The Future of Advanced Combat Precision Sniper Rifles
The FN CSR™-20, or Compact Sniper Rifle, is the future of advanced combat precision sniper rifles. Leveraging and improving upon combat-proven architecture of the FN SCAR® family of weapons, the FN CSR™-20 provides a highly reliable, accurate and modular weapon system designed for easy operator and armorer level maintenance. The FN CSR™-20 is chambered in 7.62x51mm, features a sub-MOA, 16-inch, cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined barrel, monolithic aluminum receiver, and non-folding stock with adjustable cheekpiece. *Product in development.
FN CSR™-20
PRIMARY FEATURES
Semi-automatic
Rotating, locking bolt
Composite polymer trigger moduleCapable of suppressed fire
Enhanced accuracy in a compact package
Receiver
Hard-anodized monolithic aluminum receiver
MIL-STD 1913 accessory rails at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock positions
Barrel
Cold hammer-forged, chrome-lined steel
Fully free-floating design
Can be removed/replaced by the operator
Flash hider optimized for suppressed fire
Stock
Non-folding adjustable cheekpiece and length of pull
without tools
Aluminum and polymer construction
Operating Controls
Ambidextrous selector lever and magazine release
Match-grade trigger
Non-reciprocating charging handle may be mounted
on left or right side
Adjustable gas regulator for use with or without
suppressor to optimize bolt speed and functioning
Magazine
Steel body, low friction follower
Extended base pad
FN CSR™-20
CALIBER: 7.62×51 mm
MAGAZINE: 20 RD.
Operation: short-stroke gas piston
Effective Range: 800 m point target
Overall Length: 40.1″ (extended); 35.9″ (collapsed)
Century Sporter Rifle L1A1 FN FAL – Judging by the purchase date which if I recall correctly was July 1993 I have one of the earlier model Century Sporter’s “Century L1A1”. This gun is assembled from both inch and metric L1A1 (FN FAL) parts. The rifle is made up of an inch pattern parts kit fitted to a metric upper receiver. The rifle accepts metric magazines only. Newer models accept either magazine though the inch patterned might wobble slightly. The Century Sporter ships with what I believe to be a fiberglass Bell & Carlson thumbhole stock painted black and a matching fiberglass handguard . The rifle also ships with flash suppressor removed from the barrel. My unit arrived minus a carry handle. There wasn’t much internet at the time so a call to DS Arms had a new carry handle and about 20 new magazines on their way to me. At that time FN FAL Magazines were only a couple of bucks.
To get a better understanding of the FNH FS2000 heres the Wikipedia history of the F2000, the military version of the FS2000. The F2000 is a modular weapon system; its main component is a compact 5.56 mm caliber assault rifle configured in a bullpup layout. This selective fire weapon is a gas-operated design utilizing a short-stroke piston system driven by propellant gases diverted into the hollow gas cylinder through a port in the barrel; it fires from a closed bolt position. The weapon is locked with a rotary bolt which features 7 radial locking lugs, a spring-powered extractor and ejector. The chamber, bolt, and ejector mechanisms can be accessed by flipping up a hinged cover in the receiver, behind the sight housing.
The weapon consists of two main assemblies: the barrel and the receiver, joined together with a latch, located above the oversized trigger guard. The barrel group is integrated with a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail used to mount optical sights. The receiver housing contains the trigger group, the bolt and bolt carrier assembly, return mechanism and magazine well. A removable handguard is installed in front of the trigger which completes and encloses the trigger guard. The forward handguard can be removed to equip a variety of tactical accessories; the manufacturer offers handguard pieces with built-in laser sights, halogen tactical lights, a 40 mm grenade launcher module, shotgun, less-lethal launcher or a triple Picatinny rail forend.
The F2000 is hammer-fired and has a trigger mechanism with a fire selector unit borrowed from the P90 submachine gun; the selector toggle is a rotating disc located under the trigger. The fire selector doubles as the weapon’s manual safety and secures the firearm against accidental discharge (the selector/safety disc has 3 settings: “S” – safe, “1” – semi-automatic mode, “A” – fully automatic fire). The “safe” setting disables the trigger. Many of the internal components including the hammer and sear are made of polymer.
F2000 Tactical
The F2000 uses a unique ejection system, ejecting spent cartridge casings forward and to the right side of the weapon – through a tube running alongside the barrel. This method of ejection provides for fully ambidextrous operation; the rifle can be used without any modification by both right and left-handed shooters. This ejection pattern was achieved by using a swiveling polymer tray, which receives the empty casing from the bolt face immediately after disengaging from the extractor. As the empty casing is extracted it is held while the rocker assembly tilts to lift it above and clear of the feed path as the next round is stripped from the magazine by the bolt head. The casing is fed into the tray located in a cavity in the receiver wall, which then pivots the cartridge case and directs it into a chute (above the barrel); the case is discarded from the tilting tray by being impacted by a pin on the moving bolt carrier upon its forward return. Only when the ejection tube contains more than five cases is the first of them ejected forward through a port just behind and to the right of the muzzle. This system is patent protected (patent number 5675924 dated 14 October 1997 by René Predazzer and patent 6389725 from February 25 2000, author – Charles Denuit).[2] The ambidexterity provided by forward ejection is its most obvious benefit, and removes many of the tactical and user difficulties (such as lack of ambidexterity, inability to shoot around corners, and gas and debris released in close proximity to the shooters face) that bullpup designs usually create.
