Kinda looks like what the Beretta ARX-160 could have been.The handguard needs to go with an uninterrupted rail on all sides to make this a bit more streamline and the rail underneath needs to extend all the way to the end...

I also wonder if this thing has a bolt hold and bolt release switch to truly make it modern

The XM8 had a bolt release inside the trigger guard. And just having a bolt release in the first place, I would assume it also had a hold-open device, because otherwise what's the point?

The original G36 doesn't...I think. Actually when I think about it, the whole bolt release device seemed kinda of an American thing for a while unless you include the FAL.

Quite a few European guns have them, off of the top of my head for example, the SA80, SIG SG 550, Beretta AR-70, and I'm sure there are probably others. I believe that the G36 has a last round hold open and a manual bolt hold open, but as standard doesn't have a bolt release. The manual hold open is a nub inside the trigger guard which is pushed upwards to lock the bolt, however there is a H&K made replacement for this part which has an L shaped shelf attached which allows you to bull the catch downwards to release the bolt without running the charging handle.

This is basically the same as how the XM8 bolt hold open/release works. A lot of people have a problem with the bolt controls being inside the trigger guard, but it isn't as unsafe as some people say as the proper way to use the bolt release is with the thumb of your support hand after inserting the magazine.

As for the slightly odd rails on the XM8R stopping ahead of the receiver, my guess is that the reason for this is that there is a big trunion kind of thing coming out of the front of the receiver around the barrel which the handguard sheaths over, which wouldn't really work with an aluminium rail handguard (and if it did you would need to make the handguard larger to accommodate this). Doing it this way also means that you have a comfortable handguard without having to add extra accessories.

I guess I was thinking of the H&K rifles,the L85 (unless it does, never seen one up close), FAMAS, VZ-58, and FNC that has not bolt release button.

As for the XM8's rails...still doesn't quite make sense. There are rail covers and vertical foregrips that some would like to be further back and some people hold their rifles further up the handguard. I think this was more of a design choice than for sorta practical choice because a lot of guys hold their rifles closer towards the magwell

I think the main reason is more the shape of the receiver extension beneath the handguard. Bear in mind that the XM8 was built as a modular weapon where the handguards could be switched out for different length ones in moments without tools so there is a pretty big thing under there with a lot of surface area to give it a secure fit, which could potentially have been an issue for mounting a more traditional aluminium extrusion type railed handguard. You can still make the argument that maybe they could have made the handguard less modular but longer/lower profile, but I think when they came up with this they were just throwing shit at the wall to see what would stick (this version actually sorta did, the sharpshooter version of this configuration is one of the guns that the Malaysians purchased).

FYI, the L85 along with all of the other SA80 weapons locks open on an empty mag and has both a bolt release and a manual bolt hold open. Rather uniquely they are not the same lever though, instead the bolt hold open is a tear-drop shaped lever behind the ejection port (you push it down with your left thumb while reaching over the top to pull the bolt back), whereas the bolt release is a square catch on the left side behind the magazine well just above the selector. They are in different places as you need one by the ejection port to lock the bolt open due to the cocking handle being mounted on the bolt, whilst this would be very inconvenient for releasing the bolt during a reload so they put the other by the magazine well.

Thanks for that info about the L85.

But The concept of a weapon you can change at a moment's notice out in the field didn't seem to catch on really. The military mindset is usually 1 weapon for everyone with specific weapons for special purposes. No one would be carrying extra barrels or handguards to the field.


I just started playing Homefront the Revolution and while it's cool that I can turn my M4 instantly into something like the Shrike LMG system...who carries extra receivers and barrels into combat?

I mean, if troops are deployed to somewhere, an armory of sort would be set up to keep inventory of weapons, repairs, ammo, etc. So any changes or switch to weapons would happen there or troops would be issued their weapons and they take it with them as they deploy into transports.