Gundies 2023 | Machine Guns, Awards & Red Carpets

Arriving at the Gundies 2023 at DriveTanks

Classic Firearms is at DriveTanks for the Gundies 2023, an event organized by Forge Relations. The range is filled with vendors and sponsors, including Premier Body Armor, HK, EOTech, and Digital Trigger Technologies. The focus is on shooting full-auto firearms, reconnecting with familiar faces, meeting new people, and running a variety of guns, with the possibility of getting behind some tanks as well. The setting is an outdoor range environment with multiple shooting bays and a steady background of machine gun fire, setting the tone for a day centered on live-fire demonstrations and hands-on time with different platforms.

Digital Trigger Technologies on the HK416

Digital Trigger Technologies showcases a digital hybrid trigger system installed in an HK416. The trigger retains a standard mechanical mode with safe, semi-auto, and full-auto positions, then adds a digital mode accessed via a rear selector. In digital mode, the user can choose two-round or three-round burst and adjust variable full-auto rates of fire using buttons on the trigger housing. Settings include approximately 5, 10, and 15 rounds per second, and the rate can be changed while firing. The system is software-driven, allowing custom programming of modes. If the battery dies, the trigger reverts to a normal mechanical trigger, preserving basic function. A Gen 2 lower with pull-only and pull-and-release options is also shown, emphasizing the ability to fine-tune trigger feel while maintaining mechanical redundancy.

Shooting the HK M110A1 with Suppressor and Optic

An HK M110A1 chambered in 7.62 NATO is demonstrated with an HX-W suppressor in 7.62 and a SIG Tango6 1–6x optic. The rifle is set for a 200-yard zero, and hits on steel come easily, with the shooter noting how soft and controllable the recoil feels for a 7.62 NATO platform. Brass from nearby machine guns and AKs is falling around the firing line, underscoring the busy range environment. The configuration is compared to a similar MR762A1 build being assembled as a close clone. The M110A1 setup is described as very easy to shoot accurately, prompting interest in the idea of an M110A1-style clone rifle as a potential giveaway build.

Henry Homesteader 9mm and Henry X .45-70 Lever Guns

Henry Repeating Arms presents the new Homesteader 9mm carbine alongside a personal Henry X .45-70. The Homesteader shown uses proprietary Henry magazines, but the design allows quick, nearly toolless swaps to blocks that accept Glock, SIG, or M&P magazines by pushing out three receiver pins and sliding the fire control group and stock assembly out. The carbine is threaded for a suppressor and equipped with a robust XS ghost ring sight and a Weaver 63B-compatible optics rail, allowing easy mounting of preferred optics. The Henry X .45-70 is heavily outfitted with Ranger Point Precision parts, including a Costa rail, stock quivers, a hammer extension, and a trigger kit that brings the pull down to about 2 pounds. On the range, the .45-70 is described as surprisingly soft recoiling and accurate, making rapid fire and even a .45-70 mag dump entertaining and manageable.

Henry Long Ranger Express in 5.56

Henry’s Long Ranger Express lever gun is highlighted as a magazine-fed rifle chambered in .223 and 5.56. The rifle is shown suppressed and run quickly, demonstrating how fast a lever action can be cycled. A user recounts starting a 12-year-old new shooter on this rifle with a suppressor, noting virtually no felt recoil and successful hits at 200 yards on the first outing. With factory Hornady 77-grain match ammunition, the rifle is reported to produce roughly half-MOA performance out to 300 yards, around 1.5-inch groups at that distance. While the Express model is limited to .223/5.56, the broader Long Ranger line includes unthreaded, more traditional variants in calibers such as .308, .243, .223, and 6.5 Creedmoor, offering similar lever-action handling with different chamberings.

Full-Auto VSKA AK and Canik Rival S

A full-auto VSKA AK from Century Arms is run hard on the range. The rifle features a prominent muzzle brake, polymer Magpul furniture, and a side-folding stock. The brake’s effect on recoil control is a point of curiosity, and after several magazines, the shooter remarks on how enjoyable and controllable the setup feels in full-auto fire. Attention then shifts to the Canik Rival S, an all-metal 9mm pistol with a heavy frame and slide that contribute to very soft recoil and stable tracking. The pistol is praised for its shootability, even as a few misses on steel are admitted. A darker “Dark Side” all-black version is mentioned as an alternative to the silver-finished model. The segment emphasizes how the added weight of the Rival S makes it one of the softer-shooting 9mm pistols on the line that day.

Introducing the Canik MC9 Micro-Compact

Canik’s MC9 micro-compact 9mm pistol is introduced as a new entry in the concealed carry segment, following its debut at SHOT Show 2023. The MC9 is described as approximately 1.1 inches wide, 4.5 inches tall, and 6.1 inches long, with a standard 12+1 capacity and an extended 15+1 option. It ships optics-ready with co-witness capability and includes an inside-the-waistband/outside-the-waistband reversible holster, two magazines, a speed loader, a tool kit, and three interchangeable backstraps to better fit different hand sizes. The design goal is to balance concealability with controllability so the pistol remains shootable under stress. The MC9 is positioned to incorporate features users like from other micro-compacts while addressing common complaints, and it is slated to launch at a $399 MAP price, with availability expected around March 1 and early units allocated to Classic Firearms.