The Colt Canada C7 is a Canadian family of
military rifles, manufactured by
Colt Canada
Colt Canada (formerly called Diemaco) is the Canadian division of American firearms manufacturer Colt located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
The facility produces small arms for the Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian law enforcement agencies In ...
(formerly
Diemaco
Diemaco was a Canadian defence company based in Kitchener, Ontario
)
, image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg
, image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_blank_em ...
prior to 2005), having similar design and function to the Colt
M16A3
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
.
The C7 and its variants have been adopted as the
standard issue rifle by the militaries of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
(special forces only),
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Following trials, C8 variants are general issue firearms for the United Kingdom's
Special Forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
. It is also the standard firearm of the Dutch air force (C8A1) and other specialist users within the Dutch and British militaries. It has been utilized in various combat deployments by
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
,
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
,
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
,
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, and
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
forces in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, and
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
.
C7
![C7 assault rifle in Dutch use](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/C7_assault_rifle_in_Dutch_use.jpg)
The development of the C7 assault rifle paralleled that of the
M16A2
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
by
Colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
*Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
* Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
*Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
. A
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
liaison officer
A Liaison officer is a person who liaises between two or more organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities on a matter of mutual concern. Generally, liaison officers are used for achieving the best utilization of resources, or empl ...
worked with the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
in the M16A1 Product Improvement Program and relayed information to Canada's Rifle Replacement Program Office. The C7 is much like earlier M16A1E1s, rather than final product
M16A2
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
s. The earliest C7s were manufactured by Colt for Canadian Forces as the Colt Model 715. The C7 series of firearms is driven by the same
Stoner bolt and carrier gas system as the M16 series. Like the
M16A1
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
and
M16A3
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
, the C7 has both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire modes. The C7 also features the structural strengthening, spent case deflector, improved handguards, and longer stock developed for the M16A2. Diemaco changed the trapdoor in the buttstock to make for easier access to a small storage compartment inside the stock, and a spacer is available to adjust stock length and hence length of pull to user preference. For the furniture Diemaco chose ''Fiberlite'' nylon reinforced polymer and detailed the furniture suitable for
CRBN decontamination and cold weather use at . The carrying handle and rear sight assembly on top of the Diemaco C7 receiver features the most noticeable external difference between American M16A2s and C7s.
Diemaco C7s use a modified
pre-M16A2 style two aperture L-type flip rear and front post iron sight line featuring two combat settings. An approximately diameter aperture rear sight is used for normal firing situations for target distances up to . A second larger approximately diameter
aperture battle sight is used as a
ghost ring
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly ...
for short range quick target engagement and during limited visibility. The wing guards protected front sight was changed to a slimmer tapered round post of approximately diameter. C7 iron sights are normally zeroed with the normal use rear aperture sight at with
SS109 SS1 may refer to:
Transportation
* SS 1, a British car of the 1930s and predecessor to the Jaguar
* China Railways SS1, an electric locomotive model used in China
* Moore SS-1, a glider
* Reliant Scimitar SS1, a sports car made by Reliant durin ...
/
M855/C77 ammunition. The rear sight can be zeroed for windage in 2.8 cm or 0.28
mrad
The Barrett MRAD (Multi-role Adaptive Design) is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed by Barrett to meet the requirements of the SOCOM PSR. The MRAD is based on the Barrett 98B and includes a number of modifications and improvements. The Barret ...
increments at 100 m, when used with a rifle length sight radius. Elevation adjusting can be zeroed in 3.5 cm or 0.35
mrad
The Barrett MRAD (Multi-role Adaptive Design) is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed by Barrett to meet the requirements of the SOCOM PSR. The MRAD is based on the Barrett 98B and includes a number of modifications and improvements. The Barret ...
increments at 100 m.
Not so apparent is Diemaco's use of 1 in
rifling twist hammer-forged
chrome-lined barrel and chamber units with a slightly reducing bore diameter over the length of the rifling to increase longevity and accuracy.
These features were introduced as the Canadians originally wished to use a heavy barrel profile instead of the M16A2 profile. Also, Diemaco has developed a different mounting system from Colt for the
Canadian M203 grenade launcher variant for the C7 rifle family and the bolt and bolt carrier were produced from stronger materials. Further Diemaco optimized the rifle for using
5.56×45mm NATO C77 cartridge L109 ball and the C78 cartridge longer L110 tracer projectiles by using a redesigned buffer assembly, thus making the
M4-style extended feed ramps later introduced in the
Colt M4 carbine unnecessary. The Canadian military initially ordered polymer
STANAG compliant magazines for their C7s. As the prototypes failed the Canadian military trials, the C7 was introduced with aluminum STANAG compliant magazines. The C7 has a cyclic rate of fire of around 700–900 rounds per minute (RPM).
C7A1
![Copenhagen, Denmark (9294449487)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Copenhagen%2C_Denmark_%289294449487%29.jpg)
The C7A1 (Diemaco C7FT) replaces the
iron sight
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly as ...
/carrying handle assembly used on the C7 with a modified
Weaver rail
A Weaver rail mount is a system to connect telescopic sights (often via a scope mount) and other accessories to firearms and certain crossbows. It uses a pair of parallel rails and several slots perpendicular to these rails.
The later Picatinn ...
for mounting optics. Canadian development of rails preceded U.S. standardization of the MIL-STD-1913 "
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was o ...
