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Colt Automatic Rifle

May 03, 2024

For the select-fire rifles and carbines of a similar name, see CAR-15. For other uses, see AR-15 (disambiguation).

The Colt Automatic Rifle or Colt Light Machine Gun is a 5.56 mm NATO, open-bolt, full-automatic-only firearm developed by Colt Defense. It is based on the M16A2/A4, and has a distinctive squared-off handguard, vertical grip, carrying handle and integrated bipod.[1]

Colt Automatic Rifle
Danish LSV (Light Support Weapon) M/04 with optical sight and 100-round Beta C-Mag
Type
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1994-present
WarsIraq War
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Operation Atalanta
Mali War
Military intervention against ISIL
Production history
Designed1982
VariantsSee text
Specifications
Mass5.78 kg (Unloaded)
Length1,000 mm (39.4 in)
Barrel length20 in (510 mm)
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire600–750 round/min
Muzzle velocity
  • 991 m/s (3,251 ft/s; using the M193 round)
  • 945 m/s (3,100 ft/s; using the M855 round)
Effective firing range600 m
Feed systemVarious STANAG Magazines.
SightsAdjustable front and rear iron sight
optical sights

It is one of many squad automatic weapon-type firearms that have been developed from the Armalite AR-15 that use the Stoner bolt and carrier piston system.[2] The family name was derived from the original AR-15 by adding "Colt", resulting in the CAR-15, to stand for Colt Automatic Rifle, even though the "AR" in AR-15 stands for Armalite Rifle, the original manufacturer.[3] The CAR-15 weapons system consisted of the AR-15 and five variations, including the Colt Machine Gun and CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle.[4]

Overview edit

The Colt Automatic Rifle is the name of a current product, but Colt has developed a number of similar weapons since the company obtained the rights to produce the Armalite AR-15 family at the end of the 1950s. Originally known as the Colt M16 LMG or simply as the Colt LMG (Light Machine Gun), this weapon was developed as a joint venture by Colt and Diemaco, a Canadian firm licensed by Colt in 1982 to produce variants of the M16 family for the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2005, Diemaco was acquired by Colt's Manufacturing LLC and renamed Colt Canada.

The Colt/Diemaco weapon traces its lineage to a number of weapons developed both at Colt and by the U.S. military. These weapons were all designed to fill the role of the earlier Browning Automatic Rifle. The BAR was originally to have been replaced by the M15 Squad Automatic Weapon, but instead was ultimately replaced by the M16A1; one rifleman was supposed to use this weapon's fully automatic setting while the rest of the squad used semi-automatic. Throughout the period between the introduction of the M16 and the introduction of the M249 as a purpose-built squad automatic weapon at the end of the SAW trials, interim weapons were developed and tested in order to fill the gap.

Colt Model 606 CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 edit

Further information on the CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle: CAR-15

Between 1964 and 1965, Colt began to expand the AR-15 beyond the realm of an infantry/assault rifle with the development of light machine gun weaponry. The result was the Model 606 series.[5]

Colt made two of the model 606, called A and B models. The A model “featured forward assist devices found on the Colt 603 rifles.” The B model had a “four-position selector with burst fire as an option.” The M1 model, designed for sustained automatic fire, carried a heavy profile barrel. Colt developed a 30-round magazine for the weapon, and a bipod was designed for added stability.[6]

The M2, designed with the same heavy barrel and bipod, also features a belt-fed drum mounted on top of the gun.[7]

In February 1965, Colt submitted the Model 606A for the Small Arms Weapons Systems Trials (SAWS trials), sponsored by the U.S. Army, and would be known by the experimental classification as the GX–5856/Heavy Assault Rifle M1.[8]

The 606 series was not successful as they were prone to rapid overheating, and the gas impingement system, together with the white nylon buffer, did not adapt effectively to sustained fire.[5]

BRL XM106 edit

The U.S. Military followed the Small Arms Weapons Systems study with the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) program starting in the late 1970s. One of the four main concepts coming out of this program was the XM106, developed by the U.S. Army’s Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL) in January 1978. The design, an open-bolt, magazine-fed adaption of the M16A1, was developed under the guidance of Timothy Brosseau.[9]

 
BRL XM106

The BRL gun differed primarily in having permanently fixed handguards and a special quick-change barrel system. The handguards also had an M2 bipod originally for the M14 rifle and a vertical foregrip fashioned from an M16A1 pistol grip. Early XM106s also had the front sight moved forward along the barrel to create a longer sight radius for more accurate long range fire, but this was dropped from later versions. In the end the Army used the XM106 as a control variable during the competition and instead selected the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

