Military Guns and Ammunition
Hosted by gatnerd
This is intended for people interested in the subject of military guns and their ammunition, with emphasis on automatic weapons.
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Ultimax 100 replaced with Colt IAR Small Arms <20mm
From: gatnerd
8-May
In the latest sign of the AR15's relentless conquering of the globe, Singapore has fallen.
Possibly the world greatest Automatic Rifle / LMG hybrid is to be replaced with...this.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2023/05/08/singapore-replace-ultimax-colt-iar/
More video of Colt IAR:
Iconic US firearms manufacturer Colt set out to develop a light machine gun that the US Armed Forces could utilize in replacing heavier belt-fed weapons such...
And more historical background:
Product Links - http://smallarmssolutions.com/home/the-colt-infantry-automatic-rifleEfect Military Tool https://amzn.to/2NGOKWzArmorer's Manual http://amzn...
And a look at what was lost:
Got to shoot a rare gun in the US. An Ultimax 2000. It takes standard AR magazines so I loaded up my Magpul D60.
From: stancrist
8-May
gatnerd said:Possibly the world greatest Automatic Rifle / LMG hybrid is to be replaced with...[the Colt IAR].
Which suggests that perhaps the Ultimax is not as great as some think...
From: gatnerd
8-May
Certainly possible.
I suspect though we will be seeing Singapore switch to an AR15 type rifle, and that’s the reason for the switch. Being a conscript force they may wish to simplify training with both rifle and SAW to have near identical manual of arms and magazines.
Hoping I’m wrong and that they stay with the bullpup master race.
From: schnuersi
9-May
gatnerd said:Certainly possible.
I suspect though we will be seeing Singapore switch to an AR15 type rifle, and that’s the reason for the switch. Being a conscript force they may wish to simplify training with both rifle and SAW to have near identical manual of arms and magazines.
My educated guess is: Its all about economic factors.
Without significant foreign sales its hardly sustainable for a small nation like Singapore to have a national small arms program.
They most likely phased the Ultimax and parts for it out of production a while ago and now spares are so expensive that the military decided to transition to a new, cheap and easy sustainable platform.
Chances are the SAR21 will go in the near future as well.
From: njb3737
9-May
I think that’s about right , the SAR21 replacement- BR18 seems to have died some years back so I’m guessing ST Engineering are getting out of the small arms market.
Both rifles are no longer featured on the web site and with no substantial sales I think it’s all over.
however they may make something under license as they did with the M16 which was Singapore’s first service rifle prior to SAR21.
From: stancrist
9-May
njb3737 said:however they may make something under license as they did with the M16 which was Singapore’s first service rifle prior to SAR21.
How is it any less expensive to tool up for and manufacture a licensed foreign weapon, than to produce a domestic design (like the BR18)?
From: JPeelen
9-May
A STANAG for a 5.56 mm magazine was proposed but never signed. The often mentioned STANAG magazine does not exist. Tiny details of the magazine are the cornerstone of reliable functioning in a given weapon type.
Just look at STANAG compliant 5.56 mm cartridges, which turn out to not function reliably in every rifle design. The same would in my view happen with a STANAG magazine.
From: schnuersi
9-May
stancrist said:How is it any less expensive to tool up for and manufacture a licensed foreign weapon, than to produce a domestic design (like the BR18)?
No R&D cost. No qulifications. Little testing.
You pay and get the all around happy package. If there are problems you have a supplier taking care of it or at least to talk to. Its even possible to have parts that are more complicated and expensive to manufacture delivered and just assamble them.
Its really much cheaper in most cases.