GAU-5/A Aircrew Self Defense Weapon

[blackeagle603]

So this is new (at least to me).

The main difference between the ASDW and its M4 cousin is the redesign of the upper receiver to include a specialized locking system from Cry Havoc Tactical. With this lock in place, a user can attach or detach the barrel assembly from the rest of the gun without special tools. The North Carolina-headquartered firm says that, with proper training, a shooter can put the weapon together and be ready to fire within 60 seconds.

[Langenator]

And they need the special QD barrel instead of simply separating the upper from the lower because....why?

[Netpackrat]

And they need the special QD barrel instead of simply separating the upper from the lower because....why?

Because it can be stowed in a significantly smaller overall package when taken down, especially if combined with something like the LAW Tactical folding mechanism or a PDW type stock/brace. I am probably going to build something similar in 300blk with an 8" Noveske barrel I picked up, except using the Dolos system.

Edit: Looks like this uses a standard barrel, too.

[randy]

And they need the special QD barrel instead of simply separating the upper from the lower because....why?

What Netpackrat said. The seat kit (AKA Butt Boat as that is where the life raft is stored) is already tightly packed and since it sits in the seat tray of an ejection seat it can't be made bigger easily or cheaply (as in redesigning and replacing every ejection seat in the fleet). As it is, I wonder what they took out to allow the weapon and magazines to be included.

[Langenator]

How easy are those things to swap out? Could your remove the life raft for operations over land and replace it with the rifle? (The rifle becomes much less necessary for over water operations, unless you're worried about vicious mermaids.)

[randy]

I've never worked with them operationally. I think it would fairly easy (they are removed regularly by Life Support for inspection and replacement of expired items). However, training is based on everything being standardized so that everyone knows what's each kit no matter what air frame they are flying.

When I flew in non-ejection seat aircraft we had butt boats available for each parachute and they were all the same. We sized our parachutes and marked them with a tag prior to take off, but if the time came we just grabbed the first butt boat on the stack and attached them prior to bailing out. Of course we were not "combat aircraft" as defined in the article, so I doubt they'd put rifles into that batch of kits.

Keeping them standardized helps with logistics and maintenance as well. I am not familiar with the kits being specialized for any particular environment. Usually that kind of customization takes place in the aircrew survival vest. (not issued on my platform, I bought and carried my own)

There's also Murphy's law that states that if tasked with over water operations and one kind of kit, you would be diverted en route to an a land target, and not having it, THAT is the mission you would need it.

[Vonz90]

Seems like one of the off the. Shelf PDWs or even an MP5 or such would have been a better choice just for compactness and ammo capacity.

[Netpackrat]

Seems like one of the off the. Shelf PDWs or even an MP5 or such would have been a better choice just for compactness and ammo capacity.

I think subguns have pretty much fallen out of favor because of terminal performance reasons compared to rifle cartridges. But 300blk makes more sense out of the short barrel, and it isn’t like it’s not in inventory. Plenty of special units are using it these days.

[SoupOrMan]

It seems interesting enough. Hopefully it will work as planned.