5.56 NATO

Rare Breed Firearms and Spike’s Tactical have teamed up to deliver the new Spartan series of AR-15-pattern rifles and receiver sets. The series features Spartan imagery and custom Cerakote finishes that makes each part a true work of art.

Lightweight, rugged, and maneuverable, the Czech vz. 58 represents a tiny glimmer of individuality in the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War.

SIG Sauer landed a major contract with the Department of Defense to produce suppressed rifle conversion kits for special forces.

Magpul Industries is now shipping their recently announced slings and suppressor covers. They’re also launching a full series of range-rated eye protection.

Cobalt Kinetics is launching a lower receiver only version of their “featureless” Model 27 rifle for people looking to build their own rifles.

Modularity is the new gospel in modern firepower, and the FN SCAR just drips with it. The upper receiver starts out as an extruded bit of aluminum, while the polymer lower contains the fire control system and secures the magazine. There are two major subtypes. The SCAR-Light (SCAR-L) runs 5.56x45mm. The SCAR-Heavy (SCAR-H) chambers 7.62x51mm.

NSWC-Crane’s real eye-opening finding was that the mid-length gas system showed a far better service life than the carbine-length system.

Earlier this year we reviewed the German Sport Gun MP40 imported by American Tactical (ATI). It’s fun to shoot and a great tribute to WWII, but, as we said in the review, it would be really fun with an authentic-looking collapsible stock.

Heckler & Koch is pleased to announce that the company has finalized a deal with the U.S. Marine Corps for more M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles. The contract, worth over $29 million, is for up to 15,000 more IARs and spare parts.