LA5 .45 Sub-Machinegun
LA5 .45 Personal Defence Weapon
Designer: IFAM
Designed: 2011
Manufacturer : IFAM
Unit cost: 1200 NSD
Produced: 2010-present
Variants: SMG, PDW.
Weight: 2.8kg
Length: 629mm
Barrel length: 422mm (16.61 inches)
Cartridge: .45 Arsenal Standard Anemonian
Action: Gas-operated (short-stroke gas piston), rotating bolt
Rate of fire: 820 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 571 m/s (1,873 ft/s)
Effective range: 100 m (328 ft)
Feed system: 30-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Dual-mode accessory diopter sight and front post, flip up, Deimos interface system for optics.
Background and History
In 2010, shortly following the development and commencement of production of the AR9 rifle, a suggestion was put forward by Arsenal Karonin concerning the development of a .45 ASA submachine-gun based off the AR9's base design for use in close quarters combat by forces who required the sheer power of the large pistol round at close quarters. However, following the decision by Fleet Security to employ the 6.7mm AR9 Ultrashort in close quarters combat, together with the development and introduction of the automatic capable .45 ASA ASP combat pistol, resulted in most other Anemonian units who might have needed the SMG variant of the Ar9 following a similar line, and the project was dropped.
However, the project had already developed a working prototype of the submachine gun, and the proposal was nonetheless kept 'on file' for further reference if necessary. Left to fade away for a year, it was only with the decision to pursue the export of Anemonian small arms that the concept of a .45 ASA submachine gun built on an AR9 base was brought up once more. As it was perceived that many other potential buyers would have a niche requirement for a highly compact and effective sub-machine gun built upon an already successful base in areas like close combat that would be frequented by special operations forces and law enforcement.
In order to update the prototype designs to a more export friendly form, IFAM redeveloped the weapon along the AR9R1's lines, introducing the same ergonomic upgrades made to the AR9's basic frame and a Rail Interface System in order to both increase its export desirability and its overall effectiveness. Within Anemos Major itself, the weapon's only customer was a handful of police departments who opted to utilise the .45 ASA option with its decreased penetration; it was developed beyond its prototype form solely for the export stage. As such, no Anemonian records of its performance exist whatsoever; on paper, however, it is simply an AR9 chambered in .45 ASA; highly effective, reliable and accurate for its size, and a true world beater in that sense.
Design
Directly derived from the IFAM AR9R1, the IFAM LA5 (Lenterise Automatyr, or Light Automatic) is a submachine gun developed to bring the compact design ethos of the AR9 to a lighter, pistol calibre weapon. Utilising the ergonomically effective base of the AR9, and modifying its internals to accommodate the .45 round, it gives those who desire a powerful submachine gun a weapon purpose designed for effective close quarters operations.
The LA5 is composed of a plexiglass outer frame; this glass-reinforced polymer has a 3:7 ratio of glass fibres to polymer, greatly increasing the resistance of the weapon to the wear and tear of battlefield environments when compared to standard all polymer constructions, ranging from standard attrition to hard impact. Metal alloys are utilised in the construction of the inner frame of the weapon; absorbing much of the recoil generated by the weapon, this metal reinforced construction significantly decreases the stress placed on the polymer construction of the LA5, thus increasing its service life through an effective distribution of internal pressure. Heat dissipation is achieved through a series of vents on the upper half of the handguard, as well as heat retention and dissipation through forward ejection port. The barrel is constructed out of cold hammer-forged steel, and is internally chromed.
The action utilised within the LA5 is a short stroke gas piston with a rotating bolt. This short stroke piston is composed of a piston assembly located in a tube above the rifle's barrel, and a connecting assembly which attempts to minimise the stress placed on the action itself by controlling the energy transfer between the recoiling parts and the bolt assembly. By removing the exposure of the weapon's internals to the gases and heat, unlike a direct impingement system, the short-stroke gas piston greatly increases the reliability and service life of the LA5 system, while the lower mass of recoiling parts means that there is less disruption to the LA5's point of aim during sustained automatic fire; in this way, the short stroke system also manages to make the LA5 a highly stable firing platform. A forward ejection system removes cartridges efficiently; the 'push' mechanism employed prevents spent casings from hurtling out at high speed and removes them in a manner that increases the close combat effectiveness of the LA5, disposing them in front of the LA5's user, preventing spent cartridges from hitting allies in close combat, and does so with minimal force, preventing the cartridges from becoming a nuisance or, worse still, a threat.
