Category Archives: gun culture

A Look at the New Guns, Suppressors, and Optics from SIG Sauer

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We recently attended the SIG Sauer Next Event in New Hampshire and got the scoop on the company’s new hardware for 2025.

The new guns included SIG’s first entry into the double-stack 1911 pistol category, a soft recoiling .380, a “Fluxed” P365, modernized P226s, the return of the vaunted 516 rifle, a Cross Sawtooth in 6.5 PRC, an AR-10 platform in the spicy .277 Fury, at least three new suppressors, and a ton of new optics.

Below is a quick rundown, and you can expect much more on all these platforms in the coming days and weeks.

P211-GTO Series

Don’t let the name fool you into thinking this is SIG’s evolution of the P210. The new P211-GTO instead builds on the company’s 20 years of experience with the 1911 platform (exemplified by the new X-Carry series) but in a double-stack format.

Built with lots of buy-in from Team SIG’s pro shooters, the P211 runs P320 mags, has a Delta Point Pro footprint, a usable ambi slide catch, and sports a 3D printed muzzle compensator/brake at the end of the 4.4-inch bull barrel.

New SIG Sauer P211
Plus, it’s an 80-series, which means it’s drop safe (rare in double-stack 1911s), but somehow still has a good 3.5-pound trigger.
New SIG Sauer P211
Ready for USPSA Open competition divisions (or Limited Optics with the comp removed from the non-threaded barrel), it ships with one 23-rounder and two 21-rounders.
New SIG Sauer P211
Unlike some guns in the same space, it has a steel frame with an aluminum rather than a polymer grip. 

MSRP is $2,300, which is on par with a base model OA 2311. Just saying.

P365-Luxe Series

Probably the easiest-handling P365 on the market, the new P365 Luxe is a 12-shot .380 ACP with an X-length grip frame and an integral expansion chamber style comp. The result is a double-stack micro compact that runs smoothly and just hangs on target.

New SIG Sauer P365 Luxe
This one feels more like a .22 when it comes to recoil than a .380, a round that is notoriously snappy in small pistols. 

P365-FLUX

SIG released a Legion-series P320 Flux Raider last year, just as the P365 Flux hit the market, so it’s a no-brainer for the company to debut a Legion-series P365 Flux this year. Billed by Ben with Flux as a “rifle in your pants,” it will be available in both braced pistol and stocked SBR formats, with the ability to carry 50 rounds on the gun when stored.

New SIG Sauer P365 Flux
We were quickly and easily able to hit reduced plates at 50 yards from behind cover with one. 
New SIG Sauer P365 flux
It sports a 6-inch slide (a first for the P365), but when the Flux is folded, it is still just roughly the length of a WML-clad Glock 17. 

P226X Legion

Everyone who loves modern combat pistols has a soft spot for the P226, but the platform is a bit dated, pushing 50 years in service. However, the updated new P226X Legion (4.4-inch barrel) and P226X Legion Carry (3.8-inch barrel) include X5 compatibility, optics-ready slides, XRAY3 day/night sights, and bull barrels with 35/35-degree reverse target crowns. You also have the Legion treatment complete with Gray Cerakote and enhanced ergos.

Plus, SIG plans a dozen different SKUs of these guns with options for user-adjustable AX1 single-action-only or AX2 DA/SA trigger systems.

New SIG Sauer P226 X Legion
The new SIG P226X Legion models will come in both 3.8-inch and 4.4-inch lengths as well as DA/SA and SAO triggers. 

516 Mohawk

The original SIG 516 was an AR-15-style rifle that utilized a short-stroke gas piston system that sprang from the minds of the same guys who invented the HK 416. Renowned for its reliability, the 516 nonetheless was put out to pasture in 2019 while its 7.62 NATO-chambered big brother, the 716, endured and won huge (like India big) military contracts around the globe.

Now, the 516 is back in the Mohawk variant, which now includes a non-reciprocating side charging handle– ideal for use in prone or compressed positions– along with fully-ambi surface controls.

