I attended the Shot this year and I have to thank a lot of great folks for putting up with me and my questions and my request for photo...

I also like to thank Rich and SWAT magazine for hosting a great party.

Shout out to a few great guys I finally get to meet in person.. It is always great to put a face to the name...

I had a great time and I hope to attend the show in Orlando next year.

Here we go on the first of three-part report...



At the Colt booth, the new gas piston M4 was on display. I had a long conversion with Ken Elmore on this new system and it seem to be a very viable alternative to what HK or LW is doing... Colt is looking to release this system by the late 2006. I think after the rush to be the first on the block, the price will stabilize and it could be a very good product for anyone looking for a monolithic platform gas piston AR.




Ken Elmore posing with the new horse....


close up of the gas block/flip up front sight.


Close up of the bolt carrier group... the key is no longer screw in via the hex screw ala the standard carrier, the screws you see are merely a cover for what is a pressure fit pin underneath to keep the key from shearing off the carrier body.

Front loading gas piston much in tune with the SG551 or the FAL types.
a small push pin release the piston system.
a spring was also part of the kit but it was not in the photo.


The lower handguard is retained by a locking lever.

This concludes the Colt portion of the pictorial.

It is on my shopping list already.

Sounds like Colt would love to offer this to the commercial market.

I headed over to the SIG booth to check out the new SG556..

It is indeed the next generation SG55x,

I figure I focus on the SG556SWAT since there were some pictures of the standard version already on the net.

here is some pictures for you to enjoy..


this is the baby in full view...
Ther also had this version in a short barrel with the same rail handguard but the flash hider right in front of the gas block.
I was told the Us LE request the AR stocks to be used. So hence the adapter for AR stock... nice feature.. I like it... with the stock collapised, it was just right for me...note to myself.. upgrade to SOPMOD or Vltor ASAP...btw, the stock won't fold.

Funny thing was they had a lower profile front sight but the rear flip up was a std AR affair.. even funnier is the rised rail receivers, they mounted flip up ARMS #40 on those... talk about bad applications...I passed on taking a pic of it since I figure they were just trying to stick parts on the gun..Note to myself.. change the grip ASAP....

The quad rail as predicted is of the Brugget & Thomet design, very well made and a much improved alternative to the standard handguard. notice the lower pro front sight.....


SIG had their own magazine on hand, with ribs along the side which by using an adapter, you can mate two or more magazines together... it was pretty solid, I try to pull a bit on it and it stay inplace.. I did not want to pull to hard and break anything... I would hate for SIG reps to run me down and kick my butt.

Close of the front sight and gas block.

Something of interest... notice the bolt on the receiver in the back.. I suspect that being the quick release for the barrel...if that is it, it would be a nice feature. but strange thing was the receiver on the standard gun did not have it... I asked the rep but he had no idea, he did not even know what the bolt on the receiver was for... he did not even notice the front sight and the rear sight did not line up on any of the guns...
but to give SIG credit... the SG55x is finally on our shore..

The original bad boy.

Thanks for posting the pics, very interesting.....

tag!

Do you have any better pics of the new Sig AR magazine?

Did you tell KEN that the pics would be for THIS SITE?

Next I headed to Knights.. it is always a pleasure to visit KAC because I always find talking to Lt Col Lutz(retired) a great experience. Dave is a great friend and awesome weapons expert that have so much to offer to our community.


The man himself and his new baby.. the next gen US military sniper system.. M110.

Close up of the flash hider and the suppressor attachment point.

Lift this latch and the suppressor can be detached much like the MK11.. a ball detent lock the latch in place.

The build in flip up front sight, for now it is activated by loosening a nut and retightening it.. but in the future a flip up feature will be build into the URX and also making it more robust.

The new Leupold SASS optic with Leupold dark earth finish. not as gold as you might think...



Close up of the mount... FORWARD>>>>>>>>>>>>a separate tool is part of the package to keep the mount tighten after a air drop... the scope are to be seperate from the gun during a drop operation.

The adjustable stock and the plastic socket supply in conjunction to the t-wrench for field work so you don't have to carry the t-wrench with you into the field...

The controls... The grip is mold in dark earth. The color match pretty closely.

The entire package.. the hard case, with another smaller hard case for the optics for air drop.. drag bag, gun, magazines, and all misc. tools and parts.. the new SASS mags have a white follower.

Dave and I posing with the M110







The super cool Knights Thermal... small and very handy.. you can't still recognize the facial feature but you definitely can pick out body signatures... check out the very nice quick release mount

another picture of the thermal with the QD mount unlatched.. very nice design on the QD mount which can be applied to various other mounting applications.

OK this is it for now... I have about another 100 pics to go up.. check back tomorrow..

Hope you enjoy it...

Originally Posted By amuroray: It is on my shopping list already. Sounds like Colt would love to offer this to the commercial market.

Colt plan to offer this to civilians for sure... looking at late 2006 for delivery.. maybe even as upper kits..

Originally Posted By markm: Ken condones this PISTON NONSENSE?

Ken still thinks the direct gas would be better... he did mention a direct gas upper would also be available.

Ken knows the pics will be here...

Originally Posted By Master_Blaster: If ACE makes a folding adaptor for the AR stock, then one could have an AR-type folding+OP-adjustable stock. That along w/ the removable bbl. feature make this close to a SCAR candidate in its basic specs. Nice. Lee, Did you inspect FN's booth? The report coming from others has reps stating a 2-3 year wait on any chance of a production release of the ARM (Previous emails said it would be ~'07). Did you get the same info.? Thanks, & nice pics.

You would still have to deal with the buffer.. unless you cange the carrier design completely.

I was at the FN booth and took lots of pics of the SCAR.. but it is for personal use only, I was told not to post them... The 64000 dollar question is about a year and half... that is pretty much in line with the time that took them to release the P90. since you have to get your sub contractors in line and get approval from the gov't.. a year and half is not too long to wait.

.

This is the thread I've been waiting for!

Thanks SMGLee!

Lee,

Thanks, & I agree that ~1.5 yr is not an issue of concern on the FN ARM. 2-3 years might be "politically challenging", as it were.

Curious that the new SIG556 uses the tube to house its recoil spring. Didn't the original 551 have a buffer rod+spring above the boreline & directly opposite the piston (Like the AK, from which it borrowed op-system design cues) that enabled the folding stock?

Thanks again for info. & pics.

tagaroo.

Originally Posted By SMGLee: Originally Posted By amuroray: It is on my shopping list already. Sounds like Colt would love to offer this to the commercial market. Colt plan to offer this to civilians for sure... looking at late 2006 for delivery.. maybe even as upper kits..

Are you sure of this? There was another poster who said Colt was going to restrict sales to LEOs only.

BTW, outstanding report. Am looking very forward to later pics.