STV rifle

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STV rifles
Súng trường Việt Nam
STV3801.png
STV-380, one of the standard variants of the STV family
TypeAssault rifle
Place of originVietnam
Service history
In service2019-present
Used byPeople's Army of Vietnam
Production history
Designer
Z111 Factory
ManufacturerZ111 Factory
Produced2019-Present
Variants
  • STV-215
  • STV-380
  • STV-410
  • STV-416
(see Variants)
Specifications
MassWithout magazine: 3.6 kg (7.9 lb)
Cartridge7.62×39mm
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire700 rnds/min
Muzzle velocity700 m/s
Feed system30-round magazine

The STV rifle, short for Súng Trường Việt Nam (lit. 'Rifle of Vietnam' or 'Vietnamese rifle')[1] in Vietnamese, is a family of assault rifles made by Vietnam. They are all assembled at the Z111 Factory, and currently, all of the them are chambered in 7.62x39mm.[2]

As of 2021, the STV-215 and the STV-380 are the standard issued rifles for the People's Army of Vietnam.[3]

History[]

In 2014, the People's Army of Vietnam adopted the IWI Galil ACE 31/32 as the standard issue rifle. This included a license to manufacture them locally at the Z111 Factory. The factory immediately began modifying the IWI Galil ACE to better suit the local terrain and climate, while also implementing more Kalashnikov parts. This was done to improve familiarity and smoothen the transition from older AK-47 and AKM assault rifles, which were used by Vietnamese soldiers.[4]

The modification process was a fusion of the STL-1A and the Galil ACE, this resulted in a prototype rifle named the GK1 and the GK3.[5] Although since then, not much information has been released about the prototypes. It is very likely the current STV rifles were a result of further development and modifications of the GK1 and GK3 prototypes.

In 2019, the Z111 Factory revealed two new rifles. Designated the STV-215 and the STV-380, the number at the end would indicate the length of the barrels. These two new rifles would be replacing the IWI Galil ACE 31/32 as the standard issued rifle for the People's Army of Vietnam.[3][6]

In 2020, two new variants of the STV rifles were revealed. These rifles were designated as the STV-410 and the STV-416. Compared to the previous two variants, the new ones would adopt more AK parts into the guns. Currently, the STV-215 and STV-380 remain as the standard issued rifles and being the only ones which are in mass production.[7][8][9][1]

Design[]

Overall, all of the variants are generally similar and are mainly built off of the IWI Galil ACE's milled receiver.[10] They are all chambered in 7.62x39mm and can use any standard AK-47/AKM magazines.[10]

The rifles all have the charging handle located on the right side, which is the same for all IWI Galil ACEs manufactured in Vietnam. However, the selective-fire mechanism uses a traditional AK-based mechanism. The handguards and pistol grips are made of polymer and all of the rifles have a folding stock. A bird-cage muzzle brake is included on all rifles.[3]

As the handguards and receiver include a picatinny rail on top, attachments can be mounted on such as telescopic sights, red dot sights, or holographic sights. The rear sight is located at the rear of the gun. The only exception being the STV-416, which does not include any picatinny rails.

The STV-215 and STV-380 have an additional picatinny rail located on the bottom of the handguard, commonly used for a foregrip/bipod, laser, or flashlight attachment. The pistol grip for these two are built-in to the body of the rifle. The folding stock is similar to the FN FAL PARA and includes a rubber recoil pad. These two variants also share the front-sight and gas block similar to the ones found on the IWI Galil ACEs.[3]

The STV-410 and STV-416 both lack a picatinny rail on the bottom of the handguard. Instead, they include a mount for an underbarrel grenade launcher. They also have a slightly different mag well and trigger rim that resembles the style of the AK. The pistol grip for these two variants are also independent of the body and are also based on the AK. These two variants use a folding Polymer AK stock instead of the FN FAL styled stocks used by the STV-215 and STV-380. The front-sight and gas block on these two variants are different from each other.[7]

Variants[]

Note that all variants are designated corresponding to their barrel lengths.

STV-215[]

STV-215

The STV-215 is the carbine version of the STV-380. It is used alongside the STV-380 as one of the standard issued rifles for the People's Army of Vietnam. It is similar to the STV-380 in all aspects, except the barrel length being 215mm.[8][11]

STV-380[]

STV-380

The STV-380 is one of the standard issued assault rifles for the People's Army of Vietnam. Its barrel length is 380mm. It has a foldable stock similar to the FN FAL PARA.[8]

STV-410[]

A drawing of an STV-410.

The STV-410 is an assault rifle with a barrel length is 410mm. The build of the rifle overall resembles an AK-15.[12] The handguard's picatinny rail is slightly extended to cover the entirety of the handguard. The front sight and gas block are also similar to the ones found on the AK-12/15.[9]

STV-416[]

A drawing of an STV-416.

The STV-416 is an assault rifle, which resembles an AK-103.[13] The rifle is the only variant that does not include any picatinny rails. Instead, it includes a side-mount for sights and a mount on the handguard for a grenade launcher. The rear-sight is moved up to the rear of the handguard. The front-sight and gas block are similar to the ones found AK-103.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ a b VTV, BAO DIEN TU. "Núi sông bờ cõi: Việt Nam tự chủ chế tạo vũ khí bộ binh - Video đã phát trên VTV4 | VTV.VN". BAO DIEN TU VTV (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  2. ^ "Việt Nam giới thiệu súng trường STV-215 và STV-380". 24 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "STV-380 and STV-215 - New Service Rifles of Vietnamese Army -". The Firearm Blog. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  4. ^ "Israeli IWI Galil ACE 31 ACE 32 assault rifles to replace Russian AK-47 in Vietnamese Army 0202146 | February 2014 Global Defense Security news UK | Defense Security Global news Industry army 2014". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  5. ^ hợp), Phong Vũ (Tổng (2019-09-15). "Súng trường tấn công GK1 và GK3 Việt Nam chế tạo có gì đặc biệt? - Doanh nghiệp Việt Nam". Cơ quan ngôn luận của Hiệp hội Doanh nghiệp Khoa học và Công nghệ Việt Nam (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  6. ^ VCCorp.vn. "Súng tiểu liên AK 'Made in Vietnam' lột xác tiến thẳng lên hiện đại: Giải bài toán hóc búa". soha.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  7. ^ a b c "Vietnamese Weapons: New AK Variants STV-410 and STV-416 -". The Firearm Blog. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  8. ^ a b c "Súng trường tấn công STV-410 Việt Nam ra mắt". datviet.trithuccuocsong.vn. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  9. ^ a b "Vietnam unveils STV-410 7.62x39mm assault rifle | Defense News July 2020 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army 2020 | Archive News year". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  10. ^ a b "Phiên bản đặc biệt ít biết của súng Galil Ace Việt Nam sử dụng". 12 August 2020.
  11. ^ "A Look Into Vietnamese Firearms Manufacturing in Z111 Factory -". The Firearm Blog. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  12. ^ "Kinh ngạc súng trường STV-410 Việt Nam lần đầu xuất hiện trên truyền hình". 27 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Vietnamese Weapons: New AK Variants STV-410 and STV-416 -". 14 July 2020.
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