The Colt M16 HBAR was also included in the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) program, as requested by the U.S. Army’s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations. The United States Marine Corps, in December 1977, had already invested funds for the development of a “sustained-fire capable version of the Colt M16 HBAR.”[10]

Colt/Diemaco LMG edit

See also: Diemaco C7
 
The heavy barrel profile is seen with the handguards removed from the upper receiver of the C7 LSW
 
The return spring and hydraulic buffer assembly of the C7 LSW
 
Diemaco Light Support Weapon (LOAW) in Dutch service, 2004
 
Upgraded Light Support Weapon (LOAWNLD) in Dutch service, 2020

During the 1980s Colt decided to expand on the basic ideas that had been developed in the WAK and BRL guns. The weapon was essentially a modified M16A1 with a new square handguard to cover the enlarged straight gas tube and almost 1 inch thick heavy barrel to make the barrel less susceptible for overheating and hence increase the sustained or effective rate of fire capability, a carry handle on top of the handguard, with a hydraulic buffer assembly and the ability to fire from an open bolt. The chrome-lined barrel was permanently fixed to the receiver and could not be replaced in the field. An angled foregrip was added to the handguard to improve handling as an automatic rifle. Rear sights later featured on the M16A2 were also introduced, and the weapon could only fire in fully automatic firing mode. Unlike many M16 variants, it fired from an open bolt, necessitating the removal of the forward assist for operating safety. Colt initially packaged these weapons with the MWG 90-round "snail drum" (later replaced with the Beta Systems C-Mag). Colt had also originally used the M60 machine gun bipod, but switched this to a proprietary design that was lighter for the subsequent Model 750.

The Colt Model 750 was an improvement of the basic principle of the Colt LMG, developed jointly by Colt and Diemaco with an eye to Canadian Army sales. The improved version featured all A2 parts and is essentially the same as the preceding variant externally except for the redesigned vertical foregrip, now of a ribbed straight cylindrical style. This weapon was marketed by Diemaco as the C7 Light Support Weapon (LSW) or simply as the LSW.[11] The Netherlands Marine Corps designate it as "LOAW" (licht ondersteunend automatisch wapen/light supporting automatic weapon) and the Danish military as "LSV M/04". The LSWs used by the Netherlands Marine Corps and the Danish military like many M16 variants fire from a closed bolt and feature semi-automatic and fully automatic firing modes and a forward assist.[12] With its 5.42 kg (14.5 lbs) the C7 LSW is relatively light and as it uses 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition fed from STANAG magazines, like assault rifles and carbines that are fed in the same way, ammunition is easy to redistribute between riflemen if the operator runs out of ammunition. The lack of belt feed and quick barrel change options limits the C7 LSW and similar magazine fed light support weapon's rapid rates of fire.

Colt and Diemaco further improved on the design, adding a flat top carry handle and a further improved bipod to the weapon in the 1990s. Colt refers to it as the Model 950, but markets it as the Colt Automatic Rifle, and until their purchase by Colt, as the Diemaco LSW. Because of the Colt-Diemaco partnership on this system, it was the only weapon in the Diemaco product line to feature M16A2-type range and windage adjustable rear sights, and when modified a detachable carry handle with M16A2 fully adjustable rear sights (the majority of Diemaco's product line had modified M16A1-type rear sights, and they actually developed a detachable carry handle with modified A1 rear sights). A maple leaf is stamped on the lower receiver of current Colt Automatic Rifles.[13]

From 2009 onwards many of the Dutch LOAW purchased in 1994 have had an overhaul: the black furniture has now been replaced by dark earth furniture. New parts include a new retracting stock, ambidextrous controls, an Integrated Upper Receiver (IUR) with a free-floating barrel and RIS rails for mounting Laser Light Modules and other accessories. The ELCAN 3.4×28 optical sight has also disappeared in favour of the Swedish made Aimpoint CompM4 red dot sight and, if desired, an accompanying Aimpoint magnifier. The polymer STANAG compliant magazines became not exclusively black in color as translucent smoke colored Lancer L5AWM 30-round magazines (NSN: 1005-01-657-7839L5) were also introduced along the black Thermold magazines.[14] This upgraded version is now known as "LOAWNLD".[15]

