#300
[NRA 2019] Super Light Suppressors, New Stiletto Pro and XVL2 From Surefire
Surefire brought two new suppressors for release at NRA 2019. Both are built entirely of Titanium. This has cut the weight nearly in half compared to the weight of their predecessors. Both suppressors were designed for use with bolt action rifles and use Surefire’s quick detach mount system. While not designed for heavy cadences of fire, the titanium cans were surprisingly light.
9x39mm: AR-15 for Moose? [Modern Intermediate Calibers 026.2]
Previously, we compared the Russian 9x39mm subsonic sniper round to its Western counterparts, including the .300 AAC Blackout and the .45 ACP. As it stands now, the 9x39mm is a subsonic round only – no supersonic loads exist for it currently. But… What if they did?
900 Meter .300 Blackout Round? Hold On a Sec
Idaho company Trom Technologies (formerly PNW Arms) is advertising a new .300 Blackout round that it claims extends that cartridge’s effective range to 900 meters, more than twice the generally accepted 400 meter value for that round. They claim the new round maintains a 100% chance of hitting an IDPA silhouette at that distance, and that it retains over 400 Joules of energy making it, they say, “effective on biological organisms of all kinds”. The company released a somewhat esoteric PDF that not only extolled the virtues of their new ammunition (which also comes in subsonic and .308 Winchester flavors), but details their corporate strategy of selling consumers “the subscription experience”. What this has to do with ammunition is not made clear in the file.
.300 Blackout vs. 9x39mm: Russia's Subsonic Brute [Modern Intermediate Calibers 026.1]
Today’s Modern Intermediate Calibers will handle something a little different. While virtually all rounds we have looked at so far were designed primarily for supersonic use, today we will be taking a gander at the Russian 9x39mm round – a dedicated suppressed caliber designed exclusively for the subsonic flight regime, with no supersonic option (yet) available. This begets a question, then: Is the 9x39mm truly an intermediate caliber? To answer this, we should consider a few facts about the 9×39: First, it was designed for carbines and rifles with cartridge overall lengths comparable to common intermediate calibers, like 5.56mm or 7.62×39. Second, it was designed to give substantially better performance than is possible with pistol rounds, including armor piercing effect above that which is normally possible with handgun rounds. Third, it is used more like an intermediate caliber than a pistol caliber, being issued with a whole host of sniper rifles, assault rifles, and other weapons comparable to any other intermediate caliber. Therefore, I would argue that it is an intermediate, albeit possibly the strangest one in common use.
.338 FIREPOWER: Hands on with GD's Lightweight Medium Machine Gun at [AUSA 2017]
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) brought their .338 Norma Magnum caliber Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) to the 2017 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting, giving TFB the chance at a closer look at this much-anticipated long range weapon.
Blackhawk's New Suppressor Line at NRA 2016
At the 2016 National Rifle Association Annual Meeting, Blackhawk! was present showing off their new products, including the new suppressor line we reported on earlier this week. Blackhawk! was also showing off their new improved GI triggers, which we’ll cover later in the article.
A History of Military Rifle Calibers: The .30 Caliber Era, 1904-1954
A trend towards ever more powerful and longer-ranged ammunition was cut short by the realities of the First World War: Technologies not previously invented or accounted for, such as the man-reaping machine gun and the portable infantry mortar, made the existing infantry tactics of long-range volley fire not just obsolete, but quaint. Further, new essential small arms projectile designs like tracers, armor piercing bullets, and exploding observation rounds demanded more space in the projectile envelope, putting the previously cutting-edge small-caliber 6.5mm rounds at a disadvantage. The advantages of these small-caliber rounds were virtually negated, too, by the advent in 1905 of the German S-Patrone, a flat-based, pointed projectile that was vastly more efficient in supersonic flight than previous round-nosed designs. Although French engineers preceded this design with the superior (and top secret) Balle D round, it was the German bullet that became the pattern for military rifle projectiles worldwide.
GY6 Plays With NEMO Arms OMEN Watchman 2.0
Now getting deep into his quest to provide the entertainment value of FPS Russia (without the accent) and actually provide some actual solid information on a product, Andrew at GY6Vids is one of the first to get their hands on the NEMO Arms OMEN Watchman 2.0 semi automatic 300 Winchester Magnum rifle. (He also did an excellent DP-12 review).
Gorilla Ammunition Releases TROOP Line of Re-manufactured Rounds
Gorilla Ammunition has announced the release of their first line of re-manufactured ammunition, the Troop Line. Initially launched in 300 Blackout, Gorilla has stated their intent to expand the line to other calibers and loadings in the future.