During last week’s Land Forces conference in Melbourne, Australia, Thales subsidiary Lithgow Arms unveiled some new calibers for their Australian Combat Assault Rifle launched in 2022, as well as a new bolt action rifle chambered in .308.
For the ACAR, new calibers for 2024 include 6mm ARC, 458 SOCOM, and 6.5 Grendel which join 300 BLK, 5.56 NATO, and 6.8 FURY (sic).
The LA111 is bolt action rifle in .308, equipped with a modern chassis system.
They also featured their new carbon wrap technology for their cold hammer forged barrels.
The full display included:
• 300 BLK 9″ ACAR carbine
• 5.56 NATO 11.5″ ACAR assault
• 5.56 NATO 16″ ACAR precision assault rifle
• 6.5 Grendel 12.5″ ACAR rifle
• 458 SOCOM 11.5″ ACAR carbine
• 6mm ARC 14.5” ACAR rifle
• 7.62 NATO 13.5” ACAR DMR
• 6.8 FURY 16″ ACAR upper variant
• .308 Win 24” LA111 sniper rifle
• 7.62 NATO MAG58 GPMG Tactical
Oh great look at that another AR15 platform.…
Big thing here is that it is all built in Australia.
Are those PMAGs in the 6 ARC and 6.5 Grendel samples?
Did someone simply screw up which mags go in which gun it is something else going on here?
I noticed that as well. I will write it off to “trade show display.”
Looking back at the photo the 6 ARC sample clearly has a Magpul M3 300 BLK mag in it…so it’s in all likelihood a mix up by whoever staged it…which throws a damper on the party.
I do wonder what mags they will be using, since ARC and Grendel tend to be exceedingly issue-prone cartridges.
I guess I’m back to hoping Magpul can find the magic sauce to tackle these one day.
You can’t solve the issue with polymer, at least if you’re using a Mil-Spec lower with a standard magwell. There’s not enough room for the polymer thickness required along with those Soviet-style cases. Why they used those, I’ll never understand. It’s not like they’re using steel cases.
True, Magpul’s existing polymer blends won’t work, but that’s why I’m hoping.
Maybe they do it in metal (since they do that now), or maybe they’ll be able to find a way to make a polymer with the required lateral strength to resist bulging, at a workable thickness. Either way, given its increasing share in the market, it would be nice to have Grendel/ARC mags that aren’t 130 a piece like Geissele’s.
I still stand by my assertion that if LWRC would just develop a “Six5” (ie just take a Six8 lower and have someone make a metal mag for it) we’d be able to have a reliable means of feeding Grendel/ARC at full capacity and a reasonable mag length. It would also breathe new life into that platform more generally. Maybe one day.
Hold my beer…something is happening.
**cough cough** KAC KS6 lower? **cough cough**
I think instead of 6.5G we may be better served with a 6.5 Max, taking the 6 Max and necking it to to 6.5