Combining modern firearm designs and layouts with a lever-action mechanism always results in some of the most unusual hybrids of the firearms world. We’ve earlier seen a couple of such guns – the Red Ryd-AR, a lever-action AR-15 made by American BrickWurX Manufacturing, and the belt-fed bullpup lever-action rifle designed by British ADF Projects and Designs. Today we’ll travel across the pond again to take a look at another such firearm – the 9mm lever-action carbine recently introduced by the British Southern Gun Company (SGC).

AR-15 is the quintessential American rifle. For years the AR-15 has been a reliable, modular, and capable platform for every American gun owner to work off of for a variety of reasons. Brownells has just announced an exclusive new rifle – the Brownells Super Duty AR-15 Rifle. The new rifle comes right from the factory with a ton of features that modern shooters are after, and quality parts and components from some of the most reputable names in the business.

For the last two years, the gun industry has been a tough place to navigate. Between material shortages and panic buying, certain firearms have been difficult or even impossible to find. Luke C reported earlier this year about the CQBR Block II being released and I have been waiting patiently for about 7 months for this AR pistol. After the weight and price, was it worth it? Let’s take a look at the Type A CQBR Block II.

In this episode of TFBTV, Hop tests the Palmetto State Armory PA-10 Gen 3. This rifle is PSA’s take on the AR-10 or LR-308 platform; available with an 18″ or 20″ barrel, and a variety of trigger and handguard options. The out of the box features of the PA-10 are very basic, making it a canvas for aftermarket customization. Of course, none of that matters if it’s not accurate, so in a show of admirable self-restraint, Hop actually did some accuracy testing too. Watch closely to see two photobombing bees.

Uintah Precision, a company known for making AR-style bolt action rifles, has entered the market of semi-auto AR-15 pattern firearms. Their first AR is simply called Semi-Auto AR-15. If you have been a Uintah Precision customer and like the quality of their bolt guns, the company assures that their gas gun is manufactured to the same high-quality standards. Let’s take a closer look at the features of the Uintah Precision Semi-Auto AR-15 rifle.

Blackout Defense has their roots in aerospace and defense manufacturing. Prior to entering the small arms space, the machines in this Arizona-based shop produced parts for customers like Boeing and Raytheon, on projects like Apache helicopters and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. While they still maintain some of these business lines, today Blackout’s focus has turned toward the firearms industry. Their 20,000 square foot factory churns out AR-15 receivers, barrels, BCGs, and more, with an eye toward quality and strict tolerances. I’ve spent the last few months getting to know one of these AR components: the Zero Trigger.

The only thing that is probably as important as buying quality glass is buying (and installing) quality mounts. The best optics on the planet are reduced to Alibaba-level accuracy when they are paired with bargain-bin rings and bases. A shifting zero is one of those issues that you really need to experience once in your lifetime; it will make you a believer in reliable hardware. The Arisaka Aimpoint Micro Mount comes in two height options: 1.70” and 1.93” to allow for the use of magnifiers, back up sights, and laser illuminators. Pricing and additional details can be found below.

Maxim Defense have announced a new Urban Grey version of their PDX AR-pistol. The PDX was first introduced back in 2019 and has since been made available in a range of calibres including .300BLK, 5.56 NATO, and 7.62×39mm. Maxim Defense currently list the Urban Grey PDX at $2,065 MSRP.

Hello again, and welcome to Part 3 of my escape from bondage. This is it. Return of the Jedi. Mockingjay. FDR’s last complete term as President of the United States. This is the third and final installation in the series. If you haven’t read the previous two articles, you can find Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. We left off having completed both the upper and lower halves of the rifle. At this point, we’ve accomplished our goal. This rifle is a far cry from the abomination it once was, but I’m still not ready to call it quits, and I don’t think you are either.

