Sneak peek of suppressed full auto AR57
I blogged about the new AR57 earlier this year. The AR Five Seven is a one piece 5.7×28mm upper that attaches to a AR-15 lower and uses the 50 round FN P90 magazines. 57 Center posted a few photos of their new SBR suppressed submachine gun/PDW:
How cool is that!
UPDATE: After writing a three paragraphs about integrally suppressed firearms it turns out this is not integrally suppressed! The suppressor fits inside the handguard. I got this via. email from the 57 Center:
This particular AR57 PDW Upper in Full-Auto with 6″ Barrel, with 6.5″ Gemtech Suppressor, is currently being produced for a couple LE Agencies.
We currently have our 11″ Pistol/SBR Upper available as well as our standard 16.125″
So they are now directly competing with the full-auto FN P90. Personally, if I had a choice between this and the P90 I would go with the AR platform.
I think the pistol configuration could be a lot of fun.
UPDATE: I asked if the 6″ barrel gave adequate performance. From 57 Center:
We have excellent results with both 6″ and 11″ Pistol/SBR Barrels, this would be peoples choice, LE prefers 6″ with the 6.5″ Suppressor, this unit also works in Sub Sonic,
It is very impressive that the action can cycle subsonic rounds (a light 30-50 grain 5.7mm bullet traveling below the speed of round is comparable to a 40 grain .22 LR Standard subsonic round).
have you seen the story about the korean k-11 on popular science? any additional word?
solomon, not that article but I have mentioned it on the blog before. I think that the bolt action instead of a semi-auto action for the grenade launcher is a good idea. Overall I wonder how effective that class of weaponry will be on the battlefield.
OICW type weapons are POS. If I’m going to carry something that big and heavy, it might well be a dedicated grenade launcher not a half ass in between. The OICW program is a waste of money, unfortunately other nations didn’t get the memo.
The AR57 is another reason why the AR15 is considered the best. Since the patent ran out more and more companies and private individuals are making improvement to the platform like this one.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=19&t=402350
I take the above ad on then the OICW anytime of the day. At least it has some practical uses. Check out the video!
jdun1911, thanks for the link. I have posted it on the blog. very funny!
I actually got to fire one of the prototype AR57s about a month before they came out. I was at the range with a buddy and was puzzled by a guy shooting what looked like an AR15 with no mag in it. I later noticed him going to a box full of P90 mags when I made the connection.
I asked him a little about it and he told me that he was developing it, and was just doing some extended-fire temperature tests, and asked me if I would be interested in shooting it. Afterward he told me a little about it, and I’m pretty sure I asked him three times when they would be available.
It still strikes me as one of the more ingenious AR modifications because of its use of componants already in place, and using the lower mag-well as the brass ejection point.