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HK416A8 in Der Haus: German Army Issues First Heckler & Koch G95 Rifles

Posted on December 15, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

The German Bundeswehr recently issued the first of at least 122,000 dirty mustard-toned HK416A8 rifles to army infantrymen– and more guns are on the way.

Heckler & Koch has had a lock on German infantry rifles going back to the 7.62 NATO Gewehr 3 (G3), which was adopted in 1959 and is still in limited service. The newly adopted System Sturmgewehr G95A1 in 5.56 NATO is replacing the futuristic-looking G36 in the same caliber, which in turn has been supplementing the G3 since 1996.

HK416A8, Germany’s new standard issue rifle, type classified as the G95. (Photo: Bundeswehr)

The first of the new rifles was issued at Grafe to troops of Panzergrenadier Battalion 122 (PzGrenBtl 122), a “tip of the spear” unit garrisoned in Oberviechtach, Bavaria, on the Czech border (cue the comic rimshot).

In Grafenwöhr, the Deputy Inspector of the Army, Lieutenant General Heico Hübner (left), together with Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki from the Ministry of Defense, presented the first new G95 rifles to the troops. (Photo: Bundeswehr)

It appears that all of the issued rifles recently shown off are the shorter G95KA1 variant, with the “K” being “kurz” or short, as it has a 14-inch barrel. (Photo: Bundeswehr) (Official caption: In Grafenwöhr wurde das neue Sturmgewehr der Bundeswehr, das G95 A1, an das Panzergrenadierbataillon 122 aus Oberviechtach feierlich übergeben am 4. Dezember 2025.)

The G95, adopted in 2021, will be fielded in both the standard 16-inch G95A1 and shorter G95KA1, both of which are lighter and shorter than the G36 they are replacing. The Elcan Specter DR 1-4x is the companion day optic of record. (Photo: Bundeswehr) (Official caption: In Grafenwöhr wurde das neue Sturmgewehr der Bundeswehr, das G95 A1 an das Panzergrenadierbatallion 122 aus Oberviechtach feierlich übergeben am 4. Dezember 2025.)

The G95, as with the HK416 in general, uses a robust, AR-18 style short-stroke gas piston system rather than the more traditional AR-15 direct gas impingement. (Photos: Bundeswehr)

It uses STANAG 4694 rails with M-LOK accessory slots and has an adjustable gas block. Note the full-length top Pic rail

Unlike the G36, the G95, in all Bundeswehr variants, will no longer be black, but greenish-brown, a colorway that has been described by some as “ekelhaftgelb” (disgusting yellow). The reason: black has a higher infrared signature and is therefore easier to detect. (Photo: Bundeswehr)

Das Senfgewehr! (Photo: Bundeswehr)

The Budget Committee of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, last week approved the purchase of more G95 series rifles, complete with optics and lights. The country, with an ever-more aggressive Russia to the East, is looking to up its military spending and is even flirting with the prospect of returning to peacetime conscription.

First selected by the Bundeswehr in 2014 in its A5 variant for use as the G28 designated marksman rifle, the country also fields the HK416A7 as the standard G95 (no A1), which has been in use with Germany’s special operations units since at least 2018.

The above shows a German KSK commando with a “50 Shades of FDE” HK416A7/G95 outfitted with an EoTech XPS HWS system and magnifier. (Photo: Bundeswehr)

The German-based Dexheimer channel earlier this year went on a visit to HK’s factory in Oberndorf to get the tour and a deep dive background on the G95. Even if you don’t speak German, you can auto-dub it in English, although you don’t really need to.

Mossberg Lands $11 Million Army Contract for M590A1 Shotguns

Posted on December 11, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

The military’s nearly 40-year love affair with the Mossberg 590 pump-action 12 gauge has no end in sight.

The oldest family-owned firearms manufacturer in America announced last week that the Army has awarded it a contract valued at approximately $11.6 million for additional Mossberg 590A1 shotguns. It is unclear if the award is an extension of the $19 million maximum value contract for 17-inch M590s issued in September, but either way, the Army is getting a lot more 12-gauge Mossys.

