Madritsch Waffentechnik (Madritsch Weapon Technology) from Austria isn’t exactly a company that TFB writes about on a regular basis, but we have covered their 40 mm Grenade Launcher (MWT-40) before.

It’s not every day you get to uncover a new firearm from a “new” producer, but Madritsch showed a new rifle at IWA 2018. To my knowledge, this is their first ever rifle, but I have been wrong before.

Their booth was very low-key, and could easily be missed. There was not much information available really and no real help around, so please excuse if we lack details.

The design is modular, with a long stroke gas piston system and ambidextrous controls.

The calibers are – at the moment – 5,56 x 45 mm and .300 Whisper/Blackout.

The barrel is cold hammered and forged and available from 11″ up to 20″, in the usual barrel increments.

Note the left-hand charge, similar to the HK433 / HK G3, except it is closer to the receiver.

The controls are ambidextrous.

I didn’t notice what looks to be some kind of bipod under the handguard when I took the photo, but perhaps this is to accommodate a grenade launcher?

The take-down of the weapon is supposed to be easy. I presume you take out the pin in the back and then pull the lower out of the receiver backwards.

The lower takes Magpul magazines and AR15 pistol grips, so there’s some AR-15 compatibility which makes sense.  Atlas bipod on this rifle, which is more if a marksman’s rifle.

The safety seems to be push-button (red). It doesn’t look like the upper is monobloc, and the handguard has a KeyMod attachment for the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock sides.

There’s also a wide selection of stocks, but I am not sure any of them are of their own design and production. Possibly the one pictured above could be their own?

It looks like there is a built-in backup sight at the end of the upper receiver, folded back.

The writing on the upper is MWT AUSTRIA MAWS SA The serial is SA-0004-18, so I take it this is the fourth weapon in 2018. One of the others has 16 in the series.

All of the above pictures are taken by the author.

For more pictures please check Spartanat and Strategie & Technik, which both helped with some of the details in the puzzle.

You can check Madritsch Waffentechnik as well, but in a typical manner there is absolutely no information available at the moment.

The Polish online Magazine Milimag has pictures of the rifle disassembled into pieces, it looks pretty interesting so check it out. Check here Milimag. The trigger system, with safety, looks like a drop-in.

It would be worth knowing to understand what kind of target they have with their new rifle. I would assume they are way too late to compete for the German tender for their next firearm, but I am sure there are more coming.