When it comes to modern sporting rifles or AR-15s, long gone are the days of humdrum, predictable configurations. Manufacturers are crafting complete rifles that are more gnarly than ever and if you are savvy enough, you too can build a rifle that will turn heads at the firing line. You simply need a bit of know-how, source some quality components, and make your vision become reality. For a shooter like me who loves the aesthetic of classic revolvers yet keeps in stride with new technology, Sharps Bros offers an appealing plus highly-functional option for the AR-15 platform. Today, we will look at their enhanced Livewire AR-15 Lower Receiver as well as additional components of theirs such as the Badlands Integrated Muzzle Brake and Blast Deflector to see how they fare in ease of build and durability. Let’s dive in!

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new YHM Phantom 22 rimfire suppressor. Last week we discussed the SIG SRD22X on the new SIG P322 rimfire pistol. This week we put the new SIG Sauer suppressors, including three of the latest 3D printed models through full auto testing. Can you tell a difference between them? Let’s check it out.

In this episode of TFBTV, James and Hop Reeves take on the CDR Rifle, a collaborative effort made by KE Arms, Karl Kasarda and Ian McCollum of InRangeTV and Forgotten Weapons and Brownells, Inc.

The US Army is yet to officially announce the winner(s) of the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program but we know how many weapons they’ll be ordering between October 2022 and September 2023. The US Army’s weapon system program acquisition costs for the 2023 fiscal year show that the US Army is seeking to initially procure 29,046 weapons during the period.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM R9 suppressor. Last week we got our hands on the SIG SLX556 QD rifle suppressors (yes, full auto testing is still coming). Today we spend some time with the brand new Rugged Razor556 reduced blowback AR-15 suppressor. I really like the Razor556; let me tell you why.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM R9 suppressor. I would like to thank Austin for last week’s awesome review of the B&T RBS suppressor,  enduring heavy duty beltfed punishment, while I was away on business. In the interim, a factory fresh SIG SLX 5.56 QD rifle suppressor arrived for review. How does it differ from the SIG SLH models that we have reviewed in the past and should you invest in one for your AR-15 or SIG MCX? Let’s take a look.

The Lead Star Arms Grunt is marketed as a duty rifle, though it comes from a competition-oriented brand. It blends some refinements from race guns with a more reserved aesthetic. And while Lead Star is a PSA brand, it does differ from their standard product line.

Those of you who have picked up one of Geissele’s Super Duty rifles will probably know all about how well regarded the SSA-E X trigger is. For those that don’t know, this particular trigger is an improved version of the popular SSA-E trigger. The SSA-E X adds a semi-curved Lightning Bow trigger and also has a lot of the same great features that the rest of the SSA-E lineup has. Before, those that wanted one of these highly sought-after triggers could only get them by purchasing one of Geissele’s Super Duty rifles but now Geissele is offering the SSA-E X as a standalone product for those that want to get one.

Brooksville, Florida-based Adams Arms have been fulfilling a contract to produce carbines for Ukraine. Adams Arms haven’t stipulated which branch of the Ukrainian Armed Forces or Security Services the carbines are for but they stated that they have been working on orders for the past few months. The carbines appear to be  Adams Arms’s P1 model which has a Picatinny railed gas block with 3 adjustable settings and M4-style furniture. From the footage shown of the rifles, they do not appear to be select fire.

If you have been a long-time reader of TFB, the WWSD (What Would Stoner Do) rifle should be familiar to you. In short, it is a project of the two YouTube channels Forgotten Weapons and InRange, in which they tried to follow Eugene Stoner’s original vision for the AR-15 but using modern materials. The result was such a good rifle that Brownells stepped forward and added it to their product catalog. It has been available in the US for a while, and at the end of this week, Europe will follow suit.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves looks at the WWSD or “What Would Stoner Do?” rifle, an ultra-lightweight build from Karl and Ian at InRangeTV in collaboration with Brownells, Inc.
At just 5 pounds, this is a featherweight carbine, but the price is heavy at $1,700. Is this ultra-high-tech design worth the spend? Check today’s video to find out for yourself.

In this episode of TFBTV, Hop seeks an AR soulmate and says unkind things about the left-handed community. Spending more money on a rifle doesn’t always get you more rifle, but sometimes you don’t need more rifle, you just need better rifle.

Two days, two guns, and too many burpees. In the past few years, tactical competitions have exploded. More specifically, The Tactical Games has grown from a small, invite-only event to a national schedule of events that draws in major sponsors like Magpul, Firearms Legal Protection, and Staccato. Hundreds of competitors gather for a weekend of hard work and camaraderie. At the heart of it all, however, is the gear. Durable, lightweight gear is what’s most popular, and American Defense Manufacturing just entered a new option built specifically for The Tactical Games. This is the new UIC Lightweight Tactical Competition Carbine.

