We live in interesting financial times. Though unemployment is reaching record levels, firearms and ammo purchases have skyrocketed. It has become exceedingly difficult to find most common gun industry products in stock, and what little stock there is typically doesn’t last long. Amidst all of this chaos, TFB recently reported that America’s oldest gunmaker, Remington, has had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in just two years. However, there is a vastly different story to be told at one of the industry’s other monoliths: Sturm, Ruger, and Co. In a July 29th press release, Ruger has announced that they have emerged from the second quarter of 2020 in fine fiscal form, and will even be paying investors a dividend. The release reads as follows.

There are many good ways to flex on people at the range or on social media. You may choose to show off night vision equipment like TFB writer Nick, mountainous piles of suppressors like Editor-in-Chief Pete, or reveal an alarming amount of thigh meat like short shorts aficionado and town drunk TFBTV ringleader, James. A more common firearms flex, however, is simply to use nice guns. Custom Glocks? Classic. A SCAR Heavy in 6.5 Creed? Not cheap. A Barrett fifty-cal? Head-turning. But consider a bit more flashy option…

Following on the heels of last year’s SP5 release, H&K has just announced the release of the SP5K PDW – an MP5K PDW for those of us without deep pockets or OP orders from Uncle Sam. Like the SP5, the SP5K PDW is about as close as you can get to owning the real thing. Released in 2016, the SP5K was a new hope for H&K fans that were pleading for near clones of classic fully automatic German hardware. Although without features like a paddle mag release and traditional trigger housings, traditionalists were forced to either have a quality H&K gunsmith make the needed changes to a brand new $2,500 gun, or continue to wait.

Holster maker N8 Tactical began as a two-man experiment in 2009, with the “N8” being a riff on the two founders both being named Nate. Having been dissatisfied with other options on the market at the time, friends Nate Beard and Nate Johnson decided to come together to see if they could build a better mousetrap – in this case, the “mousetrap” being a concealed carry holster. The focus was comfort; Beard and Johnson set out to develop an option for concealed carry that prevented corners and edges from jabbing them in the side or stomach all day. For this purpose, most of their products feature a large backing panel (think Crossbreed, which is owned by the same parent company) made of leather, suede, and neoprene that sits between you and your gun. However, N8 has announced a divergence from this pattern in a July 30th press release. Meet the KO-1, their first all-Kydex IWB holster.

Aquila International, LLC, a US Defense contractor, have announced that they will provide Daniel Defense rifles to various Argentine military organisations. Aquila are the South American distributors for Daniel Defense and have been awarded contracts to supply the company’s M4A1, MK18 and DD5V3 and D4 rifles to elements of the Argentine Marines, Gendarmerie and Army Special Forces.

The Henry Repeating Arms Company has a long and distinguished history that includes many excellent and iconic firearms. Today, the company is still a leading manufacturer putting out a massive volume of guns. Unfortunately, any company that has been in business for that long, and whose model count grows into the dozens with production numbers reach into the millions, is bound to run into an occasional hiccup. They have published the following press release detailing an issue they have discovered with some of their single-shot guns, while explaining how they are committed to handling it properly and taking good care of their customers.

Vortex Optics is best known in the gun world for their rifle scopes and red dots. A plethora of shooters choose Vortex products to mount onto their firearms. Though these optics make up a significant amount of their business, they also offer some additional product lines like binoculars, rangefinders, and spotting scopes. Hunters and long-range precision shooters may find these particularly useful, and now they have some new options from which to choose. In a July 30th press release, Vortex has announced four new spotting scopes in their Diamondback HD series.

In 2005, L3Harris purchased optics maker and holography innovation company EOTech. For the last fifteen years, EOTech has existed as only a small portion of this defense industry Goliath’s larger operations which also include products like military drones, tactical radios, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies, night vision devices, and much more.

Anytime you have a gathering of gun guys, you’ll almost certainly find that they’re also into all the other gear and gadgets that go along with firearms. For many shooting enthusiasts, that gear includes nylon-type products such as plate carriers, mag pouches, IFAK pouches, and the like. Earlier this year, TFB reported on the introduction of Defense Mechanisms, a new player in the tactical nylon scene. With a strong emphasis on customizability, Defense Mechanisms has come out swinging with a modular plate carrier system and a modular placard/pouch line, among their other products like rifle slings and ankle medical rigs. Far from resting on their laurels, in the wake of their significant initial release Defense Mechanisms has just announced several additions to their product offerings. You can now expand your Mission Essential Plate Carrier’s capabilities with new side plate bags, zippered full pocket and half pocket placard components, and single pistol mag pouches.

In recent years, Holosun has significantly elevated the quality of their red dot optics from the strictly “budget” category to become legitimate serious contenders. Many of their products, such as the 507 series, are now worth mentioning in the same conversations with established standards like the Trijicon RMR. Primary Arms, who started as an optics company in their own right before expanding to be the full-scope supplier and firearms industry powerhouse they are today, share much in common with Holosun. Their early scopes were often relegated to the purely entry-level or plinker considerations sets and not seen as viable for more serious use. Over the years they have similarly grown their offerings and expanded into higher price points with notably higher quality levels to match.

