“The ROC [Republic of China] Armed Forces on Thursday unveiled a next-generation assault rifle developed by the Armament Bureau’s 205th Armory,” wantchinatimes.com reports. “The gold-plated model XT-105 rifle that was displayed at a press event in Kaohsiung was the first off the production line since the 205th Armory started working on the development of the weapon in 2012.” Why gold-plated you ask? Keep in mind that The Republic of China is not The People’s Republic of China. We’re talking Taiwan, where military arms marketing – maybe even to Mexican drug lords – is a thing. In fact . . .
The 205th Armory traces its roots back to the Qing Dynasty, when it was known as the Suzhou Western Artillery Bureau under imperial rule. It was moved to Kaohsiung as part of the retreat to Taiwan in 1949 after the Nationalists were defeated by Communist forces in the Chinese Civil War.
Since then, the 205th Armory has developed a number of weapons for the ROC Armed Forces including the mainstay T65 and T91 assault rifles, the T-75 20mm cannon, and various other small arms.
I digress. Here’s the 411 on the Armory’s AR-15 XT-105:
Dubbed as a multi-utilization special rifle (MSR), the 5.56 x 45mm weapon is designed for versatility as it can be fitted with barrels of three different lengths–300mm, 360mm, and 450mm.
It can also be outfitted with attachments, sights, and optical scopes without the need for additional gun mounts and railing systems.
The weapon ejects spent shells forward on the right so that there is no danger of burns to the operator.
The next-generation weapon features high accuracy and low recoil, an ambidextrous design, and a collapsible stock for easy handling.
The weapon also forgoes the three-round burst firing mode, allowing for a more manageable fully automatic mode at lower rate of fire.
Although the 205th Armory declined to give any details, it said it may consider export of the X105, which can be customized to buyers’ needs.
Like I said, se habla español. Between you and me.