RC1 — a lightweight tactical carbine
I built a new weapon. I call it the GridScout™ RC1. Why RC1? Because it’s easier to explain that RC1 stands for Reeder Carbine One than to explain that PK6 (its original name) stands for Piŝta Karabeno je 6,5mm Grendel.
Weapon design
I wanted a gun that’s especially easy to handle in close-quarters combat without sacrificing effectiveness at medium range (up to 500 yards). While a PDW may be great in close quarters and an M4-style carbine is pretty good up to 300 yards, both are severely handicapped beyond that range. A PDW’s range suffers from its very short barrel, while the carbine is typically held back by a diminutive 5.56x45 NATO cartridge. In either case, the energy of the bullet is insufficient to remain effective at my maximum intended distance against human targets and the occasional medium-size game animal. (Besides the obvious counterterrorism missions, I intend to hunt wolves, deer, and wild boar with this puppy.)
As an illustration that 5.56x45 won’t do, consider that at 500 yards it will have lost 68% of its kinetic energy, reducing it to just 541 ft·lb. While there’s no universal agreement on how much it takes to do the job well, I set my requirement at 800 ft·lb based on the guidance of Chuck Hawks. A 6.5 Grendel cartridge exceeds this slightly at 500 yards, giving 818 ft·lb; whereas the lighter and less streamlined 5.56mm cartridge can comply only out to 300 yards. (Calculations based on Wolf™ Military Classic cartridges — 6.5 Grendel, 100gr, 0.515 BC, 2723 ft/s MV; vs .223 Remington, 55gr, 0.395 BC, 3241 ft/s MV.)
Basis
The RC1 design is based somewhat on the Alexander™ 6.5 Grendel Incursion, which is relatively light and fires one of the most effective general-purpose cartridges for modern carbines. The Incursion, however, isn’t everything that I want it to be.
It’s slightly longer than I prefer in close quarters, and it still relies on the direct-impingement gas system that got M16 operators killed in Vietnam.
But thanks to the versatility and popularity of Eugene Stoner’s modular AR-15 design —upon which the M16 and the Incursion are based—, we now have a standardized means of interchanging parts to fit the needs and wants of the shooter. The RC1 takes advantage of this in two important ways.
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Certain part selections, inspired by PDWs and by AR15A3-derived ultralight carbines, serve to make the RC1 lighter and more maneuverable.
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The bolt is be cycled by a gas piston, based on the Armalite AR-180 design, which has proven substantially more reliable than direct gas impingement.
Piston gas systems consistently outperform direct-impingement systems in reliability tests, as they did in a 2007 test by the U.S.Army.
Barrel
The barrel of the RC1 is of the standard 16” carbine length, just long enough to avoid the red tape associated with a short-barreled rifle. This length also produces high enough muzzle velocity and bullet energy for practical medium-range use. To minimize length, no muzzle device will be mounted on the barrel.
Buttstock
The RC1 has a very short, fixed-length buttstock to shift its mass closer to the shooter’s body where it’s most easily supported. If it had the 33° grip angle that’s most common in modern carbines, then it would be uncomfortable for the wrist of the shooter’s dominant hand; so the RC1’s grip is instead nearly vertical as in a PDW. This weapon is meant to be as lightweight as practicable, in order to limit muscle fatigue so the shooter can more easily keep his sights steady on the target.
Sights
The RC1 will be equipped with two sighting systems:
- A lightweight fixed-power riflescope (not yet mounted), for 100- to 500-yard engagements
- Simple offset iron sights for quick target acquisition within 100 yards
The Product
2018 — Receivers, pins, & magazine
2018-12 — Buttstock, grip, & barrel
2019 — Charging handle & endplate
2020-06 — Trigger & guard, selector, mag release, & assorted lower innards
2020-06-25 — Flaired magazine well
2021-03 — Piston kit & rear sight
2021-04 — Handguard, front sight, & thread protector
Projected total weight, with a scope and a full magazine, is 7 lb 1 oz. Total length is 31 5/16 inches.
Performance
It shoots good. ;)