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Army bullets

We have a report that the US military is switching from FMJ “ball” to JHP ammunition for its next generation modular handgun (if there is such a thing). FMJ ammo will still be used for training.

The Army said it will rely on FBI data to evaluate bids for the new ammunition and that the adopted cartridge must perform 10% better than currently issued M882 (9mm NATO, 124-grain FMJ) with both the FMJ training ammunition and the JHP ammunition issued for deployment. It also said that it knows it will get heat for the move, but claimed the administration supported the change at the highest levels at the DoD.

My understanding is that contrary to popular belief, the US is not a signatory to the Hague Conventions which outlawed the military use of “dum-dum” and expanding bullets more than a century ago. The Army also says that it is prepared to defend its choice by using the argument that countries that will denounce the use of hollow points use the hollow points themselves for their police forces and that JHP ammunition, which works better and presents much less of a risk of over-penetration, is more humane and less of a risk to innocent civilians downrange in modern combat where there are often no clear front lines.

No word on better rifle bullets.

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Dutch .300 Blackout carbines

Janes.com reports that the Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Force (NL-MARSOF) are planning to purchase a new carbine chambered in the non-NATO standard 7.62×35 mm (300 Blackout). In total, the Dutchmen want to buy 195 select-fire carbines and 1.82 million cartridges (1,345,000 ball, 244,000 subsonic, and 231,000 lead free frangible).

The current standard rifle for the NL-MARSOF commandos is the short-barreled H&K HK416 carbine chambered for the NATO-standard 5.56×45 mm round. It is possible to convert the HK416 or other AR-15 based rifles to fire 7.62×35 mm ammunition by fitting a new upper receiver, barrel, and bolt.

The US military has reportedly been using a few 300 BLK firearms for a few years now, and they have been successfully used in combat.

Or, just use a 7.62×39, which has essentially the same characteristics, isn’t an oddball, and for which you can find ammo literally pretty much anywhere.

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Canadian Colt/Stoeger/Sako/Tikka military rifles

See details here.

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Taurus reorganization

Due to “significant gyrations” in stock prices in recent months, Forjas Taurus SA, the Brazilian conglomerate that owns Taurus Holdings, the Miami, Florida based gun company has fired all of its senior managers at the company HQ and been placed under command of CBC ammunition executives. CBC Brazil owns 52% of Forjas Taurus, and also makes a wide variety of other products from motorcycle parts and industrial machinery to plastic garbage cans.

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Job opening (comic)