NationStates Jolt Archive


SIW-5 Rifle Family Unveiled

Praetonia
14-06-2005, 22:08
SIW-5 – Standard Individual Weapon

Introduction and History

The SIW-5 is the first fully Praetonian-designed weapon to be produced at the Dundram Imperial Arsenal in Praeton. Previously Praetonian forces were equipped with an updated version of the SA80A2. Building upon that experience, the SRW-5 is based on the same principle of the SA80 – that to provide a compact but accurate and long ranged weapon – but at the same time the rifle was designed with practicality in mind, and 99% of components have been redesigned and are incompatible with those of the SA80.

Ammunition

The weapon system includes not only the SIW-5 rifle and its variants, but also a new round to replace the old 5.56mm NATO round previously used in Praetonian service. This round is the 6.7mm case less tungsten round, which offers a flat trajectory and excellent penetrative power combined with space-economy allowing the SIW-5 to store slightly more 6.7mm rounds in a similar sized magazine as 5.56mm rounds. Case-less ammunition also eliminates the problems encountered with firing bull-pup rifles from the left shoulder.

In addition, the Grenadier version of SIW-5 (SIW-5G) comes equipped with a 20mm secondary weapon in a similar way to the OICW, capable of launching both High Explosive Air Bursting (HEAB) ammunition and an experimental 20mm HEAT round. The HEAB round is programmed on exiting the barrel to explode at a specific range, allowing it to neutralize entrenched positions. If the round is not set to detonate at a specific range, it will explode on contact. The 20mm HEAT round is used to provide a light anti-tank capability to a fire team, and is effective against lightly armoured vehicles.

In addition, the weapon is capable of launching rifle-grenades using regular 6.7mm rounds. Two grenades were developed for use with the weapon – a 50mm HE-FRAG round and an 80mm HEAT round. Using these grenades, every member of a fire team can be offer a heavy anti-infantry and anti-tank capability.

SIW-5S Standard Variant

The standard rifle variant of the SRW-5 is equipped with a 25” (587.5mm) free-floating heavy barrel giving the weapon superb accuracy and range, as well as a high muzzle velocity despite the weight of the round. The weapon itself is only 38” (950mm) long due to its bull-pup configuration, with the receiver built into the stock to save space. The weapon is generally equipped with 4x magnification optical sights in Praetonian service, which are mounted along a rail on the top of the weapon, which is common to the entire system. These sights have in-built tritium-powered illumination for night-fighting.

The weapon can accurately fire regular ammunition out to an effective range of 700m, 50mm rifle grenades out to a range of 350m and the heavier 80mm rifle grenades out to a range of 200m. The rifle can mount a variety of accessories. These include a 12” sword bayonet and a red-dot sight in addition to the 4x optical sights, which are also being added to every Praetonian army SRW-5. The bayonet scabbard is based off of that of the SA80, and can be used as a pair of wire cutters as well as a bottle / can opener. The weapon is also equipped with a flash-suppressor and a mini-maglight torch attached to the side of the barrel which is powered by a small battery that can be recharged by using the recoil of the barrel to generate electricity.

Specifications

Length (Barrel Length): 905mm (587.5mm)
Ammunition: Caseless 6.7mm Tungsten
Rate of Fire (Cyclic): 600rpm – 750rpm
Weight (Fully Loaded): 4.2kg (fully loaded)
Muzzle Velocity: 1,050mps
Effective Range: 700m
Magazine: 30 or 40 round clip; 80 round drum

Production Price: $1,750
Sale Price: $2,000

SIW-5G Grenadier Variant

The Grenadier variant of the SIW-5 shares the same components as the SIW-5 Standard, but is also equipped with a 20mm semi-automatic grenade launcher with a 5 round magazine plus one round stored ready for firing. The weapon is also equipped with various systems that allow the system’s HEAB round to work to its full potential. These include a laser rangefinder for calculating the distance to an enemy position as well as a ballistic computer for programming the HEAB round.

The grenadier version is big and bulky, like all other OICW based weapons, and so although it could be used as the standard weapon of an army, the Praetonian military has chosen to adopt it only for use by the grenadier in each fire-team. This provides a fire-team with the abilities of the Grenadier variant without burdening the entire infantry force with an unnecessary extra weight and a complicated supply chain. The weapon weighs 6.8kg when fully loaded, as opposed to the 4.2kg of the standard variant.

Both the S and G variants can be equipped with 30 and 40 round clip magazines or an 80 round drum magazine. The G variant can theoretically fire rifle grenades to the same range as the S variant, although there does not appear to be much reason for doing so given the secondary capabilities of the G variant.