New SIG Sauer 516 Mohawk
Still a piston gun with an adjustable gas system, it carries a 16-inch cold hammer forged barrel with a 1:7-inch twist rate, a free-floating M-LOK handguard, a 6-position Magpul DT stock, and a Matchlite Duo trigger. 

6.8 Hyp rifle

SIG made headlines a couple of years ago with the MCX Spear and its GI brother, the M7 NGSW rifle. Giving the market a direct impingement AR-10 platform that is purpose-built for .277 SIG Fury– the commercial 6.8x51mm cartridge as used in the Spear/NGSW– the Hyp (Hy Pressure) is beefed up to be able to handle the massive 80,000 psi SAAMI spec maximum average chamber pressure of the round.

New SIG Sauer 6.8 Hyp
The cost is about $2K, which sounds high but is still a good bit cheaper than the MCX Spear. 

Cross Sawtooth in 6.5 PRC

SIG debuted the sub-7-pound Cross Sawtooth last year, complete with a Proof Research carbon fiber barrel, 2-stage match trigger, AICS magwell, and a fully adjustable stock. New for 2025 is the gun in 6.5 PRC, a popular hard-hitting round that takes the performance of the 6.5 Creedmoor and turns it up to 11.

New SIG Sauer Cross Sawtooth 6.5
The new SIG Cross Sawtooth in 6.5 PRC ships with a 22-inch 1:8 twist barrel and weighs 6.9 pounds. 

Endure, Hexium, and TiN Can suppressors

SIG debuted three new suppressors last week, including the low back-pressure Hexium as well as the .30 caliber 6-inch Endure, and 9-inch TiN Can titanium bolt gun suppressors. All are made with additive manufacturing techniques (3d printed) and have modular endcaps.

New SIG Sauer Hexium suppressor
Available in both Inconel and titanium in 5.56. 300BLK, and 7.62 NATO, the new SIG Hexium series has a 3D printed core and a Hub taper direct thread mount. Note the external hexagonal pattern with black Cerakote. 
New SIG Sauer Endure suppressor
The Endure features a compact length of 6 inches and a weight of just 11 ounces for enhanced portability in the field. Note the distinctive external topographic pattern with a black Cerakote finish. 
New SIG Sauer TiN can suppressor
The SIG TiN Can suppressor features an overall length of 9 inches while still hitting the scales at just 18 ounces. Like the Endure and Hexium, it runs a Hub taper direct thread mount.

Optics

SIG had a whole table full of advanced optics to debut at the event, including the Bravo6T BDX riflescope, Kilo Warp weapon-mounted rangefinder/ballistic calculator, Oscar6 HDX Pro spotting scope, and the paired Romeo8T-AMR red dot and Juliet3T-AMR magnifier.

New SIG Sauer Bravo6t
The new SIG Bravo6T is a first focal plane riflescope with eTRAK elevation dial and onboard environmental sensors for pressure, temperature, and humidity. The company will be offering it in both a 3-18x44mm and 5-30x56mm format with easy-to-adjust turrets and a 35mm tube. Reticles include MRAD DEV-L 2.0 and Milling 2.0. Note the ALPHA5 mount with an LRF diving board. The ask is $2,399-$2,499, depending on the variant. 
New SIG Sauer kilo warp
The Kilo Warp is SIG’s first on-gun rangefinder, able to sister to traditional glass via a diving board on the tube. After about 30 seconds of instruction, we were able to easily measure unknown distances and get an automatic dope that matched the glass to ballistics and atmospherics via Bluetooth to parent Bravo6Ts, then make no-problem hits at 100 and 650 yards from a Sawtooth. The ask is $1,999, which makes a Bravo6T/Kilo Warp combo a $4,500 piece of glass. 
New SIG Sauer oscar 6
The Oscar 6 uses optical image stabilization to allow use offhand, which means in a pinch, you can leave the tripod at home. We were easily glassing to 1,000 yards with it and calling shots at 650. The cost is $1,999. 
New SIG Sauer Romeo 8t juliet 3t AMR
The Romeo8T-/Juliet3T-AMR combo runs right at $1K ($100 more if bought separately) and gives the user a red dot and magnifier system using SIG’s new Automatic Modified Reticle, which incorporates magnets to automatically transition the reticle when the magnifier is flipped into and out of view. It has a big 40mm lens while being billed as 30 percent smaller than similar sights. Sealed, they are IPX8 waterproof and fog proof and have a 50,000-hour battery life on a common CR123. 

