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It’s been said that there have been three generations of infantry rifles following World War II. The first generation put in place new manufacturing technologies to increase production volume of magazine-fed, select-fire service rifles like the M14. Then the private firearms industry advanced designs that reduced production cost and incorporated materials like impact-resistant polymers and aluminum to lessen weight. The select-fire M16—developed around the 5.56 cartridge—offered improved ergonomics and is an example of that second generation.Today we are in the midst of the third generation of the modern battle rifle. And Beretta, the oldest active small-arms company, has contributed to each of them. So, we set out to examine that with this Beretta ARX100 review.
Like the M14, the first-generation 7.62 Beretta BM59 was based on the M1 Garand. It offered select-fire operation and featured a detachable 20-round magazine. The BM59 was replaced by Beretta’s AR70/90, which, until recently, has served 14 nations. In 2008 Beretta closed its recent generation gap with the introduction of the select-fire ARX 160.
The ARX line makes the most of the newest materials and quality control systems while enhancing ergonomics, lowering maintenance requirements, maximizing user adaptability and offering system integration with implements like the Beretta GLX 160 (a new 40mm grenade launcher). In the last five years, the ARX 160 has earned its place in the ranks of Albanian special forces, the Italian army, Mexico’s Federales and the military of Turkmenistan. As of this writing, special operation units in Argentina are also evaluating the ARX 160 for adoption.
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Read more: http://www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/citizen-soldier-beretta-arx-100-review/#ixzz2ShWrZR4m

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