New GSG-5 Rimfires

You may have heard that American Tactical Imports was given a cease and desist notice by Heckler & Koch, because their GSG-5 line looked too much like their MP-5s.  To get around this, ATI has changed up the GSG-5 guns a little bit.  The new guns, a whole range of pistols and carbines, will be called GSG-522.

The ring around the front sight is replaced with vertical "ears," the rear sight has open slots instead of apertures, the magazine release was made wider, a Picatinny rail was added to the top of the receiver, the pistol grip was given a stippled texture like a Glock RTF frame, and a sling attachment loop was added to the front of the trigger guard.  Appearance-wise, the "cocking tube," charging handle, and selector switch have changed.

Christopher at ATI says that parts from the original GSG-5 will be available to those who want more of an MP-5 clone, but that the manufacturers, distributors, and dealers can't sell them that way.

Also new is a 110 round drum magazine!

You can read a little more about the new GSG guns, and see all the pictures, in this AR-15.com Forum thread.

Bushmaster Dropped a Bomb at SHOT Show!

Bushmaster has released the ACR rifles for sale.  Don't get too excited yet, though.  There's a catch.

Link to The Firearms Blog  Bushmaster ACR post.

Link to official Bushmaster site, ACR Launch page.

The basic model has a single top rail, and a fixed stock (yes, confirmed, fixed non-folding stock).  Retail price, $2,685.

The "Enhanced" model has a 3-rail handguard (in addition to the "monolithic" top rail), and the collapsable folding stock.  Retail price, $3,061!!!

Crap, dude!?!  What happened to $1,500!?!  I had expected that they'd sell for about that price for the first few months, but I expected the dealers and distributors would reap most of the profit, by marking up over the retail price.  I don't know how much room there's gonna be to mark up the price.

Bushmaster is pretty well known for poorly assembled rifles (check this out).  For those prices, these damn things had better be perfect.

Barrels are 1:9" twist, which limits you to bullets that weigh 69 grains or less (depending on the precision of the rifling twist to spec).  Not a good idea.  Many serious shooters prefer 1:7" twist for shooting 77 grain bullets including the U.S. Mk262 load.

EDIT: 1:7" twist barrels will be available.  It is unknown, at least to me at this point, whether it will be an extra cost upgrade, a no-extra-cost option, or a separate accessory barrel.  (Thanks for the reminder, Drew)


Barrels are hammer-forged with an "innovative coating," FWIW.  Not chrome lined.

Disappointing to say the least!

The Robinson Armament XCR is looking a lot better.  I've seen them at gun shows for about half the price of the basic model ACR, with most of the same features.  The FN SCAR is also quite expensive, but now available in black, by the way. (NOTE: SCAR article in the new issue of Guns Magazine, and may be available online already)

I'm thinking I'll upgrade a couple of my AR-15 uppers, and wait this one out.


Also from The Firearm Blog, Colt is releasing a civilian version of the Sub Compact Weapon (SCW), an AR-15 based, folding-stock rifle.  Full details unknown at this time.

Thureon Defense 9mm Carbine

Thureon Defense is marketing an AR-15 type carbine in 9mm. Although it might be a bit ugly, the retail price for the carbine is less than what I paid for a RRA 9mm upper, 9mm buffer and magazine block.

It's nice to see a company release a product with a reasonable price. I've come across some interesting products, but haven't posted on them due to ridiculous prices.

Civilian ACR/Magpul Masada Coming Soon?

Bushmaster has posted an update on the ACR (Advanced Combat Rifle, a.k.a. Magpul Masada). They are predicting a launch in the first half of 2010. Bushmaster is supposed to be marketing the carbine to civilians, with Remington going for the military contracts.

Pray that the November 2010 elections go better than the 2008 elections!

EDIT 11/14/09: The Wikipedia ACR Article states that the suggested retail price for the semi-automatic ACR is anticipated to start around $1200. I wonder how long it will take for street prices to come down to the retail price. I would expect the first few thousand to sell for over $2000 easily judging by Gunbroker auction bids on the SCAR rifles when they first came out.

