| SAR 21 | |
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The SAR 21 with the attached Round Corner Firing (RCF) module |
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| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Singapore |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1999–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Tuck Wah Chee and Felix Tsai of Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics)[1] |
| Designed | 1996 |
| Manufacturer | (1999–2000) CIS (2000–present) ST Kinetics |
| Produced | 1999–present |
| Variants | See variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.82 kg (8.42 lb) (SAR 21) 5.3 kg (12 lb) (SAR 21 40 GL/M203) 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) (SAR 21 P-Rail) 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) (SAR 21 MMS) 3 kg (6.6 lb) (SAR Light Weight Carbine) |
| Length | 805 mm (31.7 in) (SAR 21, SAR 21 40 GL/M203, SAR 21 P-Rail) 680 mm (26.8 in) (SAR 21 MMS) 640 mm (25.2 in) (SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine) |
| Barrel length | 508 mm (20.0 in) |
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| Cartridge | 5.56x45mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 450–650 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 970 m/s (3,182 ft/s) (M193) 945 m/s (3,100.4 ft/s) (SS109) |
| Effective range | 460 m (M193) 800 m (SS109) |
| Feed system | 30-round box magazine; plastic or STANAG magazines[2] |
| Sights | 1.5x or 3x optical sight; back-up iron sights |
The SAR 21 ("Singapore Assault Rifle - 21st Century") is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured in Singapore. First revealed and subsequently adopted by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1999, it was designed & developed over a four year period and was intended to replace the locally license-built M16S1[2] by the Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Singapore Army and the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics).[3] Many of its design features are directly intended to counter the weaknesses of the M16S1 as encountered operationally by some infantrymen.
The rifle is being sold for export use aside from domestic use.[4] In the United States, it is being marketed by ST Kinetics via its American subsidiary, VT Systems.[5]
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Since the mid-80s, the SAF had an outstanding requirement to come up with a replacement for their M16S1 as most of these had been in use since 1973. In 1994, a proposal by SAF was submitted to the MINDEF for options to either procure newer weapons (thought was given to purchase the M16A2) or to develop its own indigenous rifle.[6] On 19 November 2002, a patent was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Tuck Wah Chee and Felix Tsai with the patent number 6,481,144 B1.[1]
MINDEF officials, after consultations with the SAF, decided against buying weapons off the shelf as it would require soldiers to adjust to the new weapon, choosing instead to develop a weapon, designed and made specifically for ease of use by the conscript soldiers of the SAF, who are mostly of Asian physiques. Coupled with the rising costs of maintaining the M16S1s in SAF's armory, this made it even more justifiable to develop a low-maintenance weapon.
The SAR 21 is made of a rugged, high impact polymer, most of the manufacturing is done utilising CNC machines, with ultrasonic welding for the steel-reinforced receiver halves and the gun barrel being cold hammer forged. It uses a modified Stoner operating system, boasting higher reliability and lower recoil.[7] The translucent magazine allows precise assessment of current ammo load.[6]
The SAR 21 is also the first production assault rifle of its class to incorporate a built-in Laser Aiming Device (LAD)[3] (powered by a single "AA-size" battery) as standard. It has a 5 position switch which can emit a visible beam at high or low power. It can also be set to "steady on" or "momentary on" which is triggered with the use of a pressure switch activated with the user's left thumb.[8] The rifle incorporates various patented safety features, such as a Kevlar cheek plate and overpressure vent that protects the shooter in the event of a chamber explosion or catastrophic failure.[2][9] It also has an integral 1.5x optical scope that is built into its carrying handle (A 3.0x version is also available). The scope aids in target acquisition, particularly under low light conditions. The scope is factory-zeroed, and requires minimal further zeroing to suit different users.[2][3] This minimizes non-training range time.
Externally, the SAR 21 along with the Israeli IMI Tavor TAR-21 and the South African Vektor CR-21 (all minus the foregrip) as with most other Bullpup designs bears only a superficial appearance/resemblance to the Austrian Steyr AUG, although the advent of the bolt action Thorneycroft carbine in 1901 preceded the AUG by decades.[10]
Early users of the weapon in the Singapore Armed Forces experienced many problems due to their unfamiliarity with the bullpup design. Their criticisms (usually in comparison with the M16S1 rifles they were already trained with) include:
Some of these criticisms were addressed with design modifications to the later production models. New weapon handling procedures were also introduced.
The Kevlar plating on the left side of the weapon butt (where a right-handed user's face would typically be) is effective in protecting the user from any internal chamber explosion by directing the resulting force to the right. However, that resultant force would also seriously injure anyone unfortunate enough to be on the right side of the weapon. In the case of a user firing from his left shoulder, this could cause severe injury to his face. As a result, all left-handed SAF soldiers are taught to fire from their right shoulder as a safety measure. The SAR 21 was designed with a small in-built brass deflector to eject spent bullet casings forward, thus reducing the chances of the spent casings hitting a left-handed user's face. This means the rifle is not completely ambidextrous but may, in a pinch, be fired from the left shoulder.
However, ST Kinetics has taken these criticisms into consideration and had improved the SAR-21 design with the upcoming SAR 21A. The prototype was unveiled at the Singapore Airshow 2010 and production will begin in 2011.
Like the M16 rifle, the bolt locks open on an empty magazine. When the magazine is exhausted, it is removed by depressing the AK-style lever. Clearing the weapon is accomplished by removing the magazine, pulling the charging handle to the rear, and observing the chamber. After loading a magazine into the housing, the weapon is made "ready" by cocking the weapon, and engaging the FN MAG-type safety button forward of the trigger guard. The position of the fire selector button (SEMI or AUTO) on the stock may also be adjusted.
The on/off switch for the LAD is located on the left handguard; when holding the weapon at ready, the left thumb rests naturally on it. With sluggish operation due to fouling, the gas regulator setting may be increased by turning it with a coin, screwdriver, or any other thin flat object. Alternatively, the gas regulator can be unlatched and turned by hand with aid of the knurled surface.
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