The 5.56mm Cycling Subsonic Rifle from Beck Defense
Some things aren’t supposed to work.
You know, things like jumbo jetliners flying, any electronic product the day after the warranty expires, and subsonic AR-15 rifles.
At a recent Lancer Systems media event, I was proven wrong about the subsonic AR rifle part, although I’m fully confident my Clapper light switch will break next Tuesday. Lancer has partnered with Beck Defense to build some innovative subsonic AR-10 and AR-15 rifles. Let’s take a quick look at a couple that peaked my interest.
5.56mm Cycling Subsonic Rifle
Most people are by now familiar with 300 Whisper and/or 300 AAC Blackout rifles. Those work with standard AR-15 lowers, bolts and carrier groups, and uppers, with the obvious exception of the barrel. Based on a .223 / 5.56mm cut down case, they take a .308 bullet but share the same old AR magazines. 300 Blackout can be loaded with heavy .308 bullets and run at subsonic velocities, or it fire lighter bullets at supersonic velocities.
Beck Defense 5.56mm Cycling Subsonic
The Beck Defense rifle is not a 300 Blackout, although they make those too. The one I’m talking about is a regular .223 Remington / 5.56x45mm AR-15, but tweaked to fire subsonic bullets. This rifle is designed to fire 75-grain .223 caliber projectiles below the speed of sound. Can you say perfect indoor activities rifle? Whether you’re a professional door kicker or interested in home defense options, it’s a pretty incredible solution that’s not supposed to work, but does.
Normally if you first don’t succeed, you just get new batteries. I think the Beck Defense engineers tried a little harder than that, as they had to tweak both ammunition and rifle to get a functional platform. And functional it is. In fact, it’s so functional, that the 5.56mm rifle will operate reliably in full-automatic mode. It has to have a suppressor to function properly, but that’s the whole point, right?
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