SWORD International Mk18 "Mjolnir"

TFB Staff
by TFB Staff

While most companies are now making a variation of the AR platform in .308, other companies are beginning to push that boundary further still by building AR platforms in .300 Win Mag. Then there is S.W.O.R.D International that decided to skip the new .300 Win Mag bandwagon and go straight to the .338 Lapua for their large(er?) frame AR. While not an entirely new concept, very few companies out there have ventured into the .338LM field.

The MK-18 is a self regulating gas piston system, sports a 26″ Lothar-Walther button rifled barrel, 10rd magazines, Keymod rail system, and CMC enhanced 3.5lb trigger system. While some might think that an AR platform rifle shooting .338LM might weigh close to 20lbs, I actually found it to be quite manageable, and as it was built for SHOT it weights right around 15lbs and is very well made. One feature that has been designed into the rifle has a system that allows the user to either take off or install the forward assist, based on their needs. To top the rifle off is an in house made muzzle brake capable of helping to tame the .338LM for the AR platform.

The rifles they had with them are still in the final stages of development, but I am told that they will be starting to take orders in around two months, with shipping of the system beginning in April. Also in the works is a family of rifles based around the same parameters as their Mk18. In the works is the Mk17 is planned to be their .308 platform, and rounding out the group will be a rifle, yet to be designated, in 5.56 NATO.

No MSRP has been released at the time of publishing.

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  • An Interested Person An Interested Person on Jan 15, 2014

    Is that barrel fluted? It would appear that the barrel is not. I would imagine that with spiral fluting(which is supposedly superior to conventional fluting in both accuracy and weight savings) you could get .338LM power/range in an AR-10 weight weapon. I like that companies are starting to fully utilize the scalability and modularity of the AR platform to fill roles other than infantry rifle.

    • Jose Pulido Jose Pulido on Jan 15, 2014

      @An Interested Person That barrel already looks pretty thin. They could use a lighter stock, lighter grip, solid aluminum upper, and direct impingement operating system to get the weight down by a pound or more, and probably get more consistency out of the system. I doubt they could get the weight down to 9-11 lbs which is where you should see an AR-10. However, I also doubt that practicality was the goal here.

  • Kalashnikev Kalashnikev on Jan 15, 2014

    Also in the works is a RECCE/ SPR called "The Mk 19" and a 9mm PDW called "the M-240." ;)

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