Specifications

Length     1,041 mm (41 in)
Barrel length     521 mm (21 in)
Cartridge     5.56x45 mm NATO
Rate of fire     750–1,000 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity     915 m/s (3,000 ft/s)
Effective range     1,000 yd (910 m)
Feed system     M27 linked belt, STANAG magazine

It fires from an open bolt and is gas operated. When the trigger is pulled, the bolt and bolt carrier move forward under the power of the recoil spring. A cartridge is stripped from the belt, chambered, and discharged, sending a bullet down the bore. Expanding propellant gases are diverted through a hole in the barrel into a chamber. This pressure moves a piston providing the energy to extract and eject the spent casing as well as advance the belt and compress the recoil spring, thus preparing for subsequent shots.