During the 1970s, I used to hang out at a St. Louis gun shop frequented by “Cinder Dicks” (railroad police) from the East St. Louis Railroad Yards. The East St. Louis Yards were a well-known combat zone. For example, there was a tower reinforced with sandbags around the observation point, from which rifle-armed railroad cops
Witnessing a product’s evolution is gratifying, especially when one has experience with early models to better appreciate the modifications made. For me, the Primary Weapons Systems (PWS) MK116 MOD 2 AR is a great case in point. PWS has taken its concept of the AR rifle another step forward with its next generation MK1 (M16/AR-15)
One great advantage of the M4 Carbine is that it’s light and handy. But the M4 has experienced “weight creep” during the War on Terror as various accessories have been added. I’ll grant that many of the accessories are useful, but in some cases they still get the rifle’s weight up to that of a
Whether you pronounce it “car-bean” or “car-byne,” there are basically two definitions of “carbine.” The first and most common definition is a shorter version of the regular rifle, but still firing the standard service cartridge. A modern example of this is the M16A4 rifle and the M4A1 carbine, both chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO. The second
We all know the story of Noah and his ark. Recently I discovered a different ARC: the DoubleStar ARC 300 chambered in .300 Blackout (BLK). DOUBLESTAR ARC 300 DoubleStar’s ARC (Always Ready Carbine) 300 is an AR-15 type rifle, but with several interesting features. To begin with, it’s relatively light at 6.7 pounds unloaded. The
Accuracy International (AI) has been a well-known entity in the precision-rifle marketplace since the mid-1980s. AI’s innovations have shaped and influenced the precision bolt-action genre of weapons. AI’s founders were competitive marksmen, one of them an Olympic gold medalist and World Champion. Up until that time, sniper rifles had been converted hunting or existing service
Heckler & Koch (H&K) firearms enjoy an enviable reputation in terms of quality, reliability, and ruggedness. In terms of H&K rifles, the U.S. market is skewed due to firearm importation bans creating a shortage. Roughly speaking, only 15,000 H&K 94 pattern weapons were imported before the 1989 ban, which causes them to be priced in
Daniel Defense has introduced several new rifles in 2017, including a short-barreled rifle (SBR). The new V7®S is the first SBR in the DDM4 lineup to feature the M-LOK accessory mounting system with the Daniel Defense MFR XS 10.0 rail. The company has also come out with its impressive new DD WAVE sound suppressor that’s
The Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) has quickly become one of the most sought-after precision rifles on the market. During a time when custom rifles start at three grand and rise to over ten, the RPR is a breath of fresh air.
This is the golden age for enhancing established firearms past what was thought possible only a few years ago. And I’m not talking only about ARs, AKs, Glocks, and 1911s. Even the standard bolt-action rifle is getting a makeover in terms of performance and appearance. This is in large part due to the rise of CNC machining and other cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. The Bergara Long Range Precision (LRP) Elite bolt-action rifle is an excellent case in point.
