Author: Jack Bogart

Today in Guns, 02 October (1979, a Tuesday). October 2nd marks the anniversary of several significant events in weapons, warfare, and equipment history. Foremost among these for this article (though not for the day) is U.S. Patent 4,169,329, which you’ll read about below. Thanks to Rock Island Auction for this image. We’ll also look at a 1918 “pilotless aerial torpedo” (a very early incarnation of the OWA-UAS drones we see on the battlefield today) and a very important birthday. We’ll start with the patent, granted to Maxwell G. Atchisson nearly 50 years ago, for a Weapon conversion apparatus. The “apparatus” in…

By Dave Bahde Posted in #Gear Editor’s Note: For this Check-Mate UHC 9mm magazine review, the author received samples for testing from the company. The handgun used was a 1911 DS Prodigy that was loaned to the author by Springfield Armory.The 1911 is clearly a solid design — it would have to be to still be kicking here more than a century after its introduction. However, for those who want a more “modern” version of the classic — and with increased capacity — the “2011” is an interesting option. I’ve been using the 2011 platform since they…

SIG SAUER – CROSS Sawtooth in 300BLK, 223 Wylde & 22 Creedmoor During last week’s SIG NEXT they announced two new versions of the Sawtooth variant of the popular CROSS short action bolt gun, in 300 BLK and 223 Wylde. Unexpectedly, they also unveiled a 22 CM model. The CROSS is well known for its for its straight forward design and low price compared to many other bolt action rifles on the market. The Sawtooth models feature MLOK compatible handguards with 1/3 ARCA and carbon fiber wrapped barrels. In the case of the 300 BLK it is 9″ and the…

Your hands are your primary interface with your weapon, your kit, and your environment. The FirstSpear OPERATOR GLOVE SYSTEM pairs the Operator Inner Glove (OIG) and the Operator Outer Glove (OOG) into an advanced combat system built around maximum weapon manipulation, tactile feel, and durability when the mission demands both. TheOIG functions as a capable standalone glove for operations where dexterity and feel take priority. When conditions require higher durability and toughness, the OOG layers directly over it without sizing up, extending the system’s resilience through extended hard use. Features: OIG: TOUCH SCREEN COMPATIBLE THUMB AND INDEX FINGER OIG: MERINO…

The War Department announced an increase in hostile fire pay and imminent danger pay today for the first time since 2002. A memorandum released by Tim Dill, assistant secretary of war for manpower and reserve affairs, states hostile fire pay will be issued at a full monthly rate of $450, which doubles the previous $225 rate, and imminent danger pay will increase to $275 from $225 monthly, effective today. The memo was authored and signed in mid-July, but the increase in hazard pay appropriations goes into effect at the start of the new fiscal year. “Those who face combat deserve…

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 29, 2026 — HII (NYSE: HII), America’s largest military shipbuilder and the global leader in autonomous seapower, was awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy to build 10 ROMULUS unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program. The award marks a major advancement in the U.S. Navy’s transition from experimentation to fleet-scale deployment of trusted, operational autonomy across the maritime domain. “HII has made deliberate, early investments in the development of autonomous systems, advancing capabilities essential to the Navy’s hedge strategy,” said Chris Kastner, HII president and CEO. “We remain firmly committed to…

The latest Spyderco Product Reveal, the twenty-second since the company adopted this particular format, has dropped – and that means a lot of new knives to look at, so without further ado let’s get into it. (Note: we are just covering the main new models, no the sprint runs and special steel variants, of which there are a few). Para Military 2 LW Salt Ah the PM2 – you know it, you love it, it’s an all-timer for many, many users. The lightweight variant is also popular, and now that version is getting its own Salt variant, with bright yellow…

Full Metal Jacket – Repro Afghan Plate Carrier Pre-Order Full Metal Jacket will open its pre-order books on Friday at Noon (EDT) for their Black-Ops Kandahar Afghan Plate Carrier reproduction. Launch edition will retail for $129.99 and further restocks will be $150. Preorders should ship in 2-3 weeks from the order. Initial launch will be limited to 100 units total. 40 Ranger Green and Black30 Coyote30 Black Here’s some more data from FMJ: We are proud to introduce the first of a couple in house replicas available exclusively through Full Metal Jacket LLC. Black Ops Coporation, Kandahar is revered as…

Three-year, $500 million contract vehicle supports accelerated deployment of counter-UAS capabilities for U.S. homeland defenseWarrenton, VA – 30 September 2026 – DroneShield, a global leader in advanced counter-drone technology, today announced it has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract supporting Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401)’s Domestic Shield initiative, with a maximum contract value of up to $500 million over three years. The award establishes a streamlined procurement pathway for DroneShield’s counter-UAS capabilities to support Domestic Shield requirements and the rapid fielding of technology to protect defense critical infrastructure and other high-priority locations across the United States. Domestic…

Passive, AI-enabled next-generation EO/IR seekers that deliver autonomous precision in GPS-denied and contested electronic warfare environments. LOS ANGELES — Oct. 1, 2026 — OKSI, a defense leader in advanced artificial intelligence, computer vision and autonomous systems, announced its line of custom Intelligent Seekers, purpose-built to deliver autonomous precision in GPS-denied and contested electronic warfare environments. OKSI’s Intelligent Seekers bring advanced electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensing, computer vision and target recognition, along with tracking, terminal logic and guidance, navigation and control (GNC) algorithms directly on board weapon systems. They are a production-ready solution with low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C)…