FX-05 Xiuhcoatl

Infobox Weapon
name=FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl"


caption=FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" 6.8mm scopeless variant in a Mexican Army parade
origin=flag|Mexico
type=Assault rifle
is_ranged=yes
service=2006-present
used_by=Mexico
wars=
designer=Alfredo Oropeza Garnica, Jose Antonio Landeros
design_date=2005
manufacturer=Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército
unit_cost= $1,380 USD Approx
production_date=2005-present
number= 31,000 produced as of 2007 with 700,000 + to be produced yearly by 2011 and beyond
variants=Carbine, Light machine Gun, Sharpshooter
weight= 3.89kg Assault rifle
3.22kg Carbine
4.23kg Light Machine Gun
4.02kg Sharpshooter
length= 1087 mm stock extended / 887 mm stock folded Assault Rifle
980 mm stock extended / 780 mm stock folded Carbine
1244 mm stock extended / 1044 mm stock folded Light Machine Gun
1204 mm Sharpshooter
Height= 335 mm Assault rifle and cabine
382 mm Light Machine Gun
280 mm Sharpshooter
Barrel_length= 520 mm Assault Rifle
400 mm Carbine
700 mm Light Machine gun
720 mm Sharpshooter
width= 56 mm
crew=
cartridge=5.56x45mm NATO or 6.8x43mm SPC
caliber=
action=Gas-operated, rotating bolt
rate=750 rounds/min cyclic
velocity=920 m/s
range=200 to 800 m sight adjustments
max_range=
feed=30-round detachable box magazine or 100-round C-Mag drum magazine
sights=MX-M-2005 Iron Sight
Reflex sight with 3x magnification and laser sighting system
EOTech 553 Holographic sighting system produced in Mexico by Hydra.
Hydra XSU Laser sighting / Digital range finder computer system
MEXAM BTRL Scope-laser designator system.

The FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" (Xschieüköhägdtell) ("Fire Serpent" in the Nahuatl language) is an assault rifle, designed and built by the "Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército". The rifle was officially presented in the military parade on September 16 2006, in the hands of the Special Forces Airmobile Group, GAFE. ("Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales"). [ [http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-15.html The 5.56 X 45mm: 2006.] Retrieved on August 7, 2008.] [ [http://www.armas-modernas.com/2008/03/fusil-de-asalto-fx-05-xiuhcoatl.html Fusil de Asalto - FX-05 Xiuhcoatl.] Retrieved on October 5, 2008.] The redesign was in charge CIADTIM and SDN and all of its parts are built in Mexico. It is currently in use by the Mexican Army and on September 4, 2008, the Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército was given permission from the Mexican congress to market the gun for export, with possible buyers being Argentina, Chile, Colombia, France, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and The United KingdomFact|date=October 2008. However Colombia, South Korea and the U.K. are the only confirmed export orders as of September 2008Fact|date=October 2008. It will be license produced in the United Kingdom by Webley & ScottFact|date=October 2008.

Development

It began as a 16-month research back in 2005 with CIADTIM as part of research efforts to replace HK G3A3 rifles that were in service with the Mexican military. Originaly the G36 was supposed to become the Mexican military's standard rifle as part of Mexico's future soldier program, but the Mexican government stated that they wanted their next generation rifle to have the ability to use the new 6.8mm SPC round and that they also wanted a rifle with statistics equal or higher to the G36 but with a lower cost. Leading the project was General Alfredo Oropeza Garnica with Brigadier General Jose Antonio Landeros. [ [http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-14.html The 5.56 X 45mm: 2005.] Retrieved on November 1, 2007.]

Design details

The design of the weapon includes telescopic, red-dot and mechanical sights; cold-forged barrel; folding and adjustable butts; as well as the capability to semi-automatic, three round burst and full auto fire. The weapon can be chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO or the 6.8x43mm SPC round. It has a rate of fire of 700-750 rounds per minute. Most of the rifle's receiver is constructed of a polymer reinforced with carbon-fibers with an underlying titanium frame and comes in black, dark-green and desert-tan colors as well as the SEDENA digital camouflage patterns used by the Mexican army.

The internal mechanism and barrel are made of Mexican developed advanced corrosion-resistant stainless steel. An Indigeonous programmable air-burst grenade launcher is currently under development for the FX-05, which will be able to fire standard NATO munitions in addition to Mexico's new RSE-7 fuel-air grenade round but until it is finalized the FX-05 will use the AG36 grenade lancher as used on the G36. The FX-05 is one of the worlds only assault rifles to use the advanced system known as Polygonal rifling, which eliminates the normal grooves of a weapons barrel and replaces them with as system of gentle hills and vallies. Although expensive, this rifling system gives a longer barrel life, and possibly better accuracy.

Legal status

On February 1, 2007, representatives of the SEDENA (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional) and Heckler & Koch met in Mexico City to address accusations of patent infringement from the German firm. They claimed that the Army "replicated" the design of the HK G36 rifle. After an exhibition of detailed models of the FX-05, the HK representatives were convinced that, despite the similarities between the two rifles, there wasn't a patent infringement, therefore bringing an end to the disagreement. [http://worldtrends.blogspot.com/2007/02/reanudan-fabricacin-del-fx05.html Reanudan fabricación del FX05] Retrieved on October 27, 2007. es icon] It has been suggested that a SEDENA insider planned an attempt to sabotage the Mexican rifle production by discrediting it as a supposedly illegal copy of the HK G36V German rifle after a series of "information leaks" to the mass media. [ [http://banderasnews.com/0703/nz-fx05.htm The Mexican Army and its Controversial New Rifle.] Retrieved on August 8, 2008.] In the end the German firm stated that they would not sue on the basis that even though the rifle looks similar it is internally different with a completely different mechanism. [http://worldtrends.blogspot.com/2007/02/reanudan-fabricacin-del-fx05.html Reanudan fabricación del FX05] Retrieved on October 27, 2007. es icon] One of the reasons the FX-05 looks so externally similar to the G36 is that it was manufactured using some equipment that was bought from Heckler & Koch as Mexico has a history of domestically producing licensed Heckler & Koch weapons.

Users

*: Standard rifle of the Mexican Armed Forces.

References

External links

* [http://www.mexidata.info/id1289.html G36 and FX-05 Xiuhcoatl]