Lewis Machine and Tool Company

Lewis Machine and Tool Company

Type	Private company
Industry	Defense
Founded	1980
Headquarters	Eldridge, Iowa, United States
Products	Firearms, weapons
Employees	100-150[citation needed]
Website	www.LMTDefense.com

Lewis Machine and Tool Company (LMT) is an American armaments company founded by Karl Lewis in 1980. LMT manufactures complete weapon systems such as the M4 carbine and the M203 grenade launcher. LMT products are used by the militaries of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Estonia and the United States.

Products

Bolt and bolt carrier groups

Lewis Machine and Tool Company produces a patented AR-15-pattern bolt design featuring a redesigned extractor intended to improve extraction of cartridges under adverse conditions. The company also produces a redesigned bolt carrier intended to improve the performance of the rifle's direct-impingement gas operation.^{[citation needed]}

LM308MWS and CQB MRP Defender

Lewis Machine and Tool Company created the Monolithic Rail Platform (MRP), a one-piece, Picatinny-topped AR-15-pattern upper receiver made from a forged aluminum block. The MRP upper receiver has a quick-change barrel system. Its top rail position matches M4 and E3-type weapons for optical and sight compatibility.^{[citation needed]}

In late 2009, LMT introduced the .308 Modular Weapon System LM308MWS, which uses the 7.62×51mm NATO round.

In February 2012, the British Transport Police began to use AR-pattern short-barreled rifles produced by LMT.

L129A1

L129A1
Type	Designated marksman rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	2010–present
Used by	British Armed Forces New Zealand Army
Wars	War in Afghanistan
Production history
Manufacturer	Lewis Machine & Tool
Specifications
Mass	4.4 kg
Cartridge	7.62×51mm NATO
Barrels	410 mm
Effective firing range	800 m
Maximum firing range	1,000 m
Sights	TA648-308 6×48 ACOG

In 2009, Lewis Machine & Tool Co was contracted to supply the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) with 440 LM308MWS 7.62×51mm rifles under the official service designation as the L129A1. As of December 2014, over 3,000 units have been supplied to UK forces.

The LM308MWS was then submitted for the British Ministry of Defence's Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) for immediate deployment of a semiautomatic 7.62 NATO caliber sharpshooter rifle in Afghanistan. Other rifles submitted included the FN Herstal SCAR-H, Heckler & Koch HK417 and Sabre Defence XR-10. LMT's rifle was chosen, earning it the L129A1 designation and entered service April 2010 in Afghanistan. The standard optic for the L129A1 is the Trijicon ACOG.

The LM308MWS standard US commercial model differs slightly from the UK issued L129A1 in barrel length and twist rate. Its muzzle device is a standard M16A2 flash suppressor. It uses detachable fixed sights instead of folding sights. Its furniture is black instead of brown. Finally, the designation on the receiver is "LM308MWS" instead of "L129A1."

There are also UK commercial variants of the L129A1 and the CQB MRP Defender. Designated the LMT308SP and CQB 5.56SP, the models are a straight pull action rifle, and not semi-automatic due to UK laws.

The New Zealand Army adopted the rifle in October 2011. It differs from its UK counterpart in the use of a Leupold adjustable 4.5-14× scope, canted iron sights and a foldable foregrip.^{[citation needed]}

MARS-L

The LMT Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System (MARS) - Light (MARS-L)
File:LMT R20 Rahe.jpg Estonian R20 Rahe 14.5" (368 mm) barreled variant
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	2015-Present
Used by	New Zealand Defence Force Estonian Defence Forces Estonian Defence League
Production history
Manufacturer	Lewis Machine & Tool
Specifications
Mass	3.3kg (empty)
Length	914 mm (36.0 in) ("Maximum")
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt (internal piston, not direct impingement) or Short-stroke piston
Feed system	5.56×45mm NATO: 30-round detachable box magazine

New Zealand

On 12 August 2015, the New Zealand Ministry of Defence announced that it would be replacing the current Steyr AUG rifle for the three branches of the New Zealand Defence Force with a rifle from LMT, one of eight companies that had submitted rifles for trials between March and June 2015. Like the Steyr AUG, the submitted LMT design was also chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO. A contract of NZD $59 million was awarded to LMT for 9,040 rifles, designated the MARS-L (Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System-Light).

The rifles were delivered in May 2017, and soldiers began training with them at Waiouru Military Camp on 15 June 2017.

In September 2018 it was reported that some of the rifles had experienced breakages, including 130 with cracks around the bolt, and that all 9,040 rifles had had their firing pins replaced under warranty. LMT later claimed that the number of worn or broken firing pins was actually much smaller, in the range of "less than one tenth of one percent".^{[citation needed]} The issue reportedly stemmed from improper tempering. While replacing the firing pins, a similar quantity of selector switches and bolt carriers had also been found to display premature wear and were replaced.

Estonia

File:LMT TA-R20.jpg

7.62×51mm NATO designated marksman R20 L variant

In May 2019, the Estonian Defence Forces selected the MARS-L after two years of testing to replace their IMI Galil and Ak 4 rifles. 16,000 MARS-L rifles were ordered under the designation R20 Rahe ("Hail" in Estonian). The upper receiver has a Picatinny rail on the top and M-LOK compatible attachment points on its sides and uses a short-stroke gas piston system. The standard barrel length of the R20 is 14.5", but a 12.5" variant designated the R20 S is also produced. A modified trigger design allows the trigger safety to be engaged without the hammer being cocked, which is not possible on a standard AR-15 pattern rifle.

In June 2020, the first batch of 1,500 R20 Rahe rifles was delivered. The R20 is planned to fully replace the Galil and Ak 4 by 2022.^{[citation needed]}

Estonia also acquired a designated marksman rifle variant of the MARS chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO with a 16" barrel. The official Estonian designation for the marksman rifle is the R20 L.

External links

• Official website