CornerShot is a weapon accessory created by Lt. Col. Amos Golan of the
Israeli Defense Forces
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli (b ...
in cooperation with American investors. It was designed in the early 2000s for use by
SWAT teams and
special forces
Special forces or 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 ...
in hostile situations usually involving
terrorists
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
and
hostage
A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...
s. Its purpose is similar to that of the
periscope rifle
A periscope rifle is a rifle that has been adapted to enable it to be sighted by the use of a periscope. This enables the shooter to remain concealed below cover. The device was independently invented by a number of individuals in response to the ...
; it allows its operator to both see and attack an armed target without exposing the operator to counterattack.
Design
The CornerShot's shooting range is claimed to be accurate and effective to 100 meters with
9×19mm,
.40 S&W, and
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as .45 Auto, .45 Automatic, or 11.43×23mm is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic pistol. After su ...
pistols, and is claimed to be effective to 200 meters with a
5.7×28mm pistol. The device is available in several variations, including the
Beretta 92F, as well as Glock, SIG Sauer, and CZ pistols. The mechanism can also mount various accessories such as detachable cameras, audio/video transmission kits, visible and IR lasers, tactical flashlights, suppressors, and can fire rubber bullets. A standard
pistol
A pistol is a type of handgun, characterised by a gun barrel, barrel with an integral chamber (firearms), chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French ''pistolet'' (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the Englis ...
version is available, along with a 40 mm
grenade launcher
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially designed, large caliber projectile, often with an explosive, Smoke screen, smoke, or tear gas, gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary gre ...
. Because they are fitted with high-resolution digital cameras, any variant can also be used as a surveillance tool. All the models come with the same stock camera and 2.5-inch color LCD monitor, providing a video observation and sighting system with powerful transmission capability. The flashlight and camera let it operate in either day or night. A variety of optional interchangeable cameras, as well as a folding stock, are available, and a universal accessory rail is standard.
["CornerShot" on Military.com](_blank)
mdash;an article
Future versions will be mountable on the US
M16 rifle
The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...
and a European joint assault weapon. The system can also be remotely emplaced and operated from behind camouflage, with a wire video-out connection sending images to a commander at a distance or saved to a two-hour flash memory chip attached to the gunstock.
Pistol
In the standard version a pistol is mounted in the front end of the weapon, which bends horizontally at a mid-frame sixty-degree hinge. There is a digital camera and a flashlight attached to the barrel in the
bayonet
A bayonet (from Old French , now spelt ) is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , now spelt ) is a knife, dagger">knife">-4; we might wonder whethe ...
position. On the butt side of the hinge are the trigger, camera screen (which is on a horizontal hinge just like the mid-gun hinge but it is off of the left side of the gun), and controls for the camera and light.
Assault Pistol Rifle
The Assault Pistol Rifle (APR) mounts a custom pistol in the front part of the weapon to allow the use of rifle cartridges. It fires 5.56 mm ammunition. The APR pistol can be removed from the CornerShot frame.
[CornerShot.us](_blank)
- manufacturer's Web site
Similar weapons
The
periscope rifle
A periscope rifle is a rifle that has been adapted to enable it to be sighted by the use of a periscope. This enables the shooter to remain concealed below cover. The device was independently invented by a number of individuals in response to the ...
was independently developed by a number of individuals as a response to the
trench warfare
Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which combatants are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from a ...
of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
; they were used by armies of several countries from 1914 onward. This earlier idea was simply a specialised "second" stock and trigger mechanism combined with a periscope to allow the shooter to remain safely ''within'' the trench and still aim and fire a rifle that was laid over the top of the trench parapet.
The ''
Krummlauf
The ''Krummlauf'' (English: "curved barrel") is a bent barrel attachment for the Sturmgewehr 44 (StG 44) rifle developed by Germany in World War II. The curved barrel included a periscope sighting device for shooting around corners ...
'' (''curved barrel'') was an attachment for the
Sturmgewehr 44
The StG 44 (abbreviation of Sturmgewehr 44, "assault rifle 44") is a German assault rifle developed during World War II by Hugo Schmeisser. It is also known by its early designations as the MP 43 and MP 44 (''Maschinenpistole 43'' and ''44''). ...
rifle, which was used by the Germans in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It allowed the shooter to aim and fire around corners with its bent barrel and a
periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position.
In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...
-style sight. A disadvantage of the device was its short life, due to the stress of firing.
Foreign Derivatives
China
China has made at least three CornerShot-like weapons
to date: the
HD-66, which is based on the CornerShot, and the CF-06.
Both models were first unveiled at the 4th China Police Expo (CIPATE) and developed by the Chongqing Changfeng Machinery Co Ltd and Shanghai Sea Shield Technologies Company.
