New British SOF Rifle.

[KevinB]

KAC SR-16

https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2023/09/newadvancedrifle/

It’s a super bad ass gun.
Barrel and bolt life exceeding 70k rounds now.

 

[Jarnhamar]

What power optic do you figure that is?

 

[dangerboy]

What power optic do you figure that is?

Another article on the rifle stated the following: The system builds around the Knight’s KS-1 but also includes a magnified 1-10 LPVO optic from Vortex, an Aimpoint ACRO P-2 red dot and the Knight’s QDC/MCQ-PRT suppressor. The prime contractor for the project, Edgar Brothers, are responsible for the sourcing and assembly of the AIW’s accessories. Accessories for the rifle will include a MAGPUL M54 sling, a Surefire Mini Scout Light Pro, G10 rail scales and a MAGPUL M-LOK AFG.

L403A1 – The Armourers Bench

 

[Fabius]

 

[QV]

KAC SR-16

https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2023/09/newadvancedrifle/

It’s a super bad ass gun. Barrel and bolt life exceeding 70k rounds now.

What calibre?

 

[KevinB]

What calibre?

5.56mm

 

[daftandbarmy]

5.56mm

UK receives a scolding from Uncle Sam...

 

[IRepoCans]

No one in NATO seems to be planning on departing from 5.56 and 7.62 any time soon.

Also to note is that the Royal Marines are also getting a whole swath of kit on top of their new rifles: BNVD-Fs, clip on thermal imagers (because sure I2 is cool and all, but thermal/fusion is the new standard if you don't want to die), new LAD/LAMs plus variations that will function as range finders to go on the upgraded sharpshooter rifle. Many of these things will also find themselves (and already are) in the British Army from what I understand, so not something just limited to specialist arms.

Must be nice.

 

[KevinB]

No one in NATO seems to be planning on departing from 5.56 and 7.62 any time soon.

We are proceeding with reckless abandon to field the 6.8x51 NGSW and NGAR. A Bde from 101st Abn gets theirs next week.
I wish I was kidding, but unfortunately I’ve seen the rollout plan.
I’ll be in Ft Campbell later in the month to commiserate with them.

 

[QV]

No one in NATO seems to be planning on departing from 5.56 and 7.62 any time soon.

Wonder that happened to all the hype on 6.8 or whatever other caliber that was all the talk.

 

[KevinB]

Wonder that happened to all the hype on 6.8 or whatever other caliber that was all the talk.

You know that one kid who’s out of step, yeah well in this case it’s Big Stupid Army down here.
I mean what could go wrong with a 110k psi chamber pressure and ~3k barrel life

 

[OldSolduer]

You know that one kid who’s out of step, yeah well in this case it’s Big Stupid Army down here.
I mean what could go wrong with a 110k psi chamber pressure and ~3k barrel life

I dunno - dead soldiers probably?

The Ross of the 21st century

 

[IRepoCans]

Wonder that happened to all the hype on 6.8 or whatever other caliber that was all the talk.

It's a big deal in sniper circles because of 6.5 Creedmore and some other 6mm used in gas guns to which gives you a semi-automatic weapon that can effectively pound out to 1000m with ease (at the expense of notoriously short barrel life and expensive ammo).

But honestly, 5.56 and 7.62 especially with the newer loads and bullets being fielded defeat most armour systems a dismounted individual could reasonably be expected to field. The new C77 ball is pretty impressive on the barriers and armour it can punch through, and still has the terminal ballistics 5.56 is known for.

 

[KevinB]

I’ve become a big fan of 6.5 Creedmore.
In the USASOC adopted 14.5” M110K8 it’s supersonic still over 1k, yet in a package that isn’t much bigger than the C8SFW.
I’m fine with a 5k barrel life for a gas gun sniper rifle. Honestly it offers 95% of the capabilities of 6.8 Fury (Big Stupid Army) with 95% less downsides.
I’d be fine with 6.5CM in a SDMR and LMG, but I wouldn’t suggest it be an individual carbine caliber.

I think the Uk went down the correct path here.

 

[Good2Golf]

Would ColtCan MRR been a decent option, or KAC clear better choice?

 

[KevinB]

Would ColtCan MRR been a decent option, or KAC clear better choice?

If you’re looking for the best performer, the UK got it.
If you have budgetary constraints, then KAC isn’t the choice you go to

The ColtCanada gun is a great gun, but KAC has a number of improvements in it that make it hard for others to compete in a strict ‘best performance’ competitive test.

The E2 bolt has a dual ejector, dual spring extractor (and different pivot point) that realy help in terms of suppressed reliability.
Bolt and barrel materials are also much better than even most improved models from others. Then chrome coating to help with debris and fouling adhesion issues. The Mod 2 Gas system is a pretty solid setup as well as opposed to slip on and taper pinned blocks with slip fit and roll pinned gas tubes on other DI guns.

The standard SR 16 Mod 2 guns where really good, the KS-1 pushed the bar even higher.

 

[IRepoCans]

Also not a fan of the MRR/IUR monolithic upper, somehow heavier than other equally rugged and removable handguards that allow the barrel to be free floating and still fix whatever clip-on optic, LAM and lighting solution you want. They're also a lot harder to maintain at the user level.

Plus, they didn't really do anything to improve the working parts opposed to what you see from LMT or KAC.

 

[Fabius]

It's a big deal in sniper circles because of 6.5 Creedmore and some other 6mm used in gas guns to which gives you a semi-automatic weapon that can effectively pound out to 1000m with ease (at the expense of notoriously short barrel life and expensive ammo).

But honestly, 5.56 and 7.62 especially with the newer loads and bullets being fielded defeat most armour systems a dismounted individual could reasonably be expected to field. The new C77 ball is pretty impressive on the barriers and armour it can punch through, and still has the terminal ballistics 5.56 is known for.

Any details on the new C77 round? Similar to M855A1?
I had not heard we were going to something improved.

 

[IRepoCans]

Any details on the new C77 round? Similar to M855A1?
I had not heard we were going to something improved.

Fairly, even looks similar to A1, only have shot a little bit of it and the cans came with a warning since the load is hotter than the current C77 ball.

Not sure if it'll be widespread any time soon because I only saw it for the series of ranges we had in the spring and I haven't seen it on any course or ex I've been on since.

 

[Kirkhill]

@KevinB

Another arms merchant gets rich

Exclusive: Royal Marines hit the range and practise CQB with new KS-1 assault rifle

The new Knight's Stoner rifle has been put through its paces – with some preferring the weapon to the older L85 bullpup design.

www.forces.net