Stay tuned as we bring you more on all the above.

Lightweight and Wastelander Tommy guns

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While covering the NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta recently, I made sure to stop by the Auto-Ordnance booth, as they always have something interesting.

One of these was a neat limited edition Wastelander Thompson, which carries a custom Cerakote finish that looks fresh from some post-apocalyptic badlands.

limited edition Wastelander Thompson
The Wastelander Thompson carries a custom finish that goes far deeper than just some exotic Cerakote and ships complete with a sling crafted from a salvaged motorcycle chain. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
limited edition Wastelander Thompson
“Forged for over 80 hours with grit and ingenuity by the survivors at Koted Arms, every detail of the Wastelander Thompson, from the graphic designs to the rusted-out Cerakote finish, reflects the harsh realities of a post-apocalyptic world,” notes Auto-Ordnance. 
limited edition Wastelander Thompson
Note the intricate, deep laser-engraved markings that feel like it has seen the abuse of some far-off end-of-times battlefield. 
limited edition Wastelander Thompson
The walnut furniture has been given a plasma-cut treatment that gives it a distinctive lightning bolt pattern. 
limited edition Wastelander Thompson
The Wastelander Thompson is chambered in .45 ACP and features a 16.5-inch finned barrel that extends to 18.5 inches with its compensator.
limited edition Wastelander Thompson
It has an overall length of 41 inches and a solid weight of 13 pounds due to its steel construction.

They also have the new T5P, a polymer-stocked Thompson. Black on black, it is a standard 1927A1 but with wood grain polymer furniture, which drops almost five pounds from the hefty .45 ACP carbine. Seems like they could have shaved a few more ounces dropping it down to a 16.1-inch barrel rather than the 18 it ships with, but hey. MSRP is expected to be $1,558.

Spec sheet below:

The new models come as the old-school “Chicago Typewriter” has been getting a lot of time on the silver screen in recent weeks. The iconic drum-magged Tommy gun is seen in both the trailers and extensively, in the end scene of the smash new horror movie “Sinners.”

The Guns of the National Infantry Museum

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The Army is celebrating its 250th Anniversary this week, and we hit the road to visit the museum dedicated to the American infantry, the grunts, and found some amazing guns.

The National Infantry Museum, located in Columbus, Georgia, just outside Fort Benning, is a non-profit organization that opened its 190,000 sq. ft. facility in 2009. It holds over 100,000 historical artifacts dating from the 1600s to the present, covering uniforms, equipment, bayonets (they have a whole wall of bayonets), small arms, relics, and trophies.

With so much to see, any visitor could spend days there and not be able to take it all in. We’ll do what we’re good at and stick to the guns, but encourage you to visit the museum yourself (it’s free) as we’re only covering a small portion of the exhibits.

Benning is the Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence and supports over 120,000 active and reserve service members, their families, military retirees, and civilian employees daily. It spans some 182,000 acres across Georgia and Alabama. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The “Follow Me” sculpture at the entrance to the National Infantry Museum depicts a 1950s Korean War-era Soldier, complete with bayonet-affixed M1 Garand. The model for the statue was  Eugene Wyles, a 20-year Army veteran, and was created by two soldiers.
The museum “emphasizes the values that define the Infantryman, as well as the nation he protects: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.”

One of the most striking parts of the museum is “The Last 100 Yards,” a chronological walk through the American infantry experience over the years, where the weapons and uniforms change, but the courage endures. It is as life-like as possible and gives the visitor a very immersive feel.