The M590 is based on the company’s legendary M500 platform, but features a heavy-walled barrel, metal trigger guard and safety, a clean-out magazine tube, and a thick Parkerized or Marinecote finish. Numerous stock, forend, and barrel length options exist, as well as the always popular heat shield and bayonet lug.

*A Mossberg 590M on display at the U.S. Army’s National Infantry Museum located at Fort Benning, Georgia. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

The M590 series famously withstood the military’s grueling MIL-SPEC 3443E testing protocol for riot-type shotguns, which included running 3,000 shells with two or fewer malfunctions. As TFBTV’s James Reeves has extensively documented with his 500-round shotgun burndown series, that’s a heck of a standard, and few scattergatts can meet it.

A well-used 30-year-old Mossberg 590M that survived Hurricane Katrina and is still kicking. This thing can’t be killed. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

The Army has used shotguns since before World War I. As noted by Canfield, the first Army contract for the M500 series was issued in 1979 for guns with oiled wood furniture, a standard which soon shifted to synthetic stocks.

The first contract for the updated 590s with a heatshield and bayonet lug was issued in 1987 and, since then, all branches of the U.S. military, as well as the Coast Guard, have ordered the gun at one time or another for tasks including security, EPW control, EOD use, and in door breeching with barrel lengths varying between 14 and 20 inches.

The guns have seen frontline service in Panama, Desert Storm, and during the GWOT era in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Trench Grenade, a GunTuber who is an active duty Army infantry instructor in his day job, last week did a 500-round burn down with the M590, further underlining it as the people’s champ.

A Deep Dive on the New Glock Gen 6 Models (G17, G19, and G45)

Posted on December 8, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland One comment

We traveled to the GlockMothership in Georgia to get the scoop on the company’s new Sixth Generation guns and have all the juicy information.

Summary: The new Gen 6 Glocks look much like the previous five generations (even fitting most existing holsters), but address a lot of issues that people have asked for on an upgrade. The guns are direct-milled optics-ready, have a new flat-faced trigger while keeping many of the same internals, the ergos are much improved, and they still accept legacy magazines and sights. All for the same asking price as Gen 5 MOS models. Rumors of a modular fire control system are false.

Now let’s get into it

The new Gen 6s at first will be all 9mm, with the G19, G17, and G45 at launch and the G49 available overseas. We are advised that other models are inbound.

Glock Gen 6 — *The Gen 6 Glock G19, G45, and G17. The additions to the ergos are obvious, including the trigger shoe, palmswell, texturing, and thumb pad/gas pedal. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

The Glock generations from 1 through 6 look very (very) similar when stacked side-by-side, and there is a reason for that: consistency. Anyone who had a Gen 1 in 1986 could be transported to 2026 and pick up a brand-new Gen 6 and figure it out in about three seconds.

*The Glock Gen 5 G19 compared to a Glock Gen 6 G17. Note that the legacy model has less texture, a curved trigger, and a dual spring recoil assembly. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

The Gen6 may look remarkably like previous generations, by design, but it is quite different when it comes to ergonomics, optics mounting, and parts. For instance, it has a new trigger, a new slide, and mostly new internals.

Legacy parts that will work besides the magazines, backstraps, and sights are the locking block, mag release, firing pin and spring, slide lock/spring, trigger pin/housing, trigger bar, recoil spring assembly, and connector. Almost everything else is Gen 6 only.

The differences are so substantial that Glock’s Training division told us that, moving forward, the traditional Glock Armorer’s Course, which has long been one day covering all generations, will now just cover the Gen 5s and 6s, with a separate course dedicated to “Classic” Glocks.

