American Firearm Directory
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NEW FIREARMS & ACCESSORIES

We make every attempt to only preview new products when they are actually available on the market. This spares consumers from wasting time trying to locate an item to buy when it hasn't yet left the prototype phase. Please note that during SHOT Show (January of each year) manufacturers often announce new items that are several months from stores: we still announce these despite not being immediately available for purchase.

design cue: the glockbox

12/31/2016

 
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​In the hopes of triggering the birth of new products on the market, here at the AFD office we sometimes brainstorm new concepts over lunch, then rough-up some sketches on the computer afterward to illustrate what we were all talking about. We don’t actually have the venture capital to produce them so we will start throwing these “concepts” out there in the hopes that a manufacturing facility will take a cue and put the thing into production. 

Todays brainfart was an idea for a polymer drop-in bullpup SBR stock for your Glock 17 that we dubbed the GLOCKBOX (switchable internal components would allow for the various Glock models). We thought this would be a nifty gadget with a huge market among the Military, LEO and Contractor demographics as well as for civilians with their SBR tax stamp. It’d make the stock Glock instantly more accurate whilst providing a place to stash a spare loaded mag. A picatinny rail along the top would allow for the addition of optics and a sling loop/mount would provide unit retention and security. Obviously there are few conversion units on the market already but you can never have too many options considering each has it’s own shortcomings. Also, with the current interest in the bullpup format this would be a timely accessory. 

So here’s the deal - feel free to use this (or any) idea we knock out, exactly as described and without fear of copyright infringement - in exchange for 1)free finished-product samples, 2)running ads on the AFD and 3) throwing us a bone when you hit your first million. Thereby that’ll keep us brainstorming, up and running, lights on, coffee in the pot and beers on Friday! ED 

Description 
The Glockbox SBR Conversion Unit is a rock-solid bullpup carbine conversion unit for Mil, LEO and licensed civilians to convert their Glock into an SBR. The main unit is a one-size-fits-all drop-in polymer enclosure using specific inserts to allow for each buyers specific Glock model. If you own three different Glocks, you simply buy 1 main unit and 3 distinct inserts. Rails on top and bottom allow for accessory attachments. Rubber buttstock pad. Spare mag in unit grip.
Estimated specs
Length: 19"
Weight: 2.2lbs
Width: 2.3"
Colors: Black, OD Green, Digicam, Desert Tan
Caliber: N/A
Trigger: DAO
Charging handle: ambidexterous
Safety: ambidextrous/blocks proxy trigger
​Sling mount: single point
MSRP: $225

The SBR: Rifle-down or pistol-up?

12/29/2016

 
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ENDO Tactical is one of the few companies providing pistol-up stock accessories.
Why do I consider the “pistol-up” SBR to be the golden mean? In my opinion it's the perfect weapon platform. It's uber compact. The magazine is inherently safeguarded by the grip. It's serviceably accurate. And it's a lot of fun. Yeah, fun plays a big part in the weapons I choose.

I see numerous discussions about SBR’s and wish to relay my personal (and I stress, this is a purely personal) opinion on what I think is the optimum system, and why. Last year I purchased a Ruger MIII 22/45 threaded barrel rail gun. Upon firing it a few times it was evident it had a feeding problem - I couldn’t get through more than half a mag without issue. So it went back to Ruger and they (as per their usual impeccable customer service) covered to-and-fro shipping and returned it in 100% working order: evidently a faulty extractor was the culprit. They also polished the feeding ramp and other parts making it run like a clock. Back in hand I could see it functioned flawlessly with any ammo, so I promptly went about filing for my Class 1 and Class 4 tax stamps. Six months later I had a suppressed (Huntertown Guardian) 22/45 with a folding stock. I then fitted a vertical grip and and a $20 red dot sight from Amazon, and lo and behold I had an SBR I can bounce a tennis ball around the yard with whilst making no more noise than a BB gun. This is a formidable instrument - it's carbine accurate with it's fixed barrel and direct blowback, cheap as dirt to shoot, only weighs about 2.5lbs, it's robust with it's fully protected mag and it's under 12” folded.

So there’s my rationale. Considering the rigidity of current laws and highly punitive repercussions of assembling an SBR without appropriate stamps, I feel it’s only worth doing via a pistol-up approach. This means converting a handgun into an SBR and not cutting down (or adding a shorter barrel to) a full sized rifle (i.e. rifle-down). The few inches less of barrel on a full size rifle does negligibly little for weight, concealability or mobility whereas a pistol with a folding stock gives you a weapon potentially as short as 10” folded and less than half the weight of a shortened rifle. Add a suppressor and it’s a spectacular toy that will inspire frequent use and foster a resultant dexterity. What good is any firearm if we're not proficient with it?

