STV rifle

The STV, short for Súng Trường Việt Nam (lit. 'Rifle of Vietnam')[2] or Súng Tiểu liên Việt Nam (lit. 'Submachine Guns of Vietnam', it should be clarified that Vietnam formally designates the AK-class rifles as súng tiểu liên[3] - SMG while not officially recognizing the AR designation, as well as any definition for assault rifles), is a family of Vietnamese assault rifles. They are products of the Z111 Factory and are chambered in 7.62x39mm.[4]

STV rifles
Súng trường Việt Nam
STV-380 assault rifle
TypeAssault rifle
Place of originVietnam
Service history
In service2019-present
Used byPeople's Army of Vietnam
Vietnam Customs[1]
Production history
DesignerZ111 Factory
ManufacturerZ111 Factory
Produced2019-present
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass3.6 kg (7.9 lb) (unloaded)
Cartridge7.62×39mm
ActionGas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire700 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity700 m/s (2,300 ft/s)
Feed system30-round box magazine

As of 2021, the STV-215 and the STV-380 are the standard issued rifles for the People's Army of Vietnam.[5] They are also used by Vietnam Customs.

The STV-022 is reported to be pressed into service.[6]

History

In 2014, the People's Army of Vietnam adopted the IWI Galil ACE 31/32 as the standard issue rifle.[7] This included a license to manufacture them locally at the Z111 Factory.[8] The factory immediately began modifying the IWI Galil ACE to better suit the local terrain and climate, while also implementing more Kalashnikov parts. This was done to improve familiarity and smoothen the transition from older AK-47 and AKM assault rifles, which were used by Vietnamese soldiers.

The modification process was a fusion of the STL-1A and the Galil ACE, this resulted in a prototype rifle named the GK1 and the GK3.[9]

In 2019, the Z111 Factory revealed two new rifles. Designated the STV-215 and the STV-380, the number at the end would indicate the length of the barrels. These two new rifles would be replacing the IWI Galil ACE 31/32 as the standard issued rifle for the People's Army of Vietnam.[5][10]

In 2020, two new variants of the STV rifles were revealed. These rifles were designated as the STV-410 and the STV-416.[11] Compared to the previous two variants, the new ones would adopt more AK parts into the guns. Currently, the STV-215 and STV-380 remain as the standard issued rifles and being the only ones which are in mass production.[12][2]

The STV-380 was seen in 2021 in parades for the first time alongside the K20 camo uniforms.[13]

In December 2022, a new variant designated as STV-022 was revealed at the 2022 Vietnam Defence Expo. It is a further shortened variant of the standard-issued STV-215, having its stock removed compared to the bigger variants.[14] It was also spotted being used by PAVN personnel in the same event.[6] It is also spotted with the Vietnam Border Guard.[15]

Design

All STV variants are generally similar and are mainly built off of the IWI Galil ACE's milled receiver.[16] They are all chambered in 7.62x39mm and can use any standard AK-47/AKM magazines.[16] The numbers on the STV name indicate the barrel length. 380 indicates the standard rifle with a 380mm barrel while the 215 indicates the compact rifle with a 215mm barrel.[17]

The rifles all have the charging handle located on the right side, which is the same for all IWI Galil ACEs manufactured in Vietnam. However, the selective-fire mechanism uses a traditional AK-based mechanism. The handguards and pistol grips are made of polymer and all of the rifles have a folding stock. A bird-cage muzzle brake is included on all rifles.[5]

As the handguards and receiver include a Picatinny rail on top, attachments can be mounted on such as telescopic sights, red dot sights, or holographic sights.[13] The rear sight is located at the rear of the gun. The only exception to this is the STV-416, which does not include any Picatinny rails.

The STV-215 and STV-380 have an additional Picatinny rail located on the bottom of the handguard, commonly used for a foregrip/bipod, laser, or flashlight attachment. When nothing is attached, a plastic cover can be placed over the Picatinny rail for more comfort while holding. The pistol grip for these two are built in to the body of the rifle. These two variants also share the front-sight and gas block similar to the ones found on the IWI Galil ACE.[5]

The STV-410 and STV-416 both lack a Picatinny rail on the bottom of the handguard. Instead, they include a mount for an underbarrel grenade launcher. They also have a slightly different magazine well and trigger rim. The pistol grip for these two variants are also independent of the body and are also based on the AK. These two variants use a folding polymer AK stock instead of the FN FAL styled stocks used by the STV-215 and STV-380. The front-sight and gas block on these two variants are different from each other.[11]

It was reported in 2021 that the 40mm OPL-40M underbarrel grenade launcher would be used in conjunction with the STVs.[18]

The smallest variant STV-022 largely resembles the STV-215 but having its stocks removed, further shortening the overall size of the rifle.[14]

Variants

Note that all variants are designated corresponding to their barrel lengths (except for STV-022).

