NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: The picture is not the actual rifle, but represents an earlier A7A2 prototype (in reality its a standard issue Canadian army C7 rifle, minus the foregrip, surefire light, and laser). I will try to photoshop the proper rifle with the actual RL components.

IC:

http://www.sfu.ca/casr/c7a2-3.jpg

Nine months ago, the Veragon Ministry of Defence began contemplating switching the army from the widely used 5.56mm round to the newer and superior 6.8mm SPC rounds recently developed for the next generation of small arms. However, this created considerable opposition among defence contractors and several ranking officers and politicians and the project was shelved until Veragon's bid to replace Cravan's infantry rifles. While the contract was lost, it spurred Warforge and Battlefield Systems to come together to create the next generation infantry rifle that would be backwards compatible with the commonly used AR-15 series weapon and its derivatives and still provide a relatively cheap, yet powerful individual weapons platform for the new age army.

The result was a A7A2 rebuild program into the A7A3 rifle, which is lighter, longer ranged, more accurate, features better modularity, and better firepower. The rifle fires the 6.8x43mm SPC round, fielding superior capabilities to the 5.56mm round such as extended range, better power, possessing the same fragmenting and tumbling characteristics, and noticeably lighter than 7.62mm ammo. The weapon fields a 16 inch barrel and its seven position telescopic stock allows it fill both the rifle and carbine role, and is compact enough for use by mechanized infantry and urbant combat. To boost the velocity of the round (which is normally 2650 FPS when fired from a 16 inch barrel) a higher grade powder was used to fill the standard cartridges, to create the 6.8mm VA round. Standard 6.8mm SPC ammo can be easily and effectively used, though it does not quite match the performance of the superior (and slightly more expensive) VA rounds.

The weapon itself is constructed largely out of polymers and the latest ceramics. The lower receiver, made most of metal (excluding the stock) has been entirely replaced with new, lighter ceramics, significantly reducing the weight of the rifle. Ceramics were also used to construct the bolt assembly, although the barrel remains a blend of different metals made to the highest quality. All these materials have already been extensively tested by special forces operators and all reviews have been high praise, with a few minor exceptions in the earlier model which were quickly corrected.

The old handguards have been replaced with new, full M1913 rails providing four mounting lines for foregrips, lasers, lights, grenade launchers, and other systems. Each rifle comes standard with a Grippod, a standard foregrip with an enclosed bipod that deploys instantaneously and is just as easily collapsed back in, allowing for superb accuracy. For sighting, a picatinny rail is mounted on top that runs all the way to the handguard rail that allows for a full rail running along the barrel to the stock. All parts are considerably superior to most standard issue AR-15 weapons and their durability is unmatched.

The A3 series of the A7 rifle also possesses modularity unseen in other AR-15 models, with a new barrel switching system that allows any competent soldier to switch barrels in field in order to convert the weapon into a shortened carbine, sniper platform, or light machine gun. To complete the transition, the sights are simply replaced with those more suited to the new role, and the grippod serves as the LMG bipod, eliminating the need for a dedicated and separate machine gun to be in service, with increased ammo capacity provided by beta mags. Section level marksman can be equipped with extended barrels and sniper scopes to provide accurate fire out to 600 meters, or even longer. The standard sights are the C79A2 Elcan on a Gen 4 mount. The Elcan is a 3.4x sight with tritium for low level illumination. A Panther Arms Mangonel Rear sight is mounted behind the elcan and flipped down in case of primary sight failure, or if the soldier finds himself in a close quarter battle situation and can drop the longer ranged optical in favour of the open iron sight when house clearing.

The final advantage of the new rifle is that any AR-15 series weapon can be rebuilt into it for cheaper than a new rifle (though depending on the variant, it may be heavier as Warforge has no real need to replace the metal lower receivers on standard versions and to do would be equivalent to replacing the lower receiver entirely).

Stats
Range: 400m individual, 800m section level
Caliber: 6.8x43mm VA(extended range SPC, can accept any SPC standard round)
Weight: 2.73kg empty
Fire Control: Safe, Semi-Automatic, Full auto
Handguards: Full M1913 rail system, top rail extends all the way to the stock
Sights: Standard - 3.4x Elcan Optical and DPMS Mangonel Rear sight for backup
Barrel: Standard 16 inch, can be switched out for others
Special Features: Modularity unmatched in any AR-15, a seven position utra durable yet lightweight stock, foregrip can deploy into a bipod. Coloured furniture breaks up weapons outline, and a digital camo finished can be applied to the weapon at an extra cost. Weapon comes with a magazine buttpouch attached to the stock, and two magazines. Weapon is totally ambidextrous.
Cost: New- $1600
AR-15 Rebuild (weapon will be somewhat heavier as the lower receiver will still be metal, though the weapons will obviously have to be shipped to us first) $1000
Customers are to pick up their weapons or pay shipping costs.

Sorry if i missed this, but what are the firing modes, and rate of fire of those firing modes?

Also, how much recoil can be expected from this new larger round?

Rate of fire wasn't included, and I added in fire modes by editing since I missed it the first time. Rate of fire is about 800-900 rounds a minute at full auto. Semi auto fire rate is as fast as the shooter can pull the trigger. The increase in recoil is near negligible, due to the new stock and spring system.

