initially referred to as the Pistolenpatrone M43 (pistol cartridge model 1943), and later Kurzpatrone 43 (short cartridge 1943), it was a groundbreaking step into the future. Why was this stubby cartridge so technically important? The 7.92x33mm Kurz was groundbreaking as it provided the rifleman with a cartridge specifically optimized for the realities of modern combat in Europe. Extensive studies conducted between the wars by the German military on infantry combat during World War I, and the ranges soldiers were actually able to see, identify, and effectively engage…

From 1621 to 1812, Sweden was one of Europe’s major military powers. But a series of military defeats culminating in the Napoleonic Wars left the country close to bankruptcy, its army had endured high numbers of casualties and the kingdom lost about one third of its territory. This led the Swedes to officially established a policy of neutrality—the Policy of 1812—which they stuck to doggedly until recently.1 But as did Switzerland, Sweden realized their neutrality could only be insured if they maintained strong armed forces. During this period, they attempted to equip their army with up-to-date rifles, and artillery. Their first machine gun—the Kulspruta m/1900—a Hotchkiss design was followed by the Schwarzlose Kulspruta m/1914.2 Both were heavy, tripod mounted guns that fed from metal strips and canvas belts. The Swedish…

In 1963, French writer Pierre Boulle published a novel titled, La Planete des Singes. I’m told this literally translates to Monkey Planet. With a title like Monkey Planet, you might expect turtles with nunchakus or Barney the purple dinosaur. Reality was something altogether different. In 1968, film director Franklin Schaffner released the movie, Planet of the Apes (POTA). Schaffner is also known for the fabulously successful film biopic Patton. The POTA screenplay was penned by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, the sci-fi luminary behind The Twilight Zone. In my opinion at least, Planet of the Apes has arguably the most compelling ending of any movie in history. POTA is a masterwork of the science fiction genre. POTA spawned four direct sequels, an animated series, a family of comic books, and…

One of the most successful pistol introductions of the past few years has been the CANiK TTI Combat, debuted at the 2024 SHOT Show. The number of orders CANiK USA (a partner with Century Arms) took for these pistols just on the first day of the show would shock you, and in fact rocked the industry. I learned the actual sales numbers, and while they’re an open secret behind the scenes I was asked not to divulge them. Adam Ruonala, VP of Business Development and Marketing, told me, “I’m comfortable you saying, ‘record numbers of pistols’ have been sold out, but would like to stay away from actual numbers of units or sales dollars.” So, what’s the big deal? The TTI Combat is a joint project between CAN-iK (and yes,…

The NRA Annual Meetings (and convention) is the second largest show of its kind in the U.S., and the largest open to the general public. “14 Acres of Guns and Gear” as the advertising says. This year the NRAAM was held in Dallas. Trump made an appearance, and there were some shenanigans (or attempted shenanigans) at the members meeting by some of the FOW (Friends of Wayne) old guard, which will be covered in a separate column. Here, I’m just covering a bit of the guns and gear I saw that I found interesting, and providing a bit of flavor for those people who weren’t able to attend. EOTech DCR Reticle (EOTechInc.com) Prior to the show EOTech released a new version of their EXPS3 HWS (holographic weapon sight) with a…