If the need arose and I had to grab a single tool from the box, it’d be this. No ear drum damage, assured hits and zero recoil make it feel like airsoft, so if you’re considering the headache of going through the process for stamps 1&4, I’d advise you do it for a pistol. Ammo doesn’t come cheaper than 22LR or 9MM, it puts other weapons in the shade for shear fun factor plus it’s unchallenged at the range for fast, quiet short-range accuracy and agility. It is indeed the golden mean and the regulating bodies know it which is why they’ve curbed usage for decades, kept tabs on those who have them and dispense stern penalties for unqualified users. However, a gun is a gun is a gun whether its short, long, quiet, loud, black or pink so the only hurdle between law-abiding citizens and any firearm - whether in stock condition or SBR’d and suppressed - should be a simple NICS check. God willing the HPR (Hearing Protection Act) will pass this coming year and the SBR will be the next head on the block. Once we’ve cleared these archaic laws from the books the market will see a whole range or new and innovative firearms! ED

pimp my glock

12/27/2016

 
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Robar does an outstanding job of improving Glock's aesthetics.
​I remember being in a gun shop in 1989 with my newly granted carry permit in hand, drooling over the limited choices at that time, trying to decide what I should buy with my hard earned dollars. Another guy in the shop was looking at gen 1 Glocks and said out loud, “Those are beautiful”, causing the typically sullen gunshop salesmen to laugh desparagingly. 

I think it’s safe to say that the Glock is now ubiquitous. Not only was it increasingly the default handgun of many American consumers but now it’s the choice sidearm of American special forces it has reiterated the brand's viability and gives renewed impetus to the civilian market. Nothing succeeds like success, and that success is increasingly sealing the deal for many who are dithering over brands. Having taught product design and aesthetics at university, I’m not an avid fan of the Austrian marque but I am extremely interested in Glock from a design angle. Firstly I think their strict adherence to the handgun platform, their limited color palette and their tooth and nail protectiveness over would-be copycats has maintained the purity of the brand. Secondly, ergonomically it’s the Volvo of the gun world (i.e. boxy and utilitarian) but it’s those lines (or lack thereof) that make the Glock a blank canvas for aftermarket modifications. Absolutely any personal addition is a marked improvement on its looks. From an artist’s standpoint, the Glock is a square…like a block of stone, a lump of clay or an unpainted canvas (even my computers autocorrect insists on changing the spelling to “block”) screaming to be touched by the owner’s creative bent, and in that sense alone it’s an absolutely ingenious product. 

That shopper from 1989 was right in his observation regarding the sophistication of the cube and today there are a number of companies who manufacture aftermarket parts, services and accessories to beautify the pistol. Robar, Lone Wolf Distributors, Glockstore and TMT Tactical are four sources owners can use to personalize their weapons with straightforward snap on performance enhancing additions, or for those with fatter wallets via machined slides, slick finishes, beavertail additions and grip & trigger guard reductions. The Glock in stock finish is as utilitarian as a baseball bat and equally formidable, but its yearning for personalization makes it one of the most brilliant and modular weapons of our generation. Kudos. ED

the protection of D.A.D.

12/24/2016

 
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In an era hyper-conscious of self defense and full of methods to implement that, sometimes we forget there are people who just don’t care for firearms. I’m not suggesting they’re anti-gun, they’re just gun-shy. The fear of the noise associated with shooting, the fear of not being able to use it effectively in the heat of the moment, the fear of being disarmed by an assailant, the fear of the repercussions and legal issues if they were to actually shoot someone, and so on and so forth….these are very real anxieties for people and should not be belittled by those of us who are pro-gun and gun-aware. But when we take a close look at the options available in the less-lethal aisle, pickings are slim.

