Marshite Militia Recruit training with the ABC.
MIP Advanced Battle Carbine
Weight: 2.5 kg unloaded, 3.1 kg loaded.
Length: 600 mm/520mm (stock retracted)
Barrel Length: 350mm
Cartridge: 5.56mm Marshite Caseless
Action: Gas-operated rotating bolt.
Muzzle Velocity: 950m/s
Rate of fire: 700-800 rounds a minute
Effective Range: 600 m
Maximum Range: 900 m
Feed System: 60 round magazine.
Sights: Aperture rear, hooded post front. Picatinny rails allow alternates.
Background
When the Infantry Standard Arms Review of 2008 took place with the aim of replacing the M-256 and AVIR as standard weapons of the Marshite military, it was made up of multiple parts. The ISAR-Rifle was a review and competition of multiple designs to replace the AVIR and fielded five separate designs as options. The AY-144L (with an M modification for Marshite) and the LY21 AHLAR from Lyran Arms were the two foreign designs. Marshite Industrial Khaska brought the MIK Duran FCR, the final evolution of the venerable Duran family of weapons. Marshite Industrial St. Husky developed the MIH IAR, a rapid-action infantry automatic rifle that put light machine gun firepower in the hands of every Marshite. And Marshite Industrial Pushania brought to the competition the MIP Advanced Battle Carbine, or MIP ABC.
While the AHLAR eventually won the competition, the MIP ABC was able to find a role on the battlefield as the best carbine available on the market. A lightweight but still very effective design perfect for use by logistics and special action personnel, millions were used by the Marshite military in the carbine role and with further enhancements as a PDW and sub-machinegun.
The MIP ABC is a superior carbine, the combination of relatively low cost and high effectiveness making it a unique presence. While made to use the 5.56 Marshite caseless, it can be manufactured to use more standard 5.56 munitions.
Construction
The MIP ABC is made out of fibreglass reinforced polyamide and other advanced polymers with titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V where possible. The barrel is cold-hammer forged steel with tungsten carbide hard facing. Hard facing has been done in the past but not in the manner that is done heret. This process involves a spray mixture of tungsten carbide imbedded in a hard nickel-chrome matrix onto the barrel. By using this mix it forms a metallurgical bond with the substrate forged steel. The final product has bond strength of 75,000 psi. This reduces wear and tear on the barrel and helps increase the heat resistance of the barrel as well. The less wear and tear on a part in a volatile area the better and the result was a highly durable yet very lightweight carbine rifle. The magazine catch is made out of lightweight polymer as are the handguards. A bullup design allows it to be wielded by soldiers of either handedness and for a greater length of its design involve the barrel.
The design objectives of the ABC aimed for reliability and ease-of-maintenance, particularly under adverse or battlefield conditions, and it is considered to be more reliable than comparable carbines. It is designed to be easily field-stripped, without the need for any additional tools. The rifle is waterproof and its internal mechanism is fully sealed from outside elements. The ABC features a last round bolt catch, whereby the bolt holds open after the last round empties. This is a request of modern armies, as it helps to allow soldiers to reduce reloading times during combat.
Ammunition
The MIP ABC initially used 6.5 Grendel, but soon shifted to a design of caseless proportion after the success of the 6.3 LCL. A modified version, the Marshite 5.56mm is a superb caseless round in its own right
It uses a denatured hexogen propellant, the 5.56MCL is a 78% RDX, 12% cellulose acetate (CA), 5.8% triacetin(TA), 4% low-nitrogen content nitrocellulose, 0.2% cardamite mix. The CA is used as an energetic binder, with the TA serving as the CA’s plasticiser to improve the propellant block’s cohesion. By virtue of its unique composition, is an extremely low vulnerability ammunition, and does not ignite even at 350C, although starts producing yellow fumes at 220C. In contrast, conventional nitrocellulose propellant ignites at temperatures slightly below 175C. Despite the usage of caseless ammunition, the 5.56 Marshite is actually less likely to cook-off than conventional ammunition.
Further, at 1097J/g, the 5.56 Marshite’s propellant is marginally superior to conventional ammunition propellant in energy terms.
Care has been taken in production to keep the plasticiser percentage below 6%, as irregular combustion becomes more prominent as TA increases.
Theoretical prediction of the ballistic performance of this formulation indicates it can achieve marginally superior ballistics for propellant loading, relative to existing nitrocellulose compositions.
Combustible cellulose end-caps ensure that the projectile and primer sit properly within the round, and disintegrate during firing.
The 5.56 Marshite is a tungsten-carbide-cored, armour-piercing round, designed for use against armies fielding personnel with high-end body armour as standard. It has significant yaw and can cause terrible internal wounding.
Operating and feed system and recoil attenuation
The MIP ABC is, in most respects, a reasonable conventional closed-bolt, balanced-automatic, short-stroke gas-operated carbine. The weapon’s caseless nature removes the requirement for ejection of cases during normal operation, which removes the step from the operating cycle.
The cocking handle is located on the left side of the weapon, and serves to load a round into the chamber, and can also be used to eject rounds in the chamber via the ejection port on the right-hand side of the weapon.
