Bull…pup?
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 24 2008, 08:57 PM
If you look at the primary service rifle for many, if not most, modern militaries, you’ll find that it looks quite different from the venerable M16 and its derivatives. The rest of the world, it seems, has adopted or will adopt some form of bullpup rifle. Of course, the rest of the world tends to be wrong about most everything, but are we missing something here?
I mean, the Brits, Israelis, Austrians, Chinese, a host of small countries, and even the military juggernaut of France have all adopted a bullpup rifle while we modify a 50-year-old gun. Granted, it’s an awesome 50-year-old gun and its children are even more awesome, but why haven’t we gone bullpup?
I have some ideas, but I’d be interested in your thoughts. Let me know what you think and don’t be afraid to say that we’re wrong, because we very well could be…
WOLVERINES!
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 19 2008, 08:27 PM
See the photo below for proof that I have the coolest job.
I'm holding a Maadi that was actually used in Red Dawn. One of the many benefits of working for NRA Publications.
The do-rag is not regulation dress. The tie is.
For more information on Red Dawn, go here. If you haven't seen it, what are you, a communist?
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When Someone Asks Why...
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 19 2008, 06:06 PM
When someone asks why you carry concealed, show him this.
(Hat Tip: Dave Hardy.)
Obvious to us, perhaps, but it’s always good to have studies. People love studies.
National Ammo Day!
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 19 2008, 01:35 PMA very happy National Ammo Day to everyone. Now go out and buy 100 rounds of ammo to support your 2nd Amendment rights. You probably need at least 100 rounds for your new AR anyway, right?
National Character
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 14 2008, 07:10 PM
Firearms can tell us a lot about the nation that designed them. For example, the AR family was light-years ahead of its time when introduced in the late 1950s, much like the United States; always optimistic and ahead of the curve (at least until recently).
Almost every Heckler & Koch firearm designed for the Bundeswehr is a masterpiece, but they are over-engineered and frightfully expensive, not unlike most German products (and if you’ve been there, Germany itself).
The Mosin-Nagant family of rifles are sturdy, ugly guns. Have you ever tried to work the safety on a Mosin? If so, why? It is perhaps the most useless device ever put on a firearm, but it is in keeping with the Russian tradition of not caring about the lives of Russian/Soviet soldiers. The gun works well and is quite accurate. It killed many fascists, so who cares if some comrades died because the safety is utterly worthless?
Mikhail Kalashnikov’s masterpiece, on the other hand, has an easy-to-use safety. The AK is ugly, but it will fire under basically any conditions and can be operated by anyone with opposable thumbs, regardless of cognitive ability. It demonstrates an evolution in Russian/Soviet firearms design, global firearms design, for that matter, but it reflects the purely practical nature of Russia. It may be ugly, but it works and can be churned out by the millions at low cost.
Uziel Gal’s submachine gun likewise shows an emphasis on the practical. Close-in, urban combat requires a small gun that can deliver devastating firepower. The Uzi does that with panache. It’s rugged and mean, but entirely sensible for combating terrorists. There’s a reason native Israelis are called "Sabras,” after the prickly but sweet fruit, and the Uzi is without a doubt a Sabra gun.
The FAMAS is a sleek-looking gun with poor grip texture, allowing it to be dropped with ease. This is a very important consideration for the French military.
Any other gun designs that reflect national character? Let me know in the comments.
Help Pick my Next Gun
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 12 2008, 07:48 PM
UPDATE: I placed a bid for a gun on gunbroker.com. I'd tell you what it is, but I haven't won the auction yet. Suffice it to say it is a semi-automatic rifle. Thank you all for your advice, which was very helpful. If I win, I will post word and hopefully some photos. Wish me luck!
Apparently, people are buying guns right now at a fevered pace. As I plan to join the justifiably panicked mob within the next few days, I thought I’d poll the electorate, as Governor LePetomane might say. Given these choices and regardless of price, what would you buy?
SKS
Galil
FAL
Walther PPS
Springfield SOCOM 16
Ruger Mini-14
Valmet
Desert Eagle
Uzi (carbine, not SMG)
SVT
UPDATE:CETME
Your input will be of great use. Let me know what you think in the comments and I’ll post pictures of the final choice(s) if and when it/they are acquired.
Sing a Song of Sixguns
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 10 2008, 03:59 PM
Okay, here’s a brief list of the best songs involving guns, things that sound like guns or discuss the use of guns, but are not sung by Ted Nugent because that would be cheating (and it would displace all of these):
1. Lawyers, Guns and Money – Warren Zevon
2. Big Gun – AC/DC
3. The Trooper – Iron Maiden
4. Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
5. Whiskey in the Jar – Thin Lizzy (Traditional)
6. Jailbreak – AC/DC
7. Love Gun – KISS
8. Tommy Gun – The Clash
9. Happiness is a Warm Gun – The Beatles
10. Janie’s Got a Gun – Aerosmith
You will notice that there is only one country song and no rap. I have nothing against either genre, though I don’t particularly like rap, but the list is too short to include just about every Cypress Hill or Ice Cube track. Again, this list is not comprehensive, so please feel free to post your favorites, and no Nuge because it’s way too easy, though here are some great Nuge songs about guns, etc.:
1. Kiss My A$$
2. Great White Buffalo
3. I Am the NRA
4. I Just Wanna Go Hunting
5. Dog Eat Dog
6. Fred Bear*
7. Stormtroopin’
*not about guns, but definitely about hunting
There are plenty more where these came from.
