General

Washington Utah – -(AmmoLand.com)- The US Army has been soliciting design and manufacturing firms for a next-generation squad weapon (NGSW) platform. This NGSW program is expected to produce a replacement for the M16 battle-rifle and M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). Along with the request for this all-new weapon, this project demands a new cartridge to be developed alongside and incorporated into these new firearms.

MARS Inc. / Cobalt Kinetics NGSW Rifle

The initial call-out for the program seeks to dramatically increase the terminal power and effective distance of the 5.56 NATO and even the 7.62 NATO. The performance of the new cartridge will rival the exterior and terminal ballistics of some current commercial magnum hunting cartridges. It seems a worthwhile endeavor to outfit each soldier with an 8lb rifle that can hit a 1 MOA hardened target, and  penetrate that target up to and exceeding 1000 yards. If that’s not enough to impress, this new weapon will fulfill these requirements without compromising the control and handling characteristics currently accepted in the M16 and SAW light machine gun.

MARS, INC of Montana teamed up with Cobalt Kinetics of Utah early in 2019 to realize this seemingly-impossible task. The brain-trust of MARS approach the modern semi-auto rifle from a fresh perspective while Cobalt Kinetics’ skill and expertise at precision manufacturing made the idea a reality. The resulting weapon presents as an extra-large framed AR-patterned rifle- with a huge magazine well to accommodate the new cartridge. Inside the handguard one can identify a large recoil spring wrapped around the barrel- an essential part of any long-recoil operating system. For those unfamiliar with this type of mechanism, it’s not unlike your grandfather’s Browning Auto-5 shotgun. But make no mistake, this is not your grandfather’s battle rifle.

The bolt and barrel, while locked, are allowed to travel freely within the action under the recoil impulse generated by the 6.8mm short magnum cartridge (the guns fire 140gr .270 caliber bullets at 3200FPS). This operating system causes a great deal of recoil energy to be spent and dissipated before the total recoiling mass delivers a blow to the shooter’s shoulder. Similar systems have been employed over the past few decades in some soviet rifle and machine-gun designs. This operation has been labeled as “shifted pulse recoil”. The recoil impulse is effectively distributed over time, while its speed is reduced by a spring and buffer system before the stroke is complete. The result is a slower and softer impulse to the shooter- more to the point- This rifle is as controllable and comfortable to shoot as the old low-impulse 5.56 platform, while doubling the effective distance and energy.

Besides reduced recoil, there are many other advantages of long-recoil semi-auto operation. No gas escapes the barrel into the action- this rifle, with full-auto capability, runs as clean as any bolt action. When operating with a suppressor, the long-recoil system actually runs more reliably and with less recoil that unsuppressed. Of course, the added mass slows down the barrel/bolt assembly but that extra mass and resultant momentum to the recoiling assembly help the system power through dirt and particulate that can foul other semi-auto mechanisms. And the addition of suppressor does not contribute to increases fouling in the action as the system operates so slowly (relative to DI or piston) the propellant gasses and powder-charge fallout have fully evacuated by the time the bolt unlocks and opens to eject and reload the weapon.

MARS and Cobalt have developed 2 versions of the “MARS” rifle. A 13” barreled lightweight carbine and an 18” barreled light machine gun have been supplied to the ARMY for testing and evaluation. Both are fed from proprietary 20 round box or 70 round drum magazines. Both are capable of semi and full-auto fire. The MARS rifles have been designed to incorporate the newest “smart” battlefield tech to keep the soldier connected and adaptable as battlefield tactics become more advanced. These technologies include a central power source to supply all peripheral accessories while tracking and displaying their performance and status. Light, illumination, direction of fire, total rounds fired between service intervals, ammunition supply in the magazine, and operating temperature can be tracked by a central command module on the gun. This information can be communicated to remote command to support the soldier of tomorrow.

Michael Merino, President and CEO of MARS Inc. adds: “I can't think of a better collaboration in this industry. Our MARS rifle design, coupled with the innovative approach to rifle manufacturing of the Cobalt Kinetics team, has been incredible.”