The ABC balanced-automatic system is based on utilisation of the propellant gases to drive not just the piston which drives the bolt rearward towards battery, but also to push a secondary piston and counterweight in the opposite direction, ie towards the muzzle. The mechanics are such that as the bolt reaches the furthest rearward part of its recoiling (thus impacting the rubber pads of the interior of the butt plate), the counterweight also reaches the end-point of its forward movement. This 'balanced recoil' action noticeably decreases felt recoil and thus improves controllability and accuracy in fully automatic or rapid-semiautomatic firing. The net result is that the ABC can be fired on the move accurately.
The rubber pads described above are of further relevance if a silencer is fitted, as this padding also significantly reduces the sound produced by the bolt and piston assemblies impacting their respective stops, circumventing the tell-tale 'click-click-click' sound of silenced automatic weapons fire.
The magazine and feed systems of the ABC has been through a number of refinements. Initial attempts were similar in operation to that of the M4, but after the AHLAR won, other investments and upgrades were suggested and the ABC went about upgrading itself. Large capacity magazines, with multiple magazine wells, fed an asymmetric, off magazine-axis chamber. The magazine features three single-stacked magazine wells, with the rounds oriented towards the muzzle of the weapon. The bolt feeds first the right well, then, once the right well is empty, the magazine catch at the bottom of the well causes the bolt to rotate as it moves forward, thus feeding from the centre well, and the same occurs to feed from the left once the central well is exhausted. Once the left well is empty, the magazine catch prevents the weapon from locking forward, which makes for a slightly faster reload time by a trained operator. The magazine is significantly thinner and shorter than the 6.3 LCL as a result, helping center the weight and help with recoil even further.
Recoil mitigation was a factor considered important. The bolt-carrier assembly moves rearwards into heavy duty recoil springs, which absorb an appreciable portion of the contact/impact with the back of the weapon.
Further, use of the patented Marshite-designed 'Salida' handgrips, approved for the the MIP ABC's construction, was vetted and approved. Salida grips feature ergonomic finger grooves, carefully machined tactile palm grips, and a patented soft-durable rubber composite. They also have basic fingerprint imprinting which prevents it from being used by unregistered users should the feature be enabled. A full-potency muzzle-brake, mostly hidden behind the forward elements of the weapon’s furnishings, deflects propellant gases upward and sideways, counteracting some of the rifle’s rearward motion, and also serving in a capacity as a flash suppressor. This muzzle-brake is internally threaded for use with silencers or sound-suppressors, and is designed to also prevent the propellant gases from kicking up dust in and around the shooter’s location, even from the basic-prone firing position. This muzzle-brake is internally threaded for use with silencers or sound-suppressors, and is designed to also prevent the propellant gases from kicking up dust in and around the shooter’s location, even from the basic-prone firing position.
Sighting and Accessories
The ABC can be fitted with a wide range of sights and accessories. The Metroite MAP 21, MIL MARSHwitch integrated laser and IR-pointer, Lyran ACOG (LY-44), and MIOtech holographic sights are among only a few of the many options that exist to be added onto the rail. 40MM Grenade Launchers, underbarrel shotgun attachments, and suppression devices are also easily attached.
ISAR-Rifle Trial Reports and Combat Record
During the ISAR-Rifle Trial, the MIP ABC received incredibly high marks for ease of use and ergonomics. Numerous aspects of the new platform were considered, including: Mean Rounds Between Failures (MRBF); accuracy and retention of zero using various sights; human ergonomics during extended periods of use, including marches as long as 37 miles; speed and accuracy of sighting in daytime and nighttime with iron sights, magnified and night vision optics, and lasers; use with underbarrel grenade launcher; and maintenance-relevant issues. The ABC was graded as having exceptional situational ergonomics, being able to be held naturally and operated efficiently even when under physical pressure and fatigue. The ultra-compact form factor allows for easy transitions in close-quarter situations and in different vehicles. The full-length barrel also means no loss of downrange ballistic efficiency. It performed wonderfully in multiple combat testing environments, falling to the FCR and the AHLAR due to the inherent superiority of the AHLAR and the lethality and range of the FCR.
However, the amazing combination of weight and performance guaranteed that the ABC was going to see combat. It quickly found homes in tanks, planes, helicopters, Inquisition forces, and Militia armored forces. Marines and Special Forces also saw fit to use the carbine which in all situations passed with flying colors, surpassing other carbines in service or development. Because of the size it was even deployed as a heavy SMG and PDW, cementing its location in the pantheon. The ability for it to engage in close quarters combat with extreme authority and even be fired from the hip while running with reasonable accuracy made it a beloved weapon.
Export
The MIP ABC is one of the most advanced carbines on the market, featuring superb firepower and weight. A capable carbine or even PDW, it is an all-weather, highly durable war platform. With millions of ABCs already produced, the first seven batches of ABCs sold will feature a reduced cost.
The MIP ABC is sold at a cost of $540. DPRs are sold at $1.1 billion.
The MIP ABC is sold through Covenant Arms.
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