Colt Canada C7
The Colt Canada C7 is the Canadian military's adoption of Colt's Armalite AR-15 platform, manufactured by Colt Canada, having similar design and function to the M16A3.
The C7 and its variants have been adopted as the standard-issue rifle by the militaries of Canada, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. Following trials, C8 variants are general-issue firearms for the United Kingdom's Special Forces. The C8A1 is also the standard firearm of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and other specialist users within the Dutch and British militaries. It has been used in various combat deployments by Canadian, British, Norwegian, Dutch, and Danish forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Mali.
History
The development of the C7 assault rifle paralleled that of the M16A2 by Colt. A Canadian Forces liaison officer worked with the United States Marine Corps in the M16A1 Product Improvement Program and relayed information to Canada's Rifle Replacement Program Office. The C7 is more akin to the prototype M16A1E1, rather than the final M16A2s. The earliest C7s were manufactured by Colt for the Canadian Forces as the Colt Model 715. The C7 series of firearms is driven by the same Stoner bolt and carrier gas system as the M16 series. Like the M16A1 and M16A3, the C7 has both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire modes. The C7 also features the structural strengthening, spent case deflector, improved handguards, and longer stock developed for the M16A2.Design details
Diemaco changed the trapdoor in the buttstock to allow easier access to a small storage compartment inside the stock, and a spacer is available to adjust stock length and length of pull to user preference. For the furniture Diemaco chose Fiberlite nylon-reinforced polymer suitable for CRBN decontamination and cold weather use at. The carrying handle and rear sight assembly on top of the Diemaco C7 receiver features the most noticeable external difference between American M16A2s and C7s.Diemaco C7s use a modified pre-M16A2 style two aperture L-type flip rear and front post iron sight line featuring two combat settings. An approximately diameter aperture rear sight is used for normal firing situations for target distances up to. A second larger approximately diameter aperture battle sight is used as a ghost ring for short range quick target engagement and during limited visibility.
The wing guards protected front sight was changed to a slimmer tapered round post of approximately diameter. C7 iron sights are normally zeroed with the normal use rear aperture sight at with SS109/M855/C77 ammunition. The rear sight can be zeroed for windage in 2.8 cm or 0.28 mrad increments at 100 m, when used with a rifle length sight radius. Elevation adjusting can be zeroed in 3.5 cm or 0.35 mrad increments at 100 m.
Not so apparent is Diemaco's use of 1 in rifling twist hammer-forged chrome-lined barrel and chamber units with a slightly reducing bore diameter over the length of the rifling to increase longevity and accuracy.
These features were introduced as the Canadians originally wished to use a heavy barrel profile instead of the M16A2 profile. Diemaco developed a different mounting system from Colt for the Canadian M203 grenade launcher variant for the C7 rifle family and the bolt and bolt carrier were produced from stronger materials. Diemaco optimized the rifle for using 5.56×45mm NATO C77 cartridge L109 ball and the C78 cartridge longer L110 tracer projectiles by using a redesigned buffer assembly, thus making the M4-style extended feed ramps later introduced in the Colt M4 carbine unnecessary. The Canadian C7 was initially issued with Maple Leaf embossed Thermold polymer magazines STANAG compliant magazines. As the polymer failed in the Canadian weather and with age, the C7A1 was introduced with US sourced aluminum STANAG compliant magazines. The C7 has a cyclic rate of fire of around 700–900 rounds per minute.
Variants
C7A1
The C7A1 replaces the iron sight/carrying handle assembly used on the C7 with a modified Weaver rail for mounting optics. Canadian development of rails preceded U.S. standardization of the MIL-STD-1913 "Picatinny rail", so the "Canadian Rail" or "Diemaco Rail" differs slightly. There are 14 slots instead of 13, and each slot is narrower. The height of the rail is also higher, allowing the use of a normal-height front sight base whereas a Picatinny rail requires the use of a higher F-marked front sight base to raise the post. During development, the original rails were vacuum-bonded to the top of a bare receiver. For production, the rail and receiver were made out of a single forging.The mount can use traditional iron sights or the ELCAN C79 Optical Sight 3.4×28 optical sight, both of which can be adjusted for individual eye relief. The optical sight was designed for the C9 light machine gun and includes horizontal and vertical mil-bars used for range determination and deflection, and a tritium glow-in-the-dark aiming post rather than the traditional crosshairs. The 3.4× is powerful enough to properly see targets at the maximum accurate range of, though like most magnified optical sights it is prone to criticism for creating tunnel vision in close quarters situations.