For instance, check out this display of the storming of Redoubt #10 at Yorktown in 1781, with the Colonials fighting the British at eyeball-to-eyeball range. The night assault on the key position helped seal Cornwallis’s fate, leading to the end of the Revolutionary War.
The brother-against-brother hell of Antietam. Of note, the figures in the Last 100 Yards are not mannequins; they are cast sculptures of Active-Duty Soldiers “who auditioned for the opportunity to represent their predecessors.”
Fighting inch-by-inch with the Doughboys “Over There” at Soissons, France in 1918. Note the M1903 and M1911.
Storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and landing atop the “Rock” at Corregidor on opposite sides of the world in WWII. Note the M1 Carbines, M1918 BAR, and M1 Thompson. 
The bayonet charge of Capt. Lewis Millett up Hill 180 at Soam-Ni, Korea in 1951, leading his company of the 27th Infantry Regiment to rout the enemy.
Setting down from a Huey at Landing Zone X-Ray during the Battle of Ia Drang, where the 7th Cavalry Regiment was the first American unit to fight a set-piece battle against NVA regulars in Vietnam in 1965. Note the 40mm M79 “bloop gun,” the early M16, and the M60 GPMG.
The much more recent desert wars, with a dismount team and their Bradley. The era of M4s, M203s, and ACOGs. 

 

Related: Inside the Army Museum Support Center for a peek at the rare stuff!

 

The museum also has a sweeping series of galleries, highlighting the development of the U.S. Army over the years. For instance, the Revolutionary War, complete with British Brown Bess, French Charleville, and Colonial Committee of Safety flintlock muskets and assorted pistols. 
The New Army, immediately after Independence, with the first Springfield Armory and Harper’s Ferry Model 1795 .69-caliber flintlock muskets. Of note, the musket on the Army’s Combat Infantry Badge is the Model 1795. 
How about this impressive evolution, spanning from the left with the Model 1803, Model 1814, and Model 1817 flintlocks, to the M1841 percussion rifle made famous in the War with Mexico, the Model 1855 rifle with its interesting Maynard priming system? To the right are the Civil War-era Sharps and Spencer rifles, breechloaders with a rate of fire of 10 and 20 rounds per minute, respectively. 
The innovative breech-loading Model 1819 Hall rifle. 
This rare gem is a Lefever & Ellis .45 caliber percussion rifle used by a private of the 1st Battalion New York Sharpshooters during the Civil War. Made in Canandaigua, New York, it had a 30-inch octagonal barrel and an adjustable trigger. Never produced in great quantity, Lefever only supplied something like 75 of these guns with the sort of telescopic sight shown, complete with a crosshair reticle. You just don’t see these floating around. 
Securing the Frontier with the Model 1866 Springfield Allin “Trapdoor” conversion rifles, which took .58 caliber percussion muzzleloaders and converted them to .50-70-450 caliber cartridge breechloaders. This led to the Model 1870, 1873, and 1884 Trapdoors in the now-famous .45-70 Government. The museum has all these incremental models on public display. 
A 10-barrel Colt Model 1877 Gatling gun in .45-70. The Army used Gatling guns, which had a rate of fire as high as 200 rounds per minute, until 1911, when they were replaced by more modern machine guns. 
The cavalry isn’t missed, for instance, showing the troopers from the Civil War (left) complete with their M1860 Colt revolver and M1859 Sharps carbine, next to the Indian Wars trooper with his M1873 Trapdoor and Colt Peacemaker. The circa 1916 cavalryman, of the era that chased Pancho Villa into Mexico, sports his M1911.
The Spanish-American War was a time of the side-loading bolt-action Krag-Jorgensen .30 caliber rifle, along with the Army’s staple revolvers of the time: the Colt 1873 in .45 and the S&W .44 top break. To the left is a captured German-made Spanish Mauser, brought back from Cuba in 1898. 
The Great War, with the legendary M1903 Springfield, a French Mle 1907/15, and the dreaded Mle 1915 Chauchat LMG. With an open magazine like that in a muddy trench, what could go wrong?

 

Related: Visiting The Best Helicopter Gunship Collection in the World at Fort Rucker!