FS2000 Standard
The F2000 is fed from standard NATO (STANAG 4179) box magazines with a 30-round cartridge capacity using 5.56x45mm ammunition. The magazine catch button was installed symmetrically in the pistol grip, in front of the magazine; the magazine catch is operated by an oversize actuator used when wearing NBC gloves. The F2000 is not configured from the factory to have a drop-free magazine system due to the friction from the removable dust gaskets. The magazine needs to be pulled out manually. It should also be noted that the rifle does not have a hold-open device; the bolt does not stay back after the last round is fired. The cocking handle is placed on the left side of the receiver, just above the handguard, and can be easily operated by left-handed shooters. There are no access points for the possible ingress of dirt or debris; the cocking handle slot is sealed.
The rifle’s hammer-forged steel barrel has a flash suppressor with an angled cut at the tip which directs the muzzle blast upward, compensating for muzzle rise. The F2000 has an optional bayonet lug mounted near the muzzle, and an adjustable gas regulator with two settings: “normal” for standard ammunition meeting NATO specifications, and “adverse” – used to send an increased volume of gas into the system to ensure proper functioning when fouled or when using low pressure ammunition. The weapon’s primary sight is a telescopic sight with a fixed 1.6x magnification (the reticle also enables use in low-light conditions) contained in a plastic housing above the receiver (mounted on the MIL-STD-1913 rail), the secondary sight is a non-adjustable fixed notch and front blade, molded into the optical sight housing cover. The sight cover and sight module can be quickly removed to reveal the Picatinny rail.
One of the modules developed for the F2000 system is a proprietary lightweight 40 mm under-slung GL1 grenade launcher (empty weight – 1 kg) that uses standard low-velocity 40x46mm grenades. The launcher is a single-shot breech-loaded pump-action weapon with a barrel that slides forward for loading and unloading (like the M203 grenade launcher), locked by axial rotation of the barrel. The weapon’s trigger was installed directly under the F2000’s trigger so that it can be manipulated without removing the shooting hand from the rifle’s pistol grip. The breech release button is found on the left side of the launcher body, like on the M203. The grenade launcher barrel length is 230 mm (9.1 in). The grenade launcher comes with a basic flip-up ladder sight, but it was intended to be used with a specially-designed optoelectronic fire control system designated FCS, developed in cooperation with the Finnish company Noptel.
The aiming module is installed in place of the standard optical sight and becomes the weapon’s primary sight when mounted, but its main purpose is to accurately determine and indicate the range of a grenade target. The module is powered by a 9 V battery pack, installed in the stock, behind the magazine well. The power pack is also intended to power any other tactical accessories or systems that could be introduced. The FCS integrates a low-power laser rangefinder (precise to within +/- 1 m), a day-time aiming channel with an electronically projected reticle, a measured range display reading and a diode elevation adjustment indicator. The fire control system calculates a firing solution manifested by the barrel’s angle of elevation using target range information from the laser rangefinder (the rangefinder is activated by pushing a button on the pistol grip, below the trigger), corrected manually by the shooter through a push-button interface (add/subtract buttons) on the FCS top cover to take account for head or tail winds that could affect the desired range. The F2000 FCS also contains software with the ballistic properties of up to six types of 40 mm grenades and can be reprogrammed to take advantage of future munition improvements.
After obtaining a range measurement, the distance to the target is displayed on a liquid crystal screen and the elevation diode flashes red. Once a correct elevation has been achieved by tilting the rifle, the diode changes color to green indicating the weapon is ready to fire. A further three signaling diodes have been installed on the top of the FCS unit, enabling accurate firing from the hip. The fire control computer makes firing regular grenades accurately much easier, though it cannot launch smart grenades. There is an Israeli system that uses the M203 and a computerized sight to fire 40 mm air burst grenades. Neither of these should be confused with the 20 mm and 25 mm grenades of the US OICW program. The FCS is under continuous development and newer versions differ somewhat from the original concept.
A 3-shot grenade launcher is also being developed for the weapon (in 40 mm). The rifle can also be adapted for police operations by using under-slung modules with a 12-gauge 5-shot shotgun or a 12-gauge less-lethal XM303 pneumatic shotgun. A module with a 20 mm grenade launcher is also planned (using 20x28mm ammunition from the OICW program) with an integrated FCS unit.
The F2000 Tactical railed variant is similar to the standard model, but it lacks the optical sight, and comes instead with an extended top receiver MIL-STD-1913 rail with flip-up iron sights.
FNH FS2000 History
The FS2000 is a civilian-legal, semi-automatic version of the F2000 that first became available in June 2006. The FS2000 Tactical model is equipped with an extended barrel with a permanently attached flash suppressor and a 1:7 in right hand twist rifling rate; the bayonet lug was not included on the FS2000 rifles. The lower hand guard can be removed in the same manner as the F2000 to accept the same variety of accessories. It comes with a Picatinny rail optic rail along with backup iron sights. The rear flip-up National Match-sized aperture is adjustable for windage, while the removable front sight is adjustable for elevation. A small number of the early models featured a stepped barrel contour as well as a demilled bayonet lug. A measurement of the stepped barrel’s rifling was as long as the non-stepped barrel, revealing that the stepped barrel is not simply a shorter F2000 military barrel with an extended flash hider.
