Diemaco C7 / C8 (Canada)

Caliber: 5.56x45 mm NATO (.223Rem)
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 1020 mm
Barrel length: 510 mm
Weight: empty, 3.3 kg; loaded, 3.9 kg
Magazine capacity: 30 rds

The C7 rifle is a slightly modified copy of the Colt M16A2 assault rifle, license-built by Diemaco company of Canada.
The C7 rifle, along with C7A1 flat-top, scoped rifle and C8 carbine, is adopted by Canadian Forces, and is in service since 1984. It is also adopted by Danish and Netherlands armed forces.

Like the M16A2, the C7 is a direct gas operated weapon, but it has full-auto and single-shot modes instead of the original three-round burst and single-shot modes of the M16A2. Other differences are simplified two-position aperture rear sight with only two settings. Barrel is chrome-lined and rifled for SS109 (5.56mm NATO) ammunition. The C7 and C8 are issued with black polymer 30 rounds box magazines but also can accept any M16-compatible magazines.

The C7A1 (Diemaco's proprietary name C7FT, or Flat-top) is a C7 rifle that has carrying handle with iron sights removed, and the picatinny-weaver mount installed on the top of the receiver. C7A1 is issued to the Canadian troops with X3.4 Elcan optical sight.

The C8 carbine is the equivalent of the US M4 carbine - shorter barreled version of C7 with telescopic butt stock. C8 is adopted by Canadian Gendarmerie. Flat-top version of the C8 is available for foreign customers, as well as some other modifications, such as heavy barreled versions, Light Support Weapon versions etc.

Both C7 and C8 can be equipped with Diemaco-made version of the M203 40mm under barrel grenade launcher.

FN FNC (Belgium)

Caliber: 5.56 NATO (.223rem)
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 997mm
Barrel length: 449mm
Weight: 3.63kg
Magazine capacity: 30 rds

Following the market failure of their previous small caliber assault rifle, the CAL, famous Belgian company Fabrique Nationale began to develop new assault rifle for 5.56mm NATO cartridge in the early 1970s. The final design, called the FNC (Fabrique Nationale Carbine) was produced circa 1978 and was consequently adopted by Belgian Armed forces. It was also adopted by Sweden and Indonesia, and both those countries purchased the licenses to build more or less modified FNC carbines at their own facilities. Swedish version is known as Bofors AK-5 and Indonesian version is known as Pindad SS1. The FNC also was sold to some police forces around the world, and, in limited numbers for civilians - as a "Sporter" model, limited to semi-automatic mode only. 

The FNC is a sound design which accumulated best features from other famous designs, such as Kalashnikov AK-47,  Colt/Armalite M16, IMI Galil and others. 

FNC is a gas operated, selective fire, magazine fed weapon. The gas drive and rotating bolt of FNC strongly resembles the AK-47 system, but built with more advanced technology such as CNC machining and with some modifications. The long stroke gas piston is located above the barrel and is linked to the bolt carrier. Unlike the AK-47, the gas piston could be separated from the bolt carrier when gun is disassembled. The gas system featured two-positions gas regulator (for normal or adverse conditions) and a separate gas cutoff, combined with folding rifle grenade sights. When grenade sights are raised into the ready position, the gas cutoff automatically blocks the gas supply to the action, allowing for safe launching of rifle grenades. Both gas cutoff and a grenade sight are located on the gas chamber, just behind the front sight. The now common rotating bolt has two massive lugs that locks into the barrel extension. The receiver is made from two parts that are linked by two cross-pins. The receiver could be opened for disassembly and maintenance by removing he rear pin, so the parts could be hinged around the forward pin (which also can be removed to separate receiver parts). Upper receiver is made from stamped steel, the lower receiver, along with magazine housing, is made from aluminum alloy. Barrel of the FNC is equipped with flash hider which also served as a rifle grenade launcher. FNC is equipped with side-folding buttstock, made of steel and covered by plastic. A solid, non-folding plastic butt is available as an option. FNC is equipped with hooded post front sight and a flip-up, "L" shaped rear diopter sight with 2 settings, for 250 and 400 meters range. The controls of the FNC consist of the 4-positions safety / mode selector switch on the left side of the receiver. Available modes are Safe, Single shot, 3-rounds bursts and Full automatic fire. The cocking handle is attached to the bolt carrier at the right side and does reciprocate with the bolt group when gun is fired. The rear part of the cut, made in the receiver for cocking handle, is covered by the spring-loaded cover which automatically opens by the handle when it goes back and automatically closes the opening when cocking handle returns forward. The pistol handle and the forend are made from plastic. FNC is equipped with sling swivels and can be fitted with special bayonet or with adapter for US M7 knife-bayonet. FNC can be fed from any STANAG (NATO standard) compliant magazine, and issued with 30 rounds magazines. If required, FNC could be fitted with $x telescope sight or various IR / night vision sights.

