Tag: arms ID

ARES Announces Freelance Journalist Assistance Program

Armament Research Services (ARES) offers a range of technical review, research, and analysis services to various  media organisations. Our staff have worked with numerous media organisations and freelance journalists on a range of stories with an arms and munitions angle, as well as providing comment or interviews as required. ARES is delighted to announce our

Continue Reading

5.66 x 39 MPS cartridges near Kiev

N.R. Jenzen-Jones The seizure of former president Viktor Yanukovych’s estate in Mezhyhirya, an hour’s drive from Kiev, turned up a range of interesting arms and munitions. Nearby, a variety of ammunition was recovered from a private lake, including the cartridges shown in the image above. These are 5.66 x 39 mm rounds for the Russian made APS (Автомат

Continue Reading

Ukrainian copies of Swiss Brügger & Thomet APR rifles used during protests in Kiev

N.R. Jenzen-Jones During the ongoing civil unrest in Kiev, several images have circulated showing Ukrainian security forces equipped with a range of lethal weapons, including sniper rifles. In addition to the SVD type rifles commonly seen, security forces have been documented using a license-produced copy of one of the Brügger & Thomet APR rifles (as seen

Continue Reading

New Pistol Designs out of Libya

Jonathan Ferguson The demand for firearms in Libya has brought to light three handguns so far undocumented, at least in the English-speaking world. At least one of these (pictured below) is available in lethal-purpose form, though based upon a blank firing handgun and possibly also produced in that form. It is a sub-compact design, and

Continue Reading

North Korean Helical AK Magazines

By Oryx Blog Team Several new developments in North Korean armaments can be witnessed amongst the recent flow of propaganda released by Pyongyang after Kim Jong-un’s ascension to power.  One such development is what appears to be a new magazine model for the North Korean copy of the AK-74, the Type 88. This new magazine

Continue Reading

9K310 Igla-1 MANPADS captured from rebel forces in South Sudan

N.R. Jenzen-Jones Seen at the bottom centre in the photo above is a 9K310 Igla-1 (NATO designation: SA-16 Gimlet) man-portable air defence system (MANPADS). The weapons pictured were purportedly captured by soldiers of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) stationed in South Sudan to protect key government installations from rebel forces. The weapons were displayed

Continue Reading

Armour-piercing shotgun projectiles fired during protests in Ukraine

N.R. Jenzen-Jones with Alexander Diehl Over the past few days, various journalists, aid workers, and others have documented the presence of brass shotgun slugs in the streets of Kiev. One eyewitness ARES spoke with describes one such projectile having been fired into a crowd he was standing with. Two images depicting the fired projectiles (see

Continue Reading

SAR 80 rifles and 5.56 x 45 ammunition in the Central African Republic

By N.R. Jenzen-Jones In the photo above, anti-Balaka militia forces near Bouar in the Central African Republic (CAR) can be seen posing with some of their weapons. The fighter at the far right is holding  what is likely a Chinese Type 56 assault rifle, whilst his compatriot in yellow is holding a Singaporean SAR 80

Continue Reading