on Friday, July 10th, 2015
Apart from the stunning solo and team aerobatic performances at the Singapore Airshow 2014, there were also many interesting products on display in the Changi Exhibition Hall. As most of the foreign exhibitors had left by the last day, my photographer Jay and I decided to check out what new items were being put up at the local booths. We dropped by the Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics) booth, located alongside the ST Engineering exhibits where a Search and Rescue (SAR) variant of the Bronco tracked carrier vehicle was on static display.
On display at the ST Kinetics booth were a host of new and pre-existing hardware produced by the local manufacturer. The standard SAR-21 20-inch barreled bullpup assault rifle and its more compact brother, the SAR-21 Modular Mounting System (MMS) with a 15-inch barrel, made their usual appearance. However, it was the new products that caught our attention, namely the Compact Personal Weapon (CPW) chambered in 9x19mm, the Conventional Multirole Combat Rifle (CMCR) and the Bullpup Multirole Combat Rifle (BMCR).
The CPW is a selective-fire machine pistol/pistol carbine resembling the design of the Brugger & Thomet MP9, with the exception of the charging handle, foregrip and the translucent pistol grip. The CMCR and BMCR were prototype models of the new line of 5.56x45mm-calibre assault rifles designed by ST Kinetics. Luckily for us, we got the opportunity to speak with the principal designer behind the Multirole Combat Rifles.
The prototype BMCR alongside the CMCR at the ST Kinetics booth during Singapore Airshow 2014.
Common features between the conventional and bullpup Multirole Combat Rifles (MCRs) are the ability to accept both USGI aluminium and proprietary translucent polymer magazines, ambidextrous controls (including magazine and bolt release, charging handle, and safety catch), a 14.5-inch barrel, Picatinny quad-rail mounts, and Over The Beach (OTB) capability. The differences lie in the design configuration, charging handle location, forward ejection port on the BMCR, and the adjustable swivel-type buttstock on the CMCR. One unique feature on both weapons is that the trigger guards can be stowed above the trigger (as with the CMCR) or flipped outwards (as with the BMCR) to allow access to the trigger with the use of cold-weather gloves. However, seeing as Singapore is situated in such a hot and humid equatorial region of Southeast Asia, such gloves are unnecessary. Both MCRs cycle by long-stroke gas piston operation, a feature found in automatic rifles such as the M1 Garand and the AK family.
First impressions of the BMCR were good, as it addressed issues that were present in the SAR-21. These plus points include:
1) Redesigned trigger resembling the one on HK G41. Theoretically, this should give the trigger a cleaner, more crisp break and reset, compared to the SAR-21 and its variants.
2) Redesigned trigger guard separating trigger finger from the other 3 fingers, reducing the risk of accidental or negligible discharges.
3) Mil-Std M1913 Picatinny quad-rail mounts as standard on the rifle’s handguard, which would enable the use of optical sights like the ITL MARS reflex sight or the Trijicon ACOG 4×32 magnified scope, thereby increasing the shooter’s accuracy at extended range.
4) Simpler, latch-type charging handle, which eliminates the necessity of flipping the charging handle into forward position as in the standard SAR-21.
However, the BMCR is not without drawbacks.
Firstly, it has a shorter barrel length of 14.5 inches compared to 20 inches in the SAR-21, which would result in a negative effect on velocity, effective range, and terminal effectiveness for current 5.56x45mm rounds fired from such a weapon. This would require the shooters to move closer to the enemy in order to effectively engage them, putting themselves at greater risk of getting hit.
Next, the BMCR’s charging handle, although simpler to operate, is located in an ergonomically uncomfortable position just ahead of the cheek-rest. In practice, this would make it more difficult to cock the rifle, given the already short length of pull of the bullpup configuration.
Thirdly, the lack of back-up iron sights forces the shooter to rely on optics which can be easily damaged due to rough handling or environmental conditions such as rain. Also, battery life limits the prolonged usage of optical sights such as the EOTech 552.
Last but not least, the flip-out trigger guard can increase the risk of accidental discharges.
As for the CMCR, the pros and cons mostly the same with the exception of the charging handle, which is located at the top front end of the rifle’s handguard. The swivel-adjustable buttstock is a novel concept, but has yet to be tested in a practical scenario. Both Multirole Combat Rifles are in their developmental stages, and may undergo several design changes as time progresses. Until the prototypes have been finalized for field testing, we cannot be certain of how well they actually fare in the real world.
