The military is developing an improved version of the M4 Carbine with a heavier profile barrel to allow a higher rate of sustained fire in emergency situations like, for example, the Battle of Wanat where M4 Carbines began failing after long periods of sustained fire. According to The Ground Precautionary Message ACALA #97-031, the M16 and M4 Carbine can only sustain 12-15 rounds per minute over long periods of time. A heavy barrel will help, but that will not prevent the Carbine’s gas tube from overheating and eventually bursting, leaving the rifle unable to cycle its action. The video below demonstrates …

The Armor Development Group, a military and law enforcement research and product development organization, has developed an insulated gas tube for the M4 Carbine to keep barrel heat away from it. Judging from the thermal photos they sent us, it is very effective …

We will be testing the prototype in the near future and will report back.

There was a period of time in the 20th century when H&K was producing 2,000 G3 battle rifles a day. These rifles served not only the West German armed forces, but many of the West’s armed forces and remained the top competitor with the FN FAL as far as proliferation is concerned. The MSG90 is the highest evolution of the G3 battle rifle, and is itself a PSG1 rifle with a few more features to make the rifle more than a stationary precision rifle.

As stated, the MSG90 is based on the famous PSG1 which was developed after the German government’s failure at the 1972 Munich Olympics at which 17 people (including 11 Israeli coaches and athletes) were killed due to a very bungled response. The Germans recruited marksman who were not professionally trained, but rather police officers and such who shot recreationally on weekends, and equipped them with G3 rifles with iron sights. The men selected even declared that they were not sharpshooters, but regardless they were placed several hundred yards away and a lot was expected of these individuals. The Munich Massacre unfortunately resulted in the loss of many innocent lives, but as a result, the Germans realized they needed to be better prepared for something like this in the future. Many things were created in response to Munich, including the P7 pistol, the elite GSG-9 counter-terrorist unit, and a new rifle to aide in precision shooting; The PSG1.

The PSG1 gave marksmen a tool that they desperately needed in order to neutralize a threat with success at a distance. The Germans realized they needed a semi-automatic rifle with a large capacity too for quick follow up shots, so a bolt gun was out of the question. In response, H&K took what they had (the G3 platform) and radically altered it to shoot more accurately. The PSG1 has:

• Receiver reinforcement rails to increase strength and reduce flexing
• A special trunnion that wraps around more of the barrel to reduce whip
• Special bolt group that includes serrations for the bolt closing device and a special locking piece
• A polygonal cold hammer forged barrel that is free floated
• An extended cocking tube with the handle placed far forward
• Half moon shaped “rollers” for consistent lockup and bolt gap
• 6x Schmidt and Bender optic

With these modifications the PSG1 was a true sub-MOA rifle that was quite remarkable for a semi-auto in the early to mid 1970s. Considering that roller lockup is very crude compared to a system with a rotating bolt, it is impressive that precision rifles based on the famous HK roller delayed blowback system can perform the way they do.

So where does the MSG90 play into this? Well, all the above points are true of it as well, but the MSG90 is a lighter and more mobile version of the PSG1. The rifle that is the subject of this review is the MSG90A1, a rifle that was commissioned by the United States Government to arm the Marine Corp Security Force and FAST teams. The A1 features a 10x Schmidt and Bender optic, iron sights borrowed from the HK21 machine gun, an improved stock, and a barrel that is threaded and has a harmonic stabilizer to reduce barrel whip. The rifle is still in production too, but the MSG90 has never been made available to civilians due to one simple fact: it features a swing down lower and the ATF considers any of the G3 derived firearms with a swing-down to be a machine gun. However, twenty year HK emplyee Jim Schatz has said that there are four MSG90s out there in civilian hands and that the ATF originally deemed these not machine guns, so who knows where these are today?

Anyways on with the show. Here we can see the side profile of the MSG90 with its silent bolt closing device, which works wonders relative to the noise produced by the “HK slap”.

Notice also how the scope is mounted to two picatinny rails welded on top of the receiver rather than the old claw mounting system.

Here you can see the trunnion:

Very odd looking compared to a G3′s (which ends inside the receiver).

Next up is how the barrel is free floated. The cocking tube is extended and the traditional H&K 3 ring front sight tower is not present. It looks like they just cut one in half and welded it on!

And lastly, here is a close up of the bolt head with the exposed rollers. The rollers are made of titanium and are crescent shaped rather than true cylinders:

For comparison, here is a regular G3 bolt and carrier:

So the MSG90 has some really cool features that would make a G3/91/PTR/JLD etc. owner do a double take, but how do these contribute to accuracy? Well for that I would have to arrange to get this gun out to the range.

