Month: May 2012

Categories
Shotguns

New Saiga-12 Shotgun

Saiga-12
The all-new Saiga-12 shotgun. Note all of the changes from the original guns.

Izhmash announced the development of a new Saiga-12 shotgun variant for practical shooting competition.  Saiga-12 fans will likely notice a few differences just from the photo:

Saiga-12

My Russian is not very good, but from what I was able to determine, the new Saiga-12 sports several new features, including:

  • long Picatinny rail on top of the receiver for optics
  • a new muzzle brake
  • compatibility with AR-style buttstocks
  • a new “push button” type magazine release
  • a flared magazine well
  • some type of integral hook on the magazines for carrying on the belt in competitions
  • reworked gas system
  • longer forearm
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Categories
General Information

Seems Like a Bad Idea…

Orion Entertainment is looking for a few, heavily-armed preppers for a new reality show.

The new show would showcase preppers who are stockpiling weapons and “…their chilling motivations…”  Orion wants viewers to be “…wowwed by the collection” of guns, knives, NVG and other armament owned by the prepper.

I obviously believe that guns should be a part of anyone’s disaster preparations.  But, I do not believe that guns should be the focal point of anyone’s preps.  In my mind, prepping should be balanced, seeking to address the most likely needs first and building out from there.  Guns and ammo are important: just not the main focus.

It seems to me that this new show will not help the prepping movement at all.  People who are seriously trying to prepare for any kind of disruption probably won’t learn anything from the show, while anyone who is not prepping will likely be turned off from the concept after being show that preppers are just “survivalist nuts” looking for World War III.

I haven’t seen any of Orion’s other work, but they do seem to offer good programing such as Grateful Nation (hunting afield with disabled vets) and Don’t Be a Victim (hosted by Gerald McRaney).  I hope this new prepping series doesn’t end up being what I fear it might.

Categories
news

Around the Web: New Guns and Gear

Ares Shrike

Here are a few new guns and other gear I have stumbled across recently.

Ares ShrikeARES SHRIKE 5.56 Upper

ARES Defense is now selling an AR upper that allows the user to swap between magazine fed and belt fed.  This upper is chambered in 5.56 NATO and is compatible with all M4/M16 magazines and M27 linked SAW ammo.  No word on pricing.

Nautilus Rotating Rail

I’m really not clear on what I would ever use this for, but I’m sure some serious engineering went into the development of this kit.  Made by Ballista Tactical, the Nautilus Rotating Rail gives the shooter a “shift on the fly” capability to rotate rail accessories in 45 degree increments.

LMT Pig Package

Lewis Machine and Tool Company is making a Pig Man .308 rifle as part of an endorsement deal with Brian Quaca’s television show.  The show is called “Pig Man: The Series.”

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Categories
Ammunition

25,000 FPS Handgun Cartridge

Smith & Wesson Sabot Cartridge

In 2005, Smith & Wesson filed a patent application for a “high velocity ammunition system and firearm.”  The abstract stated the bullets fired from this handgun would achieve muzzle velocities in excess of 25,000 fps!

Smith & Wesson Sabot Cartridge

Let’s put 25,000 fps into context…

  • 25,000 fps is more than 17,000 miles per hour.
  • This is more than 22 times the speed of sound.
  • The .221 Fireball shot from a single shot pistol is the fastest SAAMI-spec handgun cartridge at about 2700 fps.
  • Federal’s 220 Swift load only manages 4250 fps at the muzzle from a rifle.

When I started reading the patent application, I expected that the 25,000 fps was a typo.  It just seemed so far outside the realm of possibility to achieve those speeds from any conventional firearm, much less a handgun.

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Categories
Shooting Gear

Firearms Guide

Firearms Guide
In this entry for Remington ammunition, notice the missing data.

I hope the third edition of the Firearms Guide is better than the second edition.

I’m sorry, let me start over…

The third edition of the Firearms Guide was recently released.  The DVD claims to be the “world’s most extensive firearms, ammo and air guns reference guide,” with thousands of color photos, schematics and more.  It may be all of that.  If so, the guide may be worth the asking price.

What is the asking price?  Oddly, I could not find the price on the site until I clicked the “buy now” button and got whisked off to PayPal.  The price is $39.95.

However, based on my prior Firearms Guide review (second edition), I found some things that would make me hesitate before buying the updated edition.

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