The feed device generally used within the LA5 is the 30 round, polymer .45 ASA magazine. The polymer construction greatly increases the durability of the magazine, making it resistant to warping and other changes of shape under stress and all the resultant feed problems associated with such damage; it also covers the internal construction of the magazine fully, thus protecting fragile components like the feed lips from external stress. The follower is constructed out of the same fibreglass utilised in the construction of the LA5 itself; shock resistant, and thus greatly resistant to any problems that could potentially lead it to feed incorrectly, the polymer within the fibreglass construction of the follower means that it is also self-lubricating, creating a highly reliable base for the magazine feed. The magazine also features indicator ports on the back, covered with transparent polymers to prevent the elements from entering the delicate internals of the magazine, that nonetheless allow the operator to quickly determine the ammunition level of the weapon.
In terms of sighting, the LA5 is generally employed with the Crown Army's standardised 'ICO (Infantry Combat Optics)' family of sighting equipment in combat. However, the LA5 also features an innovative BUIS system to ensure that each user of the LA5 is provided with a second option if needed. A flip up system, the LA5's BUIS is designed to remain unobtrusive until needed. Fully windage adjustable, the sights feature a circular diopter with a three-prong forward sighting system for simple and accurate target acquisition. Furthermore, the rear sights are dual mode; with flip-changeable diopters with different sighting circle diameters, the LA5's BUIS allows the shooter to choose between different levels of eye relief suited to different operational necessities. With photo-luminescent inserts to either side of the rear diopter's sighting circles and on the central prong of the forward sights, the LA5's BUIS are designed to be unobtrusive when unused, and highly effective when in use.
Attachment of additional optics and external components is performed through the use of a Picatinny pattern rail interface system. This ensures commonality of parts across a large number of internationally produced attachments; this permits the usage of most internationally distributed weapons attachments on the LA5, giving it a degree of flexibility that matches every need a special operations operator would have.
In terms of ergonomics, the LA5 is designed for maximum effectiveness at close quarters, in high intensity combat. The polymer construction of the weapon provides 'grip' alongside the uniquely shaped trigger guard of the weapon, greatly decreasing the LA5's tendency to slip during high intensity combat, remedying a significant operational failure of many other weapons on the market. Hand-filling, the integrated pistol grip of the LA5 features texturing to further increase the grip provided by the rough-surfaced external polymer construction of the LA5; keeping the design simple, the pistol grip nonetheless affords a great degree of usability to the weapon. The large thumb hole is large enough to prevent it from becoming constrictive to the operator of the weapon, but nonetheless highly effective in allowing it to be kept under control and in the hand in battlefield environments where a moment of haphazard movement could potentially result in the rifle falling from the hand. Furthermore, the slide selector, also textured to increase grip, is designed to be fully accessible with the thumb of the firing hand, while the magazine eject is accessible with the firing hand's index finger. The charging handle is located just in front of the trigger assembly, where both hands, firing or non firing, can easily operate it; in this way, the user is able to control the vast majority of the rifle's basic necessary functions without trouble and without fully breaking his or her firing stance. Finally, the stock is another highly effective, greatly understated but vital component of the weapon's ergonomics; the rubber buttplate, textured to provide both comfort to the shooter's shoulder and grip, is highly adjustable, catering to the personal preferences and necessities of a wide variety of shooting styles and structures, and the sloping cheek weld maximises user comfort to permit comfortable shooting. In order to increase its grip and the comfort of its position on the shoulder, indents were put in the rubber buttstock, as well as its shape. This answered one of the key issues found with the weapon in field use; it aided response times and accurate weapon usage in extended combat by allowing soldiers to keep the weapon at their shoulder with minimal effort. Another change made was the introduction of a button at the bottom of the stock construction, located in front of the recoil mitigating hydraulic buffer mechanism. One button is located on either side of the stock, opposite each other; depression of the left button unlocks the bottom portion of the adjustable buttstock, while the right button does so for the top.
A small divergence in design can be found between the SMG and PDW versions of the weapon; while the SMG utilises a Rail Interface System on the underside of the handguard, the PDW features a thumbhole and P90 style grip for ease of control in close quarters combat.