FN Herstal recalled approximately four hundred early FS2000 carbines in July 2006[3] due to the heavier military firing pins causing slam fires with commercial ammunition. The fixed rifles are equipped with a reduced mass firing pin, captured firing pin spring, and a revised bolt. Some users have experienced light primer strikes and short-stroking with the recalled parts using certain types of ammunition.
FS2000 OD Green
A new variant of the FS2000, called the FS2000 Standard, is equipped with the factory F2000 1.6x magnification optic and sight cover. It does not contain the grenade launcher computer. The FS2000 Standard arrived in the US civilian market in December 2007 .
FS2000 Accuracy from Media Sources
The January 2009 Guns magazine has a brief review of the FS2000. They reported the following accuracy from the bench at 100 yards. 3 shot groups measuring 1/2″ – 3/4″ with Corbon 62 grain DPX at 2878fps and Hornady 55 grain VX at 3023fps. For ball ammo the gun prefered NATO 62 grain M855 over 55 grain M193 ball ammo. IMI M855 averaged 1 1/2″ 3 shot groups at 3054fps.
FNH FS2000
FS2000 Accuracy
Being the type of person who needs to see things with his own eyes I ordered a box of the Cor Bon 62gr DPX DPX22362/20 from Brownells. I want to see how my results compare with the results that appeared in the Jan 2009 issue of “Guns Magazine” mentioned above.
223 Corbon DPX 62gr
FS2000 Spare Parts
The FS2000 is a fairly uncommon firearm and spare parts aren’t going to be found as easily as say an AR15 or M1A. I believe that its good practice to purchase a few spares before you need them. It appears the part most prone to breakage is the part referred to as the “Switch”. The switch isn’t broken during use but instead its broken when the operator is servicing the weapon.
Article courtesy Tony Rogers Century International Arms CETME – Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de Materiales Especiales CETME History
– These rifles were originally built on the basis of German WWII designs which culminated in the famous Heckler & Koch G3 rifles (known in the civilian world as HK-91s). The original G3 rifles were all select-fire, meaning optional full-auto mode. Indeed, the current Century Arms CETME has a position on the safety for full-auto mode that has a stamped-steel stop to prevent travel to that position. With a good bipod, and a heavier barrel, they might have been decent select-fire weapons for expedient duty as a light machine gun, but the overall design is all wrong for that role. They are surprisingly light weapons, and were built as an infantry battle rifle. Without the ability to easily change the barrel, they were almost never used as an automatic rifle in combat. Original H&K receivers were forged aluminum alloy, and CETME rifles started off as cast steel and evolved to stamped stainless steel receivers to greatly cut production cost. Due to the closed-bolt roller-block design, there is no need for a full receiver forging. All of the pressure is contained inside the chamber.
In 1999, a small firm in Arizona began making clones of the German HK-91 using surplus German and Pakistani parts. Shortly after that, a small company called Special Weapons was contracted by Century Arms of Vermont to use their steel casting techniques to produce parts and receivers to be mated with surplus Spanish and various African military rifle parts to produce new rifles. The first production rifles were pretty rough (I saw them at gun shows and they looked like steel versions of dog poop), but being less than half the cost of a decent HK-91 clone and not even close to the cost of a Genuine HK-91, they snagged a good portion of the U.S. market share and had an early reputation of being a “not half bad” clone. It was only a matter of time before the HK-91 clones built with parts from surplus German H&K G3 rifles would evolve into Spanish CETME clones, built on the very similar but cheaper CETME rifles. Interestingly, it was the CETME that came first, and they really don’t “cost” any less to produce, just that the bulk of international surplus stock was obtained at lower prices. Spare magazines for the CETME are so inexpensive that one can consider them disposable when purchased in quantities of ten or more (I bought a bunch for $3 each).
Spare parts can be obtained by purchasing a de-mil parts kit from any one of a number of suppliers for well under $80. Note that many of the parts kits being sold online contain full auto parts that I would not even recommend trying to purchase if you had a CETME rifle. Even if you wanted to risk the scrutiny, you would need to do some modification to some parts for them to lawfully be used in a semi-auto CETME. I wouldn’t even want to touch that issue, let alone own parts that the ATF could consider Class 3 parts with a rifle. This rifle is useless as a full-auto rifle anyway’s, so don’t even dance that dance. Faced with respectable, but not extraordinary sales, the people at Century Arms and probably Special Weapons homed in on what was one of the bigger problems with the re-engineered rifles. That being the cast stainless steel receiver. Original specifications called for a formed sheet metal receiver. A decent functional formed sheet metal receiver came out in mid year of 2002 along with a hefty price reduction in the rifles. Low cost and cheap (really cheap) accessories make the .308 caliber CETME a readily available choice for anyone who is looking for a multipurpose utility rifle that will get banged around on an ATV or behind the seat in a pickup truck.
