Ian takes the time in the video to go over FB Radom’s service rifle entry. Poland, after their entry into NATO, worked hard at joining the military logistics lines as best they could. However they had a military trained on the AK, and that training doesn’t change on a dime when it comes to manual of arms.
The compromise prior was the Beryl. A competently modernized AK that will stand up as useable for decades yet to come. But it wasn’t a modern rifle. It was like an M16A4, an excellent culmination of late 20th century design. It was not an M4A1 URG-I, where similarities to identical systems of internal operation are present but everything possible to optimize has been done from the outset.
The XM5 is another example, an AR-16/18 design with modern aluminum forging and machining making up the foundation around a proven operating system optimized for performance and size.
The MSBS Grot looks like the ACR, because it is what the ACR was supposed to be. A modern modular service weapon with components optimized for both performance and serviceability.
Poland took the concept of the ACR, SCAR, and other modern modular service weapons and put together a system that would meet multiple service needs and requirements, including a bullpup format like an X95 or MDRX for those circumstances where a bullpup is advantageous. It is an excellent organizational solution that want to standardize many parts while having the option to configure rifles for specific roles. Bullpups can be deployed with vehicle borne users or those working in actively urban zones and the traditional carbines can be used with organizations more conventionally afield. The bullpup made it to production state, but not into the update phase as no units requested its fielding.
It is a very interesting rifle and talking with FB Radom about it last year at SHOT was quite fun.