Post some you like or take issue with my selections in the comments.
UPDATE: Thanks to Steve at The Firearm Blog for the plug. Now let me know what you all think!
You Filthy Little Rascals
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 7 2008, 09:47 PM
People, please stop buying standard capacity magazines, semi-automatic rifles and other things I want at a frenzied pace. It is darn near impossible to find any AR or AK magazines online, and I fear that the gun show in two weeks will likewise be sold out of useful items within five minutes of opening.
At the last gun show, I could have bought a coveted FAL for around $650. I’m sure that’ll be at least $1,000 now. ARs will probably run at about that price as well. I saw a WASR-10, which I bought for $350 last year, for sale at gunbroker.com for more than $500. I fear that if you all don’t stop buying, there won’t be anything left for me, and that just stinks.
So, stop buying until I’ve acquired what I need. In 2010, everything will come back to normal price levels anyway, but I can’t wait that long.
That Which Annoys Me
Posted by EdFriedman2, Nov 4 2008, 03:02 PM
Some of my buddies and I go to the range regularly. It’s great to go shooting with folks, especially when everyone brings a different gun. Yet what I’m slowly realizing is that a lot of folks have the same guns. My friends each have the same polymer pistol (made by a rather well known manufacturer) chambered in .40 S&W. This lowers our “try what your friends shoot” quotient significantly, which is bad.
That said, they have educated me about what I strongly dislike, namely the polymer pistol from a well-known manufacturer chambered in .40 S&W that three of my friends bring to the range when we go shooting. I just plain can’t stand this gun, but three good buddies swear by it, to the point where one of them has two of the same exact gun! Am I crazy? Am I a freak of some kind?
No. They are. Everyone else is wrong.
Of course, if you asked them, I would be wrong, boneheaded and stubborn. A dubious assertion, no doubt, but tens of thousands (at least) of shooters swear by these polymer-framed .40 S&W pistols from a well-known manufacturer. So, what is wrong with you people?
Comment below to confess your obscene fixation with these polymer-framed pistols from a well-known manufacturer chambered in .40 S&W or to join the good folks like me who loathe them (the guns, not the people).
Mambo Italiano
Posted by EdFriedman2, Oct 28 2008, 07:20 PM
After seeing this gun posted at The Firearm Blog, I rushed to contact Beretta to find out more about it. Thankfully, Beretta was very helpful filling in some details about this very cool looking firearm.
Vice President of Tactical Product Development Gabriele de Plano was kind enough to spend a good deal of time on the phone with me. He let me know that the rifle’s name is actually the ARX 160, not NRX as reported (UPDATE: An easy mistake to make based on this photo, and one I probably would have made too!). It is Beretta’s entry into the Italian Army’s Soldato Futuro (Future Soldier) program, and has been delivered to Italy’s Special Forces for testing. Chambered in 5.56x45 NATO, the company hopes to include larger-caliber offerings in the future. The rifle accepts STANAG magazines, though de Plano said polymer mags might not function as well as steel. To remedy this relatively common issue, Beretta is working with polymer magazine manufacturers to design mags that work flawlessly with the ARX 160.
The gun has some unique features, including quick, tool-free barrel takedown; just operate two levers, and the barrel assembly comes free of the action with the gas system attached. This makes the rifle easy to configure to almost any mission by quickly swapping a longer barrel for a close-quarters-length pipe. It also has 100 percent tool-free disassembly to the field strip level, including a lack of pins or screws to lose in the field (if you’ve ever misplaced your AR’s firing pin retaining pin, you know what an awesome feature this is).
With reversible controls, the gun is ambidextrous, but more importantly, users can switch ejection direction using a round of ammo to slide the port from side to side. Beyond allowing lefties to avoid getting hit in the face with hot brass, this enables operators to fire around corners using visor-mounted cameras as aiming devices without getting burned.
Beretta’s GLX 160 grenade launcher mounts to the integral handguard rail, furthering the gun’s utility for multiple missions. De Plano also mentioned that the gun shown at the AUSA convention (where The Firearm Blog’s photos were taken, I believe) is an early prototype and the rifles currently in testing have a more finished look, including texturing and other improvements.
Currently, the gun is only available in select-fire mode, so civilians can’t get their hands on one just yet. Hopefully, Beretta will have success with the ARX 160 in the military and law enforcement market so they can work on a civilian-legal variant for us to try out. Either way, the Italian Special Forces are going to have a real nice standard-issue rifle/carbine in 2009!
on Lawsuit Settled