", so the "Canadian Rail" or "Diemaco Rail" differs slightly. There are 14 slots instead of 13, and each slot is narrower. The height of the rail is also higher, allowing the use of normal-height front sight post whereas a Picatinny rail requires the use of a higher F-marked front sight post. During development, the original rails were vacuum-bonded to the top of a bare receiver. For production, the rail and receiver were made out of a single forging. The mount can use traditional iron sights or the
ELCAN C79 Optical Sight
The C79 Optical sight is a small arms telescopic sight. Elcan names it as the SpecterOS3.4x, but in Canadian service, it is typically referred to as the C79 or the C79A2. A variant, the M145 Machine Gun Optic is in use by the US military. It is 3. ...
3.4×28 optical sight, both of which can be adjusted for individual eye relief. The optical sight was designed for the
C9 light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
and includes horizontal and vertical mil-bars used for range determination and deflection, and a tritium glow-in-the-dark aiming post rather than the traditional
crosshair
A reticle, or reticule also known as a graticule, is a pattern of fine lines or markings built into the eyepiece of an optical device such as a telescopic sight, spotting scope, theodolite, optical microscope or the screen of an oscilloscope, ...
s. The 3.4× is powerful enough to properly see targets at the maximum accurate range of , though like most magnified
optical sight
A sight is an aiming device used to assist in visually aligning ranged weapons, surveying instruments or optical illumination equipments with the intended target. Sights can be a simple set or system of physical markers that have to be aligne ...
s it is prone to criticism for creating tunnel vision in close quarters situations. While the wide aperture helps to speed target acquisition, Canadian soldiers generally forgo the
C79 sight in favour of non-magnified optical sights or a rear back up iron sight (BUIS) when engaged or training in
close quarters battle
Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officers ...
. A detachable carrying handle and rear sight assembly can also be installed on top of the receiver. The BUIS and detachable carrying handle and rear sight assembly feature L-type rear sight apertures that are the same as used in the preceding fixed carrying handle and rear sight assembly. In the later years, upon request, Diemaco/Colt Canada would manufacture MIL-STD-1913 "Picatinny rail" upper receivers.
C7A2
With Canadian involvement in Afghanistan, Diemaco and the Canadian Forces developed improvements to the C7A1 to better suit the operational situations at hand. The result, the C7A2, has a four-point telescoping stock unit similar to that of the C8 carbine and a three-rail TRIAD that is clamped on the front sight base to allow accessories to be attached. The selector lever, magazine release, and charging handle latch became ambidextrous.
Also, the C7A2 is issued with green colour furniture as standard.
These weapons are often seen with a similar plethora of accessories as their American counterparts given the overall commonalities of the system and the rail mounts. The C7A2 is also issued with the
C79A2 ELCAN optical gunsight with 3.4× magnification but with a uniform green rubber armored coating, but some soldiers who are issued it have either been issued or have purchased sights like the
EOTech
EOTECH is an American company that designs, manufactures, and markets electro-optic and night vision products and systems. The company is headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan. They produce holographic weapon sights for small arms that have bee ...
holographic weapons sight and the
Trijicon
Trijicon, Inc. ( ) is an American manufacturing company based in Wixom, Michigan that designs and distributes sighting devices for firearms including pistols, rifles and shotguns. Trijicon specializes in self-luminous optics and night sights, ...
ACOG. Within an eight-man section, six soldiers will normally carry a C7A2: the section commander and second in command, two grenadiers and two riflemen, with only the machine gunners carrying a
C9A2
The FN Minimi (short for french: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun/squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. First introduced in the late 1970s, it is now in service in more th ...
LMG. The C7A2 is considered a "mid-life" upgrade for the C7 family. The addition of the TRIAD rail mount has made it easier for soldiers to attach accessories such as
laser designator
A laser designator is a laser light source which is used to designate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser-guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery munitions, such as the Paveway series of bombs, AGM-114 Hellfire, or ...
and tactical lights. Many A2's are also seen with folding grips from
Cadex Inc. under the handguards which can store 2
CR123 batteries.
The Canadian Forces is looking to upgrade and modernize their stockpile of C7A2 assault rifles, although nothing is yet official or certain as of 2022. One of the biggest upgrades that might be implemented is the replacement of the standard flat-top upper receiver with standard handguards, handguard end cap and front sight base with a monolithic upper receiver with integrated aluminium quad-rail handguard for increased modularity with accessories and free-floating the barrel for augmented precision. This would put the fleet of service rifles of the Canadian Armed Forces on par with Colt Canada's latest offerings and upgrades of the Danish and Dutch militaries who have adopted rifles with monolithic upper receivers. This version will require the use of the Colt Canada M203A1 with a different mounting system due to the new aluminium quad-rail handguard. Since Colt Canada developed and released the MRR (Modular Rail Rifle) that uses a monolithic upper receiver with the
Magpul
Magpul Industries Corporation is an American designer and manufacturer of high-tech polymer and composite firearms accessories like M-LOK. Magpul Industries takes its name from its first product, the MagPul (Magazine Puller), an accessory for th ...
M-LOK
M-LOK, for Modular Lock, is a firearm rail interface system developed and patented by Magpul Industries. The license is free-of-charge, but subject to an approval process.
M-LOK allows for direct accessory attachment onto the "negative s ...
attachment system, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) might be heading in that direction instead, along with a shorter, barrel, instead of the standard barrel, and straight gas tube with a low-profile gas block The possibility of using integrated suppressors is also something that is being looked into. A shorter charging-handle latch will also be used as opposed to the very long C7A2 latch, which gets caught on equipment and vests, which causes the latch to bend and break the charging-handle.
