Adcor Defense has announced that they plan to offer their piston driven Brown Enhanced Automatic Rifle (BEAR) as a candidate for the upcoming US Army Improved Carbine solicitation anticipated to be released late this month. Unlike other Stoner-style piston rifles, the BEAR’s piston is permanently attached to the bolt carrier.
“The Adcor Defense BEAR combines a new piston system with an exclusive ejection port dust wiper with cover, an ambidextrous forward-placed charging handle/forward-placed assist, and a new key-locked, highly rigid rail system,” said Jimmy Stavrakis, president of Adcor Defense Inc. “More importantly, this innovative design will increase reliability and eliminate the soldier’s most common cause of weapon failure — jamming due to operation in harsh, dirty environments.”
The fixed piston isn’t the only innovation found on the BEAR’s bolt carrier. In order to mitigate stoppages caused by dust and other debris entering the chamber, Adcor has developed a patented spring-loaded dust cover mounted on the bolt carrier. Each time the weapon fires and the weapon goes into battery, the dust cover moves into the ejection port opening, flush with the outside geometry of the carbine.
Interestingly, the BEAR also integrates an ambidextrous (user configurable) forward charging handle into the rail system. And imagine this, it’s non-reciprocating. Additionally, the barrel is free floated.
www.adcorindustries.com/defense
Tags: Adcor Defense
It’s great to see innovation, and the designers of this rifle certainly did a great job of coming up with something new. However I think many would agree that you can only do the AR-15 so many times before it becomes stagnant. If these ideas were applied to a new original weapon, I might be impressed. The Improved Carbine Program was put forth to find just that. What is the Army going to do with this gun? Turn there heads that’s what. The same gun, only with a more complex operating system, makes no sense. We need a better design with more features in an even simpler weapon. Can you say ACR? 😉 DGI has been good to go for years, and the 416 piston system is doing a fantastic job. There is no need to go further with the M4. Gives us a new carbine!
So is the forward charging handle there in addition to the usual one? WOULD need some rail covers or that would work as a cheese grater for real!
Agreed SF. Though the SCAR fell through, I hope that doesn’t discourage new contenders.
I personally like the M4 (DI platform) but welcome change as long as it’s good change.
On this BEAR system, they need to scrap the forward charging handle.
Totally useless if you have anything mounted on the side rail (unless on opposite side) and just extra parts to break, weight to lug around.
Nothing here the Beretta ARX doesn’t do better, and it’s already fielded. The IC trial is asking for the next significant step forward, not baby steps modding whats already recognized as a 45 year old design.
Guncentric shooters are not looking at this with the right perspective, it’s not about moving the piston or adding a knob. It’s about a combat gun, results measured in higher lethality will get the contract. About all you can do with that is shoot even more rounds, more accurately. We’ve already mounted red dots on them, the Army won’t spend more training time to improve target acquisition, so getting more bullets out the barrel is about all that’s left.
It’s either that or bump up the caliber – which is no guarantee of improvement.
In a budget environment where boondoggle programs destined to have zero results are still being funded mutlimillions of dollars, I’m beginning to see this as a very open and honest dog and pony show to discover the industry can’t do better, and the LSAT isn’t ready yet.
The article says US Army Improved Carbine solicitation anticipated to be released late this month. Whats to be announced? Not the Rifle they are choosing? All the rifles that they are looking at? Right? They couldnt possibly decide in anmy less time than a couple years from getting all the entries.
I can only hope that the SCAR-L makes an appearance and wins this contract. Soldiers would be better off with the MK16. So far its the only carbine to show reliability and accuracy in a new 21st century design. The ACR concept takes things further, however its proven to have many problems that haven’t been addressed. There is really no other weapons systems that we have seen that can compete. There truly is no “next best thing”. Give me a SCAR or give me a 416!