i remember "tom clancy's" stuff back then basically replacing M4A1 with XM8: splinter cell chaos theory (in hands of US national guard, even RoK soldiers weilding those, i suspect because lack of time to model K1 and K2), ghost recon 2, both advanced warfighter games (both versions of GR2, for player in GRAW 1/2 PC, for AI in GRAW 1/2 PS3/360) both rainbow 6 vegas games (i think that malaysian XM8-R model, the one with top picatinny rail) endwar (till ubisoft shanghai scrapped it for SCAR H in 6.8/SCAR A1 (remington design i believe, given how gun's description was basically, "its different, american design, not FN one"))
The ACR and the XM8 by extension prove that just because the gun became popular in media does not mean that popularity will translate to real life sales. Meanwhile stuff thats relatively unknown in media like the CZ Bren are real deal military rifles, but hardly any gamer knows about it.
Obviously because unlike ACR and XM8 CZ Bren is one of the most ugly weapon platforms in existance therefore even if it comes up in games like BF4 nobody pays attention to it.
@@ones9308 To be fair, BF4 has the Bren 805, not the Bren 2. The Bren 2 is now being replaced by the Bren 3 as a contract option, and both look far better than the original 805.
Almost certainly. The logo is also far larger on the in-game model than it is in reality, something also commonly found on licenced airsoft replicas to make the brand more obvious to any spectators.
@@eric678 In MW2 at least even with no recoil it was balanced. In MW3 it was the only full auto assault rifle with a 3 shot minimal damage, with an average RoF and low recoil.
Well, there is now HK 433 and HK 437. A weapon similiar to ACR. HK 433 is loaded with 5.56. HK 437 is loaded with 300 Blackout. I heard that German Army Special Forces, KSK now use HK 437 and German State Police Schleswig Holstein use the HK 437 to. This Video remind me of them. I adore ACR. Never played COD but other game with it. I just love this gun.
@Agent_Phoenix_Animations The MCX is the new kid on the block in special operations.Used by CAG, SAS, CTSFO, and other units around the world. CAG had been using the CSAW, LVAW, and the SURG for an unknown amount of years. Like the MCX Spaer LT and a 7.62×39 conversation, the only reason for Sig to make the gun to be chambered in the caliber is for behind enemy line type ops.
@@DatAsianPlays the MCX is more inspired by the AR and the HK 416/417. It still looks and controls like an AR more so than the ACR and its descendants. Heck, JP rifles had the same side charging handle on their rifles before SIG put one theirs.
The funny thing is that a majority of modern military rifles these days look like a slightly modified ACR xD. To name a few: -CZ Bren 2 -MSBS Grott -Howa Type 20 -HK433 -XCR -APC556 -FN Scar -ARX 160 The ACR walked and tripped on a rock but it's design/legacy still lives on.
To that point the MSBS, SCAR, XCR and ARX were designed before and were in production when Masada came out. :D "Design features from the Armalite AR-18 (short-stroke gas system), the FN SCAR (upper receiver, charging handle location), the Heckler & Koch G36 and XM8 (wide use of polymer components), and the M16/AR-15 (trigger pack, barrel, fire control group) were present." - Wikipedia - Origin of ACR
If its not based from AR-15, AK-47, or, some bullpup, its probably AR-18. Like, very few assault rifle not based on those 3 ubiquitous system, like FAMAS, G3, and, FAL.
The ACR (Perhaps the G36 and SCAR) design actually made other countries around the world make rifles pretty close and similar to its design. Germany: HK 433 Poland: MSBS (Is actually seeing combat right now in Ukraine) Japan: Type 20 Belgian: SCAR (Was designed before the ACR but later improved in late models) Czech Republic: CZ Bren Rifle (Possibly more inspired by the SCAR) Italy: ARX 180
I would say that is actually the SCAR design who inspired modern military rifles, since the SCAR is older than the ACR, and the ACR itself draws from the SCAR.
@@hatihrovitnisson253 That's because the polymer parts idea came from the XM8 (who actually comes from the g36), not from the SCAR. ACR took from the SCAR the monolitic Upper and to some extent the placement of the charging handle.
During the 360/PS3 era of Call of Duty, especially MW2 and MW3, the ACR was just one of the coolest guns to exist and use. For a while, it was the staple of games with Spec Ops units at the forefront, sad to see how it's no longer in the same place.
@@bradnorris7396 tbf the scar is a way better rifle. I’m talking as someone who bought a 17 and knew far more people who bought an acr “cause my conversion kit” that never came out.
One actually saw US military Service, one did not. I got to shoot the H at the range and it was addicting... didn't even care if I hit the target... I got to shoot a gun I can never afford.
@ I mean realistically the worst part about the H or 17 is the mags price tag is like $50 a mag. 3k for a good gun isn’t insane to me if I treat it right it’ll out last me. My suspicion as to why it wasn’t fully adopted tho is due to insanely heavy recoil it has when shot form a prone or supported position. It’s weird because when you fire it off hand the recoil is amazing. But the second you add extra points of contact it’s just like getting punched in the shoulder.
Lobbying works for the manufacturing side, but it really is a competition for what’s the best fit for the requirements. Rifles also aren’t a super high margin item compared to vehicles, planes and heavy equipment, and don’t generate many jobs since most processes are automated these days. Like there still isn’t an actual unified replacement for the M4 across service branches.
@@Fireclaws10 There shouldn't even be a replacement for the M4 but rather an upgrade package similar to the Block 2 program or the URGI program in use by SOCOM. The m4 is still the best all around service rifle but ergonomically it is outdated and can be upgraded with well proven parts very easily. Matter of fact, they should simply make the URGI the standard M4A1. It's fantastic. The new SIG rifle is going to be a pig. 5.56 is fine for a standard issue cartridge in the current day and age. Mainly because personal rifles have basically taken on the role of PDW's and infantry basically exists to find the enemy and call for fire(airstrikes, artillery, drones, etc). Most American infantrymen spend a lot of time in vehicles too and the Sig rifle is going to be very uncomfortable in a tightly packed armored vehicle. It's just not the right answer. The SIG Machine gun is a good upgrade though. A lot of people say online "The Sig rifle will just end up being a DMR" but the fact of the matter is that the Sig XM5 isn't accurate enough to be a DMR in the first place. Sig themselves say its 2moa so you know its really like 3-4moa. That's fine for a standard service rifle(although the Geissele URGI is a no bullshit 1moa capable package, very few AR15s can fire a 1 moa or sub moa 10 shot group but the URGI absolutely can) but 3-4 moa is not acceptable for a DMR. The Sig thing will probably get adopted though.
Wasn’t Magpul’s fault. Their first mistake was giving the license to Bushmaster/Remington who were on life support as a cartel anyway. Also, let’s not forget that civilian ACR’s were RECALLED during that period because it would get so hot in the weapon, rounds would cook-off, making the rifle full auto by circumstance and would give the ATF a heart attack.
Dich findet man auch überall :D Notably, the charging handle could be mounted on either side for ambidextrous use, but supposedly it made for terrible ergonomics either way. People complained about there being way too little space between the charging handle and any mounted optics, which resulted in it being moved further forward on the later iterations.
@@civilianuseonly10k pieces of GROT were sent to Ukraine. The reception is mixed, kind of „love it or hate it” gun. For a personal weapon it’s still pretty young design, there’s some potential to it so ACR’s legacy might be carried on.
@@beegxxc9832 mostly the ones that were hated were first models from factories or the A0 variant. Also many of them were heavily used by the territorial defence forces. But i have heard that ukrainians like the newer variants (the A1 and the A2).
Ah the ACR! The coolest gun in the world that every teenaged boy wanted for a total of about 5-10 years. The civilian rifle XCR is INCREDIBLY popular up in Canada. When Justin Trudeau banned all the ARs, the XCR and some piston guns escaped the ban but most of the piston guns are AR-180 variants that have issues of their own where the XCR is a far more reliable rifle. Unfortunately though only the Bushmaster rifles are available (new production ones like the Robinson Armament ones got the ban hammer) so not only are they unicorn rifles up here, but now they're going for over $7000 CAD (just over $5000 USD) when they do pop up. For that amount you can get a Tavor AND a Bren 2 which are both still being produced, and free of any bans up here.
