Franchi Mod. 641
Luigi Franchi S.p.A. · Assault Rifle · Prototype
Also known as: Franchi G41, G41, Luigi Franchi G41
Overview
The Franchi Mod. 641 (also designated G41) was an Italo-German prototype assault rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, developed jointly by Luigi Franchi and Heckler & Koch in the early 1980s. A select-fire weapon derived from the CETME/H&K G3 lineage but reworked to use a gas-piston operating system, it featured an M16-style carrying handle and an integral bipod. Franchi, primarily a shotgun maker, partnered with H&K to enter the Italian rifle trials seeking a replacement for the Beretta BM59, but the design lost to the Beretta AR70/90.
Specifications
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56mm NATO — also known as .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm, SS109, M855
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Features: Carrying Handle, Integral Bipod, Select Fire
Production
Production years: early 1980s
Prototype only; not adopted. Italy selected the Beretta AR70/90 instead.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Notes
A rare prototype; detailed physical measurements were never widely published. Distinguished from the standard H&K G41 by its gas-operated action in place of H&K's roller-delayed blowback.
Background
Franchi, a firm famous for sporting and combat shotguns, had neither the time nor the in-house experience to design an assault rifle from scratch for the Italian trials, so it teamed with Heckler & Koch to graft a gas-piston system onto the G3/CETME lineage rather than build a rifle of its own.