There’s hardly a shooter anywhere who doesn’t know and love Magpul. From their wildly popular PMAG line of magazines, polymer stocks and other gun furniture, series of rifle slings and flip sights, and much more, they have spent their 21-year history becoming the first word in firearms accessories. One critical shooting accessory that sits on you rather than on your weapon is a quality set of eye protection. Your eyes are incredibly important organs and the shooting sports introduce inherent dangers to them. Good eye pro is an absolute must – and no, not just any old pair of sunglasses will do. They need to be ballistic rated so if you do experience some sort of spall or ricochet, the wayward fragment speeding toward your face at high speed won’t simply smash through your non-ballistic lens and shred your precious oculus anyway. You need the right face shield.

As of July 27th, the 2020 NASGW Expo (National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesaler Expo) and Annual meeting has been canceled amid fears over COVID-19 in Texas. The expo was slated to have taken place between October 20-23 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

Over the last thirteen years, Primary Arms has grown from a small brand offering inexpensive scopes to expanding their house-brand optics into a broader range of pricing and quality levels, and in the process they’ve become a powerhouse supplier for many other brands as well. Today they offer a dizzying array of firearms, components, and accessories, with product lines spanning hundreds of manufacturers from Aimpoint to Zev Tech and just about everyone in between. The Texas-based outfit has never forgotten their optics-oriented roots and are proud of their glass, and particularly their proprietary ACSS reticle. In addition to scopes themselves, Primary Arms provides related products like mounts. With a July 27th press release, they’ve announced the addition of four new mount options in their GLx line. The release reads:

A few weeks ago we covered how Remington appeared to be preparing to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy a second time. It turns out that everything except for the buyout by Navajo Nation came to pass over the past couple of months which saw a massive spike in gun sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest across the United States.

Texas-based Rival Arms has made their name primarily as a Glock shop. While they do offer a handful of products for other firearms, like barrels for some Smith & Wesson handguns and a Ruger 10/22 chassis, the majority of their offerings to date have been Glock parts like custom slides, barrels, full upgrade kits, and more. However, this seems to be changing. Given the proliferation of SIG Sauer’s P320 series and the concealed-carry triumphs that are their P365 and P365XL handguns, it makes sense that shops like Rival Arms would expand their product lines to include these models. With a July 27th press release, Rival Arms has announced just that, and they will soon offer a menu of new SIG upgrades.

The National Guard of Ukraine’s press office announced that the National Guard Special Forces have received their first 5.56x45mm AR-15-patterned rifles. The move comes as some Ukrainian National Guard units have begun to rearm in line with NATO standards as part of closer alignment with the western alliance.

With the tremendous popularity of SIG Sauer’s P320 and its adoption by a host of law enforcement agencies and military units, as well as plenty of civilians, the ever-growing demand for weaponlight and light-bearing holster support only makes sense. One popular light option for these handguns is Streamlight’s TLR-7/8 series. These lights provide a compact form factor, a menu of side and high or low rear switch options, and the availability of either red or green visible laser-equipped models in addition to the light-only versions. Now with a July 24th press release, Blackhawk has announced an expansion of their holster line to provide P320 and TLR-7/8 users with new Level 2 and Level 3 Duty options. The release reads:

Unfortunately, a common complaint among female shooters is that women’s fashion is just not well-suited to concealed carry. For most men, concealment usually tends to be relatively easy. Whether we’re just in casual jeans and t-shirts, business attire with collared shirts tucked in, even with full suit-and-tie events, it’s not too often that we’ll find difficulty including a quality belt that’s employed to properly support a quality IWB holster. The Arizona-based holster-smiths at Galco Gunleather are no strangers to tackling unusual or unconventional carry solutions. Among their standard holsters and other products, some of their offerings include pistol-ready day planners and tablet cases. Looking to provide the ladies with some tailor-made solutions, Galco makes a line of concealed carry-focused purses, and they discuss these options in the following July 23rd press release.

Langdon Tactical likes to do things a little differently. In today’s gun industry, it seems like everyone and their mothers are working primarily with the standard “who’s who” of striker-fired polymer-framed handguns. There are a plethora of SIG P320 and P365s, Shields, CZs, Walthers, and you can hardly take a step without tripping over a baker’s dozen custom Glocks. If you prefer less common makes and models – say, for example, Beretta’s 92 series – there’s less support available in terms of holster options, customization, and the like. Fortunately, less support doesn’t mean no support, and Ernest Langdon’s team has a history diverging from the beaten path. They’ve done work with guns like the Springfield XD series, Beretta’s polymer-framed PX4, their 1301 shotgun, and one of yesteryear’s favorite 9mm sidearms: the Beretta 92. In an effort to keep the 92 relevant in today’s shooting climate, Langdon Tactical has applied their significant experience and expertise to modernize this handgun by overhauling it to allow for a red dot. In the 92’s case, this process was far more involved than simple slide cuts and required a healthy dose of re-engineering. Meet the new 92 Elite LTT Optic Cut.

