At 1:10 a.m. on May 9, 1945, night owls in the USSR heard a radio report that Nazi Germany had officially surrendered to the Soviet Union. Rather than wait until morning to celebrate, citizens took to the streets in their pajamas. The revelry reached such a fever pitch that by the time Joseph Stalin addressed the nation 22 hours later, the Soviets faced a new crisis: The entire country had run out of vodka!
It turns out a nation-wide hangover was small price to pay for peace in Europe. As one reporter put it, “I was lucky to buy a liter of vodka at the train station when I arrived, because it was impossible to buy any later … There was no vodka in Moscow on May 10; we drank it all.”
The sales of firearms, especially AR-15-style rifles, unexpectedly turned up last month, apparently driven by efforts in several states to impose gun bans.
Industry officials reviewing the latest FBI background check information said that states planning gun bans or moving to change the rules governing firearms purchases saw massive jumps in April sales.
In Washington state, where the governor just signed a law banning the sale or transfer of AR-style rifles, background checks for April sales surged to 71,272 compared to 49,641 in April 2022, a 43.6% increase, said Mark Oliva, the spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
The industry trade group found a surge in Illinois, where it recently won a federal court decision to block a ban on modern sporting rifles. There, Oliva said, sales background checks increased 11.7% in April.
(Image via the NSSF)
Ditto in Oregon, he said: “Oregon, a state with a legislature and governor’s office hostile to lawful firearm ownership, totaled 43,574 adjusted background checks in April 2023, compared to 27,921 a year ago, representing a 56.1% increase.”
Even states that moved to change the rules to buy guns saw a big sales uptick before any new regulations began to take effect.
“Notably, North Carolina’s legislature overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill that repealed the state’s antiquated Jim Crow-era permit-to-purchase a handgun scheme which immediately reverted the state to using the FBI NICS system to verify all handgun sales,” Oliva said. “North Carolina came in with 68,181 background checks in April 2023, compared to 18,967 in April 2022, a 238.4% increase.”
In recent months, concerns about safety drove sales highs, and that is continuing to add to the records. But Oliva said the difference in April was the threats from the government to take away gun rights.
“April’s uptick of 1,369,296 FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) verifications shows that there continues to be a steady appetite for lawful firearm ownership even as certain state governors and legislators are taking radical measures to infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms, especially the Modern Sporting Rifle,” Oliva said in a reference to AR- and AK-style rifles.
“These figures show that when Americans are concerned that government authorities will deny them the full spectrum of their Second Amendment rights, they will respond by exercising those rights. It also shows that when barriers to lawful firearm ownership are torn down, law-abiding citizens will exercise their right to lawfully purchase firearms,” he said.
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will equip its armed forces with the HK416 A7. Luxembourg will replace the Steyr AUGs currently in service with weapons from Heckler & Koch through a contract worth 8.4 million Euros ($9.2 million).
The procurement will also include Heckler & Koch HK269s which will replace older HK69A1s. The 5.56x45mm HK416s will be procured in two barrel lengths: 11 and 14.5 inches. The contract also includes 7.62x51mm HK417 A2 rifles which will likely provide a designated marksman rifle.
Luxembourg troops with Steyr AUGs (Luxembourg Army)
The Luxembourg Army is a battalion-sized formation and the latest available figures put Luxembourg’s full-time standing military at just around 1,000 personnel. While Luxembourg’s standing army is small it has provided personnel and equipment to UN, NATO and EU peacekeeping missions since the early 1990s.
The Luxembourg Army has not yet commented on the procurement but HK expects to deliver the rifles by 2024.
HK416A7 (Heckler & Koch)
Here’s Heckler & Koch’s announcement of the contract:
On 18 April 2023, the Luxembourg army commissioned Heckler & Koch to supply the future standard assault rifle to its armed forces.
In advance to the contract, Heckler & Koch was able to clearly win an intensive comparative test against a well-known European competitor. For about 8.4 million Euros, the army of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will receive an HK416 A7 assault rifle variant in 5.56 mm x 45 NATO calibre in two different barrel lengths – 11 and 14.5 inches.
The defence package is completed by 40 mm HK269 grenade launcher modules as well as HK417 A2 assault rifles in the NATO calibre 7.62 mm X 51. With this decision, the Luxembourg alliance partner is parting with its Steyr AUG used up to now and, with the HK416, the Luxembourg army is relying on a mission-proven quality product from Heckler & Koch for its soldiers which is widely used in the NATO.
The delivery of the new standard weapon to the Grand Duchy will take place within a year and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
Matt is a British historian specialising in small arms development and military history. He has written several books and for a variety of publications in both the US and UK. He also runs Historical Firearms, a blog that explores the history, development and use of firearms. Matt is also co-founder of The Armourer’s Bench, a video series on historically significant small arms.
Here on TFB he covers product and current military small arms news.
First introduced as the Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum in 1955, the Model 29 was the original .44 Mag. revolver—and it would go on to attain nearly unparalleled levels of fame in the wheelgun industry.
A one-time holder of the title of “Most Powerful Handgun in the World,” the Model 29 still remains the most powerful handgun that some shooters will dare try. Its fame and legendary status, of course, has been bolstered by its starring presence in Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” films—though you may be able to argue that the gun did just as much for Clint as he did for it.
A true legend in the industry, the Model 29 remains a revolver that every firearm enthusiast should at the very least try—and it’s an easy addition to the Gun of the Week series.
Technical Specifications:
Caliber: .44 Mag., .44 Spl.
