New rifles like the Skeli X11 are fun. Any time a gun manufacturer deviates from the mainstream, it causes the geek in me to take notice and try to get into the minds of the design team behind the weapon. At first blush, the new X11 promises a number of interesting things to examine and ponder.
CMMG announced a new mid sized AR style rifle that is designed for larger diameter cartridges. Called the MkW Anvil, CMMG custom designed this gun to use the strength offered by AR-10 components, but with an eye to keeping the platform close to the AR-15 compatibility originally envisioned for the .458 SOCOM cartridge.
Sturm, Ruger & Co. announced the addition of a new rifle to the 10/22 line: the 10/22 Takedown Lite. The new rifle combines the features of the company’s existing take down rimfire rifle with the company’s modular stock and a lighter weight barrel assembly.
Kalashnikov USA announced the introduction of the AK Alpha rifle to the US market. The new gun uses an AK-style action but upgrades the platform to provide a rifle with more modern features and utility.
LMT Defense announced the release of a new personal defense weapon (PDW) called the Compressor. Shown at the 2016 SHOT Show, the new Compressor is a relatively short AR-style rifle available in one of two rifle calibers: 5.56 NATO or 300 BLK.
The new gun uses the company’s PDW assembly on a standard AR lower. The assembly includes:
As with other LMT rifles, this unit uses a monolithic upper receiver with attachment points for accessories. The rifle comes with a 10.5″ barrel standard. Overall, the gun is only 24.5″ long. Compared to the 30+” of a typical AR, this is definitely a more compact weapon.
The suggested retail price on the new gun is $2,691.02. According to LMT, the rifle will run suppressed and unsuppressed with equal reliability.
LMT Defense also announced a PDW conversion kit. With the $455 kit, you can convert virtually any mil-spec AR15 rifle on the market to work as a PDW. The kit includes the modified SOPMOD stock, extension tube, buffer assembly and drop in weight for the bolt carrier.
Once equipped with this kit, the rifle should run any 5.56 NATO or 300 BLK without additional modification. This includes both suppressed and unsuppressed weapons.