Category Small Arms & Light Weapons
Two New Publications: Ammunition in Syria & AGLs for the ADF
Whilst the bulk of my attention lately has gone into writing for (and running!) Armament Research Services (ARES) and our blog, The Hoplite, I have had two new pieces released elsewhere recently. First, for the Small Arms Survey, I wrote a report examining small-calibre ammunition documented in Syria. From the Survey press release: The Working Paper Following […]
TS308 sniper rifles (B&T APR copies) in Kiev
I’ve written a new piece for the ARES company blog, The Hoplite, on Ukrainian made copies of Brügger & Thomet APR rifles deployed in Kiev during the ongoing civil unrest. You can read the full article here. The Ukrainian copies are produced under license by Tactical Systems Ltd (TS). According to B&T, the license for the entire […]
North Korean Helical AK Magazines
A new piece, written by the Oryx Blog team is available over at The Hoplite. Several new developments in North Korean armaments can be witnessed amongst the recent flow of propaganda released by Pyongyang after Kim Jong-un’s ascension to power. One such development is what appears to be a new magazine model for the North Korean copy of […]
9K310 MANPADS captured from rebels in South Sudan
This post originally appeared at The Hoplite, the ARES company blog. Seen at the bottom centre in the photo above is a 9K310 Igla-1 (NATO designation: SA-16 Gimlet) man-portable air defence system (MANPADS). The weapons pictured were purportedly captured by soldiers of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) stationed in South Sudan to protect key […]
Thales selects Steyr SL40 grenade launcher for EF88
Thales Australia have announced today that they have selected the Steyr SL40 grenade launcher to be paired with their EF88 assault rifle, which is being offered to the Australian Defence Forces under Defence’s LAND 125 Phase 3C program. The EF88 was originally offered with the Madritsch Weapon Technology ML40AUS grenade launcher, however a source close to […]
SAR 80 rifle and 5.56 x 45 ammunition in the Central African Republic
In the photo above, anti-Balaka militia forces near Bouar in the Central African Republic (CAR) can be seen posing with some of their weapons. The fighter at the far right is holding what is likely a Chinese Type 56 assault rifle, whilst his compatriot in yellow is holding a Singaporean SAR 80 rifle. The SAR […]
Markings abraded on Iranian rifles in Gaza
The picture above shows what is likely an Iranian-produced copy of the Steyr HS .50 anti-materiel rifle (AMR) in the hands of a fighter from Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, in Gaza. The Iranian copy of the HS .50 is known as the ‘AM50’, and appears to incorporate a handful of minor changes. Several such AMRs have […]
Milkor MGL Mk. 1 in the Central African Republic
A quick post to point out what appears to be a Milkor MGL Mk.1 grenade launcher, seen here in the hands of Séléka fighters near Bangui, in the Central African Republic (CAR). The Milkor MGL is a South African six-shot rotary grenade launcher, designed by Andries Piek of Milkor (Pty) Ltd. and introduced into service with […]
Which Light Weight Automatic Grenade Launcher for the ADF?
The following is an excerpt of an article scheduled to appear in a forthcoming issue of the Small Arms Defence Journal (Vol.6 No.1), which examines the contenders for the Australian Defence Force’s LWAGL requirement. The complete article is over 3000 words in length, and discusses the grenade launchers, ammunition, and fire control systems of each […]
Libyan 11th ‘Lightning’ Battalion with new Bulgarian rifles
The image above shows members of Libya’s 11th ‘Lightning’ Battalion special forces armed with Arsenal AR-M9F assault rifles, in 5.56 x 45 calibre. The 11th Bn has ‘rapid response’ duties, as well as conducting close personal protection (CPP) details. From what I have seen so far, the first images of these rifles in their hands […]
The Rogue Adventurer 