 

Lots of other hardware abounds, including a British .303 caliber Mark III Lee-Enfield and Mark I Lewis gun, along with companion German Mauser Gew 98 and MG08/15 in 8mm. 
Bringbacks from France in 1918, including a 35-pound German Tankgewehr 13.2mm anti-tank rifle and a Spandau MG08 machine gun, both captured by American troops. 
The original “Belly Flopper,” an experimental two-man weapons carrier developed at Fort Benning in the 1930s, complete with an M1917 water-cooled Browning machine gun and not much else. 
The iconic M2 .50 cal “Ma Deuce” has been around for over a century and is still “making friends and influencing people” worldwide. It is seen next to its smaller cousin, the .30-06 M1919 light machine gun. Both have the same father, John Browning. 
The M3 Carbine, a select-fire version of the WWII-era M1 Carbine, was outfitted with an early infrared scope during the Korean War. With the battery pack, it “only” weighed 31 pounds. 
A Viet Cong-made pistol captured in Vietnam. The museum also has a carbine that looks even crazier. 
Cold War experiments on display include the circa 1964 SPIW, chambered in XM144 5.6x44mm with its box-magazine fed 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher. 
Can you say, “Stoner?”
The museum has an amazing display on the evolution of the modern “black rifle” from the Winchester .224 caliber LWMR, Eugene Stoner’s early 5-pound AR-10s complete with carbon fiber furniture, and the slab-sided Colt-Armalite Model 01
…to the XM16E1 in gray phosphate to the rare M1 HAR, and the Colt “Shorty” whose 10-inch barrel led to the XM177 and today’s M4. The green guy in the corner is a drum-magged SPIW variant, of course. 
The museum even has the Next Generation Squad Weapon winner, SIG Sauer’s M7 and M250…
…along with the other competitors in the NGSW program.
Who doesn’t love a good steel-on-steel Mossberg M590 12-gauge? The Army has used shotguns going back to World War I. 
Speaking of shotguns, how about the M26 MASS? Fed via a 3 or 5-round detachable box magazine, this 3-pound 12-gauge can either be mounted Masterkey-style under the handguard of an M16/M4 or used in a stand-alone configuration.
A gold electroplated Romanian AKMS clone captured by the 3rd Infantry in Iraq in 2003. Even the internal parts are plated. Note the “Vader” style helmet of Saddam’s Fedayeen.
Hallowed relics: M4 and M249 remains after an IED strike in Iraq. 

Again, we only scraped the surface of the holdings of the National Infantry Museum, and if you are ever within striking distance of it, you should stop by– and block off your day. It is ever more important to visit such places and remember why they are there.

Keep in mind that the Army plans to close more than 20 base museums in the next few years, and places like this carry the torch for future generations… lest they forget.

(Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Spotted in Oakland: Wasteland WASR

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The California Highway Patrol recently posted images of a rifle recovered from a stolen vehicle that looks like it should come with some Nuka Cola and a radiation detector.

The gun, which is an AK variant that seems to have one point been a commercial Romanian WASR, has seen better days and is lacking its top dust cover, sports a “cheese grater” upper handguard, and is upgraded with electrical tape on the grip. The lower handguard has been castrated. The finish can best be described as…nah.

Take a gander:

For those curious, CHP says the Kalsh was left behind in the driver’s side floorboard after said driver beat feet just after they crashed into four vehicles on I-80 in Oakland while apparently trying to avoid a stop by troopers. The car, a gray Nissan Ultima with no plates, was stolen. A 14-year-old passenger was left behind as well.

“Both the firearm and the vehicle were subsequently recovered, and the incident remains under investigation,” says CHP.

As for the AK, the over 150 comments on CHP’s social media post concerning it were gold. Here is a sampling for your enjoyment or outrage (whatever, it’s a free country), left as-is:

  • Who wrecked the Somali Pirates?
  • Dudes out here tryina be the captain now.
  • Blackhawk Down + Nissan Altima = that “gun”
  • bro livin in fallout
  • That K looks like it’s spawned from Fallout.
  • got more body’s then Hillary Clinton
  • Looks like he got that AK magnet fishing.
  • @Brandon Herrera look at how they massacred your boy
  • I bet it still runs beautifully
  • Gorgeous patina ngl
  • Top covers are for wimps and commies…
  • IS THIS STILL AVAILABLE………

The official list of discontinued U.S. Glocks

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The commercial variant of the short-lived G49. Note the “chopped” dust cover leaving an exposed chin on the slide, the standard fixed polymer sights, and the optics plate. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Word is circulating far and wide that a ton of Glock models, some that have been around for decades, could be headed for that great big polymer pasture in the sky.

