Iranian 5.56mm Rifles: From S5.56 to Masaaf

The story of 5.56×45mm self-loading rifles in Iran goes back prior to the Revolutionary-era. During the modernization efforts conducted by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi to improve Iranian Armed Forces Capabilities, numerous 5.56×45mm rifles were tested. Among these rifles that are documented and tested by Iranians were FN CAL and AR-18 assault rifles. But the program didn’t adopt a new rifle and it ceased when Islamic Revolution occurred in 1978. In this article we will examine the history of Iran’s 5.56×45mm rifles.

Documents relating to the pre-Revolution efforts to trial 5.56×45mm self-loading rifles were lost or destroyed during the riots and upheaval of the revolution. Since then we can date the adoption of 5.56×45mm rifles in the Iranian military back to the 1990s and the purchase of thousands of CQ 5.56 rifles from the Norinco company which later played a role in the design of the later firearms such as the Khaybar KH2002 bullpup assault rifle. There were numerous prototypes that were revealed and we won’t take them into consideration in this article due to the lack of information regarding such platforms.

Fig.1.1. FN CAL put on display (Source: Author’s photo collection)

Fig.1.2-3. Official document regarding the sale of two AR-18 rifles to Iran, c.1969 (Source: National Archives Administration)

The S5.56 Rifle

The Chinese CQ rifle which is an unlicensed copy of the Colt M16A1 assault rifle was introduced in the 1980s. The origins of the CQ started when a number of US-made firearms were handed over by Vietnam to China during Vietnam War. The main aim of producing such a rifle was for export and Norinco developed the rifle which has seen some export success. The CQ rifle is equipped with a unique revolver type of pistol grip, rounded handguard as well as a unique buttstock.

In the 1990s, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was looking to establish its own Special Operations unit similar to the Iranian Army’s infamous 65th Special Forces Brigade known as NOHED, and Iranian Navy Marines brigades. In addition, to equipping their new top-tier unit, Iran purchased thousands of CQ rifles from China. Iran’s Defense Industries Organization attempted to produce the CQ unlicensed and named the rifle the Sayad 5.56 (صیاد in Farsi which means ‘hunter’) and it was revealed for the first time in 2001. During the era in which Iran and Sudan enjoyed friendly relations, the Iranian S5.56 was also adopted by the Sudanese military and produced by MIC (Military Industries Corporation) under the name of TERAB.

The S5.56 is Iran’s first mass-produced 5.56×45mm self-loading rifle and was produced in two versions, the S5.56A1 which uses a 19.9-inch barrel and is optimized to use the M193 cartridge, and S5.56A3 which uses a 20-inch barrel that is optimized to use SS109 cartridge. The S5.56 is not that visually different from the original CQ and its markings are its primary distinction. Some public photographs, which have been shared on social media, show the usage of original or Chinese copies of the original Colt M16 rifle scope which is attached to the carrying handle, as well as other types of optics such as Norinco-produced scope by IRGC special forces.

Later in 2015 ,during a military parade, Saberin Special Forces were photographed with an updated version of the S5.56 rifle. This updated version was equipped with a telescopic buttstock, flattop receiver, railed forearm, and what seems to be a 15-inch barrel. The pistol grip was the only part that was similar to the original S5.56 rifle and interestingly no optical sights were revealed for the rifle and it was equipped only with iron sights. Currently, this upgrade is only issued to Saberin and S.N.S.F (IRGC Navy Special Forces). In the latest event on 7 July, 2021, one variant of the rifle with a 20-inch barrel was photographed that had a Colt-pattern scope attached to the rifle and it was among other small arms that were delivered to IRGC.

Fig.2.1. IRGC Saberin Special Forces unit bearing their S5.56 rifles (Source: Tasnim news)

Fig.2.2. IRGC Saberin Special Forces unit with their upgraded S5.56 rifles during Great Prophet Exercise IX, 2016 (Source: IRNA )

The Khaybar KH-2002 

The story of developing the KH-2002 goes back to the early 2000s when the Iranian Armed Forces were looking for a replacement for their venerable 7.62×51mm self-loading rifles  and 7.62×39mm self-loading AKs with a locally produced assault rifle that would fire5.56×45mm NATO round. The concept of bullpup design was first done by converting the G3 battle rifle into a bullpup but after tests, the design was dropped in the favor of a 5.56×45mm self-loading rifle. As a result, design and testing of what became the KH-2002 began in 2001. The following year the Khaybar KH2002 was revealed for the first time to the public.

The core of the KH2002 was a bolt mechanism that was used in the S5.56 rifle, so we could say KH2002 was literally a converted S5.56 with a futuristic look. The rifle was produced in three versions, standard 730mm barrel, carbine 680mm barrel, and 780mm barrel which was a DMR version of the rifle. The tests on the rifle in the mid-2000s  saw two series of updates. One was revealed in 2005 and in 2009 the last version of KH-2002 was revealed and was named “SAMA” (سما in Farsi) which had an ergonomic forearm design, Iron sights similar to the M16A2 rifle, and M1913 pattern Picatinny rails on the sides of the rifle for adding any type of attachments.

Fig.3.1. Second Generation Khaybar KH2002 produced in 2006 with AKM-pattern Bayonet, bipod and Colt- pattern scope (Source: Fars News Agency)

Fig.2.2. IRGC General Nur-Ali Shushtari bearing Third and last generation prototype of Khaybar KH2002  (Source: Fars News Agency)

The Masaaf 5.56

The latest Iranian effort to produce an indigenous 5.56mm service rifle based on AR15/M16 design that uses a short-piston gas system. First revealed in the IPAS 2016 exhibition, Masaaf’s lower receiver is near identical to the Fajr 224 rifle which itself is considered to be an Iranian copy of the M4 Carbine, the upper receiver is a top flat with an ambidextrous charging handle, the combination of its ejection port and forward assist is reminiscent of the Colt Canada C7 (Colt Model 715).

Masaaf’s forearm design is based on the M-LOK design equipped with Picatinny rails at 12 and 6 o’clock and uses three types of fluted free-float barrels that come in 20, 14.5 and 13 inches with a 4-prong flash hider. The rifle also uses two types of buttstocks, a 4 position telescopic buttstock and a fixed polymer stock for a DMR-roled rifle

Currently, the only operator of the Masaaf 5.56 rifle is the Iranian Army’s 65th Special Forces Brigade (NOHED) who are believed to be trialling and assessing the rifle. No further reports on its progress have been published at the time of writing. Interestingly, the publicly revealed rifles were equipped with some type of experimental 30 round Magpul PMAG-pattern magazines while the samples which were delivered to the NOHED were equipped with 20-round STANAG magazines, the same type that we have seen in use with S5.56 rifles in service.

Fig.3.1. Masaaf assault rifle variants with a fixed buttstock(right) and ACOG pattern optical sight and telescopic buttstock(left) (Source: Tasnim News Agency)

Fig.3.2. Short Barrel Masaaf 5.56 rifle with 13 Inch barrel (Source: Defarpress.IR)

In the past decade, multiple 5.56×45mm rifle platforms were revealed by Iranian Defense Industries such as Fateh or Zulfiqar but none of those designs were tested or entered serial production and the reason for this may be the costs or the quality of the production. What we can note is that the main core of any design that has been taken into consideration was loosely based on the original Chinese CQ-pattern self-loading rifles, based on the M16/AR15 design, perhaps because the production line for these rifles is already in place and manufacturers and troops are already familiar with the platform.

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