FX-05 Xiuhcoatl: Difference between revisions
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==Design details== |
==Design details== |
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[[Image:Polygonal vs normal rifling.svg|thumb|left|Normal grooved rifling as used on the most rifles (left), compared to the polygonal rifling used in the FX-05 (right)]] |
[[Image:Polygonal vs normal rifling.svg|thumb|left|Normal grooved rifling as used on the most rifles (left), compared to the polygonal rifling used in the FX-05 (right)]] |
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[[File:FX-05 family.png|thumb|left|The full range of different FX-05 types used by the Mexican armed forces.]] |
[[File:FX-05 family.png|thumb|left|The full range of different FX-05 types used by the Mexican armed forces.]] |
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Revision as of 12:51, 16 August 2010
| FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" | |
|---|---|
| File:FX-05 Xiyukohal Assault Rifle.jpg FX-05 assault rifle | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin |  Mexico |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2008–present |
| Used by | Mexican Army |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 2005 |
| Manufacturer | Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército |
| Produced | 2005-present |
| No. built | Approx. 10,000 |
| Variants | Assault rifle Carbine Light machine Gun Sharpshooter |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Template:Kg to 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 | Template:Mm to 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 | Template:Mm to in |
| Cartridge | 5.56x45mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 750 rounds/min[1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 920 m/s (3,018 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 425 Yards (389 Meters) With Long Range Optics |
| Feed system | 30-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights, also has a Picatinny railing[2] |
The FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" (literally, "turquoise-serpent" in Classical Nahuatl; metaphorically or descriptively, "fire dragon") is a Mexican assault rifle, designed and built by the Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército.[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 CIADTIM and SDN and all of its parts are built in Mexico. It is currently in use by the Mexican Army.[4]
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]
Design details
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2010) |
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 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 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 to use the advanced system known as Polygonal rifling, which eliminates the normal grooves of a weapons barrel and replaces them with as system of gentle hills and valleys. Although expensive, this rifling system gives a longer barrel life and more accuracy.
Another notable feature of the FX-05 is it's delayed recoiling barrel action which effectively delays the gun from recoiling until after the round has left the barrel. The way this system works is that when a round is fired, instead of directly using the gas from the round to reload the chamber, the gas pushes the barrel back inside of the body which then triggers a locomotive pulley which both refills the chamber and pushes the mechanism back into firing position. Because of this system the FX-05 can fire a three round burst before the gun even recoils by allowing three rounds to be fired within one barrel retraction and because all three rounds are fired without recoil they all hit the exact same spot allowing penetration of even the toughest body armor. The lack of recoil also makes three round burst firing of the FX-05 extremely accurate with the three rounds hitting the same point with a margin of difference less than 4.9 mm at 40 meters. Using this system allows the FX-05 to fire at it's extremely fast rate of 2,100 RPM[Citation needed] although when fired fully automatically the mechanism self-regulates itself down to 750 RPM after the first three rounds. A similar system can be found in the Russian AN-94 although that weapons features a purely gas based operation with a two round burst as opposed the FX-05 three round burst.
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.[7] 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.[7][8] 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. The report concluded that while externally the FX-05 bares obvious design elements there are several notable differences. The receiver which was styled after the G-36 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. 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 G-36's. It is believed that the receiver was made to be as similar to the G-36 to maximize commonality between the two weapons as many of Mexico's police forces are issued with the G-36. 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) where as 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 G-36 receiver, AK styled gas piston and Mexican recoil delaying system can all be seen in the rifles partial cut away to the left.[8][1]
Users
Comparable Weapons
References
- ^ a b "Fusil FX-05 Xiuhcoatl: el brazo armado del Ejército mexicano" (in Spanish). 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ a b James Dunnigan (2007-03). "Theft Resistant Assault Rifle". bahia de Banderas news. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Daniel Watters. "The 5.56 X 45mm: 2006". Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ "World Infantry Weapons: 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. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ Daniel Watters. "The 5.56 X 45mm: 2005". Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ a b Allan Wall (2007-03). "The Mexican Army and its Controversial New Rifle". bahia de Banderas news. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Mexico and the 'new' FX05 Xihuacóatl assault rifle" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2007. p. 7. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
External links
- G36 and FX-05 Xiuhcoatl
- [1], An Inside Look at Mexican Guns and Arms Trafficking, by Barnard R. Thompson, MexiData.info (5/31/10)