Between posts on gun forums, videos from giant Glock retailers, and a list on Glock’s European website, it would appear that as many as 26 models and 100 SKUs may soon be removed from the company’s catalog.

Sifting through the tea leaves, most models appear to be guns in arcane or aging calibers such as .357 SIG, .40 S&W (even in Gen 5 models), and .45 GAP. Also gone are the company’s few remaining production Gen 3s and most of the Gen 4s, anything with upgraded sights such as Ameriglo Bolds or Glock Night Sights, and the new G49. This heavily impacts guns that were grandfathered on California’s approved handgun roster, which sucks for folks out there.

Keep in mind that none of this should be that shocking, as the G49 was billed from the beginning as a limited run. Glock was really the only company trying to make the .45 GAP happen, and many handgun makers have long ago stepped away from .357 SIG and .40 S&W. Case in point: SIG has not produced pistols in those latter two calibers for several years. Plus, it is common for gunmakers to clean up their catalogs and discontinue certain configurations wholesale, something that Glock hasn’t done in a long time.

Enjoyers of .45 ACP and 10mm Auto, as well as .380 ACP fans, will still have lots to choose from – at least in Gen 5 models – as will folks who stock 9mm in deep quantity.

What does this mean for the bigger picture? It’s clear from offerings like the new Glock/Aimpoint A-Cut/COA line introduced earlier this year that optics-ready models will likely be front and center moving forward, and most of the models mentioned for deletion simply are not capable of accepting a dot right out of the box.

Is Glock clearing the way for the inevitable Gen 6? Maybe.

In the meantime, you can bet that new old stock specimens of these discontinued guns – now instant collectibles to die-hard Glock fans – will be hot commodities soon offered (while available) at below minimum advertised prices, since MAP will likely be suspended on these “clearance” guns.

It could be a good time to shop Glock.

Per Glock:

Discontinued Commercial Pistol Models

  • G17 – Gen4
  • G17 MOS – Gen4 | Gen5
  • G17L – Classic | Gen3
  • G17L MOS – Gen5
  • G19 – Gen4
  • G19 MOS – Gen4
  • G20 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G21 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G21SF
  • G22 – Gen3 | Gen4 | Gen5
  • G22 MOS – Gen5
  • G23 – Gen4 | Gen5
  • G23 MOS – Gen5
  • G24
  • G26 – Gen4
  • G27 – Gen3 | Gen 4 | Gen5
  • G29 – Gen3 | Gen 4 | Gen5
  • G29SF
  • G30 – Gen3 | Gen 4 | Gen5
  • G31 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G32 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G33 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G34 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G34 MOS – Gen4 | Gen5
  • G35 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G35 MOS – Gen4
  • G36
  • G36 FGR
  • G37 – Gen3 | Gen4
  • G38
  • G39
  • G40 MOS – Gen4
  • G41 – Gen4
  • G41 MOS – Gen4
  • G49
Why is GLOCK discontinuing so many models?

In order to focus on the products that will drive future innovation and growth, we are making a strategic decision to reduce our current commercial portfolio. This streamlined approach allows us to concentrate on continuing to deliver the highest-quality and most relevant solutions for the market.

What does this mean for me as a customer?

You’ll still have access to the most popular GLOCK models you know and love, just with a more focused selection.

Will discontinued models still be supported?

Yes! Just like we do with previous generations. We will continue to service discontinued models.

Do these portfolio changes affect law enforcement agencies?

GLOCK remains fully committed to supporting the varying needs of our law enforcement partners. While IOP programs may be affected, GLOCK is prepared to work closely with LE partners to make sure officer and agency needs are met. For more questions, contact your LE District Manager.