C8
The Colt Canada C8 carbine range are
carbine
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and lighter ...
variants of the C7 family, and are mechanically and aesthetically very similar to the
Colt Model 723 M16A2 carbine. Colt made the initial C8s for Canadian Forces as the Colt Model 725. The C8 has a A1 profile barrel like the Colt Model 653 M16A1 carbine, but with a 1 in
rifling twist appropriate for adequately stabilizing the
5.56×45mm NATO C77 cartridge L109 ball and the C78 cartridge longer L110 tracer projectiles and the design improvements featured on C7 assault rifles. The C8 has a cyclic rate of fire of around 750–950 rounds per minute (RPM).
C8 iron sights are normally zeroed with the normal use rear aperture sight at with
SS109 SS1 may refer to:
Transportation
* SS 1, a British car of the 1930s and predecessor to the Jaguar
* China Railways SS1, an electric locomotive model used in China
* Moore SS-1, a glider
* Reliant Scimitar SS1, a sports car made by Reliant durin ...
/
M855/C77 ammunition. The rear sight can be zeroed for windage in 3.8 cm or 0.38
mrad
The Barrett MRAD (Multi-role Adaptive Design) is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed by Barrett to meet the requirements of the SOCOM PSR. The MRAD is based on the Barrett 98B and includes a number of modifications and improvements. The Barret ...
increments at 100 m, when used with a carbine length sight radius. Elevation can be zeroed in 4.7 cm or 0.47
mrad
The Barrett MRAD (Multi-role Adaptive Design) is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed by Barrett to meet the requirements of the SOCOM PSR. The MRAD is based on the Barrett 98B and includes a number of modifications and improvements. The Barret ...
increments at 100 m. Once the iron sight line is zeroed, the front sight post and rear sight should not be moved.
C8A1
The C8A1 (
Diemaco
Diemaco was a Canadian defence company based in Kitchener, Ontario
)
, image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg
, image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_blank_em ...
C8FT) is essentially a C8 carbine with a C7A1 flat-top upper receiver; the carbine having a barrel versus the barrel typically seen on the C7. The overall layout of the weapon remains essentially unchanged except for the upper receiver and the general inclusion of the
C79 sight. C8A1s have also been more commonly seen with the detachable carry handle with A1 sights developed by Diemaco for both the C7FT and the C8FT. The C8A1 was never officially adopted by the Canadian Forces and was only used in Afghanistan for the ability to use the C79 optical sights.
C8A2
The C8A2 carbine is very similar to the C8, but having a cold-hammer forged heavy barrel (as opposed to the pencil-profile barrel previously used) and a flat-top upper receiver.
C8SFW
The Special Forces Weapon (SFW) features a longer, barrel of a significant heavier profile than the C8A1 and a Rail Adapter System (RAS) handguard. The SFW
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
is more copiously gassed when compared to the standard C8A1 to enhance reliability in the presence of heavy fouling or icing at the expense of moving the bolt and bolt carrier faster and harder against the accordingly adapted buffer assembly, resulting in a free recoil increase. It is designed to provide a fire support capability in carbine form. A sleeve, called the Simon Sleeve, is slipped over the end of the barrel and is retained by the
compensator and its crush washer. It is used to mount standard issued
C7 Nella bayonet C7, C07 or C-7 may refer to:
Vehicles (including military)
* C-7 Caribou, a military transport aircraft
* AEG C.VII, a World War I German armed reconnaissance aircraft
* AGO C.VII, a World War I German reconnaissance aircraft
* Albatros C.VII, ...
,
CAN Bayonet 2000/2005 and
M203A1
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil forces ...
s. The front sight base is strengthened for mounting of the
Heckler & Koch AG-C/EGLM
The AG-C/EGLM is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to assault rifles of various types. It is manufactured by Heckler and Koch and is derived from the AG36. EGLM stands for "Enhanced Grenade Launching Module". A stand-alone varia ...
grenade launcher.
The mass, muzzle velocity and effective range are stated as , and .
The C8SFW is in service with the
Norwegian Special Operations Forces as their standard rifle, as the more recently introduced
HK416
The Heckler & Koch HK416 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch.
Although the design is based on the AR-15 class of firearm (specifical ...
does not feature a "heavy profile barrel" as the C8SFW.
The
United Kingdom Special Forces
The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Force ...
(UKSF) adopted a C8SFW variant, under the designation "L119A1." In 2014, the UKSF upgraded to the "L119A2", which features a custom Integrated Upper Receiver (IUR).
C8FTHB
Concerns that
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...
had with the C8 led to the creation of the C8FTHB. The C8FTHB (Flat Top Heavy Barrel) features numerous improvements over the C8, including a heavy profile cold hammer-forged M4 profile barrel featuring a grenade launcher cut out for mounting of the Canadian Forces
M203A1
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil forces ...
and bayonet and
Elcan C79 Optical Sight
The C79 Optical sight is a small arms telescopic sight. Elcan names it as the SpecterOS3.4x, but in Canadian service, it is typically referred to as the C79 or the C79A2. A variant, the M145 Machine Gun Optic is in use by the US military. It is 3. ...
.
