Beretta AR70/90
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta · Assault Rifle · In Service · 1990
Also known as: AR70/.223 Beretta, AR 70/90, Fucile d'Assalto AR70/90, Beretta 70/90 series
Overview
The Beretta AR70/90 is an Italian gas-operated, select-fire assault rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, adopted in 1990 as the standard service rifle of the Italian Armed Forces. It is a substantial redesign of the earlier Beretta AR70/.223 (1972), itself an offshoot of the joint Beretta-SIG SG 530 development program of the late 1960s. Where the original AR70 used a rear-locking bolt riding on stamped sheet-metal rails, the AR70/90 was rebuilt around a forged steel receiver with a STANAG 4179 magazine well, an integrated carrying handle, and a more conventional rotating-bolt arrangement, fixing the field-strength complaints leveled at the older rifle. The platform is fielded as a family: the standard AR70/90 with fixed polymer stock for line infantry, the SC70/90 with side-folding skeleton stock for vehicle crews and Alpini mountain troops, the SCP70/90 for paratroopers (shorter barrel and folding stock), the SCS70/90 short-barrel carbine, and the AS70/90 light support weapon with heavy barrel and bipod. Selector positions are 'S - 1 - 3 - F' (safe, semi, three-round burst, full-auto), with a cyclic rate of about 670 rounds per minute. The rifle is fitted as standard for NATO 22mm rifle grenades and accepts a bayonet, while a side rail allows the SU/SC mounting bracket for optical and red-dot sights. The AR70/90 won the 1988-89 Italian Army rifle trials at Terni against the Franchi-licensed HK G41 and the Bernardelli Mod.378 (a Galil SAR derivative) and entered service in 1990. From 2008 onwards it has been progressively supplemented and replaced by the Beretta ARX-160, but large numbers remain in second-line and reserve service across the Italian armed forces and police.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4000 g (141.1 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4350 g (153.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 998 mm (39.29") |
| Folded Length | 756 mm (29.76") |
| Barrel Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 920 m/s (3018 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1693 J (1249 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2700 m (2953 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 670 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56x45mm NATO — also known as 5.56 NATO, .223 Remington, SS109
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic, Burst 3
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, 100 Round Drum Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Fire Selector
- Features: Select Fire, Three Round Burst, Rotating Bolt, Stanag Magazine Compatible, Integrated Carrying Handle, Flash Hider, Rifle Grenade Capable, Grenade Aiming Sights, Bayonet Mount, Optional Folding Bipod, Scope Mount Compatible
Variants
- Beretta SC 70/90 (Special Carbine, folding stock) — Folding Stock Carbine
- Beretta SCS 70/90 (short carbine) — Short Carbine
- Beretta SCP 70/90 (Paratrooper) — Paratrooper Carbine
- Beretta AS 70/90 (Squad Automatic Weapon) — Squad Automatic Weapon
Service history
Operators
- Italian Army (Esercito Italiano) · adopted 1990 · as Fucile d'Assalto AR70/90
- Italian Navy (Marina Militare) · adopted 1990 · as AR70/90
- Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) · adopted 1990 · as SC70/90
- Carabinieri · adopted 1990 · as AR70/90
- Guardia di Finanza
- Polizia di Stato
- Royal Malaysian Armed Forces
- Jordanian Armed Forces
- Nigerian Armed Forces
- Moroccan Armed Forces
- Qatar Armed Forces
- Honduran Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Lebanese Civil War (Italian Multinational Force) (1982-1984)
- Somali Civil War (UNOSOM/Operation Ibis) (1992-1995)
- War in Afghanistan (ISAF/Resolute Support) (2001-2021)
- Iraq War (Operation Antica Babilonia) (2003-2006)
- Kosovo War (KFOR) (1999-present)
Production
Production years: 1990-present
Total production not officially disclosed; widely believed to be in the low hundreds of thousands across all variants. The Italian Army has been progressively replacing the AR70/90 with the Beretta ARX-160 since 2008, but the rifle remains in second-line service and continues to equip Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, Polizia di Stato and reserve units, as well as the foreign operators.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Designer: Beretta design team (offshoot of Beretta-SIG SG 530 program)
Notes
Two distinct families share the AR70 designation. The original AR70/.223 (1972) was the SIG SG 530-derived rifle with a stamped receiver; it was issued only in limited numbers to COMSUBIN, the San Marco Battalion, NOCS and the Italian Air Force VAM. The AR70/90 (1990) is a heavily redesigned successor with a forged steel receiver, STANAG magazine well, and integrated carrying handle, and is the only version adopted by the regular Italian Armed Forces. Weight of the standard AR70/90 is variously cited as 3.99 kg (Wikipedia / military factory) and 4.35 kg (weaponsystems.net) - the higher figure likely includes the bipod and scope rail. The AS 70/90 squad automatic weapon variant uses a heavier 465 mm barrel, bipod, and an open-bolt mechanism that fires from the open bolt at full automatic only (selector 'S - 1 - F') at a higher cyclic rate of approximately 800 rpm. Italian Army shipments include the SCP70/90 with a 369 mm barrel for the Folgore Brigade paratroopers and Col Moschin special-operations regiment, while the Alpini have favoured the SC70/90 with side-folding stock. Production figures have not been published but are believed to be in the low hundreds of thousands.
Background
The AR70/90 was born from a corporate breakup: in 1968, Beretta walked away from a five-year joint venture with SIG to develop the SG 530 and quietly took the design home to Gardone Val Trompia, where it became the AR70/.223. When that rifle's stamped receiver proved too weak under sustained fire, Beretta rebuilt the entire platform from the ground up - and the AR70/90 that won the 1989 Italian Army trials beat both an Italian-built HK G41 and a Galil SAR clone, despite not being chambered in the cartridge Beretta would have preferred (the company had lobbied hard to keep the 7.62 NATO BM59 in service for another decade).