HK has delivered over 15,000 MG5s to the German military

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HKhas announced it is making good progress in filling a long-running German military contract for general-purpose machine guns.

Developed as the HK 121 by the company, the gas-operated belt-fed 7.62 NATO is type-classified by the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) as the Maschinengewehre No. 5, or MG5.

Adopted in 2013 to replace the legendary MG3 – which was fundamentally just the WWII-era MG42 chambered in 7.62 NATO rather than 8mm Mauser – the German military has a total of 22,672 of the guns on order. The company delivered the 15,000th gun to the Bundeswehr in January.

Interested in how the new gun stacks up against the MG3? Check out the below (German not required):

Developed as the HK 121, the MG5 – seen above in a tripod sustained fire mount – has been slowly fielded with the Germans over the past 12 years, with some 15,000 delivered thus far. HK used the same design in 5.56 NATO for the Bundeswehr’s MG4 light machine gun. (Photos: HK)
HK catalogs at least three variants of the MG5, including the standard 25.2-pound Universal model, top, with its 21.7-inch barrel; the solenoid-fired MG5A1 for use in vehicles and aircraft, center; and the more compact MG5A2 with an 18-inch barrel, bottom. Not shown is the MG5 S, which is used by special forces. 

The MG5 is also used by Albania, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Portugal, and Spain, and has seen combat use in Ukraine in recent years.

Likewise, the German federal police has also purchased at least 42 MG5s for its own use. Lesson: do not mess around with the polizei.

Barrett Wins Army 30mm Precision Grenadier System Competition

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Tennessee-based Barrett teamed up with Mars, Inc., and brought a radical new 30mm grenade launcher over the finish line in an Army competition.

It is planned that the new gun will eventually be fielded as part of the Army’s Precision Grenadier System program. The PGS requirement is for a soldier-portable, shoulder-fired, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, integrated system that can engage targets in defilade– such as behind a hill– as well as aerial drones at close range via programmable ammunition. Ultimately, this allows the user faster fire than a 40mm, and with more power and round capabilities than the 25mm.

First launched in 2023 as part of a xTechSoldier Lethality contest designed to rapidly fill the requirement, the PGS competition soon boiled down to two platforms: FN’s PGS-001 and the Barrett-Mars 30mm Support Rifle System, and, with the SRS announced last week as the winner.

Barrett and Mars Inc. recently put their xTech Precision Grenadier System prototype to the test in a live fire event. (Photo: Barrett) 
The Barrett-Mars 30mm Support Rifle System was recently picked for the Army’s PGS program. It uses the Vortex-made XM157 fire control system, which is also used by the Army’s planned 6.5mm Next Generation Squad Weapons, the M7 rifle, and the M250 machine gun. (Photo: Barrett) 
The ammo used by the PGS will include Programmable Air Bursting High Explosive (HE), Proximity Fuzed, and Point Detonating HE, as well as a Close Quarter Battle Round. (Photo: Guns.com)
The SRS is intended to be portable and used by a single soldier. (Photo: U.S. Army xTech Program)

We visited with Barrett and Mars at SHOT earlier this year and got the scoop on the big honking 30mm bloop gun.

Mars even had one set up at their booth in the basement that was mocked up as a Heavy Bolter from Warhammer.

Auto-Ordnance Shows off 250th Anniversary Army, Navy and Marine 1911s

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With 1775 some 250 years in the rearview, Auto-Ordnance came to the recent NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta with a trio of special new USGI .45s.

This year, besides the semiquincentennial of the start of the Revolutionary War, the Army will celebrate its official 250th birthday on June 14, followed by the Navy on October 13 and the Marines on November 10. To honor the services, Auto-Ordnance has three 250th Armed Forces Anniversary 1911s on tap.

Based on the company’s standard 80-series Government format M1911A1, complete with a GI profile slide, fixed sights, and curved mainspring housing, each variant will sport a dedicated Cerakote livery applied by Texas-based Altered Arsenal.

In each variant, the left slide will carry a “250 years of Service, 1775 – 2025” crest surrounded by laurel leaf etching. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Each pistol will have custom styling on the top of the slides that emulates the “gig line” of the respective services’ dress uniform, complete with buttons and belt buckle.

