The document discusses recent trends in small arms development. Technological advances have provided more accurate range estimation, enhanced armaments to launch improved munitions, and desired target effects. New munitions include lightweight exploding fragments, multi-projectile technologies, and special purpose projectiles. Fire control systems now feature combinations of day/night sights, electro-optical sights, rangefinders, and thermal imaging. Armaments are being designed with lighter materials, reduced signatures, and modular construction. Bullpup designs provide length savings and improved balance but have disadvantages like difficult magazine changes. The document also examines a caseless 4.73x33mm square ammunition and the G11 rifle that uses it.

1. LATEST TRENDS IN SMALLARMS

2. SMALL ARMS DEVELOPMENTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN
AN EVOLUTION
NOT
REVOLUTION

3. Development of current technology rather than revolutionary
concept
Technological advances should provide :-
• Desired Target Effect (MUNITIONS)
• Accuracy of range estimation under combat
conditions(FIRE CONTROL)
• Enhanced Armament to launch the munitions
(ARMAMENT)

4. MUNITIONS
• Small, light weight, exploding fragments(Direct hit not
required)
• Multi-projectile technology to increase hot probability.
• Multi function tuneable projectile to defeat specific
targets.
• Special purpose projectiles (Smoke, Pyropheric,
Chemical etc.,)
• Propellant improvement (High Energy, Combustible
Cartridge Case, Liquid Propellants)

5. FIRE CONTROL
• Combinations Day/Night Sights
• Electro optical sights for Single Point Aim
• Small light weight Range Finders
• Thermal Imaging Devices
• Single Aim Point/Adjustable Aim Point

6. ARMAMENT
• Lighter, better materials
• Ease in use & maintenance
• Reduced Audio/Visual Signature
• Multi function with common modular
construction, to reduce weight of weapon &
Fire Control System in a unit.
• Burst/Salvo concept.

7. BULL PUP DESIGN

10. ADVANTAGES OF BULL-PUP
• 8-10” Overall savings in length
• Superior weight balance when UGL and other accessories are fitted.
• 2-in-1 (Rifle & Carbine)
• Good for deployment in helicopters/AFVs
DISADVANTAGES
• Case can be ejected only in RHS(since all firers are RH). Hence cannot
switch the position for LH firer or switch position for firing around corner
of a building
• Magazine change difficult, while wearing body armour.
• Clearing drill for clearing jams slower.
• Increased height of sight increases risk of exposure.
• Muzzle blast/Noise of breech mechanism, closer to the ear.
• Poor ergonomics with Safety, Fire select & Magazine eject controls not
close to hand.

11. CASELESS AMMUNITION ARMAMENT
4.73 X 33 MM
SQUARE SHAPED AMMUNITION
CONVENTIONAL PROJECTILE 4.73 MM DIA

12. The 4.73×33mm caseless ammunition used in
the G11 rifle. The components are, from left
to right, the solid propellant, the primer, the
bullet, and a plastic cap that serves to keep
the bullet centered in the propellant block.

13. The weapon itself has three firing modes:
semi-auto,
full-auto at 460 rounds per minute
three-round burst at over 2100 cyclic rounds per minute.
The loading and feed mechanism is physically very complicated but
exceptionally fast and reliable.
Rounds are fed into the weapon from a magazine that lies above
and parallel with the barrel.
The rounds are oriented vertically (at 90 degrees to the bore) and
are fed downwards into the rotary chamber so that they can be
rotated 90 degrees for firing.
The firing cycle process is roughly:

14. • As the cocking handle on the side is rotated clockwise by the weapon
operator:
• A round is dropped into the revolving chamber vertically (a loading piston
assists this process).
• The chamber rotates 90° until it is lined up with the barrel. This completes
the chambering of the round and cocking of the firing pin.
• When the trigger is pulled, a firing pin ignites the primer, which then ignites
a powder booster charge that pushes the bullet into the barrel. The solid
block of propellant is broken up to increase the ignition surface area and
ignites, accelerating the bullet out of the barrel.
• As the projectile is accelerating up the barrel, recoil forces drive the barrel,
magazine, chamber and operating mechanism rearwards within the
weapon, dissipating energy for single shot and fully automatic modes but
allowing burst mode to deliver three projectiles downrange before buffering
occurs.
• Gas tapped off from the barrel rotates the chamber and actuates the
loading mechanism then rotating the chamber back to the vertical original
position until it is lined up with the feed mechanism and the process
repeats.

15. • Because the G11 uses caseless ammunition there are
no extraction and ejection steps.
• Even though the rotary chamber doesn't, in the true
sense of the word, lock up, the fact that it has to
rotate in and out of alignment with the barrel, the
G11 can be considered to have a lock/unlock phase.
• If a round fails to fire or the weapon is being used
with training rounds, the rifle can be manually
unloaded by twisting the cocking handle
counterclockwise.
• This pushes the failed/training round out an
emergency ejection port on the bottom of the rifle
and loads the next round.

16. There were reports that due to the high tolerances
required to seal off the front and rear chamber
openings the expected life of the contacting parts
was around 6000 rounds before maintenance was
required.