FX-05 Xiuhcoatl
| FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" | |
|---|---|
 Second generation FX-05's showing modifications to the receiver design. |
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| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin |  Mexico |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2008–present |
| Used by | Mexican Army |
| Wars | Mexican Drug War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 2005 |
| Manufacturer | Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército |
| Produced | 2005-present |
| Number built | Approx. 50,000 |
| Variants | Assault rifle Carbine Light machine gun Sharpshooter |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.89 kg (8.6 lb) (Assault rifle) 3.22 kg (7.1 lb) kg (Carbine) 4.23 kg (9.3 lb) (Light Machine Gun) 4.02 kg (8.9 lb) (Sharpshooter) |
| Length | 1,087 mm (42.8 in) stock extended / 887 mm (34.9 in) stock folded Assault Rifle 980 mm (38.6 in) stock extended / 780 mm (30.7 in) mm stock folded Carbine 1,244 mm (49.0 in) stock extended / 1,044 mm (41.1 in) stock folded Light Machine Gun 1,204 mm (47.4 in) Sharpshooter |
| Width | 56 mm (2.2 in) |
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| Cartridge | 5.56x45mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 750 rounds/min cyclic[1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 956 m/s (3,136 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 30-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights Picatinny rail for mounting aiming optics on receiver[2] |
The FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" (literally, "turquoise-serpent" in Classical Nahuatl; metaphorically or descriptively, "fire serpent") is a Mexican assault rifle, designed and built by the Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército (Directorate General of the Army Military Industry).[3] The rifle was officially presented in the military parade on September 16, 2006, in the hands of the Special Forces Airmobile Group, GAFE. (Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales).[3] The design was coordinated by the Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Desarrollo Tecnológico de la Industria Militar or CIADTIM (Center of Applied Research and Technology Development Military Industry) and SDN and all of its parts are built in Mexico. It is currently in use by the Mexican Army.[4]
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[edit] Development
The development of the FX-05 began as a 16-month research back in 2005 with CIADTIM as part of research efforts to replace the HK G3A3 rifles that were in service with the Mexican military.[2] Originally the HK G36 was supposed to become the Mexican military's standard rifle as plans were already drawn to transfer technology and equipment to Mexico to initially build 30,000 rifles at a cost of € 63,016,125 as part of Mexico's military modernization program. The Mexican government ultimately decided that they wanted a more cost effective alternative to the G36 thus that project was scrapped before any technology or equipment could be transferred and the FX-05 project was undertaken. A Mexican report states that up to December 2006 $84,000,000 Mexican Pesos (€ 5,855,698 at the December 2006 exchange rate) was invested in the FX-05 project, including raw materials and using only national equipment and technology.[5] Leading the FX-05 project was General Alfredo Oropeza Garnica with Brigadier General Jose Antonio Landeros.[6]
[edit] Design details
The design of the weapon includes telescopic, red-dot and mechanical sights; cold-forged barrel; folding and adjustable butt stock; as well as the capability to semi-automatic, three round burst and full auto fire. The weapon can be chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO or the 6.8x43mm SPC[citation needed] round. It has a cyclic rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute. Most of the rifle's receiver is constructed of a polymer reinforced with carbon-fibers with an underlying titanium frame and comes in black, dark-green and desert-tan colors as well as the SEDENA digital camouflage patterns used by the Mexican army. The charging handle can be installed on either side of the rifle with gas piston located above the barrel, which operates under a multi-lugged rotary barrel system.[7] Safety/fire mode selectors are located above the pistol grip on both sides of the FX-05.[7]
The internal mechanism and barrel are made of advanced corrosion-resistant stainless steel. An Indigenous programmable air-burst grenade launcher is currently under development for the FX-05, which will be able to fire standard NATO munitions in addition to Mexico's new RSE-7 fuel-air grenade round but until it is finalized the FX-05 will use the AG36 grenade launcher as used on the G36. The FX-05 is one of the worlds few assault rifles featuring polygonal rifling, which eliminates the normal grooves of a weapons barrel replacing them with a system of "hills and valleys" in a rounded polygonal pattern.
