Beretta ARX-160

Modular Assault Rifle [ 2008 ]

The Beretta ARX-160 was introduced during 2008 with the Italian Army and has seen combat service during the War in Afghanistan.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/13/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

The Beretta ARX-160 is a new entry into the modular automatic weapons field intended for military and security/law enforcement applications. The weapon was designed and developed through the Italian Army's "Future Soldier" program and has since been adopted by special forces who have put the weapon through its paces in Afghanistan. A modular system by design, the ARX-160 is essentially a family of related weapons modified from the base assault model that includes a compact tactical carbine and a Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR)/battle rifle form.

As designed, the ARX-160 showcases a very stout yet handy appearance with heavy use of polymer shielding where possible. The receiver is made up of a lower and upper unit with an integrated handguard shrouding much of the barrel. The handguard is extensively vented to assist in barrel cooling and the polymer approach provides the needed robustness while making for a lighter weight weapon. The grip is angled rearwards in the usual way and set under the rear portion of the receiver with the trigger within easy reach. The magazine well is conventionally set ahead of the trigger unit. The stock is solid and hinged to fold over the right side of the receiver for a more compact footprint without blocking the ejection port. The barrel protrudes a short distance ahead of the polymer body and is capped by a multi-slotted flash suppressor/compensator. A bayonet mounting is seen over the barrel. Iron sites are standard and include a front and rear pairing. Sections of Picatinny rail are identified along the top of the receiver (running the full-length of the weapon), along the handguard sides and a small section found under the handguard towards the muzzle end. Using these attachment points, the weapon can accept a variety of optics, aimers and tactical equipment as required by the operator.

Beretta has understood that the operator of its gun is key and modularity is a definite selling point to military and police units of the world. As such, the weapon is marketed as a very customizable system that includes a left-or-right ejection port and charging handle as well as ambidextrous controls to go along with the aforementioned accessories support. A tool-less "quick-change" barrel feature helps in preventing barrel overheating during sustained fire operation and its chrome-lined state promotes longevity. A 40mm GLX-160 series grenade launcher can be affixed to the underside of the handguard to broaden the tactical scope of the ARX-160 warfighter.

Key to the success of the ARX-160 is its short-stroke piston function which utilizes a rather long 2-inch movement. The action relies on the tried-and-true gas-operated approach with a rotating bolt. Rate-of-fire is listed at 700 rounds per minute with ranging possible up to 600 meters through use of the iron sights. The ARX-160 is chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO-standard cartridge with plans to ultimately include support for the 5.45x39mm Soviet and 7.62x39mm Soviet cartridges as well as a few others. In its primary 5.56x45mm-chambered form, the ARX-160 utilizes a 30-round detachable STANAG box magazine. The weapon will also feed form a 100-round C-Mag drum magazine for when heavy suppression service is the call of the day.

Beyond the ARX-160 is the ARX-100, representing a civilian-minded variant of the ARX-160 form restricted to semi-automatic fire only for obvious reasons.

Operators that have already accepted the ARX-160 include Albanian special forces, the Egyptian Navy, the Italian Army, Kazakhstan special forces, Mexican federal police units and Turkmenistan. Several other military forces have begun taking an interest in the emerging and promising Italian ARX-160 including India and Argentina.©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

Beretta - Italy
Manufacturer(s)

Albania; Egypt; Italy; Kazakhstan; Mexico; Turkmenistan
Operators

2008
Service Year

Italy
National Origin

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.

920 mm
(36.22 inches)
Overall Length

406 mm
(15.98 inches)
Barrel Length

6.61 lb
(3.00 kg)
Empty Weight

Gas-Operated; Rotating Bolt; Select-Fire
Action

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.

5.56x45mm NATO; 5.45x39mm Soviet; 6,8mm Remington SPC; 7.62x39mm Soviet
Caliber(s)
May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.

30-round detachable box magazine
Rounds

Iron Front and Rear; Optional Optics.
Sights

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.

2,000 feet
(610 meters | 667 yards)
Max Effective Range

700
Rounds-per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

3,000 ft/sec
(914 m/sec)
Muzzle Velocity

ARX-160 - Base Series Designation

ARX-160SF

ARX-100 - Semi-automatic only for civilian firearms market.

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon representing special forces

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images

1 / 1

Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)