Gun f/x Tactical Development is an R&D firm serving the paintball industry. It was founded as Gun f/x in 1994 as a spin-off of Pro-Team Products, Inc.
Gun f/x Tactical Development is an R&D firm serving the paintball industry. It was founded as Gun f/x in 1994 as a spin-off of Pro-Team Products, Inc.
Gun f/x Tactical Development developed a paintball-based force-on-force simulated M16 rifle training system. [1] They are also involved in the design and development of Non-Lethal Weapons, Improvised Explosive Device training devices, and recoil simulators for firearms marksmanship training. The company is currently based in Maine and is associated with Armson USA, Pro-Team Products, and Pro-Team Manufacturing, a Florida-based CNC facility that produces the majority of their products. The company has been issued several patents for pneumatic devices that create air pressure. [2]
The paintball-based M16 simulator is designated to the CAR 68. The CAR 68 has been used by military and law enforcement entities including the Israeli military, [3] US Marine Corps, US Army, Secret Service, [4] Latvian Special Forces, [5] and Navy Seal teams. The CAR68 training weapon simulates the look, feel and performance characteristics of the standard duty weapon. The primary limitation of the CAR 68 is its effective range, which is restricted to a maximum of approximately 200 feet. The simulator is therefore mainly utilized in training scenarios in which range is not the factor such as Close Quarters Battle drills, urban combat (in which most fighting is done within structures), police encounter training (road stops, suspect take-down), and similar close-range situations. The CAR 68 was also adapted for use as a recoil simulator for marksmanship training with laser based target system such as Beamhit and others. The company has also developed weapons simulators for the Heckler & Koch MP5, M203 grenade launcher and LAWS anti-tank weapon, though none of these devices is in wide distribution.
Following the introduction of the CAR68, Gun f/x was approached by the Monterey Bay Corporation to provide concept and development for a less-lethal projectile launcher for use by military and law enforcement. Working with Airgun Designs, this project produced the concept less-lethal weapon known as the UTPBS, which eventually became FN Herstal's FN 303.[ citation needed ] This design could be attached to an M16 rifle and was conceived as a less-lethal weapon coupled with a lethal weapon system, providing a wide range of response capabilities that were immediately available. A stand-alone version was also developed. The UTPBS also featured a rotating barrel magazine, allowing for a wide range of different projectiles to be available and selectable without the need to change magazines. The company is currently working on further development of the burst disc concept, as well as a variety of less-lethal weapons and simulators.
In conjunction with the UTPBS development project, Gun f/x Tactical Development was also tasked with developing a projectile for the system. The "bismuth round" (so-called due to the inclusion of bismuth for added mass that was required for extended range) and others including training and marking rounds were developed in conjunction with Perfect Circle Paintballs, which currently manufactures pepperballs and other specialty projectiles.
In 2002, the company began work on "burst disc technologies" - various methods for producing the rapid release of a high volume of pressurized gas. The technology allows for the simulation of weapon systems that produce high decibel reports and are capable of discharging projectiles (or other payloads such as smoke simulation powders, marking dyes, etc.) with a greater mass than a standard paintball.
Gun f/x has also developed Improvised Explosive Device and Mine Training Simulators [2] [6] The IED and mine simulators have been used to train troops in the deployment, detection, and disarming of mines and IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan.[ citation needed ] The IED and mine simulators utilize a 12 gram CO2 cartridge and frangible burst cup. The devices are used with an inert talc powder that gives off a smoke effect. Both designs give a concussive report in the 100 decibel range, which simulates the sound made by real IEDs and mines. Both models can be configured for remote command detonation.
Non-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional weapons such as knives and firearms. It is often understood that unintended or incidental casualties are risked wherever force is applied, but non-lethal weapons try to minimise the risk as much as possible. Non-lethal weapons are used in policing and combat situations to limit the escalation of conflict where employment of lethal force is prohibited or undesirable, where rules of engagement require minimum casualties, or where policy restricts the use of conventional force.
Recoil is the backward movement of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil momentum acquired by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gases (ejecta), according to Newton's third law, known as conservation of momentum. In hand-held small arms, the recoil momentum is transferred to the ground through the body of the shooter, while in heavier guns, such as mounted machine guns or cannons, recoil momentum is transferred to the ground through the mount.
A recoilless rifle, recoilless launcher or recoilless gun, sometimes abbreviated "RR" or "RCL" is a type of lightweight artillery system or man-portable launcher that is designed to eject some form of countermass such as propellant gas from the rear of the weapon at the moment of firing, creating forward thrust that counteracts most of the weapon's recoil. This allows for the elimination of much of the heavy and bulky recoil-counteracting equipment of a conventional cannon as well as a thinner-walled barrel, and thus the launch of a relatively large projectile from a platform that would not be capable of handling the weight or recoil of a conventional gun of the same size. Technically, only devices that use spin-stabilized projectiles fired from a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles, while smoothbore variants are recoilless guns. This distinction is often lost, and both are often called recoilless rifles.
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially-designed large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke or gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. The most common type are man-portable, shoulder-fired weapons issued to individuals, although larger crew-served launchers are issued at higher levels of organisation by military forces.
Tippmann is an American manufacturer of paintball markers and paintball equipment, including military simulation (MilSim) kits. A related company, Tippmann Industrial Products manufactures manual and pneumatic heavy-duty sewing machines primarily used for leather, other leather-related equipment, and some industrial products. Originally a family owned business run from Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2004 Dennis Tippmann Sr. sold a majority ownership stake to Summit Partners, a private equity firm. Tippmann designed the first automatic marker, the use of refillable air systems in place of 12 gram cartridges, the "Cyclone Feed" system, the "Flatline" barrel, and the Tippmann C-3, the first propane-powered marker.