Glock Gen 6 extractor package — The downsized extractor package (extractor pressure piece, extractor frame, extractor package spring) is completely different but can still be removed with just the standard Glock armorer tool. It was redesigned to allow more space for the Optics Ready System, and the extractor channel is now sealed off. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

On the topic of user comfort, the new palmswell comes from scanning hundreds of Glock users to produce a cross median that provides a more optimal fit. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

All standard frame Gen6 Glocks will be optics-ready, and it isn’t the old MOS system (which is gone) or the new A-Cut COA system. It uses a plate system on a slide that has been redesigned so that the optic bed sits deeper into the slide for a lower height over the bore axis.

The MSRP on the new Gen 6 Glock models is $745, which is the same cataloged price as the Gen 5 MOS models.

We have review models inbound, so expect more details in the coming weeks.

Cel Shaded Cerakote Celebration: Beretta APX A1 Full Size Tactical

Posted on November 28, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

“You can’t ever be too rich, too good-looking, or too well-armed,” as the man says, and a Florida FFL Cerakote shop delivers on that mantra.

Fort Lauderdale-based A Really Bad Design is Alex Manzotti’s studio. A custom artist who cut his teeth using automotive paint on motorcycles and helmets more than 28 years ago, he first encountered Cerakote when a client insisted on using the coating on a bicycle. Four years ago, Manzotti and the shop became Cerakote certified, specialized in artistic applications, and today, as a 07 FFL/ 02 SOT, works exclusively with Cerakote, using it on firearms – and everything else.

A quick look at the shop’s social media shows they have done hundreds of firearms since then in any number of styles.

A Really Bad Design Cerakote Berettas — *Check out these brushed steel Berettas with color accents. (Photos: A Really Bad Design)*

Cel shading

One of the most complicated Cerakoting techniques is mimicking cel shading or “toon art.” Cel shading dates back to the 1980s and is typically applied to flat animation to create the illusion of depth, effectively turning 2D into a perception of 3D. Moving into more modern eras, rotoscoping and Sobel filtering have taken traditional cel shading to a sharper edge, as seen in popular game franchises such as “Borderlands.”

Taking that 2D to 3D style and emulating it on a real object, such as a bike helmet or a firearm, takes skill and genuine artistic capability.

Manzotti has both.

Check out these five Beretta APX A1s he did earlier this summer as a project for the iconic gunmaker:

For Cerakote nerds, the colors used in the project included Periwinkle, Carbon Black, Yellow Jacket, Prison Pink, Slate, Aztec Teal, Burnt Orange, Black Cherry, Robin’s Egg Blue, and Green Mamba.

The result is two APX A1 Full Size Tacticals (Yellow and Gray), and three standard APX A1 full-size models (Cherry, Toxic Green, and Miami Daze).

Beretta sent us the Gray Tactical for a closer look, and it’s impressive. We specifically asked for the Gray as it would give us a better look at the technique, and with cel shading, it is all about the time-consuming technique.

“The work is entirely manual and has many steps,” Manzotti told Guns.com, speaking to how cel shading is harder to pull off when compared to some other effects.

Cerakoted Beretta APX A1 Full Size Tactical — *(Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

As with everything, natural lighting makes colors look different.

*And yes, it still shoots, as you would expect for a Beretta. Those extendo mags really help with reloads.*

We’d like to thank Alex Manzotti and the whole gang at A Really Bad Design for their help with this piece, as well as everyone over at Beretta who helped make it possible.

gun culture

High Feature Plinker: Review of the Ruger Mark IV 22/45 with Threaded Bull Barrel

Posted on November 25, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

The Ruger Mark IV, the modern evolution of the original circa-1949 Ruger Standard (Mark I) pistol, was introduced in 2016. This updated model features a more user-friendly design, highlighted by a tool-free, one-button takedown mechanism that makes fieldstripping and cleaning significantly easier for users.

Following the release of the Mark IV, Ruger introduced the Mark IV 22/45 variant. The name “22/45” refers to the grip angle and surface controls, which closely emulate those of the famed M1911 Government pistol. Despite this design innovation, the initial 22/45 variant did not include a threaded muzzle or a top Picatinny rail. These features were reserved for the more expensive Mark IV 22/45 Tactical model, which carried a suggested retail price of $669.

