Savage Arms has released the A22 TAKEDOWN, which they call a “go-anywhere rimfire rifle“. This is a take-down semi-automatic .22LR rimfire rifle with an 18” carbon steel barrel and low-profile sights. For optics and other attachments, there is also a 0-MOA Picatinny rail with an iron sight channel through it. According to Savage Arms, you only need a simple twist to break down the rifle. The MSRP is set at $479.

In the world of ARs, there are countless options at almost every single price point imaginable. I oftentimes get accused of ignoring cheaper options and only going after high-end stuff which made me start to think. Is it possible to get a high-end accurate rifle set up without paying the $2,000+ price tag? Well, I decided to cough up my own money to check out if this is possible and what it takes to buy an almost identical factory Daniel Defense SOCOM rifle setup. Let’s take a look at the Daniel Defense M4A1 SOCOM 14.5 upper receiver.

Fierce Firearms has introduced a new lighter-weight version of their Reaper bolt action rifle dubbed MTN Reaper. The lightest configuration of the MTN Reaper rifle (short action with 18″ barrel) weighs 5.8lbs. The weight reduction is achieved by using a titanium action, magnesium alloy chassis, carbon fiber wrapped barrel as well as carbon fiber stock and handguard.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves asks “is the Mk18 reliable?” For the unaware, the Mk18 is, more or less, a 10.3″ barrel short and compact AR-15 or M4 that is common in the special operations community. There have been criticisms of the platform over the years and calls for its replacement – but does it really need replacing? To answer the question, James reviews military and government reports about experiments on the Mk18 and discusses them. Additionally, and just for fun, the TFBTV crew and Pensacola Police Department SWAT throw together an informal torture test to see how tough the Daniel Defense DanielDefense and Colt full-auto M4 lower combo – similar to what would be issued to the special forces operators who use this setup – really is.

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Rimifre Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, sports, history, and more! Last week we talked a bit about fellow writer Rusty S’s well-put-together Tikka T1x 22LR varmint rifle. While I think everyone can appreciate a really nice 22LR varmint slaying rifle, a lot of you seemed to hold the sentiment that there are other rifles out there that are far less expensive that can probably still take to the task more affordably, and you’re probably all 100% right. I’m all for optimizing setups including my 22LR rifles and pistols and this often means borrowing other parts and accessories from some of my more expensive rigs. However, one thing I try my best not to borrow from is the suppressors for my centerfire guns. Suppressing firearms chambered in 22LR seems like it might be a dead simple task but if you’re trying to optimize your setup then there are a few basic rules you can follow to keep costs down, maintenance intervals low, and have your auto-loading guns running smoothly. Today on The Rimfire Report we’ll go over a few basic methods you can follow for suppressing 22LR rifles and pistols to get the best results.

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to run through another “commentary” style article since it seems they are well received and doing their job by being informative. This one is going to be centered around the Remington 74 series of semiautomatic hunting rifles. I use the term “74 series” to loosely encapsulate models of Remington rifles that share the same characteristics and similar issues. More so than anything, this article will address Model 740 and 742. Full disclosure: I am no fan of these two rifles or their “improved” later renditions.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the awesome YHM R9 multi-host suppressor. Last week we brought you a look at the Hansohn Brothers Vidar 22 rimfire silencer. Today we take a look at the challenges of adding a beltfed rifle suppressor to a crew served machinegun. Is this the future of beltfed weapon systems? Let’s take a look.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves is at Zastava Oruzje in Serbia to try out a number of their most famous (and infamous) small arms. In today’s video, James has the opportunity to shoot the M21. The Zastava M21 is similar to the Zastava M90 but it has a few changes making it something slightly different. However, it might be the lightest recoiling 5.56mm rifle made. James interviews a Zastava engineer to get the details on how the Zastava M21 works the way it does.

Introduced at SHOT Show 2022, the MDT  TIMBR Frontier bolt action rifle stocks are now available for purchase. This family of stocks is designed to combine the aesthetics and feel of laminate wood stocks with the precision, rigidity and modularity of aluminum chassis. Let’s take a closer look at the features and specs of new MDT TIMBR Frontier stocks.

Over the past seven decades, the FAL has stood as a battle rifle icon. Designed for Fabrique Nationale Herstal by Belgian small arms engineer Dieudonné Joseph Saive, the Fusil Automatique Léger (“Light Automatic Rifle”) is a short-stroke gas piston firearm chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. It entered production in 1953, and variants continue to be manufactured today, although FN’s own in-house production ceased in 1988. In excess of seven million have been made so far, and this gun has seen service in the hands of both military and non-state forces across the globe through dozens of conflicts. Now, to honor its legendary design as the FAL prepares to mark 70 years of production, FN has begun two contests that will allow a select few enthusiasts to get their hands on a piece of firearms history.

