RD-04
| RD-04 Rifle Design 04 Raidhfil Dearadh 04 | |
|---|---|
 An RD-04 assault rifle | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin |  Temuair |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2001 - Present |
| Used by | Temuair |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1983 - 1995 |
| Manufacturer | Brais Roi Arsenal |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4.1 kg (9.04 lb) |
| Length | 1000 mm (39.4 in) |
| Barrel length | 530 mm (20 in) |
| Cartridge | 4.85×49 mm |
| Action | Gas operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 700 RPM |
| Muzzle velocity | 911 m/s (2,989 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 400m |
| Feed system | 5, 10, and 20 round box magazines |
| Sights | Iron sights adjustable from 100 to 400 m, rear rotating diopter drum with tritium inserts, hooded front sight, newer models equipped with flat top rails include fixed front post and flip up rear sight. |
The RD-04 (Aisling: Raidhfil Dearadh 04, Rifle Design 04) is an assault rile designed and produced by Brais Roi Arsenal for the Aisling Defense Force, and was one of the first military arms accepted into service following the nations full independence from Trinovantum in 19XX.
Critics of the RD-04 cite its lack of modern features, including a lack of integrated rail systems for the mounting of attachments such as optics, designation and illumination devices, the lack of a 30 round magazine despite the small dimensions of the cartridge, and an overall lack of accuracy when compared to other rifle designs of the era. According to a 2018 statement of intent from the Ministry of Defense, the Aisling Defense Force is, once again, looking for weapon systems to replace the RD-04, and is highly likely to accept an existing foreign design despite protests from various members of the Chamber of Demagogues, all of whom are associated with the United Folk party.
History and development
During testing it was noted that the rifles lacked in accuracy when compared to both the RD-02 semiautomatic rifle in service with the Aisling Army as a designated marksman rifle as well as other intermediate caliber rifles in foreign service, including the Trinovantan IAR-60.
Furthermore, soldiers equipped with the RD-04 following completion of its trails and acceptance into service complained that the requirement of removing the weapon's charring handle to field strip and clean the rifle resulted in the piece being lost frequently. This issue was also noted during testing and trial records indicate that of the 100 rifles submitted for trials, 30 charging handle pieces had to be ordered and fabricated for replacement. Starting in 2005, the rifles were no longer issued with stripper clip guides in the weapon's pistol grip storage compartment, that item having been replaced by a spare charging handle.
Design
There are two distinct designs for the RD-04. The standard RD-04 designation is applied to the standard issue 20 inch barreled version of the rifle, whereas the RD-04G, or short is applied to the carbine version of the rifle, which has a 14 inch barrel. The full length version of the RD-04 includes a bayonet lug, rifle grenade launching capability, and integral simple bipod (all features omitted on the RD-04G). Both carbine and rifle versions are fitted with a single position folding stock and quick detach barrels. The rifle unique trigger guard was designed for use by mountain warfare units, such as the Aisling Alpinisti, and allows the rifle to be used with mittens or heavy gloves. The pistol grip is hollow and has a removable catch on the bottom to allow for storage, including a disassembly tool. Rifles were often issued with a tripper clip guide in the storage compartment to allow operators to rapidly refill magazines.
The RD-04 is a select fire rifle with a four position selector switch, Safe (S), semiautomatic (C), three-round burst (P), and fully automatic (U). The design of the selector switch allows the operator to only see the selected fire mode, with all others being hidden by the device. The selector switch is located just above the pistol grip and is usable for both left and right handed shooters owing to its ambidextrous controls. However, the rifle's bolt releases is located only on the left side of the receiver. The rifle charging handle, located on the top of the rifle, is also ambidextrous, and does reciprocate during firing.
The rifle's magazine release is located in a unique position, situated along the front of the trigger guard. Magazines are a traditional rock in/rock out style, and 5, 10 and 20 round magazines are available.
The RD-04's rear sight consists of a single piece rear aperture sight with adjustable windage and elevation, elevation being controlled by a large dial located behind the sight block. Adjustments range from just under 200 meters out to 500 meters, with a "universal zero" position at 300 meters. The aperture sight can be folded down allowing for a rear notch sight to be used for nighttime shooting. The low light notch sight includes a pair of tritium dots to allow for easier acquisition. The front sight consists of a fully hooded flat topped front post with a luminous dot.
Variants
Operators
- Temuair
- Aisling Defense Force: Versions of the RD-04 in service with all branches, as well as law enforcement agencies.
