Weight: 3.6 kg (unloaded), 4.4 kg (loaded)
Length: 710mm
Barrel length: 450mm
Cartridge: 6.3 x 40mm Lyran Caseless (6.3mm LCL)
Action: gas operated, electrically fired rotary breech
Rate of fire: 650rpm (cyclic)
Muzzle velocity: 880 m/s
Effective range: 500 m
Max range: 800 m
Feed system: 60 rd detachable box
Sights: Aperture rear, hooded post front. Picatinny rails allow alternates.
Abstract
The LY21 Advanced High Lethality Assault Rifle (AHLAR) [pronounced – ‘a-LAR’, as in ‘alarm’] is a short-stroke, balanced automatic, electrically-fired, light weight, robust, high capacity weapon chambered in 6.3x40mm Lyran Caseless (6.3 LCL), designed and built by the Protectorate of Lyras.
Background, development and conceptualisation
As more and more weapons, of varying quality, flooded the international markets, many in Lyras chose to take the dearth of poor quality or ambiguous weapons as indication that in-service Lyran weaponry was sufficient. Others took developments overseas as indicative of continued pressure, reasoning, not incorrectly, that developments and upgrades, especially amongst the major powers, were likely to continue, and that Lyran parity in small arms was insufficient, and overmatch, if practical, was preferable. In depth analysis of variant thought in firearms design, and prototype evaluation of a host of exotic and rare small arms was conducted, and a broad inter-Order panel was formulated to examine the practicality of many innovations.
Discussions of many possibilities went on for quite some time, and disputes were often heated. Over the course of the weapon’s development three scientists died in a pair of duels when tempers boiled over. In one of those two instances, when the challenge was issued it was discovered that both challengers were pilots, and had each nominated an aerial duel as their preferred resolution. The duel was conducted in cannon-armed LY909 Sparrowhawks over a 200x200km area, and was decided by a mid-air collision which claimed both lives. As a result of the setbacks incurred by the LY21 project as a result of these three fatalities, an Executive Inquiry was commenced into the impact of legislatively supervised duels within Lyras, and its findings have yet to be released.
Despite this, and other setbacks, progress on the weapon continued to enjoy broad Executive-Command-level support and by mid 2010 (several years into the program) the design was firming up.
While not revolutionary in any sense, the LY21 was certainly unusual, with its amalgamation of a number of modern and innovative small arms developments producing a distinctive weapon, which is intended to function as the mainstay of the Protectorate’s infantry arsenal for some time.
Construction
As is the case with small arms design anywhere, attempts to minimise carried weight and improve handiness and portability are in conflict with measures designed to optimise the weapon’s capacity to generate sustained, accurate and effective fire. Lessons learned from the LY46 ‘Hellhammer’ .50LCL handgun have, where applicable, been transferred to the LY21, foremost amongst them being an unusual blend of light and heavy construction in different areas of the weapon.
The majority of the weapon’s body is made of high-durability, lightweight, impact-resistant fibreglass-reinforced polyamide. This comes in a high-grip matte finish, with a variety of colours or camouflage patterns available.
The working parts and majority of the gas system are tungsten primarily for its very high heat tolerance, which improves the weapon’s performance and sustained accuracy.
The barrel is cold hammer-forged steel, and is chrome lined, with a 1 in 10 rifling twist.
Internal electrics are composed of Indium Gallium Arsenide, selected despite its higher cost over silicon for its extremely high resistance to electromagnetic pulse attack. Circuitry is further protected by kraton insulation, to further improve electromagnetic resilience. Given the very-short lengths of wiring, however, this was never likely to be a problem, in any case.
Sundries are generally composed of synthetics, to keep the weapon’s weight down as far as practical, given the parameters of performance. This is a marked difference from the otherwise conceptually not-dissimilar G11, which made far greater use of metals in its construction, and has a physically far more complex operating system.
Ammunition
While Lyran experience with caseless ammunition in the LY46 has been of some use in developing the 6.3x40mm rounds that feed the LY21, the notable differences between the platforms has made the 6.3LCL quite different from the .50LCL round in most regards.
While the .50LCL uses a denatured hexogen propellant, the 6.3LCL 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. 6.3LCL, 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, 6.3LCL is actually less likely to cook-off than conventional ammunition.
Further, at 1097J/g, the 6.3LCL’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.
6.3LCL rounds are compliant with the CL6 standard, and are suitable for usage in any weapon with a chamber pressure of 500MPa or better, and an electric ignition. (i.e., CL6 is a broad standard, CL6-40.EC5 is a particular specification it provides, "EC5" standing for electric current ignition, 500 MPa pressure limit, and 6.3LCL is a specific round compliant with it).
6.3LCL comes in two primary variants. The baseline is a hardened steel core, lead-base round optimised for lethality at all ranges and conditions, issued as standard, and similar in terminal effects to the JMC Mk5 that Lyran soldiers are already familiar with.
The second, the 6.3LCLTC is a tungsten-carbide-cored, armour-piercing round, designed for use against armies fielding personnel with high-end body armour as standard.
Operating and feed system and recoil attenuation
The LY21 is, in most respects, a reasonable conventional closed-bolt, balanced-automatic, short-stroke gas-operated assault rifle. 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 LY21’s 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.