Fabrique Nationale Herstal F2000 (Belgium)

Caliber: 5.56x45 mm NATO
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 694 mm
Barrel length: 400 mm
Weight: 3.6 kg empty, in standard configuration; 4.6 kg with 40mm grenade launcher
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds (any NATO / STANAG type magazines)

The F2000 is a modular weapon system, developed by FN Herstal, Belgium, and introduced in 2001.

The F2000 system consist of the F2000 rifle and some add-on modules, that can be installed and removed quickly and without any tools.

The F2000 rifle is a gas operated, rotating bolt, select-fire weapon. F2000 features polymer stock with bull-pup layout. The stock has built-in standard rails on the top of the weapon (for different sights and scopes etc) and mounting point ahead of trigger guard, where additional modules may be installed (such as grenade launchers, non-lethal modules etc). In the basic configuration, the upper rails mounts 1.6X magnification optical sights, and the lower mounting point is covered by removable hand-guard. The unique feature of the F2000 rifle is its' patented front ejection systems: the spent cases, extracted from the chamber, travel from the rear part of the gun to the ejection port near the muzzle via special ejection tube and falls out of the gun at the safe distance from the shooters' face. The details of this system is still unclear, but when combined with completely ambidextrous controls (FN P90 style), this makes the F2000 100% ambidextrous, any time.

At the current time, the F2000 rifle may be upgraded, depending on the mission, with FN's 40mm low-velocity grenade launcher (on the lower mount, instead of the hand-guard), or with XM303 non-lethal module (fires 12Ga BBs with paint or tear gas by the means of the pre-charged air cartridge); other options are hand guards with built-in laser pointers or flashlights.

The standard low-magnification combat scope may be replaced by any other scope on WEAVER-style mount, or with FN's proprietary computerized fire control module with laser rangefinder, that calculates the point of aim (and sets the sight reticle) for both the rifle and 40mm grenade launcher.

FAMAS (France)

Technical data (F1)
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO (.223rem)
Action: Delayed blowback
Overall length: 757 mm
Barrel length: 488 mm
Weight: 3.41 kg w/o magazine, 4.59 kg with full magazine and sling
Magazine capacity: 25 rds (F1 and F2), 30 rds STANAG magazines (G2 only)
Muzzle velocity: 960 m/s
Rate of fire: 1000 rounds per minute
Effective range: 300 meters

FAMAS stands for Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de St-Etienne, Assault Rifle by St-Etienne Arms Factory (a member of the French govt. owned GIAT concern). This rifle was developed in 1972 and adopted by French military in 1978. Most noticeable features of this deign are not so common delayed blowback action, built-in folding bipods, lengthy integral carrying handle with sights mounted on it an totally ambidextrous design - the cheek piece may be installed on both sides of the butt stock, along with extractor group, to enable empty cases ejection to the right or left side of the rifle (however, this operation is not recommended under field or battle condition due of risk of loosing the small parts of the mechanism).
FAMAS is a select-fire firearm. Safety switch/selector is located inside the trigger guard and has 3 positions - "safe", "single shot" and "auto", auto fire mode selector (3 rounds or full-auto bursts) - beyond magazine well on the bottom side of the stock.

Latest variation of the FAMAS - G2, features following changes:
- bipods removed and replaced by conventional sling rings (bipod could be reinstalled)
- barrel grenade launcher removed
- trigger guard extended to cover whole grip
- magazine well changed to accept STANAG (NATO standard) M16-type box magazines, as well as original FAMAS magazines
- M203 40mm under barrel grenade launcher could be installed

During the "Desert Storm" and other operations, FAMAS proved itself as a durable, reliable weapon.