Century Arms Cetme Info – All CETME rifles, like the H&K G3, are a roller lock, delay blow back, design with fluted chambers for reliable functioning even in the worst conditions. These are built using a precision cast, 17-4 stainless steel receiver. This receiver is produced using the latest vacuum cast technology by one of the leading aerospace casting firms in the U.S.A. Each casting is hot straightened to ensure flawless functioning and heat treated to 42-47 RC for superior strength and wear resistance. The rifle is finished with a baked on gray/black paint just like the H&K process. Original H&K G3 and Model 91 rifles come with H&K designed 20-round steel magazines, which were later modified to the same specs but made out of aluminum. Spain made a different magazine for their CETME version that has a different set of external ramps for feeding and magazine engagement, and also sports a visible forward banana-bend compared to the straight 90-degree G3/HK91 mags.
Magazines – Century Arms provided one original Spanish CETME 20-round steel magazine, and one G3 20-round steel magazine. I bought a slew of H&K 20-round aluminum magazines. Not all of them will properly fit of feed, but they are cheap enough to just find out which ones are good and then just toss the ones that don’t. Both G3 and CETME mags are decent enough to get the first ten rounds into, and then they are a little difficult after that. Strong fingers and lots of scar tissue near fingernails is desired. They both have really strong magazine springs, and if you mis-load a round, you really need to show it who is boss. H&K G3 mag was more fun to work with. Surprisingly, it fit together in the mag-well of the CETME better than the CETME magazine, too.
Firing – The bolt is engaged externally on the top left of the barrel. Not the best place for either a “lefty” or a “righty” actually. As a “righty,” I held the pistol grip and reached out and racked the bolt with my left hand. Nice and crisp retraction of the bolt, and I could see that a round was stripped from the magazine when I let the bolt go home. The first round was let off with a classic 2-stage military trigger. It took about 2 lbs. on the first stage to take up the slack, and then a pretty crude 7-lb. trigger break on the second stage. About what I expected, actually. The CETME/G3 trigger can be refined, and I will send all the fire control pieces into the garbage and buy a new set made of steel alloy parts that can be honed to a better trigger break. That will cost about $100.
CETME Breaking In
First Magazine (20 rds): After one round that chambered, I had about a 1:5 ratio of successful rounds fired to rounds that I had to eject with their firing pins dented and I threw them off the range. Second Magazine: about 1 round fired per 4 rounds attempted. The tolerances between the receiver and the locking lugs was rather tight. This was okay. I put some expedient synthetic grease on the sides of the bolt behind the receiver rails. Third Magazine: about 1 round fired per 3 rounds attempted. The bolt is finding its place in the receiver. Fourth Magazine: 3 fired cartridges followed by a stovepipe jam and ejection failure. Fifth Magazine: 20 fired cartridges. Sixth Magazine: Conclusion, no more malfunctions, the bolt has found the groove in the receiver and the locking lugs.
CETME RIFLE ACCURACY
I shot this rifle from 50 yards out to 100, 200, 300, 400 and 600 yards. The sights are combat-adequate and are right on the money. Not all of the Century Arms rifles have sights that work out of the box. Apparently it is a crap shoot whether you get a good one or not.
CETME RIFLE SIGHTS
Rear sights are flip aperture sights from Zero (no aperture) to 200 meters, 300 meters and then 400 meters.
Front sight: an adjustable front post with windage and elevation built in from the front.
No sight adjustments were needed for sighting from 50 yards to 400 yards.
CETME CONCLUSION
This is a seriously nice knock-off of a true $1500 HK91 rifle. Break it in properly first before you ever plan on using one for serious work, and make sure it feeds okay with the magazines you have. Note that standard CETME mags as well as HK G3 mags both need a solid “rap” to seat properly in these rifles. Don’t be shy about smacking the mag home. Failure to seat a mag properly will result in a bolt riding right over the next round and a “click” on the trigger. Not a good thing if you need to be firing. Sights are adequate for medium-range combat. Don’t even think of putting an optical sight on this rifle. It wasn’t intended to use one, and isn’t designed to accept one unless you monkey around with strange aftermarket scope mounts. This is a true combat battle rifle designed for medium range (200 to 600 yards) firepower chambered with NATO FMJ ammunition that will defeat light-to-medium cover materials and still kill an enemy behind that cover. It is a highly accurate rifle by combat standards, and will relatively shoot the same ballistics whether the rifle is shot cold or hot. A “sniper” rifle it is not, and adding an optical sight just hinders this lightweight rifle and makes it unusually heavy. CETME Value ( Fun Value): Extremely High. Buy one of them now, while they are still inexpensive.
CETME Semi Automatic Assault Rifle Advertisement
CETME Note:
Out of the box the internals of these rifles are very dirty, sticky and possibly filled with metal chips left behind from the machining process. This rifle must be broken down completely and thoroughly cleaned. In fact many shooters who have a CETME that doesn’t function properly most likely didn’t give the rifle the initial cleaning it requires. These rifles perform better the more you shoot them.
Based on the Magpul Masada, the Magpul Massoud was being developed as ground up approach to the .308 (7.62×51) battle rifle!
A canceled prototype, the Magpul Massoud was a 7.62mm caliber semi-automatic rifle with the possibility of other calibers (.300WM, .338 Calibers). A prototype was test fired, and strongly resembles the Magpul Masada. It may use of some of the same parts as the ACR, including stocks and possibly forearms. Details of the operating system are closely guarded, however it is believed to be a short stroke gas piston operation, and use 7.62×51mm NATO 20-round variants of the Magpul PMag. It uses a Mil-std 1913 rail system with monolithic receiver. The name was chosen in honor of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the famous resistance leader of the Afghani Northern Alliance who was killed two days prior to the 9/11 attacks.A new prototype rifle based on the Massoud, the FOX-42 from Kinetic Research Group is in development.
