Hornady, through its French distributor Sidam SAS, will supply the French Ministry of Defense with more than 90,000 of its Rapid Rack empty chamber indicator/load-assist devices, the Nebraska-based company has confirmed.

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Context

In late 2016, it was announced that the French Armed Forces had selected the Heckler & Koch HK416F to replace its decades-old FAMAS bullpup—nicknamed the Bugle due to its shape—as its standard assault rifle. The French MoD is buying a customized Hornady Rapid Rack, sporting a black handle instead of the standard red, to go with 93,340 of these new HK416s.

“This purchase confirms that Hornady is recognized throughout the world as a supplier of not only top-of-the-line ammunition but also innovative accessories,” said Steve Catlett, Hornady’s international sales manager. “We’re just as proud to help the French armed forces defend their nation as we are to help U.S. law enforcement agencies stay cruiser ready with our Rapid Rack.”

The monetary value of the deal wasn’t mentioned in Hornady’s presser.

Hornady Rapid Rack

The dual-purpose Hornady Rapid Rack allows LEOs and military personnel to keep their long guns ready with a fully charged mag and a visibly empty chamber. To use, you insert the cartridge-shaped portion into the chamber—leaving the lever protruding from the ejection port—and close the bolt and insert a loaded mag. Then you grab the lever and pull it straight back. This allows the Rapid Rack to fall to the ground, causing the fully charged bolt to spring forward and feed a round into the chamber.

Check out the video below for a closer look at this device. We’ve also included a video showing the HK416F in action.

For more, go to Hornady.com.