Heckler&Koch HK 33 and HK 53 (Germany)

HK33 had been developed by the German company Heckler und Koch in mid- to late 1960s as a scaled-down version of their G3 battle rifle, and entered production in 1968. HK33 was developed for then-new cartridge, 5.56x45mm (.223 Remington), and while it had not been adopted by German military, it saw significant use by some West Germany police and security units, and also widely exported, and used by Malaysia, Chile and Thailand armed forces. Since 1999, HK33 also manufactured under license in Turkey. HK33 is still in production in Germany by HK, and also served as a platform for further developments, such as G-41 assault rifle and HK53 compact assault rifle (known by the HK as submachine gun).

HK53 is a ultra-compact version of HK33, which advertised by HK as "submachine gun" and, by common sense, falls in the same category as soviet AKS-74U or Colt "Commando". All these guns can be classified as "compact (or short) assault rifles" by the fact, that they are used the intermediate rifle round. Hk53 was developed in mid-1970s and is still in production and offered for export.

HK33 is a delayed blowback operated, selective fire rifle, that utilized two pieces bolt with two rollers that used to delay bolt blowback. The receiver is made from stamped steel, and HK33 is available with either a polymer fixed butt stock (HK33A2) or retractable metallic butt stock (HK33A3). Carbine version of the HK33 also available and featured shorter barrels and similar fixed or retractable stocks (HK33KA2 and HK33KA3, respectively).

All HK33 variants available with different trigger units, with or without 3-rounds burst mode. HK's proprietary claw-type mounts allow telescopic sights to be mounted on any version of HK33. Full-length HK33s can be equipped with bayonet or under barrel 40mm grenade launchers, HK79A1, also made by Heckler & Koch. Full-length HK33 rifles also can launch rifle grenades from combined muzzle compensator/flash hider. All HK33 and HK53 guns are equipped with drum-type rear sights.

HK53 is internally similar to the HK33 but cannot fire rifle grenades nor mount under barrel 40mm grenade launcher. HK53 also cannot be equipped with bayonet, and featured long, four-prong flash hider.

Both HK33 and HK53 can use 25, 30 and 40 round box magazines, but latter are out of production by HK for some time.

Heckler&Koch  G-41 (Germany)

Caliber: 5.56x45 mm NATO
Action: Delayed blowback
Overall length: 997 mm (fixed butt) or 996/806 mm (folding butt)
Barrel length: 450 mm
Weight: 4.1 kg
Magazine capacity: 20, 30 or 40 rds

The G-41 assault rifle had been developed in early 1980s from HK-33E assault rifle as a companion to the G-11. While the case-less G11 had to be issued to the front line troops, the G-41 had to be issued to second line troops. When G-11 program collapsed due to financial and political reasons in early 1990s, the G-41 had been offered for many customers but found no sales, being of high quality, but too expensive.

Basically, the G-41 is a further development of the early G-3 rifle, having the same roller delayed blowback action, but chambered for 5.56mm NATO ammunition. The G-41 also featured the 0-1-3-30 trigger group, STANAG compatible magazines and scope mountings, silent bolt closure device (similar to the "forward assist device" on the M16A1 and M16A2), integral dust cover on the ejection port, and integral side-folding carrying handle. The G-41 could be issued with fixed plastic butt or with telescopic (folding) butt.

Heckler&Koch G36 (Germany) 

The Heckler&Koch G-36 assault rifle had been born as HK-50 project in early 1990s. It was adopted in 1999 by Bundeswehr (German Army) as its standard service rifle, and in 1999 it was also adopted by Spain. G-36 is used by British police and sold to USA police as well. 

The G-36 is a departure from all previous assault rifles designed by HK. While all early HK rifles were delayed blowback designs, the G-36 is gas operated weapon, with rotating bolt locking into the barrel extension. The receiver is made from plastic with steel reinforcements, the trigger unit is contained inside the plastic pistol grip with trigger guard and is available in different versions, with or without 3-burst mode. The polymer hand-guard, trigger unit and magazine port are connected to the receiver by pushpins, so gun is easily field-stripped without any tools other than single cartridge or other mean to push pins away. The action somewhat resembles Armalite AR-18 or Enfield L-85 rifles, being gas operated, short piston stroke, rotating bolt locked. The charging handle is attached to the top surface of the bolt carrier and can be hinged to the left or right, to charge the gun from either side. Bolt carrier rides on single guide rod with recoil spring around it.

G-36 is fed from STANAG-compatible 30 rounds polymer magazines with translucent walls. The standard G-36 magazines had built-in clips to connect magazines one to another for faster reload.

