First Look: Magpul & Maztech X4 Good Rifle System

Within the early days of aviation, fighter pilots navigated with a magnetic compass and aimed their weapons with iron sights. As we speak, that is virtually unthinkable. Trendy pilots are ready to make use of heads-up shows and sensors to maximise their fight capabilities and lower out guesswork — think about if the identical may very well be executed for shooters on terra firma. At SHOT Present 2022, we have been in a position to take our first have a look at a brand new suite of expertise that is taking over this problem within the business AR-15 market: the Magpul x Maztech X4 sensible rifle system.

What We Know Concerning the Magpul x Maztech X4 System

This X4 “sensor fusion” system will encompass many modular parts, however the core is the Maztech X4 FCS (Fireplace Management System). It is primarily a scope mount that converts a normal 30mm or 34mm low-power variable optic (LPVO) into a sensible optic with a heads-up show. If you happen to already personal an LPVO, you possibly can merely drop it into the X4 FCS mount to reinforce its capabilities.

Magpul rendering exhibiting the FCS information overlay.

This show collects information from different parts within the Magpul x Maztech X4 household. With an X4 LRF laser rangefinder module, it’s able to exhibiting vary to a goal and indicating the beneficial hold-over based mostly on ballistic information. We’re informed you can enter customized rifle and ammo profiles into the unit by way of a USB port, and can even be capable to modify information on the fly utilizing a management knob on the facet of the X4 FCS unit.

Subscribe As we speak and Save!

If you happen to equip your rifle with Magpul’s X4 PMAG and grip module, it would additionally present an digital spherical counter to trace what number of rounds are remaining within the weapon, and what number of are remaining elsewhere in your loadout (e.g. in your belt or chest rig). Representatives on the firm’s SHOT Present sales space demonstrated this performance utilizing mags full of dummy rounds. The spherical depend information might be displayed on a cylindrical unit that attaches to a picatinny rail (pictured above), might be considered via the FCS scope overlay, or may even be communicated wirelessly to different members of your group.

Magpul’s promotional video reiterates that the X4 system is not only supposed for multi-million-dollar authorities contracts — it shall be commercially out there to the general public, and “its parts will not have the excessive costs usually related to superior applied sciences.” At this stage, no precise pricing has been given. Maztech says the X4 FCS shall be out there within the fourth quarter of 2022; launch dates for the opposite parts are unknown right now.

Too Good to be True?

On one hand, we’re excited in regards to the prospect of utilizing expertise to enhance capturing accuracy and effectivity. With the ability to look via the reticle and know the precise vary and corresponding hold-over for a goal could be very useful, and we have at all times needed spherical counters since we noticed them on the M41A pulse rifles in Alien.

However, there are nonetheless plenty of questions at this early stage of the Magpul x Magtech X4 system’s growth — these embody reliability, sturdiness, battery life, ease of use within the area, and price. We weren’t reassured by the truth that we could not even contact the FCS items on show at SHOT Present (we tried and have been reprimanded by a sales space employee, who mentioned they’re nonetheless fragile prototypes). Activity & Objective voiced some comparable issues of their writeup in regards to the system.

Hopefully the event course of continues and bears commercially-viable outcomes, as a result of we’ll be upset if this seems to be vaporware.

Written by Patrick McCarthy