I owned an ACR back in the day. I loved it more than a couple girlfriends (probably why they are ex-girlfriends). I put over 13,000 rounds through it. I will say this: As a lefty, the ergonomics of the ACR far surpassed any rifle on the market then and they still have not been matched even to this day. Some days I wish I still had it but I shot it so much (remember this was back when ambi ARs weren't as good or popular as they are today) that parts breakages were adding up fast. It got to a point where I had replaced most of the internals and controls. And at the time, some parts were hard if not impossible to find and you had to have a machinist/gunsmith make one for you. Although, it warms my heart to see more and more people making spare parts and accessories to keep the ACR alive today!
@@DickieCheezits Zimmer has a bunch of people who work with him and have a very similar style, based on his. Harry Gregson-Williams is one such composer who did the MGS games and CoD 4 (the original one). He's done a LOT of co-composor work with Zimmer on a bunch of movies over the years.
@@TalesOfWar Just a heads up with Harry Gregson-Williams on CoD4; it's another case, like Zimmer in MW2, where he only composed the main theme for the game - the rest of the OST was Stephen Barton. Gregson Williams would do the same again for Advanced Warfare too, doing only the main and title themes while the rest of THAT game's OST was composed by Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix of Audiomachine.
Funny enought the HK416 One of the "futur" Us rifle of 2000 Era With ACR/SCAR/XM8 Now become the only real mass use Rifle US Marine (HK M27) French/Norway/Netherlands and a lot of special force country Garand thumb made a great vidéo about how the HK416 Slowly become the New standard NATO Rifle
I tested the M27 in Afghanistan before it was adopted. Originally, they wanted to replace our m249’s only with the new gun. I freaking hated that idea and wrote a long winded and detailed report on our useage of the rifle as a SAW and its disadvantages over a belt fed system. But I also included how we all loved the rifle as a rifle. Accurate, easy to clean/maintain, proper full auto capability, and a 6x machine gun optic that let you push that max range. I’m glad they scrapped the original plan to use it as an American RPD and just adopted it for everyone. It really is a nice rifle. So nice, I have a clone of it at home for my own use as my primary weapon.
After seeing the ACR, XM8, and SCAR all come close to adoption but not quite make it, I doubt the XM7 will get used in any significant numbers. The M4 already has millions of units in use and in war logistics is king. We'll be using the M4 into the next century.
You're wrong about the caliber conversions. Bushmaster released 6.8, 300 BLK, and 450 Bushmaster for a while before they were sold off to Franklin Armory. For awhile both caliber conversion kits and full rifles were available. In addition a small FFL, Templar Precision has been offering caliber conversion kits for years. Since the ACR uses AR-15 barrels, it is a matter of adjusting the gas port and cutting a channel for the piston support. In addition, the quick change barrel feature was eliminated on the Remington defense model to save weight. Again, Templar Precision offers a non QD trunion and barrel nut. The rifle at 3:47 has the Templar Precision AKM lower and 7.62 barrel.
You’re wrong about the OEM conversion calibers. Remington/Bushmaster only made kits for 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, and .450 Bushmaster. There wasn’t a .300BLK kit.
One of the first AR's that I learned to identify. I loved it's modern "futuristic" design and also the fact that it comes in a nice variety of calibers. Also of course when I first saw in games like Ghost Recon FS, Watch Dogs and MW2 and 3
All my rifle magazines are PMAG. Much of the furniture on my guns is by Magpul. Several of my slings are by them too. I had no idea they were the ones to come up with the idea of the ACR/Masada. Fascinating. And I'm glad they sold it off, we might not have all these parts from them if they hadn't.
13:20 AYO I SEE THAT TYPE 81!!! Nice to see you get another 7.62x39 rifle! Great video and really great to see how far your channels come! Ive been here since your early videos, keep up the great work my fellow canuck!
@@civilianuseonly yup haha! Its silly but every shipment being the "last shipment" is how they get peoples FOMO up and guns out the door, I just wish they imported more than 2000 rifles at a time, then everyone could enjoy a Type 81! Honestly It'd be interesting to see you make a video on not only the Type 81 but on "Not an AK" rifles in games and media as a whole, from the VZ58, to the Type 81, to 7.62x39 ARs, and how they offer many of the same footnotes as an AK, but are able to perform differently and set themselves apart from their visual cousin. *(plus it'd give a good excuse to show even more juicy Type 81 footage!)* Keep up the good work!
Well, at least it inspired some designs (at least on the visual side) that found more success, like the MSBS, Howa Type 20 or HK433, maybe even the MCX. Would be nice to see the ACR make a comeback though.
i remember falling in love with this gun in MW2! a bit less damage per second, but the added accuracy made it worth it - the guy who finished 1st most matches
The funniest part of the advanced combat rifle program was that it found no significant improvements from the rifles but putting a scope on any of them made them SIGNIFICANTLY better
You also have to remember when it comes to replacing the m4 is that for a lot of people especially for congress, it is very hard for them to justify switching the m4 to another weapon to do the exact same thing. It fires the same 5.56 round and more expensive than a m4, from logistics standpoint it really makes no sense to switch to the acr. It’s the same issue with the xm8 as well. It’s hard to justify switching for it to shoot the same round and cost twice as much as the m4.
@@TalesOfWar true expect this time, they will for sure replace the m4 with the xm7 with reserve unit already getting them. The m4 as good as a platform as it is, is outdated. The 5.56 is fine when performing counter insurgency when your adversaries do no have body armor but as we are shifting towards large scale operations with Russia or china where they will have decent body armor, 5.56 isn’t going to cut it any more.
@@smileyr The opposite is actually true. 5.56 is designed specifically for use against body armour, it was actually pretty crap in the counter-insurgency role as it would often just go clean through the target. It was somewhat common for troops to pick up and use the enemies AK's in Iraq espeically because they actually dropped what you shot at. There are countless reports at the time of mag dumping into guys high on Khat before they'd go down when being shot with 5.56. A 7.62 x 39 from an AKM is going to tear chunks out of you, espeically without armour. 5.56 is designed to penetrate then fragment and fill your body with shrapnel when creating a large cavity, it relies on that armour being there for the fragmentation stage to be effective. It's designed to incapacitate rather than kill too, the theory being at least one other person is taken out of the fight to cart you off to get medical help. The move away from 5.56 in the current state of things is more that modern body armour can stop it so they need something better. There's been a move towards heavier calibres like 6.5 and 6.8 over the years or the classic 7.62 x 51, but that's too big and heavy for practical use at the ranges and uses expected. They started to reintroduce that more in Afghanistan especially as they needed the extra range and stopping power to counter being shot at with PKM's and SVD's or Mosins etc. The 5.56 just didn't go that far and even if it did it'd tickle you at those ranges. 338 also gained a LOT of popularity around that time for the same reasons. It'll be interesting to see how things change if the US fully commits to the XM7 and 6.8mm rounds and how long before it becomes the NATO standard for all assault rifles. I'm sure the allies will be happy to have to spend billions replacing their ammo stock piles and rechambering their rifles, or just outright replacing them with something new.
ACR and SCAR with the caliber conversion kits were a godsend for gamers. SPTarkov features a mod for the ACR that lets you load 7.62x39, and it is perfect when you struggle with the 5.56 ammo you have. Jagged Alliance where logistics of ammo can be a problem, living off the land with the ACR and the featured 7.62x39 SCAR model became doable rather than ordering in expensive ammo.
I would add a bit to the legacy of the ACR here in terms of IRL legacy: if you look up rifle designs like the MSBS Grot (the new Polish service rifle) and the Japanese Howa Type 20 rifle you can see the legacy of the ACR in their design. Granted - we are mostly talking the ergonomics and "furniture" of the weapon, not so much the internals but the overhauled ergonomics of the ACR have had quite a bit of influence on the design of other firearms.
