User:K4/AR-4506

The AR-4506, also known affectionately as "The Duke", is an assault rifle designed by Alexia Kerianne and produced by VAM and Co.

Background
The AR-4500 lineage was designed by Alexia Kerianne in 2536 after a flaw in the 4400 line resulted in V&C recalling over 370,000 rifles. Formerly employed by V&C, Kerianne was skeptical that the 4000 Series could go on without a major restructuring of how the weapon was built. Mass production was no longer a viable option for the 4000 Series, so Kerianne began a commission with V&C and designed the 4500 line. After several so-so models, Kerianne was granted carte blanche and rebuilt the V&C Design and Production departments to her specifications. In 2545, she presented the AR-4506 to V&C reps.

Overlook
The AR-4506 is a gas-operated, rotating bolt bullpup assault rifle. It is comprised of seven primary components; The upper and lower receivers, magazine well, bolt/carrier, recoil return-spring unit and the upper and lower foregrip.

The upper and lower receivers are cut from solid blocks of 8140 Titanium-A and are both coated in DuraSteel SINTRAC(HR63). The upper foregrip, check-piece and several operation levers are made from "neo-polymer". A 15 inch, cold-hammer forged, chrome-bored, 1:9 rifled barrel allows a wide variety of different pressure cartridge use. The upper has Fore and Rear Iron sights; the Fore a hooded pin, the Rear a removable rotary multi-reticle drum-and a 7.2 inch MIL-STD-2347 accessory rail mounted on the top, and three additional accessory rails are located on the lower foregrip. The lower contains the safety and fire mode selector switches, both located above the triggerguard.

Being a bullpup design, the magazine, bolt and chamber are located behind the fire control unit in the lower. This allows the rifle to have a longer barrel, and therefore, better range, than traditional designs. It also keeps the size of the rifle within a submachine gun/carbine-size package.

Cartridge
The cartridge the 4506 uses, the 6x47mm, is an explosive gel-wrapped jacketed sabot round. Designed by Adam Lomelli in 2539 to combat the ineffectiveness of typical human munitions on Sangheili personal shields, it was deemed acceptable for standard issue firearm use in 2542 and subsequently the 4506 was one of the first rifles to use it. However, it's specialized nature led to only a few companies approved to own the design of it, let alone actually manufacture it.

The 4506 utilizes SUNMS Type 7 magazines, which are interchangeable with most other rifles made by VAM and Co. The Type 7's payload ranges from 20 to 250 round variants, but the 4506 typically uses 30 round models.

Uses
The 4506 is intended as an alternative to full-size assault and battle rifles in situations where the actual size and weight of such a weapon is undesirable, such as CQB and infiltration operations. It also phases out V&C's original design of traditional layout rifles and carbines.