Weapons

Soldiers glimpse new military gadgets at AUSA convention

By Toni Rico on October 22, 2013 Army, Gear, Vehicles, Weapons

Most soldiers outside the Washington, D.C. area won’t get a chance to attend the Association of the United States Army conference, but that doesn’t mean they have to miss out on some of the cool toys soldiers on the exhibit halls get a first glimpse of. Here are some soldier favorites: 1. This is my rifle. Soldiers like their weapons and the Remington booth was a major draw at the convention floor. Soldiers got to handle the range of the Remington’s M-16 type rifles, the R-4s, and the Adaptive Combat Rifle which can change calibers from 5.56 mm to 6.8 mm to…

Marksmanship Unit to hold coach's courses

By Lance Bacon on March 29, 2011 Army, Weapons

If you’re looking for NRA coaching credentials, there’s no better place to start than with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. The unit just let us know it will host beginning and intermediate-level coach’s course for the rifle, pistol and high-power rifle at Fort Benning this fall. The Rifle Coach’s course will be Sept. 10-11. The Pistol Course will be Sept. 17-18 and the High-Power Rifle Coach’s course will be Oct. 1-2. Classes run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Each course costs $125. Transportation, lodging and meals are on you. But the courses make you eligible for the NRA…

Army shooter has Olympic Gold in his sights

By Lance Bacon on March 16, 2011 Army, Weapons

A bronze medal at the Chile World Cup on March 3 gave Staff Sgt. Josh Richmond the points needed to compete in Men’s Double Trap at the 2012 Olympics in London. I had the pleasure of spending a morning with Richmond last month at Fort Benning, and this honor couldn’t have happened to a better soldier. Kudos, indeed, on this great achievement. But I don’t want to jinx the go-getter, either. Though Richmond is ranked No. 1 in the world by a considerable margin, he’s not in London yet. International competition has not ended, and only the top shooters are…

No M4 suppressors — but better barrels in the works

By Lance Bacon on March 16, 2011 Afghanistan, ARDEC, Weapons

Word at the rumor mill has been that the Army is putting suppressors on all M4. Some were excited with the news. Some were upset at the extra cleaning these require. Others questioned whether such an investment suggested the service isn’t serious about buying a new carbine. As it turns out, the mill was churning in vain. Col. Doug Tamilio, project manager for soldier weapons, tells Army Times the service is not buying suppressors for all M4s. Such talk was likely drawn from a Navy Crane Center solicitation or from 10,000 flash hiders purchased by Rapid Equipping Force for use…

'Mood paint' lets you know if ammo got too hot

By Lance Bacon on March 8, 2011 Afghanistan, ARDEC, Weapons

Engineers are working on a color-changing paint that indicates whether ammunition has been stored at extreme temperatures. Such temperatures can compromise performance and pose a safety risk for the soldier. Thermal indicating paint works like a mood ring – the longer the ammo has been in an extreme environment, the greater the color changes. Thermochromic polymers, which change the wavelength of light when exposed to different temperatures, are the key. “We have formulas that change color within the designated temperature ranges, but our biggest challenge is maintaining long-term stability of a coating,” James Zunino, project officer/materials engineer of the…

New IR illumination helps soldiers own the night

By Lance Bacon on January 28, 2011 ARDEC, Artillery, Product Announcement, Weapons

Artillery’s cool factor just shot higher than a 155mm Excalibur on steroids. The Army is fielding three illumination rounds that let soldiers see at night while the enemy remains in the dark. This is because the rounds produce infrared light that is invisible to the eye but visible through NVGs. These rounds also illuminate twice as much area as traditional illumination, according to a press release issued this morning. The cost of these artillery rounds is at or slightly higher than existing illumination rounds. Better still, the infrared technology has been honed down for use in 40mm weapons such as…

Utah looks to adopt 1911 as state gun

By Lance Bacon on January 26, 2011 Weapons

While some states restrict gun laws, Utah looks to become the first with an official state gun. And that is much cooler than having a state flower. The effort is to honor the memory of John M. Browning, the inventor of the M1911 pistol, according to this story. The bill passed the House Political Subdivisions Committee on a 9-2 vote. It will be debated by Utah’s House of Representatives this week. Republican Rep. Carl Wimmer reportedly told the committee the gun should be a state symbol to honor Browning, a Utah native. “He invented a firearm that has defended American…

Guns, guns, guns! (and other cool stuff, too)

By Lance Bacon on January 14, 2011 Gear, Outside the wire, Weapons

The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference – commonly called SHOT Show – kicks off Monday in Las Vegas. It is the largest and most comprehensive shooting and hunting trade show. Last year, there were 1,633 vendors. This year is expected to be bigger and better – and Army Times will be there. Keep checking “Outside the Wire” and our Gear Scout blog for daily updates and info on the latest and greatest guns, gear and gadgets. Whether you are into firearms, ammo, archery, knives, apparel, optics or anything in between, we’ve got you covered!

SCAR sniper support rifle approved

By Lance Bacon on December 14, 2010 Afghanistan, Army, Congress, Gear, Weapons

The MK 20 Sniper Support Rifle has been approved for full-rate production. The FN rifle is a variant of the Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) family. Fielding is expected to start in mid-May 2011. Three variants of the Special Operations Combat Assault Rifle, or SCAR, were approved July 30 for full-rate production. They were:

The Scorpion shows off its sting

By Lance Bacon on December 7, 2010 Army, Gear, Weapons

The XM1100 Scorpion doesn’t look like much. In fact, it resembles a miniature moisture farm from the planet Tattooine. But this is one chunk of metal the bad guys won’t want to cross. The 145-pound networked munitions system provides 30 days of security, surveillance & screening – and can easily take out tanks and vehicles that cross its path. It has acoustic, seismic and active IR monitors that can be used as part of a coordinated attack. It has an effective situational awareness of 400m diameter – roughly the size of your favorite football stadium and much of the accompanying…

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