Let me preface this by saying that I have very little experience with precision rifles. I have no formal training, have never shot in bench rest or an extreme accuracy oriented competition, and have never really been behind a big fancy DMR/precision rifle so I was really excited about this one. I bought some SSA 168 grain ammunition and went to town. I figured me behind the trigger would be a good measure of accuracy since I am not a complete newbie, but new to this kind of rifle (I have always been an “accuracy by volume” kind of guy).

First of all I feel bad for the designated marksman who would have to lug this around; The MSG90A1 weighs 15.4 pounds (7 kilos), just a pound and a half shy of the M249 SAW. I got a quick crash course in how to shoot this thing properly, and proceeded to get behind the rifle, using the factory equipped bipod and my shooting bag as a rest for the stock.

The trigger breaks at 3.3 pounds and is very comfy with the nice wide trigger boot. I had set a target at 100 yards to perform five 5 shot groups on after I got comfy with the gun (I dialed it in and put a hurting on some steel first).

Here I am ready to try and shoot:

And here the rifle is in full recoil flinging brass into the next county:

I must say that the big rubber recoil pad helps significantly with felt recoil, and the rubber grommet on the scope prevents any possibility of leaving the range with a nice big scope kiss on your noggin. Shooting this gun was a real pleasure, and I had a lot of fun doing it, but how did it perform?

Well the calipers don’t lie! Here is my best of five:

At 0.444 inches that translates to 0.424 MOA, making this a legitmately sub-half MOA rifle, especially in hands more capable than mine. The best part however is that I was able to consistently shoot sub MOA, with an average group of 0.625 inches! I feel that I could have done better with more magnification too, but the fixed 10x optic is very clear and adheres to the DMR principle.

So onto the bullet points:

The Good:

• Accurate
• Reliable
• Great trigger
• Fun to shoot
• Familiar G3 controls

The Bad:

• Fixed 10x magnification
• Heavy rifle to field
• Mangles brass (like all G3 type rifles)

The Ugly

• The ATF considers these semi-auto rifles a machine gun
• Not importable into the USA for civilians to own due to the 1989 ban
• A set of the special titanium rollers are $300!

So the MSG90A1 is a fantastic rifle that provides an incredible shooting experience, and it is a real bummer that this thing has been deemed a machine gun by the United States.

Plinker Tactical is releasing three new .22 LR upper conversion kits for the AR-15 rifle.  The three kits are the standard, bull barrel and SBR.

Uppers are forged 7075 T6 aluminum alloy and should fit all MIL-SPEC lowers.  Quadrail handguards are standard on all models.  All kits ship with a 25 round magazine and ammunition loading tool.

The standard model uses a 16.25″ threaded barrel and a flash hider ships with it.  The SBR model is also threaded and ships with a flash suppressor, but barrel length is 12.5″  The bull barrel is 16.25″ long and has a match-grade crown.

MSRP ranges from $499.99 to $519.99, and all units come with a lifetime warranty.

Taurus has released a new 9mm carbine onto the US market, which prompts the question: why do people buy 9mm carbines?

As I see it, the interest in this type of gun comes from two main groups: folks with tactical reasoning in mind, and purely recreational shooters. For the former, 9mm carbines offer magazine compatibility with a service pistol, and allow greater range and accuracy than that pistol while still being within the confines of a small cartridge. For the latter group, pistol-caliber carbines are simply great fun at the range, being lighter than full size rifles, cheaper to shoot, and with negligible recoil. I understand both motivations, and so I’ll be looking at the CT9 with both groups of potential buyers in mind.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room with the CT9: its magazines. Clearly, Taurus does not understand its target market, because the CT9 uses a proprietary magazine design, and only makes them with a 10 round capacity. They could have designed the carbine to use one of their existing pistol magazine designs (like the Beretta CX4 does), or to use an existing and readily available design (like Uzi mags, which the CT-9 mags are fairly similar to), or simply bowed to market reality and made them for one or more dominant pistol mag designs like Glock mags (as the KelTec Sub-200 did). Instead, Taurus picked the worst possible choice, and leaves us with nothing but expensive single-source 10-rounders (I called up Taurus to ask them why they did this, but have not yet heard back). This isn’t such a big deal for the recreational shooter, but it will drive most of the tactical market away. I suspect sure some executive thought it would be smart to just make everything California-compliant, but they are wrong. Sorry, Taurus.

