Beretta AR70/223
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta · Assault Rifle · Discontinued · 1972
Also known as: AR70/.223, Beretta AR70, AR 70/223
Overview
The Beretta AR70/223 is an Italian gas-operated, select-fire assault rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm, introduced in 1972 as Beretta's first 5.56mm service rifle. It grew out of the joint Beretta-SIG SG 530 development program of the late 1960s; when Beretta left the partnership in 1968 it took the design home to Gardone Val Trompia and reworked it into the AR70/.223. The rifle uses a long-stroke gas piston driving a rear-locking rotating bolt that rides on a stamped sheet-metal receiver, with a fixed shoulder stock, an integrated carrying handle, a flash hider that doubles as a NATO 22mm rifle-grenade launcher, and a bayonet lug. Originally optimised for the M193 cartridge, later production was adapted for the heavier NATO SS109/M855 round. Selector positions are safe, semi-automatic and full-automatic, with a cyclic rate of roughly 650 rounds per minute. Although mechanically sound and accurate, the stamped receiver proved insufficiently robust under sustained automatic fire, which limited large-scale adoption and led Beretta to completely redesign the platform into the forged-receiver AR70/90 that became the standard Italian service rifle in 1990. The original AR70/223 was therefore issued only in limited numbers, chiefly to Italian special-operations and elite units, and saw modest export success.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3800 g (134.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4150 g (146.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 995 mm (39.17") |
| Barrel Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 970 m/s (3182 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1882 J (1388 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2700 m (2953 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| 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, 5.56x45mm M193
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Fire Selector
- Features: Select Fire, Rotating Bolt, Stamped Steel Receiver, Fixed Stock, Integrated Carrying Handle, Flash Hider, Rifle Grenade Capable, Bayonet Mount, Scope Mount Compatible
Variants
- Beretta SC70/223 (folding-stock carbine) — Folding Stock Carbine
- Beretta SC70 Short (short barrel) — Short Carbine
Service history
Operators
- COMSUBIN (Italian Navy commando frogmen) · adopted 1972 · as AR70/.223
- San Marco Battalion · as AR70/.223
- NOCS (State Police special operations)
- Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare, VAM airfield security) · as AR70/.223
- Jordanian Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Lebanese Civil War (Italian Multinational Force) (1982-1984)
Production
Production years: 1972-1990
Total production not officially disclosed but believed to be modest, in the low tens of thousands, owing to limited issue to Italian elite units and modest export sales. Superseded in Beretta's catalogue by the redesigned AR70/90 in 1990.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Designer: Beretta design team (offshoot of Beretta-SIG SG 530 program)
Discontinued: 1990
Notes
Two distinct families share the AR70 designation. This entry covers the original AR70/.223 (1972) with a stamped sheet-metal receiver and rear-locking bolt; the later AR70/90 (1990) is a heavily redesigned successor with a forged steel receiver, STANAG 4179 magazine well, integrated burst mode and integrated carrying handle. The original was issued only in limited numbers to COMSUBIN, the San Marco Battalion, NOCS and the Italian Air Force, and never replaced the BM59 as the general-issue Italian rifle. Weight is variously cited at 3.8-3.99 kg and overall length at 995-998 mm depending on source. The original AR70 lacked the three-round burst mode that was added to the AR70/90.
Background
The AR70/223 was the product of 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 back to Gardone Val Trompia, where it became the AR70/.223. The stamped receiver that made the rifle light and cheap also made it its own undoing, flexing under sustained automatic fire, and the lesson learned drove Beretta to rebuild the entire platform from forged steel as the AR70/90.