Some of the earlier C8FTHB carbines used old refurbished C8 receivers. "FTHB" was stamped next to the C8 markings on the lower receivers. Colt Canada later manufactured new lower receivers with C8FTHB markings. Later, C8FTHB carbines that were upgraded to the C8A3 had "A3" stamped next to the markings, giving "C8FTHBA3" markings. Only 400 C8FTHBs were upgraded to C8FTHBA3s before Colt Canada started simply marking new receivers "C8A3".
C8A3
The C8FTHB was quickly replaced by the C8A3, which features the same cold-hammer forged barrel and flat-top upper receiver as the C8FTHB as well as all the mid-life upgrades that appeared on the C7A2 such as the green furniture, ambidextrous charging-handle latch, magazine release and selector lever. It also includes the TRIAD I rail for C8, which has one slot less than the C7 TRIAD I, to accommodate the M203A1 sight.
Other C8 variants
Two additional C8 variants exist. The C8CQB is similar to the
Mark 18 Mod 0 CQBR, having a or heavy barrel and a
Vortex Flash Hider
The Vortex Flash Hider or Vortex Flash Eliminator is a flash suppressor made by Smith Enterprise, Inc. for a variety of different rifles, carbines, machine guns and handguns.
History
The Vortex Flash Hider was developed in 1984, and a patent was ...
made by
Smith Enterprise Inc.
Smith Enterprise Inc. (SEI) is a firearm and accessory manufacturing facility based in Tempe, Arizona that is known for making flash suppressors, muzzle brakes, sound suppressors, M14 rifles and accessories for M14 rifles.
Smith Enterprise play ...
The smaller
Personal Defense Weapon
Personal defense weapons (PDWs) are a class of firearms intended for self-defense and security rather than warfare and infantry. Most PDWs fire a small-caliber (less than ), centerfire bottleneck cartridge resembling a scaled-down intermediate ...
(PDW) variant has an overall length of with its stock fully retracted. It has a barrel and the receiver extension has been shortened by .
Diemaco LSW
![Danish LSV M04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Danish_LSV_M04.jpg)
Colt and Diemaco also paired up to develop a
squad automatic weapon
A squad automatic weapon (SAW), also known as a section automatic weapon or light support weapon (LSW), is a man-portable automatic firearm attached to infantry squads or sections as a source of rapid direct firepower. Weapons fulfilling this ...
variant of the series. The Diemaco Light Support Weapon (LSW) features an enlarged straight
gas tube
A gas-filled tube, also commonly known as a discharge tube or formerly as a Plücker tube, is an arrangement of electrodes in a gas within an insulating, temperature-resistant envelope. Gas-filled tubes exploit phenomena related to electric ...
and an almost 1 inch thick heavy barrel to make the barrel less susceptible for
overheating and hence increase the
sustained or effective rate of fire capability. The LSW can only fire automatically. The LSW has a boxy square handguard with a carrying handle and a vertical foregrip that can be used as a
monopod
A monopod, also called a unipod, is a single staff or pole used to help support cameras, binoculars, rifles or other precision instruments in the field.
Camera and imaging use
The monopod allows a still camera to be held steadier, allowing t ...
. The LSW was made with no
bayonet lug
A bayonet lug is a standard feature on most military muskets, rifles, and shotguns, and on some civilian longarms. It is intended for attaching a bayonet, which is typically a long spike or thrusting knife. The bayonet lug is the metal mount ...
until recently because of the original
bipod
A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix ''bi-'' and Greek root ''pod'', meaning "two" and "foot" respectively.
Bipod ...
. A new bipod attaches to the same barrel yoke as the carrying handle and front grip, so current LSWs are made with a bayonet lug. Unlike many M16 variants, it fires from an
open bolt
A firearm is said to fire from an open bolt if, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear of the receiver, with no round in the chamber. When the trigger is actuated, the bolt travels forward, feeds a cartridge from t ...
, necessitating the removal of the
forward assist
Forward assisting is the practice of moving the bolt or bolt carrier of a firearm fully forward when the return spring has not done so (or there is a chance that it will not have done so). Some firearms have a dedicated device to allow forward a ...
for operating safety. It was the only weapon in the Diemaco product line to feature an M16A2-type fully adjustable rear sight, allowing the rear sight to be dialed in for specific range settings between 300 and 800 meters and to allow windage adjustments without the need of a tool or cartridge. The LSW is used by the
Royal Danish Army
The Royal Danish Army ( da, Hæren, fo, Herurin, kl, Sakkutuut) is the land-based branch of the Danish Defence, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures ...
and the
Netherlands Marine Corps
The Netherlands Marine Corps ( nl, Korps Mariniers) is the elite naval infantry corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The marines trace their origins back to the establishment of the on 10 December 1665, by the then grand pensionary of the Dut ...
(LOAW / LOAWNLD) These arms fire from a
closed bolt
A semi or full-automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward. When the trigger is pulled, the firing pin or striker fires the ro ...
and also have a semi-automatic firing mode and forward assist. The Diemaco LSW was originally a license produced variant of the Colt 750, but both Colt and Diemaco have upgraded their respective weapons to include features like a detachable carry handle and other features separately.