The folding stock on the Masada is something incredibly beneficial for mounted infantry I’ve never seen represented in a game - you get the short profile frame and rifle length barrel, but you don’t have to settle for the terrible trigger pull and gas venting in your face from a bullpup.
the ACR was sort of an accidental research and development platform for a lot of concept parts, without the ACR most polymer weapon parts would have never got a second glance. The "Plastic Gun" stigma was killed by the ACR and the Glock
Crazy to think a infantry rifle initially designed in mid 1950s and upgraded several times is still held as gold standard today. Just shows how important core benefits of DI system + multiple lug rotating bolt + lightweight materials are to a platform's longevity.
@SerbianLifter997 Even the HK system is literally designed to be compatible with the AR platform. You can literally swap on an HK upper to an old M4 lower.
@@ProducaGraham That has literally never been a problem for a single human soul. The real reason to pick piston over DI is continuous FA fire and shooting suppressed, which is worth the decreased accuracy and increased weight.
@Stunkos What do you mean? This has literally been a known problem. You are on youtube, look it up. If you submerge an AR in water, the water fills up the gas system and if you try to fire it too quickly before draining it out, it can cause it to have all types of malfunctions.
Don't forget that the Magpul MOE furniture based on the ACR's ergonomics are also extremely popular. Also, all polymer AR-15 handguards, including standard USGI plastic ones, have metal inserts. These are needed to reflect and divert heat away from the plastics.
The lessons learned from the MASADA / ACR ended up being major features for Sig's Spear, the M7 is now the new rifle. Also, the weight issue you mention is negligible, gas piston systems on any M4/AR-15 add roughly one pound.
Before the ACR there were 2 rifles supposed to replace the M4 that were also present in many games: the XM-8 and the SCAR L and H. Granted the XM-8 has sadly disappeared from today’s games, but the SCAR is still present. I have both of these rifles as airsoft replicas, and I’d love to get my hands on an ACR. The tri force would be complete
another detail on why so many of these carbine proposals failed is in the context of the era the Colt produced M4s had many problems that were ultimately down to poor production quality and the overgassed carbine length gas system. however, it was not really known yet and it was just assumed that it was due to the direct gas impingement system. there were many programs and products intending to replace the M4 or improve the design, but as mentioned they all ended up being more expensive, heavier, and have their own unique issues. ultimately the problem was resolved with an improved gas system and taking production away from Colt with improved upper receiver designs that basically resolved all the problems that were had with no added weight or complexity and allowed the military to keep using older lower receivers and training (since its the exact same manual of arms. its one reason why HK got the contracts for their 416 rifles).
I really love firearms that stand out from the crowd and try to do something unique and/or innovative, and the ACR is by far my favourite. Even if the weapon flopped, it's an amazing piece of firearms history that shaped the future of the gun manufacturing even after its "death". One nifty little thing I love about the ACR involves the videogame advertising, more specifically the characters of the games it is most known for. The ACR seems almost specifically built for Task Force 141 and Ghost Recon. Elite special forces units that infiltrate deep behind enemy lines to gather intel, extract VIPs and eliminate priority targets. The quick-swap barrels and multi-calibre functionality would be extremely useful for when you going back to base isn't an option. You don't have a workshop and tools to perform proper maintenance in, and ammunition is a very finite resource.
Fun fact: the Masada's quick barrel change system was recreated on Serbia's new service rifle: the Zastava M19 MCS (7.62x39 and 6.5x39 grendel.) Edit: typo
It's the Modern Warfare classic, the iconic weapon of the Ghosts, and a staple of any Division agent's arsenal. It may have gone nowhere in the real military world, but it lives on as my single favorite gun in existence. She is absolute perfection, drop-dead gorgeous. I'd give a lot to own one of these beauties, had I the opportunity to buy it in its original configurations. BUSHMASTER!!! Give me a new ACR for a reasonable price, and my life is yours!
Regarding front heavy weapons: one major advancement that is happening currently is the development of hyper-efficient suppressors in small size/weight envelopes. Thanks to the combination of machine learning and DMLS/Laser Powder Bed Fusion, now we are making suppressors that are more efficient in basically every major suppressor metric, especially the big 5 values: Sound, Flash, Flow, Blast, and Durability. Now we've got research groups making super-precise physics simulation software that's optmized for measuring silencer effectiveness specifically, and guiding the 'AI" through an iterative process of design, simulate, evaluate, modify parameter weights, re-design, simulate again, evaluate, etc., with intermittent 'IRL Proofing', where they'll routinely print out the most 'optimized' model according to the machine. Then they thoroughly evaluate that model's performance, IRL, in as much detail as possible, and feed that performance metric data back into the machine, then repeat. DMLS/laser powder bed fusion is the perfect technology to aid in machine learning-built suppressors, since you don't have to fully scale and tool up every time you need to test a new design. You don't even have to tell the machine to print the model, you can just tell it to print every time it reaches a new local maxima/minima; you can teach it to 'know' when it can't go any further without empirical testing and prep the model for the researchers to test
Your description of the military testing reads like "we stuck the wrong ammo type or used the wrong powder and it didn't do well, therefore it bad" which is on point for the military.
Especially for the US military. Other NATO forces are advised NOT to use US 5.56 ball rounds because of excess powder residue due to poor burn efficiency, that causes fouling and jams. At least this was true with British forces during our exploits in Iraq and Afghanistan (as reported to me by friends who served there in said force). The US forces were also told not to use the British rounds because they have a higher chamber pressure which did a number on the rifling in the M4's and M16's so the barrel would wear down faster. How true either of these are or if they still are I don't know, but I've been told this by plenty of people who were actually there over the years. Usually in pubs lol.
I will say, that PMAG is such a huge deal that, upon notice that you're catching a deployment, the first thing you do is go out and pick up a dozen of the suckers (7 mags that go in your standard kit, and 5 backups) for your first deployment, and just about half a dozen for each successive deployment. Might not seem like much, but the difference between those PMAGs and the Army issue mags ends up being the difference between having a properly functioning weapon in the field and suddenly having a bolt action M4 mid-firefight
It's kind of insane they still use those aluminium things that get chewed up so easily. They replaced those in the British forces with steel ones. They're heavier but they last longer. You can't stop the feed by squeezing them either lol. I think we use the EMAG's too, they've been filtereing through.
@@TalesOfWar The mag itself isn't that bad... what fails in every single damned one of the aluminum mags, before anything else, is the follower spring. Hence, the rampant feeding issues you get with the issued mags that go away when you run your own PMAGs (aka "Pro Mags")
As someone that was around and was eagerly awaiting a Magpul Masada release because it offered a lot of the benefits of a higher end AR with a similar price point but some nice features on top of it (namely modularlity), let me tell you that the Bushmaster ACR was a disaster. And the sales numbers reflect it. Magpul wanted the Masada to have an MSRP of around $1,500 and be competitive with high-end ARs. Which means things like a 1:7 barrel that's chrome-lined. Bushmaster, instead, offered us the ACR which had a 1:9 twist rate (non-desirable) with no chrome-lining (non-desirable) and at around $3,000 (very non-desirable). It was yet more proof that Bushmaster was a sub-par manufacturer and Magpul never should have went to them. Bushmaster gave the Masada the Bushmaster experience/make-over which meant making things worse yet driving up the cost. Much like their own AR15s. So if the civilian version of the Magpul Masada was done that badly and Remington (which had many of their own problems - if you don't believe me look at how the company handled the later R51 handgun... which was beyond a disaster) was heading up the military version... I can only wonder what went wrong there.
The Masada was a batter XM8 but neither really had enough of a step up to unseat the AR15. The Masada gave us Mlok, its stock and magazine. It like its forebarer the AR18 has left an impression with Poland’s FB MSBS Grot having clear influence from the Masada. Had the U.S. not already had the M4… however its commercial push I think was more the result of its own makers. Bushmaster and Remington were siblings because they were on rocky ground allowing them to be bought by Cerberus financial management. An entity that lives up to its name sake as the guardian of the underworld.
