Vietnam unveils its new STL-1B assault rifle for the first time.
At the Indo Defence 2018 exhibition held in Indonesia, Vietnam for the first time introduced its domestically produced STL-1B assault rifle.
In the past, Vietnam manufactured the Galil ACE 32 assault rifle under license from the Israeli IMI Group; however, several improvements have been made to optimize its performance.
The Galil ACE 32's advantages are readily apparent: its modern design, higher rate of fire compared to the AK-47 (700 rounds/minute versus 600 rounds/minute), and Picatinny rails on the receiver allowing for the integration of various accessories such as scopes, flashlights, and grips.
However, the Galil ACE 32 has the disadvantage of not having as good bullet velocity as the AK-47 or AKM because the barrel is actually only 380 mm long, causing the 7.62 x 39 mm bullet to only reach a velocity of 680 m/s, considerably less than the 715 m/s of the AKM.
When velocity decreases, the bullet's trajectory will naturally become less precise and accurate; moreover, the bullet's kinetic energy is also significantly reduced, a factor that cannot be overlooked.
|
| Modern infantry weapons were displayed by Vietnam at the Indo Defence 2018 exhibition. |
One temporary solution that was once proposed was for Vietnam to modify the AKM into an STL-1A with some components grafted in the style of the Russian KM-AK Obevs equipment set, making the AKM look like an early AK-103, but fundamentally, this was still not the optimal solution.
Meanwhile, a better solution has been proposed: Vietnam will apply the technology of the Galil ACE .32 to the STL-1A to completely enhance the rifle's tactical and technical capabilities, such as integrating the Picatinny rail and the Galil bolt locking mechanism.
However, when new images emerged at the Indo Defence 2018 exhibition, Vietnam's approach was even more innovative, as we "assembled" the barrel of an AKM rifle onto the body of a Galil ACE 32 rifle to create a unique Vietnamese assault rifle model never before seen in the world.
|
| The STL-1B, a new generation assault rifle, was researched and manufactured domestically in Vietnam. |
According to some initial information, the designation of the new rifle is STL-1B. Thanks to combining the advantages of both the Galil ACE 32 and the AKM in one design, it possesses tactical and technical capabilities far superior to both original versions.
With the Galil ACE .32 receiver and 415 mm barrel, along with the AKM's gas-operated system, it can be predicted that the STL-1B will have a rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute while maintaining a muzzle velocity of 715 m/s for the projectile.
