FB MSBS Grot

The FB Radom MSBS Grot (Polish: Modułowy System Broni Strzeleckiej „Grot”, English: Modular Firearm System „Arrowhead”) is a modular assault rifle developed and manufactured by FB "Łucznik" Radom.

FB MSBS Grot 5.56
MSBS Grot C 16 FB-M1 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle
TypeAssault Rifle
Place of originPoland
Service history
Used byPolish Territorial Defence Forces
Representative Honor Guard Battalion of the Polish Armed Forces
Polish Border Guard
Production history
ManufacturerFB "Łucznik" Radom
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass3.7 kg (8.2 lb) (MSBS Grot C)
3.4 kg (7.5 lb) (MSBS Grot B)
Length980 mm (39 in) (MSBS Grot C, stock extended)
720 mm (28 in) (MSBS Grot B)
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO
ActionShort-stroke gas piston, rotating bolt
Rate of fire700–900 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity890 m/s
Effective firing range500 m (547 yd)
Feed system30-round detachable STANAG magazines, 60-round casket magazine (5.56×45mm NATO)
SightsIntegrated Picatinny rail for various optical sights and Picatinny attachable iron sights

There are two basic variants of the rifle that are based on a common upper receiver; a conventional layout assault rifle and carbine[1]

History

The Grot rifle was in development since 2007 by the Military University of Technology in Warsaw in cooperation with the firearms manufacturer FB Radom. The external design of the rifle was conceived by a separate team of engineers (Adam Gawron, Bartosz Stefaniak, Grzegorz Misiołek, Maciej Sajdak).[2][3]

Currently, the rifle is in service with the Polish Territorial Defence Forces and is scheduled to replace FB Beryl as the primary infantry weapon and service rifle of Polish Armed Forces.[4] The Grot moniker has been added to the MSBS name after the official adoption of the rifle by the Polish military.[4]

Variants
The MSBS Grot B (above) and MSBS Grot C (below).

The following variants were designed based on the requests from the Polish Armed Forces to replace currently used firearms such as the AKM, FB Beryl, FB Mini-Beryl, and Pallad grenade launcher.

  • MSBS Grot C (Polish: klasyczny, English: classic) is the classic variant of the rifle chambered in either 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge with folding and retractable stock.[5]
    • MSBS-5,56A0 - initial production, 1,000 produced.
    • FB-M1 (MSBS-5,56A1) - first production batch: modified charging handle and additional strap mount point on the picatinny rail.[6]
    • FB-M2 (MSBS-5,56A2) - second production batch: longer handguard to cover the gas block, reiforced firing pin for dry fire practice, improved pistol grip and buttstock.[7]
  • MSBS Grot B (Polish: bezkolbowy, English: bullpup) – will be the bullpup variant of the rifle chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge.
  • MSBS Grot R – is the representative variant of the rifle designed to be used by honour guards which has been adapted to fire blanks and withstand drills. With the modularity of the rifle, the barrel can be swapped to fire live ammunition.

The MSBS GROT is a selective fire modular assault rifle which is capable of semi-automatic, 3-round burst and fully automatic fire. It has a cyclic rate of fire of around 700–900 rounds per minute.

Both the Classic and Bullpup variants are planned in 5 different configurations and have many common interchangeable parts and can be in future converted from one to the other.:[8][9]

  • Assault rifle – a standard assault rifle configuration with 16 in (410 mm) barrel.
  • Assault rifle with underbarrel grenade launcher – similar to the assault rifle configuration but with a 40×46mm underbarrel grenade launcher equipped.
  • Carbine – a short barrel variant with a 10 in (250 mm) barrel.
  • Carbine with underbarrel grenade launcher – similar to the carbine configuration but with a 40×46mm underbarrel grenade launcher equipped.
  • Squad automatic weapon – a variant equipped with a heavy, thick profile and a 16 in (410 mm) barrel.
  • Designated marksman rifle – is equipped with a 16 in (410 mm) barrel and a two stage trigger group.

Currently only conventional layout assault rifle, carbine, representational and semi-auto versions are available. Bullpup layout, grenade launcher, squad automatic weapon and designated marksman rifle are not produced. Modules for conversion between versions also are not available.

Since the Polish Military of Defence ordered 53,000 of the MSBS assault rifles, Fabryka Broni has introduced a military naming designation for the MSBS series.

Grot – After the official adoption of the rifle by the Polish Armed Forces, the Grot name was added.

C, B, R, S – variants: classic, bullpup, representative, semi-auto civilian

10, 13, 16, 20 – barrel lengths, in inches.

G, M, PS – configurations: assault rifle with grenade launcher, light machine gun, marksman rifle

FB – Fabryka Broni, the manufacturer of this weapon system.

M(x) – number of series (x stands for the generation, for examples, M1 means first generation, M2 is second generation, M3 is planned third generation)

In this case, MSBS Grot C 16 FB-M1 means assault rifle in classic variant from first series manufactured by Fabryka Broni. The name Grot means arrowhead in Polish and refers to general Stefan Rowecki's pseudonym.

