1

Modern Firearms

Sniper Rifles

Main menu selection

Main menu selection

Buy & Sell guns at

GunBroker.com Online Auction

Intro

Large caliber rifles
Austria

Steyr IWS 2000

Steyr .50 HS

Croatia

RT-20

Czech republic

Falcon

France

PGM UR Hecate II

Great Britain

AI Arctic Warfare .50

AI AS50

Russia

SVN-98

KSVK 12.7

OSV-96

VSSK Vychlop

South Africa

Truvelo .50

Kel-tec RFB rifle (USA)

Kel-tec 5,56mm SUB-16 prototype personal defense weapon of early 1990s, which served as a starting point for RFB

image: Kel-tec

Kel-tec RFB 'Target' rifle with heavy-profile 32-inch barrel, telescope sight, folding bipod and 10-round magazine

image: Kel-tec

2

Mechem NTW-20

Switzerland

OM 50 Nemesis

new

USA

M500 M600 M650

Armalite AR-50

Barret M82

Barret M90 & M95

Barret M99

Barret XM500

McMillan TAC-50

Yugoslavia

Black Arrow M93

Standart caliber rifles
Austria

Steyr SSG

Steyr Scout Tactical

Unique Alpine TPG-1

Belgium

FN 30-11

FN Police Rifle

Brazil

IMBEL Fz.308

China (People Republic of)

QBU-88

Czech Republic

CZ 700

Finnland

Saco TRG

France

FR F2

PGM Ultima Ratio

PGM Mini-Hecate .338

Germany

HK PSG-1

HK MSG-90

Kel-tec RFB 'Carbine' with 18-inch barrel, 20-round magazine and red-dot sight, compared to

FN FAL Para

rifle.

image: Kel-tec

3

Walther WA2000

Mauser SP66

Mauser 86SR

Blaser 93 Tactical

AMP TS DSR-1

SSG-82

Erma SR-100

GOL-Sniper

Great Britain

Enfield L42A1 & Enforcer

Parker-Hale M82

AI Arctic Warfare / L96

AI AE

Israel

Galil sniper

TEI M86-SR

Italy

Beretta sniper

USA

Barret M98

Armalite AR10(t)

M21

Remington 700

M24

M40

Kinights SR-25

Savage 10FP & 110FP

RAI / RAP model 300

FN SPR

CheyTac Intervention

Kel-tec RFB

USSR / Russia

Dragunov SVD

SVU

VSS

SV-98

SV-99

Kel-tec RFB rifle partially disassembled

image: Kel-tec

Diagram displaying forward ejection system of the Kel-tec RFB rifle

image: Kel-tec

4

VSK-94

Swiss

SIG SG550 Sniper

Sig-Sauer SSG 2000

Sig-Sauer SSG 3000

SIG STR/SHR 970

Yugoslavia

Zastava M76

all texts and some pictures
copyright (c) 1999-2007
by Max R. Popenker
and can not be used without
author permission

Contact E-Mail

ICQ:

Bolt of the SRT-8 (Kel-tec RFB prototype) rifle, with cartridge held in upper (ejection) position by dual pivoting
extractors / ejectors.

image: Kel-tec

RFB Carbine

RFB Sporter

RFB Target

Caliber:

7,62x51mm / .308 Winchester

Barrel length

457 mm / 18"

610 mm / 24"

813 mm / 32"

Overall length

661 mm / 26"

813 mm / 32"

1016 mm / 40"

Weight, unloaded

3,67 kg / 8,1 lbs

3,95 kg / 8,7 lbs

5,1 kg / 11,3 lbs

Magazine capacity

10 or 20 rounds

The RFB rifle is a very interesting development of the Kel-tec CNC Industries company, USA. First displayed during
ShotShow 2007 expo, this weapon is now (spring 2007) in advanced development; mass production scheduled to early
2008. The RFB is an acronym which stands for Rifle, Forward ejection, Bullpup. It is a brainchild of the George
Kellgren, the chief designer of the Kel-Tec. George Kellgren was long involved into development of advanced bullpup
rifles, starting with unorthodox