STV-215
STV-215 with optical sight

The STV-215 is the carbine version of the STV-380. It is used alongside the STV-380 as one of the standard issued rifles for the People's Army of Vietnam. It is similar to the STV-380 in all aspects, except the barrel length.[12][19]

STV-022

Unlike other STV variants, the "022" designation likely refers the variant's year of introduction of 2022 instead of its actual barrel length.

Not much information was revealed about this rifle but according to the publicized picture, it is the smallest variant of the STV family with the whole rifle largely resembles the STV-215, except with the stock eventually removed to further downsizing the rifle.

Despite its compact size, it is still chambered in 7.62×39mm.[14]

It is likely the next STV variant to be issued to the People's Army of Vietnam, especially for the Vietnam Border Guard.[6][15]

STV-380
STV-380

The STV-380 is one of the standard issued assault rifles for the People's Army of Vietnam. It has a foldable stock similar to the FN FAL PARA.[12] However, a variant with M18-style buttstock was also developed and revealed.[20]

STV-410

The build of the STV-410 overall resembles an AK-15.[21] The handguard's Picatinny rail is slightly extended to cover the entirety of the handguard.

STV-416

The STV-416 is an assault rifle, which resembles an AK-103.[11] The rifle is the only variant that does not include any Picatinny rails. Instead, it includes a side-mount for sights and a mount on the handguard for a grenade launcher.

The rear-sight is moved up to the rear of the handguard. The front-sight and gas block are similar to the ones found AK-103.[11]

References
  1. Thái Bình (6 February 2023). "Hải quan Hải Phòng thu giữ thêm gần 130 kg ngà voi châu Phi". Vietnam Customs online newspaper. Vietnam Customs. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  2. VTV, BAO DIEN TU. "Núi sông bờ cõi: Việt Nam tự chủ chế tạo vũ khí bộ binh - Video đã phát trên VTV4 | VTV.VN". BAO DIEN TU VTV (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  3. Nguyễn, Anh Sơn. "Huấn luyện bắn súng ở Quân đoàn 3: Nhiều giải pháp sáng tạo". People's Army Newspaper (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  4. "Việt Nam giới thiệu súng trường STV-215 và STV-380". 24 July 2020.
  5. "STV-380 and STV-215 - New Service Rifles of Vietnamese Army -". The Firearm Blog. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  6. "河内防务展：STV-022短步枪~~_风闻". user.guancha.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  7. "Việt Nam giới thiệu súng trường STV-215 và STV-380". 24 July 2020.
  8. "Israel Weapon Industries to begin assault rifle production in Vietnam - IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23.
  9. hợp), Phong Vũ (Tổng (2019-09-15). "Súng trường tấn công GK1 và GK3 Việt Nam chế tạo có gì đặc biệt? - Doanh nghiệp Việt Nam". Cơ quan ngôn luận của Hiệp hội Doanh nghiệp Khoa học và Công nghệ Việt Nam (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  10. VCCorp.vn (5 November 2019). "Súng tiểu liên AK 'Made in Vietnam' lột xác tiến thẳng lên hiện đại: Giải bài toán hóc búa". soha.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  11. "Vietnamese Weapons: New AK Variants STV-410 and STV-416 -". The Firearm Blog. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  12. "Súng trường tấn công STV-410 Việt Nam ra mắt". datviet.trithuccuocsong.vn. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  13. "Khẩu súng thay thế cho tiểu liên AK huyền thoại của Việt Nam". Cánh cò (in Vietnamese). 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  14. Phan Anh. "Triển lãm Quốc phòng quốc tế Việt Nam 2022: Súng bộ binh hiện đại của ngành công nghiệp quốc phòng Việt Nam". People's Army Newspaper (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  15. Trung Dũng (2023-01-26). "Ngày xuân, tuần tra biên giới". People's Army Newspaper Media (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  16. "Phiên bản đặc biệt ít biết của súng Galil Ace Việt Nam sử dụng". 12 August 2020.
  17. https://modernfirearms.net/en/bez-rubriki-en/stv-380-stv-215-2/
  18. "Vietnamese People Army to Start Mass-Producing OPL-40M Grenade Launcher". 24 June 2021.
  19. "A Look Into Vietnamese Firearms Manufacturing in Z111 Factory -". The Firearm Blog. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  20. Ký sự truyền hình: Hành trình đại nghĩa - Tập 4: Những công trình mang tên Trần Đại Nghĩa, retrieved 2023-09-16
  21. "Kinh ngạc súng trường STV-410 Việt Nam lần đầu xuất hiện trên truyền hình". 27 July 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to STV rifle.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.