Users edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The Colt LMG – Small Arms Defense Journal".
  2. ^ Kevin Dockery, Kevin. Future Weapons (Penguin, 2007 ), pp. 60 and 61.
  3. ^ Dockery, p.60.
  4. ^ Dockery, pp. 60 and 61
  5. ^ a b Hamilton, Michelle (2021-08-20). "Early SAW: Colt's AR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1". Firearms News. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  6. ^ "Colt and its Infantry Automatic Rifle concept". Sandboxx. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  7. ^ "Colt and its Infantry Automatic Rifle concept". Sandboxx. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  8. ^ Hamilton, Michelle (2021-08-20). "Early SAW: Colt's AR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1". Firearms News. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  9. ^ "National Infantry Association honors Army researcher". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  10. ^ "Historical Firearms - Prototypes: XM106 Light Machine Gun Following..." www.historicalfirearms.info. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  11. ^ . Archived from the original on 2011-07-08.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  13. ^ . Colt Defense LLC. Archived from the original on 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  14. ^ Feeding the Black Rifle: A Close Look at Current Magazines
  15. ^ . Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ . 2016-06-02. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  17. ^ . Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ a b Miller, David (2001). The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns. Salamander Books Ltd. ISBN 1-84065-245-4.
  19. ^ Let Støttevåben LSV M/04 Danish National Museum
  20. ^ . Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  21. ^ Bartocci, Christopher R. (2004). Black Rifle II The M16 into the 21st Century. Collector Grade Publications Incorporated. ISBN 0-88935-348-4.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colt Automatic Rifle.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colt Automatic Rifle in Dutch service.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colt Automatic Rifle in Danish service.
  • Colt Canada - Light Support Weapon (2018) 2021-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
  • "The Colt LMG", Bartocci, Christopher R., Small Arms Defense Journal, 19 August 2011
  • Images of Diemaco C7 LSW arms and in Dutch service