I wonder how much of the characteristics of the gun in mw2 were determined by the deal. It's one of the best guns in its own way. Taking the place of high accuracy and reliability. Other guns in the same category have lower TTK but higher inaccuracy. The ACR wins if the opponent misses once head to head. And for good players it's very easy to hit every shot with the ACR. But for less good players it's even better. The TTK matters much less when reaction times are lower, it's range potential while being strong up close makes it really good. Couple that with the overall low ttk in the game and the ACR is incredibly well placed.
3:26 I wouldn’t necessarily say due to it being a short stroke piston gun that it doesn’t need a buffer tube. Not trying to be the actually guy but the 416 platform (HK,POF,Ruger, LWRC) all require a buffer tube. That being said I finally picked up an ACR 13 years after MW2 got released.
I'm playing black ops 2,just finished the first one, now in BO2 there is shit like drones and lots of futuristic stuff that actually got built irl. Nice, they nailed it
First time viewer here. Great video, i love the Ahoy inspiration. The script, research and editing is very good. The only thing i'm slightly bewildered by are the transitions between paragraphs: they're just... silent with a black screen? They can definitely be done better. The silence and the black screen mess with my immersion and excitement slightly. You got yourself a sub. Hope to see more stuff like this in the future!
Its also interesting that alot of the new rifles being developed today look alot like the ACR. The CZ Bren 2 and 3, the FB MSBS Grot, the Howa Type 20, and the HK433. Its as if games were correct in predicting what design of gun would be used in future warfare.
wow i am genuinely surprised that you didn't mention the history channel in this, i remember not only was it being shown alongside call of duty, but just beforethat the history channel show "future weapons" had a segment on the rifle and it's history back when it was still called the magpul masada.
SOCOM FTB2 for PSP was probably the first game to feature: SCAR (5.56 and 7.62 versions, the original "M4 replacement" that never happened), MAG-7 pistol shotgun, USAS-12 Shotgun, VSS/VSS 9x39 rifles with realistic function. STALKER had the VSS if that counts it was also an absolutely hilarious online game with mics, which at the time was still a new concept outside of xbox live flagship titles and niche PC communities using 3rd party chat rooms
11:41 Bushmaster is now an entirely different company than when it acquired the Masada and marketed the ACR. The name and IP is now owned by some other jackoffs.
What the ACR teaches me is that good enough, is just not enough when it comes to fire arms. The ACR had the potential to become the next big AR. Yet it fell just short of greatness
If you think the ACR was something wait until you discover the MDR platform and the best part is you can buy one today with the same promises the ACR made just in a superior form factor.
Besides the PMAG and great stock, arguably that crappy MOE attachment system they came up with (and gives me the whillies whenever I see it on an AR15) could be seen as a precursor to the m-lok rail system that's so loved today.
Play World of Warships HERE: wo.ws/3NKXUT5
Well ok
The ACR is more or less damned to a whole generation of people remembering it as "that gun from modern warfare 2"
MW2 lasted longer than the ACR did.
Hey, i remember as that gun from ghost recon futures soldier (which was copying modern warfare)
@@jonbong8547 Modern warfare copied Ghost recon.
Imma say it, MW3 was better
@@hickory45acp31you ain’t lying. MW2 was legendary because so many things were OP it was like a fun chaos
I remember the era where 2010ish games had XM8. They thought XM8 is projected to replace the M4 carbine, which as we all know, didn't happened.
@@TheVorshevsky Another gun that was everywhere
XM8 got scrapped in 2006 at least for the US some other countries adopted it though.
@@ajrey8457malaysia did adopted i remember, props to them, Indonesia adopted a belgian classic (the fn fnc) and Improved it to oblivion
i remember "tom clancy's" stuff back then basically replacing M4A1 with XM8:
splinter cell chaos theory (in hands of US national guard, even RoK soldiers weilding those, i suspect because lack of time to model K1 and K2),
ghost recon 2, both advanced warfighter games (both versions of GR2, for player in GRAW 1/2 PC, for AI in GRAW 1/2 PS3/360)
both rainbow 6 vegas games (i think that malaysian XM8-R model, the one with top picatinny rail)
endwar (till ubisoft shanghai scrapped it for SCAR H in 6.8/SCAR A1 (remington design i believe, given how gun's description was basically, "its different, american design, not FN one"))
@@ajrey8457 My favorite rifle in Bad Company 2.
It's funny that the biggest legacy of the ACR is the stock. You can find an adapter for them on surprisingly large amount of guns
@@ridhosamudro2199 I've seen them on G36s more than the actual G36 stock
@@civilianuseonlythey are great on aks
Magpul accessories go brrrr
@@ridhosamudro2199 actually the stock was first used on the scar.
@FatBoy42069 you mean the adapter? Because SCAR came before any development of the Masada
The ACR and the XM8 by extension prove that just because the gun became popular in media does not mean that popularity will translate to real life sales.
Meanwhile stuff thats relatively unknown in media like the CZ Bren are real deal military rifles, but hardly any gamer knows about it.
Obviously because unlike ACR and XM8 CZ Bren is one of the most ugly weapon platforms in existance therefore even if it comes up in games like BF4 nobody pays attention to it.
@@ones9308 To be fair, BF4 has the Bren 805, not the Bren 2. The Bren 2 is now being replaced by the Bren 3 as a contract option, and both look far better than the original 805.
@@InvidiousIgnoramus nothing beats G36/XM8 looks for me though :)
the xm8 became the g36 which is in service to the German army
@tturi2 You have that completely backwards. The XM8 is a modified G36.
Dude is slowly becoming the new Xbox Ahoy
And i'm all for it
Good! That dude doesn’t post!
@awesomegtadude1752 ikr he posts a video once every year😭
Bro I miss Ahoy his videos about the weapons history, identity and relevance in media along with his editing was so good😭
I miss Ahoy so much man
I would say that the remington ACR becoming the most powerful assault rifle (stats wise) in MW3 was a marketing move, to gain popularity.
Almost certainly. The logo is also far larger on the in-game model than it is in reality, something also commonly found on licenced airsoft replicas to make the brand more obvious to any spectators.
in MW2 as well. everyone who played MW2 remembers the ACR as a laser beam no recoil assault rifle.
@@eric678 In MW2 at least even with no recoil it was balanced. In MW3 it was the only full auto assault rifle with a 3 shot minimal damage, with an average RoF and low recoil.
In BF3 and 4 it's the noobs' jack of all trades weapon.
Especially since it was the 6.8, they were really pushing that to be some miracle rifle and cartridge.
Well, there is now HK 433 and HK 437. A weapon similiar to ACR.
HK 433 is loaded with 5.56.
HK 437 is loaded with 300 Blackout.
I heard that German Army Special Forces, KSK now use HK 437 and German State Police Schleswig Holstein use the HK 437 to.
This Video remind me of them.
I adore ACR. Never played COD but other game with it. I just love this gun.
Don't forget cz bren 2 sharing many similarities or inspiration from the ACR as well even the bolt release
add the Type 20 from Howa, the Polish MSBS rifle, CZ bren 2, the APC 5.56, and so much more.
@Agent_Phoenix_Animations The MCX is the new kid on the block in special operations.Used by CAG, SAS, CTSFO, and other units around the world. CAG had been using the CSAW, LVAW, and the SURG for an unknown amount of years. Like the MCX Spaer LT and a 7.62×39 conversation, the only reason for Sig to make the gun to be chambered in the caliber is for behind enemy line type ops.
@@DatAsianPlays I know. I just wanted mention HKs
@@DatAsianPlays the MCX is more inspired by the AR and the HK 416/417. It still looks and controls like an AR more so than the ACR and its descendants. Heck, JP rifles had the same side charging handle on their rifles before SIG put one theirs.
The funny thing is that a majority of modern military rifles these days look like a slightly modified ACR xD.