More Magpul Lowers in the Works?

A while back Magpul sold some limited edition rifles. The lowers have been traded through want ads and auctions for hundreds of dollars.

Today I stumbled upon the tech section of the Magpul website. There is a link for "Lower Receiver Technical Resources," which only says "coming soon." I wonder if they are planning to make more available.

Another Ruger Black Rifle

This one is a .22LR sorta-AR-15-type rifle.

The Ruger SR-22 Rifle - from The Official Ruger Website

Well, it looks like it will probably accept any AR-15 stock, which the S&W AR-15 rimfire doesn't seem like it can do. The receiver extension on the S&W appears to be built into the receiver, which means you can't put something like a Magpul UBR stock, or adjustable target stock on it. Without a nut at the front end of the receiver extension, I don't know how you'd run a single-point sling on the S&W either.

It appears to have a 10/22 action and trigger group. I guess that would mean that you could use a 6 ounce adjustable KID trigger with it, if you wanted. Although there are very light drop-triggers, and adjustable triggers for AR-15s, they usually don't get along very well with rimfire uppers.

I forget what I paid for just my rimfire AR-15 upper a couple years ago, but it was probably $100 or more than what the SR-22 will sell for in the real world, as gun shop and gun show prices are often below MSRP.

If you already have a Ruger 10/22, you could convert it to something like the SR-22 with an Archangel Stock Set (not compatible with many AR parts, but fairly inexpensive), a RB Precision Evolution Stock System, or a Nordic Components AR22 kit.

Taurus TCP - Another Micro .380ACP

I think I sorta remember reading about a Tarus pocket gun in magazine a few months ago. I don't think there were any specifications or pictures of it though.

It is a polymer framed pistol, with the weight listed as 10.2 ounces.

Prices listed on the Tarus TCP Website are $247.21 for blued steel, $277.99 for Stainless Steel, and $366.99 for one with a Titanium slide. It looks like they are available through the web site, but I haven't seen one in any shop yet.

EDIT, 12/11/09: GunBlast has a review of the Taurus TCP .380 pocket pistol. I kind of forgot about that pistol. I still don't think I've ever seen one in person. Unlike some other similar pistols, the Taurus locks open after the last round, and the pistol reviewed had a trigger pull that measured around 4 pounds (compared to the usual trigger pull of around 8 pounds). This one might be interesting.

Remington Rimfire Black Rifle: 597 VTR

I'm not sure if they are available yet. I haven't seen one yet personally, but it's on the official Remington website.

Remington 597 VTR product page.

Similar to the Excel Arms X-22R, and some other Ruger 10/22 conversions, Remington took one of their .22LR rifle actions, and put it in a chassis that accepts AR-15 stocks, pistol grips, and free float tubes. Remington only lists 10-round magazines, but I believe there are after market mags that hold 25+ rounds. EDIT: There's Remington Factory 30-round magazines listed in the Cabela's catalog.

Report On Military SCAR Rifles

There's a pretty decent report on the SCAR rifles from someone in the ARMY, whose unit was testing them.

AR15.com Forum: I am being issued a SCAR. . . Review posted

It's a pretty decent read. Confirms some of the things that I noticed during a brief look at the SCAR-L. I'm trying to withhold judgement. After all, many said about the M-16 decades ago, what I am thinking about the SCAR.

Rumor - Glocks With Adustable Grips

There seems to be a rumor floating around that there will be Glock pistols coming out within the next 12 months with interchangable backstraps. Allegedly, it has been confirmed by Glock, Inc. I've seen no official documentation, or photos of the pistols, so until then I can only report it as rumor. This would not be the first rumor to come out about a new Glock that never existed, or was never slated for production.

I was under the impression that Glock was selling so many pistols that they didn't need to really do anything to keep up with the competition. Even before the election Glock pistols were in short supply.

