If you buy that magazine:
Read the excellent and factual (as always) "SOFLAM: Special Forces and Air Power" article by Pat Rogers on page 28.
3. Flip back to page 4. The Gary Paul Johnston article named "The Guns of Afghanistan". It is one of the crappiest articles I've seen lately.
Some examples:
1. "The M16A2 has a maximum effective range of 1000 meters." (TM 9-1005-319-10 states 550m for individual/point targets and 800m for area targets.)
2. "The Army's Sniper Rifle in Afghanistan is the Special Purpose Rifle(SPR)." (Last time I checked it was the M24.)
3. "The M4 saw service in Grenada..." (Ha Ha Ha!)
4. He gives specs for the "M4A2 Carbine". Wow, I'm still on the M4A1.
5. Austin Powers: "It's amazing how the English countryside looks nothing like southern California." Most of the pictures are not from Afghanistan. One of the guys holding the SPR looks like he just threw on some chocolate chips and went out in his yard. His gear consists of a LCE straps, pistol belt, M16 mag pouch, and KPOT. Johnston"s SOPMOD 2 "CQB Enhanced Carbine" pictures are of Bushmasters he made up for a past article, not military weapons.
6. "The SIR is perhaps the most radical development in the history of the M16 rifle." OK, it's opinion, but come on, does this guy own ARMS stock or what?
7. "Both the RAS and SIR systems continue to be tested and evaluated by SOCOM..." The RAS already has a stock number and is an issue item.
8. "... .300 WIN MAG M24s..." I know its possible with the LA REM 700 receiver, but the 7.62 NATO versions are standard.