Move over M16. Here comes the BR18.
11 March 2023 update: Books Kinokuniya in Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis. Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here. The title should be available via Kinokuniya Malaysia soon. Please enquire with the KL store.
For readers elsewhere, please check the Amazon sites that serve your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.
Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH
For readers elsewhere, please check the Amazon sites that serve your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.
Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i
United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside
USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, please click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page.
This new Made in Singapore 5.56mm assault rifle - its name stands for Bullpup Rifle 2018 - was unveiled at this week's Singapore Airshow 2018.
Developed by Singaporean weapons maker, Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK), the land systems arm of the Singapore Technologies Engineering group, the BR18 builds on a concept weapon called the Bullpup Multirole Combat Rifle (BMCR), which made its public debut at the February 2014 edition of the biennial airshow held in the city-state.
The prototype BMCR was then touted as "the world's shortest bullpup rifle", with the basic design adaptable for a long rifle and light machine gun variant.
After four more years of research & development and feedback from field trials, the BR18 displays several new features absent on the prototype BMCR.
Chief among these is the cocking mechanism. While the BMCR had a peculiar cocking mechanism that appeared to be a finger trap for unwary or careless firers, the BR18 has a more conventional cocking handle with a flip up/pull back action. A cocking handle is found on the right and left side of the weapon, along with firing selector and the magazine release button which are duplicated on both sides of the rifle. This makes the weapon easy to use whether you are left or right-handed, or to use STK marketing-speak, the BR18 is capable of "fully ambidextrous operations to enhance the solder's warfighting capabilities in urban operations".
The BR18 is said to be ready for full production. The weapon retains many features found on the SAR-21 5.56mm assault rifle, which is the standard infantry rifle fielded by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). These include the rifle's well-balanced design, sturdy construction and armoured butt which protects the user using composite material which is designed to absorb fragments in the event of a chamber explosion. However, the laser aiming device and 1.5x magnification factory zeroed optical sight embedded as part of the SAR-21 carrying handle are not found on the BR18.
In addition, the BR18 retains the front-facing ejection tube on the right hand side of the weapon, found on the BMCR prototype seen in February 2014. Spent cartridges are ejected forwards through this tube, thus reducing the risk of hot spent brass hitting the face of lefties. The gas regulator is found on the front of the weapon, to the left of the barrel.
The basic BR18 has an overall length of 645mm and weighs in at 2.9kg.
According to STK literature, the BR18 can be adapted as a "Marksman Rifle" and a "Machine Gun Rifle" (an unusual nomenclature). These variants extend the BR18's overall length to 785mm, with the weight of the rifle raised to 3.2kg and 4.0kg respectively.
The BR18's compact size and lightweight would be a boon to soldiers who need to deliver assault rifle firepower while fighting from a confined space. Apart from urban settings, the weapon could potentially appeal to motorised infantry or AIs.
Here's the full data sheet for the STK BR18 bullpup rifle for your reading pleasure.
Firing detail: Close up of the STK BR18 5.56mm assault rifle. Note the front facing cartridge ejection tube and EOTech holographic sight fastened to the picatinny rail as primary sight. The pair of thumb levers (which are also found on the other side of the weapon) are said to be the rifle's firing selector and locking/unlocking mechanism for the charging handle.
You may also like:
A look at the STK BMCR - the world's shortest bullpup rifle. Click here
Developed by Singaporean weapons maker, Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK), the land systems arm of the Singapore Technologies Engineering group, the BR18 builds on a concept weapon called the Bullpup Multirole Combat Rifle (BMCR), which made its public debut at the February 2014 edition of the biennial airshow held in the city-state.
The prototype BMCR was then touted as "the world's shortest bullpup rifle", with the basic design adaptable for a long rifle and light machine gun variant.
After four more years of research & development and feedback from field trials, the BR18 displays several new features absent on the prototype BMCR.
Chief among these is the cocking mechanism. While the BMCR had a peculiar cocking mechanism that appeared to be a finger trap for unwary or careless firers, the BR18 has a more conventional cocking handle with a flip up/pull back action. A cocking handle is found on the right and left side of the weapon, along with firing selector and the magazine release button which are duplicated on both sides of the rifle. This makes the weapon easy to use whether you are left or right-handed, or to use STK marketing-speak, the BR18 is capable of "fully ambidextrous operations to enhance the solder's warfighting capabilities in urban operations".
The BR18 is said to be ready for full production. The weapon retains many features found on the SAR-21 5.56mm assault rifle, which is the standard infantry rifle fielded by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). These include the rifle's well-balanced design, sturdy construction and armoured butt which protects the user using composite material which is designed to absorb fragments in the event of a chamber explosion. However, the laser aiming device and 1.5x magnification factory zeroed optical sight embedded as part of the SAR-21 carrying handle are not found on the BR18.
In addition, the BR18 retains the front-facing ejection tube on the right hand side of the weapon, found on the BMCR prototype seen in February 2014. Spent cartridges are ejected forwards through this tube, thus reducing the risk of hot spent brass hitting the face of lefties. The gas regulator is found on the front of the weapon, to the left of the barrel.
The basic BR18 has an overall length of 645mm and weighs in at 2.9kg.
According to STK literature, the BR18 can be adapted as a "Marksman Rifle" and a "Machine Gun Rifle" (an unusual nomenclature). These variants extend the BR18's overall length to 785mm, with the weight of the rifle raised to 3.2kg and 4.0kg respectively.
The BR18's compact size and lightweight would be a boon to soldiers who need to deliver assault rifle firepower while fighting from a confined space. Apart from urban settings, the weapon could potentially appeal to motorised infantry or AIs.
Here's the full data sheet for the STK BR18 bullpup rifle for your reading pleasure.
You may also like:
A look at the STK BMCR - the world's shortest bullpup rifle. Click here