Imagine a young former US Marine, an end user, who designed a rubber-like gadget to help get a magazine out of its pouch and into his rifle faster, named his fledgling company after it and a few years later introduced a new rifle that shocked the industry. Hard to believe? Maybe, but that man was Richard Fitzpatrick and the name of the gadget and his company is Magpul.
Several years ago, Rich Fitzpatrick, showed me a prototype of a rifle he called the Masada, a weapon named after the great standoff made by the Jews thousands of years ago, the ultimate act of defiance. When Magpul unveiled the Masada “Adaptive Combat Rifle” rifle during 2007, all eyes were on it. Combining the most modern production methods with well-proven operating principles, this rifle seemed to combine the best of all worlds, but Fitzpatrick didn’t design it by himself. Putting together a brilliant team of Mike Mayberry, Eric and Brian Nakyama and Drake Clark, Fitzpatrick gives credit where it’s due.
Using a conventional short stroke gas piston to operate its rotating bolt group was just the beginning of this revolutionary rifle. The Masada was full of surprises and they were all good news for law enforcement, gun collectors and maybe even the US Military.
Between his Magpul and the Masada, Fitzpatrick had designed and produced a series of revolutionary buttstocks for the AR-15 platform, and a brand new patented adjustable stock was one of the hallmarks of the Masada. This straight-line, ergonomic stock complemented the modernistic silhouette of the Masada, but did not house any part of the recoil spring group, allowing the stock to fold. With lineage to the AR-18, Stoner 63 and L85, the bolt, carrier and recoil spring were all housed inside the upper receiver, which itself was unique.
Using a steel trunion, the upper receiver connected this with the right and left hardened steel (not aluminum) rails to guide the bolt, covered by an aircraft alloy housing with a full-length integral Mil-Std-1913 rail along the top. Mated to the upper receiver was a lower one made from the same reinforced, super strong polymer used in another Magpul innovation, the PMAG 30-round magazine also introduced with the rifle. The lower receiver housed a modular trigger pack and fully ambidextrous controls, all of which were comparable to those of the M16, except for its bolt hold-open/release, which operated like that of the FAL. The ambidextrous, non-reciprocating charging handle was also reminiscent of that used in the G3.
With a threaded extension, the upper receiver’s trunion accepted a barrel nut to retain the barrel extension, but the interrupted threads were large with a rapid pitch, and the nut had a folding handle and a ratchet lock. This system provided a fast and efficient quick-change barrel for the Masada. Above the barrel was a conventional AR-18 type short stroke gas piston reminiscent of those used in the 1934 Tokarev and the WWII German G43 rifles. Equipped with Mil-Std-1913 side and bottom rails, but the polymer handguard can be quickly removable by the same type pushpins used to connect the upper and lower receivers.
Only six prototype Masada rifles were made, two using different lower receivers with magazine wells to accept other calibers and magazines. In late 2007, Magpul licensed Remington/Bushmaster to fully develop and manufacture the Masada under its official and fitting name, the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR). With some subtle changes, the new Remington ACR should be available as you read this.
MAGPUL Massoud Details
Not ready to rest on its laurels, Rich Fitzpatrick and his design crew were, in the meantime, busy designing another rifle. This was a slightly larger version in 7.62x51mm (.308) caliber. After Rich showed me the prototype rifle during early 2008, there was a lot of testing to be done. Although this is still ongoing, Drake Clark finally gave me clearance and I’ve just driven 700 miles to get a closer look at it and two more pre-production versions.
Called the Massoud, the rifle is named after Ahmed Shah Massoud, the “Lion of the Panjshir,” the Afghani leader of the Northern Alliance who stood as the pillar in the fight against oppression. Al Qaeda assassinated him on September 9, 2001. I wondered if it was just by coincidence that I had traveled to Magpul to see the rifle that bears this name on September 9, 2009.
The new Massoud is slightly (and I mean only slightly) larger than its petite sibling and it weighs exactly the same, but is 1.5 inches longer. Although describing the Masada is to describe the latest version of the Massoud, there are several distinctive exceptions. The newest Massoud uses a unique 4-lug bolt that allows a more efficient positioning of the AR-10 type extractor. The ejector is the standard plunger type housed in the bolt face.
The second exception is the Massoud’s new 20-round polymer magazine. Designed after Magpul’s now famous PMAG, this one is essentially a 21st Century SR-25 magazine and yes, it will soon be available separately for all rifles that use this magazine.
Although the Massoud’s barrel is easily changeable, it does not use the more rapid system introduced in the Masada. Instead, after pushing out the single handguard retaining pin and removing the handguard, a special wrench is used to unscrew the castle barrel nut in order to remove the barrel and its extension (with the bolt group locked back or removed).
Piston Operated Gas System
The last exception in how the Magpul Massoud differs from the Magpul Masada and even the first Massoud prototype is its gas system. Somewhat reluctantly, but knowing he could trust me, Drake Clark and Justin J., the designer of the interesting new gas system, removed the Massoud’s handguard to show it to me. Refraining from using the one word that would describe its operation, I will tell you that Magpul describes it only as “Piston Operated.” I can also tell you that I have never seen anything like it, but that it is utterly simple with a reduction in moving parts and weight.