Setting aside the magazine issue, let’s take a look at the other features of the CT9…

Construction

The CT9 is a basic blowback design, which is pretty much standard for pistol-caliber carbines dating back to WWI. It uses an extruded aluminum upper (bonus points for good use of manufacturing tech – the FN SCAR does this too) and a polymer lower and furniture. The lower has a couple thin steel plates on the outside to make it feel like it’s all metal, but they are just aesthetic. Basically, a steel bolt, trunnion, and barrel in a polymer and aluminum shell. Not bad; that helps minimize overall weight.

Sights

The aluminum upper assembly includes a full-length Picatinny rail, so it is simple to attach any sort of iron or optical sight system you prefer. Stock, it comes with a pair of plastic “iron” sights. I’m not particularly happy with them, though. The front sight is a big square post inside a circular protective hood, but it’s not centered in the hood – it’s lower than the center. The rear sight has two setting to flip between, an aperture and a square notch. The aperture would be the better choice in most cases, except for that issue of the front post not being centered. You can’t line up the round aperture with the round front sight hood, because the front post isn’t centered in it. Instead, you have to focus on getting the front post centered in the rear aperture, ignoring the front hood, which your brain really wants to line up with the aperture.

I found it more effective to slide the rear sight about 8 inches forward on the gun and use the square notch option. This provides a sight configuration like a pistol. It was easier to use that way, but not as precise as a proper aperture sight setup would have been. Why didn’t Taurus center the front post in its hood? I don’t know.

Controls

Some thought definitely did go into making the CT9 a very lefty-friendly design. The charging handle is mounted forward on the upper assembly, but with the right size hex key it can be swapped to either the right or left side. The bolt holdopen and release is copied from the AR (point for tactical shooters) and is mounted on both the right and left sides of the gun for ambidextrous use (extra bonus point). The safety is also ambidextrous, operates the correct way (flip down to fire), and is reachable (barely, but it is) from a firing grip for me (more points!).

Straight off an AR – hold the bottom to lock open; smack the top to drop the bolt

The CT9 does lock open on an empty magazine, and its magazine release is a paddle type located behind the mag. Magazines do drop free as long as you hold the paddle all the way in.

The trigger is “meh”. It’s a long single-stage design with a reasonably light letoff. I would rather have either minimal initial takeup (the distance you pull before reaching the point where it fires) or a proper two-stage setup (where the initial takeup is light and then the pull becomes heavier before firing). Given that this is not going to be on the line at Camp Perry, the trigger isn’t really an issue, but it would have been nice to see more effort go into it, given the MSRP for the CT9.

Furniture

As I mentioned above, the furniture on the CT9 is all polymer. The front end is good, with coarse ribs for a good grip, and texturing on the front of the magazine well for folks who prefer to hold it there. A polymer rail is molded into the bottom for mounting a light, and threaded holes are included for adding more rail sections to the sides if you want them. A sling mounting point is located below the front sight, and is reversible if you want it on the left side instead.

The pistol grip is copied from the AR, and is fine. The stock, sadly, is clearly a California-inspired thumbhole kludge. The operating parts of the gun are all contained in the upper assembly, so there is no mechanical reason why a good folding or collapsing stock couldn’t be mounted, except that Taurus doesn’t want to do the extra work of manufacturing folding stocks in the US (import laws prevent them from being made in Brazil this way).

Handling

There are two basic ways to lay out a pistol-caliber carbine: with the magazine in the pistol grip (Beretta CX4, KelTec Sub-2000) or ahead of it (Thompson, HK USC). Taurus chose to put the CT9 magazine well ahead of the grip and trigger. This moves all of the operating parts several inches forward, which has some good and some bad consequences. The good is that it generally allows the use of a folding stock – which Taurus decided not to use. The bad is that is moves the balance point of the gun forward and increases the overall length. Thanks to the minimal weight of the CT9 stock, it balances too far forward, and feels heavier than it really is (which, at 7.4 pounds, is still heavier than most other 9mm carbines). The length of pull on the stock is also rather long, and leaves the gun feeling uncomfortable for smaller statured people. Of course, I’ve heard from taller people complaining about fit on other 9mm carbines, so this may be ones of those cases where you can’t please everyone (unless you have a multi-position collapsing stock…which Taurus decided not to use).

Accuracy

I didn’t shoot the CT9 for groups on paper, as that’s not really what it’s made for. Instead I took it out plinking at rocks on a makeshift range, and it was perfectly acceptable, hitting everything I took aim at. The adjustments to windage and elevation on the stock rear sight are pretty rudimentary, requiring an allen key to use, but they work. Most buyers will probably mount red dot optics on a gun like the CT9 – the gun is really begging for it.