​There’s pepper spray, CS gas and tasers, and that’s it. It seems none of those are really that comforting: each has it’s own drawbacks as a standalone deterrent and has been adequately disproven to be effective against a truly determined attacker, but combined in a neat handheld package and bundled with a strobe light and automated GPS/SMS messaging, then you have an adequate substitute to a concealed handgun. The D.A.D (Defense Alert Device) is exactly that tool. For every gun-shy individual looking to protect body and soul without the side-effects of a discharged firearm, this IS the solution. Designed by a former LEO Randy Teig, it comes with a convenient strap so it can be securely handheld when you’re out for your run or hiking your favorite trail. The strobe is the first response, then the pepper spray, or you can send a discreet “I’m in danger” alert with the touch of a button, with or without releasing the spray. Also, the second either light of spray is activated D.A.D sends an emergency alert via your cell phone. The alert sends your GPS location to anyone with the D.A.D. app within a one mile radius, and to those in your D.A.D. contact list, regardless of distance. The D.A.D. alert prompts the receiver to call 911, and provides directions to your location, should the receiver be able to provide immediate assistance in person. Anyone with a smart phone can download the D.A.D. app with Crowd Alert™ today for free - when it comes to personal safety, we are all in this together. Download the app for free from the iTunes App Store for iPhones and Google Play App Store for Android phones. It is FREE whether you own a D.A.D.™ or not. 

Personally I think this is the best idea to be born in the less-lethal category in perhaps forever. And I’d urge those of us who ARE comfortable with carrying a firearm to download the D.A.D. app so you can be on hand to assist someone in need should the event arise - in this increasingly insecure world I’d say being there for others in dire need is more and more our civic duty. 

Contact TigerLight at for more information or use the link on the AFD less-lethal page. And have a happy Holidays! ED

Microtech: double action precision!

12/21/2016

 
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Since 1994 a guy called Tony Marfione has been making some extraordinary knives, first in Florida, then latterly in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Such is his technical cognizance that in 2007 he introduced a US version of the Steyr AUG known as the MSAR STG556 in both civilian and military formats. The Steyr and its variants have long been adopted by the armed forces of Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Pakistan, the Falkland Islands Defence Force and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has famed appearances in cinema including Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikita.  What a great gun but possibly ahead of it’s time on the American market, until, some solid promotion and availability by Ster presumably squeezed out Marfione’s rifle in early 2015. Today The iconic bullpup-style Steyr AUG has become one of the most recognizable rifles in the world, and Marfione had the foresight and engineering knowhow to realize the brilliance of the design way back when. Fast forward to today and that same clairvoyance translates to his extraordinarily beautiful and simultaneously utilitarian knives. Furthermore, these blades are the epitome of patriotic - made from 100% American materials and labor, 95% in house manufacturing, microscopic tolerances and a lifetime warranty, it’s American weapon-art at it’s finest and amply provides full vindication for the MSRP. Marfione's OTF and D/A autos have become cult figures and benchmarks of robustness making them a choice of military operators (he has even designed knives specifically for use by the US Military). And custom knifemakers, such as Greg Lightfoot, have remarked that Marfione’s engineering tolerances give Microtech the same quality as a handmade custom. So, if perchance your scouring the market for a lifetime knife that drips cool and provides all the dependable pocket security you desire, take a close look at Microtech, we think you’ll not be disappointed. ED

glock's AMERICAN conqueror?

12/18/2016

 
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​Here at the AFD we are perpetually on the lookout for new American-designed and manufactured firearms. It feels like what we need in this country is an equivalent of the Glock - not an adopted European design but a 100% American concept actualized and embraced by Americans, and ultimately by the rest of the world. We need a new John Browning. We were hard pushed this morning to come up with a recent American handgun that was NOT a spin-off of the Austrian monolith’s key characteristics of polymer, striker-fired, zero manual safety and double-action only. Has the handgun reached it’s zenith in the Glock and it’s myriad of copies? Is Glock the end of pistol innovation? Will there be nothing new other than an endless stream of polymer offspring hoping to become alpha male in a saturated market? Glock has become the default pistol when any perspective buyer is considering a new pistol purchase: they may look at the competition but I reckon 75% of the time they ultimately open their wallets for the Glock because of it’s popularity. But I’m old enough to remember when gunshop owners scoffed at it in the late 80’s, got curious in the 90’s, accepting of it in the 2000’s and are now snobbish of anything else in the teens. The current aftermarket offerings and customization possibilities are mind-boggling so it makes the market for any new engineer+investor duo looking to set up a new manufacturing outfit, extremely challenging! Knocking the pig off his midden is an unenviable task. 