The plastic butt stock is side-folding. On the top of the receiver there is a large carrying handle with built-in sights: the standard G-36 has dual sights system - 3.5X compact scope is coupled to 1X "red-dot" sight for faster target acquisition on closer distances. Export version of G-36, called G-36E, and carbine version, G-36K, has only one sight, 1.5X scope. G-36 has NATO-standard diameter muzzle brake for launching rifle grenades, and can be equipped with bayonet or 40mm grenade launcher, also made by HK. The "submachine-gun" sized G-36C "Commando" version also available.

In general, the G-36 is a first class modern assault rifle, very reliable and comfortable.

Heckler&Koch  G11 (Germany)

Caliber: 4.7 mm case-less
Action: Gas operated, rotating breech
Overall length: 750 mm
Barrel length: 540 mm
Weight: 3.6 kg empty
Magazine capacity: 50 or 45 rds

The development of the G11 rifle was started in the late 1960's, when West German government decided to replace existing G3 rifle with lighter weapon with much better hit probability.

The initial studies lead to the idea of the small-caliber, rapid-fire rifle that fires case-less ammunition. To ensure sufficient stopping/killing power for small-caliber bullets used, the rifle should had have the three-round bursts capability and high capacity magazine.

The new design, called G11, was created by German company Heckler und Koch, with the Dynamit Nobel company in team. The HK was responsible for the rifle itself, while Dynamit Nobel had to develop case-less ammunition.

The basic concept of the G11 is as follows:
The rifle features unique cylinder breech/chamber system that rotates 90 degrees. The cartridges in the magazine are located above the barrel, bullets down. Prior to each shot, first cartridge is pushed down from magazine into chamber and then breech/chamber rotates 90 degrees to align the cartridge with the barrel (see pic). After that, the cartridge is fired and the breech/chamber rotates back, ready for the next cartridge to be chambered. In the case of the cartridge ignition failure, the failed cartridge is pushed down from the chamber by the next cartridge. The breech can be manually "cocked" by the rotating handle at the side of the rifle, located beyond the pistol handle. The cocking handle does not move when gun is fired. Another interesting detail is that barrel, rotating breech, feed module and magazine are mounted in the housing that can move in the rifle back and forth. When firing single shots, the housing moves back and forward after the each shot. When firing the full-auto, the housing moves back and forward during each shot, resulting in moderate rate of fire of some 600 round per minute. But, when firing the three-round bursts, second and third cartridges are feed and fired as soon as the chamber is ready for it, and third bullet leaves the barrel PRIOR to the moment when the housing becomes to its rearward position. This results in very high rate of fire with three-shots bursts - ca. 2000 rounds per minute. Also, this results in that the actual recoil affects the rifle AFTER the last bullet in the burst is fired.

Rifle featured built-in 1X optical sight with simple circle aiming reticle. Early prototypes featured one 50 rounds polymer magazine, while latest versions featured 45 rounds magazines - one in the loaded position within the movable housing and two spare magazines on the top of the rifle, asides from the loaded magazine.

The case-less ammunition in its early appearance was designed as a block of the propellant, coated with flammable lacquer, with bullet and primer "glued on" the propellant. Final ammunition design DM11, that appeared in the mid-1980s, featured "telescopic" design, when bullet was fully enclosed in the block of the propellant. The cartridge propelled the bullet that weights 3.25 grams, to the 930-960 meters per second.

Early prototypes were prone to the ammunition cook-offs during the sustained fire, but later Dynamit Nobel solved this issue.

In the late 1980s the Bundeswehr (West German Army) began the field tests of the pre-production G11s. After the initial tests, some improvements were devised, such as removable optical sight, mounting of two spare magazines on the rifle, and bayonet/bipod mount under the muzzle.

The modified variant, called G11K2, was tested in 1989, scoring at least 50% better combat accuracy when compared to G3 rifle. Initial batch of some 1000 G11K2s was received by Bundeswehr in 1990 or so, but due to some reasons the whole program was cancelled by German Government. Main reasons of this cancellation were, in my opinion, the lack of funding after the re-union of the West and East Germanys, and the general NATO policy for unification of the ammunition and even magazines for the assault rifles.

