LSAT Rifle
AAI Corporation (Textron Systems) · Assault Rifle · Prototype · 2012
Also known as: Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Rifle, LSAT Carbine, CT Rifle, Textron LSAT Rifle
Overview
The LSAT Rifle is a US technology-demonstrator assault rifle developed by AAI Corporation (later Textron Systems) under the Army's Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program, which sought to dramatically reduce the weight of small arms and their ammunition. Derived from the LSAT light machine gun, the rifle is a magazine-fed carbine firing cased-telescoped (CT) 5.56mm ammunition through a rotating/swinging chamber with push-through feed-and-ejection. Compared with conventional 5.56mm carbines, the CT cartridges and polymer construction offer a substantial weight saving in both the weapon and its ammunition load.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2950 g (104.1 oz) |
| Barrel Length | 419 mm (16.50") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Closed Bolt |
| 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) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Polymer |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56mm NATO — also known as 5.56x45mm, 5.56 NATO, 5.56mm cased telescoped, 5.56mm CT
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Cased Telescoped Ammunition, Rotating Swinging Chamber, Push Through Feed And Ejection, Telescoping Stock, Picatinny Rail, Weight Reduced Design
Variants
- LSAT Rifle (Caseless) — Ammunition Type
Production
Production years: 2012-2016
Small number of technology-demonstrator prototypes built for US Army evaluation; never mass-produced
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Notes
Prototype/technology demonstrator, never type-classified for general service. The carbine variant uses detachable polymer box magazines rather than the LMG's belt feed; published sources cite four-row magazines in the 30-42 round range. The program later informed 6.8mm cased-telescoped concepts feeding into the US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) effort.
Background
The LSAT rifle grew out of the same lightweight-small-arms research that produced the LSAT machine gun, applying cased-telescoped ammunition and a swinging-chamber action to a magazine-fed carbine as a possible replacement concept for the M4 family.