Personally I don’t think that much of the Glock. It’s blocky, awkward in the hand and feels (in comparison to the 1911 or High Power) like pointing a brick or length of 2x4. I also don’t care for it’s inventor's resistance to utilizing a manual safety. Sure, it’s reliable as getout, but so are a dozen other pistols offered by CZ, Sig, H&K, Springfield, Bersa, Walther, Steyr, Ruger, Smith & Wesson etc etc etc. However, I do think the Glock epitomizes the lazy culture of the 21st century and sadly has found it’s place in movies and thereby via popular culture at the top of everyone’s wish list. So are we done?

We at the AFD don’t think so. We believe there is unrest underfoot and that an American innovator is on the verge of releasing the latest and greatest pistol to ever see the light of day. In fact it’s that time of year: as we approach the 2017 Shot Show there is always an air of anticipation. The question around Christmas is always what will be unveiled this year? Usually it’s another iteration of the 1911, AR or polymer pistol, or a gen 2 or 3 or 4 of something already on the shelves, or something left-field enough to cause a momentary buzz of excitement, but in the last few years I can’t think of anything that’s been a solid enough game changer to create a tsunami of press lasting out it’s launch-year and bump the Glock off it’s complacent pedestal. There is one glimmer of hope for the 2017 Vegas event though, a new company called Hudson is teasing us with a partially-revealed metal pistol (thank God someone finally has had the cahones to forego plastic) that sort of resembles a 1911 in svelteness and for what appears to be a grip safety, but also has the hammerless look of Brownings earlier iteration, yet with a slight beavertail and in 9mm….with a promising counter on their website they evoke all the childhood butterflies of Santa’s arrival, so could this be the birth of our next leader? We’re hoping. ED

HOW TO USE THE AFD.

12/15/2016

 
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The American Firearm Directory is a valuable tool for us gun-owners. Very few of us like to make uninformed purchases with our hard-earned dollars: we want to be sure we’ve examined all the options before we take the plunge and hit that “buy now” button. We want to get the best product that closest fits our needs, but prior to the launch of the AFD there really wasn’t an online index of ALL the American manufacturing companies, arranged alphabetically, with descriptions of what they produce. In fact, even the guys who assembled the AFD said they were only previously aware of about 20% of the companies listed! In other words, even they, as industry professionals, only had around 350 companies on their radar. They said it was incredibly exciting to discover all the homegrown producers throughout the fifty states that are innovating and producing quality items to make our firearm ownership and enhancement increasingly complete. Never before has there been such choice - as law abiding Americans we are currently able to own pretty much any gun configuration we can dream up and the AFD gives wings to our dreams by enlightening us of the possibilities. 

A second crucial function of the AFD is as a resource for anyone looking to enter the firearms & accessories business. Personally I’d begin by perusing all the pages and discovering a window of opportunity. Just seeing how many companies are in OPTICS, or AR’s, or KNIVES I’d probably avoid entering those fields unless I possessed a revolutionary idea and a marketing strategy to match. There are several categories that seem grossly underserved and providing I could muster enthusiasm for them, that’d be a good starting point. The RESOURCE page then offers a comprehensive selection of providers from legal counsel to outsourcing manufacturing to import/export and distribution…it’s all there! In fact the AFD is a one-stop shop for everything you’d need to get going.

A third benefit of the AFD is to give existing companies a comprehensive overview of the business as a whole: to learn who’s who, who’s providing what service, who’s in their product field or US State etc, all for the purpose of improving product diversity and coverage, eradicating redundancy, reaching a broader customer base and ultimately improving their personal revenue flow. Never has there been a better time for American firearm and accessory manufacturers and having a clear overview of the industry gives each individual company the power to refine their customer base and product line. Also, each company can fine-tune their posting on the AFD at no charge by sending in their preferred text so their company/product profile is exactly the way they want it - just follow the instructions on the homepage. Any company can also billboard themselves by renting a page header for a nominal $12.50 per week: with over a thousand visitors a day that’s a lot of exposure especially in this day and age of restricted firearm advertising on Google, Facebook and other politically-correct web platforms. 

