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"))
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
@@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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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
there have been many guns throughout history that failed but none are as iconic as the ACR. XM8 and G11 are close seconds but never made it big in gaming.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
@@civilianuseonly I'm looking at footage right now, and I think it's an issue in 2009 as well, but due to the lower quality textures, it isn't as blatantly obvious as in the new one. In the Remastered version you can even see the mag-catch being outside of the magwell.
Remember the Masada? Lol. I feel like most gaming companies just didn't expect the rise of companies like Daniel Defense, in their familiar, simple reliability.
Gets funnier because the AR18 failed. But it's rotating bolt short-stroke gas piston system got sdopted by so many rifles including the ACR only to see the ACR fail too...
13:54 Yes, it was no surprise and you just told the reason. But reason wasn't "the potential" it was clever marketing, at the time everyone talked about MW2 and 3. Remove it from MW series and its presence in video games would fall behind SCAR onto XM8 territory. Reminds me of LR-300, that one was also carried by a single game series, STALKER.
I think also the caliber/barrel swap is kind of a gimmick when it takes the push of two pins to swap an AR upper. With an optic on it that’s already zeroed in
9:45 The barrel swap wasn't intended to be like a machine gun quick change barrel for overheating reasons, it takes disassembly to do. The quick change barrel was far more of this fantasy idea that soldiers or special forces in the field or forward deployed would find themselves in the situation that they used all their own ammo and needed to resort to using the enemy force's ammo, so they reconfigure their whole gun to use their ammo. Reality comes crashing in on this idea in many ways but it's the perfect storm of cool guy daydreams to make it marketable. For one, in a desperate situation would it really make sense to change your gun for the ammo and not just use the enemies gun? Or is the idea you just so happen to be stranded but sitting on a stockpile of ammo that just so happens to be the type you have an extra barrel for. And those extra barrels and magazines are going to live in the armory but you just so happen to have them handy. hope your kit can fit both magazine types. OR maybe your outpost has all the bits in the armory, you are out of ammo, and your Main Standard rifle of the entire military can't get supplied. But you can locally source the alternate ammo. (this isn't going to happen) What is a somewhat valid concept here is a SF group reconfiguring guns based on anticipated raids. This doesn't get done very often on the same weapon as they usually seem to just have an array of different guns in the armory. but when the Stoner 63 was used by the Navy Seals it was commended for this capability. That was different barrels, ammo feeds, and fire modes, not caliber changes. Throw the fact that your zero will change in any situation and this isn't attempted much
The ACR will live on for sure! In the civilian market, it will carry on through the company Templar Precision under the different name “Scythe” Because who knows if Bushmaster/Remington will ever bring the rifle back into their focus…
While the ACR may be dead, there are plenty of clones or firearms that took inspiration from it that are produced and have seen military service. I’m thinking of the CZ Bren(2)
A very funny example is the type25 in bo2, which is inspired by the qbz97 and was supposedly what china would use in 2025. A couple years ago china adoptsd the qbz191, which is not a bullpup. Both guns can be used in codm
As a disciple of Gun Jesus, heed the gospel. There's no replacing the M4. The US military has tried it 3 times already since the 90s, besides several attempts by private individuals, including the people that designed the AR-15 themselves. It's not that the M4 is perfect. Those trials involved taking a batch of rifles and torture testing them running thousands of rounds through each and the newe rifles consistently beat the M4. But it always comes down to "not a significant improvement over the M4". Also, the reason the ACR became heavy despite all the polymer is a lesson learned from the G36. It's said the ones adopted by the Bundeswehr suffer from warping issues that throw off the aim. Not good for a standard issue rifle.
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
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
The problem with Remington Arms is that they did not invest in lobbyists. It's how defense companies secure deals with the government.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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 remember being 12-13 years old when mw2 came out and describing the ACR to my friends as "the M4 but better"
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
You give *AHOY* vibes, I really love it!
XD I didn't expect to see you here🇵🇱🇦🇲
@ 🫡🫡🫡
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.