Noveske Rifleworks has a lottery where winners get the opportunity to purchase a “Swamp Rat” rifle. This SBR is designed in collaboration with WRMFZY, in homage to America’s OG Swamp Rats.

Imagination, Integrity, and Innovation. These are the three hallmarks that dominate the ethos of the folks at Trailblazer Firearms and today on the TFB Behind The Gun Podcast I’ve had the opportunity to bring on their President, Ron Dan. Ron and I met during TriggrCon 2022 where he and his team brought out the new threaded barrel LifeCard, as well as their new and unique Pivot 9mm foldable pistol caliber carbine. Today Ron and I discuss both of these new firearms, the founding and history of Trailblazer Firearms, and where Ron and his team hope to guide the company in the following years in terms of products, and iterations of current products that they have on their website already.

Mossberg has announced that the new Hornady 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge (PRC) will be available as an option for their Patriot Predator bolt-action rifle series. The 7mm PRC cartridge is designed to surpass current 7mm cartridges in performance. Mossberg have two models available, both with synthetic stocks and with 24-inch barrel lengths with a 1:8-inch twist rate, designed to maximize the performance of the 7mm PRC cartridge. The carbon steel barrel is free-floating and the dangerous end comes threaded (⅝”-24), if you like to add a suppressor or muzzle brake. Depending on the model, the MSP is between $519 to $616.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its various guns, gear, ammunition, and history! Last week we took a look at the ultra-rare (and ultra-cool) Tippmann Arms half-scale 1919 machine gun. The pint-sized rimfire belt-fed sure was a joy to witness working in person even though its performance wasn’t perfect. I think I can speak for most of us (if not all of us) in saying that were Tippmann to offer even the semi-auto versions for sale again, it would be quickly added to our 2022 Christmas wish lists! A man can dream! A couple of weeks before I had the chance to get a closer look at the Tippmann Arms 22LR 1919, I was out in Idaho with fellow TFB writers Rusty and Adam doing some quite unique testing on new types of ballistic eyewear. While we were out there, Rusty brought along a couple of his own firearms for us to goof around with and one of them happened to be a Tikka T1x. As a rimfire enthusiast, I was instantly drawn to the rifle and after just one afternoon with the rifle, I think I can safely say that it just might be the best varmint hunting rifle I’ve ever come across (so far). Today we’ll take a look at what Rusty’s Tikka T1x started out as, and how (and how much) it came to be one of the most precise 22LR rifles I’ve ever shot – the Ultimate 22LR Varmint Slayer if you will.

Christensen Arms makes some of the world’s most technologically advanced precision hunting rifles. With examples like their Ridgeline FFT, Traverse, and Modern Precision Rifle models, if you’re looking for a buy once cry once solution when it comes to a backcountry hunting rifle, Christensen Arms probably has it. Christensen Arms has just announced the availability of the new 7 PRC (7mm PRC) cartridge in a select number of their most popular premium rifles including the Mesa, Ridgeline, Traverse, ELR, Summit, and MPR models with more on the way starting in January 2023.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM R9 Multi-Host suppressor. Last week we brought you an initial look at the ECCO Machine Salamander rimfire suppressor – it’s thin, it’s light, and it’s priced right. This week we continue the .22LR journey with a look at the Hansohn Brothers Vidar 22 silencer. Does this can have what it takes to take on the big dogs? Let’s find out.

We’ve recently been hit with a wave of new rifle offerings featuring the recently announced and SAMMI-approved 7mm PRC cartridge. This new cartridge is intended to provide big game hunters with better accuracy at longer ranges and the folks over at Gunwerks have just released a new episode of their Long Range Pursuit Podcast to help introduce the new cartridge for those who are curious about it. This podcast is about an hour in length and goes over the entire development history of the cartridge and also compares it to some other popular long-range hunting cartridges that are already on the market.

