Who would have thought that a post about a new commercial firearm -- Smith & Wesson's five-shooter that we nicknamed the "backpack cannon" -- would have been our most popular blog post of the year?
Certainly not us.
While another gun-maker's push into so-called "smart" pistol technology also ranked high, most of our top stories on Kit Up! over the past year were about the Army's plans to issue new weapons and gear, from semi-auto sniper rifles and upgraded M4A1s to new camouflage patterns and combat boots.
We hope you enjoy our 10 most popular stories from 2014:
10. Army Considering .40 caliber as FBI Returns to 9mm
The U.S. Army is moving forward to replace the Cold War-era M9 9mm pistol with a more powerful handgun that also meets the needs of the other services.
9. Army Wants to Buy Compact, Semi-Auto Sniper Rifles
The U.S. Army has invited gun makers compete for the chance to build a compact version of the service’s M110 Semi Automatic Sniper System.
8. Army Begins Equipping Soldiers with M4A1s
The U.S. Army recently started converting the first of a half million M4 carbines into M4A1s.
7. Army Releases Photos of New Camouflage Pattern
At long last, the U.S. Army has released the first images of its new Operational Camouflage Pattern, the replacement for the service’s Universal Camouflage Pattern.
6. Army Selects Coyote Brown Combat Boot
Next summer, soldiers will replace their desert tan combat boots with a darker, coyote-brown version. The photo above shows how the service’s new coyote-brown combat boots will look when worn with the new Operational Camouflage Pattern.
5. SMA Chandler Clarifies What Boots Soldiers Can Wear
Sgt. Major of the Army Raymond Chandler III recently issued guidance to help clarify the Army’s position on commercial-off-the-shelf combat boots.
4. SOF Prefers 9mm over .45 Caliber
Pistol-caliber choices are personal and everybody has an opinion. But opinion isn’t fact, and there is some misinformation out there that needs to be addressed.
3. Army Taps Scorpion to Replace UCP
The U.S. Army is going to dust off its old Scorpion pattern as a replacement for its much criticized Universal Camouflage Pattern.
2. ‘Smart’ Pistol Hits Shelves in California
The first so-called “smart gun” has hit the shelves at U.S. retail outlets, including one of the biggest firearms stores in California, according a news report.
1. Smith & Wesson Unveils Backpack Cannon
Smith & Wesson touted its new .460-caliber revolver as an ideal firearm for your backpack in the backcountry.