The slightly modified G11 was also tested in the USA under the ACR (Advanced Combat Rifle) program, in 1990. The ACR program was not intended to result in adoption of the new rifle for the US Army, just to test new technologies and designs, and the G11 proved itself as a very accurate, comfortable to handle and fire, and reliable weapon.

SA80A1/A2 L85A1 (Great Britain)

Caliber: 5.56 NATO (.223rem)
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 780 mm
Barrel length: 518 mm
Weight: 4.13 kg (w. optical sight)
Magazine capacity: 30 rds

The development of the SA80 system (which included two weapons - L85 assault rifle and L86 Light Support Weapon) began in the late 1960s when British decided to develop a new rifle which will eventually replace 7.62mm L1 SLR (British-made FN FAL) in the 1980.

When NATO trials were announced in 1977 to select a new cartridge, British state-owned Enfield Small Arms Factory developed its own small-caliber, high velocity round, which was more or less representing the US .223/5.56mm case necked down to accept 4.85mm (0/19 inch) bullet. When cartridge cane out, Enfield developed a new weapon around it, initially called XL70. This weapon, being somewhat similar in outline to the much earlier British SA2 rifle, was, in fact, quite different, and, basically, was no more than designed in the USA Armalite AR-18 rifle put into bull pup stock and rechambered for 4.85mm cartridge. After NATO trials, which resulted in adoption of the Belgian SS-109 version of the 5.56mm cartridge, Enfield engineers rechambered XL70 for this cartridge and continued its development. Due to Falkland war new system was actually adopted only in 1984. Original SA80 weapons (both L85 and L86) were plagued with many problems, some being very serious. In general, L85 was quite unreliable and troublesome to handle and maintain, so, finally, after years of complaints, it had been decided to upgrade all L85 and L86 weapons.

The upgrade program, committed in years 2000 - 2002, was completed by German company Heckler&Koch, which is owned by British Royal Ordnance. It is said that almost all bugs of original L85A1 were cured, and resulting L85A2 rifle, announced late in 2001, is at least adequate, or, according to the official releases, "one of the best". The latter is yet to be proven in coming years, but H&K is known for quality of workmanship and design, so maybe Britons finally got a decent assault rifle, almost 20 years after its adoption.

SA80 is a gas operated, selective fire weapon. It utilizes short piston stroke gas drive with gas regulator, which operates AR-18 style massive bolt carrier with eight-lugged rotating bolt. The bolt carrier rides on two guide rods, and recoil spring is located around third rod between and above guide rods. The receiver is made from stamped steel, and is said to be strengthened during L85A2 upgrade program. L85 accepts STANAG-compatible magazines. The one of most notable features of the L85 is that it is issued with 4X optical sight, called SUSAT, as a standard, which seriously improves accuracy. Emergency fixed sights also provided.

Beretta AR-70/90 (Italy)

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight: 3.8kg empty
Length: 960mm
Barrel: 452mm
Magazine: 30 rds

In late 1960's Italian army decided to follow the trend for small-bore assault rifles, and after the trials adopted (for some selected troops) the Beretta AR-70 family of firearms.
This family included the AR70 assault rifle itself, SC70 carbine (with folding stock) and LM70 - light machinegun (support weapon).
The design of the Ar70 borrows from some famous earlier designs: bolt/bolt carrier design was borrowed from AK-47, but with some modifications: while AK-47 and its descendants has long stroke gas drives with gas piston permanently attached to the bolt carrier, AR70 has short stroke gas drive with separated gas piston. Charging handle is permanently attached to the bolt carrier (like the AK-47) but moved up slightly. gas drive has gas regulator with 2 positions for normal or "weapon dirty" modes of operation. It also has gas block that closes the gas vent completely when gun had to be used as a rifle grenade launcher (grenade launched from the barrel with blank rounds).
Folding design of the upper/lower receiver is probably borrowed from FN FAL or M16.
Safety switch/fire mode selector and magazine release are ambidextrous. Standard sights are dual aperture peep-hole, with settings for 200 and 450 meters range.

Later in the 1980's Italian military authorities finally come to decision of complete adoption of the 5.56mm firearms in Italian army.
In the following trials between Beretta, Bernardelli and Franchi designs, Beretta won with improved AR70/90 rifle.
Improvements include strengthening of the receiver and bolt carrier rails, as well as some other parts of the gun.
AR70 /90 also has variants of the carbine (with folding stock, SC70/90) and the light support weapon LM70/90.
All 70/90 family weapons can accept STANAG-type magazines, including 100 rounds Beta-C dual drum mags (useful for LM70/90). All 70/90 weapons could be equipped with removable carrying handle with "see through" base (original sights used). Upper receiver is taped to accept mount with STANAG rails for scopes or night sights.

