Development and testing of the XT112 rifle, which is set to replace the existing models used by Taiwan’s military, would be completed this year, the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau said on Friday at the 2023 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Industry Exhibition.
The entirely domestically developed and built rifle features numerous improvements over the T91 and T65K2 models, said Lieutenant Lee Chien-ting (李建霆), who is involved in the research and development of the rifle at the bureau.
The barrel of the XT112 rifle is thicker than the T91 and T65K2 models, resulting in the XT112’s improved accuracy. The XT112 shoots groupings of 9.8cm from a range of 100m compared with the T91’s groupings of 14.5cm at 100m, Lee said.
Photo courtesy of the GACC
In addition, the selector lever, the magazine release button and cocking handle latch are on both sides of the XT112 to allow easy access regardless of the user’s dominant hand, whereas on the previous models, they are only on one side, he said.
The rail mount is built to international specifications to allow greater freedom for mounting accessories such as grenade launchers, sights, and laser aiming modules, which can now be mounted all along the rail depending on the user’s needs, while on previous models these accessories could only be mounted on fixed positions, he said.
The foregrip contains a retractable bipod that snaps into place when needed, helping with firing from at low postures, he said.
The magazine has a see-through case that allows the user to check the ammunition level at a quick glance and is made of a composite plastic material, making it more durable and less prone to jamming compared with the aluminum magazine on the T91 or T65K2, he said.
The tip of the steel flash suppressor comes with indentations, meaning it can be used as a melee weapon and a wire cutter, Lee said, adding that while such flash suppressors are only on previous rifle models by request, they would be standard on the XT112s.
The XT112s are expected to undergo operational testing this year and if they pass would gradually replace rifle models in use across military services, Lee said.
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