VFC/ECHO 1
ROBINSON ARMS
XCR
Ratty lifts the lid on something a little different:
the VFC/Echo 1 XCR – but was he impressed?
S
omething a little different
arrived this month – not
an M4, which was big
relief, although it does
use M16/M4 magazines.
According to the box label the XCR is a
collaboration between VFC and Echo 1,
both well-known and respected airsoft
manufacturers. So this was definitely
worthy of further investigation!
First though, a little background about
Robinson Armament Co and the XCR.
Robinson Armament is pretty much
unknown this side of the Atlantic. A
relatively new company founded in 1996
and based at Salt Lake City, Utah, it
started life manufacturing and marketing
many different civilian and military
orientated designs. The company imports
a range of Kalashnikov-based rifles (called
the VEPR series) from Russia, which
have become very popular. It is also
well-known for its M96 carbine, which is
derived from the Stoner 63.
Its most popular model to date, though,
is the XCR Modular Weapon System.
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January 2012
It has proved a massive hit on the civilian
marketplace and has so far enjoyed limited
success with some overseas military units.
Designed in 2004 by Alex J Robinson
(of Robinson Armament Co), production
of the first XCR L version started in 2006.
The XCR series was designed as a multicalibre, gas piston weapon system. It was
initially produced and entered into the US
Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
SOF Combat Assault Rifle competition.
Unfortunately it was disqualified on a
technicality, but Robinson Armament
continued development anyway. Presently
the XCR is available for purchase by the US
public as well as being tendered into law
enforcement and smaller military units. On
13 November 2008 the XCR was displayed
to US Army officials; their goal was to
examine modern carbine technology prior to
formally writing up the requirements for a
future replacement for the M4 Carbine.
As stated, the XCR is a multi-calibre
weapon system. While the base platform is
chambered for 5.56x45NATO, there are kits
available to convert it to 6.8 Remington SPC
and 7.62x39. Conversions to these other
calibres and barrel lengths can be completed
in a couple of minutes, without needing a
trained armourer or any specialist tools!
The conversion kits consist of the new
appropriately-chambered barrel and bolt
assembly, brass deflector, and all that is
left is the correctly-chambered magazine.
The XCR is also available in any of the
aforementioned calibres too. During its brief
existence the XCR has seen continuing
upgrades and developments, too many to
go into here. There are now many variants of
the rifle, with the XCR-M the most popular.
Since its initial introduction in 2006 more
than 5,000 XCR Carbines have been sold.
VFC/Echo 1 XCR
A few things strike you immediately on
opening the box. First is how good the rifle
looks – it takes M4 mags but looks nothing
like an M4 derivative. Secondly (and the only
downside) it comes with the US-spec bright
orange plastic flash hider. With a little effort
to break the seal this unscrews though,
leaving a 14mm CCW thread.