Changes in improved M2 generation:[10][11]

  • longer upper receiver with handguard and heat stop covers
  • new strap and new strap mount points
  • new front grip
  • new main grip
  • reinforced bullstock
  • reinforced secondary sights
  • strengthened charging handle
  • reinforced firing pin (not interchangeable with the old one from M1)
  • new lock (not interchangeable with the old one from M1)
  • new slide (not interchangeable with the old one from M1)
  • new magazines

Changes proposed in M3 generation:

  • new gas block
  • new upper receiver with placed differently cooling holes

Grot-7.62N derivative
Grot-7.62N
TypeDesignated Marksman Rifle
Place of originPoland
Production history
ManufacturerFB "Łucznik" Radom
Specifications
Cartridge7.62×51mm NATO
ActionShort-stroke gas piston, rotating bolt
Feed system20-round detachable SR-25 magazines
SightsIntegrated Picatinny rail for various optical sights and Picatinny attachable iron sights

The Grot-7.62N is a semi-automatic sniper rifle/designated marksman rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.

The Grot-7.62N project began in the end of 2015 when Polish Military of Defence announced analytical works for the replacement program of their SVD Dragunov sniper rifle and supplement the bolt-action TRG-22 and Tor sniper rifles currently in service. It was led by the team of Fabryka Broni Łucznik-Radom and Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna (WAT) engineers.[12]

The Grot-7.62N has two different configurations; one with a 508 mm (20 in) barrel with a fixed adjustable Stick and the other with 406 mm (16 in) barrel with the MSBS Grot C's adjustable side-folding stock. Both configurations are part of the MSBS family and some of the parts of the rifle, such as the stock, handguard, pistol grip, and trigger are interchangeable between 5.56m and 7.62m models.[12][13]

The Grot-7.62N is designed as a semi-automatic rifle but project engineers declared that a fully automatic configuration can be developed if required.[12]

In September, 2019 the Grot-7.62N was officially announced at MSPO 2019.[13]

Users

Current users

See also

References
  1. "Radon MSBS-5.56: Poland's New Battle Rifle". Small Arms Defense Journal. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  2. ""Nowy MSBS-5,56"". Altair.com.pl. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. "Nowa Technika Wojskowa: "Nowy MSBS-5,56"". Magnum-x.pl. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  4. "Umowa na 53 tysiące karabinków Grot. W tym roku armia dostanie tysiąc sztuk". Polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  5. twobirdsflyingpub (29 June 2018). "PGZ SMALL ARMS–EUROSATORY 2018 (CONTINUED)". FOG HORN. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  6. Karabinek GROT - różnice między wersjami A0, A1, A2. youtube.com (PL)
  7. System broni modułowej Grot – eksploatacja ważną fazą rozwoju [ANALIZA.] defence24.pl (PL)
  8. "» MSBS". Fabrykabroni.pl. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  9. "Polish Rifles for the Polish Armed Forces. MSBS Modular Firearms System". Defence24.com. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  10. https://www.defence24.pl/system-broni-modulowej-grot--eksploatacja-wazna-faza-rozwoju-analiza
  11. https://www.milmag.pl/magazines/htmlissue?issue_id=48&page=6
  12. Out! #21, Frag (2 September 2018). "FB Radom MSBS-7,62N .308 Win". Frag Out! Magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  13. "MSPO 2019: New sniper rifle based on MSBS-GROT assault rifle". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  14. Opozycja chce posiedzenia ws. karabinków Grot. Producent odpiera zarzuty.
  15. "grot-dla-co-trzeciego-polskiego-zolnierza-podpisano-zamowienia". Defence24.com. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  16. "53 Thousand Grot Rifles for the Polish Armed Forces. Contract Concluded - Defence24.com". www.defence24.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  17. http://www.defence24.com/first-batch-of-the-msbs-grot-rifles-symbolically-received-by-the-polish-territorial-defence-forces#top-carousel
  18. https://www.overtdefense.com/2019/10/01/poland-signs-contract-msbs-grot-rifles-and-vis-100-pistols/
  19. https://www.milmag.pl/news/view?news_id=4149
  20. https://wmasg.com/en/articles/view/9442
  21. https://www.milmag.pl/news/view?news_id=4149
  22. http://polska-zbrojna.pl/home/articleshow/31589
  23. https://www.defence24.pl/wojska-ladowe-dostaja-msbs-grot
  24. https://www.overtdefense.com/2019/10/01/poland-signs-contract-msbs-grot-rifles-and-vis-100-pistols/
  25. https://www.milmag.pl/news/view?news_id=1761
  26. https://www.infosecurity24.pl/setki-karabinkow-grot-dla-strazy-granicznej
  27. https://strzal.pl/straz-graniczna-kupuje-wiecej-grotow/
  28. https://www.defence24.pl/wojsko-kupilo-reprezentacyjne-msbs

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