Other Diemaco variants
C7CT and C8CT Designated Marksman variants
Diemaco's C7/C8 family is completed with two
designated marksman
A designated marksman (DM), squad advanced marksman (AD) or squad designated marksman (SDM) is a military marksman role in an infantry squad. The term ''sniper'' was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov SVD were the ...
variants, the C7CT and C8CT, with CT meaning Custom Tactical. These accurized C7/C8 variants are designed to provide accurate engagement up to , while providing system commonality to other fielded weapons. They have two-stage match triggers and weighted stocks to counterbalance the heavy or free-floating barrel surrounded by a tubular forestock. A removable bipod, rails for designators, sling, etc. attach to that forestock. A special, distinctive pistol grip is fitted and the C7-style buttstock can be adjusted with shims. Sound suppressors are usually fitted.
[Canadian Forces Rifle — Marksman Rifle System 5.56mm C7CT DM](_blank)
The rifle is designed as a sniper spotter weapon or a police containment weapon. The CT series weapons meet or exceed all applicable military standards including: reliability in all environmental and operational conditions, accuracy, lethality, maintainability in field conditions and safety.
Custom tactical features:
*
Direct gas system: The unique direct
gas system eliminates the operating rod and keeps all of the firing forces in line with the bore for maximum accuracy and reliability.
* Hammer forged heavy match barrel: The very heavy barrel profile maintains zero with accessories fitted and provides extra thermal mass to dissipate heat for enhanced consistency.
* Flat top: The upper receiver can be manufactured in the original Canadian Forces specification
Weaver rail
A Weaver rail mount is a system to connect telescopic sights (often via a scope mount) and other accessories to firearms and certain crossbows. It uses a pair of parallel rails and several slots perpendicular to these rails.
The later Picatinn ...
, or with a MIL-STD-1913
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was o ...
.
C10 small bore training version
Diemaco makes a training version of the C7 named the C10. It fires
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
ammunition, but is only capable of semi-automatic fire. The polymer stock and lower receiver are one piece.
The C 10 was proposed but never implemented, and no .22 caliber sub-cal system was/is used in the CAF after the withdrawal of the C1A1 rifle. The Army Cadet Corps had moved away from .22 caliber rifles to .177 pellet rifles some years ago.
IUR – Integrated Upper Receiver
In 2008 or 2009, Colt Canada introduced a completely new designed upper receiver with integrated rail attachment system.
The front handguard is in this system permanently attached to the upper receiver. The whole system is forged from one piece, and is sometimes called a monolithic rail. This system allows for a completely free floating barrel. Another unique feature is that the system can be adapted for different barrel lengths by screwing on an extension.
The system was introduced as an upgrade in the Dutch army with the C7 and C8 in 2009.
In 2010, the C8 IUR (Integrated Upper Receiver) was introduced as an upgrade by all four branches of the
Danish military
Danish Defence ( da, Forsvaret, fo, Danska verjan, kl, Illersuisut) is the unified armed forces of the Kingdom of Denmark charged with the defence of Denmark and its constituent, self-governing nations Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The De ...
and the
Danish Security and Intelligence Service
Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET) (literally: Police Intelligence Service, official name in English: Danish Security and Intelligence Service, or DSIS) is the national security and intelligence agency of Denmark. The agency focuses solely ...
's
SWAT
In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
teams, as the "Gevær M/10",
In 2011, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
adopted a semi-automatic only version of the C8 IUR with ancillary components as their patrol carbine.
MRR – Modular Rail Rifle
Colt Canada introduced the MRR, or Modular Rail Rifle, in 2015 and released it for sale to the market in 2016. It is essentially a monolithic upper receiver with Magpul's M-LOK attachment system for accessories. The rifles are offered with barrels. The version features a shorter handguard. As of late 2016, the variant is offered only to law enforcement and the military.
Comparison table of C7 and C8 variants
In non-Canadian service
Denmark
![Danish AR M95 noBG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Danish_AR_M95_noBG.png)
Denmark bought the first batch of C7A1 in 1995 and C8A1 in 1996, designating them the ''M/95'' and ''M/96 carbine''. In 2004 the LSW, named ''LSV M/04'' was added to the arsenal. These are to replace the German made
M/75 (H&K G3), which has been the main infantry weapon since 1975.
The C7A1 is issued to standard infantry units of the
Royal Danish Army
The Royal Danish Army ( da, Hæren, fo, Herurin, kl, Sakkutuut) is the land-based branch of the Danish Defence, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures ...
. The C8A1 is issued to units where the physically longer C7A1 can be obstructive to that unit's primary work, such as
logisticians, tankers and special units.
Jægerkorpset
The Jaeger Corps also known as the Huntsmen Corps ( da, Jægerkorpset) is an elite special operations force of the Danish Defence part of Special Operations Command, formerly of the Royal Danish Army, based at Aalborg Air Base.
History
The Jae ...
and Frømandskorpset (Special forces) use the C8SFW with a barrel and extra front rails. The now defunct
SSR, a draftee
LRRP
A long-range reconnaissance patrol, or LRRP (pronounced "lurp"), is a small, well-armed reconnaissance team that patrols deep in enemy-held territory.Ankony, Robert C., ''Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri,'' revised ...
-unit, also used the C8SFW.
The LSW used to be issued to "support gunners" in infantry squads. However, it is planned that the Royal Danish Army will only use 7.62mm belt-fed machine guns for the support role. Most of the LSWs are intended to be transferred to the Danish Home Guard.
The Army almost exclusively use the C7A1 and C8A1 with the Elcan
C79 optical sight
The C79 Optical sight is a small arms telescopic sight. Elcan names it as the SpecterOS3.4x, but in Canadian service, it is typically referred to as the C79 or the C79A2. A variant, the M145 Machine Gun Optic is in use by the US military. It is 3. ...