Thank you for scratching the same itch Xbox Ahoy used to scratch with these kinds of videos
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
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!!
AD ends at 2:10
Saint
It may have had the makings of a military weapon, but it never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
Arma 3 predicted the MX Rifle program,
But i *pray to god* they don't predict the Type 115.
No matter what I will always remember that damn silenced ACR with a heart beat sensor
Cod mw2 cliffhanger?
True right?
dead on lol
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.
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.
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.
mom can we have ahoy?
we have ahoy at home.
The ahoy at home:
Randomly recommended to me but your content is gold earned my sub
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
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
I think the SIG MCX is what the ACR wanted to be.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
there have been many guns throughout history that failed but none are as iconic as the ACR. XM8 and G11 are close seconds but never made it big in gaming.
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!
As a proud owner of a bushmaster ACR my only complaint is after market parts are practically extinct.
I remember first seeing the Masada/ACR at the end of the 00s. My first thought was "Why, when the SCAR-L already exists?"
The PSA JAKL is the best adaptation of the ACR to ever reach the market.
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
@@WindHaze10 HK already did the system better and it's why the US military won't admit they're dumping the modern M4 platform as we know it.
@@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.
mom I want an FN SCAR, but Timmy we have a FN SCAR at home
Not really both guns were designed at the same time with the magpul masada in 2004 and the scar the same.
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
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.
Arma 3 Got pretty close to predicting some of the NGSW weapon contendors
Glad to see Ghost Recon: Breakpoint gettin' some love. It's the Ghost's signature weapon, after all.
You just filled a spot in my soul the Xbox Ahoy left a long time ago. Continue the great work my dude.
Appreciate it! However, Ahoy is still active and makes videos.
@ I know! I keep a eye for him. Thanks my dude!
Surprised this wasn't a video on the XM8
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!
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.
The PSA Jakl is basically an ACR and it’s super popular today
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
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
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.
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.
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.
It really makes me feel validated that even a former marine recon guy also thinks the AR15 charging handle is really dumb.
Fun fact main polish service rifle MSBS Grot is based on ACR
glad youre making money
I'm pretty sure he's monetized
Yep rewards the grind deserving for dishing out content variety
It absolutely kills me how in MW2: Remastered, the mag isn't inserted all the way into the gun.
Likely a modelling/animation error from the 2009 game
@@civilianuseonly I'm looking at footage right now, and I think it's an issue in 2009 as well, but due to the lower quality textures, it isn't as blatantly obvious as in the new one. In the Remastered version you can even see the mag-catch being outside of the magwell.
The perfect example of “good ideas and 99 cents gets you a cup of coffee”
Funny enough, the Italian army adopted a very similar rifle created by Beretta.
ARX-180?
The ACR 6.8 from Cod MW3 was a solid prophecy 11 years ago.
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
Remember the Masada? Lol.
I feel like most gaming companies just didn't expect the rise of companies like Daniel Defense, in their familiar, simple reliability.
Gets funnier because the AR18 failed. But it's rotating bolt short-stroke gas piston system got sdopted by so many rifles including the ACR only to see the ACR fail too...
ACR design lives on as the Polish Grot and the Japanese Type 20 rifles
MSBS Grot is ACR inspired so years later, but it did indeed got to be a military issue gun
So... The genes of the HK416, with the reputation of the Glock 17, and the fate of the XM8 ?
13:54 Yes, it was no surprise and you just told the reason. But reason wasn't "the potential" it was clever marketing, at the time everyone talked about MW2 and 3. Remove it from MW series and its presence in video games would fall behind SCAR onto XM8 territory.
Reminds me of LR-300, that one was also carried by a single game series, STALKER.