The new system was designed specifically to enhance accuracy and to reduce weight. Just as important, it was conceived to increase reliability by prolonging dwell time before the bolt unlocks. Until this new system is fully patent protected, it will remain a closely guarded secret.
In comparing the first prototype Massoud to the two current rifles, I noticed little difference other than the departure from the early rifle’s Masada style short stroke gas piston system and some changes in the handguard. The new gas block is user adjustable via a unique pivoting lever with four settings: Normal, dirty, suppressed and off. All barrels are Krieger stainless steel and are match grade. Of course there was also the flat dark earth color of the early gun that showed the rigors of having fired more than 10,000 rounds (it has never been cleaned). The two new guns are black, but would be offered in different colors if they were mass-produced.
One aspect of the Massoud that helped reduce weight was its use of Magpul’s ambidextrous folding backup sights. Not BUIS, the generic acronym for such sights, as these are made from the same PMAG tough polymer with steel pins, blades and apertures. Magpul has appropriately named them MBUS (pronounced em-bus). Weighing almost nothing, these sights are super fast to deploy (even quietly) and are almost as fast to replace to their folded position. Designed for easy mounting on a receiver and handguard top rails, MBUS come in black, flat dark earth and foliage green. They cost a fraction of what steel BUIS do and have become my favorite backup sights.
In addition to barrel lengths and handguards, the Massoud’s lower receiver will accept any of three Magpul buttstocks designed for it and the Remington ACR. Two of these are based on current Magpul designs with the third being the one described above. The fully adjustable PRS (sniper) buttstock was designed for the main long-range precision version of the Massoud.
Magpul Massoud Range Time
One thing that surprised me was the total ergonomics of the Massoud, as well as how petite and lightweight it seemed. With an experimental carbon fiber barrel I was shown, the standard rifle is lighter than its Masada counterpart. All controls operated smoothly and were accessed easily. Like the Masada (now the Remington ACR) the Massoud’s controls are measurably superior to their AR-15/AR-10 counterparts.
Traveling to a private range, we shot all three Massoud rifles, either for groups or informally. Quite surprisingly, the modular trigger group produced an excellent let-off reminiscent of the Sig Sauer 550 Series, and far superior to any standard AR-15 type trigger I have used.
I shot the heavy barrel precision Massoud rifle prone off the bipod at 100 yards and had no trouble putting five rounds of Black Hills .308 Match into an inch using a Nightforce 5.5-22x50mm scope and LaRue Uni-Mount, but the rifle does even better from the bench, producing 5-shot groups of well under 1-MOA. The precision long range Massoud was equipped with a Gemtech Sandstorm 7.62mm caliber titanium suppressor and the carbine was tested with an AAC suppressor.
Both standard length Massoud’s were shot informally offhand using an Aimpoint CompM3 Red Dot Sight and I was surprised at how controllable they were on rapid fire, as well as the fact that that they seemed to recoil only a little more than a .223.
Final Notes On The Magpul Massoud
While the Massoud is essentially a 7.62x51mm rifle, as with all others of the breed, it could be had in virtually any caliber using a case based on the .308. These would include the .22-250, .243, 6.5mm-08, 7mm-08, .338 Federal and more, but here’s the frosting on this caliber cake. Any of these caliber changes would require only another barrel in the particular caliber. You can use the same bolt and same magazine, and only a small wrench to make the change.
While Magpul’s new SR-25 type magazine will surely be a huge success, what about the Massoud? The design is certainly high on the list in all categories. When you think about all the millions of dollars spent by big companies in designing and developing so-called “state-of-the-art” rifles, you wonder how such a rifle as the Massoud could come from a relatively small company. I believe it’s the result of a team composed not only of engineers, but also of real end users and “gun guys” thinking outside the box and welcoming input from others. Whether or not the Massoud goes into full production will depend on demand and the political climate, but more than one company has expressed interest.
6-30-2009 – In an email acquired by firearm blog Magpul customer service had this to say about the ACR.
“The Magpul Masada design has been licensed to Bushmaster Firearms and they are handling production and distribution. It’s been renamed the ACR and was officially scheduled for release in the first Quarter of 2009. However, Bushmaster/Remington plans on offering up the ACR for the M4 replacement solicitation. This is necessitating some possible small design changes (barrel life requirements, rail markings, position of full-auto safety, etc.) to meet certain mil-specs along with much more scrutiny in the testing process. Unfortunately this will most likely delay the release an undetermined amount of time but we are hoping it will be unveiled sometime late this year with a retail of around $1500.
7-22-2009 – We have noticed the Remington Military site is functional and not a redirect to the traditional Remington Firearms site. More importantly they have a Remington ACR product page here.
Remington ACR Military Testing
Remington ACR coming in 2010
According to Adam Heggenstaller of Shooting Illustrated who is at Remington’s new products meeting in Texas, the Remington ACR for civilians is scheduled to be hitting shelves in the first half of 2010.
