FX-05 Xiuhcoatl
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| FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" | |
|---|---|
 FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" (Fire Serpent) |
|
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Mexico |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2006-Present |
| Used by | Mexico |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército |
| Produced | 2005 |
| Variants | Assault Rifle, Carbine |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | 5.56 × 45 mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, Rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 750 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 920 m/s |
| Effective range | 200 to 800 m Sight Marks |
| Feed system | 30 round detachable box magazine, 100-round C-Mag drum magazine |
| Sights | Reflex sight with 3x magnification, other rifles require optical sights |
The FX-05 "Xiuhcoatl" (Fire Serpent in the Nahuatl language) is an assault rifle, based on the Heckler & Koch G36, designed and built by the Dirección General de Industria Militar del Ejército with machinery and technology bought from Heckler & Koch. It is currently in use by the Mexican Army.
The rifle was officially presented in the military parade on September 16, 2006, in the hands of the Special Forces Airmobile Group, GAFE. (Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales). The redesign was in charge CIADTIM and SDN and all of its part are built in Mexico.
[edit] Design
The design of the weapon includes telescopic, red-dot and mechanical sights; cold-forged barrel; folding and adjustable butts; as well as a semi and full auto fire selector. The weapon is chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO round and has a rate of fire of 700-750 rounds per minute. Most of the rifle's receiver is constructed of a polymer reinforced with carbon-fibers and comes in dark-green and desert-tan colors. The internal mechanism and barrel are made of advanced corrosion-resistant stainless steel.
[edit] Legal Status
On February 1, 2007, representatives of the SEDENA (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional) and Heckler & Koch met in Mexico City, to treat the accusations carried out by the German firm. These claimed that the Army "replicated" the design of the HK G36 rifle. After an exhibition of detailed models of the FX-05, the HK representatives were convinced that, despite the similarities between the two rifles, there wasn't a copyright infringement, therefore bringing and end to the disagreement.
Furthermore the FX-05 Xihuacóatl rifle that the Secretariat of National Defense manufactures since last year, is indisputable and there are no arguments to impede its production. It has been suggested that a SEDENA insider planned an attempted to sabotage the Mexican rifle production by discrediting it as a supposedly illegal copy of the HK G36V German rifle after a series of "information leaks" to the mass media. In the end the German firm has stated that they will not plead a lawsuit.