Reliability

All of my testing was done with generic factory reloaded 9mm, and I had no functioning problems of any kind, I’m happy to report. With all the ambivalency I was finding with the CT9, I was hoping for something I could point out as being very good. So, I asked them if I could try running it through a mud test (the area where I shoot has a mix of clay and volcanic ash that makes a really disgusting gloopy mud when wet). Well…they took a long time to respond to me, and I got impatient and did it anyway, figuring that it was unlikely to actually damage the gun. I got a response the very next morning, saying that they did not want me to do it. Um…whoops. Guess they should have been more prompt. Anyway, I have video of the mud test I did for you to see:

I’m happy to say that it passed just fine! So there is something the Taurus is pretty good at. I know people will say I should have tried it again with the bolt open, but no gun would have passed that – and you shouldn’t be walking around with the bolt open anyway is falling into mud is a possibility. Keep it closed on an empty chamber.

Conclusions

Unfortunately, the CT9 is a gun that missed several opportunities to really shine. The limited magazines and thumbhole stock will really limit its interest to the tactical shooting community, despite the work Taurus put into the control to make it appealing to that group. For the recreational shooter it looks better (especially taller folks), but the MSRP of $900 will be a daunting obstacle to many sales. As of this writing, they are selling on auction sites for more like $650, which is more reasonable but still more expensive than some of the competing products from other companies.

If you are in the market for a 9mm carbine, you should definitely give the Taurus consideration. While it may not fulfill all of its potential, there is nothing actually bad about it. All my complaints are along the lines of “this works fine but I wish it also (blank)”. That doesn’t make for a rave review, but it does make for a dependable working firearm. In today’s world of overhyped marketing and spotty QC, the Taurus CT9 was a refreshingly honest piece of machinery. It does what it says, and doesn’t try to go overboard. The question for the buyer is, does it do what you want a carbine to do for a price tag you’re willing to pay?

American Tactical Imports (ATI) showed the .22 LR GSG MP-40 at the 2011 SHOT Show, but has yet to deliver any to the public.  But, it looks like that will change in the coming months.

As you might imagine, there has been pent-up demand for such a gun.  Unfortunately, US gun control laws makes the sale of an exact clone difficult, as the shoulder stock plus a shorter than 16″ barrel makes the gun a “short barrel rifle” (SBR) and subject to additional scrutiny.

ATI will address the SBR issue by offering two variants of the MP-40:  a rifle version with a folding stock and faux suppressor, and a pistol version with an original length barrel and the stock permanently locked in the folded position.

ATI states the guns will be available in the Spring of 2014.  No MSRP was announced.

HERA Arms recently announced that their windowed H3 mags will now come in Flat Dark Earth and OD Green. Also available in black, HERA Arms H3 magazines are made in Germany and feature a window positioned along the spine of the magazine, as opposed to the side like on Magpul’s windowed mags, to allow shooters to see how many rounds they have left from three different sides of the mag. The H3 mag is made out of fiberglass-reinforced polymer and makes use of a pre-coated steel spring for rust protection. The inside of the H3 is also polished for smoother travel for the anti-tilt- follower. The H3 is a 4179 STANAG magazine which makes it compatible to be used with the M16/M4/AR-15 platform as well as the HK416, SA80A2, FN MK16 SCAR16, and Beretta ARX160. They currently go for $26.25 over at TacticalLink.com.

When you start researching buffer springs for an AR15 you run across sever different springs, and buffers.  The other thing that you run across is other AR15 owners telling you that you are trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.  In reality, they are correct.  The traditional buffer system works as designed.  But there is one thing that many AR15 owners do complain about, the infamous “cheese grater” noise when shooting.  Anyone who has shot an AR15/M16 knows exactly what I am talking about.  It reverberates through your ear protection, and even the bones in your head.  It is downright annoying to some of us, and livable to others.  This is where a product made by JP Enterprises, INC comes into play.

Silent Capture Spring System

The product is called a Silent Capture Spring.  It is an odd looking spring that totally replaces your weighted buffer and buffer spring.  The entire spring system is the size of a carbine tube.  If you have a rifle length tube, there is spacer that is placed into the buffer tube behind the spring.  The spring is actually fed onto a rod, and is held on both ends by retainers.  It is like nothing you have ever seen for an AR platform.

