Earlier this week we reported that Hornady have introduced a brand new round, the 6mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge or 6mm ARC. Barrett, Hornady and OSS have now confirmed that they have partnered to provide the US Department of Defense with a new rifle chambered in 6mm ARC.

It is unknown how many rifles the DoD have procured but the first shipment of 6ARC chambered REC7s has been shipped. We have been unable to find the contract award for the procurement of the rifles or the solicitation for them so details are still thin on the ground.

The aim of the new round and rifles is to provide a weapon with increased energy and greater long-range performance over 5.56x45mm without having to shift to a larger, heavier rifle such as an AR-10. The round was developed to produce recoil light enough to enable rapid follow-up shots. Check out Will’s earlier article for more detail on the round here.

Barrett REC7 in 6mm ARC with NightForce optic, OSS suppressor and Hornady ammo (Barrett)

We got our first hint at the new mystery round back in March, when Hrachya reported on the new round being accepted by accredited ammunition standards organisation SAAMI. It now appears that the round may have been developed to fulfil a specific requirement from the DoD.

Here’s what Barrett had to say about the shipment of new 6ARC REC7 rifles:

Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Hornady Manufacturing to chamber the REC7 rifle series in the new 6mm ARC offering. The first production run of these rifles has already been delivered on time to the United States Department of Defense, fulfilling a contract that was awarded to Barrett late last year .

The combination of the proven REC7 DI gas system and the potent 6mm ARC cartridge creates a product that is consistently accurate and easy to shoot. Carrying 24 rounds in the magazine, the 108 gr . ELD Match bullets leave the 18” Proof Research match grade stainless steel or carbon fiber barrel at over 2630 fps. This easily gives the rifle supersonic capabilities past 1000 yards .

Barrett anticipates these rifles will be available to the US commercial market after all US Military deliveries have been completed.

The DoD rifles are equipped with a variant of OSS’ HX-QD 762 suppressor, here’s what OSS had to say about the partnership with Barrett & Hornady:

OSS Suppressors LLC is proud to have partnered with Barrett Firearms Manufacturing on their United States Department of Defense contract for the 6mm ARC program.

OSS provided a variant of the HX-QD 762 suppressor – with OSS’s patented and proven Flow-Through® technology – that combined with Barrett’s proven REC7 DI gas gun and Hornady® Manufacturing’s potent 6mm ARC cartridge, delivers a consistently accurate and easy to shoot system.

“OSS is honored to participate with and support the Barrett and Hornady program teams and their successful ARC submission,” said John Spurrier, OSS Chief Executive Officer.

Barrett aren’t the only company to offer a rifle chambered in the new round and a number of other companies have already launched rifles and barrels in the new cartridge.