Ruger has since released a bull-barreled version of the Mark IV 22/45 equipped with both a Picatinny rail and a threaded muzzle– as featured in this review. This model is offered at a suggested price of $449, with even lower prices often available through retailers. Additional aesthetic improvements include color-matched details; the trigger and Picatinny rail both feature a stainless finish, resulting in a distinct two-toned appearance.

Thus:

The bull-barreled version of the Mark IV 22/45 equipped with both a Picatinny rail and a threaded muzzle — *Our review Mark IV 22/45. It has a very 1911-ish overall length of 8.5 inches with an unloaded weight of 33.3 ounces. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

The Mark IV 22/45 in this format is close to being perfect when it comes to an all-around rimfire semi-auto pistol. It feels and looks good, is dependable and accurate, and just about every component has a dozen aftermarket upgrades available.

We ran it with a few different cans and several different ammo loads and found it to run almost 100 percent of the time. The worst thing we can say is that it gets seriously dirty, something no 22 is immune to, and you must stay on top of that every few hundred rounds to keep it running.

Compared to the rest of the market, this Mark IV 22/45, as reviewed, is priced right, especially for the big Pic rail on top, the threaded bull barrel, and American manufacture. Sure, guns like the SIG P322 have a significantly larger magazine capacity for about the same price, but its optics interface isn’t as luxurious, you get a pencil barrel, and the aftermarket support doesn’t come close to what is available for the Ruger. The closest Buckmark in features would be the Micro Bull SR, which runs significantly more than the Mark IV.

The only problem we foresee in having one of these neat little Rugers is how often you need to buy ammo.

Full review in my column at Guns.com.

At least Bond got his: Walther Ends Production on PPK, PPKs, and PP Pistols

Posted on November 20, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland 3 comments

Firearms giant Walther this week announced it was beginning a “multi-year pause of production” on its most iconic pistol lines.

As part of Walther’s “long-term product vision,” the PPK, PPK/S, and PP models will no longer be produced as the company enters into a “multi-year reengineering and modernization program.” Walther officials stress this initiative aims to enhance performance, integrate advanced manufacturing technologies, and elevate the user experience – all while preserving the iconic look, feel, and spirit that have defined these pistols for generations.

“This is not the end of the PPK story,” said Tyler Weigel, VP of sales for Walther Arms. “It’s the beginning of a new chapter. Our goal is to honor the heritage of these iconic firearms by bringing them into the future without compromising what made them classics.”

*We saw PPK slides on the assembly line in Ulm, Germany, last year. Little did we know they would be some of the last – for now. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

The original PP (Polizeipistole or “Police Pistol”) was introduced in Weimar-era Germany by Carl Walther in 1929. Originally chambered in .32 ACP, the pistol has evolved over the years into more compact PPK and import-compliant PPK/s variants with other calibers such as .22 LR and .380 ACP added to the mix.

The Walther factory, shifted from Zella-Mehlis in Soviet-occupied East Germany to Ulm in West Germany after World War II, eventually resumed production on the PP/PPK just in time for it to become a staple of international espionage movies during the Cold War.

While Sean Connery’s Agent 007 was issued a Walther in the first 10 minutes of 1962’s “Dr. No” to replace his favored .25 ACP Beretta, it would continue as his standard through his six-film run and go on to be picked up off and on by successive generations of Bonds.

You can bet that collectors will now be moving in on the new old stock PP series pistols that remain on shelves – before they disappear like a spy into the mist.

A Clear Choice: The Shield OMSsc Micro Red Dot

Posted on November 10, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

We came across the OMSsc while doing a review on a pistol and thought enough about it to do a separate review of the optic. Naturally, one would only do this to either be the town crier to shame the optic for poor performance, or to point out how original or pioneering it came across while in use. This review is the latter.

Springfield Armory sent us a Hellcat .380 for review purposes in August 2025 with a Shield OMSsc 4-MOA red dot installed– which has the same form factor and proven performance of the RMSc, but with a panoramic see-through top hood.