To name a few:
-CZ Bren 2
-MSBS Grott
-Howa Type 20
-HK433
-XCR
-APC556
-FN Scar
-ARX 160
The ACR walked and tripped on a rock but it's design/legacy still lives on.
It is interesting to think about how many rifles have a similar form factor to the ACR
To that point the MSBS, SCAR, XCR and ARX were designed before and were in production when Masada came out. :D
"Design features from the Armalite AR-18 (short-stroke gas system), the FN SCAR (upper receiver, charging handle location), the Heckler & Koch G36 and XM8 (wide use of polymer components), and the M16/AR-15 (trigger pack, barrel, fire control group) were present." - Wikipedia - Origin of ACR
If its not based from AR-15, AK-47, or, some bullpup, its probably AR-18. Like, very few assault rifle not based on those 3 ubiquitous system, like FAMAS, G3, and, FAL.
SCAR design is actually older than the ACR XD
@@Arhiman93 oh yeah, SCAR and XM8, the golden standard of semi futuristic army at the time
The ACR (Perhaps the G36 and SCAR) design actually made other countries around the world make rifles pretty close and similar to its design.
Germany: HK 433
Poland: MSBS (Is actually seeing combat right now in Ukraine)
Japan: Type 20
Belgian: SCAR (Was designed before the ACR but later improved in late models)
Czech Republic: CZ Bren Rifle (Possibly more inspired by the SCAR)
Italy: ARX 180
when you mix up AR18, XM8/G36 and Lower from AR15 you will get SCAR when you add SCAR to mix you will get ACR as its design was inspired by SCAR
I would say that is actually the SCAR design who inspired modern military rifles, since the SCAR is older than the ACR, and the ACR itself draws from the SCAR.
@@Arhiman93 true, but the ACR mostly has polymer parts, where the SCAR had metal based parts
@@hatihrovitnisson253 That's because the polymer parts idea came from the XM8 (who actually comes from the g36), not from the SCAR.
ACR took from the SCAR the monolitic Upper and to some extent the placement of the charging handle.
msbs project start in 2003 ACR in 2005 and they just copy of stoner AR 180.
During the 360/PS3 era of Call of Duty, especially MW2 and MW3, the ACR was just one of the coolest guns to exist and use. For a while, it was the staple of games with Spec Ops units at the forefront, sad to see how it's no longer in the same place.
I remember the SCAR raining on the ACRs parade back in the day. Everyone thought it was going to be the next big thing
@@bradnorris7396 tbf the scar is a way better rifle. I’m talking as someone who bought a 17 and knew far more people who bought an acr “cause my conversion kit” that never came out.
One actually saw US military Service, one did not. I got to shoot the H at the range and it was addicting... didn't even care if I hit the target... I got to shoot a gun I can never afford.
@ I mean realistically the worst part about the H or 17 is the mags price tag is like $50 a mag. 3k for a good gun isn’t insane to me if I treat it right it’ll out last me.
My suspicion as to why it wasn’t fully adopted tho is due to insanely heavy recoil it has when shot form a prone or supported position. It’s weird because when you fire it off hand the recoil is amazing. But the second you add extra points of contact it’s just like getting punched in the shoulder.
@scottjs5207 The only reason the scar saw military services because f. N. Already had an In with the US military. They were making the m16 and m4
@@FatBoy42069 It didn't get adopted due to the price and weight.
The problem with Remington Arms is that they did not invest in lobbyists. It's how defense companies secure deals with the government.
Lobbying works for the manufacturing side, but it really is a competition for what’s the best fit for the requirements.
Rifles also aren’t a super high margin item compared to vehicles, planes and heavy equipment, and don’t generate many jobs since most processes are automated these days.
Like there still isn’t an actual unified replacement for the M4 across service branches.
The real problem is that they had a middling firearm that did not meaningfully outperform the M4.
@@Fireclaws10 There shouldn't even be a replacement for the M4 but rather an upgrade package similar to the Block 2 program or the URGI program in use by SOCOM. The m4 is still the best all around service rifle but ergonomically it is outdated and can be upgraded with well proven parts very easily. Matter of fact, they should simply make the URGI the standard M4A1. It's fantastic. The new SIG rifle is going to be a pig. 5.56 is fine for a standard issue cartridge in the current day and age. Mainly because personal rifles have basically taken on the role of PDW's and infantry basically exists to find the enemy and call for fire(airstrikes, artillery, drones, etc). Most American infantrymen spend a lot of time in vehicles too and the Sig rifle is going to be very uncomfortable in a tightly packed armored vehicle. It's just not the right answer. The SIG Machine gun is a good upgrade though. A lot of people say online "The Sig rifle will just end up being a DMR" but the fact of the matter is that the Sig XM5 isn't accurate enough to be a DMR in the first place. Sig themselves say its 2moa so you know its really like 3-4moa. That's fine for a standard service rifle(although the Geissele URGI is a no bullshit 1moa capable package, very few AR15s can fire a 1 moa or sub moa 10 shot group but the URGI absolutely can) but 3-4 moa is not acceptable for a DMR.
The Sig thing will probably get adopted though.
Wasn't Remington at the time, also struggled with QC issues?
is there anything more american than getting a gun approved via corruption and bribery lmao
so basically, Magpul should stick to weapon accessories.
Seems to have worked for them
yep
Wasn’t Magpul’s fault. Their first mistake was giving the license to Bushmaster/Remington who were on life support as a cartel anyway. Also, let’s not forget that civilian ACR’s were RECALLED during that period because it would get so hot in the weapon, rounds would cook-off, making the rifle full auto by circumstance and would give the ATF a heart attack.
@@CarbideSixMagpul also made the FMG-9 as keeps taunting they’ll eventually release meanwhile keep buying mlok rails.
4:09 The original Masada's charging handle was above the ejection port, only the later ACR but it above the handguard.
Dich findet man auch überall :D
Notably, the charging handle could be mounted on either side for ambidextrous use, but supposedly it made for terrible ergonomics either way. People complained about there being way too little space between the charging handle and any mounted optics, which resulted in it being moved further forward on the later iterations.
I have ripped my fingers enough on optic mounts to confirm this
It may have had the makings of a military weapon, but it never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
you know, the polish army rifle MSBS grot is basically just an ACR clone with slight improvements
It's interesting that it's now finally being combat proven
It's really not. There are common ideas and the form factor is similar, but it's in no way a clone of ACR.
@@civilianuseonly10k pieces of GROT were sent to Ukraine. The reception is mixed, kind of „love it or hate it” gun. For a personal weapon it’s still pretty young design, there’s some potential to it so ACR’s legacy might be carried on.
@@beegxxc9832 mostly the ones that were hated were first models from factories or the A0 variant. Also many of them were heavily used by the territorial defence forces. But i have heard that ukrainians like the newer variants (the A1 and the A2).
ACR cannot be reconfigured to be a bullpup, unlike Grot, so it's not really just a copy
Ah the ACR! The coolest gun in the world that every teenaged boy wanted for a total of about 5-10 years.
The civilian rifle XCR is INCREDIBLY popular up in Canada. When Justin Trudeau banned all the ARs, the XCR and some piston guns escaped the ban but most of the piston guns are AR-180 variants that have issues of their own where the XCR is a far more reliable rifle. Unfortunately though only the Bushmaster rifles are available (new production ones like the Robinson Armament ones got the ban hammer) so not only are they unicorn rifles up here, but now they're going for over $7000 CAD (just over $5000 USD) when they do pop up.
For that amount you can get a Tavor AND a Bren 2 which are both still being produced, and free of any bans up here.
Bren 2 may be all you'll need, considering how new this rifle is and how easy it is to service
I owned an ACR back in the day. I loved it more than a couple girlfriends (probably why they are ex-girlfriends). I put over 13,000 rounds through it. I will say this: As a lefty, the ergonomics of the ACR far surpassed any rifle on the market then and they still have not been matched even to this day. Some days I wish I still had it but I shot it so much (remember this was back when ambi ARs weren't as good or popular as they are today) that parts breakages were adding up fast. It got to a point where I had replaced most of the internals and controls. And at the time, some parts were hard if not impossible to find and you had to have a machinist/gunsmith make one for you. Although, it warms my heart to see more and more people making spare parts and accessories to keep the ACR alive today!
