Free Republic

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNBb0mmrFC6/ This young Massachusetts police officer and Marine veteran, Andrew Biggio, has completed his book, "The Rifle", and it is going to press. He has interviewed many WWII veterans and had them sign the rifle. He has taken several groups of WWII veterans to see the historic sites in Europe, including finding sponsors so they can travel at no cost, and organizing all logistics of their travel and itinerary. He is very active in endeavors to benefit our veterans, including founding and organizing the Boston Wounded Vets Run (motorcycle). Info is here: https://theyfoughtweride.com/ Please consider buying his book and/or following...

The AVS-36 was Soviet Russia’s attempt at a fully-automatic service rifle, and it was a total flop. Though the AVS-36 had a high magazine capacity and was relatively lightweight, it was also virtually uncontrollable during fully-automatic firing.

Effective at ranges out to 2,000 meters, the SIG Sauer MG 338 machine gun has a greater range than the M240 platoon-level machine gun. It has a rate of fire of 600 pounds and is chambered in the hard-hitting .338 Norma Magnum (8.6x63mm) round, and yet it weighs in at just around 21 pounds. It is easy to see why a year ago the U.S. Special Operation Command (UUSOCOM) selected the MG 338 for evaluation to bridge the gap between the M240, chambered in 7.62×51 NATO, and the Browning M2 heavy .50 caliber machine gun. The MG 338 could help...

Meet the CDX-50 Tremor – the name alone would likely give Second Amendment opponents night tremors. At just under 23 pounds, the bolt action Cadex CDX-50 Tremor is the lightest .50 BMG platform on the market today – a full 10 pounds lighter than the Barrett M107 used by the U.S. military.

In 2004, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a solicitation that called for a new weapon for special operators. However, the Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle wasn’t just to be a single rifle, but actually, a platform that would be designed around two different calibers yet maintain a high commonality of parts while having identical ergonomics. The weapon was to replace the various AR-15 derived 5.56x45mm rifles as the updated M-14s that were then in service with the special operators. Among the entries included the Heckler & Koch HK416 modular system, but in the end, the FN...

Why everyone loves Barrett’s MRAD sniper rifle: It is incredibly light-weight, offers excellent accuracy, and most importantly: can be chambered in several calibers. American-Made Precision Barrett Firearms‘ status within the United States military is solid. The Tennessee-based firearm manufacturer has designed and built several extremely long-range sniper and anti-materiel rifles chambered in the .50 BMG heavy machine gun cartridge, as well as other larger diameter precision cartridges.

While the total number of firearms sales for 2020 won’t be known for another couple of weeks, it is already evident that last year broke all the records. With just weeks until President-Elect Joe Biden is sworn in and moves into the White House, sales of guns are only likely to increase, and that means ammo prices are spiking across the nation. Ammo in Short Supply As numerous reports have highlighted, a driving factor in the increase of sales was due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, but it wasn’t just gun owners stocking up. 2020 saw the largest increase in...

The Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program is a U.S. Army initiative that has a lot on its plate: replace both the M4 carbine as well as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon with a rifle and automatic rifle. Not only that, but the NGSW competition also wants to incorporate a new intermediate caliber rifle cartridge too–and Textron has some interesting ideas on how to win this big contract. How Textron Is Approaching the Competition Textron is joined by SIG Sauer and General Dynamics in NGSW program participation, and one of the three bids should be selected sometime this year. The...

There are countless examples of military systems that shouldn’t have gone forward – but too often designers “chased” the problems, and in the end that put soldiers in harm’s way. A weapon that doesn’t function properly in the field is dangerous to the user, and the U.S. Army’s XM25 Punisher is such an example. At least in this case the problem was canceled and the lessons (hopefully) learned. History Developed by Alliant Techsystems and Heckler & Koch under the Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) program for the Army, the XM25 System was meant to provide a soldier with a revolutionary...

From a friend via a copy-pasted email thread Many of you you have asked how safely store what we'll call "the modern sporting rifle" for the long term. Particularly let's focus on storage in what we'll euphemistically call "environmentally exposed" locations. The typical answer has been to liberally coat the firearm in some sort of viscous grease (last generally sold in the Korean War era) that can take an hour to get off if the firearm is needed/desired for use, and place all the parts in various bags inside a large diameter PVC Schedule 40 or better pipe, with threaded...