So what does this strange looking spring that you put into your rifle do? Well, it does a few different things for your AR.  First, it eliminates the “cheese grater” sound in your buffer tube.  There is no more annoying noise reverberating through your jaw bone every time you pull the trigger.  The second thing it does is reduce recoil, significantly.  You standard 5.56/.223 round does not have all that much recoil anyway, but there is just enough to be annoying when trying to shoot at a more rapid pace and stay on target in say a competition, or tactical exercise.  What it does it make the recoil happen in a much smoother manner, and because the spring does not allow the buffer to bottom out at the back of the stroke, it eliminates that jarring that you can get from that shock.  Also, by eliminating the buffer it removes that weight from cycling back and forth with the bolt carrier group, which in turn reduces the mass being cycled.

Silent capture spring system, with rifle buffer extension.

The third and final thing that the new spring will do with make you wonder how you ever shot an AR15 without one.  It makes everything cycle at an incredibly smooth rate.  When I installed this spring in an Adam’s Arms piston AR15, and pulled the trigger for the first time, if there wouldn’t have been a muzzle report, I would have guessed there was a misfire.  It was absolutely amazing just how smooth and quiet the rifle had become.   After many years shooting all types of firearms, in many different settings I have never been so blown away by single product.  After learning just how the new spring had changed the way my rifle shot, and adjusting to that change I noticed that my groups were tighter and my follow up shots were much faster and more accurate.

One place that you cannot use this spring system is in a solid BCG system, like a pistol caliber carbine.  The reason is that there is a guide rod that the BCG will actually over lap.  Having a solid BCG, or one with a closed back does not allot the guide rod anywhere to go, and the rifle will not cycle.  Also of note, JP engineers claim that the spring works right out of the package for right around 95% of all rifles out there.  But just in case there is a problem, or you want a more finely tuned spring, there is a spring pack sold that has varying weight springs.  You will want to read the instructions carefully on how to change the springs out, failure to follow them can lead to destroying your spring system.

Silent capture spring installed, with reduced height buffer retainer.

One positive to the system is that you can also remove the buffer retainer and retainer spring from your rifle.  This spring system will not expand past the end of the buffer tube, and removing the retainer makes removing the spring system easier to remove for maintenance.  In my rifle I actually left mine in, and sanded it down to a small nub so that it still retains the spring, but doesn’t hinder taking it out.  Because of the rigidity of this system, it is much harder to get out when there is a buffer retainer in the way.  The other thing you might find in the way when removing the spring is the hammer, you can solve this problem by releasing it, the spring will not hit the hammer when it is in the fired position.

All in all, this system doesn’t fix a single mechanical problem.  Many will say, that like so many other AR part out there, it is a solution in search of a problem.  But there is a difference between fixing a problem and upgrading.  This spring system is an upgrade, pure and simple.  It will blow your mind how smooth is makes your rifle.  My brother Chris bought one for his rifle as well, he describes shooting it as “[A] little rough at first. Like most things gun related it definitely needs to be broken in. In my experience it likes to be run really wet. Once you’ve gotten used to it, it really cuts down on the noise in the buffer tube. Very smooth operation and the reduction in recoil helps keep the muzzle down for quicker and more accurate follow up shots”

The only drawback to this system can be the price. Many I have talked to find it hard to swallow spending almost $140 on a buffer spring for an AR.  Many times I hand people my rifle and tell them to shoot it, and after that they are not only converts, they are rushing home to get a new spring for their rifle.

Pros:

• Smooth shooting
• Reduces recoil
• Simple install

Cons:

• Expense

In our efforts to document as many historical small arms as possible we realized that one of the first things anyone does with a newly encountered firearm is look down the sights.  However, this view is so often omitted from any documentation of a firearm.  We set out to correct this.

We’ve changed cameras three times and methods nearly a dozen, so some images are better than others.  Good or bad, the C&Rsenal POV gallery now boasts over 100 sight pictures.  Here are some of our favorites.

U.S. BAR M1918A2

French Fusil Mitrailleur Mle 1915 CSRG “Chauchat”

German Maschinenpistole 40

Italian Vetterli M70/87/15

Japanese Nambu Type 14

Russian Degtyaryova Pekhotny 28

British STEN Mk.II

U.S. Thompson M1A1

Legacy Sports International released additional information on the new M1 Carbine clone chambered in 9×19.

The gun is blowback operated and uses Beretta 92 magazines.  The gun will ship with either two 10-round or two 17-round magazines depending on local gun restrictions.

