The future may finally be here with Forward Defense Munitions’ L5 “Ribbon Gun.”
The level of innovation and technology in the rifle is extensive, but the main feature is that it is capable of firing five simultaneous shots with a single pull of the trigger.
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Examining the L5 Ribbon Gun
We’ll go feature by feature here, because there is a lot to digest with the L5.
For starters, the rifle features a battery powered “Electromagnetic/Transverse Camshaft” action; it fires upwards of 15,000 shots with a single charge.
From the Military Times:
While guns today use a physically activated firing mechanism to ignite the primer in a cartridge, sending the round hurtling forward out of its shell, the L5 uses electromagnetic actuators to fire its bullets.
One standard feature the L5 has is that it comes complete with Picatinny rails. Like most rifles, standard, commercially available gear fits right on.
L5 Ribbon Gun Ammo
Then there’s the ammo itself, which FDM refers to as its “charge block caseless ammunition.” Each charge block contains five projectiles, primers and propellant charges.
FDM says the charge blocks eliminate “the need to load individual rounds, saving vast amounts of time by passing that duty on to the manufacturer. This profoundly increases the effective sustained rate of fire for forces wielding the L5.”
The Military Times reports:
The bullets themselves are 6mm, similar to the caliber size the Army is attempting to adopt in the coming years. Rounds for the L5 are housed in small metal blocks, which can hold up to five bullets at time, fed to five vertically-stacked barrels.
FDM says, “To prevent overheating, each block is ejected after use, along with any heat that would otherwise be held in a chamber. The blocks are precisely guided into position, moving only one half-inch, minimizing the probability of jamming.”
But would the U.S. Military ever field the L5? It’s certainly not out of the question.
Watch the L5 Ribbon Gun in action above.
For more information, please visit FDmunitions.com.