, while the
Danish Home Guard
The Danish Home Guard ( da, Hjemmeværnet) (HJV) is the fourth service of the Danish military. It was formerly concerned only with the defence of Danish territory, but since 2008, it has also supported the Danish military efforts in Afghanistan ...
use the C8A2 with the Swedish produced Aimpoint. The main feature of the Aimpoint is the "both eyes open" sighting. This is the preferred sighting method at shorter ranges.
The C7A1 was first issued to field units of Logcoy/Danbn/
Dancon
Dancon, an abbreviation of Danish Contingent, is the term that comprises all Denmark, Danish national forces in a current military mission of the UN, NATO, or national character. Dancon is not a military unit per se, like a brigade, but rather an ...
of the
Danish International Brigade
The Danish International Brigade (), short DIB (also sometimes known as the ''Danish Reaction Brigade'') was a Denmark, Danish military brigade.
The political decision to form this brigade was conceived in the Danish Defence agreement 1992–1995 ...
, in October–November 1995 shortly before the transition from
UNPROFOR
The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...
to
IFOR
The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''.
Background
NATO ...
in
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
.
On 4 January 2009 the Danish army lost a number of small arms including M/95 and M/96 rifles to armed robbers who overpowered the guards at
Antvorskov Kaserne
Antvorskov barracks is a barracks located near Slagelse in Denmark. It was established in 1969 and currently houses the 2nd Brigade and the Guard Hussar Regiment including its mounted squadron. The latter was moved here from Næstved Kaserne in A ...
. The robbery was solely made possible because of inside knowledge and help. The police recovered the last of the stolen weapons on 22 November 2011.
In 2010 the Danish
Defence Materiel Service ordered an improved version of the M/96 and M/95 from Colt Canada under the Danish designation M/10, which Colt Canada designated the ''C8 IUR''. It features a free floating barrel, fully ambidextrous controls, flip up iron sights, a collapsible buttstock with more positions, and the Integrated Upper Receiver (IUR).
During the
2015 Copenhagen shootings one victim was killed with an M/95 issued to the Danish Home Guard that was stolen in a home invasion robbery.
Netherlands
After a selection process and trials program starting in 1991, the Netherlands purchased over 53,000 C7(A1), C8(A1) and LOAW weapons the C7 with polymer Thermold STANAG compliant magazines in March 1994. The most commonly used version in the Netherlands Armed Forces was the C7 with iron sights. The
Koninklijke Marine
The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...
ordered only weapons fitted with magnifying sighting systems to fulfil its effective range requirement. The (Airmobile Brigade), consisting of 11 Infantry Battalion
Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers
The Grenadiers and Rifles Guards Regiment ( nl, Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers) is a regiment of the Royal Netherlands Army; along with the Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene it is one of the two Dutch Guard regiments.
History
The two ante ...
, 12 Infantry Battalion
Regiment Van Heutsz
The Regiment van Heutsz is a line infantry regiment of the Royal Netherlands Army. The regiment was named after J.B. van Heutsz, a former Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, and was formed on July 1, 1950. It is notable for its service as ...
and 13 Infantry Battalion
Regiment Stoottroepen Prins Bernhard uses the C7A1, and the C8A1 (Diemaco C8FT) was mainly used by the
Korps Commandotroepen
The (KCT) ( en, Commando Corps) is the elite special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. The KCT traces its origins to the Second World War with the founding of No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, and the founding of the during the Indonesian War of I ...
later replaced with the
HK416
The Heckler & Koch HK416 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch.
Although the design is based on the AR-15 class of firearm (specifical ...
, the paratroopers of the Luchtmobiele Brigade (one company per battalion), the
Korps Mariniers
The Netherlands Marine Corps ( nl, Korps Mariniers) is the elite naval infantry corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The marines trace their origins back to the establishment of the on 10 December 1665, by the then grand pensionary of the Dutc ...
and most of the recon units of the various combat units, including the Forward Air Controllers and the reconnaissance units of the cavalry and the artillery. The
Korps Mariniers
The Netherlands Marine Corps ( nl, Korps Mariniers) is the elite naval infantry corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The marines trace their origins back to the establishment of the on 10 December 1665, by the then grand pensionary of the Dutc ...
also uses the LSW, which is locally known as LOAW.
From 2009 onwards many of the Dutch C7s, C8s and LOAW have had an overhaul: the black furniture has now been replaced by dark earth furniture. New parts include a new retracting stock, ambidextrous controls, the Diemaco Integrated Upper Receiver (IUR) with a
free-floating barrel
A free-floating barrel is a firearm design used in precision rifles, particularly match grade benchrest rifles, to accurize the weapon system.
With conventional rifles, the gun barrel rests in contact with the fore-end of the gunstock, sometim ...
,
RIS rails for mounting flashlights and laser systems, a
vertical forward grip
A vertical forward grip or foregrip is a vertical pistol grip mounted on the fore-end of a long-barrel firearm, designed for grasping by the frontal support hand (or "off hand").