Two stock options will be available:  wood and black synthetic.  The trigger, barrel band, and sights will be made of steel.  Some other parts, such as the bayonet lug, will be made of plastic.

According to Legacy Sports International, the gun will have the same external dimensions as the .22 LR version of the gun, but will weigh 5 lbs, 8 oz.

I has taken over two years, but finally the Anschütz MSR RX22 is hitting US shores. The gun is being imported by Steyr Arms and being sold for $895 for the standard black and desert colored models (below), and $995 for the precision model (top).

From the press release …

After a long wait for American consumers, Anschütz Sporting Arms has delivered a substantial shipment of its much sought after MSR RX22 small-bore tactical training rifles to Steyr Arms, the exclusive importer of the rifle. This shipment included the popular Desert and Black Hawk models, as well as the extremely rare Precision and Precision Black models—all of which are currently shipping to distributers and dealers around the country.

World-renowned for its gold-medal winning competitive rifles, Anschütz introduced the MSR RX22 last year, but until now, demand has far exceeded availability. Featuring a target barrel and a competition-inspired trigger, the MSR RX22 is certainly no plinker. Rather, it’s a full-featured, precision .22-caliber training and small-game hunting rifle.

The MSR RX22 was developed from the ground up as an extremely accurate semi-automatic .22-cal. rifle with excellent shooting performance that is suitable for the intense requirements of most shooting disciplines as well as semi-auto precision shooting. The MSR RX22 offers an extremely accurate self-loading rifle platform with excellent shooting performance and exceptional reliability. This new Anschütz rifle operates on a force-locking blowback action system with a hammer lock.

The MSR RX22 barrels are manufactured to the same exacting tolerances of Anschütz’ target barrels with a special button-rifling process, and the barrel features a recessed target crown. The single-stage trigger’s components are hardened and finely ground to produce a fast trigger with a very consistent release. The trigger is factory set at 4 lbs. and can be adjusted from 3.3 to 5.5 lbs. by the user.

The MSR RX22 was designed for ease of use for either a left- or right-handed shooter. The cocking handle can be quickly located to any of three positions on either side of the rifle for a total of six possible cocking-handle locations. The trigger-locking safety is easily engaged by way of a large selector switch, familiar to most tactical centerfire rifles on either side of the receiver.

The MSR RX22 is available in four versions. The Desert and Black Hawk models feature a side-folding stock that is collapsible for length of pull and adjustable for cheek weld, and they have Picatinny rails on the side and bottom of the foreend for attaching accessories. The Precision and Precision Black models have fixed wooden stocks and foreend components. All MSR RX22 rifles have a full-length Picatinny rail on top for mounting the included flip-up iron sights as well as your choice of optics.

The MSR RX22 comes equipped with one 10-round polymer detachable single-stack magazine. Magazines with capacities of 2, 5, 20 and 22 rounds are also available as accessory items. The suggested retail price of the standard Desert and Black Hawk models is $895. MSRP for the Precision and the Precision Black models is $995.

The third batch of the limited edition LaRue Tactical Costa Edition 5.56 is now on sale. The price is $2,895.

Optional aftermarket Tactical Beard is NOT included.

The quest for a perfectly-balanced and reliable 5.56 rifle led Chris Costa to LaRue Tactical for a custom “signature series” rifle to bear his name. Costa requested the best of both worlds; the popular and lightweight PredatAR chassis, combined with the accuracy and reliability of an OBR 5.56 barrel. LaRue brought these elements together and provided it with a 14.5” barrel that is pinned and welded with a SureFire Muzzle Brake.

A LaRue Tactical first, The entire frame is finished in FDE, KG GunKote with the “COSTA LUDUS” logo engraved on the left side of the receiver. Black parts and rail covers provide dramatic contrast. The first 500 units will be match-numbered on the upper and lower.
Rifles will ship within one business week (providing we have a proper FFL to ship to).

Specifications:
Caliber: 5.56 x 45 mm NATO
Rifle Weight: 7.9 lbs
Rifle Length: 31.75”, collapsed
Barrel Length: 14.5” (muzzle device is pinned & welded, per law)
Muzzle Device: SureFire Muzzle Brake
Rifling Twist Rate: 1/8
Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
Barrel Life: 10,000 (approx)
Gas System: Direct Impingement with LaRue PST™ port selector
Trigger Group: Geissele SSA Trigger

Word on the street  Youtube is that the Ruger BX-25 is not as reliable as the standard 10 round rotary magazine. No surprises there, the original Ruger magazine is the gold standard of rimfire reliability to which all others are measured. ZiP Factory has developed an upgrade kit for Ruger’s 25-rounder. The ZiP Mag ZX-30 Reliability Upgrade corrects the follower angle, adds an additional independent follower (not sure what that means) and add duel constant force springs and rollers.

