Beretta AR70/90
| Beretta AR70/90 | |
|---|---|
 Italian soldiers of San Marco Regiment with the Beretta SC70/90 rifle (Rome, 2007) | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | AR70/223: 1972–1990 AR70/90: 1990–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | War in Afghanistan Iraq War Mexican Drug War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Beretta |
| Designed | AR70/223: 1972 AR70/90: 1985 |
| Manufacturer | Beretta |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.99 kg (8.80 lb) (varies slightly) |
| Length | 998 mm (39.3 in) (varies slightly) |
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated |
| Rate of fire | 650 RPM (varies slightly) |
| Muzzle velocity | 950 m/s (3,100 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 500 m (1,600 ft) |
| Feed system | 30-round STANAG Magazine 100-round C-Mag drum magazine |
| Sights | Iron/grenade sights |
The Beretta AR70/90 is a gas operated self-loading rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge, and is the standard issue service rifle of the Italian Armed Forces. The weapon is also designed to be fitted with a rifle grenade, and has grenade sights. The AR series comes in many variants such as the AR90, with a wire folding stock, for use by paratroopers.
History
The Beretta AR70/90 assault rifle was developed in the 1980s when the Italian Government decided that its military and law enforcement agencies needed a new standard service weapon. It was made to be compatible with other NATO weapons by the adoption of standard 5.56 mm STANAG loaders, whereas the AR70/90's predecessor, the BM59, derived from the U.S. M1 Garand, was chambered in 7.62 mm (.308), another NATO caliber which today is considered suitable mostly for sniper or machine gun use. There is a semi-auto version called the AR70/90S which lacks a flash hider and bayonet mount.
As of late 2010 the AR70/90 is supplemented in service by the new Beretta ARX-160, a new project which sees a great leap forward in soldier-to-weapon interfacing, several major developments in sighting and firepower such as the integrated (and also detachable) grenade launcher GLX-160, and the "Future Soldier Program" integration.
Description
The AR70/90 is manufactured according to 1980s standards, i.e. with limited use of polymer plastic parts and using stainless steel whenever possible (a Beretta staple). It weighs approximately 4 kg in standard configuration. It has three firing positions (full auto, three-round burst, and semi-auto) and a safe, and has a carrying handle not unlike the Vietnam-era M16, a long, bulky barrel, and a hollow stock. It is usually fitted with an ACOG or a red dot optic.
Variants
| Version | Caliber | Length | Barrel length | Mass | Effective range | Rate of fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR70/223 | 5.56×45mm M193 | 995 mm | 450 mm | 3.8 kg | 400 m | 650 rpm |
| AR70/90, SC70/90 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 998 (756) mm | 450 mm | 4.07 kg | 500 m | 670 rpm |
| SCP70/90 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 908 (663) mm | 360 mm | 3.8 kg | 350 m | 670 rpm |
Users
Albania – 5000 units gifted to the Albanian Armed Forces by Italy.[1]
Burkina Faso Police[2]
Egypt: Used by police forces[3]
Honduras: Delivered 1,000 in 2006.[4]
Indonesia: Indonesian Navy (Special Forces)[5]
India: Used by National Security Guard (N.S.G.)
Italy: Army has 105,000 AR70s and 15,000 SCP70s in service; the weapons are also in service with the Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza and Polizia di Stato.[6] Those models will be decommissioned in favor of the ARX-160.
Jordan[2][6] SC70/223 (standard carbine of the Public Security Department and Police Force)
Lesotho[2]
Malaysia[6][7]
Mexico[8]
Morocco[2][9]
Nigeria[2]
Paraguay[2]
Zimbabwe[2]
See also
References
- ^ Bozinovski, Igor (4 October 2017). "Italy to gift rifles to Albania". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35th edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.[page needed]
- ^ Giorgio Beretta. "Italia: ecco le armi esportate da Berlusconi a dittatori e regimi autoritari". ControllArmi. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ^ Alvaro Diaz. "Las Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras comenzarán el 2014 con nueva cúpula militar. El país busca en Israel asistencia técnica para repotenciar los F-5". Defensa.com. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c "Modern Firearms". World.guns.ru. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ^ "RMR Museum".
- ^ "Gli affari della Beretta coi regimi repressivi e il "Codice Gheddafi" / Armi leggere / Guerra e Pace / Guide / Home - Unimondo". Unimodo.org. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
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