Thailand Unveils Indigeneous 5.56mm Rifle

05 Oktober 2020

NARAC556 assault rifle (all photos : AAG)

Ministry of Defense of Thailand have acquired undisclosed number of domestic NARAC556 assault rifles manufactured by local company NARAC ARMS INDUSTRY (NRC Ammunition) under designation as MOD 963 and MOD 963 AR for 20 "and 14.5" length barrel respectively.

Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defense, Ministry of Defense, Thailand together with the private sector, NARAC ARMS INDUSTRY, Thailand and Pathumwan Institute of Technology conducted a research and development project of a standard 5.56x45mm NATO rifle, 20inch caliber, with a maximum firing range of 400m and a 5.56mm NATO assault rifle with a 14.5inch long range of firing range up to 250m.

The NARAC556 family of rifles is based on improvements from the Colt AR-15 rifle family, which is stationed in the Royal Thai Army (RTA), Thai Navy (RTN), Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) and the Royal Thai Police (RTP) in many versions such as M16A1 assault rifle, M16A2 assault rifle, M16A4 assault rifle, Colt Commando carbine (CAR-15) and M4 carbine, etc.

The NARAC556 rifle operates with a short stroke piston gas system. There is a rotary adjust the rate of fire. Barrel placed in the free-floating upper gun frame. The lower frame is standard, the AR15 family of rifles accommodate the standard 5.56mm NATO holster with a capacity of 30 rounds.

The firing lever can be adjusted in three levels: safe trigger, single shot (Semi) and mechanical fire (Auto), as well as the magazine release button and the slider release button can be controlled left and right. It is strong and durable. Can be operated in weather conditions. Light weight (2.9kg empty gun body) low recoil force

The components of the NARAC556 rifle 80 percent are in-house produced which has built a number of prototype guns 16 cylinders and passed the standard test by the Armament Standards Committee, Ministry of Defense, such as the durability of shooting more than 6,,000 rounds.

The 20 "barreled version and the 14.5" barreled version ordered by the Thai Ministry of Defense will be imported to service as the MOD 963 rifle and the MOD 963 AR assault rifle, respectively. 

Expected direct units of the Thai Ministry of Defense to receive the MOD 963 family rifles, namely the Security Battalion and the Military Police, the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters (RTARFHQ).

It made it clear that with the size of the gun supply units there would not be many. But this is one of the latest efforts to support the Thai defense industry, according to the main target industry strategy 11, 'S-Curve 11'

(AAG)