The General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-style autocannon that is typically mounted in the United States Air Force's Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. Designed specifically for the anti-tank role, the Avenger delivers very powerful rounds at a high rate of fire. The GAU-8/A is also used in the Goalkeeper CIWS ship weapon system, which provides defense against short-range threats such as highly maneuverable missiles, aircraft, and fast maneuvering surface vessels.
A combat shotgun is a shotgun that is intended for use in an offensive role, typically by a military force. The earliest shotguns specifically designed for combat were the trench guns or trench shotguns issued in World War I. While limited in range, the multiple projectiles typically used in a shotgun shell provide increased hit probability unmatched by other small arms.
The FN 303 is a semi-automatic less-lethal riot gun designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. The FN 303's projectiles have been specifically designed to break up on impact, reducing risks of penetrating injuries. Typical operating scenarios include domestic violence intervention, marking violent suspects and building surveillance.
The Special Purpose Individual Weapon (SPIW) was a long-running United States Army program to develop, in part, a workable flechette-firing "rifle", though other concepts were also involved. The concepts continued to be tested under the Future Rifle Program and again in the 1980s under the Advanced Combat Rifle program, but neither program resulted in a system useful enough to warrant replacing the M16.
A pneumatic weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile by means of air pressure, similar in principle to the operation of pneumatic tube delivery systems. The term comes from a Greek word for "wind" or "breath" (πνεῦμα).
Hogan's Alley is a tactical training facility of more than 10 acres operated by the FBI Training Academy. Hogan's Alley was opened in 1987, and was designed to provide a realistic urban setting for training agents of the FBI, DEA, and other local, state, federal and international law enforcement agents. It is also occasionally used as an urban combat training venue for lieutenants at the United States Marine Corps' The Basic School, which is located nearby. The term "Hogan's Alley" is also used generically to refer to any shooting range devoted to tactical training.
An explosively formed penetrator (EFP), also known as an explosively formed projectile, a self-forging warhead, or a self-forging fragment, is a special type of shaped charge designed to penetrate armor effectively. As the name suggests, the effect of the explosive charge is to deform a metal plate into a slug or rod shape and accelerate it toward a target. They were first developed as oil well perforators by American oil companies in the 1930s, and were deployed as weapons in World War II.
A Powerlet cartridge, commonly referred to as a CO2 charger, is a small disposable metal gas cylinder holding 8–12 grams (0.28–0.42 oz) of compressed CO2 and often a small quantity of lubricating oil, used as a pneumatic power source for certain air guns, airsoft guns, paintball guns, and for quick inflation of various devices, such as a personal flotation device. Originally developed and the trademark owned by Crosman Corporation and introduced to the market in 1954, the Powerlet CO
2 cartridge has become the dominant source of power for inexpensive, rapid fire air guns from many manufacturers.
The 2S4 Tyulpan is a Soviet 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar. "2S4" is its GRAU designation. The Tyulpan is the largest mortar system in use today.
Gun howitzer NORA is a Yugoslav and Serbian 152mm and 155mm gun-howitzer developed by the Military Technical Institute (MTI) for the Yugoslav People's Army, Serbian army, and export. Gun-howitzer NORA has few basic version M-84, M-84B1 and M-84B2 and they are usually towed by FAP 2026 BS/AV truck.
The Joint Maritime Training Center (JMTC), previously known as the Special Missions Training Center (SMTC), is a joint United States Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps training facility located on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. JMTC's mission is to provide relevant and credible Maritime Security Training and Operational Testing and Evaluation in support of Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security missions. JMTC comprises four main divisions: Weapons, Port Security, Engineering / Logistics, and Fast Boat.
A potato cannon is a pipe-based cannon which uses air pressure (pneumatic), or combustion of a flammable gas, to launch projectiles at high speeds. They are built to fire chunks of potato, as a hobby, or to fire other sorts of projectiles, for practical use. Projectiles or failing guns can be dangerous and result in life-threatening injuries, including cranial fractures, enucleation, and blindness if a person is hit.
The Small Arms Weapons Effect Simulator (SAWES) was a training device used by the British Army during the 1980s. It consisted of an infrared projector mounted on the L1A1 self-loading rifle and later the SA80, and a harness with receptors to receive the beams to simulate hits. The sight had a similar reticle as the SUSAT and a cable attached to the trigger that activated the device when using blank ammunition. An unusual 'Umpire gun' existed made from L1A1 components was used by range staff.
The FN 303 P is a semi-automatic less-lethal pistol designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. It uses the same .68 Less-lethal cartridge as the FN 303, the less-lethal riot gun by FN Herstal.
The Third Arm Weapon Interface System, or Third Arm, is a passive, stabilizing device developed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in 2016 to redistributes the weight of heavy firearms to make them easier to hold and carry. It weighs less than four pounds, and consists of a mechanical appendage made out of carbon-fiber composite that has one end attached to a carbon fiber plate that fits inside an armor plate pocket and the other end attached to a Picatinny rail on top of the gun. It was to increase permit more accurate use of heavier weapons and reduce fatigue by displacing the weight of the weapon from their arms to their torso and mitigate firing recoil. As of 2018, the Third Arm is a prototype and is still in the testing phase of its development.
...with the Secret Service...
...in Latvia...