It may still be a news for some who are not familiar with Chinese firearms to know that China has been testing and producing .338Lapua Magnum (called 8.6×70) for several years.

A Canadian man has been arrested in Washington state for attempting to smuggle weapons in Lebanon hidden inside a vehicle. Two men were arrested in Seattle by undercover Homeland Security agents when they tried to stash a grenade launcher and firearms inside the door panels of an SUV they planned to ship to Lebanon.

Deals of the Week number 3, 9mm edition.

Colombian sculptor, Doris Salcedo, has unveiled her latest work – a monument to mark the end of the guerrilla war which has racked Colombia for just over 50 years. The unconventional peace monument, entitled Fragmentos (Fragments), uses the scrap metal reclaimed from the thousands of small arms handed over by FARC rebels following the peace treaty signed in 2016. The monument is a floor made up of over 1,000 tiles made from the scrapped weapons.

Argentine authorities have just busted what appeared to be a large-scale scheme of illegally importing and exporting firearms. The recent (November 3) action primarily involved the local GNA – Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina (the nationwide, military-organized security agency), while the PFA – Policia Federal Argentina and the DGA – Dirección General de Aduanas (the customs agency) also participated. Significantly, initial intelligence was reportedly provided by HIS (Homeland Security Institute), the investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Deals of the Week number two, now with mags and ammo!

The Small Arms Survey have published a new report looking at the use of improvised weapons around the world, examining the proliferation of various types and the driving forces behind their manufacture and use.

Rock Island Auctions’ latest Premiere Auction, running from the 30th November to the 2nd December, has some extremely interesting and unusual firearms. Ranging from 18th century air guns to 20th century military prototypes lets take a look at some of the most interesting.

The 17th Installment of Build of the Week was contributed by Michael G.  This is one of the most complete submissions to date and includes prices.

FN America has announced the introduction of the SCAR 20S, the civilian version of the MK20 SSR currently in service with US SOCOM. The launch follows the news last month that FN America would offer a limited run of 200 S20 packages, Richard covered that news  here.

Introducing the Deals of the Week, a weekly round-up of some of the best deals on firearms and accessories that can be found on the internet.

In February 1993 members of Aum Shinrikyo cult traveled to Russia including among them a mechanical engineering graduate of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Through a Russian contact they were able to tour several arms production plants and glean information on handling various weapons and explosives. During these lectures hours of video footage was taken to document the operation and mechanics of each weapon. At some point during these exchanges a single AK74 rifle was illegally procured with orders directly from leader Shoko Asahara to be smuggled back to Japan. This would serve as a template for the group to produce a rifle of their own.

A while back I took delivery of a Trijicon AccuPoint 5-20×50 for T&E, and I just recently got it mounted on a rifle and was able to take it out and start messing around with it on the range. I shot this scope alongside a completely different scope from Leupold on a completely different gun, just to maximize my range time, so I’m going to do this review in the context of a range report and that focuses on the optics.

Wyoming has been doing a tremendous job in recent years by bringing more and more firearm companies to their state. Weatherby had announced at SHOT Show 2018 that they would be re-locating from California to the cowboy state. They have also been able to draw in Magpul and HiViz as well. Now, the state of Wyoming is working with Gunwerks to ensure their future expansion and secure that they remain in the state for a long time to come.

Following the capture of several .50 BMG-chambered rifles from Brazilian criminals in the last few years, the time has come that the armament involved has become even more, eh, aggressive. TFB has just reported ( https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/09/27/m2-browning-guns-seized-brazil/) that a Browning “fifty” of the AN/M2 variant used in WWII aircraft was seized in Rio de Janeiro prior to being illegally sold in the underground market for an estimated $50 Grand.

What’s the best way to pass a line between massive naval vessels in rolling seas with the deck pitching? Firing it from a rifle of course! The US Coast Guard continue to use specially adapted Springfield M1903s, in service since the 1930s, for the job.

If you’ve been on Gunstagram this morning, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen the newest model of handgun from the Slovenian military manufacturer, Arex – the Arex Delta.

Most firearm aficionados and gun gurus know that it is important to safely store their prized possessions. More importantly, if you have the space necessary and can afford it, it is a great investment to get a fire-rated safe that can store all of your gun related items. This should most certainly include your ammunition. Now you might be thinking… “But I have pallets of ammo, I can’t stick all of that in a safe!” First off, bravo! Secondly, I can understand where you are coming from, but there are several reasons why you might want to pony up for more ammo storage to protect both your firearms and your ammunition.

CMMG’s Mk57 series is their line of 5.7x28mm firearms.  Their “Banshee”  model incorporates their shortest barrel in the caliber (5″), as well as a Tailhook PSB.  All Mk57 models use CMMG’s Patent Pending Radial Delayed Blowback (RDB) system found in their GUARD models.  The RDB blowback bolts have a head that is forced to fully rotate to unlock, causing the bolt carrier group to slow down during the firing cycle.  This allows CMMG to use lighter bolts, and lighter, slower bolts mean less recoil.   CMMG’s video illustrates the technology quite nicely.