MW2’s soundtrack doesn’t get enough credit. Just listen to that music
Hans Zimmer does good stuff
Hans zimmerframe going hard
@@civilianuseonly Just an FYI, from memory Zimmer only composed MW2's main theme, the rest of the soundtrack was by Lorne Balfe.
@@DickieCheezits Zimmer has a bunch of people who work with him and have a very similar style, based on his. Harry Gregson-Williams is one such composer who did the MGS games and CoD 4 (the original one). He's done a LOT of co-composor work with Zimmer on a bunch of movies over the years.
@@TalesOfWar Just a heads up with Harry Gregson-Williams on CoD4; it's another case, like Zimmer in MW2, where he only composed the main theme for the game - the rest of the OST was Stephen Barton. Gregson Williams would do the same again for Advanced Warfare too, doing only the main and title themes while the rest of THAT game's OST was composed by Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix of Audiomachine.
Funny enought the HK416
One of the "futur" Us rifle of 2000 Era
With ACR/SCAR/XM8
Now become the only real mass use Rifle
US Marine (HK M27)
French/Norway/Netherlands and a lot of special force country
Garand thumb made a great vidéo about how the HK416 Slowly become the New standard NATO Rifle
I tested the M27 in Afghanistan before it was adopted. Originally, they wanted to replace our m249’s only with the new gun. I freaking hated that idea and wrote a long winded and detailed report on our useage of the rifle as a SAW and its disadvantages over a belt fed system. But I also included how we all loved the rifle as a rifle. Accurate, easy to clean/maintain, proper full auto capability, and a 6x machine gun optic that let you push that max range.
I’m glad they scrapped the original plan to use it as an American RPD and just adopted it for everyone. It really is a nice rifle. So nice, I have a clone of it at home for my own use as my primary weapon.
The Germans really know how to make small arms.
No matter what I will always remember that damn silenced ACR with a heart beat sensor
Cod mw2 cliffhanger?
True right?
dead on lol
After seeing the ACR, XM8, and SCAR all come close to adoption but not quite make it, I doubt the XM7 will get used in any significant numbers. The M4 already has millions of units in use and in war logistics is king. We'll be using the M4 into the next century.
AD ends at 2:10
Saint
You're wrong about the caliber conversions. Bushmaster released 6.8, 300 BLK, and 450 Bushmaster for a while before they were sold off to Franklin Armory. For awhile both caliber conversion kits and full rifles were available. In addition a small FFL, Templar Precision has been offering caliber conversion kits for years. Since the ACR uses AR-15 barrels, it is a matter of adjusting the gas port and cutting a channel for the piston support. In addition, the quick change barrel feature was eliminated on the Remington defense model to save weight. Again, Templar Precision offers a non QD trunion and barrel nut. The rifle at 3:47 has the Templar Precision AKM lower and 7.62 barrel.
You’re wrong about the OEM conversion calibers. Remington/Bushmaster only made kits for 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, and .450 Bushmaster. There wasn’t a .300BLK kit.
Remember when we thought guns would look like fish?
Good times
Fish gun fish gun
I still believe.
They do, though. Just look at the ARX-160
What?
One of the first AR's that I learned to identify. I loved it's modern "futuristic" design and also the fact that it comes in a nice variety of calibers. Also of course when I first saw in games like Ghost Recon FS, Watch Dogs and MW2 and 3
All my rifle magazines are PMAG. Much of the furniture on my guns is by Magpul. Several of my slings are by them too. I had no idea they were the ones to come up with the idea of the ACR/Masada. Fascinating. And I'm glad they sold it off, we might not have all these parts from them if they hadn't.
Thw ACR is the rifle who made me want to become a gunsmith. Potential is the perfect description
I think the SIG MCX is what the ACR wanted to be.
and arma 3 predicted it
i think the MX rifle is more like the acr, rather than the mcx
I own so many pmags for my AR, and I never knew they originated with the ACR launch. That’s such a cool fact
13:20 AYO I SEE THAT TYPE 81!!! Nice to see you get another 7.62x39 rifle!
Great video and really great to see how far your channels come! Ive been here since your early videos, keep up the great work my fellow canuck!
Thank you! And who would have guessed Tactical Import's "last shipment" wasn't actually their last.
@@civilianuseonly yup haha! Its silly but every shipment being the "last shipment" is how they get peoples FOMO up and guns out the door, I just wish they imported more than 2000 rifles at a time, then everyone could enjoy a Type 81!
Honestly It'd be interesting to see you make a video on not only the Type 81 but on "Not an AK" rifles in games and media as a whole, from the VZ58, to the Type 81, to 7.62x39 ARs, and how they offer many of the same footnotes as an AK, but are able to perform differently and set themselves apart from their visual cousin. *(plus it'd give a good excuse to show even more juicy Type 81 footage!)*
Keep up the good work!
Thank you for scratching the same itch Xbox Ahoy used to scratch with these kinds of videos
Well, at least it inspired some designs (at least on the visual side) that found more success, like the MSBS, Howa Type 20 or HK433, maybe even the MCX. Would be nice to see the ACR make a comeback though.
The JAKL from PSA is probably the closest that we'll ever get.
A company known for firearm accessories tries to make a gun. The only remaining legacy of that gun is...two accessories they made for it.
Having been directed here by Shayne, I am happy to find another channel with Ahoy style when it comes to video game documentaries. Keep it up!
i remember falling in love with this gun in MW2!
a bit less damage per second, but the added accuracy made it worth it - the guy who finished 1st most matches
The funniest part of the advanced combat rifle program was that it found no significant improvements from the rifles but putting a scope on any of them made them SIGNIFICANTLY better
mom can we have ahoy?
we have ahoy at home.
The ahoy at home:
That’s supposed to be in insult for low quality content, this guy’s videos aren’t low quality at all though
I remember being 12-13 years old when mw2 came out and describing the ACR to my friends as "the M4 but better"
Arma 3 predicted the MX Rifle program,
But i *pray to god* they don't predict the Type 115.
Wasn't that the 6.5 bull pup rifle with an underbarrel 50 Beowulf attachment?
@@theanimatedjunkyard5921 Yeah the Type 115 is that abomination
I love how the developers got a real gunsmith to actually make one to record the muzzle report and to accuratly model how it handles.
Tom Clancy's GRFS OST in the background near the end that was a bit of a surprise
You also have to remember when it comes to replacing the m4 is that for a lot of people especially for congress, it is very hard for them to justify switching the m4 to another weapon to do the exact same thing. It fires the same 5.56 round and more expensive than a m4, from logistics standpoint it really makes no sense to switch to the acr. It’s the same issue with the xm8 as well. It’s hard to justify switching for it to shoot the same round and cost twice as much as the m4.
This is all very true. But that hasn't stopped the US military from trying
They've been trying to replace the M4 for decades at this point. You'd think those holding the purse strings would realise maybe there's a reason.
@@TalesOfWar true expect this time, they will for sure replace the m4 with the xm7 with reserve unit already getting them. The m4 as good as a platform as it is, is outdated. The 5.56 is fine when performing counter insurgency when your adversaries do no have body armor but as we are shifting towards large scale operations with Russia or china where they will have decent body armor, 5.56 isn’t going to cut it any more.
@@smileyr The opposite is actually true. 5.56 is designed specifically for use against body armour, it was actually pretty crap in the counter-insurgency role as it would often just go clean through the target. It was somewhat common for troops to pick up and use the enemies AK's in Iraq espeically because they actually dropped what you shot at. There are countless reports at the time of mag dumping into guys high on Khat before they'd go down when being shot with 5.56. A 7.62 x 39 from an AKM is going to tear chunks out of you, espeically without armour.
