Colt IAR6940

For the open bolt light machine gun, see Colt Automatic Rifle. For the family of assault rifles by Colt, see CAR-15.
Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle 6940
The Colt IAR 6940 in FDE camo
TypeLight machine gun
Squad automatic weapon
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2010–present
Used bySee users
Production history
DesignerPhil Hinckley
Designed2008
ManufacturerColt's Manufacturing Company
VariantsSee variants
Specifications
Mass
  • 6940 & 6940E-SG unloaded: 4.32 kg (9.52 lb)[1]
  • 6940 & 6940E-SG loaded (30-round STANAG): 4.95 kg (10.91 lb)
  • 6940H unloaded: 4.58 kg (10.1 lb)[1]
  • 6940H loaded (30-round STANAG): 5.21 kg (11.49 lb)
Length851 mm (33.5 in) stock retracted, 934 mm (36.8 in) stock extended
Barrel length406 mm (16 in)
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO
Caliber5.56 mm (0.22 in)
ActionGas Operated, Rotating bolt
Rate of fireCyclic: 700–1000 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity2900 ft/s (884 m/s) (M855)[2]
Effective firing range600 m (656 yd)
Feed system30 round STANAG M16 box magazine, 100–150 round Beta C-Mag, PMAG D-60 Magazine
SightsIron sights or Picatinny rail for various optical sights

The Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle 6940 (commonly shortened to Colt IAR or IAR6940), is a Light machine gun designed by Phil Hinckley and manufactured by American firearms manufacturer Colt.

Developed as a part of the Infantry Automatic Rifle program to "satisfy the role currently played by the FN M249 SAW in a lighter, more man-portable mode" in the United States Marine Corps, the IAR6940 eventually lost out to the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle built by Heckler & Koch. Nevertheless, the weapon was exported internationally and has found usage in militaries around the world, notably in armies in Mexico and Singapore.

The IAR6940 is gas-operated and air‐cooled. It is fed by box magazines such as the STANAG and Drum magazines. It is chambered in 5.56×45 mm NATO and is based on the M16 rifle/M4 carbine. Similar to the CAR-15, from which it shares many fundamental features, the IAR 6940 uses a direct impingement system rather than a gas piston system. The weapon includes a distinctly large heatsink below the barrel.

  1. ^ a b "The Colt IAR6940 (Infantry Automatic Rifle) - Small Arms Review". 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  2. ^ "EXTREMELY RARE COLT INFANTRY AUTOMATIC RIFLE ASSEMBLY ON FACTORY M4 CARBINE. | Poulin's Antiques and Auctions, Inc". www.poulinauctions.com. Retrieved 2024-05-24.