“We believe that we have a rifle design that meets the requirements of the Army's ambitious NGSW program. We are excited to be part of evolution of military effectiveness. We also plan to release a commercially available version of this rifle, in the first few months of 2020.”

More information on the MARS rifle can be found at www.marsrifle.com/

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U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Ask anyone what kind of gun was used when they learned how to shoot as a child and they will almost always say it was some kind of .22-caliber pistol or rifle. Because a .22 is such a soft-shooting round, it’s perfect for teaching children (and adults) the fundamentals of marksmanship without scaring them away with loud noise or harsh recoil.

In the early 20th century, one such popular rifle was the Stevens Model 15, which was an affordable, easy-to-use, single-shot rifle.

The Model 15 was intended for the boy’s rifle market. Early models had a 22” barrel and later models had a 24” barrel. Regardless of barrel length, they usually tipped the scales at less than four pounds. Technically a bolt-action, it was a simple single-shot design. The bolt operated like any other bolt-action rifle, except that after extracting the fired cartridge case, there was no magazine that would allow the loading of another cartridge. Instead, the next round had to be manually loaded.

For the first ten years of production, which were 1937 to 1947, it was billed as the Springfield Model 15. In 1948, it became known as the Stevens Model 15, and remained as such through 1965.

In other instances, the rifle was known as the Model 120, and thousands were manufactured as “store brand guns” for companies such as Sears, Montgomery Wards, J.C. Penney, and others, through 1971.

This particular gun is a Stevens Model 15-A. The exact year of production is unknown because it was made before Federal law required each gun to have a serial number, but we do know that it was made some time before 1958. We know this because the gun shows up in old family photos that are positively dated to that year.

Now, the gun in and of itself as an example of a run-of-the-mill Stevens Model 15-A is rather unremarkable, having virtually no collector value and a resale value of $100 or so. What makes this particular gun so special is the person who learned to shoot with it.

This Stevens Model 15-A belonged to a family from Arkansas, and one of the boys who learned to shoot with this gun was Carlos Norman Hathcock II.

Born in 1942, Hathcock enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 20, 1959 – the very day he turned seventeen. His previous skill as a marksman had won him a variety of matches and trophies at places like Camp Perry in Ohio. His proficiency with a rifle gained the attention of Edward James “Jim” Land, one of Carlos’ commanding officers in Vietnam, who trained him in an early version of a sniper school.

By the time he left Vietnam for the second – and final – time in 1969, Carlos had cemented his legacy as one of the most accomplished Marine Corps snipers of all time, with a total of 93 confirmed kills. The key word there is “confirmed,” as Carlos estimates his actual number to be somewhere between 300 and 400.

It was not uncommon for Carlos to spend days on end inching through fields toward the enemy, so well disguised that he was almost stepped on by a Vietnamese soldier one time and almost bitten by a viper another time.

Locally, he became known as “Long Tr'ang” – or “White Feather” – because he kept one in his hat band at all times while in country. Hathcock’s skill as a sniper quickly made him “Public Enemy #1” to the Vietnamese. They even went so far as to offer a bounty on his head worth a staggering equivalent of $30,000. Normally, bounties rarely got higher than a few thousand dollars.

By far, the most impressive shot he ever made was when he took out an enemy sniper who had been dispatched to kill him. While lying in wait, Carlos caught a glimpse of light that flashed off of the enemy’s scope. After making the shot, it was discovered that Hathcock’s round went right down the center of the scope and struck the enemy sniper in the eye, killing him instantly.

It’s important to note, however, that just because Hathcock was good at what he did, didn’t mean that he was heartless or relished in the killing of human beings. In an interview, he said, “I like shooting, and I love hunting. But I never did enjoy killing anybody. It's my job. If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids dressed up like Marines.”

Carlos left Vietnam in 1969 after being badly injured and burned when a vehicle he was riding in struck an anti-tank mine. He pulled seven fellow Marines from the fiery wreck and received the Purple Heart for his actions; a Silver Star came decades later.