“Bushmaster, finally, will offer a consumer version of the ACR in 2010. Several, actually. That was the bottom-line word delivered yesterday at the company’s new products seminar held in Kerrville, Texas. The ACR, or Adaptive Combat Rifle, has been an ongoing collaboration involving Bushmaster, Magpul and Remington for the past two years. A quick rundown of features includes: a two-position (suppressed and non-suppressed), short-stroke, gas-piston system of operation; modular, interchangeable bolt heads, barrels, magazines, buttstocks (one of which is a six-position side-folder) and handguards; an aluminum upper receiver and a polymer lower receiver; a cold hammer-forged, free-floating barrel; and ambidextrous controls. In short, it’s innovative and badass. The cool thing here–other than it being a brand-spanking new gun that you can get your hands on real soon–is the ACR’s modularity. The consumer version will be offered with a 16.5-inch barrel, but Bushmaster will also be making barrels with lengths of 10.5, 14.5 and 18 inches. The first version of the ACR will be chambered in 5.56×45 mm, of course, but since a tool-less disassembly allows you to change bolt heads, barrels and magazines, the ACR can be user-configured to run with other cartridges as well. Ongoing development will focus on the 6.8 mm Rem. SPC, 7.62×39 mm, a yet-to-be-disclosed 6.5 mm round and, get this, the .30 Rem. AR. When these components become available, swapping them out should be a cinch. I watched as the ACR was broken down into its six main components in about a minute. In an update posted to Bushmaster’s website, the company says it is putting the ACR through every imaginable scenario to ensure that it’s absolutely ready to be released and that the official launch is slated for the first half of 2010. In the meantime, feast your eyes on a few pics I snapped at the seminar. And yes, I shot it. At 10 zombie targets as fast as I could.
Remington Masada ACR
Remington Masada ACR
Remington Masada ACR
Remington Masada ACR
Remington Masada ACR
Remington Masada ACR
The Bushmaster and Remington ACR Rifles Have Arrived
with much controversy regarding configuration, design and costs. Bushmaster has publicly responded at ARF.com Below is the text of that response from Jarrod McDevitt of Bushmaster.
Let me remind you all this forum is for product questions & to share info on your existing BFI products. If your intention is to just come in here and randomly use profanity and bash products, your post will be reported to AR15.Com Staff and deleted. I’m all for talking about product and taking criticism, but the majority of this re: the ACR is over the top and unacceptable.
If I missed something, I’ll come back in and answer what I can.
1st Topic M4 Bbl: M4 profile was picked as a trade-off between weight and durability. We tested up to 6 bbl profiles (hvy, med, light, heavy under the handguard M4, M4, and fluted hvy). We found that the M4 offered the best weight/performance ratio.
2nd 1×9 Bbl Twist vs. 1×7: 1/7 bbl assemblies will be offered. BFI did 1:9 bc tests show that for 62 gr and under it was more accurate than 1:7. However, 1:9 does not stabilize 77 gr and above as well, so for customers requiring a. 1:7 it will be offered separate and installed in the rifle late spring.
3rd Civ weight vs. Mil Version: The Mil version is still under development and weight reduction to 7lbs. is part of that process. When completed, application of those design changes and the use of alternate material components can be applied to the civ model.
4th Chrome lined vs. New Proprietary Coating: Many have pointed out that the ACR barrels are not chrome lined and that is correct… They are not. That does not mean that they are not coated. As stated in our original press release the ACR barrels, and all internal components, feature a new, proprietary coatings that are substrate conversions which vastly increase durability, lubricity and reliability.
5th Pricing: To make this weapon combat ready, and suitable for LE application and Civilian sales, it went thru revision after revision after revision. The ACR is not an inexpensive rifle to produce, it is of the highest quality and we are utilizing the most advanced materials available. The $1500 Retail price tag was not realistic. I know we all wanted to produce and offer this weapon for under $2k, but when the cost roll up is done, and all the pricing is tiered the realistic $’s are what we are showing.
6th BFI Targeting Modern Warfare Consumers Absolutely not, especially when a large demographic playing this game are youth and we are very careful not to market to individuals who are not legally able to own a firearm, especially youth. We commented at the show on the phenomenon Modern Warfare 2 has caused, bringing the awareness of the ACR to an entire segment of the population that was previously unaware of it. But this product has never been targeted specifically to the players of video game. Our target, as it has been and remains, are professional firearms users, tactical firearms enthusiasts, target and competition shooters, and recreational shooters who value high quality, performance firearms.
Lastly, replacement bbls, buttstocks, forends, and caliber conv kits will be offered. We are setting up our accessory/spares program, and will release more info on this as we get closer to the offering.
They do not accept a std AR Bbl. However, spare bbls will be offered.
We did show the A-TAC Camo version at Shot, it will follow shortly after the release of the Enhanced ACR.
We will be offering the 6.8, 7.62×39, and 6.5.
No other trigger option avail..this one is pretty sweet.
Enhanced model does not go with an additional hgd, will go with the 3 rail only. Basic hgd will be offered separately.
March 1 2010 is the official date that the Remington Bushmaster ACR will be available.
The rifle was originally named after the Siege of Masada. Magpul company literature about the rifle states that, Magpul Industries is not Jewish owned or Israeli backed, however Magpul has always found the story of the Masada as a bold example of defiance. When production rights were signed with Bushmaster, the Masada name was dropped from the product.