There’s a chance you’ve seen an image or three of an AR-15 railed handguard that’s been split apart from being too close to a muzzle brake. Enter the new Midwest Industries MI-CRM17XR handguard, designed to stretch out flush with a muzzle device, while giving the percussive blast a wide berth. The MI-CRM17XR handguard is 17.5 inches long and includes a wide array of M-LOK mounting points and a full-length Picatinny top rail, all of which allow for a long sight radius for irons and an unhindered weapon light beam. Midwest Industries’ specifications can be read below.

Compact and light, rifle caliber personal defense weapons (PDWs) are a compromise to pistol caliber carbines or submachine guns. Unfortunately, short barrel rifles can leave cartridges designed for longer barrels anemic when it comes to terminal performance. MAXIM Defense Short Barrel Ammunition is designed to create wound cavities that outperform expanding and fragmenting rounds and can tumble at velocities down to 500 fps. MAXIM Defense also just released a line of suppressor-friendly frangible ammunition that can be shot on steel targets at very short distances.

TFB’s Photo Of The Day has become an impressive gallery, with an ever-growing number of images of firearms in all sorts of environments. Today we’re going to add one more, on the subject of a new era of semi-automatic Designated Marksman Rifles (DMR) that is seeing the light of day. The photo shows the Sako M23 DMR for the Finnish Defence Force. It’s a  semi-auto sniper rifle, AR-style and chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. It has a short-stroke gas piston system.

Maxim Defense was probably the company with the most new products released at SHOT Show 2022. They have updated their line of MD-15 rifles, introduced an entirely new suppressor product line, released a new AR10 pattern rifle called MD11 … pretty much everything in their booth was new. Let’s take a look at the list of new Maxim Defense products and see how the company describes them.

Retro guns have been undergoing a renaissance lately, with an increasing number of manufacturers offering firearms that appeal to more classic tastes. Many SHOT Show 2022 vendors displayed wares of interest for the carry handle gang or vintage enthusiasts, or just people who already have plenty of modern guns and just want something different.

This year at SHOT, we got a chance to fire a few shots with and take a look at the internals of the MARS  Rifle in its latest iteration.  (From MARS, Inc., not to be confused with LMT’s MARS Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System)

Desert Tech unveiled their new Quattro-15 lower alongside a new Quadmag-53 at SHOT Show 2022.  Using a quad-stack design, the Quattro-15 paired with the QuadMag-53 looks to bring more capacity to your favorite AR-15 upper.  Desert Tech was kind enough to show me all the features of their new lower and magazine on the floor at SHOT Show 2022.

In this episode of SHOT Show 2022 coverage, Hop is at Brownells to talk about the newest addition to the BRN-180 line, which is a 7.62x39mm version. AR-curious AK fans may have something to get pumped about here.

Shown for the first time at SHOT Show 2022 was WEE1 Tactical’s JR-15 rifle.  It’s designed to be a perfect scaled-down replica of the AR platform with youth shooters in mind.  I had a chance to sit down with Eric from WEE1 Tactical to talk about the new AR-pattern 22lr platform.

Smith and Wesson’s famous M&P series of AR-15s has a new addition to the lineup. The brand new M&P Volunteer.

LMT unveiled the newest addition to its lineup with the MARS-L9.  The L9 incorporates features from the legendary MARS family of rifles and looks to make a big splash in the PCC market.  I had the chance to shoot the MARS-L9 and talk with LMT about it during Shot Show’s Industry Day at the Range.

At SHOT Show 2022 Industry Day at the Range, Faxon Firearms and Q introduced a joint project – Q Fix bolt action rifles and AR-10 style gas guns chambered in 8.6 Blackout. The cartridge is developed by Q and the contribution of Faxon Firearms to the project is the barrels. Let’s take a closer look.

B&T USA has just announced the arrival of the SPC9 – Special Purpose Carbine – that combines features and characteristics from the B&T APC9, H&K MP5, and the AR-15 platforms. Critics of most blow-back operated pistol caliber carbines often note that perceived recoil and suppression characteristics are underwhelming compared to delayed action systems. The B&T SPC9 uses a hydraulic buffer system similar to the APC line of carbines/SMGs to mitigate common blow-back action traits. As an APC9 owner, I can vouch for the hydraulic buffer system’s usefulness. The SPC9 will be available in five configurations, of which the integrally suppressed SD model gets my full attention. Pricing and availability will be provided soon. The press release below contains additional details.

Maxim Defense have announced the launch of a new 7.62×51mm AR, the MD:11. Maxim Defense describe the MD:11 as an update of the original Stoner AR-10 design. It will be available in 6.5 Creedmoor and .308Win/7.62×51mm. This marks a move into a new area for Maxim Defense, their recent products have focused on small, compact PDW carbines in 5.56×45, .300BLK and 7.62×39mm.

XS Sights took a break from their namesake to bring a new tool to assist shooters that like to work on their AR-15 and AR-308 pattern rifles and pistols. XS Sights’ new AR Armorer’s Block is designed to work with both upper and lower receivers, compared to their previous block that works with upper receivers only. The new AR Armorer’s Block can be placed in a vise for securing the receivers while working on them, XS Sights’ full press release can be read below.

Welcome everyone to the 126th 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.

Welcome everyone to the 125th 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.