Once he recovered and was firmly reestablished back in the United States, Hathcock helped Jim Land establish the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School in Quantico, Virginia. In 1975, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was medically retired from the Marine Corps.

Despite the pain from his disease, Carlos continued to offer sniper training to military and law enforcement agencies throughout the country for the rest of his life. In 1999, he lost his battle with MS at just 56 years old.

Carlos Hathcock’s story is the ultimate testament to what can be done when a small spark from a small gun like the Stevens Model 15-A ignites the passion for marksmanship.

Donated by his brother, Billy Jack Hathcock, the visually unremarkable rifle on which one of the Marine Corps’ most celebrated snipers of all time learned to shoot is in the collection of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.

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About Logan Metesh

Logan Metesh is a historian with a focus on firearms history and development. He runs High Caliber History LLC and has more than a decade of experience working for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, and the NRA Museums. His ability to present history and research in an engaging manner has made him a sought after consultant, writer, and museum professional. The ease with which he can recall obscure historical facts and figures makes him very good at Jeopardy!, but exceptionally bad at geometry.

The post USMC Sniper Carlos Hathcock’s First Rifle, Stevens Model 15-A appeared first on AmmoLand.com.

United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- When anti-Second Amendment extremists are trying to get people to go along with banning modern multi-purpose semi-automatic rifles, one of the things they do is to appeal to hunters. Bill Clinton was a master at using that technique to lull many into acquiescence – and Joe Biden also uses it.

It’s a smart tactical and strategic approach. According to the Department of the Interior, there were about 11.5 million hunters in 2017. Or, almost twice the membership of the NRA. This understates the untapped potential for activism and support for the Second Amendment since not all NRA members hunt. But the number of hunters declined by two million and reversing this is something that is in the interest of both Second Amendment supporters, hunters, and those who value real conservation as well.

As is the case with our Second Amendment rights, much of the stuff coming against hunting is emotion-driven, and at odds with the facts. When you look at the facts, hunting does a lot of good for the environment and the population of wildlife as a whole. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has a good rundown on that, including how wildlife has bounced back thanks to the efforts of hunters in particular.

For one thing, these days, hunters are scorned by elite opinion almost as much as Second Amendment supporters are. Don’t take my word for it – just look at the recent backlash at the founder of Jimmy John’s or a number of other hunters prominently shamed for their sport on social media. If you think Eric Holder’s anti-Second Amendment “brainwashing” has been bad, consider this: Hunters have seen their sport be the subject of a campaign that has been far more effective.

As you might expect, that brainwashing, in general, has caused the numbers to go down. The scorn for hunting among younger people means that new hunters aren’t taking up the sport. It also can be used to shame people into giving it up – or at least not talking about it to dispel the myths.

But Second Amendment supporters have also made their mistakes as well. One has been that they have thought too much about the Second Amendment in terms of personal protection or resistance to governmental tyranny (although those are extremely valid reasons). The Second Amendment protects our God-given right to the tools (firearms) that preserve our life.

But firearms don’t just preserve our right to live from a tyrannical government or a criminal threatening us or those we care about with bodily harm. Firearms also help many people preserve their lives because they are the tool used to put food on the table for themselves or others (look up Hunters for the Hungry) via hunting. It’s a lawful, legitimate reason to own firearms, and Second Amendment supporters should promote hunting on that basis – standing with those who Hollywood and media elites would sic social media mobs on and shame for choosing to feed their families themselves rather than ask for a handout.

All too often, when hunters are looked down on as “Fudds,” we blow a chance to build bonds with them – if nothing else than a shared resentment over the self-righteous scorn dished out by the likes of Ricky Gervais. Hunters should be natural backers of the Second Amendment, and if we stand with them, we have the chance to win those who are not involved in the fight over. But this is only possible if we have the right approach to them, one that is mindful of how we come across, which has pro-Second Amendment solutions to address concerns, and which doesn’t hurt the cause more than helping it.

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About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.

The post Helping Hunting Rebound Will Help the Second Amendment appeared first on AmmoLand.com.

