KS-1 rifle

The KS (Knight's Stoner) Carbine , is a series of M16/M4-style rifles produced by Knight's Armament Company (KAC). It is designed as an improved version of their SR-16 family of rifles. The 13.7" KS-1 variant was adopted by the British Royal Marines and the Ranger Regiment in 2023 to replace the SA80 in Special Operations Forces, notably the Army Special Operations Brigade and Future Commando Force.

KS Carbine
TypeAssault rifle
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2023–present
Used byBritish Armed Forces
Production history
Designed2022
ManufacturerKnight's Armament Company
Produced2022–present
Specifications
Mass3.12 kilograms (6.9 lb)
Length818–869 millimetres (32.2–34.2 in)
Barrel length292.1 millimetres (11.50 in), 347.98 millimetres (13.700 in), 368.3 millimetres (14.50 in)
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Feed systemSTANAG magazine
SightsFolding Back-Up Iron Sights

History

The KS family of rifles was unveiled at military small arms conventions in 2022 as being developed for an international Special Operations Forces (SOF) requirement.[1] In September 2023, the British military announced a plan under Project Hunter to partially replace their stock of SA80 rifles. Knights Armament's submission (KS-1) was selected over other notable competitors including Heckler & Koch, SIG Sauer, Daniel Defense, and Glock. The UK Ministry Of Defence (MoD) purchased 1,620 KS-1 rifles for £15 million to equip the Army special operations brigade. The contract includes an option to purchase up to 10,000 over the next decade under the wider SA80 replacement Project Grayburn.[2]

Design

The KS series features a self-indexing, highly-efficient gas system with a straight gas tube design. The fitment of the gas system minimizes gas pressure loss between the gas block and carrier key. The gas block notably is held in place with a nut which simplifies removal and maintenance.

The KS rifles feature an enhanced bolt carrier group with Knights Armament's E3 Enhanced Bolt. It is a proprietary bolt which features an enlarged bolt face, rounded lugs, reduced cam pin, and proprietary extractor and firing pin designs.[3] These features increase the firearm's durability and reliability.

The lower receiver of the KS rifles is fully-ambidextrous. The fire control safety, magazine release, and bolt catch/release are mirrored on both sides of rifle. This is makes the KS rifle one of only two fully-ambidextrous M16/M4-style platforms fielded along with the Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System (MARS) from Lewis Machine and Tool Company.

The KS rifles feature Knights Armament's Quick Detach Coupling (QDC) flash hiders and a drop-in two-stage match trigger. All current KS rifles feature cold hammer forged barrels which are chrome-lined. In addition, a free-floating handguard covers the entire length of the barrel, which helps to protect the barrel from damage.[4] The current series of KS rifles is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and comes in four barrel length configurations (11.5", 13.7", 14.5", 16").

Variants

KS-1

13.7" heavy-profile barrel with mid-length gas system. The barrel features distinctive ball-mill dimpling for weight-relief and cooling. When paired with a small high-efficiency suppressor, the KS-1 notably has a similar overall length to a 10.3" M4 carbine with a full-sized suppressor. [5]

KS-2

14.5" barrel with mid-length gas system.

KS-3

11.5" barrel with carbine-length gas system.

KS-4

16" barrel with mid-length gas system.

Users
  •  United Kingdom: 1,620 KS-1 rifles purchased by the Royal Marines, designated the L403A1. Equipped with Vortex 1-10x low power variable optic, Aimpoint ACRO P-2 red dot sight, and KAC QDC/MCQ-PRT suppressor.[4]

References
  1. https://soldiersystems.net/2022/10/12/ausa-22-ks-1-from-knights-armament-co/
  2. Chuter, Andrew (2023-09-07). "British forces to get new rifles designed in the US". Defense News. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  3. https://www.knightarmco.com/weapon-features/e3_bolt/multilug_impoved
  4. "Knight's Stoner 1: British troops getting new assault rifle". Forces Network. 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  5. https://www.knightarmco.com/product/military/ks
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.