Interdynamics MKR rifle

of late seventies. During following decades, Kellgren designed

a number of bullpup weapons, featuring first bottom and then forward extraction. During early nineties Kellgren
designed a compact bullpup 'personal defense' weapon, designated SUB-16. This was a gas-operated semi-automatic
weapon, firing .223 Remington ammunition and featuring forward ejection, with dual tilting extractors / ejectors used to
move fired cartridge up from the breech face and push it into ejection chute above the barrel. SUB-16 was a promising
and really novel design but the infamous Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 effectively has killed it. Nevertheless, the

5

forward ejection concept was not forgotten, and in around 2003 Kel-tec initiated development of an accurate,
semi-automatic rifle with long barrel and compact bullpup layout. In 2005, Kel-tec team began development of the
SRT-8, the 7,62x51 semi-automatic sniper rifle. After much experimentation Kel-tec team successfully solved most
problems associated with forward ejection system, and in November 2006 the SRT-8 project has changed its name to
RFB. Original model designations 'Sniper', 'Hunter' and 'Battle' were also changed to less menacing 'Target', 'Sporter'
and 'Carbine' respectively. As of now (April 2007), Kel-tec is tooling up for first pre-production batch of RFB. At the
same time, Kel-tec is investigating smaller- versions of the same design, adapted to 'intermediate' calibers such as
7,62x39, 5,56x45 / .223, 6,5 Grendel or 6,8x43 Rem SPC. This weapon will be significantly lighter and more compact,
retaining same ambidexterity and high barrel length to overall length ratio of the RFB.
It must be noted that at the present time the only fully ambidextrous bullpup rifle with forward ejection is the Belgian

FN

F2000 assault rifle

and its civilian derivative

FS2000

, both available only in 5,56mm / .223 caliber.

The key advantage of the RFB is that it provides a compact and fully ambidextrous package, combined with increased
barrel length, thus allowing for increasing ballistic performance using same cartridge (as compared to rifles with
traditional layout).

Kel-tec RFB rifle is gas-operated, using short-stroke gas piston located above the barrel. Gas system is fitted with
manual gas regulator, located at the front of gas block. Bolt system is somewhat unusual, as the long bolt carrier has
an inverted U-shaped cross-section, and runs above the barrel and ejection chute. The bolt is hinged to the rear of the
carrier. Locking is achieved by tipping the rear of the bolt down, to engage locking recesses in barrel extension.
Forward ejection system includes dual extractors / ejectors, pivotally attached at either side of the bolt. Upon final stage
of the bolt opening movement, those extractors are cammed up, to bring the fired cartridge above the barrel and in line
with ejection chute above it. Upon closing movement of the bolt, it strips the fresh cartridge from magazine and feeds it
into the chamber, simultaneously pushing the fired case forward and into ejection chute. Upon final closing movement
of the bolt ejectors are cammed down to release fired case and to grip on the base of the fresh cartridge in the
chamber. Fired cases then remain in the ejection chute until manually shaken out of it or pushed out by subsequent
cases. Special provisions are made to avoid empty cases bounced back from chute and into receiver. Bolt system
features dual return spring installed on captive spring guides. Upon disassembly, bolt group along with recoil springs is
removed from the gun as one unit. Charging handle is reciprocating and can be installed on either side of the gun.
The rest of the gun is mounted on the barrel, which forms the backbone of the weapon, using four captive cross-pins.
Forend, pistol grip / trigger pack / magazine housing and receiver cover / buttstock are made from impact-resistant
polymer. Basic disassembly of the RFB requires no special tools other than a cartridge or other pointed object, which is
used to push out connecting pins.
Firing unit is hammer-fired, and features an interesting system which provides consistent and crisp trigger pull. In
essence, this system keeps the sear next to the trigger, and the necessary long linkage is located between sear and
hammer, not impairing the trigger pull. The trigger is fully adjustable. Manual safety levers are located above pistol grip
at either side of the gun. Feed is using "metric"

FN FAL

magazines, which are readily available on the market. There

are no open / iron sights as standard on RFB rifles; instead, a Picatinny-type rail is rigidly attached to the barrel. This

6

rail will accept any sighting equipment with appropriate mounting interface.

Special thanks to George Kellgren for invaluable information and images.

--

guns.ru banner exchange