I’ve been searching for a good SHTF optic for my AR-15, and for most folks who are into prepping (go ahead and snicker but we both know your pr0n habit isn’t the only reason you’re clearing your browser history), something by Trijicon is at or near the top of their “if I could just have one optic” lists.

I just can’t help it, folks (and Pete!). Whenever news like this here in Brazil come to my attention, I immediately wonder if TFB readers might be interested in also taking a look. The rate of recurrence at which such facts take place in this neck of the woods, as compared to other related news from, say the UK (e.g. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/09/10/shipment-of-twenty-guns-and-drugs-seized-at-dover/), usually prompt me to collect some of them for an almost regular feature here at “The Blog”. If you, readers and Editor, think it‘s enough, just let me know… I’ll keep all in a simple picture/short caption format, and, please, feel free to comment ID details I may lack.

Right now if you are living on the east coast, you have multiple significant storms heading your way that could unfortunately change your life for the worst. To curb against the danger of these storms, some states are actually advising evacuation of your home, if possible. As horrifying as leaving your home behind may sound, the tribulations of leaving something you built can be even worse if you operate an FFL (Federal Firearms Licensed) business. Then, in the event you return to your business, you need to deal with the repercussions of water damage and the potential loss of product. This alone is horrific enough, but then the  ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives),  NFA (National Firearms Act Branch) or local police could be paying you a visit as well.

Tennessee is home to a lot of large players in the firearms industry. Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, our beloved purveyors of .50 Cals, has a facility in Christiana, Tennessee. Beretta recently opened a large new facility in Gallatin, Tennessee. Signal 9 Defense, formerly Edge Arms, the small manufacturer that makes a 4-barrel derringer also is home in Gallatin, Tennessee. There is also an ammunition manufacturer out of Knoxville, Tennessee with Parabellum Ammo, LLC. A third dimension you can now add to the freedom loving faction is Black Rifle Coffee Company. They recently made the significant announcement of expanding their company to Tennessee as well with this Press Release:

There have been some significant changes to the British Army’s small arms load out in recent months with the announcement that the long mooted removal of the FN Minimi, 60mm Mortar and L86 Light Support Weapon from service was official. The British Army is now moving to rebalance its infantry weapons at the section level.

KRISS USA recently announced the released of their new Ambidextrous Folding Stock for the KRISS Vector GEN II 2017 models. The new KRISS Vector folding stock is also telescopic and is made out of aluminum, steel and polymer composites. As the name suggests, the stock can fold either to the left or right side and is adjustable to three different positions.

For full disclosure, Bond Arms firearms do not cause cancer. It is simply the state of California doing what California does… trying to use the government to coddle everyone. So with that being said, we will divert away from any other mild political talk to give you the news. This is a message Bond Arms recently sent out to distributors and gun shops who sell their firearms as a result of the recent ruling from Proposition 65 (Prop 65):

SIGN UP FOR THE S&W 500 GIVEAWAY AT WWW.GAT.LIFE BEFORE SEPTEMBER 15!
Entry is FREE, you just have to be a subscriber on YouTube. Patreon Supporters get numerous additional chances (plus a shot at winning the multiple monthly giveaways, earning the unbuyable TFB patches, and Discord chat room rewards). [The raffle is run by Gleam.] Winner gets the choice of the S&W 500 Mag from this video OR $500 cash. YouTube is NOT endorsing, sanctioning, or involved in this giveaway in any way. Only valid where legal, see raffle page for more details.
In this episode of TFBTV, James tames the Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum, the most powerful production handgun in the world. This gun is 5 times as powerful as a .357 Magnum and twice as big as a .44 Magnum. S&W has created a real monster here, but how does it shoot? Does it have any practical applications? James discusses this (and smashes some Mountain Dew) in today’s episode of TFBTV.

Last week, I received a DM from an IG follower asking how he could find employment in the firearm industry. This was a striking question because I’ve never thought about how I ended up working in this business (although I constantly ask myself how I am still employed), and frankly, it took a moment of reflection to provide an answer. After thinking about the advice I could give this young man to set him in the right direction, it made sense for me to put together an article discussing several ways to get into the gun business as this question comes up often enough.

The 8.6 Creedmoor is a very mysterious caliber inside the firearms industry right now. Hopefully our interview with Ethan Lessard of Q helped shed some more light on it for all of us. Next, we wanted to pick another subject-matter-expert’s brain in David Stark of Discreet Ballistics. They have already been producing some bullets for the 8.6 Creedmoor, but they are not quite ready to be purchased by the public yet. TFB caught up with him and bombarded him with the follow questions to get his knowledge and input on the 8.6 Creedmoor.

Glock has released a 24-round 9mm magazine for sale, available since late July.  This new offering brings the total number of their different factory made 9mm double stack magazines to ten!  (10 (in 3 different flush fit lengths), 12, 15, 17, 19, 24, 31, and 33 rounds!). These mags should be a more concealable reload than the 31 or 33 round magazines, while still having 29% more capacity than the 17 round magazine.  Here’s Glock EU’s product description (there is not yet a product description on the North American website):