Since we spent three months running that pistol with this interesting new sight mounted, we felt a separate review of the sight was in order.

Candidly – and stay with me here – I am just not a fan of micro red dots on carry guns, despite having extensive use with both. Don’t get me wrong, I own probably 10 rifles right now with electro-optic red dots (Aimpoint PRO, Eotech XPS3, Vortex Spitfire, SIG Romeo 5) on them as well as several full-sized pistols with large mailbox-sized enclosed red dots (think ACRO, Steiner MPS, Burris Fast Fire E, etc) but have just always struggled to “find the dot” in a fast enough time on a open emitter MRD to justify losing a half-second on my draw.

I find myself faster on target when drawing a small gun from concealment when using iron sights. This may be because I’ve been shooting handguns for 40 years, with a lot of that being on guns with very poor sights (looking at you, J-frames). Micro carry red dots only came into play in the past decade, so I default to what I am comfortable using. On larger, more full-sized pistols, I can get a better grip and don’t suffer the same “bounce and adjust” when coming up on target, especially when using a big honking, almost competition-sized enclosed dot.

However, with the Shield OMSsc, I felt the time shift in bringing the dot to my eyes, a feeling more akin to using a larger sight. Cutting back on the hood without cutting back on the hood helped me to very rapidly “hook into” the dot, if you can follow.

TL;DR: I liked it and shot well with it, without having to search for the dot as much as I usually do with other open emitter red dots.

weapons

Big Iron! A Review of the Taurus Deputy Single Action Revolver in 45 Colt

Posted on November 4, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

Taurus has been well-known worldwide for its double-action revolvers since 1941, but only got into the more retro single-action wheel gun market more recently.

The company’s first single-action offering, the Taurus Gaucho, popped up briefly in 2005, then faded back into gun lore.

Since then, Taurus acquired Heritage Manufacturing in 2012, which makes a tremendous amount of single-action rimfire caliber revolvers every year, like 187,000 guns a year kind of production.

With the company owning such a huge slice of the rimfire single gun market, as well as the double-action centerfire market, it’s only natural that Taurus would make a traditional “four click” revolver.

In late 2024, it debuted the Deputy. A SAA-based revolver offered in two barrel lengths, a 4.75-inch “gunfighter” style, and a longer 5.5-inch, as well as in the iconic .45 Colt or .357 Magnum calibers, the Deputy is ready to ride.

*We’ve been testing and evaluating the Taurus Deputy 5.5-inch format in .45 Colt for the past four months. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

Quick summary: We reviewed the 5.5-inch barreled .45 Colt variant of this classic six-shooter with modern safety features and found it to be a good, if beefy, “smoke wagon” at an affordable price.

For the full review, head on over to my column at Guns.com.

Glenfield is Back: Meet the new Glenfield Model A Bolt-Action Rifle

Posted on November 3, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

Marlin dates to 1870 and is one of America’s iconic and best-known firearms makers. Before its acquisition by the Freedom Group (Remington Arms) in 2007, Marlin had several subsidiary brands under its umbrella.

These included legacy firearms makers that it had purchased over the years, such as Harrington & Richardson, Hunter Arms, L.C. Smith, and New England Firearms. Other brands, on the other hand, Marlin invented from whole cloth, such as the Glenfield Products Division, an idea of then-company CEO Roger Kenna, who led Marlin from 1948 through 1959.

Hitting the scenes at a time when big box catalog sales were the Amazon of its day, Glenfield became a staple for outfits like Sears and J.C. Penney, back when they sold guns and every house on the block had one or more of their catalogs on the living room table.

I give you a circa 1972 JCPenney’s Christmas ad:

*The Glenfield brand is back… (Photos unless noted: Chris Eger/Guns.com)*

The original Glenfield models were based on Marlin’s standard catalog but offered in a more affordable package with fewer options. For instance, the Marlin Model 60, a popular semi-auto .22, was sold as the Glenfield Model 60, with a plainer stock that featured an engraved squirrel logo. Likewise, the Marlin 336 was also marketed as the Glenfield Model 30 with non-specified hardwood furniture rather than the walnut seen on the Marlin, and with minor style differences.

