by David Crane david@defensereview.com It’s common knowledge that enemy IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) are currently the number one threat to our infantry warfighters, and have been for quite some time. HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, a.k.a. Humvee) machine gunners have been some of the most vulnerable targets (if not the most vulnerable targets), due to the fact that they …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com July 13, 2006 A private company called CombatBodyArmor (CBA) is currently developing a small, forearm-wearable ballistic shield, or "Battle Shield" (a.k.a. "Combat Shield"), for infantry warfighters. The CBA Mini Battle Shield (a.k.a. Mini Combat Shield) is being developed specifically to protect the warfighter against current enemy rifle-caliber threats (7.62x39mm, 5.45x39mm, and 7.62x54R) and IED (Improvised Explosive …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com DefenseReview has just received exclusive video footage (links below) of an MPS Auto Assault-12 Full-Auto Shotgun (a.k.a. MPS AA-12 Full-Auto Shotgun) successfully firing (and cycling) British FRAG-12 munition (12-gauge grenade) on full-auto at 300 rpm (rounds per minute). The test (AA-12) shotgun sucessfully fired (and cycled) a total of 60 fin-stabilised FRAG-12 grenades/munitions over the course of the full-auto …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Gunwriters David Fortier (David M. Fortier) and Ken Hackathorn have both recently written articles about the HK45 and HK45C .45 ACP combat pistols, and both articles can be viewed at the Vickers Tactical Inc. website (VickersTactical.com). The articles are in PDF format and are downloadable. Vickers Tactical, Inc. is owned by gunsmith/pistolsmith and retired U.S. Army …

Warning: This article contains graphic images of animial necropsies being conducted after live animal tests (ballistic tests) were performed with Le Mas BMT ammunition.  "BMT" stands for "Blended Metal Technology", which is a trademark, not a description of bullet composition.  Click on photos (below) to view them full-size.  The following is a DefenseReview exclusive: The study of wound ballistics is based on …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com For the last few months, DefenseReview has been writing about the Pinnacle Armor SOV/Dragon Skin vs. Interceptor Body Armor fight. We consider this situation to be one of the most important developing news stories in the country, as it directly impacts the lives/survivability of our infantry warfighters. As the situtation has progressed, DefenseReview (DefRev) …

by David Crane david (at) defensereview (dot) com May 19, 2006 In our article Defrev Quick Hits 4 from SHOT Show 2006: More Tactical Goodies, we included information about the SOPMOD AK, a modernized AKM/Kalashnikov rifle/carbine with 4-sided/quad-rail Mil-Std-1913 rail system/forend rail tube.  This weapons package will soon be offered by Blackheart International, L.L.C. (BHI), which looked like a pretty slick …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com DefenseReview has received a short video clip from Vltor Weapon Systems that shows their VIS-1 monolithic-type (one-piece) carbine-length upper receiver/Mil-Std-1913 rail system attached to an M4/M4A1 Carbine-config select-fire lower receiver and being run on full-auto at an outdoor range. The weapon is outfitted with a Vltor Carbine/collabsible Modstock, EOTech 552 HWS/HDS (Holographic Weapon Sight/HOLOgraphic Diffraction …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com   Defense Review has confirmed it.  Just as we expected, Pinnacle Armor SOV-2000 (Level III/III+) and SOV-3000 (Level IV) Dragon Skin body armor appears to be significantly superior in every combat-relavant way to U.S. Army PEO Soldier’s and U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC)/Soldier Systems Center’s Interceptor Body Armor, which is comprised of the following components: …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com On April 5, 2006, DefenseReview published the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense news transcript (Unclassified) of Major General Jeffrey Sorenson’s News Briefing on Pinnacle Armor Dragon Skin body Armor and the Safety of Use Message (SOUM) relating to it. In his news briefing Mr. Sorenson made a …