M1 Carbine Info and History

The M1 Carbine is a great American rifle that worked to help win World War II.  Made by many manufacturers under government contract, total production measured 6 million units.  Youtube user hickok45 demonstrates this wonderful gun in the following video.

Firing a .30 Cal cartridge, this gun was given to many troops in the Allied forces serving in WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam wars.  Compact, lightweight, and ease of operation make this firearm friendly to use and operate.

Ruger 10/22 Trick Shot

It is always fun to see folks do something different with a firearm to challenge themselves.  Youtube user tnoutdoors9 has a great video where he demonstrates the setup and operation of a 200 yard trickshot behind his back.

He explains how he measures off 200 yards and sets up a metallic target.  The 10/22 (open sights and 10 round magazine) is aimed over his shoulder and sighted with a handheld mirror.  Pulling the trigger with his thumb, he shoots at the target.

Great job of filming this with a remote camera at the target to demonstrate success with hitting it.

The following warning comes from the video description:

THIS SHOULD ONLY BE ATTEMPTED BY THOSE PROFICIENT IN FIREARMS HANDLING AND SAFETY. Also, as with all target practice, you must have an adequate backstop and understand the capabilities of your firearm and ammo.  As is the case with 99% of my videos, I was the only person “on the set”. Filmed on remote private property.

My further comment is that these sorts of challenges can obviously be dangerous as firearms are used outside of their intended design and operation.

Chamber Flags

I ran across an interesting video on Youtube from RcHelicopter64 regarding the use of Chamber Flags.  This of course is a safety measure that applies to semiautomatic firearms.  Rifles and pistols that have an empty chamber can be identified easily with a chamber flag.

Chamber flags are a quick and inexpensive method of identifying unloaded firearms.  They save time and energy from constantly checking whether a gun is loaded with a bullet in the firing chamber.  This can be a valuable addition to your safety practices, especially where other people come into contact with your firearms.

U.S. Rep. Issa moves Gunrunner investigation forward

U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), is the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  In an interview on Fox News he discusses Project Gunrunner.  His focal point is not what happened, but who in the Obama Administration was involved and to what extent.  From Fox News on June 5, 2011. Thanks to oversightandreform.

Hopefully Senator Grassley and Congressman Issa can do a great job on their investigation and work to expose the truth about this failed project of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Heckler & Koch HK416

The Heckler & Koch HK416 is an modern military firearm used by governments around the world.

This rifle is a modified version of the American M4 model Colt rifle.  Incorporating several advancements, the most beneficial is a new gas operating system adopted from the Heckler & Koch G36.  M4s can be updated via the installation of a new upper receiver, buffer and drive spring.  It uses the same military 5.56×45 round that has been adopted by NATO.

U.S. Special forces have been using the rifle for some time, reportedly going back to 2004.  It has been in the news lately as one of the tools used in the capture of Osama Bin Laden.

I found this video demonstrating just one of the superior features of the HK 416 versus the M4 Colt in the “Over the Beach Test.”

The good news is that there are civilian versions of the HK416 and HK417 available.  Referred to as the MR223 and MR308, both are semi-automatic rifles with several ‘sporterized’ features.  Introduced to the American civilian marketat the 2009 SHOT Show, these two firearms were announced as being available; renamed respectively MR556 and MR762. Of course these are available in the Remington .223 caliber.

U.S. Joint Special Operations Command

The special, and secretive, military unit that killed Osama bin Laden is known as “SEAL Team Six.” Ray Suarez reports on these so-called special missions units.

This is a great special report from the PBS Newshour on the Special Operations units within the U.S. Military.  Expected to number around 4,000 members, these are the tip of the spear for getting things done, usually under conditions of secrecy.  These guys are highly equipped with all of the latest and greatest weapons, training, and equipment.

They are an army within an army.