I think also the caliber/barrel swap is kind of a gimmick when it takes the push of two pins to swap an AR upper. With an optic on it that’s already zeroed in
As homage to the OG MW2, I use a CXP APE (ACR replica) along with a Shadow Company outfit reproduction during airsoft. ;)
I love how basically every single NATO country just ended up using the HK-416 instead of some crazy new design
Infestation: Survivor Stories had the Masada, didn’t realize it was related to the ACR
9:45 The barrel swap wasn't intended to be like a machine gun quick change barrel for overheating reasons, it takes disassembly to do. The quick change barrel was far more of this fantasy idea that soldiers or special forces in the field or forward deployed would find themselves in the situation that they used all their own ammo and needed to resort to using the enemy force's ammo, so they reconfigure their whole gun to use their ammo.
Reality comes crashing in on this idea in many ways but it's the perfect storm of cool guy daydreams to make it marketable. For one, in a desperate situation would it really make sense to change your gun for the ammo and not just use the enemies gun? Or is the idea you just so happen to be stranded but sitting on a stockpile of ammo that just so happens to be the type you have an extra barrel for. And those extra barrels and magazines are going to live in the armory but you just so happen to have them handy. hope your kit can fit both magazine types. OR maybe your outpost has all the bits in the armory, you are out of ammo, and your Main Standard rifle of the entire military can't get supplied. But you can locally source the alternate ammo. (this isn't going to happen)
What is a somewhat valid concept here is a SF group reconfiguring guns based on anticipated raids. This doesn't get done very often on the same weapon as they usually seem to just have an array of different guns in the armory. but when the Stoner 63 was used by the Navy Seals it was commended for this capability. That was different barrels, ammo feeds, and fire modes, not caliber changes.
Throw the fact that your zero will change in any situation and this isn't attempted much
I think that the DT MDRx has delivered on many of the features that the ACR promised.
The ACR will live on for sure!
In the civilian market, it will carry on through the company Templar Precision under the different name “Scythe”
Because who knows if Bushmaster/Remington will ever bring the rifle back into their focus…
8:23 Well well well...
Gun performing poorly because they switched ammo for testing?
HMMM
HMMMMMM WE HAD IT HAPPEN ALREADY IN THE PAST
I loved the ACR in socom 4 it was almost its own character in that game
Gary Roach Sanderson's favorite rifle
I knew about the stock living on long past the ACR, but I had no idea PMAGs also have to thank the ACR for their success
While the ACR may be dead, there are plenty of clones or firearms that took inspiration from it that are produced and have seen military service. I’m thinking of the CZ Bren(2)
Not really dead. We have a small niche and private market. Check out Templar Precision ACR/Scythe
A very funny example is the type25 in bo2, which is inspired by the qbz97 and was supposedly what china would use in 2025. A couple years ago china adoptsd the qbz191, which is not a bullpup.
Both guns can be used in codm
I remember the ACR was my favorite gun in any shooter it was available.
Not a specialist, but the way I see it, the ACR influenced heavily the Imbel IA-2, the standard Brazilian Army rifle.
Aren't it's based on their FAL version?
First game that comes to mind for me after seeing the ACR is Ghost Recon Future Soldier
As a disciple of Gun Jesus, heed the gospel.
There's no replacing the M4.
The US military has tried it 3 times already since the 90s, besides several attempts by private individuals, including the people that designed the AR-15 themselves.
It's not that the M4 is perfect. Those trials involved taking a batch of rifles and torture testing them running thousands of rounds through each and the newe rifles consistently beat the M4. But it always comes down to "not a significant improvement over the M4".
Also, the reason the ACR became heavy despite all the polymer is a lesson learned from the G36. It's said the ones adopted by the Bundeswehr suffer from warping issues that throw off the aim. Not good for a standard issue rifle.
It's funny how polish MSBS Grot is simmilar to Masada xD
The stock was also likely an inspiration for other guns like the fn scar, hk433, b&t apc and mabs grot. Even some early ak12 prototypes are similiar.
The SCAR is older than the ACR actually. The ACR takes features from the SCAR.
the ACR on Goast Recon future soldier was the best
There is a successor to the ACR called the PSA Jackl rifle which is the better version of the ACR.