by David Crane defrev at gmail.com Most professional and civilian gun people carry a tactical folder, these days. And, being gun guys ourselves, we here at DefenseReview like to carry a good tactical folder as a backup to our primary weapon, which is usually a Glock 19 (G19) or some other high-capacity tactical pistol. The tactical folding knife has become …

By David Crane defrev at gmail.com If you’ve been thinking about acquiring a production high-capacity/double-stack polymer-framed .45 ACP tactical pistol, now might just be the right time, considering that you’ve never had more choices. Here’s DefenseReview’s list to look at: Glock 21 (G21) series (including the new Glock 21SF a.k.a. Glock 21 SF) and Glock 30 (G30), Springfield Armory Xtreme …

By Charlie Cutshaw Revolutionary is a word that is occasionally inappropriate, but sometimes it is about the only word that fits. Suppose we told you that we had fired a new AR based rifle that didn’t need lubrication? And suppose we told you that it really didn’t need regular cleaning, either? Finally, suppose we told you that this new AR …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com November 8, 2007 If DefenseReview is to believe what it’s been reading over the last few weeks in the "mainstream press", body armor and other types of ballistic armor (vehicle armor and bomb-resistant panels, for instance) utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may be upon us, soon. We’ll see. What we do know is that two …

by David Crane defrev@gmail.com Speaking of NDIA Small Arms Symposium 2007, DefenseReview also got to test-fire two of the latest "tactical plastic" (i.e. polymer) .45 ACP pistols, the Glock 21SF (G21SF) and the Smith & Wesson M&P45. Both weapons were very comfortable to handle and shoot, but we had some trouple hitting steel pepper poppers initially with the Glock 21 …

by David Crane defrev@gmail.com DefenseReview is interested to know how the Heckler & Koch HK416 / HK417 system stacks up against the FN SCAR-L (SCAR-Light) / FN SCAR-H (SCAR-Heavy) system with regard to reliability under adverse conditions and high round count, durability/ruggedness under same, and accuracy under same. While the HK416/17 system is closer to the Colt M4/M4A1 Carbine with …

by David Crane defrev@gmail.com October 22, 2007 Piasecki Aircraft Corp. (PAC) has designed and developed a compound helicopter called the X-49A Speedhawk, which utilizes a Sikorsky YSH-60F Seahawk helicopter as the base airframe. The Seahawk is a marine version of the UH-60 Black Hawk heliocopter series. The Speedhawk’s “compound” aspect is comprised of wings for additional lift and a vectored-thrust …

By Roger Charles DefenseWatch 10-17-2007 UPDATE to following article: Two congressional sources report that the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (on the staff of the Secretary of Defense) caught the Army’s attempted exemption of current Interceptor vendors from independent testing, as allowed in the original solicitation. Under pressure from DOT&E, in August the Army issued a modification not listing …

By GySgt Will Falcon, USMC (res.) Tampa, Florida October 16, 2007 One of the primary challenges of MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) / Urban Warfare Operations (a.k.a. Urban Combat Ops) is how to use the urban surroundings so that the physical environment becomes an advantage rather than a handicap to our soldiers. Accomplishing this goal will provide both defensive …

by Roger Charles DefenseWatch October 15, 2007 When NBC News had a German lab conduct side-by-side, comparative tests of Pinnacle Armor’s Dragon Skin and the Army’s Interceptor Body Armor System on May 3 earlier this year, the real surprise was how well the Interceptor ESAPI (Level IV) plates performed. Yes, that’s right. The Army acquisition mafia "got lucky" in Germany, …