5.56 is designed to penetrate then fragment and fill your body with shrapnel when creating a large cavity, it relies on that armour being there for the fragmentation stage to be effective. It's designed to incapacitate rather than kill too, the theory being at least one other person is taken out of the fight to cart you off to get medical help.
The move away from 5.56 in the current state of things is more that modern body armour can stop it so they need something better. There's been a move towards heavier calibres like 6.5 and 6.8 over the years or the classic 7.62 x 51, but that's too big and heavy for practical use at the ranges and uses expected.
They started to reintroduce that more in Afghanistan especially as they needed the extra range and stopping power to counter being shot at with PKM's and SVD's or Mosins etc. The 5.56 just didn't go that far and even if it did it'd tickle you at those ranges. 338 also gained a LOT of popularity around that time for the same reasons.
It'll be interesting to see how things change if the US fully commits to the XM7 and 6.8mm rounds and how long before it becomes the NATO standard for all assault rifles. I'm sure the allies will be happy to have to spend billions replacing their ammo stock piles and rechambering their rifles, or just outright replacing them with something new.
@@TalesOfWar And those with the purse understands that replacing it with a weapon that performs basically identically is a dumb choice.
ACR and SCAR with the caliber conversion kits were a godsend for gamers.
SPTarkov features a mod for the ACR that lets you load 7.62x39, and it is perfect when you struggle with the 5.56 ammo you have.
Jagged Alliance where logistics of ammo can be a problem, living off the land with the ACR and the featured 7.62x39 SCAR model became doable rather than ordering in expensive ammo.
Using the SCAR H in MW2 is what lead to me owning an actual SCAR. Love the thing!
The SCAR H remains my favorite 308 gun
I would add a bit to the legacy of the ACR here in terms of IRL legacy: if you look up rifle designs like the MSBS Grot (the new Polish service rifle) and the Japanese Howa Type 20 rifle you can see the legacy of the ACR in their design. Granted - we are mostly talking the ergonomics and "furniture" of the weapon, not so much the internals but the overhauled ergonomics of the ACR have had quite a bit of influence on the design of other firearms.
I remember seeing the Masada on Future Weapons way back when, even though I was 12 or 13 I was completely sold on the concept of a modular rifle
The folding stock on the Masada is something incredibly beneficial for mounted infantry I’ve never seen represented in a game - you get the short profile frame and rifle length barrel, but you don’t have to settle for the terrible trigger pull and gas venting in your face from a bullpup.
the ACR was sort of an accidental research and development platform for a lot of concept parts, without the ACR most polymer weapon parts would have never got a second glance. The "Plastic Gun" stigma was killed by the ACR and the Glock
Crazy to think a infantry rifle initially designed in mid 1950s and upgraded several times is still held as gold standard today. Just shows how important core benefits of DI system + multiple lug rotating bolt + lightweight materials are to a platform's longevity.
Wouldnt say its seen as the gold standard, its just firearms have stagnated so the improvements made over it arent worth the cost of replacement
@SerbianLifter997 Even the HK system is literally designed to be compatible with the AR platform. You can literally swap on an HK upper to an old M4 lower.
Til you dump an M4 in water and try to fire it without draining it. Hopefully you would keep your vision when it explodes.
@@ProducaGraham That has literally never been a problem for a single human soul. The real reason to pick piston over DI is continuous FA fire and shooting suppressed, which is worth the decreased accuracy and increased weight.
@Stunkos What do you mean? This has literally been a known problem. You are on youtube, look it up. If you submerge an AR in water, the water fills up the gas system and if you try to fire it too quickly before draining it out, it can cause it to have all types of malfunctions.
13:50 incredible use of the Ghost Recon Future Soldier soundtrack
The second i heard it, i was about to comment this, but yours was already at the top. Great minds (with great tastes) think alike!!
that was the one ubisoft game on the background? I noticed that it was obviously an ubi game but I couldn't tell which one it was.
Don't forget that the Magpul MOE furniture based on the ACR's ergonomics are also extremely popular.
Also, all polymer AR-15 handguards, including standard USGI plastic ones, have metal inserts. These are needed to reflect and divert heat away from the plastics.
The lessons learned from the MASADA / ACR ended up being major features for Sig's Spear, the M7 is now the new rifle.
Also, the weight issue you mention is negligible, gas piston systems on any M4/AR-15 add roughly one pound.
Surprised this wasn't a video on the XM8
Before the ACR there were 2 rifles supposed to replace the M4 that were also present in many games: the XM-8 and the SCAR L and H.
Granted the XM-8 has sadly disappeared from today’s games, but the SCAR is still present.
I have both of these rifles as airsoft replicas, and I’d love to get my hands on an ACR. The tri force would be complete
SCAR H (7.62 variant) still in use by special forces due to its lightness compared with other automatic 7.62 rifles.
another detail on why so many of these carbine proposals failed is in the context of the era
the Colt produced M4s had many problems that were ultimately down to poor production quality and the overgassed carbine length gas system. however, it was not really known yet and it was just assumed that it was due to the direct gas impingement system. there were many programs and products intending to replace the M4 or improve the design, but as mentioned they all ended up being more expensive, heavier, and have their own unique issues. ultimately the problem was resolved with an improved gas system and taking production away from Colt with improved upper receiver designs that basically resolved all the problems that were had with no added weight or complexity and allowed the military to keep using older lower receivers and training (since its the exact same manual of arms. its one reason why HK got the contracts for their 416 rifles).
I really love firearms that stand out from the crowd and try to do something unique and/or innovative, and the ACR is by far my favourite. Even if the weapon flopped, it's an amazing piece of firearms history that shaped the future of the gun manufacturing even after its "death".
One nifty little thing I love about the ACR involves the videogame advertising, more specifically the characters of the games it is most known for. The ACR seems almost specifically built for Task Force 141 and Ghost Recon. Elite special forces units that infiltrate deep behind enemy lines to gather intel, extract VIPs and eliminate priority targets. The quick-swap barrels and multi-calibre functionality would be extremely useful for when you going back to base isn't an option. You don't have a workshop and tools to perform proper maintenance in, and ammunition is a very finite resource.
Oh so THAT'S why the ACR was so broken in CoD, they were literally being paid to include it in the game
By that logic, half way through the video they didn't necessarily predict it but instead more or less advertised it
Interesting video! I didn't know this story of ACR. It was enlightening!
And, man, you narration sounds very cool!
Fun fact: the Masada's quick barrel change system was recreated on Serbia's new service rifle: the Zastava M19 MCS (7.62x39 and 6.5x39 grendel.)
Edit: typo
Glad to see Ghost Recon: Breakpoint gettin' some love. It's the Ghost's signature weapon, after all.
It's the Modern Warfare classic, the iconic weapon of the Ghosts, and a staple of any Division agent's arsenal. It may have gone nowhere in the real military world, but it lives on as my single favorite gun in existence. She is absolute perfection, drop-dead gorgeous. I'd give a lot to own one of these beauties, had I the opportunity to buy it in its original configurations.
BUSHMASTER!!! Give me a new ACR for a reasonable price, and my life is yours!
Regarding front heavy weapons: one major advancement that is happening currently is the development of hyper-efficient suppressors in small size/weight envelopes. Thanks to the combination of machine learning and DMLS/Laser Powder Bed Fusion, now we are making suppressors that are more efficient in basically every major suppressor metric, especially the big 5 values: Sound, Flash, Flow, Blast, and Durability. Now we've got research groups making super-precise physics simulation software that's optmized for measuring silencer effectiveness specifically, and guiding the 'AI" through an iterative process of design, simulate, evaluate, modify parameter weights, re-design, simulate again, evaluate, etc., with intermittent 'IRL Proofing', where they'll routinely print out the most 'optimized' model according to the machine. Then they thoroughly evaluate that model's performance, IRL, in as much detail as possible, and feed that performance metric data back into the machine, then repeat. DMLS/laser powder bed fusion is the perfect technology to aid in machine learning-built suppressors, since you don't have to fully scale and tool up every time you need to test a new design. You don't even have to tell the machine to print the model, you can just tell it to print every time it reaches a new local maxima/minima; you can teach it to 'know' when it can't go any further without empirical testing and prep the model for the researchers to test
Honestly the ACR is my favorite weapon ever created. Shame that it got rejected.
