by David Crane david@defensereview.com If you like the idea of a .45ACP caliber carry gun, but prefer revolvers over 1911 semi-auto pistols, Smith & Wesson has THE carry gun for you. It’s a member of S&W’s AirLite series, and it’s called the Model 325PD. I’m actually a big fan of Smith & Wesson’s AirLite Scandium alloy carry revolvers. They’re the …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com" While we’re on the subject of 5.56x45mm carbines, DefRev’s also going to try to get some high-res JPEG’s of the Rock River Arms (RRA) DEA Carbine/FBI Tactical Carbine (5.56x45mm). Rock River Arms (RRA) has really attacked the AR-15 market with a vengeance in the last several years. The DEA and FBI are only two of the …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Let me just say right off the bat that I REALLY like Surefire combat/tactical flashlights. When it comes to combat/tactical lights, Surefire knows what it’s doing. So, it was no surprise to me that they would come up with the very cool E2D Defender combat/tactical flashlight. I’ve personally carried a Surefire E2E Executive Elite combat/tactical flashlight …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Back in April (2004), DefenseReview published a short article about the Monolithic Rail Platform (MRP) and QuickChange Barrel System (QCBS) for AR-15/M16-based rifles (including the SOPMOD M4A1Carbine/CQB Subcarbine), made by Lewis Machine & Tool Co. (LMT). Gary Paul Johnston has just written an excellent piece on the LMT MRP/QCBS for the September 2004 issue of "Soldier …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com This article’s content and links have been updated as of 7/31/06. The HG85 fragmentation grenade, a.k.a. HG85 hand grenade, made by RUAG Ammotec (formerly RUAG Munition), is currently regarded by many experts to be the best hand grenade currently in service, in the world. The British Army apparently agrees, since they’ve acquired the RUAG HG-85 fragmentation/hand …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Springfield Armory’s XD Pistols recently won the NRA’s 2003 Golden Bullseye Award for "Handgun of the Year". That’s pretty impressive. Just as impressive is the fact that Springfield Armory has introduced both a 3" Sub-Compact XD and 5" Tactical XD model of the X-Treme Duty (XD) pistol in such a relatively short time. DefenseReview has been …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com The industrial design firm, Crye Associates, designed and developed a unique universal-type camouflage pattern for the U.S. Army’s Scorpion program back in 2001-2002. Scorpion was the experimentation/concept-development project for (and precursor to) the Objective Force Warrior (OFW) program, which has now become the Future Force Warrior (FFW) program. This picture shows the original Scorpion camo pattern, …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Awhile back, DefRev published an article on the Beretta Cx4 Storm semi-auto carbine titled "Beretta Cx4 Storm Carbine. Sleek, Futuristic, and Modular.", right around the time that the Cx4 was first introduced. We’ve been hearing some pretty good things about this futuristic, ergonomic carbine from Cx4 owners, so far. It would seem that Beretta has a …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com DefenseReview just got a chance to evaluate the very first issue of "Special Operations Report: Inside the World of Police and Military Tactical Units". The copy we received is the SOFEX 2004 Special Edition, with a hi-res pic of two Jordanian Counterterrorist Battalion 71 (CTB-71) operators on the cover. Upon reviewing the magazine, I will say …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com I started noticing advertisements about this school cropping up in several firearms publications, around a month ago. Valhalla Training Center, LLC is currently billing its curriculum as "the most progressive reality-based training on the planet." Big words. To use an even bigger word to describe that kind of language (for instance, if I were pedantic, which …