Crookfur Arms E7-5N

"*We here at AccuTech would like to respectfully remind everyone again that this rifle is not licenced by or produced by our company, this article is simply being hosted on our site for historical purposes by the UPoTF Government. Thank you for your understanding."-Accutech PR Team.

Crookfur Arms E7-5N
The Crookfur Arms E7-5N is a fully-automatic assault rifle submitted by Crookfur Arms for the Free Army's 5.56mm Challenge in order to replace the worn-out Vz. 78 rifles that are exiting service on October 2nd. It costs $850, making it a significantly lower cost than some of it's competitors like the Model 2008 and AR Scorpion. The rifle itself shares some characteristics with the AR-15 platform of rifles, leading to soldiers in the Free Navy being able to handle it better during trials due to the familiarity of the controls with their issued CBRa4 rifles.

The rifle has been adopted as the main service rifle of the United Provinces of The Free Armed Forces, and is designated SSRa1 in official documents. The rifle is identical to the units used during state testing. It is usually issued with a 4X ACOG scope and an M203 Grenade Launcher. Carbine and LMG variants are also issued within squads, while the DMR roll is taken by the Gabha Blacksmiths Model 2008. (Mark III 7.62 variant)

Design (excerpt from E7-5N brochure)
The E7-5N is a light weight assault rifle that offers exceptional controllability and ruggedness. Based on Crookfur Arms’ established S7/E7 series of rifles the E7-5N is offered in 5.56mm NATO

In terms of operation the E7-5N uses a self-regulating short stroke gas system to drive a twin lugged rotating bolt. The hefty bolt carrier assembly rides on twin guide rods and has an extended travel over which it is gradually slowed by twin return springs. The extended travel and gradual deceleration of the bolt carrier assembly acts to greatly increase the controllability of the rifle in automatic fire by both reducing the rate of fire and preventing the sudden slamming of the bolt carrier assembly into the rear of the body, in essence creating a “constant recoil” effect where the operate feels a constant gentle push rather than a series of sharp shocks.

The Rifle is fully ambidextrous with controls on both sides and the ejection direction being controlled by an external plate that blocks one of the ejection ports. The plate can be switched over to the opposite side using only a round of ammunition as a tool. Whilst the gas system is self-regulating it can be easily switched off if desired using a large tactile knob at the front of the upper hard guard. As standard the E7-5N is supplied with a three position (safe, semi and full auto) fire selector. In semi-automatic mode the rifle fires from a closed bolt and in fully automatic the first round is fired from a closed bolt and any subsequent rounds in a burst fire from an open bolt. This preserves single shot accuracy whilst aiding controllability and reducing heating in fully automatic fire. The E7-5N is set up to use so called “STANAG” 5.56mm magazines and has a flared magazine well to make reloading easier. Standard furniture includes a quad rail fore grip (supplied with rail covers) and an adjustable folding stock.

The basic E7-5N can be quickly and easily converted into a variety of different configurations thanks to its quick change barrel and piston system, modular fore grip and butt stock. The fire control group is also modular allowing different firing modes to be accommodated and to allow the simple installation of precision match trigger systems if desired.

In terms of materials and construction the main receiver is machined from a solid billet of high grade aluminium with the fore grip, stock and other pieces of furniture being produced from fibre reinforced plastic. The internal mechanism is produced from steel parts that have received a low friction/high wear titanium nitride protective coating, this coating produces a natural “dry” lubrication effect greatly reducing wear and tear and increasing service life. The 20” medium profile barrel is produced from moly-chrome steel using flow forming. This cold working This cold working technique produces barrels of exceptionally high dimensional accuracy and superior mechanical and thermal properties. The barrel is fully free floating and features a threaded muzzle which as part of the standard package is used to attach a flash hider. The inside of barrel, as with the chamber, is chrome lined and its exterior has a protective coating of titanium aluminium nitride, giving it an extremely tough finish that will resist scratches and marks from even specialist tools.

Performance in the 5.56mm Challenge
The E7-5N performed remarkably, coming within a point of the much more costly Model 2008. The rifle held much-needed qualities similar to the AR-15 platform, it was reliable when filled with debris like dirt and sand, and it was issued with a long barrel, which helped with accuracy at and surpassing 500m. It was decided that this rifle was the best to use for general issue, so the Free Army is going ahead with ordering 50,000 rifles to standardize over the Vz. 78, and to adopt the rifle as the SSRa1. The request has since been met, and all rifles have been delivered to all branches of the military.

Users
United Provinces of The Free
 * Replaced Vz. 78 in full service, in service with all branches of the armed forces, some police units and paramilitary forces. Designated SSRa1 in official documents. Typically equipped with a 30-round STANAG magazine, 4X ACOG and M203 Grenade Launcher.

History
The rifle first saw action as the SSRa1 during the Seige of Marxtopia. The rifle performed better than the Vz. 78 in initial fielding, yet the soldiers wielding the rifle had split opinions. It was unanimous that the rifle had better handling characteristics, but the soldiers felt that the new 5.56 round it fired lacked the lethality of the older Soviet cartridge. The Siege was a success, and the tourists were eventually rescued from the Marxtopian Gulag.

Gallery
The first picture shows an SSRa1 with standard-issue attachments of the UPoTF, second is a civilian model from Crookfur Arms and third is a man holding a DMR variant at a firearms convention.