Use
Forward grips aid in the maneuverability of the firearm, ...
with built-in bipod also known as a "Grip Pod" and other accessories; the polymer
STANAG compliant magazines became not exclusively black in color as translucent smoke colored Lancer L5AWM 30-round magazines (NSN: 1005-01-657-7839L5) were also introduced along the Thermold magazines. The ELCAN 3.4× optical sight has also disappeared in favour of the Swedish made non-magnifying
Aimpoint CompM4
The Aimpoint CompM4 is a non-magnified red dot style gun sight adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces, designated the M68 CCO (Close Combat Optic). It is produced by the Swedish company Aimpoint AB and is the successor to the earlier M68CCO, the ...
red dot sight and if desired an accompanying Aimpoint
red dot magnifier
A red dot magnifier is an optical telescope that can be paired with a non-magnifying optical sight on a weapon to create a telescopic sight.
They work with the parallel collimated reticle image produced by certain non-magnifying sights so, con ...
. These upgraded versions are now known as C7NLD, C8NLD, and LOAWNLD.
United Kingdom
![40 Cdo-PROJECT HERMOD LIVEX MOD 45168198](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/40_Cdo-PROJECT_HERMOD_LIVEX_MOD_45168198.jpg)
The United Kingdom first selected the Diemaco C8 in the mid-1990s as the Special Forces Individual Weapon (SFW). This selection was later reconfirmed in the mid-2000s, by which time Diemaco had become Colt Canada. During the SFW trials, the C8 out-performed both the
Heckler & Koch G36
The Heckler & Koch G36 (Gewehr 36) is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle designed in the early 1990s by German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch as a replacement for the heavier 7.62×51mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the ''Bu ...
and the
SIG SG551. The C8SFW was subsequently adopted in 2000 under the designation, L119A1. The L119A1 was so well-received, its planned 2014 replacement program was deferred in favour of continued use. Use of the C8 has expanded to include, among others, the original
SAS and
SBS, the
Special Forces Support Group, the Pathfinder Platoon of
16 Air Assault Brigade
16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, from 1999 to 2021 16 Air Assault Brigade, is a formation of the British Army based in Colchester in the county of Essex. It is the Army's rapid response airborne formation and is the only brigade in the Britis ...
,
43 Commando Fleet Protection Group,
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operation ...
Close Protection teams,
and
MoD Police
The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated high ...
.
[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/390675/MDP_Weapons_Redacted.pdf ] There are about 2,500 in service. A number of barrel lengths are available for different users and most weapons are now fitted with Knights Armaments Rail Adapter System handguards (that hold zero on the top and the bottom rails) and Picatinny rail flat-top upper receivers. The muzzle velocity and effective range are stated as and with a 400 mm (15.7") barrel and and with a 277 mm (10.5") CQB barrel.
Most users fit Trijicon
ACOG 4×32 sights with CQB reflex attachment, but other sights are used. Various lasers, lights, foregrips and other attachments are used. Surefire 4-prong flash hiders are generally fitted, and suppressors are available. The standard Canadian bayonet is issued but rarely used. Coloured furniture is becoming commonplace. The United Kingdom very much prefers polymer magazines to metal ones on grounds of weight and reliability and has now standardised on these for all C8 and operational
SA80
The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army. The L85 Rifle variant has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 Se ...
users, with well over a million magazines purchased. Many weapons are fitted with the
L17A1 underslung 40 mm grenade launcher (UGL), the UK designation for the
Heckler & Koch AG-C. Detachable shoulder stocks are available for stand-alone use of the UGL. 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group replaced their L85A2 rifles with the C8 in 2016, with other Royal Marine units following suit beginning in 2019.
In July 2013, the British Ministry of Defence contracted Colt Canada for a £2.8 million mid-life upgrade of the L119A1 carbines used by the United Kingdom Special Forces. Subsequently from 2014 the L119A1 was upgraded to the L119A2. There are two L119A2 variants: The standard Carbine with a barrel and CQB (Close Quarter Battle) with a barrel. The CQB variant has seen the most widespread use. Both L119A2 variants feature a custom integrated upper receiver (IUR) with rails that hold zero all around, a lighter profile barrel, straight
gas tube
A gas-filled tube, also commonly known as a discharge tube or formerly as a Plücker tube, is an arrangement of electrodes in a gas within an insulating, temperature-resistant envelope. Gas-filled tubes exploit phenomena related to electric ...
, Geissele trigger,
SureFire
SureFire, LLC. is an American company headquartered in Fountain Valley, California. Their main products are flashlights, weapon-mounted lights, headlamps, and laser sights. In addition, Surefire produces knives, sound suppressors, earplugs, Pic ...
4-prong flash hider, a tan coloured
Magpul
Magpul Industries Corporation is an American designer and manufacturer of high-tech polymer and composite firearms accessories like M-LOK. Magpul Industries takes its name from its first product, the MagPul (Magazine Puller), an accessory for th ...
buttstock, Ergo pistol grip, and ambidextrous controls.
Botswana
The
Botswana Defence Force
The Botswana Defence Force (BDF, tn, Sesole Sa Botswana) is the military of Botswana. The main component of the BDF is the Botswana Ground Force; there is also an air wing and a riverine patrol contingent attached to the ground forces, with 10 ...
uses the MRR15.7M and MRR11.6S Modular Rail Rifle as patrol and Close Quarter Battle carbines. These feature an integrated upper receiver, ambidextrous controls, ambidextrous charging handle, custom folding front & rear sights, tan coloured moe pistol grip and ctr buttstock. They are deployed for national defence, foreign peace-keeping and anti-poaching tasks.
Afghan National Army
In 2007 and 2008, Canada donated 2,500 surplus C7 assault rifles to the Afghan National Army.