May 03, 2024
colt, automatic, rifle, select, fire, rifles, carbines, similar, name, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, chal. For the select fire rifles and carbines of a similar name see CAR 15 For other uses see AR 15 disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Colt Automatic Rifle news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2008 Learn how and when to remove this message The Colt Automatic Rifle or Colt Light Machine Gun is a 5 56 mm NATO open bolt full automatic only firearm developed by Colt Defense It is based on the M16A2 A4 and has a distinctive squared off handguard vertical grip carrying handle and integrated bipod 1 Colt Automatic RifleDanish LSV Light Support Weapon M 04 with optical sight and 100 round Beta C MagTypeSquad automatic weapon Light machine gunPlace of originUnited StatesService historyIn service1994 presentWarsIraq WarWar in Afghanistan 2001 2021 Operation AtalantaMali WarMilitary intervention against ISILProduction historyDesigned1982VariantsSee textSpecificationsMass5 78 kg Unloaded Length1 000 mm 39 4 in Barrel length20 in 510 mm Cartridge5 56 45mm NATOActionGas operated rotating boltRate of fire600 750 round minMuzzle velocity991 m s 3 251 ft s using the M193 round 945 m s 3 100 ft s using the M855 round Effective firing range600 mFeed systemVarious STANAG Magazines SightsAdjustable front and rear iron sightoptical sights It is one of many squad automatic weapon type firearms that have been developed from the Armalite AR 15 that use the Stoner bolt and carrier piston system 2 The family name was derived from the original AR 15 by adding Colt resulting in the CAR 15 to stand for Colt Automatic Rifle even though the AR in AR 15 stands for Armalite Rifle the original manufacturer 3 The CAR 15 weapons system consisted of the AR 15 and five variations including the Colt Machine Gun and CAR 15 Heavy Assault Rifle 4 Contents 1 Overview 1 1 Colt Model 606 CAR 15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 1 2 BRL XM106 1 3 Colt Diemaco LMG 2 Users 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksOverview editThe Colt Automatic Rifle is the name of a current product but Colt has developed a number of similar weapons since the company obtained the rights to produce the Armalite AR 15 family at the end of the 1950s Originally known as the Colt M16 LMG or simply as the Colt LMG Light Machine Gun this weapon was developed as a joint venture by Colt and Diemaco a Canadian firm licensed by Colt in 1982 to produce variants of the M16 family for the Canadian Armed Forces In 2005 Diemaco was acquired by Colt s Manufacturing LLC and renamed Colt Canada The Colt Diemaco weapon traces its lineage to a number of weapons developed both at Colt and by the U S military These weapons were all designed to fill the role of the earlier Browning Automatic Rifle The BAR was originally to have been replaced by the M15 Squad Automatic Weapon but instead was ultimately replaced by the M16A1 one rifleman was supposed to use this weapon s fully automatic setting while the rest of the squad used semi automatic Throughout the period between the introduction of the M16 and the introduction of the M249 as a purpose built squad automatic weapon at the end of the SAW trials interim weapons were developed and tested in order to fill the gap Colt Model 606 CAR 15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 edit Further information on the CAR 15 Heavy Assault Rifle CAR 15 Between 1964 and 1965 Colt began to expand the AR 15 beyond the realm of an infantry assault rifle with the development of light machine gun weaponry The result was the Model 606 series 5 Colt made two of the model 606 called A and B models The A model featured forward assist devices found on the Colt 603 rifles The B model had a four position selector with burst fire as an option The M1 model designed for sustained automatic fire carried a heavy profile barrel Colt developed a 30 round magazine for the weapon and a bipod was designed for added stability 6 The M2 designed with the same heavy barrel and bipod also features a belt fed drum mounted on top of the gun 7 In February 1965 Colt submitted the Model 606A for the Small Arms Weapons Systems Trials SAWS trials sponsored by the U S Army and would be known by the experimental classification as the GX 5856 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 8 The 606 series was not successful as they were prone to rapid overheating and the gas impingement system together with the white nylon buffer did not adapt effectively to sustained fire 5 BRL XM106 editThe U S Military followed the Small Arms Weapons Systems study with the Squad Automatic Weapon SAW program starting in the late 1970s One of the four main concepts coming out of this program was the XM106 developed by the U S Army s Ballistic Research Laboratory BRL in January 1978 The design an open bolt magazine fed adaption of the M16A1 was developed under the guidance of Timothy Brosseau 9 nbsp BRL XM106The BRL gun differed primarily in having permanently fixed handguards and a special quick change barrel system The handguards also had an M2 bipod originally for the M14 rifle and a vertical foregrip fashioned from an M16A1 pistol grip Early XM106s also had the front sight moved forward along the barrel to create a longer sight radius for more accurate long range fire but this was dropped from later versions In the end the Army used the XM106 as a control variable during the competition and instead selected the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon The Colt M16 HBAR was also included in the Squad Automatic Weapon SAW program as requested by the U S Army s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations The United States Marine Corps in December 1977 had already invested funds for the development of a sustained fire capable version of the Colt M16 HBAR 10 Colt Diemaco LMG edit See also Diemaco C7 nbsp The heavy barrel profile is seen with the handguards removed from the upper receiver of the C7 LSW nbsp The return spring and hydraulic buffer assembly of the C7 LSW nbsp Diemaco Light Support Weapon LOAW in Dutch service 2004 nbsp Upgraded Light Support Weapon LOAWNLD in Dutch service 2020 During the 1980s Colt decided to expand on the basic ideas that had been developed in the WAK and BRL guns The weapon was essentially a modified M16A1 with a new square handguard to cover the enlarged straight gas tube and almost 1 inch thick heavy barrel to make the barrel less susceptible for overheating and hence increase the sustained or effective rate of fire capability a carry handle on top of the handguard with a hydraulic buffer assembly and the