The FX-05 is available in several configurations optimized for differing use, including; Assault rifle, Carbine, Light machine gun and Sharpshooter variants.[7]
[edit] Legal status
On February 1, 2007, representatives of the SEDENA (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional) and Heckler & Koch met in Mexico City to address accusations of patent infringement from the German firm.[8] They claimed that the Army "replicated" the design of the HK G36 assault rifle. After an exhibition of detailed models of the FX-05, the HK representatives were convinced that, despite the similarities between the two rifles, there wasn't a patent infringement, therefore bringing an end to the disagreement.[8][9] In the end, the German firm stated that they would not sue on the basis that even though the rifle looks similar it is internally different with a completely different mechanism.[9]
The report concluded that while externally the FX-05 bears obvious design elements there are several notable differences. The receiver which was styled after the G36 is in fact coupled with a simple gas piston similar in operation to the AK series which is then attached through a delayed roller system to the weapons recoil delaying system[citation needed]. While the more advanced parts of the rifle were found to be independently Mexican produced, Heckler & Koch officials still questioned the DGIM (the manufacturer of the FX-05) regarding the issue of the rifles receiver system which is almost identical to the G36's. It is believed that the receiver was made to be as similar to the G36 to maximize commonality between the two weapons as many of Mexico's police forces are issued with the G36. Either way it appears that the newer post law suit versions of the FX-05 feature a different newly designed receiver, as the newer FX-05 come with a four position fire selection (safe, single shot, three round burst, full auto) whereas the original FX-05 came with only three firing selections (safe, single shot, full auto). This theory is also reinforced by the fact the new black FX-05 models feature a visible metal protrusion before the magazine ejector and the receiver is noticeably smaller. The influence of the G36 receiver, AK styled gas piston and Mexican recoil delaying system can all be seen in the rifles partial cut away image.
[edit] Comparable Weapons
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Fusil FX-05 Xiuhcoatl: el brazo armado del Ejército mexicano" (in Spanish). 2008-01-23. http://www.armas.es/articulos/rifles-de-asalto/30181-fusil-fx-05-xiuhcoatl-el-brazo-armado-del-ejercito-mexicano.html. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ a b James Dunnigan (2007-03). "Theft Resistant Assault Rifle". bahia de Banderas news. http://www.banderasnews.com/0711/nr-fx05.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ a b Daniel Watters. "The 5.56 X 45mm: 2006". http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-15.html. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ "World Infantry Weapons: Mexico". http://worldinventory.googlepages.com/wiw_sa_mexico. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ "DOCUMENTAR MEDIANTE FECHAS, EL INICIO DEL PROYECTO DE LA SEDENA PARA FABRICAR EN MÉXICO EL FUSIL HK G-36V, LOS RAZONAMIENTOS Y JUSTIFICACIONES TÉCNICAS Y MILITARES PARA LLEVAR A CABO DICHO PROYECTO" (in Spanish). 2006-12-15. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. http://web.archive.org/web/20110605143643/http://www.sedena.gob.mx/leytrans/petic/2006/diciembre/15122006a.html. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ Daniel Watters. "The 5.56 X 45mm: 2005". http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-14.html. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ a b c Max Popenker. "FX-05 Xiuhcoatl assault rifle (Mexico)". http://world.guns.ru/assault/mex/fx-05-xiuhcoatl-e.html. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
- ^ a b Allan Wall (2007-03). "The Mexican Army and its Controversial New Rifle". bahia de Banderas news. http://banderasnews.com/0703/nz-fx05.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ a b "Mexico and the ‘new’ FX05 Xihuacóatl assault rifle". Small Arms Survey 2007. p. 7. http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2007/en/full/Small-Arms-Survey-2007-Chapter-01-O-EN.pdf. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- FX-05 Xiuhcoatl assault rifle (Mexico) at Modern Firearms
- G36 and FX-05 Xiuhcoatl
- [1], An Inside Look at Mexican Guns and Arms Trafficking, by Barnard R. Thompson, MexiData.info (5/31/10)