With time the American Firearm Directory will become as indespensible as coffee and donuts to consumers and businesses alike. It's birth is another crucial landmark in our favorite industry's evolution. God Bless America! HH

THE TNW AERO SURVIVAL PISTOL (ASP)

12/13/2016

 
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​I recently took possession of a very nice all black survival pistol made by an Oregon-based company called TNW. They've been around since the early nineties producing historical firearms, then in 2012 R&D'd the ASP and ASR of which got the former. This thing is tight, clockwork reliable,  accurate and well appointed with Glock-mag compatibility, flip-up sights and the modular capability to promptly change it up into a carbine and/or switch out calibers. Mine came in 45ACP but just knowing it can be switched to 9MM, 357SIG and 10MM with the additional purchase of key components makes future swap-outs an excting option. If you have the up-front funds then for $1,300 you can buy the complete kit in a backpack already: intended as a survival weapon for pilots it seeks to cover all caliber bases. Honestly, if I were a bush pilot I wouldn’t be likely to carry the full kit and boxes of each required caliber, I’d far rather have one weapon and 200 rounds of a single caliber already loaded into mags - hence my decision to go the solo route of the 45ACP ASP. This thing shoots great with a soft rolling recoil using direct blowback. With a 16” barrel and stock it'd make a fine rifle, or with a tax stamp it’d make a sweet little SBR in an always formidable caliber. 

Prior to purchasing it I’d read almost nothing about this company, and could find only a couple of reviews of their weapons, but after a pleasant email exchange with their head engineer and watching a couple of videos I was suitably impressed enough to take the plunge. I’m glad I did. I do think that magazine reliability/affordability is a critical deciding factor for any semi-auto weapon purchase these days and with the ubiquitousness and affordability of aftermarket Glock and Korean-copy mags, the ASP is an intelligent decision for PCC fans. I haven’t had any functionality issues with mine and I’m confident that if I did they would attend to them and get me back up and running pronto.  
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In my book this is a great American product at a good price, offering billet construction, lovely fit and finish, modular changeability, reliability, good practical accuracy and the 1st choice in magazines. What’s not to like. ED

WHAT'S YOUR EDC? A LAZY MAN'S OPINION.

12/10/2016

 
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Where I live in the remote woods of Maine, the odds of an encounter with someone looking to jack my car or mug me are somewhere similar to winning the Powerball, in my estimation. However, I take regular hikes along the dirt roads that are more common than blacktop ones in this state, and it’s not unheard of to encounter a black bear or even a catamount (as the mountain lion is known in these parts). Now I know a 32acp is probably insufficient to dispatch either if one decided to make a move on me, but with a whole bunch of shouting and a couple of shots I reckon they’d head in the other direction pronto. Overall I’m what you might call a lazy EDC’er. I just don’t want to lug around anything weighing over a pound on my belt and especially not in my pocket, hell, I don’t even carry a smart phone - I buy the smallest, slimmest cheapest phones I can and then replace them when they break. But in the same token I don’t want to be unprepared so besides my 5oz phone I also pack my P32: at 6.5oz I don’t think there’s any other 100% American-made pistol available with such outstanding power-to-weight ratio. Kel-Tec has it’s detractors but I’ve never had anything but great experiences with their products and on the one occasion I needed a repair done they were prompt and courteous and went beyond the repair obligation to give my pistol a good gunsmithing (polishing the feed ramp etc). I feel Kel-Tec have achieved a great balance of design innovation, output and utilitarian quality whilst keeping prices right for the working men and women of America. Speaking of George Kelgren, I had one of his 1990’s Cat9’s and that thing was as reliable as a bicycle. It was surprisingly accurate despite rudimentary sights and I never had a jam in the 11 years I owned it though I have to say the blowback action was a tad tough on the mitts. He’s a noteworthy weapons engineer with decades of experience so give his products serious consideration if you’re someone like me who would probably never carry a weapon you could feel rubbing your hip or banging around in your pocket. Personally I love the little Kel-Tec P32. It’s genuinely thin and light enough to forget, it actually holsters in the coin pocket of your jeans or with a steel clip accessory sits snug in your front pocket, or even on the inside breast pocket of a blazer. It’s an excellent little gun and affords critical peace of mind for lazy EDC’ers. As to functionality, I’ve had two of them (a 1st gen I bought in 2001 and a 2nd gen I bought in 2014) and they’ve both run like clocks, even with Federal Hydrashock, and if it malfunctions simply send it in to Kel-Tec for tuning, they’ll do you right. ​ED

