We’ve know for a while that Beretta was partnered with General Dynamics on their NGSW submission – the bullpup RM277. Well GD have divested to True Velocity and Lone Star Future Weapons but Beretta have confirmed their continuing involvement in the project.

Perhaps even more excitingly this week, at SHOT 2022, Beretta Defense Technologies have announced they will be working with True Velocity and LoneStar on bringing the RM277 not just to interested militaries but also to the civilian market!

The prospect of civilian versions of both the RM277 and SIG Sauer’s SPEAR is exciting!

RM277 (True Velocity / Beretta)

Here’s Beretta’s announcement in full:

True Velocity and global weapon manufacturer Beretta USA announced on Wednesday a strategic partnership in support of potential weapon production stemming from the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon program.

True Velocity subsidiary LoneStar Future Weapons is the prime contractor in the team’s bid for the NGSW program, which is designed to replace the U.S. Army’s currently fielded 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge and the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon that fire it. Beretta USA will assist LSFW and True Velocity with the production, assembly and testing of key components of the RM277 rifle and automatic rifle submitted as part of the team’s bid for NGSW. Both weapons are configured to fire True Velocity’s proprietary 6.8TVCM composite-cased cartridge.

In addition to supporting True Velocity in weapon production for NGSW, Beretta USA will also take a leading role in the development of a variant of the RM277 intended for sale to international allies of the United States, as well as a semi-automatic variant of the RM277 rifle intended for civilian sale in the U.S. commercial market. Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT), the alliance of Beretta group companies focused on serving global military and law enforcement customers, will also explore other applications and chamberings of the 6.8TVC commercial cartridge in its extensive firearm portfolio.

“With the addition of Beretta USA as a strategic partner, True Velocity further enhances its ability to deliver true next-generation weapons and ammunition not only to our customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, but also to our international allies and the domestic commercial market,” said True Velocity Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Boscamp. “Combining Beretta USA’s rich history of delivering high-quality, rugged, reliable weapons with True Velocity’s innovative approach to advanced weapon and ammunition development puts us in an optimal position to lead the global modernization of small arms and ammunition.”

Francesco Valente, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Beretta USA said: “We are very excited to be part of the True Velocity team in bringing such revolutionary technology to market. We have provided the M9 pistol to the DoD for over 35 years and now look forward to putting our US design and manufacturing facility and resources to work on this innovative program to increase our warfighters’ capabilities.”

“We look forward to working with True Velocity and Beretta USA on the development of a complete system centered on the RM277 to support the mission of the US soldiers and their allies”, added Carlo Ferlito Vice President of Beretta Defense Technologies.

True Velocity’s proprietary composite-cased 6.8TVCM ammunition delivers enhanced lethality, increased effective range, and an unmatched reduction in weight. The LoneStar Future Weapons RM277 weapon offers maximum lethality in a compact, lightweight package capable of stable and accurate automatic fire, long-range effectiveness and reduced recoil. Paired together, the resulting weapon system meets or exceeds all NGSW requirements.

(True Velocity)

In other True Velocity news SAAMI has certified True Velocity’s 6.8TVC round clearing the way for commercial sale of the ammunition.

Check out True Velocity’s full announcement below:

SAAMI board of directors to accept the new cartridge and publish its specifications.

The 6.8TVC is a composite-cased round offering significant weight reduction, improved accuracy, and extended range versus comparable brass-cased cartridges. True Velocity introduced the 6.8TVC cartridge for SAAMI certification at a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi with a 135-grain bullet at a velocity of 3,000 feet per second. It is the first composite-cased cartridge to be accepted for SAAMI certification.

True Velocity, which has for multiple years produced cartridges for American and allied warfighters, plans to add the 6.8TVC cartridge to a commercial lineup available direct to consumer via the company’s Web site (tvammo.com), as well as at retail locations nationwide. The company is working with a growing list of preeminent rifle manufacturers the likes of Daniel Defense, Beretta USA and Lewis Machine & Tool to develop rifles or conversion kits for the 6.8TVC cartridge. True Velocity will offer special ammunition subscriptions to customers who purchase these 6.8TVC rifles and conversion kits, providing a discount off regular retail price and direct-to-consumer delivery.

True Velocity subsidiary LoneStar Future Weapons also plans to launch a commercial version of the RM-277 bullpup rifle it developed and submitted for the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program in conjunction with the military version of the 6.8TVC cartridge. LSFW and True Velocity are currently one of two remaining contenders for the NGSW program.

“What we’re doing is putting the performance of the most advanced ammunition ever created for U.S. troops into the hands of discerning shooters who want to hit their target every time,” said Kevin Boscamp, CEO of True Velocity. “Without question, the future of shooting sports and performance can be found in our proprietary composite-cased rounds. SAAMI’s certification of the 6.8TVC is further evidence of the adoption we are seeing for composite-cased ammunition.”

SAAMI is an association of the nation’s leading manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and components. The U.S. federal government tasks SAAMI to create and promote technical, performance and safety standards for firearms, ammunition, and components, as well as to be the preeminent global resource for the safe and responsible transportation, storage, and use of these products.

The 6.8TVC round will be coming to major U.S. retailers in 2022 and will be available on True Velocity’s online store in the coming weeks. Those in attendance at SHOT Show from Jan. 18-21 hosted at the Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum in Las Vegas can stop by the True Velocity booth (#13454) to see the ammunition firsthand or sign up at tvammo.com to be among the first alerted for purchase opportunities.

Stay tuned for a future episode of TFB’s podcast for a chat with True Velocity!