New From Arsenal Firearms: Suppressors and Rifles

Perhaps gunning to be the next “complete systems provider,” Arsenal Firearms USA has expanded into rifles and suppressors to add to their existing ammunition and STRYK pistols offerings. Better yet, the suppressors and rifles appear to be as unique and as innovative as the pistols are.

For the time being, more info on the suppressors can be found at Saimaa Still‘s website. They’re the Finnish company who’s designing and manufacturing them for Arsenal Firearms USA.

They employ a quick detach system that’s really quick. To mount the suppressor, you just shove it straight on. It fits over the system-specific muzzle brake or flash hider and locks in place automatically. To remove it, simply depress that large thumb button then slide the can off the front.

When the suppressor isn’t being used, threaded vents on either side of the muzzle brake allow the end user to adjust for left/right and up/down muzzle control by adding or removing set screws.

Many of Saimaa’s suppressors employ flow-through designs to limit backpressure. They claim no gas system adjustment is needed on the rifle and there’s no blowback, no increase in bolt velocity or cyclic rate, no increased action fouling, etc. It’s also supposed to be highly effective at flash suppression.

On the inside, there are a couple unique things going on. We can see a perforated inner sleeve somewhat like a straight-through car muffler. Baffles are still used, creating expansion chambers and also forcing gas and pressure into the sleeve area, which I can only assume is filled with some sort of metal wire mesh or weave like what’s seen in the front cap.

Also of note, the baffles are easily removed and replaced. Unlike nearly every rifle can on the U.S. market, they are not welded to the tube or welded together. Should the user suffer a baffle strike or have a different issue, individual baffles can be swapped out quickly.

Saimaa also makes pistol cans, SMG cans, machine gun cans, 7.62 and 5.56 cans, and more…

Onto the rifles, Arsenal will be selling a couple variants of an AR-15/AK-47 hybrid (gas piston upper with an AR lower than accepts AK mags) as well as gas piston AR-15s. 

Some of the 7.62×39 AR/AK rifles had side-charging uppers with charging handles on both sides. Some had the charging handle only on the left side. The traditional charging handle was removed entirely.

All rifles on display, I do believe, had adjustable gas blocks that were accessible even if the rail extended beyond them.

AK magazines rock into place in the traditional fashion, although the mag release has been modified to be within reach of one’s trigger finger while also functioning via an AK-style paddle on the bottom.

Note the mag release lever on either side of the trigger guard. This upper is a left-side charger only, which means no slot in the right side of the receiver and a fixed case deflector.

I know some of these rifles were chambered in 7.62×39 and some in 5.45×39, so it’s possible the charging handle config is not actually optional but is connected to a given caliber. We’ll certainly find out soon, as more info becomes available and Arsenal Firearms USA’s website is fleshed out.

2017 is shaping up to be a big year for the newly-formed company.