Archive for the 'Carbine' category
The Tommy Gun Returns
May 28, 2008 8:10 am
The classic Thompson 1927’s are back from Auto-Ordnance, this time being sold as a “lightweight deluxe pistol”. The TA5 sports a 10.5 inch barrel and the classic 50 round drum magazine, chambered in .45 ACP. 10 and 30 round stick magazines are available as well as the heavy-weight 100 round drum. From the specs, this looks to be a close remake of the classic Thompson in inner workings and even includes the classic walnut furniture. A very pretty piece of hardware.
Stretching the definition of Pistol
January 20, 2008 6:07 am
Calling this a “Pistol” is a bit of a stretch. Vector Arms builds this semi-automatic version of the “HK 51″ (which in turn is a gunsmith-modified version of the G3 to the scale of the MP5 or HK53). Firing .308 Winchester (7.62 x 51 mm NATO), this is a potent little package that looks and feels like an authentic Heckler & Koch. With a 9 inch barrel, it is slightly longer than the tradition HK 51 conversions (and four inches longer than the HK51K). The Vector V51 model shown here has a 20-round magazine - typical of the G3 source firearm.
Special Forces 416
January 8, 2008 6:12 am
Designed by Heckler & Koch working with the US Military Delta Force teams, the HK 416 was developed as a more reliable and comparably priced alternative to the M4 Carbine. At heart it is an M16 / M4 designed using the more reliable Kalashnikov action instead of the direct-impingement system. According to some accounts it performed with three times the reliability of the M4 when operating in sandy and dusty environments such as those encountered in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Yugoslavian SKS Carbine
January 2, 2008 6:48 am
The SKS is a very common semi-automatic carbine originally made in Russia and introduced in 1945 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. It wasn’t in front-line service for very long, as it was phased out for the AK-47 soon thereafter. However various versions of the SKS have been manufactured around the world for various military and civilian markets. The SKS was the first rifle chambered in the 7.62×39mm M43 round used in the AK-47 and RPK light machine gun. This particular rifle was made in Yugoslavia and is from the collection of Mr Chouinard, a gunporn blog reader.
Oh Lusa, I’m Home!
December 26, 2007 6:00 am
The LUSA A2 is a select fire 9mm submachine gun that was originally developed by a Portuguese firm for use in Portugal and adopted by a few other European countries. The design was then sold to an American firm where it is being manufactured and sold today. It is sold as a semi-automatic carbine in the civilian market, and with a select-fire trigger group almost identical to the MP5 for law enforcement and government agencies. The submachine gun definitely shows it’s Heckler & Koch roots with remarked similarities to the MP5 - which should come as no surprise as the company that originally developed it was also manufacturing H&K 21 and G3 rifles under license at the time.
AK-47 “Pistol”
December 14, 2007 7:08 am
After posting the M-16 derived 5.56mm “Pistol” yesterday, a reader sent me this very nice photo of an American-customized AK-47 “Pistol” made from Bulgarian AK-47 parts. About as short as an AK can get without rebuilding the gas system, this is still a far cry from being a true pistol by any stretch of the imagination.
PLR-16 Compact 5.56mm Handgun
December 13, 2007 7:53 am
While most .223 / 5.56mm pistols are built on the M16 action (and thus have the long spring-tube sticking out the back of the gun), the Kel-Tec PLR-16 has rebuilt the action using a different spring system, thus shortening the basic design by several inches. Personally I would still hesitate to call an 18.5″ firearm a handgun, especially since it really does require a two-handed grip. The actual PLR-16 (Pistol, Long Range) is sold with a 10-round magazine that sits flush with the bottom of the magazine well, but the gun accepts standard M16 / NATO magazines as shown above.
German “Storm Gun” ushers in new Assault Rifles
December 12, 2007 7:16 am
One of the most important firearms innovations of WWII was the StG-44 - the Storm Rifle that became the design for assault rifles for years to come. Chambered in the intermediary 7.92×33mm round it was designed to operate effectively as a carbine while also filling the support role of a light machine gun, while being light and small enough to also partially fill the role of the submachine gun in close combat environments.
Dlask Arms DAR-701 Canadian 5.56mm Carbine
December 4, 2007 7:27 am
You can’t leave Canada completely out in the cold. This semi-automatic carbine accepts standard 5.56mm NATO magazines (such as from the M16 series of rifles), and looks like a classic “tactical” carbine for today. It has a 6-position adjustable stock, flat-top upper with picatinny rail, and a free-floating aluminum picatinny hand guard. Made in British Colombia (Western Canada), the one in this photo includes a flat-top sight rail on top of the regular upper.
Talon / Trinity 9mm AR-15
December 1, 2007 7:36 am
GemTech produces a nice upper assembly for the AR-15 / M16 that combines their Talon rail system along with their Trinity suppressor. Here it has been mated with a very nice stock, reflex sight and front grip with flashlight.
