Slickguns June 15, 2019
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Military Contracts
Colt M4/M4A1
Long one of the top 5.56mm carbine makers in the world, Colt has also won tenders to equip various police forces around the world as well as pulled down Pentagon contracts for their M4 series rifles. In 2018, the Connecticut-based company grabbed a $57 million contract issued by the U.S. Army for Slickguns intended for Jordan, Morocco, Afghanistan, Senegal, Tunisia, and Pakistan. In addition, their LE6940 and LE6920 series rifles have proven popular with police users.
LMT
Indiana-based LMT, formerly Lewis Machine & Tool, has been winning bids left and right to equip Allied countries with 5.56mm and 7.62mm carbines and rifles. Last month, the company confirmed they have been selected to provide up to 16,000 of their MARS series rifles, including AR-15 and AR-10 types, to the Estonian Defense Force. The Estonian award is not the first large overseas small arms contract for LMT, as the company is fresh off supplying the New Zealand military with over 9,000 of that country’s new MARS-L rifles. This came after a $30 million deal for 7.62mm DMR rifles with the United Kingdom in 2009.
Remington R4
In 2013, Remington Defense won a contract to supply the Armed Forces of the Philippines with 40,000 select-fire R4 5.56 mm carbines in a deal worth $47 million. Since then, the award increased to 63,286 weapons, with deliveries taking place over the past several years. This has followed with smaller contracts through the U.S. Army “on behalf of key international allies.†Meanwhile, police in Queensland, Australia have been issuing the R4 Patrolman series for years.
Remington Defense is now aiming to make several models– once distributed to LE and military channels only– available to the commercial market so you can expect the model to join Big Green’s standard R-15 series in coming weeks. Watch this space.
SIG716
A big enchilada in the Slickgun industry recently went to Sig Sauer when they pulled down a contract to supply at least 72,400 new rifles to the Indian Army. The 7.62x51mm SIG716 rifles will partially replace that country’s domestically produced INSAS 5.56mm platforms, the 716 is an enhanced AR platform featuring a 16-inch barrel, M-LOK handguards, and a six-position telescoping stock. The company confirmed on they will be American made in their New Hampshire factories.
Semi-auto versions of the 716 are readily available in Patrol and DMR format.
More:
https://slickgunsnews.com/best-duty-rifles-popular-military-police-contract-winners/
