the reference for the deep end of the u.s. gun market
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Search the archive — try: HK416D · Zastava M70 · import marks · Colt 601 · 922(r) · pre-sample
Why the actual 416 never reaches civilians, what the "SF" designation means, and how the MR556 exists as its legal shadow.
Importer, city, model, caliber — every mandated marking decoded, and what a missing stamp really means.
A build that honors a rifle vs a fake trading on a name. Roll marks, fonts, and the details forgers get wrong.
The rivalry that named a rifle: HK built a "better M4," got sued for saying so, and ended up with a number instead of a name.
Piston vs DI, the competition that ended with no winner, and how one procurement decision built the entire commercial AR market.
Green-furniture myth-busting — real production numbers, survivorship, and what actually drives the price.
Reproduction roll marks on modern forgings sold as period-correct. Check the font weight on the pivot lug.
Laser-etched logos on parts that were never engraved that way. The community-maintained tell sheet is inside.
Force-matched serials and re-struck proofs. What an original strike depth looks like vs a re-stamp.
Stamps applied after the fact to fake a desirable importer. Depth, alignment, and the giveaways.
No spam, no "best AR under $500." One dispatch when something rare surfaces, a fake gets flagged, or a new deep-dive drops.