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 Chen “SMGLee” Lee All photos contained in this article are courtesy of Chen Lee a.k.a. "SMGLee", and are copyrighted. December 22, 2008 Tactical Response Inc. was initially established in 1996 by James Yeager with the sole purpose of providing the best possible tactical training (including tactical shooting instruction) to the people in the Southern States. But as with anything …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com December 15, 2008 One of our readers, Justin Guyett, has brought a potentially important tactical hardware conflict to DefenseReview’s attention after reading our photo analysis of a 5-man U.S. Secret Service PPD CAT team in a "war wagon" SUV while they were protecting President-Elect Barack Obama in downtown Chicago. In that piece, …

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 November 10, 2008 On November 3, 2008, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) issued a Sources Sought Notice for a "Semi-Automatic Precision Weapon System" (SAPWS) (Solicitation Number: M6785408R1011), i.e. a semi-auto sniper rifle, capable of firing the 7.62x51mm NATO (7.62mm NATO) M118 Long Range (LR) Cartridge. The SAPWS, which would essentially be the …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com November 4, 2008 So far, DefenseReview has covered the Colt SCW (Sub-Compact Weapon), Colt APC (Advanced Piston Carbine) and Colt AHC (Advanced Hybrid Carbine), but those aren’t the only newly-developed weapons in Colt Defense’s bag of tricks. If you’re interested in an upgraded/modernized version of the standard, direct-gas-impingement (DGI) Colt M4A1 Carbine, …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com October 24, 2008 DefenseReview recently mentioned Singapore Technologies Kinetics a.k.a. ST Kinetics in our article on the GDATP IAR/Ultimax 100 Mark V (Ultimax 100 MK5) LMG/SAW is offering an interesting and pretty slick-looking little lightweight, multi-calber submachine gun (SMG)/personal defense weapon (PDW) called the Compact Personal Weapon (CPW) for CQB/CQC applications and …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com October 13, 2008 The Colt SCW (Sub-Compact Weapon) isn’t the only potential "HK416 Killer" (a.k.a. "416 Killer, for short) in Colt’s new product arsenal, or the only new Colt Defense weapon offering shown at the 2008 AUSA Meeting & Exposition. Colt Defense is also now offering the Colt Advanced Piston Carbine (APC) …

By David Crane defrev at gmail.com All of the photos contained in this article, with the exception of the first/top photo, were taken by Chen Lee a.k.a. "SMGLee" at the 2008 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exhibition, and he owns the copyright on these photos. Colt Defense, LLC provided the first/top photo. October 10, 2008 While I was visiting with Colt …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com September 28, 2008 A company out of Apopka, Florida called Spike’s Tactical is making and marketing some interesting products, including Class III AKM SBRs built on the Arsenal SLR 107UR Krink shorty AKM (updated Kalashnikov AK-47 with stamped receiver). Spike’s is building these guns in 7.62x39mm Russian (7.62mm Russian) and 5.56x45mm NATO …