The concept proved popular with consumers, who got a good firearm at a great price.

Glenfield cruised along into the mid-1980s and was then quietly put to bed, but the rifles and shotguns made under the banner continue to circulate and have a soft spot with nostalgia-minded collectors. As an aside, my first sporting rifle that I purchased over the counter, looking back some four decades ago, was a Model 30A in .30-30.

With Ruger acquiring Marlin in 2020, resurrection was in the cards.

“We’re excited to bring back the iconic Glenfield Firearms brand with a new product that reflects Ruger’s dedication to manufacturing affordable, American-made firearms for any and every hunter,” said Ruger President and CEO, Todd Seyfert, at the brand’s relaunch.

The Model A Rifle: Familiar Newcomer

Glenfield’s inaugural 21st-century platform is the no-frills Model A bolt-action centerfire sporting rifle, which is “highly inspired by” the Gen I Ruger American Rifle. Ruger introduced that platform almost 15 years ago, and it has been well-vetted by America’s hunters, with over 2 million sold since then.

The company tells us that the Glenfield Model A carries forward the most valued elements of the Gen I Ruger American Rifle but has an MSRP about $100 below comparable Ruger-branded rifles – all without skimping on features.

Glenfield Model A rifle — *The current Glenfield Model A, in .308 Winchester, seen equipped. The series uses a splatter-finished Moss Green synthetic stock with sling swivel studs and a recoil pad.*

Full review in my column at Guns.com.

New: Beretta 92SB 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Pistol

Posted on October 31, 2025 by laststandonzombieisland Leave a comment

Beretta is marking a half-century of the legendary Model 92, the company has released a retro SB variant of the type that went on to make history.

The original Model 92 hit the market in 1975, one of the first double-stack double-action/single-action pistols available, and soon went on to become a global icon. The company has been honoring the lineage of the “Italian Stallion” this year with limited-edition offerings, and the repro 92SB comes as part of Beretta’s “Celebrating 50 Years of the 90 Series” program.

The repro 92SB is full of classic features such as a polished anodized frame, polished blued slide and barrel, a rounded trigger guard, and a flat dust cover. On the inside, it features all-metal components and upgraded internals, including a short reset trigger bar and D hammer spring. It runs a slide-mounted Type F safety lever.

Beretta 92SB repro — The new 92SB is engraved “Celebrating 50 Years of the 90 Series” on the left side of the slide and has a 1 of 1,526 serial number range, the latter an ode to Beretta’s first firearm contract. (Photos unless noted: Beretta)

The history behind the 92SB

The 92SB was the third production model of the 92 series, building on 1977’s Model 92S, which added the slide-mounted safety/decocker to the pistol. Debuting in 1980, the SB added an automatic firing pin block and an ambidextrous safety lever, and was marketed in both the standard and a compact model, the first for the 90 series.

Beretta 92SB ad

The Beretta 92SB hit the market in 1980, with the 92SB Compact arriving the next year.

Perhaps the 92SB’s greatest claim to fame was that it was submitted to the Army Pistol Trials in 1984 and 1986, which it won, and, with modifications including a squared trigger guard, a matte finish, and a chrome-lined barrel, became the 92SB-F, later just shortened to 92F.

The rest is history.
Army's Pistol Trials,

The Beretta 92SB beat out a crowded field in 1984-86 to win the Army’s Pistol Trials, with the modified 92SB-F being adopted as the M9. (Image: 1986 GAO Report)

The MSRP on the new Beretta 92SB repro is an appropriate $1,526.

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laststandonzombieisland

Weapons, Wars, Preparation and Security from a recovering gun nut turned bad writer

Tag Archives: gun news

HK416A8 in Der Haus: German Army Issues First Heckler & Koch G95 Rifles

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Mossberg Lands $11 Million Army Contract for M590A1 Shotguns

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A Deep Dive on the New Glock Gen 6 Models (G17, G19, and G45)

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