U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- The National Rifle Association is moving its September Board of Directors meeting back to the Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia area, cancelling the originally-planned meeting that was scheduled in Anchorage, Alaska, Ammoland News has confirmed.

The board will meet Sept. 11-14 at a location still to be determined.

The location change comes as trouble is brewing on Capitol Hill, with the Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee slated to start meeting a couple of days prior to the return of Congress on Sept. 9. According to the Daily Caller, the Judiciary Committee, under anti-gun Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), will be hearing three new gun bill proposals Sept. 4. They are the:

• Disarm Hate Act, H.R. 2708, introduced in May by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), which would disqualify anyone convicted of a misdemeanor “hate crime” from being able to purchase a firearm;
• Keep Americans Safe Act, H.R. 1186 introduced in February by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), which includes a ban on magazines over 10 rounds’
• Extreme Risk Protection Orders Act of 2019, H.R. 1236, introduced in February by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA).

NRA is switching the board meeting at a time when the association is under intense media scrutiny over allegations of “lavish spending” by longtime chief executive Wayne LaPierre. Activist members have also been critical of LaPierre since the donnybrook in Indianapolis that saw the resignation of then-NRA President Ollie North, followed by the departures of four board members, the resignation of chief lobbyist Chris Cox, and the filing of dueling lawsuits between NRA and its former PR agency Ackerman McQueen. The allegations stem, at least in part, from reportedly “leaked documents” and as in any other high-profile controversy, there is the inevitable question about who did the leaking.

A copy of an email sent to NRA Directors and members of the Executive Council was obtained by Ammoland News and other outlets, including Newsweek. In it, NRA Secretary and General Counsel John Frazer explained, “This decision was made after careful consideration. As you know, our duty to protect our Second Amendment comes above all else and the NRA is the only organization that can carry out that mission. As details of the congressional schedule were revealed today, it became apparent that a fight of historic proportions is going to begin during the time when we would have been in Alaska.

“It is imperative not only that officers and staff be fully engaged,” the message added, “but also that the full board lend its support and assistance. Being in Alaska would have made it impossible for our officers and senior staff to fulfill their duties here in the nation’s capital at this critical period in the Second Amendment’s history.”

The organization, which is incorporated in New York State, is also under investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office.

On the other hand, board members and many grassroots activists have been strongly supportive of LaPierre, and he reportedly spoke personally with President Donald Trump recently in the aftermath of mass shootings in California, Texas and Ohio, as anti-gun Democrats and gun prohibition lobbying groups, sensing the NRA may be vulnerable, are poised to throw all kinds of gun control schemes into the mixer. And the association has become known as the “900-pound gorilla” of lobbying organizations, often pulling off stunning victories against what seemed like insurmountable odds.

There had been criticism on social media about the planned Anchorage board session amid all the concerns about finances, so some people may believe there are ulterior motives for the change of venue.

However, as Congress returns just two days prior to the board meetings, with committees holding their usual sessions prior to the traditional Saturday business meeting of the full board, there is no denying that the danger from Capitol Hill Democrats is genuine. Every Democrat now running for their party’s nomination next year to challenge President Trump has offered up some gun control scheme, including “mandatory buybacks” of so-called “assault weapons,” licensing and registration of gun owners, waiting periods on the purchase of firearms, so-called “universal background checks,” and other proposals that many in the firearms community see as direct attacks on the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Coincidentally, the relocated board meeting is happening only a week prior to the 34th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Co-sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, the Sept. 20-22 weekend event is already expecting a big crowd, based on pre-registrations.

SAF and CCRKBA have been increasingly mentioned as possibly providing alternatives to beleaguered Second Amendment activists should NRA be seriously crippled by the turmoil. Also mentioned in a Politico examination of the situation were the Gun Owners of America and National Association for Gun Rights.

But it just might be wishful thinking on the part of gun prohibitionists to believe the NRA is about to collapse. The organization has surprised its opponents before, and with fights looming not only on Capitol Hill but in state legislatures early next year, gun rights organizations are not so much competitors as they are allies against a common enemy seemingly bent on eroding the Second Amendment.

SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb was quoted by Politico noting, “There are a lot of NRA members that don’t like the infighting, don’t like all the lawsuits, don’t like some of the spending that’s been talked about in the press. A lot of them — they want to defend gun rights, they’re not going to stop defending gun rights, they’re just looking at other places to do it.”

By some estimates, there are more than 100 million gun owners in the U.S. and even combining all the reported memberships of NRA, SAF, CCRKBA and the other groups, that accounts for perhaps 7 or 8 million members and supporters. Many veteran activists have long contended that this small core of gun owners has been “carrying the water” for the majority of hunters, recreational and competitive shooters and the millions of Americans who own firearms for personal and family protection.

Regardless the NRA’s troubles, many gun rights activists have done the math and concluded that if just 25 to 50 percent of the nation’s gun owners belonged to any or all of the various rights organizations, including NRA, they would not be facing this kind of trouble from Congress or state lawmakers, and gun control groups would be spinning their well-financed wheels.

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About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

The post NRA BOD Moves Sept. Meet Back to D.C.; Capitol Hill Battle Looms appeared first on AmmoLand.com.

U.S.A.– (Ammoland.com)- Here is the news you don't get from the mainstream media. Again this week, responsible gun owners defend themselves and the people they love. Self-defense instructor Ben Branam joins the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast to look at four new examples. Were these gun owners lucky, or were they well trained? (23-minute audio)

These victims survived lethal attacks because they had a gun..and a plan.

First story-  Are you armed at home?

A knock on your front door wakes you up. You throw on some clothes and slip your small handgun into your pocket. You answer the door, but keep the outside screen closed. A teenage boy said he was caught at his girlfriend’s house and is running from her dad.He asks you to call his grandma. You say you will. You also notice a pair of rubber gloves in your visitor’s back pocket. You call the police. You also get your shotgun and don’t go near the doorway.

You tell the stranger that his grandmother is on the way..until police arrive and arrest him. He had broken into a trailer this morning and running from the police.

(note- no shots fired)

Second Story-  Are you armed on the street?

You’re driving down the street. It is a little after noon and the traffic is moving slowly through a construction zone. Something strange is going on across the street. You hear shouts and the traffic stops. You see a guy picking a woman up off the ground. She is kicking and screaming. Other drivers are shouting too. You get out of your car to be a good witness.

You move toward the fight. You’re armed. The attacker sees that he’s drawn a crowd. He puts the girl down and runs. The woman is looking for her dog that she was walking on a leash when she was attacked. Police arrive a few minutes later. You can only tell them what you saw.

(note- no shots fired)

Third story- Are you armed when you’re driving?

You’re driving for a ride sharing company and you’ve just dropped off a passenger. It is 5:30 in the morning. You see an injured dog on the side of the road. You stop so you can help. You’re searching on your phone for the number of animal-rescue when a stranger starts climbing in through the passenger window. You yell for him to stop. You start to drive away and the passenger starts kicking you.

You’re armed. You draw your firearm and shoot your attacker. Now he stops kicking you and jumps off your car. You drive a short distance way away and then call police. The police find your attacker and take him to the hospital. He’s described as “uncooperative” even though he has a bullet wound in his leg.

Fourth story- Do you have a firearm nearby at night?

Someone is banging on your door. They are shouting that they are the FBI and on a drug raid. You don’t do drugs. You don’t open your door and your roommate calls the police.

Two men dressed in street clothes kick down your door. The man in front is carrying a gun. The intruder points his gun at you. You’re armed. You shoot him. Now the attacker drops his gun and both intruders run away. The gun was a pellet gun. Police take your attacker to the hospital.

What would you do in these situations? Podcast and full discussion at the link.

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About Rob Morse

Rob writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob is an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.

Contact Ben Branam at Modern Self Protection.com

The post At Home and as You Drive- More Self Defense Gun Stories appeared first on AmmoLand.com.