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The Army intends to introduce in 2023 a rifle and light machine gun pairing to substitute the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon for its close combat unit. The Marine Corps and Special Operations Command are also involved in the extensive testing and experimentation phase and will be able to choose the new-caliber firearms. The new 6.8mm round, specially designed by the Army, is the most significant change for shooters. In the Next Generation Squad Weapon program, competitors were tasked with building the weapon to accommodate this round. Sig Sauer secured the $4.7 billion weapon contract last year, while...

Putting the "wimpy" 30 carbine to the test. In this video, Paul Harrell takes a close look at the US M1 Carbine, that handy and fast-handling short rifle that was adopted specifically to replace the 1911 in its role as a smaller alternative to a full-size battle rifle. After a short intro, he begins by talking about the power (or lack thereof) of the 30 carbine cartridge, which is a diminutive round about the length of a 357 magnum, but considerably smaller in diameter. This brings to mind a conversation I had with my father nearly 40 years ago. We...

Choosing the right ammunition can be a difficult task, even for the most experienced of gun enthusiasts. Without taking on the overwhelming hobby of making your own ammunition, and having your significant other hassle you over those exciting new credit card bills, here are a few tips to help you find the right ammunition for your 9mm. Regarding Grain and What That Means for You and Your AccuracyGrain is relatively important when it comes to the accuracy of your carbine or pistol. Truly, most sportsmen can spend an entire lifetime going to the range or hunting and never really worry...

Close Quarters Carbines, Square Ranges, CQB, Weapons Manipulation and Tactics   Max Velocity wrote an interesting post called The Great Tactical Training Con. I agree with him in some regards but disagree in others. This stumbles into something I have been thinking about for awhile. Over the past few years or maybe the last decade the role of the rifle in close quarters fighting has changed.  What used to be considered almost solely shotgun territory has become dominated by AR's, AK's, etc all. These rifles hold 30 rounds and reload themselves which is pretty handy. Not taking anything away from...

Bass Pro Shop advertising a Bushmaster AR15 O.R.C. M4 (Optics Ready Carbine) 16", 30-rd, collapsible stock. Curious about any FReeper experience with this carbine. Priced at $979.99 Out of stock at most of the usual places online, so I thought it might be a popular firearm. What is the FReeper opinion of this? This is a .223/5.56 NATO rifle. Not gonna debate .223 v .308 on this thread. That is a different purchase. Please provide your USEFUL opinions.