Masada Magpul ACR
The Bushmaster Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) is the production name for an updated version of the Masada Adaptive Combat Weapon System. In late January 2008, Bushmaster entered into a licensing agreement with Magpul whereby Bushmaster would take over production, future development and sales of the Masada. It is a patent pending self-loading rifle platform designed by Magpul Industries of Erie, Colorado. The rifle was initially developed over a period of four months, completely independent of government funding. Prototypes were displayed at the 2007 SHOT Show in Orlando, Florida. Originally scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2008, Bushmaster announced on May 16, 2008, that the consumer release would be delayed until Q1 2009, due to a focus on military projects. On November 18, 2008, Bushmaster released a statement saying, The ACR is being redesigned to be a superior offering to compete for the next generation US Army infantry carbine and subcompact weapon requirement and will be available to select customers in 2009. The ACR was one of the weapons displayed to U.S. Army officials during an invitation-only Industry Day on November 13, 2008. The goal of the Industry Day was to review current carbine technology prior to writing formal requirements for a future replacement for the M4 Carbine.
Magpul Masada ACR
The original Magpul Masada design represents an amalgamation of several recent rifle designs, incorporating what is considered by its designers to be the best features of each in a single, lightweight, modular rifle platform. Design features from the Armalite AR-18 (short-stroke gas system), the FN SCAR (upper receiver, charging handle location), the Heckler & Koch G36/XM8 (liberal use of polymer components), the M16/AR15 (trigger pack), and the M16 (barrel, fire control group) are clearly prevalent. The rifle also includes several features developed by Magpul, such as a quick-change barrel/trunnion system, adjustable gas regulator, non-reciprocating charging handle, and storage compartments located in the stock and grip. Just prior to the deal with Bushmaster, Magpul made additional changes to their design – the most obvious of these is the relocation of the ambidextrous operating handle to a forward position (somewhat similar to the Heckler & Koch G3 and Heckler & Koch MP5 series of weapons). Experts from Magpul Industries have on several occasions mentioned that depending on the barrel length of the weapon, the rate of fire is estimated to be in the range of 600-800 rpm (this is an estimate; specifics have not yet been verified). Bushmaster Firearms, with the help of Remington Arms (a sister company in the Freedom Group, Inc portfolio that includes Bushmaster, Remington, Marlin, and DPMS Panther Arms brands) has also made some design changes based on extensive environmental and functional testing specifically to meet the emerging requirements of the US military in both the carbine and subcompact weapon versions of the ACR family. It is expected that the rifle will be offered to military customers in 5.56mm NATO, 6.8 Remington SPC, and 6.5 Grendel with the same lower and the user just having to switch out the barrel, bolt face, and magazine to change calibers. It is also expected that the ACR will have barrel length options of 10.5″, 14.5″, 16″ (commercial), and 18″. The magazine conceived for the 5.56 mm version of the Bushmaster ACR rifle is called the PMAG, a high-impact, 30-round polymer magazine claimed by the manufacturer to be significantly more resistant to wear, shock, and harsh environments than other counterparts on the market. The PMAG is STANAG 4179-compatible, as it will readily fit any STANAG magazine firearm, including the M16 rifle family. The Bushmaster ACR’s modular construction even allows the user to fire the 7.62x39mm round with a alternate lower.
There are rumors that REMINGTON DEFENSE will be displaying an updated version of the ACR at the Association of the United States Army October 10-12. If we here anything we will post it. If any visitors have information please contact us via the contact page.
October 10, 2011
Here is what we now know of the updated REMINGTON ACR.
Reduced the weapons weight by 1.8 pounds
The folding collapsible stock has been replaced by a collapsible only stock.
The ACR now accepts standard AR-15 pistol grips.
Improved handguard
Barrel changing “Fork Tool” has been replaced by a spanner wrench.
Fluted barrel
Remington Bushmaster ACR Specifications
The revolutionary, fully-modular Remington ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle). The ACR was initially conceived to provide today’s warfighter an American-made, reliable, accurate, and mission-configurable rifle. Three American companies MagPul Industries, Corp., Bushmaster, and Remington shared this common vision and after multiple iterations of torturous testing only the strongest materials, components, and concepts survived. The ACR can change calibers from 5.56mm to 6.8mm to 6.5mm in minutes at the user level by changing the bolt head, barrel, and magazine. The ACR can also change barrels, stocks, and accessories to go from a close-quarters battle platform to a designated marksman platform. Add a superbly reliable gas piston operating system, controllable full-auto fire capability, a non-reciprocating bolt handle, a monolithic free-floating rail system, and intuitive, ambidextrous controls and you have a platform that is a natural fit for any operator and gives him all the options he needs. Made in the USA for government sales by the oldest name in firearms and ammunition Remington delivers again.
Specifications:
Calibers – 5.56mm, 6.5mm, 6.8mm
Barrel Lengths – All three calibers are available with 10.5”, 14.5”, 16.5” and 18” barrels
Overall Length – 14.5” bbl with stock folded: 25 3/4, with stock deployed (mid) 32 5/8” , 10.5” bbl with stock folded: 21 5/16”, with stock deployed (mid): 27 7/8” , with stock deployed and extended: 31 3/4
Rate of Fire – 650-700 RPM
Weight – 14.5″ bbl 7 lbs.
Folding Stock Length of Pull – 3 ”
Fire Control – Semi and Full Auto two-stage standard AR capable of accepting drop-in upgrade
Trigger Pull – 6.25 lbs.
Magazine – Optimized for MagPul PMAG Accepts standard NATO/M-16 magazines