NationStates Jolt Archive


Armacorp Releases ACOM Assault Rifle for Export

Doomingsland
27-04-2009, 03:22
ACOM Assault Rifle


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Overview

The ACOM was developed by Armacorp as an inexpensive, extremely reliable alternative for the AVIR series of weapons, originally marketted specifically at the Doomani Imperial Guard, who would require massive numbers of inexpensive yet effective rifles chambered in the new 6.7x35mm CTA caliber adopted by the Doomani military. The earnest development of a 6.7x35mm CTA carbine began with the K14 before Stalwart was fully merged with DDI to create Armacorp. The K14 attempted to simplify the proven AVIR action into a conventional form, although only prototype batches were ever produced. The modern materials and compact frame created an extremely light weapon that suffered from high recoil and a premium price point. The accuracy was severely lacking in comparison to the AVIR itself, and a procurement review determined that it was not enough of an improvement over older weapons such as the K28. The ACOM's design is heavily based on the infamous DR-series of rifles, including the DR-83, a rifle that is still fielded by many militaries throughout the globe, thus armies already using this pattern of weapons will be able to transition to the ACOM fairly easily.

Already the ACOM has a proven reputation with the Imperial Guard as a nearly indestructable weapon, and one that in the hands of a trained rifleman can inflict untold casualties on an enemy force. Yet, it is this same rugged simplicity that makes it an extremely effective tool in the hands of just about anyone, from an untrained militiaman or insurgent to a child soldier. In the area of ruggedness, a Doomani general described the ACOM as the following: reliability incarnate.

The rifle has already sparked controversy over its rock-bottom price point, with numerous groups claiming that Armacorp are marketing it specifically towards tyrants and terrorists. Although these claims are unfounded and untrue, Armacorp has a distinct “no questions asked” policy regarding the use of its products, and has repeatedly refused demands to release customer information to the public.

Technical Description

The ACOM assault rifle is a lightweight, magazine-fed, gas operated, air cooled select fire weapon. It is chambered extremely prolific 6.7x35mm CTA cartridge fired by the AVIR pattern rifle, and fed from a thirty round box magazine that can be made from steel or transluscent polymer. The reciever is constructed of inexpensive stamped steel, its simple building process consisting of a pre-cut sheet of steel being bent to form a reciever with holes being cut into it for the fitting of various retaining pins and parts such as the trigger group. The weapons furniture are similarly inexpensive, being made of durable yet lightweight high-impact polymer. Both the pistol grip and stock feature storage compartments, the stock compartment coming prepacked with a complimentary cleaning kit (the cleaning rod is stored beneath the barrel). The weapon's 16" chrome plated barrel features a 1:9 twist, optimized for a 110 grain 6.7mm round. The barrel also has a threaded muzzle, allowing for the combination flash suppressor/rifle grenade launcher to be swapped out for a variety of muzzle accessories.

The ACOM's iron sights consist of a front post, mounted directly to the gas block, and a rear aperture, which is capable of folding down. The generously sized, rubber-coated charging handle is on the right hand side of the weapon, built directly into the bolt carrier. The fire selector switch is positioned directly above the pistol grip, allowing for the switch to be toggled without the shooter needing to take his hand off the trigger. The magazine release is also conveniently placed directly over the trigger group, allowing for the shooter's trigger finger to shift quickly between the magazine release and the trigger to accomodate quick reloading. The magazine catch uses a simple but reliable "rock and lock" mechanism for locking the magazine into place, meaning that the magazine is inserted at an angle and then rocked into place in order to lock it into firing position.

The weapon utilizes a long stroke gas piston to cycle the action, with extremely generous tolerances in the reciever. This has made the ACOM an extremely reliable weapon, with lots of excess room inside of the reciever for dirt and debris to fall through without intefering with the action. The piston, bolt carrier, and charging handle are all one solid piece, with the bolt itself is in turn attached to this. The design uses rotating bolt action to lock, which is a proven and highly reliable method used in many weapons, though in this case the design is borrowed primarily from the ACOM's direct predecessors, the DR-83 and DR-78. The bolt carrier is mounted on an integral rail in the reciever, riding along this during cycling, with the recoil spring and piston further stabilizing it.

Field stripping the ACOM is a simple task. The first step, after engaging the safety and making sure the weapon is not loaded, is to toggle the dust cover release switch located forward and below the charging handle. Once this is done, the dust cover can be removed, revealing the weapon's internals. The next step is to withdraw the recoil spring by pulling the recoil spring tab forward through the spring tab rail, and then angling the rear of the recoil spring upwards out of the reciever and slowly letting the spring uncompress. It can then be pulled out of the bolt carrier. The bolt group is then drawn back until the piston head is fully out of the gas tube, at which point the bolt carrier can be removed from the rails. Finally, the bolt is removed from the bolt carrier.

Perhaps the ACOM's greatest advantage over rifles of a similar category is its chambering: the 6.7x35mm CTA cartridge. While it is by no means on the same level of performance as the wildly popular 6.7x53mm cartridge fired by the DR-83 series and other rifles, it has far less recoil due to the fact that it is a proper 'intermediate' round whereas the larger round was in fact a full-sized cartridge, and the DR-83 was essentially a battle rifle, not an assault rifle. The new 6.7mm round, while having less recoil, still maintains an extremely high degree of accuracy and terminal performance. In its standard load, the 6.7x35mm CTA cartridge puts a 110 grain projectile downrange at velocities exceeding 2,700 feet per second out of an 18" barrel, hitting its target with over 1,780 foot pounds of energy. Performance at range is also excellent thanks to the relatively heavy round.

