IMBEL MD97 Assault Rifle (1997)
The IMBEL MD97 is produced in three distinct versions and is made available to Brazilian police, Army and special forces groups.
At its core, the MD97 sports a design not unlike the FN FAL itself. She fires the 5.56x45mm NATO standard cartridge from a 20- or 30-round STANAG type (M16 style) curved magazine. Depending on the model, her rate-of-fire is listed at 950 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 950 meters per second. The firing action is gas operation utilizing a rotating bolt. Her effective range is out to 600 meters while her maximum range reaches 3,800 meters. Weight of the base MD97 is 3.7 kilograms while the shortened and lighter MD97LC is 3.3 kilograms. Her overall length is listed at 850mm, 437mm of this made up of the barrel. The barrel itself is noted as having a relatively short operational life of just 6,000 rounds. The MD97L features single-, burst- and full-automatic fire modes and is the only system of the three MD97 rifles to accept an underslung single-shot grenade launcher attachment. Additional optics, flashlights and sound suppressors are optional.
The receiver contains the internal operational aspects of the rifle including the pistol grip, trigger group and magazine feed. The charging handle is set to the right hand side of the body. The buttstock can be solid or skeletal with the latter form being able to fold down over the side of the receiver, making for an even more compact weapon system. There is a vented foregrip over the rear portion of the barrel with the barrel extended out some ways from the design, capped by a vented muzzle brake. Sights are featured at the extreme forward and rear ends of the weapon as do shoulder sling mounts.
IMBEL is the marked producer of the MD97 family. The letters serve as an acronym for Brazil's state-run Industria de Material Belico do Brasil. The institution was started in 1975. It is suspected that the German made Heckler & Koch HK G36C carbine might replace the MD97 in the long run, a proven weapon that does not feature as many prominent limitations as the IMBEL design. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
IMBEL MD97
Assault Rifle
Country of Origin: Brazil
Manufacturer: Industria de Material Belico do Brasil (IMBEL) - Brazil
Initial Year of Service: 1997
Overall Length: 1001mm (39.41in)
Barrel Length: 850.00mm (33.46in)
Weight (Empty): 8.16lbs (3.70kg)
Cartridge: 5.56x45mm NATO
Action: Gas Operated with Rotating Bolt
Feed: 30-round detachable box magazine
Muzzle Velocity: 3,116ft/sec (950m/sec)
Rate-of-Fire: 950 rounds per minute
Range: 1,968ft (600m; 656yds)
Sights: Optional Optics and Accessories
Variants:
MD97 - Base Series Designation
MD97L - Brazilian Army model; selective-fire capable.
MD97LM - Based on the MD97L for use by Brazilian special forces groups; MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail.
MD97LC - Brazilian Police model; semi-automatic fire only; compact version.
Operators: Brazil
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