#S&TMotiv

In an effort to find a new light machine gun a team of Indian Army and Defense Officials have started a tour to visit firearms manufacturers, including  Arsenal in Bulgaria. The tour then continues to Israel and Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), before heading on to South Korea for a visit to S&T Motiv (previously Daewoo Precision Industries).

My friend Bob Byungmu Oh made this video about the Korean Army’s S&T Motiv K14 sniper rifle. I had my friend Kris Kim translate the dialogue for me.

We earlier released a post detailing the new K2C-2 development by Korean S&T Motiv, and recently showcased at ADEX 2017 in Seul. However what we didn’t mention is the apparent development of the K2C-1 which appeared in images of the show but not in any specific detail. What specifically interests TFB is the extremely odd stock that was featured on the “K2C-1” weapon in the display case, right next to the K2C-2 with the standard telescoping M4 stock. This particular stock isn’t new, but was introduced by Colt Defense in 2011 as the Sub Compact Weapon. It was a 10-inch barrel AR variant that utilized this unique folding, collapsing and adjustable length of pull stock. The buttplate folded into the cheek rest, while being adjustable as well. The entire contraption can be folded to the left of the carbine allowing it to take up much less room overall. Colt’s original purpose of it was for “vehicle & aircraft crews, joint forces, special operations forces, and reconnaissance units”, basically anyone who needs the weapon to fit into a small space. But it doesn’t seem to have had very many public sales, or at least enough to be noticed on the international market.

Although new to the English language defense industry due to ADEX 2017, S&T Motiv’s entry into the anti-material rifle market was first publicly unveiled in September of this year via a post on the popular Korean defense industry blog Bemil.chosun.com. The anti-material rifle is a bolt action, single shot rifle chambered in 12.7x99mm (.50 BMG), weighing 12-14 kilograms (unloaded versus loaded with optics). Currently it appears that there is no magazine incorporated into the design and it is a single shot weapon, with it being necessary to manually load rounds into the chamber or feed way. It has a picatinny rail for optics that appears to be around 13 inches in length, the extra rail space for the mounting of thermal or infrared clamp on optics. The buttstock swivels to the left and appears to be held captive by a plunger or pin on the right side of the rifle. The barrel is fluted, and the muzzle brake contours to the general outline of the barrel itself. This barrel appears to be free floated or at least semi free floated.

South Korea’s S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo) have unveiled the next generation of their K2 rifle. Displayed for the first time at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2017) the K2C-2 is expected to enter production in the 2020s.

Footage from Iraq is showing the Korean company S&T Motiv’s (previously Daewoo Precision) K2C select fire carbine being used by both Iraqi special operations troops from the Golden Brigade against the Islamic State, and by the Islamic State themselves. The Golden Brigade is one of three brigades apart of an Iraqi special operations force, very akin to the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment as opposed to a JSOC or SOCOM outfit.