Knight’s Armament employs a hammer-forging process on a
number of our barrels and chambers, which serves to increase the quality of their
interior finish, as well as increasing the durability and life of the barrel. These
barrels are then Chrome-lined to further the lifespan of the barrel and increase its
resistance to fouling and corrosion.
The first step is to take a drilled barrel and hone the interior to a fine,
clean finish. The barrel is then placed onto a mandrel with the rifling pattern
ground in relief across it. This setup is then placed between opposing power hammers
which literally hammer the barrel onto the pattern found on the mandrel. The barrel
setup is rotated and the hammers continue to forge the barrel into its final shape.
Once they complete this process, the barrels are heat treated in order to relieve
the inherent stress created during this process.
The Chroming process is applied after the Hammer Forging. At this point the interior
of the barrel is basically lined with a layer of chrome and bonded to the forged
steel. Chrome is approximately twice as hard as standard 4150 steel and also resists
the lead and powder that bare steel will normally absorb into its pores. This allows
the barrel to be exposed to the higher temperatures and pressures of high firing
schedules while still maintaining accuracy, durability and reliability. The end
result is a denser, stronger barrel that will endure a higher round life than a
Standard Stainless Steel or Chrome Moly barrel.
Belt Fed Weapon
Knight’s Armament has designed and built the most
controllable and lightweight machine guns in its class with the Stoner LMG. This is
a belt-fed support weapon capable of suppressive or grazing fire while still being
easily transportable and controllable. It is fed either from a 100-round sack or a
200-round box filled with linked 5.56 ammunition. The amount of rounds being put
downrange by this type of weapon makes a magazine fed system impractical.
In a belt fed weapon, certain mechanical parts are synced together and
operated by the motion of the weapon’s bolt. These parts are responsible for
gripping the linked ammo belt and drawing them into the weapon’s chamber. They then
reset and are ready to drag the next cartridge into place. As the bolt moves
forward, the cartridge is pushed forward, out of the links, and is driven in front
of the bolt face. The weapon cycles as a regular gas-impingement system will, firing
the round and extracting the empty cartridge and used links. The pawl then drags the
next round into place and the cycle repeats.
Quick Detach Coupler
The Quick Detach Coupler (QDC) line of Sound Suppressors
and Muzzle Devices are proprietary items designed for secure interoperability. The
coupling device itself consists of multiple ball bearings arrayed in a circular
pattern which fit into sockets specifically machined into various muzzle devices to
accept the QDC. The bearings are aligned with the sockets by way of a V-shaped notch
that seats the device onto an index pin. Once aligned, a simple twist of the outer
retaining ring locks the device securely into place.
This system was developed to provide fast and easy operation and
interoperability between weapons and suppressors. Knight's QDC line of sound
suppressors all feature this method of attachment. Various muzzle devices, such as
the QDC Flash Suppressors and the MAMS muzzle break, also feature the QDC pockets to
accept sound suppressors equipped with this coupling device. Secure interoperability
and intelligent, efficient design are the intended goals of this quick and easy
technology.
MLOK
M-LOK is a modular locking accessory mounting system
that is a direct attachment method for hard mounting accessories to a negative space
mounting point. The M-LOK attachment system allows the user to put mounting rails
only where they were needed, as opposed to covering the entire surface with mounting
rails, which are then covered with panels. The system also allows direct mounting of
accessories, such as fore-grips and flashlights, with no rail interface needed.
