#7.62X51

Continuing my machine gun series, I will briefly discuss the Chinese PKMs, the Type 80 and the CS/LM4 machine guns. First adopted by the Soviet Army in 1961, the PK general purpose machine gun was eventually improved and lightened to the PKM. Over half a century of fighting in arid deserts and tropical jungles has demonstrated its flawless performance, and it is chambered in the 130-year-old 7.62x54mm cartridge.

The QJY-201, a machine gun with unique features, was publicly unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow in September 2021. It is chambered in 7.62x51 and bears the ammunition type designation DJP-201 which suggests it’s more than an export machine gun. Over the past few years, China has been transitioning from 7.62x54R to 7.62x51 sniper rifles and machine guns.

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the new SIG Spear or the XM7. Many discuss whether it's a worthy replacement for the venerable M4 and the pros and cons of moving to a higher-power cartridge. Many discuss the theoretics of a near-peer threat with armor and extended engagement distance while others talk about a reduced combat load of ammunition and the inability of your standard grunt to take advantage of the extended range of the 277. I have always found myself drawn to platforms like the ACR and SCAR that touted themselves as M4 replacements, so I decided to get my hands on one and put as many rounds through it as I could to see if it's something worth picking up as a civilian. 

The CZ Bren 2 PPS is a designated marksman rifle (DMR) chambered in .308/7.62x51mm. It’s based on the popular Bren 2 platform but features a number of modifications to make it more suitable for long-range precision work. In this video, we take a closer look at the CZ Bren 2 PPS and discuss its features and performance with Lukas, one of the operators on the testing team for the CZ Bren 2 PPS. Finally, we test the accuracy of the PPS with Sellier & Bellot NATO ammo at 100 meters.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves visits Beretta Defense Technologies to see the new Beretta ARX 200 .308 DMR (designated marksman rifle). Beretta has taken its flagship military rifle in .308, the ARX 200, and integrated modifications and accessories to make it a near-MOA rifle.

The Kraken from Cadex Defense is their answer to the multi-caliber rifle market.  Designed using their patented barrel change system, this rifle claims to have the lowest point of impact shift between takedown and assembly.  Available in 9 long and short action calibers, I was keen to try out this multi-caliber beast.  I asked Cadex if they had a Kraken I could review, and here’s what they sent over.

Continuing the coverage of new firearms released at the ARMY 2022 exhibition, today we’ll take a look at the new SV-21 bolt action rifle introduced by the  Kalashnikov Concern. The SV-21 is offered in 7.62x54mmR and .308 Winchester calibers and its main feature is the quick barrel change system.

During the ARMY 2022 exhibition, Kalashnikov Concern unveiled a number of new firearms, both for the military/LE and civilian markets. Among the new guns are two rifles chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO / .308 Winchester – the AKV-721 and AK-308. Let’s take a look at each of these new firearms.

A batch of fully functional French FR F2 sniper rifles has recently been imported into the United States by Navy Arms, and are available through EuroOptic.com, and Navy Arms’ affiliate, Old Western Scrounger. The less than traditional-looking French FR F2 rifles were all decommissioned by France and have seen some use, so the prices will vary if you check out Old Western Scrounger’s website, whereas EuroOptic’s lot has a fixed price. The FR F2 is the 7.62x51mm version of France’s FR F1 sniper rifle designed for the 7.5x54mm French cartridge, and the F2 features a thermal sleeve that was designed to reduce mirage for the shooter and heat signature from the enemy. Let’s take a look at the fresh importation of French FR F2 rifles.

While in the last 20 years many European firearms industries faded into obscurity (just look at France, Spain, and Portugal), other countries seem to successfully expand their industries. At the recent IDEF 2021 exhibition in Istanbul, Turkey, I came across several new Turkish gun manufacturers that were founded in recent years, and perhaps the most interesting one was System Defence.

Earlier this year Winchester was awarded a $35 million dollar ammunition contract with the United States Army to provide the service 5.56, 7.62, and .50 caliber ammunition in what ended up being their first military contract following the decision for Winchester to be the operating contractor at the famous Lake City Army Ammunition Plant. Now, Winchester has just received yet another federal contract, this time from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to provide the agency with .308 Winchester/7.62×51 NATO for a 5-year term and valued at $5 million.

Ensio FireArms, a small arms manufacturer from Finland, has released a new rifle called KAR-21. This rifle is designed by a gentleman named Toni Käräjämies and KAR in the model name stands for Käräjämies Automatic Rifle. One of the main features of the rifle is its multi-caliber design that allows changing the caliber from .223 Remington to .308 Winchester by swapping the barrel, bolt and magazine well.

During an unveiling ceremony held in Tehran, Iran, Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami proudly unveiled their new Masaf assault rifle. The new rifle is chambered in 7.62x51mm and intended for longer range engagements for both night and day operations.

Earlier I reviewed the Cypher X SCAR17Shorty, a SCAR 17S pistol cut down to 13″. When the opportunity to review the new Springfield Armory SAINT Victor 308 Pistol presented itself I jumped at it. I was curious what a 10.3″ .308 pistol would be like. I was pleasantly surprised and it exceeded my expectations.

The second most famous creation of Michail Kalashnikov, general-purpose Kalashnikov machine gun, had a multitude of names over the last 50 years: PK, PKM, M84 in former Yugoslavia, Konekivaari KK PKM in Finland. In some southern regions of Russia, where shooting at weddings is a mandatory part of the celebration, PKM is semi-officially called “the Handsome One”. New versions of this weapon still emerge all around the world, and several years ago Arsenal Bulgaria presented its own version called  MG-M2.