While the wide aperture helps to speed target acquisition, Canadian soldiers generally forgo the C79 sight in favour of non-magnified optical sights or a rear back up iron sight when engaged or training in close quarters battle. A detachable carrying handle and rear sight assembly can also be installed on top of the receiver. The BUIS and detachable carrying handle and rear sight assembly feature L-type rear sight apertures that are the same as used in the preceding fixed carrying handle and rear sight assembly. In the later years, upon request, Diemaco/Colt Canada would manufacture MIL-STD-1913 "Picatinny rail" upper receivers.
C7A2
With Canadian involvement in Afghanistan, Diemaco and the Canadian Forces developed improvements to the C7A1 to better suit the operational situations at hand. The result, the C7A2, has a four-point telescoping stock unit similar to that of the C8 carbine and a three-rail TRIAD that is clamped on the front sight base to allow accessories to be attached. The selector lever, magazine release, and charging handle latch became ambidextrous. Also, the C7A2 is issued with green colour furniture as standard.These weapons are often seen with a similar plethora of accessories as their American counterparts given the overall commonalities of the system and the rail mounts. The C7A2 is also issued with the C79A2 ELCAN optical gunsight with 3.4× magnification but with a uniform green rubber armored coating, but some soldiers who are issued it have either been issued or have purchased sights like the EOTech holographic weapons sight and the Trijicon ACOG.
Within an eight-man section, six soldiers will normally carry a C7A2: the section commander and second in command, two grenadiers and two riflemen, with only the machine gunners carrying a C9A2 LMG. The C7A2 is considered a "mid-life" upgrade for the C7 family. The addition of the TRIAD rail mount has made it easier for soldiers to attach accessories such as laser designator and tactical lights. Many A2s are also seen with folding grips from Cadex Inc. under the handguards which can store 2 CR123 batteries.
The Canadian Forces is looking to upgrade and modernize their stockpile of C7A2 assault rifles, although nothing is yet official or certain as of 2022. One of the biggest upgrades that may be implemented is the replacement of the standard flat-top upper receiver with standard handguards, handguard end cap and front sight base with a monolithic upper receiver with integrated aluminium quad-rail handguard for increased modularity with accessories and free-floating the barrel for augmented precision. This would put the fleet of service rifles of the Canadian Armed Forces on par with Colt Canada's latest offerings and upgrades of the Danish and Dutch militaries who have adopted rifles with monolithic upper receivers.
This variant will require the use of the Colt Canada M203A1 with a different mounting system due to the new aluminium quad-rail handguard. Since Colt Canada developed and released the MRR that uses a monolithic upper receiver with the Magpul M-LOK attachment system, the Canadian Armed Forces might be heading in that direction instead, along with a shorter, barrel, instead of the standard barrel, and straight gas tube with a low-profile gas block The possibility of using integrated suppressors is also something that is being looked into. A shorter charging-handle latch will be used instead of the very long C7A2 latch, which gets caught on equipment and vests, causing the latch to bend and break the charging-handle.
C8
The Colt Canada C8 carbine range are carbine variants of the C7 family, and are mechanically and visually very similar to the Colt Model 723 M16A2 carbine. Colt made the initial C8s for Canadian Forces as the Colt Model 725. The C8 has a A1 profile barrel like the Colt Model 653 M16A1 carbine, but with a 1 in rifling twist appropriate for adequately stabilizing the 5.56×45mm NATO C77 cartridge L109 ball and the C78 cartridge longer L110 tracer projectiles and the design improvements featured on C7 assault rifles. The C8 has a cyclic rate of fire of around 750–950 rounds per minute.C8 iron sights are normally zeroed with the normal use rear aperture sight at with SS109/M855/C77 ammunition. The rear sight can be zeroed for windage in 3.8 cm or 0.38 mrad increments at 100 m, when used with a carbine length sight radius. Elevation can be zeroed in 4.7 cm or 0.47 mrad increments at 100 m. Once the iron sight line is zeroed, the front sight post and rear sight should not be moved.