AMERICAN GUN SNOBBERY AND THE PASSING OF THE SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

12/8/2016

 
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The Saturday Night Special (SNS) is dead and buried. But regardless of their reputation, I don’t believe any SNS manufacturer ever set out to make a crappy gun that wouldn’t function and that’d break after 6 months of use, I think they were constrained by budget, availiable technology and the desire of many citizens for cheap protection. It's a fact that any gun can fail at any time, how the gunmaker handles your request for repairs is the new benchmark for quality and from what I can see all the budget guns today come with a lifetime repair warranty. Having said that, I don’t think there’s any such thing as a bad gun - it’s true not all guns were made equal in the past (stamped parts, inferior metals, poor fit and finish of molded parts), but guns are just wonderful feats of engineering regardless of cost or durability (personal opinion). Nowadays with the ubiquitousness of good steel, glass filled polymers, the ease of adopting CNC (and the risk of crippling litigation) it’s only a matter of time (if we’re not there already) before every gun from every gunmaker pops out with all it’s finger and toes. I’m seeing this now from makers who were formerly considered questionable: thanks to the boom in our industry those same budget gunmakers are upgrading production processes because costs to do so have lowered, and can now provide a better gun for those of us who don’t earn much money.

I’m a staunch conservative but I've watched socialism growing like a cancer in this country. I remember the Reagan years where people made money and everyone celebrated that, now I see people make money and immediately get elaborate home security systems and armories to protect themselves. America has changed. It’s sad to see we now have a terrible habit in this country of resenting the wealthy (a very socialist practice that historically leads to revolution), and yet we love to look down on folks who are less fortunate and this snobbery is beautifully exemplified in the gun world. Social media is strangely void of enthusiastic espousals from the people who buy the cheap guns and yet the manufacturers of those cheap guns are selling them like hot donuts so it’s not like they aren’t numerous! The shortage of coverage on cheap guns is because buyers are made to feel ashamed for choices governed by their finances. Remember, not everyone who buys a gun is an enthusiast, and they probably can’t afford range dues, or three boxes of ammo every weekend, and costly accessories, in fact those budget pistols may never fire a single round but they provide critical peace of mind and they’ll go bang if and when they need to.

So let’s not knock the gunmaker for meeting a need or the buyer for their purchase, having options is what makes America free and great. Gun snobbery is cruel, and very un-American, let’s curb the inclination and get back to a more tolerant firearms community where your neighbor with his Cobra 380 is as American as you with your custom Glock 42: a 380 round from anyones barrel will do the same job in the end no matter how fancy your apparatus. ED

​Oh Linda! And other cool guns.

12/6/2016

 
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You young gunnies might not remember the likes of Wildey, Tec9 and Linda but they represented firearm cool for those of us coming of age in the 80’s. The AR wasn’t really on anyone’s radar other than as a weapon to be avoided due to it’s poor rep in Vietnam: pistol caliber weapons were the rage, rifle calibers were for hunting. Much like the Mac10, these above-mentioned weapons were brandished on TV and in movies and were the object of our firearm lust. Then some crazy laws and lawsuits stomped on the industry and there wasn’t much to excite the soul for a couple of decades, until Obama. (At least that’s the way I remember it, others may have a differing account of recent history.) In my perception, Obama’s inauguration coincided with a massive revival of all things gun, indeed he was Jesus to the gun industry Lazarus. All of a sudden engineers awoke en masse and began producing awesome stuff as well as reviving corpses from the last heyday. Nowadays it’s just too much fun having such a glut of amazing firearms and accessories with our pay-check being virtually the only hindrance to the girth of our personal armories. And so it was with a flutter of the heart that I recently read about Linda’s resurrection! Linda was the rich man’s uzi: she had nice fit and finish, apple pie American looks and a moniker synonymous with gentleman’s razors and cravat wearing scoundrels dueling it out with cutlasses. She was class, but dirty and dangerous too, not unlike that memorable girlfriend from high school who lived in the nice part of town. The guys from the new Wilkinson Arms have done a great job at keeping Linda true to original whilst adding a couple of appropriate features such as the Sten-like heat shield and an ejection port dust cover PLUS the option of an AR stock. I’m assuming they’ve remedied the minor functionality issues of the original Linda also, so all-in-all this promises to be one beautiful reunion. I’m a great fan of PCC’s, and 9mm’s from a 16” barrel deliver quite the punch. Furthermore, using the grip to safeguard the magazine is smart - many a Sten was temporarily immobilized in the heat of combat due to the mag being knocked out of alignment, I knew a British WWII vet growing up who mentioned exactly that. And they’ve replaced the original steel upper/lower with aluminum so hefting it around will be less of an issue for folks who like their weapons light. I also like weapons with names that don't evoke pulp fiction baddies or medieval warlords like so many of todays's offerings (okay, I'm old) though truly it won’t be everyone’s taste and the polymer fans will loathe it. But for us men’s men of a different generation this could be a boyhood fantasy come true. I know Linda’s on my naughty list! AS