The magazine kit will be available later this year. No word on pricing yet.

Turkey’s gun laws, which allow semi-automatic shotguns but not semi-automatic rifles, lead to all sorts of rifle-patterned shotguns that the Turks use for both hunting and plinking. All Outdoor has reviewed the Akdal 1919 12 Gauge AR-15-patterned shotgun …

We’ve all asked for it — an AR-15 format gun that shoots 12 Gauge shotgun shells. It seems like a simple request, but if it was so simple someone would have done it sooner. Ucyildiz Arms of Turkey took on the challenge by developing the Akdal 1919, and they’ve come closer than anyone has before with something feels and shoots like a 12 gauge AR-15. It is not quite an AR-15 format, but it’s really, really close.

The crew at C&Rsenal has been lugging tools and cameras around for months getting the ground work in place for a collection of disassembled small arms from WWII.  Well, we’ve set the scope of the project for the eight major powers and hope to eventually include pistols, SMGs, LMGs, and maybe more.  In the meantime we whipped up a set based on the basic rifle of each country.

More about these rifles and the project can be found at C&Rsenal.

Henry Repeating Arms recently announced several new guns that the company will make in 2014.

One of the newly announced guns is a deluxe engraved edition of the .44-40 original Henry rifle.  This will be a limited run of 1000 guns that have a American walnut stock and engraved hardened brass receiver.  MSRP will be $3,495.

Another of the new guns will be the American Farmer Tribute Edition.  This rifle will be part of the Golden Boy .22 LR line and will have farm theme embellishments on the gun.  MSRP will be $1,020.  A second Golden Boy tribute gun will be made for coal miners and will sell for the same price.

Oil workers will be commemorated in the Big Boy American Oilman Tribute rifle chambered in .44 Magnum.  This gun will have embellishments similar to the Golden Boy tribute rifles.  MSRP will be $1,450.

Strike Industries have been hard at work for the past six months perfecting their new Cobra Fang Trigger Guard for AR-15 lower receivers. The Cobra Fang has three functions: it acts as a trigger guard, it provides a finger rest and best of all it acts as a magazine reload assist. The “fang” that protrudes from the front helps guide magazines for quicker reloads.

The Cobra Fang is made from nylon-reinforced polymer, weighs 0.2 oz and costs $10.50.

Despite a previous ban, the Norinco T97 is quickly becoming one of the most popular black rifles in Canada.

It is a .223 bullpup with a 19” barrel that uses a short stroke gas piston and a rotating bolt, along with a reciprocating charging handle. At its core, the Type 97 is a civilian version of the Chinese QBZ-95 rifle; standard issue to the Peoples Liberation Army.

This is the latest version, imported by North Sylva as the T97NSR, manufactured by EMI (aka Norinco) in the People’s Republic of China.

Rather than the proprietary 5.8x42mm cartridge, the Type 97 has been converted to 5.56x45mm for the Canadian market. Along with commonly available ammunition, the T97 also benefits from STANAG magazine compatibility rather than using the curved rock-in magazines specific to the military’s rifles.

The design of the Type 97 fits into a 90s idea of small arms. Any kind of “modularity” is built around proprietary parts. There is a scope rail, but it’s specific to Chinese military optics. There is a flash hider, but not only is it pinned and welded, it uses a non-standard metric thread. As the product of a communist country: user experience comes second to the requirements of manufacture. Concepts like ambidexterity, customization, and standardization with other small arms are not prioritized.

The most glaring ergonomic flaw is the safety. It is positioned on the back of the rifle just below the shooters cheek and requires a full 180 degree rotation from Safe to Fire. The most recent QBZ rifles have been updated with a safety at the pistol grip (similar to an AR-15 or Tavor) but for years the entire family including the T97 have been stuck with this almost inaccessible safety.

Another design unique to the T97 rifle is the magazine release. Having been retrofit with a STANAG magazine well, the release lever leaves something to be desired. A button about the size of a pencil eraser sits on the right side of the rifle, leaving the shooter to go through a variety of contortions to remove and re-insert a magazine.