On the morning of 22 September, about 10 a.m., two home invaders disguised as utility workers, displayed a handgun as they forced their way into a home on the 100 block of Frolic Avenue. A woman in her 30's had a toddler in her arms as she answered the door. As the two men, 34 and 36, forced there way inside, the woman turned and screamed. The house is very modest, only about 650 square feet. It has a full basement. The home invaders were later identified at brothers Jimmy and Christian Tenorio. Image from Waukegan Police, cropped, scaled, and...

Given that, the effectiveness of infantry rifles is a slippery question and rating one against the other is certainly a subjective one. Our choices are based on a number of factors; innovation, effectiveness, service life, impact on history and small-arms development. These are the choices of our editors, no doubt you have your own, perhaps better choices. We don’t expect it to be definitive and hope only to spark debate and interest among our readers. Omissions from the list will no doubt provoke the most questions, so I will try to explain the absence of some of your, and our,...

Mr. McCloskey explained during his on-camera interview on Monday that he announced to the Marxist mob that they were on private property and that’s when they became enraged. “Somebody forced the gate, and I stood up and announced that this is private property. Go back. I can’t remember in detail anymore. I went inside, I got a rifle. And when they … because as soon as I said this is private property, those words enraged the crowd,” he said. McClosky said one of the militants pulled out a loaded pistol magazine and clicked them together and said ‘you’re next.’ “We...

On Friday evening, peaceful Black Lives Matter chants were shadowed by the deafening roar of motorcycle engines as counter-protestors — including some who were open-carrying firearms — followed the marchers on their route down Railroad Avenue to the Rifle Police Department. The march was organized on Juneteenth, the oldest celebration in the U.S. commemorating the end of slavery. It was the second time this month that several hundred protesters gathered in Rifle at City Hall. But unlike the June 2 vigil, Friday’s event was met by a significant counter-protest. As BLM supporters gathered in the plaza near city hall, several...

'There's no one in the U.S. that does what we do. That would leave the option of really going to Asia...and there's no chance that they can deliver the kind of quality that we do." Leupold is a 113-year-old, family-owned business manufacturing rifle scopes, firearm sights, and other optics in Beaverton, Oregon. With more than 650 employees and a factory that runs seven days a week, they manufacture the types of products that have to work every time, under pressure.“That moment of truth when is when you’re behind that sight and pulling the trigger, and we want to make sure...

RIFLE,Colo.(KKCO)-- Earlier this week Shooters Grill in Rifle reopened for dine-in service, which is against the state’s safer-at-home order. Unlike Mesa County, the Governor has not approved Garfield County for dine-in eating, which means they are only supposed to provide curbside pick-up and delivery. Owner Lauren Boebert, who is also a candidate for the Third Congressional District in Colorado, told us the rule is unconstitutional. She opened up last weekend for dine-in service at 30% capacity. Boebert was initially served with a cease and desist order Tuesday afternoon by law enforcement officials.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado. – Shooters Grill in Rifle received a cease and desist order from the Garfield County Public Health Department and the Rifle Chief of Police on Tuesday after reopening its dining room against guidelines from the Garfield County Health Department. Shooters began opening its dining room at 30% capacity on Saturday and has served hundreds of customers so far. Owner Lauren Boebert decided to go against guidance from the City of Rifle, the Garfield County Public Health Department and County Commissioners by opening up the dining room. The restaurant prides itself on being a safe place to eat...

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted so bad that year for Christmas. We did the...

3D printed Bolt Action .223 Rifle, successfully Test Fired U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- The .223 Remington cartridge is a high-intensity rifle and pistol cartridge. The SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, Inc) allowable pressure level for the .223 is 55,000 psi. In most “3D printed” AR-15 type rifles, only the lower receivers are 3D printed for the platforms they are on. The lower receiver holds together the fire control system. There is little mechanical strength needed. Upper receivers have not generally been printed because they are easily available in the United States. They are considered a firearm part, like a buttstock,...

Choke on a Rifle and a Usable Garden Gun – .22 Shot Shells #12 Shot U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- The .22 shotshell, made by CCI holds 1/15th of an ounce of #12 shot. Based on minimal testing 40 years ago, I considered it near worthless. In the last few years my brother and a friend reported experiences that caused me to reconsider the round. Varmints up to the size of red squirrels were killed more than 20 feet away. A dedicated smoothbore gun was reported to be useful up to 30 feet. Some Internet reports claimed effective results to 15 yards, or...