​The Scavenger 6 & why haters and guttersnipes are not patriots

12/3/2016

 
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​This morning i received the Guns America weekly blog list which provides news of the latest innovations and happenings in the gun world. I really enjoy reading them and as I mentioned in an earlier post, nothing is quite as exciting and fast-moving as the firearms field largely because of the flourishing market but also because of the strict ATF regulations that necessitate domestic manufacture, making guns one of the great American industries. I’m particularly interested in what veterans muster up: having given several years of their precious youth and risked life and limb for the freedoms the rest of us enjoy, they usually have experiential insights into new firearm configurations or what to improve in existing ones. This mornings treat was the Scavenger 6, a multi-caliber (18 in all) revolver carbine primarily intended for survival situations. It’s been designed by USAF veteran Tim Ralston and been two years in R&D. Due to launch at the 2017 Shot Show it’ll come with three rifled cylinders each with six chambers, a detachable buttstock and a nine inch barrel. Something like this is long overdue, especially considering the shortage of good American made survival weapons (we’ll discuss the questionable Italian/Chiappa offerings at another time). Personally I think the idea is brilliant and will have an ever growing appeal, but it also exemplifies American innovation and for that alone should be celebrated and supported! So when I scrolled down to the comments section and immediately saw several haters crapping on the idea, I got irritated. By all means offer an intelligent argument on why you’d have no personal use for it, but to spew dismissive remarks demonstrates ignorance, lack of imagination and a dangerous deficit of patriotism. Online hate from trolls hiding behind anonymity has no place in the American firearm world, we struggle as a community everyday to keep watch over our Second Amendment and should thusly unite in encouragement and support of EVERY effort by others to bring us new product and safeguard our hard won privileges. And if you can’t be nice, then go exercise your vitriol elsewhere, you’re not welcome in these parts!

B&T Universal Service Weapon - USW-A1 9 mm

12/1/2016

 
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​B&T USA recently promised me they’d shortly be taking receipt of a few units of the new USW -A1. Here’s what the B&T website has to say of the task and purpose behind this promising new weapon: "In order to react to the quickly changing threats faced by police forces all over Europe, especially those threats presented by Islamic terrorist, law enforcement needs to quickly rethink its armament. The recent terroristic attacks have proven, today’s police side arms are not able to cope with an opponent armed with military assault rifles and bomb vests. This is the main reason for the development of the Universal Service Weapon (USW). It was to designed to be a weapon which enables the first responder, thus the normal patrol officer, to intervene effectively in the event of a terrorist event. It is also a sidearm that is suitable for every kind of “normal” police work. The USW will be available in two versions. One with a DA/SA trigger, available in Spring 2017 and one with a preset striker available Winter 2017." 

​As someone who has a particular penchant for SBR’s fashioned from pistols (as opposed to simply adding a shorter barrel to a rifle), this looks like the ultimate firearm. It is at once a 9mm pistol and then a carbine at the flip of a stock. Short barrels are inherently accurate however the difficulty with a pistol is holding it and keeping it on target, under stress, for every shot - add a stock and it’s a whole different weapon. The USW is threaded for a silencer, it’ll have the (sadly) now rare SA/DA option and it has a safety/decocker. It also has a rearward-set and solid unmoving mount for your favorite reflex site - no matter how shock-proof they say modern sights are on an MOS mount, it doesn’t convince me that one day they would’t fail or shake loose right when you needed it. The USW is vaguely reminiscent of an older Polish design called the PM-63 RAK. Both are slim and built as diminutive as feasible whilst still shooting an eminently effective round; add the possibility of placing shots quickly, quietly and ON target and you have the quintessence of firearm evolution.

I suspect the USW will be fairly scarce and very expensive when it does finally reach US shores, so this is a prompt to an American manufacturer to take a cue and come up with an affordable equivalent: it’ll sell like donuts! ED

    the afd blog

    Previews and reviews on newly available items are written-up by our team as quickly as we can find them. Please let us know if we've missed something debuting on the market. As a firearm enthusiast or an AFD listed company you are welcome to submit a blog entry about a new product. You may also submit a firearm related commentary, idea or nostalgic musing: we like things celebratory of American ingenuity and manufacturing. All entries are subject to editing and/or fact-checking.

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