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| Shrike 5.56 | |
|---|---|
 A Shrike 5.56 with a 200-round M249 ammunition belt pouch and an Ares magazine well adapter block | |
| Type | Semi-automatic rifle,light machine gun |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Ares Defense |
| Produced | 2002–present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) |
| Length | 711–1016 mm (28–40 in) Depends on barrel option |
| Barrel length |
|
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, short-stroke tappet |
| Rate of fire | 650–800 rounds/min |
| Feed system | VariousSTANAG magazines or disintegrating ammo belt or 100-round drum |
| Sights | Iron or various optics |
TheAres Defense Shrike 5.56 is an air-cooled, dual-feed light machine gun/rifle for semi or full-auto configurations that fires the5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. The Shrike 5.56 is sold as either as a complete weapon, or as an upper receiver "performance upgrade kit" to existingAR-15 and M16-type service rifles and carbines. The name comes from theShrike, a carnivorous passerine bird, and was designed byGeoffrey Herring.
The Shrike 5.56 has gas-piston operation, a quick-change barrel with fixed headspace and MIL-STD-1913 rail interface for the mounting of accessories. It can utilize standard 30-round STANAG magazines, 100-roundBeta C-Mag drum magazines, and M27-linkedSAW ammunition from 100-round or 200-round "soft-pouches" and 200-round hard plastic SAW ammunition containers. At 7.5 lbs complete weapon weight, the Shrike 5.56 is lighter than other comparable squad automatic weapons, such as theM249 light machine gun andHeckler & Koch MG4.[1] The design also appears to be also influenced by a multitude of weapons, including theStoner 63. It features a short-stroke impinging gas piston system.[2]
There exist some notable differences between the current model and the older prototypes.
