Vitali ZeroSeven Assault Rifle
| Vitali ZeroSeven Assault Rifle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Assault Rifle |
| Place of origin |  Cacerta |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2007 - Present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Zemplen War Nalayan Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1999 - 2005 |
| Manufacturer | Vitali Heavy Industries |
| Produced | 2007 - Present |
| Variants | 07A, 07B, 07C, 07D, 07E |
| Specifications (ZeroSeven Standard) | |
| Weight | 3.2 kg |
| Length | 730 mm (Stock extended) 501 mm (Stock folded) |
| Barrel length | 227 mm |
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm |
| Action | Gas operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 700 RPM (Rounds per Minute) |
| Muzzle velocity | 725 m/s |
| Effective firing range | 400 m |
| Feed system | 10-, 20-, and 30-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Rear rotating diopter drum with tritium inserts, front hooded post with folding night post. |
The Vitali ZeroSeven AR, often stylized as the Vitali 07, is an assault rifle designed and manufactured by Vitali Heavy Industries of Turago, Cacerta. It was originally created as a modern carbine for use by the Royal Navy, but was later adopted by all branches of the Cacertian Armed Forces for varying roles.
History
Development
The development of the Vitali 07 began in the late 1990s under the designation of the Future Naval Rifle Project. While Gisenti’s AR556 proved to be reliable firearm in the hands of the Army, the rifle’s length of 997 mm (911 mm on the AR556 carbine) made it unwieldy for use as a weapon aboard ships for defense. This same issue also applied to several cases in the army specifically vehicle crews, support troops, command staff, and special operations personnel. The objective of Vitali’s FNR project was to develop a compact, lightweight rifle possessing reliable accuracy out to 300 m.
By 2005, the prototype Vitali ZeroFive had beaten it’s competition in all field tests. The ZeroFive spent two more years to resolve design flaws and refitting the shell ejection system before the design was finalized in 2007. It entered production in March 2007 with the designation of Vitali ZeroSeven.
Design Details
Features
The Vitali ZeroSeven is a selective-fire 5.56×45mm assault carbine firing from a closed bolt using a gas-actuated piston-driven long-stroke operating system. Burnt powder gases are vented through a port inside the barrel to cycle the rifle’s moving parts. The system utilized in the ZeroSeven ensures that only a precise volume of gas is required to overcome the resistance of the moving assembly and is available in two settings for normal operation and heavy fouling.
The trigger mechanism features an ambidextrous safety and three firing modes: semi-automatic, 3-round burst, and fully automatic. A bolt-hold locks the bolt carrier assembly open after the rifle has expended its last cartridge; it can be released by lifting the bolt catch lever on the left side of the weapon’s receiver.
The rifle is fed using lightweight 30-round magazines as standard to the weapon. 10- and 20- round magazines have also been made for use in the ZeroSeven. The magazines are made of a semi-transparent polymer that can be locked together using molded studs to facilitate rapid reloading.
A side-folding skeleton stock comes standard on the ZeroSeven and can be firmly locked in the folded position by a socket which clips into a plastic stud. When the stock is in the extended position, it is held in place by a button catch. The later ZeroSeven-B variant would replaced the skeleton stock with one that could be adjusted, although the ability to fold the buttstock was retained.
The stock and pistol grip are made with high-strength polymer. The receiver and several of the internal components are made of steel and manufactured using a combination of stamping and welding. Gas system components are made of stainless steel with the barrel, bolt, bolt carrier, and firing pin undergoing a gas nitriding process before being hardened, tempered, and phosphated. The external receiver components are ceramic-reinforced for durability.
The barrel is cold hammer-forged and screwed into the receiver. It comes standard with a three-prong flash hider that can accept a bayonet attachment and a quick-detach suppressor. The rifling of the barrel consists of six right-hand grooves with a 254 mm rifling twist optimized for the Cacertian 5.56×45mm AR70 ammunition.
ZeroSevens undergo extensive accuracy and stress testing at the Vitali underground test range in Turago before being shipped out to ensure the company’s firearms remain up to standard.
Sights and Accessories
The ZeroSeven series come standard with a 540 mm long sight radius consisting of a diopter drum and a hooded front post installed on the gas block. The rear sight drum can be rotated and adjusted with 100 m increments. A pair of tritium inserts fitted laterally on each side of the notch for sighting targets in low-light and night environments. As part of the weapon’s design, the sights were placed relatively low over the bore axis to minimize the silhouette when firing in the prone position without making it difficult to shoulder the rifle in kneeling and offhand positions.
Although it did not come standard on the original ZeroSeven, a quick-detach rail can be installed on the receiver of these earlier models to allow users to mount a varying amount of optics. Later versions of the ZeroSeven would eventually be produced with a receiver-mounted rail as well as handguard rails as standard components on factory produced models; these new versions can be equipped with removable versions of the diopter sight or a pair of flip-up emergency battle sights.
Variants
- ZeroSeven (Assault Rifle)
Original ZeroSeven design chambered in the standard use 5.56×45mm round.
- ZeroSeven-B (Assault Rifle)
A variant of the ZeroSeven designed to fire the 7.62×51mm round used in the Gisenti battle rifles.
- ZeroSeven-C (Assault Rifle)
A standard-issue variant chambered in 5.56×45mm and equipped with an adjustable stock.
- ZeroSeven-D (Assault Rifle)
A variant of the ZeroSeven designed to fire the 7.62×39mm round. This variant was commissioned by the government of Ruvelka. It saw extensive service during the Zemplen War.
- ZeroSeven-E (Assault Rifle)
A version of the standard ZeroSeven equipped with a longer barrel and meant to fulfill the role of designated marksmen rifle.
Comparisons
| Cacerta ZeroSeven |
 RuvelkaG88 |
 OssoriaAR39 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance |
|
File:PrincipalityArmsG88lAssaultRifle.png | File:OssoriaAR39.jpg |
| In Service | 2007 | 1988 | 1983 |
| Weight without Magazine (kg) | 3.20 | 3.70 | 4.40 |
| Length (mm) | 730 | 935 | 985 |
| Barrel Length (mm) | 227 | 420 | 510 |
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm | 7.62×39mm | 6.25×46mm |
| Action | Semi-automatic, 3-round Burst, Automatic |
Semi-automatic, Automatic |
Semi-automatic, 3-round Burst, Automatic |
| Rate of Fire (Rounds/Min) | 700 | 750 | 850 |
| Muzzle Velocity (m/s) | 725 | 715 | 840 |
| Effective Firing Range (m) | 400 | 500 | 500 |
| Magazine | 30 (10/20) | 30 (60/96) | 30 |
| Standard Sights | Removable Dioptric | Dioptric | Rotary rear diopter drum, hooded front post |
| Aiming Optics Mounting | Picatinny Rail | Attacheable Picatinny Rail | Picatinny Rail |
Users
- The ZeroSeven is used extensively by the Royal Navy due to its small size. Also commonly used by airborne troops of the Royal Air Fleet and by special forces in the Royal Army.
- The first shipments of the 07D arrived in Ruvelka in the months leading up to the Zemplen War. They served extensively during the conflict, particular with the Imperial Fusiliers, and continue to be a part of the modern Ruvelkan arsenal.