The Hoplite

Headstamp Publishing announces Kickstarter campaign for first book

Headstamp Publishing has just announced the launch of their first Kickstarter campaign, serving as a pre-order mechanism for Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles, 1866 – 2016, authored by ARES Researcher Ian McCollum, who also runs the popular Forgotten Weapons YouTube channel. As Headstamp writes:  French small arms have played a unique role in global firearms

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2X35 sub-calibre training device used as AMR in Syria

Jonathan Ferguson The Firearm Blog recently posted an interesting article about an unusual anti-materiel rifle in use with forces affiliated with the Free Syrian Army. ARES has now identified this weapon. The rifle is indeed chambered in 14.5 × 114 mm, but has not been craft-produced and is not, as has been speculated, blowback operated.

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ARES releases Field Guide 2 – Introduction to Photogrammetry

Armament Research Services (ARES) is delighted to announce the second instalment in our field guide series, Introduction to Photogrammetry: Using perspective analysis to infer the trajectory of incoming munitions. Released yesterday, this Field Guide is intended to familiarise readers with the use of perspective analysis in conflict zones. It introduces and explains key concepts central to performing

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ARES Director Jenzen-Jones co-founds Headstamp Publishing

ARES Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones and two well-respected colleagues from the firearms research industry have formed a new publishing concern, Headstamp Publishing, which will produce authoritative books on arms, munitions, and military history. Headstamp leverages its leadership’s exceptional access to top-tier collections around the world, as well as an extensive network of subject matter specialists, to

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New Iranian shoulder-fired multi-purpose weapon exhibited

Yuri Lyamin In early February, on the eve of 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a large public exhibition of the defence achievements of the Iranian armed forces and military industry was held. This exhibition, titled Eghtedar 40 (‘Power 40’) showcased Iranian-made ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), armoured fighting vehicles, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs),

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Hungarian FÉG KGP-9 sub-machine gun

Kristóf Nagy Development History The history of this little-known firearm can be traced back to the summer of 1986, when János Egerszegi, the head of the Hungarian Institute for Military Technology (MN HTI), drafted specifications for a modern 9 × 19 mm sub-machine gun over the space of a few weeks. While the Hungarian military

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Improvised Optical Equipment in the Donbass

Boris Karpa Amongst the many types of equipment in service with pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine – whether received from Russia or captured from Ukrainian stocks – communications equipment and optics have been in short supply.  These items, notable mostly in their shortage, have been important to the war effort, and lamented for their absence.

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Houthi forces deploy decoys to counter Coalition airpower

Daniel Hughes Deception is one of the greatest weapons at a creative commander’s disposal. Decoys are just one component of the spectrum of deceptive options available to military leaders. Historically, the use of decoys in modern operations was made famous by the US Army’s Operation Quicksilver. This top secret Second World War operation hired artists and engineers to create

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New Handbook: An Introductory Guide to the Identification of Small Arms, Light Weapons, and Associated Ammunition

Arms and ammunition are evidence. Many weapons carry marks that, combined with their physical characteristics, reveal important information about them, including their manufacturer, age, and origin. This information, in turn, provides vital clues about the sources and flows of weapons in the area in which they were found. ARES personnel have worked with the Small

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Small Arms Survey report: Improvised and Craft-produced Small Arms and Light Weapons

ARES director N.R. Jenzen-Jones and research G. Hays have authored a new report, released yesterday by the Small Arms Survey. The report, Beyond State Control: Improvised and Craft-produced Small Arms and Light Weapons, provides an overview of the nature and scale of production of these types of weapons, as well as assessing acquisition and use patterns,

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