Some users reach their reaction hand into their arm-pit and release the magazine with their index finger, while others imitate a PLA manual of arms by using their firing hand to strip the magazine. (This is what I found most natural)

But that doesn’t mean there is no expanding the platform. The core of the rifle can be stripped away from almost all its plastic components, which certainly opens the door for industrious local entrepreneurs to produce aftermarket chassis systems, one of which is already in the testing stage: T97.ca has produced what they’re calling the FTU (Flat Top Upper.) With this setup, the rifle is permanently modified by removing the front and rear sights to allow for a proper picatinny optics rail with a lower cheek weld.

Why do Canadian shooters love this ugly beast? The government banned it once, and now we’ve finally got it back.

The T97 was originally imported in 2008 and registered as non-restricted. The QBZ and its variants were not named in our list of prohibited guns that wiped out popular bullpups like the FAMAS and AUG.

But, an RCMP investigation determined that the initial batch could be converted to full-auto fire “with relative ease.” That model was re-classified as a prohibited firearm and all the guns that had been sold into private hands were confiscated (compensation from the federal government amounted to $800 per owner.) An entire shipment of T97s destined for Canadian customers was seized. Spiraling legal battles over the abrupt seizure and defining “easily converted” led to a common cry among Canadian gun-owners: “registration leads to confiscation.”

It’s been years of subtle redesign and another rigorous approval process by the RCMP Firearms Lab, but now the T97 is back on store shelves in a 100% semi-auto form. It no longer has to be registered with the government, does not require authorization to transport or transfer, and can be fired anywhere it is legal to hunt or shoot (unlike all the AR-15 variants in Canada)

With a retail price just under a $1000, the T97 is the robust, capable black-rifle that any Canadian can afford to own and shoot, despite our flawed firearms legislation.

A very prominent member of the /k/ weapons board (anonymous forum) sadly passed away recently. In tribute to his friend, a member of /k/ is designing a rifle that can be built entirely of handtools. His design is a straight–pull tactical-looking rifle which can be adapted to a wide range of calibers. All the parts for this rifle should be purchasable online and finished without milling or welding. Once the design has been complete the designer plans on making the blueprints free and hopes that the community will start designing improvements.

The progress of this project, still in its early days, can be followed at Tumblr.

A couple of months ago, I found out that the man who got me into mechanical design many years ago passed away. This is my goodbye gift to him, the TOFYJ-30/12. It’s a multi-caliber (.308, 7.62x54R, and 12 gauge, depending on barrel and extractor) straight-pull bolt-action garage gun that uses heavy gauge tubing as a receiver. At a bare minimum, it requires no milling or welding (I’m building the prototype exclusively using hand tools) and parts readily bought online. In accordance with the mannerisms of the man this project is devoted to, the blueprints will be available for free. Once the blueprints are made available, I’ll be encouraging the community to add to the number of parts- new magwells, new bolt designs- I’m sure a semi-auto one could be built. I want this project to grow. I want this to be a collective thanks to a great man.

Heckler & Koch has applied to the German government for permission to sell a new civilian-legal version of the H&K G36, one that is much truer to the original than the sporterized HK SLR. In Europe the gun will be called the HK243 and in the USA it will be marketed as the HK293.

The rifle is made with parts from the G36, but the bolt and the .223-chambered barrel design are unique. The reason for this is that gun companies in Germany cannot sell “weapons of war” to civilians. This gun has been sufficiently changed that it cannot be easily converted to a military-stye fully-automatic G36.

The rifle will feature a quad rail and a STANAG magazine well that accepts standard AR-15 magazine. Four different types of stocks will be offered, a short fixed stock, a long fixed stock (hunting/SLR style?) and two types of adjustable stocks.

There will be four different model (Compact, Kurtz (Short), Sporter and Long) which vary by barrel length from 8.9″ – 18.8″. It is not clear if H&K actually plan on selling the shorter barrel (SBR) versions in the USA, or if they are just apply for approval in case they ever wish to in the future.

The compact (C) model will be classified as a handgun in Germany and so is the only version not legal for hunting.

Many thanks to our German source for the documents and to Axel for the english translation.

A true Cooper Scout Rifle has been on my list of guns to buy since I first read about the concept, but something always came along that I “needed” more. Over at AllOutdoor, Major discusses the Scout concept …

Much has been written about Jeff Cooper’s scout rifle concept. Although no one can speak more authoritatively on the subject than the late Cooper himself, I have become a student of the concept. Unfortunately, many writers have missed the spirit of the scout rifle concept, using the traits such as the light weight, .308 chambering, and overall length as mandates instead of guidelines. A point often missed was Cooper’s more important requirement of shooter capabilities. After all if you cannot hit the target, it matters little how good the equipment is.