Borrowing from the LY20, 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 LY21 has been through a number of refinements. Initial attempts were similar in operation to that of the G11 light support weapon prototypes designed by Heckler and Koch in the late 1980s. Large capacity magazines, with multiple magazine wells, fed an asymmetric, off magazine-axis chamber. The feed path from these variants is shown below.
While innovative, the magazine’s complexity added to its weight, increased it (and the weapon’s own) fragility, and detracted from magazine and platform reliability. Subsequent to that, a new design with a more conventionally laid out three-well single-stacked magazine, and a dramatically simplified feed path, was employed. While longer, and thinner, the magazine is considerably simpler in operation, and savings in weight and reliability were considered worth the weapon’s taller profile. 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 profile is, however, not as much taller as would otherwise be thought, with the simplified pathing contributing to a smaller chamber and less extensive bolt and action.
LY21 magazines are about 50% longer than a conventional 30rnd 5.56mm STANAG magazine, but only fractionally wider, which allows for easy carriage on chest webbing or similar. The light-weight, high-strength, semi-transparent plastic magazine, with readily delineated notches, also provides for easy assessment of the number of remaining rounds, should the shooter lose count (an easy prospect, given the high-capacity magazines).
Recoil mitigation was a factor considered early on in the LY21’s design, and lessons learned on both the LY20 and LY46 were considered. 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 Pachmayr-designed 'Decelerator' handgrips, approved for the LY46, has been approved also for the LY21. Decelerator grips feature ergonomic finger grooves, carefully machined tactile palm grips, and a patented soft-durable rubber composite. 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.
Trigger/safety mechanism
Due to the AHLAR’s implementation of low vulnerability caseless ammunition, the LY21 uses an electronic trigger, rather than the conventional firing pin/percussion cap layout, to ignite the propellant and release a round. The electrical ignition grants lock times at approximately 20 microseconds; a considerable improvement on mechanical lock times, in addition to the other benefits. Fewer moving parts, and no mass shift during firing also improves accuracy and decreases component wear. Twin 15-volt lithium ion polymer batteries, located in the lower portion of the butt, allow it to fire approximately 5,000 rounds without replacement or recharge. The battery charge status can be displayed through the multi-function battlesight by activation of the appropriate switch on the sighting system, and a plug can serve as a recharge point, from any standard AC or DC power source, including those featured on most Lyran AFVs. The battery’s are loaded from the rear of the butt, and can be changed in about 20 seconds, should the need arise.
Like all Lyran weapons, the LY21 uses a dual-pressure trigger system. Pulling the trigger to the first pressure (2.1 kg) fires semi-automatically, but pulling the trigger to the second trigger pressure (4.5kg) produces automatic fire. This system, similar to that featured on the Austrian Steyr AUG, enables the operator to employ either semi-automatic or automatic fire without adjusting the weapon in any way, or breaking the firing position. A single-shot lockout stud, located below the trigger, can be pulled out to prevent the trigger being pulled rearward to the second pressure, and thus will prevent accidental employment of automatic fire. The stud can be pushed back into the trigger, thus re-allowing automatic fire, by a split-second movement of the index or middle finger of the master hand.
Safety of the AUG, set to ‘fire’.
The LY21 borrows most of the features of its safety system from the earlier LY20. The safety is located immediately above the weapon's pistol grip, and is a simple thumb or index-finger operated push-action trigger-lock safety. In the LY21’s case, this also includes connections to the weapon’s electrical system. When set to ‘safe’, the rifle’s electronic trigger circuit is not complete, making engaging the trigger ineffective. The safety protrudes 1cm from the weapon's right, just above a right hander's index finger, when in safe mode, and displays a white dot to the operator.
When switched to “fire” condition, the safety is taken offline by the index finger pushing it into the weapon. The safety will then protrude 1cm out the opposite (left hand) side of the weapon, and display a red dot to the operator, indicating the weapon's state of readiness visually, as well as to physical inspection. This safety system, identical to that featured on the AUG, was selected for its ability to be engaged or disengaged without the operator taking his hands from the weapon's foregrip or trigger, and yet being able to check the readiness status of the weapon without visual inspection.
Sighting system
As is increasingly common on Lyran small arms, the LY21 features a full-length dorsal picatinny rail for mounting of any number of sighting systems. Anything compatible with the picatinny rail system can be mounted on the weapon.
Accessories
The LY21’s full length dorsal, and mid-length ventral and lateral picatinny rails provide the system with a tremendous versatility. The following illustration shows some of the many possible accessories, but is by no means exhaustive.
Accessories
Note, however, that the weapon is not provided with these accessories, when delivered. Choice of additions to the platform are an end-user prerogative, and the cost of these accessories is not covered by purchase of an LY21.
Export
The LY21 AHLAR is designed to equip sophisticated and well trained fighting forces. Careful production and quality control standards, as well as insurance of the weapon’s robustness under adverse conditions, has left the LY21 as a weapon for the more discerning military and paramilitary forces. Deliveries of the LY21 are made in the ‘clean’ configuration, and come with six complimentary magazines, including ammunition. The weapon sells individually at NS$4,000, and domestic production rights are available at NS $4bn .
Questions or purchases can be made through Lyran Arms.
