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.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/02/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Right side view of the IMBEL MD97 base assault rifle

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

The IMBEL MD97 is a Brazilian made automatic assault rifle developed for both military and security use and has its indirect origins in the excellent Belgium made FN FAL light automatic rifle. Directly, the MD97 is based on the IMBEL MD2 series, the standard-issue assault rifle of the Brazilian Army inducted in 1985. The MD97 exists in three major variants made up of the MD97L (L for "leve" or "light") standard assault rifle with selective fire, the specialized MD97LM with attachment rails (MIL-STD-1913) meant for special forces use and the MD97LC, a shortened carbine version of the base MD97L restricted to semi-automatic fire and suitable for heavy duty police force work. The three are more or less differentiated from one another through their varying weights and overall dimensions. The MD97 entered service in 1997 intending to replace the IMBEL MD-2 and MD-3 series rifles and remains an important weapon in the Brazilian arsenals. The MD97 shares more in common with the MD-2.

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.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Basics [+]

Manufacturer(s)

Industria de Material Belico do Brasil (IMBEL) - Brazil

Operators

Brazil

Service Year

1997

National Origin

Brazil

AUTOMATIC FUNCTION
Features a mechanical function to automate the firing action.

ASSAULT RIFLE
Modern class of long gun featuring select-fire properties, automatic internal function, and magazine feeding.

Overall Length

1,001 mm / 39.41 in

Barrel Length

850 mm / 33.46 in

Weight (Empty)

8.16 lb / 3.70 kg

Action

Gas Operated with Rotating Bolt

ROTATING BOLT
System utilizes internal mechanism to lock the breech or rear barrel assembly prior to firing.

GAS-OPERATED
Gas-operated system is featured, typically involving a gas cylinder and rear-driven piston directing energy to the bolt component.

Caliber(s)*

5.56x45mm NATO
*May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.

Feed

30-round detachable box magazine

Sights

Optional Optics and Accessories

Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information.

Max.Effective Range

1,968 ft / 599.8 m | 656.0 yds

Rate-of-Fire

950 rpm

Muzzle Velocity

3,116 ft/sec / 950 m/sec

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.

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Right side view of the IMBEL MD97 base assault rifle

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