In 2011, the ANA gave back the C7s since the Afghan security forces chose the American M16 instead. Canadian Forces officials said the Canadian rifles would be shipped to Canada for disposal.
Users
*: MRR15.7M and MRR11.6S Modualar Rail Rifle used by the
Botswana Defence Force
The Botswana Defence Force (BDF, tn, Sesole Sa Botswana) is the military of Botswana. The main component of the BDF is the Botswana Ground Force; there is also an air wing and a riverine patrol contingent attached to the ground forces, with 10 ...
.
*: Used by the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
[Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns''. Salamander Books Ltd. .] and law enforcement agencies including the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
, Dryden Police,
Halton ERT,
the
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. Under its provincial mandate, the OPP patrols provincial highways and waterways, protects provincial government buildings and officials, patrols unincorpo ...
,
Sûreté du Québec
The (SQ; , ) is the provincial police service for the Canadian province of Quebec. No official English name exists, but the agency's name is sometimes translated to 'Quebec Provincial Police' or QPP in English-language sources. The headquarters ...
(Quebec Provincial Police),
York Regional Police
The York Regional Police (YRP) are a law enforcement organization that serves over 1.1 million residents in the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, York Region of Ontario, Canada, located north of Toronto. YRP was formed in 1971 from the poli ...
and
Emergency Task Force (TPS)
The Emergency Task Force (ETF) is the Police tactical unit, tactical unit of the Toronto Police Service. Created in 1965, it is mandated to deal with high risk situations like hostage taking, emotionally disturbed persons, high risk arrests, warran ...
.
It is also used by the
Correctional Service of Canada
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC; french: Service correctionnel du Canada), also known as Correctional Service Canada or Corrections Canada, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of ...
.
*
*: Used by the
Iceland Crisis Response Unit
The Iceland Crisis Response Unit (ICRU; Icelandic: ''Íslenska Friðargæslan'') is an Icelandic para-military unit with a capacity roster of up to 200 people, of whom about 30 are active at any given time. It is operated by the Icelandic Minis ...
*: Used by the
Military of the Netherlands
The Netherlands Armed Forces ( nl, Nederlandse krijgsmacht) are the military services of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The core of the armed forces consists of the four service branches: the Royal Netherlands Navy (), the Royal Netherlands Ar ...
.
*: In use with
Forsvarets Spesialkommando
)
, type = Special forces
, role =
, size = Classified
, command_structure =
, current_commander = Colonel Brage Andreas Larssen
, garrison = Rena leir
, ceremonial_chief =
, colonel_of_the_regiment =
, nickname =
, patron =
, m ...
(
Norwegian Army
The Norwegian Army ( no, Hæren) is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway ...
) and
Marinejegerkommandoen
''Marinejegerkommandoen'' (MJK) ( en, Naval Special Operations Command) is the maritime/naval special warfare unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces and was established in 1953.
The MJK is under the command of the Norwegian Special Operations Com ...
(
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...
). Also in use with select agencies within the
Norwegian Police
The Norwegian Police Service ( no, Politi- og lensmannsetaten) is the Norwegian national civilian police agency. The service dates to the 13th century when the first sheriffs were appointed, and the current structure established in 2003. It co ...
, including
Beredskapstroppen Delta, the
Royal Police Escort
The Royal Police Escort ( no, Den Kongelige Politieskorte) is the royal police in the Kingdom of Norway.
Responsible for safeguarding the King and members of the Royal Family
A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/em ...
and the
Norwegian Police Security Service
The Norwegian Police Security Service (, ) is the police security agency of Norway. The agency was previously known as ''POT'' (' or Police Surveillance Agency), the name change was decided by the Parliament of Norway on 2 June 2001.
History an ...
.
*: Unknown quantity, seen in the hands of Ukrainian forces during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
.
*: Used by the
Ministry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated hig ...
,
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operation ...
, the
Pathfinder Platoon
The Pathfinder Platoon is a pathfinder unit of the British Army, and an integral part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. The Pathfinder Platoon acts as the brigade's advance force and reconnaissance force. Its role includes locating and marking drop zon ...
of the
Parachute Regiment,
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
and the
United Kingdom Special Forces
The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Force ...
.
Former user
*: Donated weapons were previously used by the
Afghan National Army
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
* Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
**Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
,
but the weapons were later returned to Canada.
See also
*
C79 optical sight
The C79 Optical sight is a small arms telescopic sight. Elcan names it as the SpecterOS3.4x, but in Canadian service, it is typically referred to as the C79 or the C79A2. A variant, the M145 Machine Gun Optic is in use by the US military. It is 3. ...
*
C9 light machine gun
*
List of assault rifles
An assault rifle is a rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, a detachable magazine, and can switch between semi-automatic/fully automatic fire. Assault rifles are currently the standard service rifles in most modern armies. Some rifles listed ...
Notes
References
External links
Canadian Forces websiteColt Canada(Formerly Diemaco)
Assault rifle suppressors for Colt / Colt Canada modelsImages of a C8CQB designated by Norway as Automatgevær 5,56 mm C8 CQBImages of a C8 SFW designated by Norway as Automatgevær 5,56 mm C8 SFW
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colt Canada C7 Rifle
5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles
Police weapons
Rifles of Canada
Colt rifles
ArmaLite AR-10 derivatives
AR-15 style rifles
Designated marksman rifles
Gas-operated firearms
Modular firearms
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1984