PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – Army armament engineers here partnered with a pair of Pennsylvania companies, one with alloy expertise and the other with forging metals, to deliver a capable barrel for the Army’s next generation of small arms. Carpenter Technology developed the alloy and Geissele Automatics (also known as GWYNEDD) developed the production techniques for the barrels, while the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center provided the expertise in gun technology to deliver an innovation that is key to meeting the required capability. This novel barrel design, created as part of two separate CRADAs (Cooperative Research and Development Agreements) between the Armaments Center, Geissele and Carpenter, relies on the alloy, GNB 200, which provides Army small caliber next generation weapons with higher tensile strength and, with it, better wear resistance. This advancement came after several projects focusing specifically on barrel technology over the past decade. According to general engineer Daniel Cler, the design’s principal investigator, DEVCOM had tested several “high alloy barrel materials” over the decade, seeking to help alleviate pressure buildup, corrosion and mechanical wear as next-generation weapons maintain significantly higher-pressure than their legacy counterparts, this could in turn worsen barrel wear. In the past several…
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MoreDan Caldwell has been hired by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence after being cleared of leaking from the Pentagon in a high-profile investigation, The American Conservative has confirmed. Caldwell, a Marine veteran and a prominent advocate of a restrained foreign policy, will serve as an adviser to…
The Iran War entered its eighteenth day on Tuesday, as senior U.S. counter-terrorism official Joe Kent resigned his position in protest of the war. The U.S. military said Monday that the number of U.S. troops wounded in the conflict has reached at least 200 across seven countries. President Donald Trump…
ZeroTech Optics Laucnhes Vengeance 1-4x24SFP LPVO NASHVILLE, TN – ZeroTech Optics is expanding its trusted Vengeance lineup with the launch of the Vengeance 1-4×24 SFP LPVO RAR Illuminated FDE and the Vengeance 1-4×24 SFP LPVO RAR MOA, versatile low power variable optics designed to deliver fast target acquisition at close…
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US Army Files Trademark Application for M8 Carbine In late January the US Army filed a trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the term “M8” for all categories of firearms. As SSD revealed yesterday, the US Army issued an experimental type classification of XM8 to the…
President Donald Trump said Monday the United States has asked to postpone his planned meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing by “a month or so,” citing his desire to remain in Washington to supervise the ongoing war with Iran. Trump, who was expected to travel to China at…
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MoreFENTON, Mo. (March 16, 2026) – FirstSpear®, the industry leader in load-bearing technology and personal protective equipment, has entered into an exclusive, ten-year license with Recon K9® LLC (“Recon K9”). Under this agreement, FirstSpear will assume responsibility for the sales, marketing, manufacturing, distribution, and logistics of the Recon K9 brand,…
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As a fan of the double action auto, you may think that I am against single action guns. Since one of the benefits of the DA auto is how safe it is to live with, day in and day out, you might assume that the single action auto is just…
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I am very excited to report that Jeff Gonzalez and I are collaborating on a class this summer in AZ. I’m sure everyone who reads this blog is familiar with Jeff, but in case you came in late, he runs Trident Concepts, a long standing training company known for its…
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MoreTacJobs – Positions with Colt American icon Colt is currently seeking to fill several positions. Click on the position name for additional details and to apply. Product Manager – Military and Law Enforcement Test Engineer I Director of Project Management Junior Manufacturing Analyst All positions are in West Hartford, Connecticut.…
The War with Iran entered its seventeenth day on Monday with no clear end in sight, as global energy markets remained disrupted. Israel said yesterday that it has operational plans for at least three more weeks of war as overnight airstrikes hit sites across Iran, while Iran launched drone and…
US Army Designates Carbine Version of M7 NGSW Rifle as XM8 Last month, the US Army designated the XM8 and issued a national stock number: NSN 1005-01-737-3402. Featuring an 10″ barrel, the XM8 (bottom carbine) weighs 7.3 lbs versus the 8.3 lbs of the M7 carbine with 13.5″ barrel (top…
While there are many shades of green that occupy the military space (Foliage Green, Sage Green, and Army Green to name a few), Ranger Green and OD Green seem to be the most sought after and widely recognized. These two greens look similar, with muted tones that pair well with…
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FENTON, Mo. (March 13, 2026) – FirstSpear®, the industry leader in load-bearing technology and personal protective equipment, announced the launch of its Vanguard Program, a strategic initiative designed to formalize the feedback loop between the engineering lab and the operational field. Coinciding with this launch, FirstSpear has named former Marine…
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FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Last month the Army officially activated the Capability Program Executive Office for Mission Autonomy, in a ceremony at the U.S. Army National Museum. Presiding over the ceremony was the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Maneuver Air, Maj. Gen. Clair Gill. Gill kicked off the event by remarking…
The Iran War entered its sixteenth day on Sunday as the U.S. government continued to say it was decisively winning the war. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, President Donald Trump said, “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every…
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Saskatoon police have confirmed the second homicide of the year following the fatal shooting of a man in the early hours of Saturday morning. Officers responded to the scene in the 900 block of 22nd Street west at about 12:30 a.m. When they arrived, police found a man suffering from…
