Fajr-224
Defence Industries Organization (DIO) · Carbine · In Service · 2015
Also known as: Fajr 224, Dawn-224
Overview
The Fajr-224 is an Iranian select-fire carbine produced by the Defence Industries Organization (DIO), an unlicensed domestic copy of the American M4/AR-15 pattern chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO. Publicly displayed during an Iranian Army rapid-reaction-force exercise in October 2015, it retains the conventional AR layout with a flat-top Picatinny upper receiver and shares a near-identical lower receiver with Iran's later, more heavily modernized Masaaf rifle. Iranian sources describe the platform as gas-operated, with the family replacing the original AR direct-impingement system with a short-stroke gas-piston operating rod. It is fielded primarily by Iranian special forces and has reportedly appeared in the Syrian theatre.
Specifications
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Select Fire |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56x45mm NATO — also known as 5.56x45mm, 5.56 NATO, SS109, M855
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector
- Features: Flat Top Picatinny Rail, Ambidextrous Charging Handle, Select Fire, Stanag Magazine Compatible
Variants
- Masaaf — Modernized
Service history
Operators
- Islamic Republic of Iran Army · adopted 2015
- Syrian Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Syrian Civil War (2011-present)
Production
Production years: 2015-present
Domestic Iranian production; no figures available.
Origin
Country of origin: Iran
Notes
Despite the '224' in its name, no source links the Fajr-224 to the American .224 Valkyrie cartridge; every accessible source describes it as a conventional (non-bullpup) AR/M4-pattern carbine in 5.56x45mm NATO. 'Fajr' means 'Dawn' in Persian. Hard quantitative data (weight, length, barrel length, muzzle velocity, rate of fire, range) is essentially absent from open sources for the Fajr-224 specifically; comparable figures exist only for the related Masaaf rifle and are not asserted here. The 30-round magazine capacity is inferred from the STANAG/AR pattern.
Background
The Fajr ('Dawn') 224 is essentially Iran's reverse-engineered, unlicensed M4 carbine, and its lower receiver was carried forward almost unchanged into the later, more modernized Masaaf rifle now fielded by Iran's 65th NOHED special-forces brigade. Despite the '224' in its name, it fires standard 5.56x45mm NATO, not the American .224 Valkyrie.