Israeli Weapon Industries, or IWI for short, is best known in the US for producing guns like the Tavor bullpup, the Masada and Jericho pistols, the elusive Carmel battle rifle, and their new US-manufactured AR, the Zion-15, among others. They are also a key supplier for the Israeli Defense Force, as well as a host of other military forces and law enforcement agencies all around the world. For example, TFB recently reported that IWI is selling more than 16,000 of their Negev NG-7 light machine guns to the Indian Army. Now they’re rolling out an entirely new initiative, with a July 21st press release detailing the announcement of multi-part comprehensive riot control solutions. The release reads as follows.

Hearing protection: it’s a big deal in any kind of shooting endeavor. For many years it’s been well-known that too many dBs battering your eardrums can cause permanent damage, including hearing loss and tinnitus. Suppressors can help, but if you’re going to the range then quality ear pro is absolutely a must-have. While simple foam buds or basic over-the-ear muffs typically work fine, some shooters prefer the added benefits offered by electronic options. Some models include smart technology that will amplify quieter sounds like speech, while dampening loud noise like gunshots. Others can fold in bluetooth capabilities, for communication purposes or to pipe in some music. With a July 23rd press release, the Michigan-based hearing defenders at Pro Ears have announced pre-order availability for a new electronic in-ear option: the Stealth Elite earbuds. The release reads as follows.

The US Army has awarded a $100 million contract to Saab for Carl Gustaf ammunition and AT4 recoilless Rifle systems which will supply the USMC and JSOC. This contract is an “indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity” (IDIQ) contract. This essentially means that all three entities can buy more than $400 million worth of the systems and ammunition during a 5 year period.

The US Marine Corps Systems Command have announced their intention to procure more than 25,000 suppressors from Knight’s Armament Company via a Sole Source contract. The Sole Source notice was published on the 9th of July and confirms plans to procure 25,853, 5.56mm Small Arms Suppressors for issue to the Corps’ close combat forces.

Speer Ammunition needs no introduction. This Idaho-based bullet farm has been putting out quality rounds for decades. Their Lawman and Gold Dot lines have become practically synonymous with duty/carry ammo, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with any other top ammo name in the business and trusted by more than 3000 law enforcement agencies around the globe. With a July 21st press release, they have announced the addition of one more agency: the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection. The release reads:

IWI’s joint venture with India’s Punj Lloyd Raksha Systems could be set to produce the ARAD and CARMEL rifles alongside the Tavor X95 already announced. The ARAD was unveiled in September 2019 while details of the the CARMEL emerged in July 2018. The ARAD is a gas-operated rifle in a conventional AR-pattern configuration while the CARMEL is arguably more futuristic with a polymer chassis but using the same short-stroke gas piston and rotating multi-lug bolt.

Walt Berger began making his own bullets by hand in his garage in 1955, which he credits with helping him shoot his way into the Benchrest Hall of Fame. Over the last sixty-five years, what started as one man’s part-time hobby has flourished into a thriving full-scale business.

If you’re in the long-range precision shooting game, by now you’re likely to be well familiar with 6.5 Creed. Designed by Hornady for Creedmoor Sports in 2007, the 6.5 Creedmoor is essentially a necked down .30 TC. A few years ago, USSOCOM (i.e. US Special Operations Command) performed a comparison test between several long-range rounds, including 6.5 Creedmoor, using SR-25, M110A1 SDMR, and Mk 20 SCAR rifles. They found that 6.5 Creed outperformed the rest – including the well-established 7.62x51mm NATO – by approximately doubling hit probability at 1000 meters, increasing effective range by almost half, negating about a third of wind drift, and doing all of this with less recoil than the 7.62×51. FN also makes an Mk48 light machine gun in this caliber, and it has also found a good deal of popularity in the civilian market among many long-range competitive shooters and some hunters. You can even get a lever-action Henry for it, dubbed the “Long Ranger”. Suffice it to say that 6.5 Creedmoor is here to stay.

Skipping ahead a month we resume the Underground Arms Watch series of articles, our regular dive into the world of criminal manufacture and use of off-the-books firearms showing up around the world.

Back in February India’s Ishapore Rifle Factory unveiled their 7.62x51mm Sniper Rifle. A wooden-stocked bolt action rifle with an adjustable stock and back up iron sights. The Rifle Factory Ishapore, perhaps best known for their Lee-Enfield-pattern rifles, is part of India’s state-owned defence industry and is overseen by the Ordnance Factory Board.

A Luxembourg-based financial holding company, Compagnie de Développement de l’Eau (CDE), which has been shareholders in Heckler & Koch AG for a number of years, has taken over a majority stake in the company. HK returned to profit in 2019 for the first time in several years, with continued investment they hope to continue this trend and also secure 900 jobs in Oberndorf.