C19 rifle
The C19 rifle (Officially: Calderan rifle 2019 model) is a 5.56mm LOTA assault rifle of Calderan origin. It's the standard rifle of the Calderan Armed Forces, but it's also a rare commodity, as most Calderan soldiers use the Urcean SMP-3L for standard engagements, and the C19 is reserved to only the Volkspartei Defense and Calderan soldiers who are guarding important bases.
| Calderan rifle 2019 model | |
|---|---|
.jpg) C19 with an angled foregrip, a flashlight and 3 30-round magazines | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin |  Caldera |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2019–present |
| Used by | Caldera Volkspartei Defense |
| Wars | See Conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 2016-2019 |
| Manufacturer | Tauk |
| Unit cost | $700 (avg. cost) |
| Produced | 2019–present |
| No. built | 50,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.43 lb (2.92 kg) empty 7.75 lb (3.52 kg) with 30 rounds |
| Length | 34.5 in (876 mm) (stock extended) 31.25 in (794 mm) (stock retracted) |
| Barrel length | 16 in (406 mm) |
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm LOTA |
| Action | Gas-operated, closed rotating bolt, expanding gas |
| Rate of fire | 700–970 rounds/min cyclic |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,970 ft/s (910 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 500 m (550 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 3,600 m (3,900 yd) |
| Feed system |
|
| Sights | Iron sights or various optics |
History
The Calderan Armed Forces began the goal of adopting a new rifle in December of 2003, after the Siege of Little Caldera revealed weaknesses in the current rifle design. The Calderan Armed Forces enlisted multiple manufacturers to come up with a superior rifle design, with the prerequisites that the new rifle being: firstly, the rifle had to use a lighter cartridge than 8mm Calderan, and secondly, the rifle had to reload faster than the SG56.
To come up with a design that fit these criteria, Calderan manufacturers turned to foreign designs, applying the Levantine 5.56 millimeter cartridge to a frame of disputed origin. The Calderan manufacturer Tauk claims to have designed the operating system themselves, but other manufacturers contend this, citing the Farman FAMle-04 and the Caphirian Cileo 220 as both using the same operating system, meaning Tauk likely stole the design from one of those rifles or an even older model, but Tauk maintains their position that they invented the operating system, and similarity is a coincidence.
In summer of 2019, the Calderan government gave Tauk the task of producing 40 prototypes of their XM149 proposition for use in trials against the Keun XE54 and Lachsen XG5. The XM149 outperformed both competitors by having the lightest weight and the easiest to operate charging handle out of the 3 designs. By autumn, the Calderan Armed Forces already had 849 in service, with plans to adopt more in the future.
Replacement efforts
Since 2019, the Calderan Armed Forces have been trying to replace the SG56 with the C19 completely, but have not finished due to the sheer number of weapons that need to be replaced. The General of the Army, Issac Pope, commented that the C19 would never be able to completely replace all rifles in service for decades.
Conflicts
The C19 has not been used in a formal conflict, but it has been used in numerous pacification efforts.
In 2021, soldiers armed with C19 rifles captured several high profile Volin militia members, and were able to dispatch attackers while safely bringing the prisoners to a temporary quarry holding cell, before moving them onto a warship.
In 2034, a riot erupted on a small island prison owned by Caldera off the coast. The riot got so bad that entire local police departments were killed trying to respond to the riot. The Calderan Armed Forces were forced to send a group of 5 soldiers in heavy body armor wielding C19 rifles. The soldiers were able to kill all rioting prisoners while only sustaining 1 casualty.