ability to fire from an open bolt The chrome lined barrel was permanently fixed to the receiver and could not be replaced in the field An angled foregrip was added to the handguard to improve handling as an automatic rifle Rear sights later featured on the M16A2 were also introduced and the weapon could only fire in fully automatic firing mode Unlike many M16 variants it fired from an open bolt necessitating the removal of the forward assist for operating safety Colt initially packaged these weapons with the MWG 90 round snail drum later replaced with the Beta Systems C Mag Colt had also originally used the M60 machine gun bipod but switched this to a proprietary design that was lighter for the subsequent Model 750 The Colt Model 750 was an improvement of the basic principle of the Colt LMG developed jointly by Colt and Diemaco with an eye to Canadian Army sales The improved version featured all A2 parts and is essentially the same as the preceding variant externally except for the redesigned vertical foregrip now of a ribbed straight cylindrical style This weapon was marketed by Diemaco as the C7 Light Support Weapon LSW or simply as the LSW 11 The Netherlands Marine Corps designate it as LOAW licht ondersteunend automatisch wapen light supporting automatic weapon and the Danish military as LSV M 04 The LSWs used by the Netherlands Marine Corps and the Danish military like many M16 variants fire from a closed bolt and feature semi automatic and fully automatic firing modes and a forward assist 12 With its 5 42 kg 14 5 lbs the C7 LSW is relatively light and as it uses 5 56 45mm NATO ammunition fed from STANAG magazines like assault rifles and carbines that are fed in the same way ammunition is easy to redistribute between riflemen if the operator runs out of ammunition The lack of belt feed and quick barrel change options limits the C7 LSW and similar magazine fed light support weapon s rapid rates of fire Colt and Diemaco further improved on the design adding a flat top carry handle and a further improved bipod to the weapon in the 1990s Colt refers to it as the Model 950 but markets it as the Colt Automatic Rifle and until their purchase by Colt as the Diemaco LSW Because of the Colt Diemaco partnership on this system it was the only weapon in the Diemaco product line to feature M16A2 type range and windage adjustable rear sights and when modified a detachable carry handle with M16A2 fully adjustable rear sights the majority of Diemaco s product line had modified M16A1 type rear sights and they actually developed a detachable carry handle with modified A1 rear sights A maple leaf is stamped on the lower receiver of current Colt Automatic Rifles 13 From 2009 onwards many of the Dutch LOAW purchased in 1994 have had an overhaul the black furniture has now been replaced by dark earth furniture New parts include a new retracting stock ambidextrous controls an Integrated Upper Receiver IUR with a free floating barrel and RIS rails for mounting Laser Light Modules and other accessories The ELCAN 3 4 28 optical sight has also disappeared in favour of the Swedish made Aimpoint CompM4 red dot sight and if desired an accompanying Aimpoint magnifier The polymer STANAG compliant magazines became not exclusively black in color as translucent smoke colored Lancer L5AWM 30 round magazines NSN 1005 01 657 7839L5 were also introduced along the black Thermold magazines 14 This upgraded version is now known as LOAWNLD 15 Users edit nbsp Brazil RO750 used by Federal Police 16 nbsp Brunei Replaced by Ultimax 100 17 nbsp Denmark C7 Light Support Weapon designated as LSV M 04 18 19 nbsp Netherlands C7 Light Support Weapon designated as LOAW NLD Used by the Netherlands Marine Corps 18 20 21 See also editColt AR 15 CAR 15 Heavy Assault Rifle M2 AKA Colt Machine Gun Colt MARS M27 IAR RPK Squad Automatic Weapon Comparison of the AK 47 and M16References edit The Colt LMG Small Arms Defense Journal Kevin Dockery Kevin Future Weapons Penguin 2007 pp 60 and 61 Dockery p 60 Dockery pp 60 and 61 a b Hamilton Michelle 2021 08 20 Early SAW Colt s AR 15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 Firearms News Retrieved 2024 01 03 Colt and its Infantry Automatic Rifle concept Sandboxx Retrieved 2024 01 03 Colt and its Infantry Automatic Rifle concept Sandboxx Retrieved 2024 01 16 Hamilton Michelle 2021 08 20 Early SAW Colt s AR 15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 Firearms News Retrieved 2024 01 16 National Infantry Association honors Army researcher www army mil Retrieved 2024 02 27 Historical Firearms Prototypes XM106 Light Machine Gun Following www historicalfirearms info Retrieved 2024 02 27 Maintenance Instructions C7 family of combat weapons Archived from the original on 2011 07 08 The COLT LMG Christopher R Bartocci 19 August 2011 Archived from the original on 2021 12 30 Retrieved 2021 12 30 Colt Automatic Rifle Colt Defense LLC Archived from the original on 2008 11 04 Retrieved 2008 11 09 Feeding the Black Rifle A Close Look at Current Magazines The Netherlands Forces C7NLD C8NLD LOAWNLD Upgraded from C7 C7A1 C8 C8A1 LOAW Archived from the original on 20 November 2014 Retrieved 15 November 2014 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link wiw sa brazil worldinventory 2016 06 02 Archived from the original on 2016 06 02 Retrieved 2024 01 29 https web archive org web 20120214173747 http www mindef gov bn new home news2007 1 6 20Sign 20Contract 20MINDEF htm Archived from the original on 14 February 2012 Retrieved 10 May 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help a b Miller David 2001 The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns Salamander Books Ltd ISBN 1 84065 245 4 Let Stottevaben LSV M 04 Danish National Museum Colt C7 C8NLD 5 56mm Archived from the original on 4 November 2014 Retrieved 15 November 2014 Bartocci Christopher R 2004 Black Rifle II The M16 into the 21st Century Collector Grade Publications Incorporated ISBN 0 88935 348 4 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colt Automatic Rifle nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colt Automatic Rifle in Dutch service nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colt Automatic Rifle in Danish service Colt Defense Weapons Systems Colt Automatic Rifle 2003 Colt Canada Light Support Weapon 2018 Archived 2021 01 07 at the Wayback Machine The Colt LMG Bartocci Christopher R Small Arms Defense Journal 19 August 2011 Images of Diemaco C7 LSW arms and in Dutch service Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Colt Automatic Rifle amp oldid 1210992143, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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