Israeli Pistol Named After Obama. . . !?

No. . . not really!!

While looking for more information on the Magal, I stumbled upon the Barak pistol. It's a high capacity double action auto, but I really only bring it up as a joke because the name is so close to the first name of Obama, who really isn't that friendly with Israel.

IMI Magal Carbine

I'm still alive, I just haven't found anything particularly interesting to post in a while.

I was looking for a little information on the new HK submachine guns, which brought me to the Remtek Arms website. It was there that I found a picture (just a picture) of the IMI Magal.

Info From Kalishnikov.guns.ru:
The Magal carbine is based on the Micro Galil, and is chambered for .30 Carbine, fed by 30 round magazines (don't appear to be M1/M2 Carbine mags). The rear of the receiver is definitely AK-based, but the handguard is a modern polymer design, and there's a Steyr AUG type shield over the front of the pistol grip. The stock is a side-folding Galil-type skeleton unit. Weight is 3.5kg (7 pounds, 11 ounces). Retail price is $1000, which seems like a lot of money for an AK-based weapon.

Although the Magal has proven to be unreliable due to the short barrel, which doesn't provide enough gas pressure to work the action, and the handguard overheats quickly, it is an interesting weapon.

New Steyr AUGs Available

The new AUGs must have hit the streets. Military Gun Supply has ONE black A3 model for $2495.

Short article on the new Steyr AUG from the American Rifleman website.

Some New Firearms

Vltor Fortis
Vltor is working on new versions of the Bren Ten (10mm CZ-75 type pistol from Miami Vice), which they're calling the Fortis.

Link to the Fortis pistol on the Vltor website.
Vltor blog with more information
Defense Review article on the Fortis

The new design uses EAA Witness or the Vltor magazines, holding 15 rounds of 10mm or 10 rounds of .45ACP for a standard length magazine. I believe there are extended Witness mags that hold more. Vltor offers floorpates that replicate the look of the origional Bren Ten magazines.

Vltor is shooting for a retail price of less than a thousand dollars. That sounds like a lot, but based on Vltor's reputation for quality, engineering, and durability (not many pistols will hold up to a steady diet of full-power 10mm), I don't consider it to be totally unreasonable.

Drum-Fed Semi-Auto Shotgun
Link to Defense Review snippet on the new drum fed semi-auto shotgun.
The shotgun feeds from tube magazines in a cylinder formation. Sounds kind of confunsing, doesn't it? Okay, so like a normal tube-fed shotgun, shells are pushed into the action from the tube magazine holding 2-4 rounds, depending on the overall length of the shotgun. When the tube currently in use is empty, you rotate the cylinder, allowing shells from the next tube to feed into the action. Perhaps not the ideal solution, but it is an interesting one.

AR-15 Shotgun from CMMG
Defense Review snippet on the CMMG gas piston AR-15 Shotgun
MGI was showing some new pistol-caliber magwells for their modular lower at SHOT show '09, and having recently purchased a Saiga-12, a shotgun variant of the AK-47 platform, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come up with an AR-15-type shotgun. Well, it looks like CMMG did it, although with a proprietary lower. Not much information is available on the AR shotgun yet.

LMT Piston Upper vs. HK416
Defense Review comparo of HK416 and the newish LMT piston uppers.

U.S. Legal Steyr AUG
I don't have any links, but Steyr in reintroducing the AUG to the American market.

Charter Arms Rimless Revolvers (CARR)

Coming soon from Charter Arms are some new revolvers in pistol calibers; 9mm/.380ACP, .40S&W, and .45ACP. A spring catches the cartridge's extrator groove, so the revolver will extract empty cases without a moon clip. The spring will also allow the 9mm revolver to fire .380ACP ammunition.

The .40S&W revolvers will be out first, followed by 9mm and .45ACP. Snub-nosed models will be available first, 2" barrels for 9mm/.380 models, 2.2" barrels for .40S&W and .45ACP. The 9mm/.380 snubbie will be based on their compact and lightweight undercover revolvers with an aluminum frame. The .40S&W and .45ACP revolvers will use the Bulldog frame.