The PSA Jakl is basically an ACR and it’s super popular today
Your description of the military testing reads like "we stuck the wrong ammo type or used the wrong powder and it didn't do well, therefore it bad" which is on point for the military.
Some things never change with the military
Especially for the US military. Other NATO forces are advised NOT to use US 5.56 ball rounds because of excess powder residue due to poor burn efficiency, that causes fouling and jams. At least this was true with British forces during our exploits in Iraq and Afghanistan (as reported to me by friends who served there in said force). The US forces were also told not to use the British rounds because they have a higher chamber pressure which did a number on the rifling in the M4's and M16's so the barrel would wear down faster. How true either of these are or if they still are I don't know, but I've been told this by plenty of people who were actually there over the years. Usually in pubs lol.
When MW2 was out, ACR and In Intervention all day. My co working let me shoot his ACR at the range. Very easy to shoot.
I will say, that PMAG is such a huge deal that, upon notice that you're catching a deployment, the first thing you do is go out and pick up a dozen of the suckers (7 mags that go in your standard kit, and 5 backups) for your first deployment, and just about half a dozen for each successive deployment. Might not seem like much, but the difference between those PMAGs and the Army issue mags ends up being the difference between having a properly functioning weapon in the field and suddenly having a bolt action M4 mid-firefight
It's kind of insane they still use those aluminium things that get chewed up so easily. They replaced those in the British forces with steel ones. They're heavier but they last longer. You can't stop the feed by squeezing them either lol. I think we use the EMAG's too, they've been filtereing through.
@@TalesOfWar The mag itself isn't that bad... what fails in every single damned one of the aluminum mags, before anything else, is the follower spring. Hence, the rampant feeding issues you get with the issued mags that go away when you run your own PMAGs (aka "Pro Mags")
I remember first seeing the Masada/ACR at the end of the 00s. My first thought was "Why, when the SCAR-L already exists?"
ACR was my favorite weapon in most of the games it was in. I like the sound and the black and brown color. I also like the Scar H.
ACR, a plan that has been executed perfectly to a point that people call it "that no recoil gun from MW2"
As someone that was around and was eagerly awaiting a Magpul Masada release because it offered a lot of the benefits of a higher end AR with a similar price point but some nice features on top of it (namely modularlity), let me tell you that the Bushmaster ACR was a disaster. And the sales numbers reflect it.
Magpul wanted the Masada to have an MSRP of around $1,500 and be competitive with high-end ARs. Which means things like a 1:7 barrel that's chrome-lined.
Bushmaster, instead, offered us the ACR which had a 1:9 twist rate (non-desirable) with no chrome-lining (non-desirable) and at around $3,000 (very non-desirable). It was yet more proof that Bushmaster was a sub-par manufacturer and Magpul never should have went to them. Bushmaster gave the Masada the Bushmaster experience/make-over which meant making things worse yet driving up the cost. Much like their own AR15s.
So if the civilian version of the Magpul Masada was done that badly and Remington (which had many of their own problems - if you don't believe me look at how the company handled the later R51 handgun... which was beyond a disaster) was heading up the military version... I can only wonder what went wrong there.
@@matchesburn I will never understand the decision to put in a 1:9 barrel by Bushmaster.
The Masada was a batter XM8 but neither really had enough of a step up to unseat the AR15. The Masada gave us Mlok, its stock and magazine. It like its forebarer the AR18 has left an impression with Poland’s FB MSBS Grot having clear influence from the Masada.
Had the U.S. not already had the M4… however its commercial push I think was more the result of its own makers. Bushmaster and Remington were siblings because they were on rocky ground allowing them to be bought by Cerberus financial management. An entity that lives up to its name sake as the guardian of the underworld.
I wonder how much of the characteristics of the gun in mw2 were determined by the deal. It's one of the best guns in its own way. Taking the place of high accuracy and reliability. Other guns in the same category have lower TTK but higher inaccuracy. The ACR wins if the opponent misses once head to head. And for good players it's very easy to hit every shot with the ACR. But for less good players it's even better. The TTK matters much less when reaction times are lower, it's range potential while being strong up close makes it really good. Couple that with the overall low ttk in the game and the ACR is incredibly well placed.
3:26 I wouldn’t necessarily say due to it being a short stroke piston gun that it doesn’t need a buffer tube. Not trying to be the actually guy but the 416 platform (HK,POF,Ruger, LWRC) all require a buffer tube. That being said I finally picked up an ACR 13 years after MW2 got released.
I'm playing black ops 2,just finished the first one, now in BO2 there is shit like drones and lots of futuristic stuff that actually got built irl. Nice, they nailed it
First time viewer here. Great video, i love the Ahoy inspiration. The script, research and editing is very good. The only thing i'm slightly bewildered by are the transitions between paragraphs: they're just... silent with a black screen? They can definitely be done better. The silence and the black screen mess with my immersion and excitement slightly. You got yourself a sub. Hope to see more stuff like this in the future!
Its also interesting that alot of the new rifles being developed today look alot like the ACR. The CZ Bren 2 and 3, the FB MSBS Grot, the Howa Type 20, and the HK433. Its as if games were correct in predicting what design of gun would be used in future warfare.
TBF the ACR proper may not have been adopted in mass but it has inspired copies of it.
For Example the Japanese Howa Type 20, Polish MSBS, and HK433
wow i am genuinely surprised that you didn't mention the history channel in this, i remember not only was it being shown alongside call of duty, but just beforethat the history channel show "future weapons" had a segment on the rifle and it's history back when it was still called the magpul masada.
ACR design lives on as the Polish Grot and the Japanese Type 20 rifles
Arma 3 Got pretty close to predicting some of the NGSW weapon contendors
SOCOM FTB2 for PSP was probably the first game to feature: SCAR (5.56 and 7.62 versions, the original "M4 replacement" that never happened), MAG-7 pistol shotgun, USAS-12 Shotgun, VSS/VSS 9x39 rifles with realistic function. STALKER had the VSS if that counts
it was also an absolutely hilarious online game with mics, which at the time was still a new concept outside of xbox live flagship titles and niche PC communities using 3rd party chat rooms
11:41 Bushmaster is now an entirely different company than when it acquired the Masada and marketed the ACR. The name and IP is now owned by some other jackoffs.
Cool that the Pmag was invented for the ACR! I'm excited to see what bushmaster comes up with for the new version. PSA Jakl until then.
MSBS Grot is ACR inspired so years later, but it did indeed got to be a military issue gun
As a proud owner of a bushmaster ACR my only complaint is after market parts are practically extinct.
What the ACR teaches me is that good enough, is just not enough when it comes to fire arms. The ACR had the potential to become the next big AR. Yet it fell just short of greatness
I remember seeing this gun on Future Weapons and was happy to see it CoD
If you think the ACR was something wait until you discover the MDR platform and the best part is you can buy one today with the same promises the ACR made just in a superior form factor.
Besides the PMAG and great stock, arguably that crappy MOE attachment system they came up with (and gives me the whillies whenever I see it on an AR15) could be seen as a precursor to the m-lok rail system that's so loved today.
Fun fact main polish service rifle MSBS Grot is based on ACR
You give *AHOY* vibes, I really love it!
XD I didn't expect to see you here🇵🇱🇦🇲
@ 🫡🫡🫡
I think you should really look into the XM-157 scope. That component focuses on the A in ACR.
I love the clips of Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Released in 2019, we see its futuristic concepts are pretty on-point for the way conflicts are developing
Am I the on;y one left wondering what is the stealh shooter game in the back ground? in clips like 7:50
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
That Ghost Recon soundtrack at the end went hard
It's only really used as a "PMC" weapon, only good for "close range" encounters.
Good video.
I can confirm being the owner of one. I definitely got this weapon because of MW2.