According to Qing Shanseng, chief designer of the HD-66 and CF-06, both systems are indigenous and were not done based on the CornerShot.
The third one, known as the CS/LW9, was developed by the China Ordnance Industry Research Institute in 2005 in an attempt to do a similar system to the Israeli-made Cornershot.
It has a handle at the bottom that can be used to turn the LW9 to the left or right.
The three systems use the
QSZ-92
The QSZ-92, sometimes known as the Type 92 (), is a semi-automatic pistol designed by Norinco.
History
The decision to develop a new pistol was made in 1987 to replace the Type 54 pistol, Type 54/64/77. Research and development started in 1992.
...
as the main pistol,
although the LW9 also uses the NP22/34 pistols.
Pakistan
Iran
Iran has demonstrated a weapon that is a clone of the Israeli CornerShot.
As of 2016, there is no information on whether the Iranian military has fielded it.
South Korea
South Korea had publicly unveiled their own version of the CornerShot on March 23, 2010, created and developed by the Agency for Defense Development.
The ADD had
₩
The won sign , is a currency symbol. It represents the South Korean won, the North Korean won and, unofficially, the old Korean Empire won, Korean won.
Appearance
Its appearance is "W" (the first letter of "Won") with a horizontal strike ...
350 million invested for research and development of their own CornerShot in September 2008
to 2015 Its functions are similar to the original version, with the exception of a laser target designator and a pixel sensor included to assist in locating hostile targets.
The CornerShot made in South Korea was developed by S&T Daewoo. It's unveiled in 2016 as the Korea Special-Purpose Weapon and mounts a S&T K5 pistol, although it can be used with other pistols.
The K1A can be attached to the KSPW if necessary for additional firepower.
The KPSW has MIL-STD-1913 rails to allow attachment of optics and other tactical accessories.
India
DRDO
An Indian-made Cornershot weapon was first reported to be in development in 2014. A cornershot weapon system (CSWS) is designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The CSWS is planned to have a pistol and 40mm GL variant.
Development was reportedly done by 2019.
It's known as the Trikaal.
It is made in aluminum alloy to make it light and durable.
The CSWS's camera, laser, infrared illuminator, and torch are positioned in the front while the display, electronics, battery, and swivelling mechanism are located in the back.
It can be equipped with the Glock 17/19 and the Indian-made 1A pistol.
The DRDO version is being made in collaboration with Zen Technologies. On February 5, 2024, the Trikaal was publicly unveiled at the World Defence Show (WDS) 2024 convention in Saudi Arabia.
On March 26, 2022, the
Central Reserve Police Force
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CRPF assists states and Union Territories in maintaining law and order and internal security. It is composed of the Cent ...
and the
Jammu and Kashmir Police
The Jammu and Kashmir Police is the police force of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. JKP was established in 1873 and has primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within Jammu and Kashmir.
History
The first ...
are in the process of adopting it after putting the CSWS through multiple tests.
On May 9, 2025, it's reported that the J&K Police will adopt the Trikaal with 100 systems being delivered with the
National Security Guard
The National Security Guard (NSG) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is the primary counter-terrorism force of the Government of India. It was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue ...
planning to procure it.
Zen Technologies
Zen Technologies unveiled the ShootEdge at India International Security Expo 2015, New Delhi.
On March 29, 2022, the J&K Police awarded a contract to Zen Technologies for the ShootEdge.
Users
*
* : Used by the
State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs Special Police Unit.
* :
Beijing SWAT
* : Used by the
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
and
Punjab Police forces.
* :
KOPASKA
* : Used by
Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13 () is a naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy and one of the primary sayeret, reconnaissance units of the Israel Defense Forces. Shayetet 13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence ...
* :
Special Forces Corps (CFE)
* : Unknown number of Cornershots sold to Myanmar.
* : Used by the Special Tasks Unit "Tiger".
*
* : The
ROK Army
The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with 365,00 ...
Special Forces
Special forces or 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 ...
uses the Israeli model.
* :
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the Ground warfare, land Military branch, service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the Singapore Armed Forces#Organisation, four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the Inf ...
.
* :
Special Forces
Special forces or 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 ...
,
Gendarmerie Special Operations Command and
Police Special Operation Department
The Police Special Operations Department () or Police Special ActionJoost Jongerden, ''The Settlement Issue in Turkey and the Kurds: An Analysis of Spatial Policies, Modernity and War'', Brill, 2007p. 70./ref> (), abbreviated as PÖH, is the poli ...
* : Used by the Special Police Force (Cảnh sát Cơ động) and the Vietnamese Army's 113th Special Forces Brigade.
Notes
{{commons category, CornerShot
Assault rifles
Weapons of Israel
Israeli inventions