Specifications

Length (Barrel Length): 990mm (587.5mm / 600mm)
Ammunition: Caseless 6.7mm Tungsten / 20mm HEAB
Rate of Fire (Cyclic): Semi-automatic, 3 round burst or 600rpm – 750rpm / semi-automatic
Weight (Fully Loaded): 6.8kg (fully loaded)
Muzzle Velocity: 1,050mps / 720mps
Effective Range: 700m / 1000mps
Magazine: 30 or 40 round clip; 80 round drum / 5 round clip

Production Price: $2,550
Sale Price: $2,800

SIW-5M Support Variant

The Support variant is effectively a 6.7mm section-level light machinegun. With a lengthened barrel the M variant achieves a higher muzzle velocity of 1,300mps as opposed to the 1,050mps of the standard variant. It is also capable of effective firing at targets up to a 1km away. The only real difference between the M variant and the S variant is the much longer barrel and bipod mount, and the absence of much of the additional equipment fitted to the S version. Because of this, it weighs in at only 6.2kg.

The weapon is not generally expected to fire rifle grenades, although it theoretically could to a slightly longer range than the S variant. The weapon can be equipped with a 40 round clip magazine or (more commonly) a 200 round box magazine. It is capable of a slightly higher cyclic rate of fire than the S variant, being between 650 rounds / minute and 800 rounds / minute.

Specifications

Length (Barrel Length): 1,160mm (836mm)
Ammunition: Caseless 6.7mm Tungsten
Rate of Fire (Cyclic): 650rpm – 800rpm
Weight (Fully Loaded): 6.2kg (fully loaded)
Muzzle Velocity: 1,300mps
Effective Range: 1,080m
Magazine: 30 or 40 round clip; 80 round drum; 200 round box

Production Price: $2,050
Sale Price: $2,300

SIW-5C Carbine Variant

The Carbine variant of the SIW-5 is effectively the S variant but with a shorter barrel. The weapon weighs in at a nifty 3.4kg and can engage targets up to 320m away. The weapon can be equipped with the 12” sword bayonet or a more balanced 8” knife bayonet. The weapon can fire rifle grenades, but only out to 180m (50mm) and 90m (80mm). This is not a major disadvantage, as the weapon is designed for use in an urban combat situation where range is not a primary concern.

Specifications

Length (Barrel Length): 510mm (350mm)
Ammunition: Caseless 6.7mm Tungsten
Rate of Fire (Cyclic): 600rpm
Weight (Fully Loaded): 3.4kg (fully loaded)
Muzzle Velocity: 780mps
Effective Range: 320m
Magazine: 20, 30 or 40 round clip; 80 round drum

Production Price: $1,250
Sale Price: $1,500

[OOC: What do you think? This is my first real attempt at making a gun so feel free to rip it apart etc etc.]
Mikosolf Corporation
14-06-2005, 22:18
OOC: Little side note, tungsten is common in bullets since lead was abandoned.

But since you mention its penetration power doesn't look like that much of a jump from a 5.56mm and still less than a 7.62, what makes your gun special (other than you say so).
Praetonia
14-06-2005, 22:24
OOC: Little side note, tungsten is common in bullets since lead was abandoned.

But since you mention its penetration power doesn't look like that much of a jump from a 5.56mm and still less than a 7.62, what makes your gun special (other than you say so).
[OOC: It has a longer barrel than a lot of guns out there IRL, which increases the muzzel velocity and accuracy of the round. And I didnt know that about tungsten. Thanks.]
Mikosolf Corporation
14-06-2005, 22:35
OOC: Ah, good point. Sticking with our gun though, barrel is like 2mm shorters than yours but its firing a 40 caliber round. That sucker gonna keep a man down, armored or not. (ya from age when everyone and their dog was suiting up with hightech plastics, ceramics, spider silk, and the kitchen sink)

But still a good design. Good gun.
Praetonia
15-06-2005, 12:19
[OOC: Thankyou.

*Bump*]
Walmington on Sea
15-06-2005, 13:17
The Royal Walmingtonian Army has recently adopted its first bullpup rifle (which, as it happens, is its first (semi) automatic rifle, as well), and faces major opposition throughout the officer corps especially. It is always encouraging to see the Defence Ministry's decisions supported in the similar actions of reputable nations.

Likewise, the apparently intermediate chambering is officially approved of and popularly suspected in the worst way following the RWA's adoption of the new .260" Wayne (6.5x47mm) cartridge (.303" British having been used ever since Walmington abandoned single-shot black-powder weapons... hardly twenty years ago).

The Walmingtonian's though are pretty united in considering 12" a pretty timid sword bayonet, and don't even apply that name to their own standard bayonet, which is 2" longer. The Walmingtonians are curious about this box magazine, as they refer to the eighteen round detachable magazine (which may also be left in place and loaded by six-round chargers) of their Automatic Bullpup Infantry Rifle as a box. While also being familiar with belt, drum, and pan feeds, this high capacity box as something quite different to what appears in Praetonia to be called a clip is of interest.


Over all, though, the RWA would probably at least trial the SIW-5 (most probably on the way to adopting a native weapon anyway) and end up with a weapon sharing some common features.

If nothing else, the army has been inspired to reorganise its smaller infantry units and to assign dedicated grenadiers once again. So that's nice.

(Yeah, I'm done.)