Tennessee Arms Company, best known for their polymer AR-15 and AR-10 lower receivers, is currently undergoing production on a new rifle they’ve dubbed the Omega Rifle. A design 10 years in the making, the Omega utilizes existing AR-15 pattern barrels and magazines, but also features a gas piston-operated action, is side charging, and has an adjustable trigger. The Omega will also come with a user-changeable back plate, which allows for the installation of various stocks, or a flat plate (for a pistol model). The model seen above is a working prototype, and doesn’t represent what the finalized commercial design will look like.
The unique feature of the Omega Rifle is its patented articulating bolt assembly. Somewhat comparable to KRISS’ Super V Recoil Mitigation System for the Vector weapons family, the Omega’s Articulating Bolt Assembly features a ‘Traveling Mass’, which moves downward during the firing cycle, sliding directly into the pistol grip; this system is designed to reduce felt recoil, with a shorter operation cycle and fewer moving parts than a standard AR-15.
The Omega Rifle is slated for a Spring 2019 release, at the latest. Tennessee Arms Company will soon be offering a pre-order for the Omega rifle chambered in 5.56mm. There are plans to expand the Omega’s chamberings to include 9mm, .308, and 7.62x39mm. We’re eager to see further developments on this new design as its release draws nearer.
Tags: Tennessee Arms Company
I know I have seen some comment on the lack of the ability to change out pistol grips being a concern with this design. Personally, I want to know how much damage their pistol grip can take before you can’t operate the rile. It isn’t a common thing to have happen, but having moving parts where your hand goes could be bad.
“having moving parts where your hand goes could be bad.”
At first glance I would think the same thing but let us not forget that we have a bolt slamming back and forth next to our face and a controlled explosion happening in front of that. While I would like to see a metal plate reinforcing that grip area for peace of mind, I am pretty sure they must have tested this already.
I am more concerned with that funky 10 round magazine in the photos. What is going on there?
I was thinking about it more in regards to the fact that you can work around a broken pistol grip, even a broken stock, and the weapon still function in a standard AR. If you break the grip here though you won’t have a functioning weapon.
I believe the 10rd mag is just what they are using for testing, or demonstration purposes although it does look to be modified.
How often do you break a grip?
As I said in my initial comment “It isn’t a common thing to have happen”, but there is a chance that having parts move in the grip would increase the wear in that part/area and potentially make it a more common occurrence.
I have seen it maybe twice in about 8 years? Both of them were old A2 style pistol grips and the damage came from going prone hard and hitting a rock for one and a snagged door frame for the other.
I think changing grips out has become a thing because of the nature of the AR5 design allowing it, more so than any “need” beyond personal aesthetics or preference. So, not sure it is a deal breaker for an otherwise sound design. Using it for recoiling mass is probably a more efficient use of the space than storing batteries or oil (or air).
Having said that, I do think the future of small arms is built on modularity, so losing a component of that does seem like a small step back. It is what it is. One way to solve that might be a grip sleeve that slides over a tube containing the recoil mechanism/path (like a core). It wouldn’t be AR15 legos, but could create options. Or maybe grip scales as an alternative. Or interchangeable F & R backstraps like a MIAD grip.
I have my hesitation about TNARMSCo from experience with their AR lowers early on. Making a new gun seems far more rife for bugs than re-engineering an AR lower. A completely new weapon design is hard to pull off, and even harder to actually market and sell in substantial enough quantities to ensure it has a future. I wish them well, and they are Tennessee based, so I will almost certainly end up with one, assuming the design is sound.
If possible, making the pistol grip be the same size and shape as something like the 1911 would allow it to be one solid piece as needed, but still have a good degree of modularity and allow people to change grip panels and front and back plates to better fit hands and give an air of interchangeability.
What a cool rifle design. I, for one, am excited to see a new design come to market, especially one with a novel action.
Will this take a bite out of the AR market? No. But it could be a viable competitor in the SCAR/ACR/BREN/XCR/ARX “alternative” market.
Looks like it’d be a pain in the ass to fix.
Hey Guys,
Dave Roberts here. I own Tennessee Arms Company, LLC
Thought I would run through a few things that were asked on this forum.
1. Why are we doing it? It’s a really cool design that eliminates the need for a buffer tube/spring so folding stocks are easier to use. Im a former Force Recon guy and long guys are a huge pain in the ass to use around vehicles. Additionally, the recoil is very much so reduced in this design as the force is redirected along a z axis partially instead of straight back. Even without the use of a muzzle brake it has almost no noticeable recoil
2. Simplicity.. The AR platform is good, it’s far from great. We have taken the best features of several proven military rifles and combined them to make a simple accurate rifle that is much better. We are using half the parts of a standard AR and a side charging/ gas -piston system is standard.
3. Ruggedness… We are known for polymer lowers but we are a gun company. There is no polymer core pieces on this rifle at this time. We might on the 9mm version but that is still up in the air.
Updates will be posted on http://www.omegarifle.com and the forum that is attached. I will be posting all design changes for customer feedback on the two spots so you will see it first there.
Thanks for giving us a look.
Dave
Sweet, if you added a Dracos barrel option for this recoiless type action then you’d have something approaching nirvana in assault rifle design, a fully controllable high cyclic full auto and a single non removable barrel that can’t really cook off..!
Nice work thus far and hope your investment in time pays due dividends.