A key advantage of the 6.7x35mm round is its unusual design: it is a cased telescoping round, meaning that the actual projectile is set within the case, with the powder all around it. This creates a much shorter, more volume effecient round. In addition, the casing is constructed of composite material, creating a round that is in effect 40% lighter than a round of comparable power with a brass case. The current primary export load for the 6.7x35mm CTA cartridge is the APHP (armor piercing hollowpoint). This particular round features a steel core surrounded by a copper jacket, the tip of which is designed on the basis of a hollowpoint. When impacting a target, such as a person, the jacket expands outwards, while the steel core continues through into the target, hopefully yawing and causing even more damage. This allows for both a large entry wound and the possibility of the steel core causing even more internal damage to the target. When used against armored targets, the jacket would essentially flatten against the target while the narrower steel core would be able to follow through, hopefully penetrating the armor. The result is a round that is extremely lethal against unarmored targets while still being capable of penetrating armor. This is only one of many loads for the versitile 6.7x35mm CTA cartridge, others including jacketed hollowpoint (JHP), full metal jacket (FMJ), frangible (FG), armor piercing (AP), and a variety of tracer rounds.

Technical Specifications

Type- Assault Rifle

Caliber- 6.7x35mm CTA

Muzzle Velocity- 2,650 FPS

Operation- Long stroke gas piston, rotating bolt

Barrel Length- 16 inches

Overall Length- 35 inches

Weight- 6.7lb (unloaded) 7.5lb (loaded)

Feed- 30 round box

Effective Range- 650 meters

Rifling- 4 grooves, 1:9 right hand

Rate of Fire- 650

Fire Modes- Semi Automatic; Automatic

Export Cost- $120

ACOM-S Light Support Weapon

The ACOM-S is a heavy-barreled version of the ACOM with a built-in bipod designed to be used as a squad light machinegun. It is termed a light support weapon rather than a light machinegun due to its lack of quick-change barrel. It is fed from the standard ACOM 30-round magazine, making for integration into squad-level formations extremely simple. It is notably more accurate on semi-automatic and has greater effective range due to the longer, heavier barrel, and can double as a pseudo designated marksman rifle when one is needed.

Technical Specifications

Type- Light Support Weapon

Caliber- 6.7x35mm CTA

Muzzle Velocity- 2,900 FPS

Operation- Long stroke gas piston, rotating bolt

Barrel Length- 21 inches

Overall Length- 35 inches

Weight- 7.3lb (unloaded) 8lb (loaded)

Feed- 30 round box or 75 round drum

Effective Range- 900 meters

Rifling- 4 grooves, 1:11 right hand

Rate of Fire- 650

Fire Modes- Semi Automatic; Automatic

Export Cost- $120
Doomingsland
27-04-2009, 17:26
bump
Zinaire
28-04-2009, 01:54
http://wikistates.outwardhosting.com/w/images/c/c4/ZAFT.png

ZAFT would like to purchase 50,000 ACOM rifles for a total of $6 million. We thank you for your contribution to our cause and we are certain these weapons will serve us well.
Doomingsland
28-04-2009, 01:57
Confirmed.
Cotland
03-05-2009, 14:47
Official Communiqué

The Royal Cottish Army wishes to place an order for a total of 200,000,000 ACOM rifles. We are inquiring as to the possibility of the rifles being fitted with a Pitacinny-style rail on the top of the rifle, and another such rail underneath the grip of the rifle at the factory, thus saving us a lot of time and at the same time allowing us to easily fit attachments such as red-dot or ACOG scopes or the LGFM.II grenade launcher with relative ease from the get-go. We have calculated the additional costs to raise the total cost per rifle to $200. As such, $40 000 000 000 will be transfered to your accounts upon confirmation of this order.

In advance, thank you.


Signed,

General L. Atsabb
Procurement Board
Royal Cottish Army
Doomingsland
04-05-2009, 03:13
The ACOM is indeed available with alternate handguards featuring four piccatiny rails in the 12, 6, 9, and 3 o'clock positions, the top rail spanning the top length of the rifle. This option will cost an additional $80 per rifle, however.

In addition, Armacorp Precision Engineering, our special operations-geared subsidy, plans to unveil the ACOM Mod. APE, an ACOM designed specifically for elite troops, which shall feature these same rails.
Lluviando
04-05-2009, 03:45
We wish to purchase fourteen thousand, along with a mass of ammunition for 3 million dollars.
Doomingsland
04-05-2009, 04:53
Confirmed.
Cotland
04-05-2009, 19:52
The ACOM is indeed available with alternate handguards featuring four piccatiny rails in the 12, 6, 9, and 3 o'clock positions, the top rail spanning the top length of the rifle. This option will cost an additional $80 per rifle, however.

In addition, Armacorp Precision Engineering, our special operations-geared subsidy, plans to unveil the ACOM Mod. APE, an ACOM designed specifically for elite troops, which shall feature these same rails.

This corresponds with our own calculations, and we wish to have Piccatiny rails fitted to the ACOMs we've ordered along the top length of the rifle, as well as along the bottom of the handguards (9 o'clock position unless we're too much mistaken) as specified. Total unit cost per rifle comes to $200, which with an order for 200 million rifles comes to a total of $40 billion according to our calculations. The funds will be wired in annual allotments of $10 billion, something which should lead to final payment being completed within four years, which is when we expect final delivery of the last rifles. We thank Armacorp for its forthcoming in this matter.


Signed,

General L. Atsabb
Procurement Board
Royal Cottish Army