Right on the heels of some of the latest introductions like the Impulse Mountain Hunter is Savage’s newest cartridge offering for some of their most popular rifles – 7mm PRC. 7mm PRC is a great cartridge for shooters who want to extend their range capabilities for either ELR competitions or long-range hunting and is well known for its laser-like trajectory drop at shorter distances within 500 yards. The new Savage 7mm PRC capabilities will be added to 11 of Savage’s currently existing rifles and they should all be available towards the end of 2022.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves is with Brian Marshall of the Steyr Academy to shoot and chat about the Steyr G62 – basically, the H&K G36 perfected. The Heckler & Koch G36 is an amazing modern assault rifle, but Steyr – in collaboration with H&K, Wilcox, and Corax Defence – has improved upon the original H&K G36 design to make what could be the perfect assault rifle. The G62 takes the G36 and replaces the polymer receiver with a light and tough alloy, adds a Steyr match-grade barrel, and includes optional STANAG/AR-15 style magazine compatibility and a powered smart rail with optional accessories and optics. Check today’s video, or read the article from TFB Editor, Matt Moss of The Armourer’s Bench here: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/06/14/the-g62-steyrs-improved-hk-g36/

Photo Of The Day: If you happen to own a Beretta AR-70/233 Sport, you surely know you’re one of the very few people who have one as it was produced in very low numbers and imported to the U.S. in even lower quantities.

Russian Promtechnologies Group (ORSIS) have released their first .50 caliber bolt action rifle called ORSIS 12.7. The new rifle is offered chambered in either 12.7x108mm or 12.7x99mm (.50 BMG) and is marketed as a precision firearm capable of sub-MOA accuracy with an effective range of up to two kilometers. This rifle was first introduced during the ARMY 2022 exhibition held in August of the current year in Russia.

The classic USGI web sling has been fielded on rifles since World War 2. It has seen action on the M-1 Garand, M-14, and M-16 rifles, and it provides both a method to carry a rifle and a loop sling for precision marksmanship use. Let’s take a closer look at this sling and its hidden talents.

Welcome everyone to the 164th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only has a Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Savage Arms has added to its already popular Impulse series of rifles a new backcountry-ready version called  Impulse Mountain Hunter. Those who keep close tabs on Savage’s lineup will remember that the Impulse lineup of rifles is all straight-pull rifles allowing for smooth cycling of the action. This new variant has been updated with a lightweight synthetic stock, and a new carbon fiber wrapped stainless steel barrel.

While researching the Indian small arms procurement program and reading the news from the DefExpo 2022 exhibition, I came across quite an interesting Indian rifle called INDRA (name of a Hindu deity) made by Astr Defence, a private small arms manufacturing company from Hubballi, Karnataka, India. INDRA is a gas-operated multi-caliber modular rifle that apparently has been in development for several years. Let’s take a closer look.

In September the Indian Army launched a fresh search for a ‘5.56MM X 45 MM CQB CARBINE’. Initially, there had been a desire to procure these close quarters carbines internationally, just as with the purchase of 716i rifles from SIG Sauer. However, the Indian Government has expanded the requirement significantly with the new request for information (RFI) seeking 4 lakh or 400,000 rifles from a domestic Indian manufacturer, via India’s ‘atmanirbharta’ (self-sufficiency) program.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM Turbo K 5.56mm rifle suppressor. Last week we discussed the new SIG Sauer SPEAR LT carbine and the SLX762C-QD compact silencer. Today we get a look at the ECCO Machine Salamander rimfire suppressor. Can this ultra-thin, ultra-light can be just as quiet as larger and heavier market options? Let’s take a look.

The Kraken from Cadex Defense is their answer to the multi-caliber rifle market.  Designed using their patented barrel change system, this rifle claims to have the lowest point of impact shift between takedown and assembly.  Available in 9 long and short action calibers, I was keen to try out this multi-caliber beast.  I asked Cadex if they had a Kraken I could review, and here’s what they sent over.

Today’s Photo Of The Day is from Česká zbrojovka and depicts their recently-released CZ 600 Trail bolt-action rifle on the now-discontinued Land Rover Defender off-road vehicle. These two workhorses are similar in many ways despite one being very young and the other being already retired. The caption of this picture which was posted on CZ’s social media pages reads: “If the word “practical” should be described with a picture it could look like this“.

No matter your age, geographic location, or mission, there is a definite utility in a quality lever action rifle. Typically a blend of blued steel and wood, a lever gun has a comfortable feel, classic lines, and a sort of historic presence that everyone can love. It inspires confidence, safety, and the ability to provide. Sure we can debate caliber selections – everything from .22LR up to .45-70 Gov’t – but a lever action rifle has maintained most of its original usefulness over the past 150+ years of common use. Today we are going to talk about the return of a classic: the Ruger Marlin 1895 Guide Gun. This is a capable rifle that can be used for hunting, backcountry protection or for just owning a little piece of America.