Bofors AK5 (Sweden)

Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO (SS109)
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Length: 1008 mm (Stock Extended), 753 mm (Stock Retracted)
Barrel Length: 450 mm
Weight: 3.90 kg
Magazine: 30 rounds box
Rate Of Fire: 650 rds/min

AK5 assault rifle is built by BOFORS Carl Gustaf AB, Sweden.
AK5 is a license-built FN FNC assault rifle, originally built by FN (Fabrique Nationale), Belgium.

AK5 incorporates following modifications from original FNC:
* The hand-guard and the rifle butt stock were lengthened.
* The 3-round burst mode of fire was removed on AK5. Only full automatic or semi-automatic fire modes left.
* The sights were modified.
* All AK5 has special surface treatment to withstand nordic weather conditions
* Life length of the some parts of the rifle was increased
* Charging handle was modified (probably for more comfortable engagement in winter gloves).
* AK5 issued with modified magazines.

AK5 is manufactured in 4 modifications:
AK5 - basic version. Standard issue rifle among Sweden armed forces.
AK5B - "marksman rifle", equipped with 4X SUSAT scope and cheek piece, with front and rear sights removed.
AK5C - AK5 with M203 40mm under barrel grenade launcher. Issued mostly to rangers and amphibious units.
AK5D - latest variant in the AK5 line. Has shorter barrel, and equipped with integral carrying handle with ... scope. Currently issued only to Swedish Airborne rangers.

Steyr Stg.77 / AUG (Austria)

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO (.223rem)
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 805 mm (with 508mm barrel)
Barrel length: 508 mm (also 350mm, 407mm or 621mm heavy barrel)
Weight: 3.8 kg unloaded (with 508mm barrel)
Magazines: 30 or 42 rounds box magazines
Muzzle velocity: 970 m/s

The AUG (Armee Universal Gewehr - Universal Army Rifle) was developed by Steyr-Mannlicher AG company of Austria in 1970's and its production began in 1978. It was almost immediately adopted by Austrian army as a Stg.77 (Sturmgewehr 77 - Assault Rifle, model of 1977), and, lately, by Australian, New Zealand, Omani, Malaysian, Saudi Arabian, Irish and other armed forces, as well as by US Coastal Guard and many other law enforcement forces.

The AUG was designed with versatility in the mind: its key features included quick interchangeable barrels of different lengths (from short carbine barrel to long and heavy light support weapon/marksman rifle barrel with bipod), ambidextrous design (rifle may be quickly converted to be fired from the left shoulder but this require partial disassembly of the weapon). AUG features aluminum alloy receiver and polymer stock with bull pup layout and integral low-magnification 1.5X scope.

AUG features conventional gas-powered action with rotating bolt. Bolt carrier rides on two guide rods and thus not contacted with the receiver. The left rod interoperates with the charging handle, while the right rod acts also as a gas piston. The hammer group is located in the butt stock and made almost entirely from polymer, including the hammer itself. The hammer group is mounted in the single module and can be replaced "at once" during field-stripping. Barrels may be removed and re-installed within seconds, even when hot, as a front grip is used as a barrel replacement handle.

Military AUG may be fired in select-fire or in full-auto modes with different trigger pulls - the short pull results in single shot, while the long pull results in full-auto fire. The safety is of cross-bolt type and located above the trigger guard.

Some variants of the AUG may be equipped with M203 40mm grenade launcher. Last modification of the AUG, AUG A2, introduced in 1997, features redesigned cocking handle and new sight rails that allows quick removal of the standard sight and installation of any STANAG-compatible sight mounts.