Barrel Length: 4″ to 10 5/8″ Total Length: Varies Capacity: 6 Rounds Action: Double-Action
Weight Loaded: 3-dot, adjustable rear
MSRP: $1,019 and up
Last year the Army awarded Vortex Optics the contract for the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Fire Control program to include the design and production of the XM157. The contract for the NGSW-FC includes a provision to build up to 250,000 XM157s during the next decade at a starting price of around $2.7 billion. While Vortex is obligated to meet the initial Army demand, they plan to sell to civilians as soon as they are contractually able to.
So what is the XM157 or the NGSW-FC? Well, the FC is the fire-control or XM157 optic system that will be used for the next-generation squad weapon. From the ground up, the XM157 is a 1-8x30mm optic that features Vortex’s revolutionary “Active Reticle®” technology. At its heart, it works just like a standard low-powered variable optic or LPVO, but encompassed in the housing is the fire-control system that sets this optic apart from everything else available today.
The XM157 is what many call a “smart scope” due to its integration of a digital display overlay, laser range finder, ballistics calculator, atmospheric sensors, compass, visible and infrared aiming lasers, and Intra-Soldier Wireless. However, the XM157 still works in a zero power state due to its core utilization of a standard 1-8x FFP optic with an etched reticle. This provides an analog image with a digital overlay for calculated holds.
This new optic will allow soldiers to quickly and accurately engage targets at a distance. While this new optic works great at 1X like other LPVO’s for close-quarters engagements, it is going to revolutionize how targets are engaged past a few hundred yards. With the press of a button, the XM157 will range a target and immediately display the appropriate hold in the reticle dependent upon the saved ballistics profile and the current atmospheric conditions. Simply aim at the target, and press a button either on the remote pressure pad or on the side of the scope itself.
Hands-on with the XM157
I was given the opportunity to get hands-on with the XM157 and it was quite impressive. After pressing the ranging button, it took less than a second to overlay the calculated drop in the display of the scope. I could range the furthest objects visible from where I was positioned hundreds of yards away even with the rain coming down.
The XM157 is factory set to display the wind holds for a 90-degree 10MPH crosswind on either side of the center aiming point. These overlayed points will account for any cant of the rifle from shooting at an angle as well. Twisting the rifle around while looking through the optic I was able to watch the displayed holds rotate around to give me a true impact location for rounds that would be fired.
*Not an actual picture through the scope. The screenshot is taken from the Garand Thumb overview video
The etched reticle provides useful information while not overcrowding the field of view. The glass clarity also looked great with edge-to-edge clarity. However, I was not allowed to take any pictures of my own, so you will just have to imagine it for yourself.
Another awesome feature is that the XM157 utilizes an Active Reticle® that is not dictated by fixed points on an etched reticle. Because it uses a display, the XM157 can overlay any desired information. As time goes on, and technology changes, newer software will be able to be downloaded to keep the XM157 up to date with the newest evolving threats.
Vortex incorporates two different enablers into the XM157, one of which had the rangefinder attached. They mentioned the ability to use a camera that could pair with the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System. This would allow the XM157 to link to helmet-mounted systems to allow the user to see through the scope without actually peering through the optic. Pairing with devices such as the IVAS would allow soldiers to shoot from behind cover while sticking their weapons around the corner and seeing through the optic via the wireless heads-up display.
Currently, this optic will still work with traditional PVS-24/30-night vision clip-on systems, but Vortex hinted at the ability to add a thermal overlay or other types of sensors to the XM157 to give more functionality at night.
While weight was not disclosed, the XM157 with the range finder removed felt slightly lighter than a Trijicon VCOG 1-6 with a Larue Tactical QD mount. It also felt slightly lighter with the range finder mounted than a RAPTAR sitting on top of a NightForce 1-8 in a Badger Ordnance mount.
I have heard people complain about how heavy this system looks, but when configured to match similar systems, it is very comparable, while being more effective. Incorporating a ballistics calculator into the display instead of a reading via a Wilcox RAPTAR mounted somewhere on the rifle is much quicker and seamless while simultaneously saving weight.
Embedded below is a great overview of the system and some first impressions from Mike actually shooting the system:
The future is now, and while the XM157 is mostly an assembly of existing technologies, the incorporation and implementation of all of these varying components make for an effective and lethal package. While I didn’t have the opportunity to shoot with this optic, I had the chance to get hands-on, and ranging targets was effortless. Vortex Optics is making some big waves with the XM157 and for good reason. Just like the ACOG revolutionized quick-effective engagement distances past a few hundred yards, the NGSW-FC is extending that distance even further while providing accurate holds for anything within the effective range of the NGSW platform.
———————————————————————————- As reported in Guns.com: “The 10-year contract… covers the production and delivery of up to 250,000 XM157 Next Generation Squad Weapons-Fire Control systems. The NGSW-FC will be the common sight for the Army’s new NGSW-Rifle, set to replace the M4 Carbine in front line service, and the NGSW-Automatic Rifle, the intended replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
The contract minimum is set at $20 million, with a fantastic $2.7 billion maximum mentioned if all options are taken, pointing to a unit price for each NGSW-FC optic as being in the neighborhood of ****$10,800****.
However, it should be noted that, going past the sights themselves, the contract includes supporting accessories, contractor support, spare parts, repairs, and engineering efforts, likely pointing to a significantly lower per-unit cost than the basic math would imply.”
Grumpy – Now I am all for giving our Grunts stuff that will help them win the next firefight. But would’nt an Airstrike or a TOT from Arty be cheaper!?! TALK about rapeing and pillaging the American Tax Payer by the Military Industrial Complex!!!!!!!!!!!