In order to help jumpstart sales, we are offering 5000 new build rifles at only $6,000,000. Also, camo kits for the weapons are now included free of charge, available in any digital pattern (Temperate Woodland, Arid Region, Urban, Arctic)

We will buy them if they can be made in flat black.

How many would you like?

how would these rifles compare to other "next-gen" or multirole rifles, in particular, the Steyr Aug A1?

It is often up to the opinion and person preference of the individual operator, however, this weapon possesses superior range and a more powerful round, can be easily converted into a sniper platform or light machine gun (which a steyr cannot effectively do). The A7A3 possesses a full picatinny rail system for mounting the vast array of lasers, tactical lights, grenade launchers, underbarrel shotguns, crowd control weapons, sighting systems, and foregrips which the steyr doesn't. The A7A3 comes with a grippod, and therefore, a readily deployable bipod allowing for unmatched accuracy. The optical sight can be removed and the backup sight flipped up for close quarter battle within seconds, which a steyr cannot do. Should the firing mechanism on a steyr backfire and blow out the side of the weapon (unlikely but possible) the shooters face is right in the path of that explosion. The A7A3 shares parts commonality with the vast array of AR-15 rifles, derivatives, and aftermarket parts. Lastly, the A7A3 is more than two pounds lighter than the steyr and its barrel can be easily switched out.

ooc: what do you mean the steyr can't do it? The Steyr is very modular!

http://www.world.guns.ru/assault/aug_bbls.jpg

Those are its barrels, from LMG to SMG. A quick barrel change, and it goes from assault rifle, to LMG, to carbine, to SMG.

Anyways, still using heavy metal, and a non-bullpup style... Remember, weight is a consideration to troops, so they will have to carry a heavier gun, and heavier bullets, which either means more weight or less bullets.

But, I don't have much experience in weaponry, so I will leave the thread :P

Also, the steyr can be made with an m1903 rail on the top, can be fitted with an M203 on bottom, etc. The thing is, your gun weights less, but it should go up with a sight, a handle, a mag(with bigger ammo), etc.

Yes, the steyr can have the barrel switch (I didn't say it couldn't perform in the carbine role) but its bullpup design prohibits it from serving as an effective LMG. The fact that the magazine is so close to the shooter restricts it size to the region of 50-75 rounds, as any good infanteer will attest to, you want bare minimum of a hundred rounds in an LMG, preferably 200 or more if possible. The A7A3 is capable of this as its magazine is in a coventional position and not so restricted. The stery is fairly modular, but lacks the rail system prohibiting it from mounting the wide array of accessories the A7A3 can utilize. As for weight, as mentioned, the A7A3 is comprised of mostly ceramic and polymer, only the barrel is manufactured of metal, and thats due to the fact that metal barrels offer the best quality. The ammo fired by the A7A3 is heavier, but not by that much, making very little difference in overall kit weight. The steyr weighs 3.8 kg, an original C7 rifle only 3.34kg. The A7A3, 2.73kg.

5000

That will be $6,000,000 USD, and the rifles will be VMB Veras for pickup, or can be transferred to the naval base if your wish to pick them up by ship.

We will direct a cargo ship to get them, money wired.

our police force requires around 4000

I have some qualms with this weapon.

if you have a lighter weapon with a heavier round that would increase recoil greatly and lower accuracy problems especially for a sniper rifle (and also with the light machine gun due to higher rates of fire then expected for the normal infantry man)

Also there have been problems with having this kind of light machine gun (though I don't think they really deserve the title something along the lines of sustained fire model would be a more accurate description).

Still I look at this as an interesting development and would like to order enough for a 10 man squad of all varients with enough tools to maintain them for trials.

what have I to do to create a new thread?

Thanks

OOC: Um...click 'new thread'. The recoil of a 5.56mm isn't that much, almost negligible, and the casing of the 6.8mm is scaled down for use with the AR-15 magazine so there is only a very small increase in the amount of charge (and most of that from the more epensive, and more powerful, powder. The stock's improved spring system also helps to reduce the recoil, making it only slightly greater than the recoil from a 5.56mm. Also, as for the LMG concerns, the rate of fire a normal LMG is up towards a thousand rounds a minute, which is in fact, slightly greater than this LMG variant. The sniper's accuracy comes from its extended barrel with enhanced rifling, which boosts muzzle velocity and adds greater accuracy. Admittedly, it isn't a proper sniper rifle, but is intended more as a section level marksman weapon and a more close in counter-sniper.

IC:

Angelosinia your shipment will be ready to deliver by the end of the week. The cost is $6,400,000.

Bronidium: Two LMG variants, two carbines, two marksman platforms, and four rifle variants with an extra spare parts kits and extra barrels will be made available for free, ready for pickup at the airstrip at VMB Veras.

Sales Update: Following a deal with the Royal Code, we have 120,000 M16s rebuilt into A7A3 standard, these are now available at a discount price of $1400. Be warned - these weapons do have increased weight, in the area of 3.14kg.

......How much for rights to produce it?

good we'll be comparing them in tests with the FN series of weapons for our new rifle, if we were to decide on it how much does it cost to produce and how much of a fee per rifle would you be expecting for the licence or would you rather have a one off payment

Productions rights are either a one time fee of $150,000,000 or $400 per rifle.

bump

OOC: Caseless ammunition; the way of the future!