SIG SAUER first introduced their M400 series over a decade ago, with the initial version’s release in 2010. The M400 concept was meant to be SIG’s entry into the world of budget-friendly AR-15s. These guns differ from SIG’s pricier rifles like the MCX Virtus Patrol, which is a piston-driven platform, and fall more closely in line with the direct impingement operation that has become generally accepted as “standard” for ARs. Until recently, the series’ current models covered the basics: a regular 16″-barrelled rifle, an 11.5″ pistol, and an upscaled rifle variant that came with some factory upgrades, like an optic and flat trigger. There is also a large-frame cousin, the 716i Tread. This AR-10 shares most of its DNA with the above 5.56 models, but is chambered in 7.62 instead. Never a company to rest on its laurels, SIG is now expanding the M400 family with two new models announced in 2021: the Switchblade (to be covered soon) and the Predator, which I’ve spent the last few months getting to know.

More than five years ago, I published a review on the MicroMOA Govnah, a tool-less adjustable gas block with a three-setting push plate. Today, even though the Govnah is no longer available, I still believe that gas regulation is an important part of shooting a suppressed direct impingement AR-15 rifle. And I’m always on the hunt for innovative gas block designs. RIFLESPEED offers a gas block that can be opened up or closed down with a simple twist of the wrist. Don’t worry, if you have a longer barrel or a longer handguard, RIFLESPEED has models with varying lengths of adjustment rings to get a solid grip. The only possible downside I’ve noticed so far is the need for a proprietary straight gas tube.

Fans of the SIG M400 Snakebite will be happy to hear that there have been some SIGnificant improvements made to the TREAD lineup in the way of the new TREAD Snakebite SE. The new TREAD Snakebite SE offers the same great features as the TREAD Snakebite but with some added upgrades. The new rifle is available for purchase now through your local SIG Sauer dealer.

Photo Of The Day and we take a look at the German Special Forces KSK hostage rescue training in the exercise “Black Star”. If you look closely, there is quite a lot of content with the HK416 A7, which is called the G95. As a part of the national risk and crisis management, the Special Forces Command has the permanent task of keeping forces available for operations to liberate German citizens abroad.

The United Kingdom’s Special Operations Brigade is seeking a new personal weapon. Currently, elements across the UK’s special forces are equipped with a mixture of L119A1/A2 carbines and L85A2 rifles. The new rifle will likely equip some existing units but will predominantly be issued to the new four battalion-strong Special Operations Brigade which is being raised.

Vantac D.A.D.S. (Direct Access Defense System) is an AR-15 stock system that allows adjusting the length of pull (LOP) without breaking your grip, cheek weld or sight picture. To unlock the stock and adjust its length, you need to push the ambidextrous tabs at the base of the buffer tube with your primary hand thumb. This system has been in development for five years and it’s now available for preorder.

Elftmann Tactical has just introduced the industry’s first truly finger adjustable AR-15 trigger. The Elf SOCOM Trigger is a drop-in solution for competitors, precision shooters, and service members who need or want the ability to fine-tune their trigger pull on the fly, all without the use of tools. The Elf SOCOM will be offered in 6 different variants for different styles of shooting and firearms. All triggers are currently in stock and ready to ship at the time of writing.

Welcome back to my escape from California bondage. This is Part 2. If you read the first part, you know what this is all about. If not, check it out Un-Californiaizing My AR-15 Part 1. We left off having completed the upper half of the rifle, sans optic. Again, we’ll be working on that in the third and final part of this series. As we stand, this is the rifle.

What could be better than the Heckler & Koch HK433? Quite possibly the Heckler & Koch HK437 right above you, chambered in .300 Blackout (7.62x35mm). The rifle is also equipped with a VarioRay laser light module from Rheinmetall and an EOTech EXPS. You don’t hear as much about the .300 Blackout caliber as before, but it is still gaining in popularity with various Police and Military forces as a medium-range weapon due to its stopping power and suppressability.

Recently, due to the reaction of the U.S. government to Coronavirus, my day job has become 100% remote work. I work in the television industry, which has always meant one horrific thing. I was stuck living in Los Angeles. I was born and raised in LA, but as I got older and my priorities changed, I realized how much I hated living there. I started planning my escape in my early twenties, and when the opportunity to leave presented itself, my wife, baby, and I jumped on it. Our last day as California residents was Christmas 2020. We now reside in beautiful Colorado and couldn’t be happier. As an avid gun and self-defense enthusiast, the new opportunities before me were almost overwhelming. Suppressors? Binary triggers? No handgun roster? I wanted to drive straight to the nearest gun store and buy them all. Unfortunately, that would be hell on our bank account, so I had to pick a place to start. One of the most hideous affronts leveled against my passion for firearms is the illogical and ignorant laws surrounding AR-15s. I had a California compliant AR, and that knowledge made me churn and boil inside like I was filled with fiery magma. Welcome to my mini series Escape From Bondage: Un-Californiaizing My AR-15 Part 1.