Retail price for the 9mm/.380 snub model is said to be $399, with the .40S&W and .45ACP snubbie prices are said to be $449.

I'm not sure what to think of these. One of the benefits of using semi-auto cartridges in revolvers is the speed of the reloads with moon clips. I've also heard some bad things about the quality of Charter Arms revolvers.

New Kel-Tec .308Win RFB Bullpup Rifle

Link to RFB rifle product page on Kel-Tec web site.

Rifle Forward-ejection Bullpup

It's sort of like the FN F2000 rifle, but in .308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO. The RFB's action is in the buttstock, near where the shooter's cheek would be (BOOM!). The rifle accepts FN FAL magazines. Barrel lengths will be available from 18" to 32". KT has built 5 adjustments into the trigger, although the trigger pulls on most bullpup rifles are pretty bad due to the linkages required to transmit the force of your finger back to the action.

The scope rail is attached to the barrel, so that barrel to action fit doesn't alter the point of impact. No iron sights will be provided, even if there were, there wouldn't be much room to put them on the 18" carbine.

It looks like the pistol grip is integral with the rifle body, which would make this a one-size-fits-some deal. It might be possible to add spacers to the recoil pad to increase length of pull though.

The rifles are quite ambidextrous. The brass dribbles out over the barrel at the front of the stock. Except for the reciprocating charging handle, which can be switched to either side, the controls are available on either side.

Weight for the 18" carbine is listed as 8.1 pounds, compared to an AR-10A4 16" carbine at 9 pounds, a basic DSA FAL 18" carbine at 8.35 pounds, or a M1A 18" Squad Scout carbine at 9 pounds.

Kel-Tec says the RFB rifles and Carbines should be available for sale in a month or two, but they've been teasing about them for a couple years, apparently.

They say, "The delay is due to a re-tooling effort aimed at adjusting production in order to precede any future negative legislative actions that are likely imminent due to the incoming administration." I take this to mean that they are not going to put barrels with threads at the muzzles on the RFB, and are otherwise trying to neuter the design before a new "assault weapon" ban is passed.

Excel Arms X-22R Rifle and X-22P Pistol

Excel Arms has a couple interesting new firearms.

The X-22R takes Ruger 10/22 magazines and has AR-15 furniture (stock, pistol grip, forend).

The X-22P looks a bit like a rimfire Tec-9. It also accepts 10/22 magazines.

Mossberg’s Lightning Bolt Action Trigger System

I knew that it wouldn’t be long before another company started to offer a trigger similar to Savage’s AccuTrigger. The Mossberg LBA trigger can be adjusted with a screwdriver to give a pull in the range of two to seven pounds. It has a Glock-type trigger safety, just like the AccuTrigger.

Link To RifleShooter Magazine Article (I can't find anything on the Mossberg website)

4th Generation Glocks Coming

I saw a picture of the 4th Generation Glock 22 at the Pistol-Training.com Blog.

The pistol has curved slide serrations, and different grip texturing, but that seems to be about all. Not very exciting, but maybe interesting to a few of you.

Springfield Armory XD M-Factor

Springfield Armory "The M-Factor" Home Page

First Impressions Thread on PAFOA Website

First Impressions Thread on Brian Enos Website


The new model is cosmetically redesigned, has interchangable backstraps (grip safety remains, so length of pull is not changed when swapping inserts), the magazine release button has been redesigned to make it easier to activate, there is a second slot on the dustcover rail, and a "match-grade" barrel. The .40S&W pistol can hold 16 rounds in the magazine. The 9mm version holds 19 in the mag, IIRC.

From the thread on the Enos website, it sounds like the trigger has been improved some also. Springfield claims, "The new XD(M)™ trigger has the shortest travel than any currently available polymer pistol along with a similarly short reset which keeps you on target with greater ease for faster, more accurate follow-up shots."