The biggest Pakistan defense exhibition, IDEAS 2022, opened on November 15, offering visitors a chance to see small arms produced by Pakistan state-owned defense companies and private manufacturers. One of the biggest premiers of the expo is CW56, a new member of the roller-delayed blowback rifles family that already includes BW20 and CW39.

Pakistani Guns @ TFB:

• AK Alternative? CW39 – New Roller Delayed Blowback Rifle from Pakistan Ordnance Factories
• TFB B-Side Podcast: Pakistani Firearms with TFB Writer Vladimir Onokoy
• WDS 2022: BW20 Family of Weapons from Pakistan
• POTD: M4s, Minimi M249, AK-74, AKMS, Vintorez VSS, PKM in Pakistan

To promote the new series of rifles, the manufacturer created a short promotional video that depicts a raid on a terrorist base and shows POF weapons in action.

The newest member of the family, CW56, which stands for “combat weapon, chambered for 5.56×45” is using standard STANAG mags and delayed blowback operating principle, inherited from the G3 family of weapons, that have been produced in Pakistan for decades.

One of the main reasons behind the development of this family of rifles is the fact that existing HK machines and equipment that the POF factory already has can be used for the production of new rifles.

CW56 rifle, right side Photo provided by POF.

The reason why POF designers had to develop three different rifles in three calibers is quite simple – the Pakistani Army, Law Enforcement, and paramilitary forces use all three calibers at the same time.

While G3, chambered for 7.62×51 and its variants remain to be the standard issue military rifle, a lot of agencies are using Chinese-made Kalashnikov Type 56 rifles, which in the Pakistani military often referred to as “Chinese SMG”, due to the fact that Chinese companies still use this designation in their catalogs and spec sheets.

At the same time, Pakistan’s special forces, the army SSG (Special Service Group) are almost exclusively using US-made M4 rifles chambered for 5.56×45. Perhaps CW56 is meant to replace M4s in this unit.

CW56 and M4 carbine comparison. Photo provided by POF.

Essentially, CW56 looks like a combination of an improved HK53-style upper receiver and an AR15-style lower, that combines AR15 ergonomics with the simplicity of G3 which simply lacks any gas system.

The exact specs of the new rifle are not available due to the fact that development and testing are still ongoing. There is, however, a detailed presentation video, in which the CW56 lead design engineer, Salman Ali, demonstrates his creation.