The Army variant (1911BKOC15) carries an OD Green Cerakote finish with Silver, Black, and Gold accents. The phrase “May God have mercy on my enemies because I won’t” is a well-known quote attributed to General George S. Patton.

The Navy variant (1911BKOC16) has a White, Blue, Black, and Gold Cerakote finish. The quote, “I have not yet begun to fight!” is famously attributed to Captain John Paul Jones during the Battle of Flamborough Head in 1779.

The Marine variant (1911BKOC17) has a Blue, Black, Silver, Red, and Gold Cerakote finish. The phrase “Retreat, hell – we just got here” is a famous quote attributed to Captain Lloyd W. Williams of the 5th Marines during the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I.

These 250th Armed Forces Anniversary 1911s will ship soon with one standard 7-round magazine included and have an MSRP of $1,399.

Keep in mind that you can get an actual USGI surplus M1911A1 from the CMP for less than that. Of course, it won’t be pretty, but every old vet, even those in .45 ACP, deserves a home.

Surprises in a G48 sized package

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Glock released the slimline G48 a few years back, and I kind of passed on it, but when equipped with the new Aimpoint COA series enclosed red dot, it has changed my mind.

In all honesty, the G48 was a snoozer for me when it first came out. Don’t get me wrong, I had a chance to shoot one on several occasions, but I never felt a spark.

However, the new COA-equipped model, being optic-ready with decent steel sights, and sold with an installed American Aimpoint enclosed red dot on an interesting direct cut footprint, I felt the spark. Plus, the price point balances out to less than a G48 MOS with an aftermarket Chinese Holosun that uses a plate.

The COA has a wide field of view, and an exceptionally low deck that proves quick to “scoop in” the dot. The A-cut is simple in execution with fewer things to break than in other mounting systems.

The fact that adding Gen 3 S15 mags and a mag release gives you the bump in capacity without losing reliability is a win. We recently visited Shield in Montana and were impressed with their whole program.

When it comes to throwing rocks, the worst thing I can point out on the G48 COA combo is that the footprint and sights are limited to what you get in the box. Currently, there is no other optic that uses the A-cut footprint, and you cannot change out the rear sight for anything else. That may change but for right now you are painted into a corner.

Going past that, I think I may have a new EDC. Let me run some more rounds through it and circle back to you on that.

Yup. Feeling that spark.

Full review in my column at Guns.com.

Old Ammo plants coming and going

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Two interesting pieces of news concerning WWII-era War Department ammunition plants.

The old Milan Army Ammunition Plant (MLAAP) in Tennessee, established in 1941, is finally gone. It made everything from 40mm Bofors rounds to mortar and artillery projectiles over the years.

Employees at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant inspect 81mm mortar rounds produced at the plant in this photo from the 1960s. (Photo Credit: Joint Munitions Command Public Affairs)

Closed as part of BRAC in 2005, its remaining lines were shifted to the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant by 2009, while most of its land was transferred to the Tennessee National Guard to become the Milan Volunteer Training Site.

MLAAP was formally deactivated as a federal installation on 10 April and its colors cased.

Brig. Gen. Ronnie Anderson Jr. (right), the Joint Munitions Command’s commander, Tom Nowell, the Milan Army Ammunition Plant’s commander’s representative, and Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Reaves, JMC command sergeant major, secure the plant’s flag as the “casing of the colors” is executed bringing the ceremony to a close and formally deactivating the installation. (Photo Credit: Joint Munitions Command Public Affairs)

Meanwhile, in the Sooner State this week, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that a major ammo maker will create 350 new jobs.

CBC Global Ammunition, which owns the brands Magtech and MEN, among others, and made something like 2 billion cartridges last year in Brazil and Germany, is opening a plant on 550 acres of the former Oklahoma Ordnance Works, which was used by the Army for munitions production during World War II.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the $300 million plant is expected in late 2025.

Magtech has been popular on the U.S. market for 20-30 years and is finally going to be made in America.

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