Back in pre-pandemic times, Mark Serbu of Serbu Firearms brought to SHOT Show 2020 an interesting prototype of a semi-automatic rifle chambered in 5.56×45 mm, which he christened the Diabolus. Now, after about 17 months, we’re given the opportunity to get an update on the development of this firearm, thanks to Mark Serbu’s own YouTube channel.

Back in November of 2020, ODIN Works introduced their first complete AR-15 pattern rifle called Odin Tactical Rifle or OTR-15. Recently the company announced the release of the second rifle in the Odin Tactical Rifle line, the OTR-15 6.5 Grendel. As its name implies, the main difference from the first 5.56/223 OTR-15 is that the new rifle is chambered in 6.5 Grendel. Let’s see what features this new ODIN Works rifle packs.

Considered by many to be one of the best entry-level AR platforms on the market, the Smith & Wesson MSR M&P15T saw a lot of success in the modern sporting rifle market. With S&W’s Armornite finished barrel, Magpul MBUS sights and a 10″ free float quad rail from the factory, the first generation M&P15T had a lot to offer. Smith & Wesson is now offering an updated version of the M&P15T with their new M&P15T II Tactical MSR.

Our Photo Of The Day takes place at an undisclosed location, which I’m sure makes people even more curious. Above we see a U.S. Marine with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, who is assigned to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command. He’s participating in a combat marksmanship range in the United States Central Command Area of Operations. Note the tourniquet and the scissors in the plate carrier.

Meprolight’s wildly popular FRBS backup iron sights have received a recent update with their Hyper-Bright front sight which now features not only the tritium insert but also your choice of a bright green, yellow, or orange shroud which should aid in faster target and sight acquisition. The rear sight that comes with the pair is still available in either the two-dot or four-dot crosshair configuration with both sets of FRBS iron sights being available in either black or tan coloring.

Like a thirst quenching downpour after a long drought, or what’s now known as the 2021 Gun Frenzy, SilencerCo lower receivers are now available through major distributors. The SCO15 AR-15 lowers were originally released as a limited run item through retailers like Brownells. If you’re interested, let your dealer know that these lowers are available at the distributors listed below. It’s never a bad thing to have a quality lower on hand.

Following the release of the upper receivers used in their R-10 rifles, ROAM has announced that the magnesium alloy lower receivers of these rifles are now also available separately. The ROAM R-10 rifles based on these magnesium alloy receivers are extremely lightweight with the lightest one, R-10 Red River Ultralight, weighing in at 5.48 lbs oz (.308 Win, 16″ pencil barrel, titanium BCG).

To increase aftermarket support, many firearms are being designed to accept widely available AR pistol grips. Recently, more shooters are preferring steeper angles on their grips. This allows them to be in a more upright and natural shooting position. These two trends combined have lead Strike Industries to release the newest in their line of AR grips. At an almost vertical 15-degree angle, this is the new Strike Industries AR Flat Top Overmolded Pistol Grip.

Photo Of The Day: One rifle I really would like to have in my collection is the MR308, but I got the MR223 instead. I wish it was the other way around, but there we are. Today we’re looking at the G28, or HK241, which is the military version of the civilian semi-automatic rifle MR308. It uses the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO round and as a DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) it is supposed to keep accuracy of 1.5 MOA and also be compatible with various night vision devices.

If you’ve been struggling to try and find components to finish your true-to-form What Would Stoner Do (WWSD) rifle, then there might be a more budget-friendly option for you straight from KE Arms. The Civil Defense Rifle from KE Arms shares a lot of the same design choices but costs about $600 less than the full-blown WWSD rifle as parted out by InRangeTV.

In case you didn’t know,  Heckler & Koch Germany now has Facebook and Instagram accounts. From time to time there are some interesting images there, like this suppressed Heckler & Koch HK417.