Gisenti AR556 Assault Rifle

Gisenti Assault Rifle Type 556
Gisenti Assault Rifle Type 556
Type	Assault Rifle
Place of origin	Cacerta
Service history
In service	1982 - Present
Used by	Cacerta
Wars	FedCom Civil War; Nalayan Civil War
Production history
Manufacturer	Gisenti Corporation
Produced	1982 - Present
Variants	AR556-A, AR556-N
Specifications
Weight	Empty: 3.84 kg
Length	997 mm (Stock extended); 766 mm (Stock folded)
Barrel length	449 mm
Width	70 mm (Stock extended); 75 mm (Stock folded)
Height	238 mm
Cartridge	5.56×45mm
Action	Gas-operated long-stroke piston, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	700 RPM (Rounds per Minute)
Muzzle velocity	965 m/s
Effective firing range	400 m
Maximum firing range	450 m
Feed system	10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 60-, and 100-round detachable box magazine.
Sights	Rear flip aperture and front post sight

The Gisenti Assault Rifle Type 556, more commonly known as the AR556, is a licensed production variant of the Allamunnic SARL 82 manufactured by the Gisenti Corporation. Although aesthetically identical to the SARL, the AR556 underwent a number of minor modifications to adapt the rifle for use in Cacerta’s heavily marine environment. The AR556 serves as the primary service rifle of the Royal Army, replacing the AR762 in 1982.

History

Development

In the mid 1970s, Cacertian High Command decided to begin a transition towards smaller caliber ammunition and finding a suitable replacement for the AR762. The weapon was required to be highly reliable in marine environments as the Royal Army possessed a long history of amphibious operations. It was also expected to be easy to handle and maintain on the field.

Although Cacerta tested a number of rifles from various foreign nations with did include rifles from Acrea, Ruvelka, Ossoria, and Azurlavai, High Command eventually settled on choosing the rifle developed by its long-time ally in Allamunnika. The SARL 82 fit nearly all the requirements that High Command was looking for, although several minor modifications were made to accommodate the rifle to Cacerta’s natural climate.

Design Details

Features

The Gisenti AR556 is a selective-fire 5.56×45mm assault rifle that uses a gas-operated long-stroke piston system and a rotating bolt locking mechanism equipped with a pair of locking lugs. The bolt is unlocked by the interaction of its cam pin with a guide contained within the bolt carrier. A spring-loaded cover alongside the upper receiver covers the rear end of the cocking handle slot and is automatically opened whenever the handles locks back, closing when the handle travels forward. The extractor is located within the bolt head with the ejector fixed to the inside of the receiver. As a select-fire rifle, the AR556 is capable of single fire, three-round burst, and automatic fire.

The AR556 features a flash suppressor that is also used to fire Common Sphere standard 22mm rifle grenades; the gas block contains a valve setting that is used to isolate the gas system and thereby providing an increased volume of propellant needed to fire rifle grenades. Although the newer variants of the AR556 come standard with rails that allow for the attachment of an underslung grenade launcher.

When it was initially adopted and licensed for domestic production in 1982, the AR556 fed from 30-round steel magazines that were interchangeable with those found on the Allammunnic SARL 82. Later developments of the AR556 have been designed to accept and use the newer polymer magazines more commonly found on Cacertian-made rifles such as the Vitali 07 series and the CobriTech NAR.

Sights and Accessories

The AR556 uses the same flip-type windage-adjustable sight found on the SARL. The apertures on the AR556, however, use settings for 150 and 300 meters (which differs from the SARL) with the front sight post adjustable for elevation. One of the first major optics to be adopted for the AR556 was a 4× telescopic sight that could be attached on the receiver using an adapter. In 1995, a rail adapter was designed for the AR556 which would allow users to fit any type of optics they desired.

Standard equipment supplied with the AR556 includes the Army’s standard blade bayonet alongside a sling. The rifle could also be equipped with a barrel mounted bipod. Although the rifle comes standard with lightweight skeleton stock which folds to the right of the receiver, a fixed synthetic stock is also available. Later versions, specialized for naval infantry grenadiers and other Cacertian special forces, would also be equipped with a modified handguard that would allow for the attachment of an Albricci Type 30 grenade launcher.

Variants

The modern variation of the AR556 equipped with a fixed stock and using polymer magazines.

AR556 (Assault Rifle)

Standard-issue variant of the AR556.

AR556-A (Assault Carbine)

The AR556-A possesses many of the same features as the AR556 with the exception of a shorter barrel.

AR556-N (Assault Rifle)

The AR556-N is a newer variant of the AR556 that was introduced in 2001 for special application use. The standard handguard has been replaced with a rail system that allows for the mating of a Type 30 grenade launcher, thereby eliminated the use of the original flash hider for rifle grenades.

Comparisons

	Cacerta AR556	Ruvelka G88	Syara P-95	Acrea StG 97
Appearance
In Service	1982	1988	1995	1997
Weight without Magazine (kg)	3.84	3.70	3.69	3.63
Length (mm)	997	935	943	709
Barrel Length (mm)	449	420	432	370
Cartridge	5.56×45mm	7.62×39mm	5.45×39mm	6.8x43mm
Action	Semi-automatic, 3-round Burst, Automatic	Semi-automatic, Automatic	Semi-automatic, Automatic	Semi-automatic, Automatic
Rate of Fire (Rounds/Min)	700	750	700	750
Muzzle Velocity (m/s)	965	715	880	890
Effective Firing Range (m)	400	500	500	500
Magazine	30 (60/100)	30 (60)	30	30 (100)
Standard Sights	Rear flip aperture and front post sight	Rear flip aperture and front post sight	Rear sight notch sight on sliding scale, front post	Issued with reflex or telescopic sight
Aiming Optics Mounting	Picatinny Rail	Attachable Picatinny Rail	Attachable Picatinny Rail	Picatinny Rail