By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com December 29, 2008 If you’re looking for an alternative to standard USGI 30-round AR-15/M16 magazines, but you’d prefer to stick with metal mags instead of going polymer with the MagPul PMAG, TangoDown ARC mag, or Lancer Systems L5 Translucent Polymer Mag for your tactical AR-15 carbine, Fusil-USA, LLC has just the thing …

Why M4's have reliability issues…and why it's our fault! By Michael Pannone December 24, 2008 I fired 15,000 rounds through a semi-automatic M4/M4A1-type direct-gas-impingement (DGI) carbine in 31 weeks without a single malfunction attributable to anything except bad ammunition or bad magazines, with a grand total of 9 malfunctions. The least number of rounds fired between cleanings was 960 rounds, …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com November 24, 2008 Updated on May 6, 2009 Ever since he won the presidential election, the press has been following President-Elect Barack Obama around Chicago like a bunch of hungry (and annoying) puppies. Whether he’s going to his transition office in the Kluczynski Federal Building in the Loop (dowtown Chicago professional district, …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com October 9, 2008 On August 22, 2008, the U.S. Army issued a sources sought notice for an "Improved Carbine and Subcompact Individual Weapon System" (Solicitation #: W52H0908CARBINESV) to replace the Colt M4 Carbine, since Colt Defense’s M4 Carbine sole source contract will end in 2009. On September 11, 2008, I got a …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com DefenseReview has covered the 6.8 SPC (a.k.a. 6.8 Remington SPC a.k.a. 6.8x43mm SPC a.k.a. 6.8mm Remington SPC a.k.a. 6.8mm SPC) round for quite some time now. We’re a proponent of the cartridge, due to its superior efficacy over 5.56x45mm NATO (5.56mm NATO)/.223 Rem. within its (6.8 SPC) operational envelope of 400-500 yards, …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com May 1, 2008 Last month (April), DefenseReview received a link to an entertaining FN SCAR Mk16 MOD 0 (CQC config) a.k.a. FN SCAR-Light a.k.a. FN SCAR-L select-fire SBR/subcarbine firing demonstration video via email from a contact of ours at FNH USA. The shooter in the video fires 2-round full-auto bursts, a 30-round …

by David Crane defrev at gmail dot com All photographic images contained in this article were taken by DefenseReview.com, and they are the exclusive property of DefenseReview.com. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. All photos were shot with a 7.2-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot digital camera (Model #: DSC-P150). December 27, 2007 The February 2008 issue of Guns & Weapons for …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com May 10, 2007 Well, we’re still in Virginia Beach, VA, and on our way to see our friends at Special Tactical Services (STS). I’m sitting in the lobby of the DoubleTree Hotel Virginia Beach as I write this. Yesterday was range day at Blackwater USA. While we were at the Blackwater USA range, DefenseReview …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com DefenseReview first reported on the M16 Clinic AR-15/M16/M4/M4A1-platform 5.56x45mm subcarbine/SBR (Short-Barreled Rifle) weapons packages back in December, 2004. That first article discussed the select-fire/full-auto,  SOPMOD M4 CQBR (Close Quarters Battle Receiver)-style M16 Viper and M16 Viper-XRP (eXtra-Range/Perimeter) 5.56mm subcarbines/SBRs, which are built specifically for military Special Operations applications, including anti-terrorism/counterterrorism operations. These weapons would appear to …