 

	SIG 550 / Stgw.90	SIG 551	SIG 552
Caliber	5.56x45mm (.223 Rem)	5.56x45mm (.223 Rem)	5.56x45mm (.223 Rem)
Length (stock open / folded)	998 / 772 mm	833 / 607 mm	730 / 504 mm
Barrel length	528 mm	363 mm	226 mm
Weight empty	4.05 kg w/o magazine	3.3 kg w/o magazine	ca. 3.0 kg w/o magazine
Magazine capacity	20 or 30 rounds	20 or 30 rounds	20 or 30 rounds
Rate of fire	700 rounds/min	700 rounds/min	780 rounds/min

The SIG SG.550 assault rifle had been developed by Swiss company SIG as a competitor for Swiss Army assault rifle contest in 1979 - 1980. SIG 550 had been derived from previous model SIG 540 and SIG 541, and was adopted as a Stgw.90 assault rifle in 1983, but due to financial reasons production began only in 1986. Currently, the Stgw.90 is a standard Swiss service rifle and also offered for export. "Carbine" version and subcompact assault rifle versions available in the form of SIG-551 and SIG-552 "Commando", respectively.

Basically, the SIG-550 is a somewhat lightened and refined SIG-540/541 rifle. SIG-550 featured AK-47 style action, gas operated, with gas piston attached to the bolt carrier, and with rotating bolt with two massive lugs. The recoil spring is located around the gas piston rod, above the barrel, and the bolt carrier attached to the gas piston rod by the mean of removable charging handle. The gas port has gas regulator with two different open and one closed position (latter for firing rifle grenades). The receiver is made from stamped steel and has two major parts, upper and lower, which are connected by pushpins. The barrel is screwed into the upper receiver. The trigger unit has a safety/fire selector switch on the left side of the receiver, with 3 settings: safe, semi-auto, full-auto. If desired, additional module could be installed in the trigger mechanism to allow 3-rounds burst mode. Rear sights are drum-type (like those found on Heckler-Koch rifles). SIG-550 has muzzle compensator/flash hider of NATO-standard diameter, so it is possible to launch rifle grenades from the muzzle. The SIG-550 has integral folding bipods under the hand-guard, and issued with side-folding, skeletonized polymer butt stock. Every rifle of SIG-550 family can be fitted with proprietary, quick detachable scope mount. Swiss Stgw.90 are often seen with 4X fixed power scope, export versions can be equipped with commercial telescope sights, ACOG or "red dot" sights, depending on customer preferences. SIG-550 also can be fitted with bayonet.

The carbine version of the SIG-550 is called SG-551 and has shorter barrel. SIG-551 can't fire rifle grenades. Even more compact rifle, SIG-552, is similar to SIG-551 except that it has shorter hand-guard and barrel. Version of the 551, called SIG 551 SWAT, is intended for law enforcement and is equipped with accessory rails on the forearm and comes with Trijicon ACOG optical sight and cheek pad on the butt stock.

The SG-552 "Commando" is a very compact assault rifle of the same class as Russian AKS-74U or German HK53 and G36C. Due to the short barrel and resulting short gas piston rod, the main spring in SG-552 was relocated to the receiver, behind the bolt carrier group, so the bolt carrier of the SG-552 is not 100% similar to the bolt carriers of the SG-550 and 551.

All SIG-550/551/552 rifles are equipped with semi-translucent plastic magazines that can be clamped together for faster reloading.

Civilian versions of the SIG-550 and 551 are known as "Stgw.90 PE" in Switzerland or 500-SP and 551-SP when sold for export.

Caliber: 5.56x45 mm NATO
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 980 mm; (730 mm with stock folded)
Barrel length: 450 mm
Weigth: 3.8 kg empty
Rate of fire: 650 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 35 rounds

The APS 95 assault rifle was developed in mid-1990s by Croatian company RH-Alan to replace aging M70 assault rifles of Yugoslavian origins then in service with Croatian army . Rifle was adopted in 1995 and was aquired by Croatian army in some numbers, but due to financial limitations the rearming was not complete. APS 95 is still in service, and it seen some action during 1995 Yugoslavia - Croatia conflict.

APS 95 is a licensed copy of the Israeli Galil assault rifle (some sources said that it is a copy of the South African Vektor R-4 rifle, but it is, basically, the same Galil). APS 95 differs from Galil mostly in external appearance, having installed a 1.5X optical scope, which also serves as a carrying handle. Handguards and pistol grip also were redesigned.

APS 95 is a gas operated, long piston stroke, rotating bolt locked selective fire weapon. Gas system featured a gas cut-off, which is activated to fire rifle grenades. Fire-selector / safety is of Galil type, metallic buttstock is folding to the right side of the gun. 1.5X fixed scope featured ring and dot aiming reticle and allows for effective shooting up to 400 meters distance. Backup iron sights also provided as a standard.