In 2008, Ukrainian manufacturing conglomerate RPC Fort received a license from IMI to produce a variety of Israeli small arms, including the Tavor TAR and Tavor X95. In Fort's catalog, these were designated the Fort-221 (TAR) and Fort-224 (X95). A small number were allegedly produced for special ...

While the US never adopted a significant variation of the M1 Garand (excluding sniper models), testing continued on new iterations and features throughout the war. By the time the war ended, the US military had some specific ideas about what it wanted in a new service rifle. That being, something...

The FAMAS was the best bullpup rifle of its era, but it was a difficult platform to modernize with optics. In 1995, the "FELIN" (Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons INtégrés; Integrated Infantry Equipment and Communications) was commissioned to create a next-generation weapons platform for the Fre...

Mitch, design engineer at Q, challenged me to a shootoff at Moons Out Goons Out 2024. If I win, I get a Boombox from Q. If he wins, I have to embarrass myself on the internet. Sounds like a risk worth taking!

The Boombox is essentially a Honey Badger scaled up to SR25 magwell size, chambered for...

Sorry for the poor audio - I was filming in an indoor range with a loud ventilation system running. But it was a chance to shoot a proper select-fire SIG-Manurhin 540, and I wasn't going to let that opportunity get away! It's a quite nice rifle, weighing in at 3.5kg / 7.75 pounds in 5.56mm. Frank...

In 2023 Beretta introduced their 'New Assault Rifle Platform' - the NARP. At SHOT Show 2024 I had the chance to examine the initial 5.56x45mm variant of the NARP. The rifle was developed with input from Italy's Special Forces and it represents a step away from the extensive use of polymer in Bere...

During the Balkan Wars, a great many oddball guns were built and used. One of them was a Bosnian conversion of the Yugoslav M59/66 SKS to have a select-fire trigger and to use modified detachable AK magazines. These are extremely rare today, as only a few of them (probably a dozen at most) came i...

When France was developing it's new suite of small arms in the late 1940s, there was a debate over whether to adopt an intermediate-power cartridge or retain the full-power 7.5x54mm round for the infantry rifle. Initially, a French 7.65x35mm cartridge was developed and used for several years of d...

EDIT: Shoot, I managed to get the gear ratio backwards. Sorry! The recoil action provides the necessary delay, and then the gear ratio provides acceleration to ensure the bolt can open reliably, akin to the accelerator in a Browning M1917 or 1919 machine gun, or a Lahti L35 pistol. Please excuse ...

Jonathan explores H&K's strange decision to plonk a low-power optic on a HK33, removing the excellent H&K iron sites in the mid-1980s.

This specific weapon is shrouded in a host of strange quirks, as our Keeper of Firearms and Artillery explains.

The United Kingdom has announced the selection of the Knight's Armament Company KS-1 as the new Alternative Individual Weapon for the new Ranger battalions and the Royal Marines Commandos. The requirement for the new rifle was released back in August 2021. It will enter service as the L403A1.

Be...

The SAFN, aka FN-49, is one of the classic post-war European battle rifles, and was sold to nine different countries in the early 1950s before the FAL became FN's primary combat rifle offering. What is often forgotten is that despite being limited to a fixed 10-round magazine, nearly half of all ...

Vic kicks off his series looking at the US Army's ACR trials rifles with a look at not one but two versions of Heckler & Koch's advanced caseless ammunition assault rifle - the G11. We'll be delving into the G11's insanely intricate and wonderfully complex action in later videos! Check out our we...

In this episode Matt takes a quick look at a more modern weapon, H&K's 5.56x45mm carbine - the HK53. Featuring the obligatory 'HK slap'. Check out our website https://armourersbench.com/2017/12/13/heckler-koch-hk53/ for an in-depth article on the HK53! If you enjoy our work please consider su...

**Technical Note** Sadly, while filming Vic's radio mic suffered some interference and the auto for the video was lost. Murphy's law in action. In its place Vic has done his best with an overdub. This week we bring you the last in our series on the US Army's Advanced Combat Rifle Program. Vic tak...

In this episode Vic takes a look at Steyr's entry into the US Army's Advanced Combat Rifle Program. This is part of our series on the ACR rifles, be sure to check out the videos on the others. The Steyr ACR was one of four entries that took part in US military trials during the late 1980s to find...

In this episode Vic takes a look at the AAI Corporation's entry into the US Army's Advanced Combat Rifle Program. This is part of our series on the ACR rifles, be sure to check out the videos on the others. The AAI ACR was one of four entries that took part in US military trials during the late 1...

This episode see Vic take a look at a Steyr AUG 9x19mm submachine gun conversion. The modular nature of the AUG has enabled it to fulfil both the assault rifle and light machine gun roles but it also allowed for a 9mm carbine variant, introduced in the late 1980s. Vic takes us through the nuances...

Following NATOs standardisation of 5.56x45mm, Heckler & Koch introduced the G41 in 1981, as NATO members began looking for new rifles. HK, however, struggled to find buyers for the G41. In this episode Matt takes a look at one of HK's rarest rifles. Comparing it to its predecessor the HK33 and di...

Celebrating our 40th episode with a live fire video featuring a replica Gerat 06(H), the rifle that began the roller-delayed blowback dynasty which has included Spanish CETMEs and German HK's like the G3 and MP5. Developed by Mauser engineers from the gas operated Gerat 06, it produced a much lig...

In this episode we take a look at Heckler & Koch's first 5.56x45mm rifle, the HK33. Introduced in the late 1960s, the HK33 was Heckler & Koch's response to the emergence of the new 5.56x45mm round and FN's introduction of the FN CAL. While the HK33 wasn't adopted by West Germany it proved a popul...

In this episode Matt takes a look at an M1 Garand select-fire conversion developed by Winchester in the late 1940s. Likely chambered in an early version of 7.62x51mm NATO, the rifle is believed to be the work of Winchester (and later Ruger) lead engineer Harry H. Sefried. Be sure to check out Mat...

Last week Matt attended SHOT Show 2020 and spotted a pair of Tavor cutaway demonstration guns at the IWI booth. Here's a quick video, put together on the fly, looking at the cutaway guns and showing how they illustrate the Tavor's working parts and operation. Check out the accompanying blog for s...

In this video we compare two of the last roller-delayed production rifles: the Spanish CETME Modelo L and the Heckler & Koch G41. These rifles represent the last evolutions of two strands of the roller-delayed development tree - the Spanish and the German.

Check out our detailed accompanying bl...