AAC Honey Badger

Last updated

Honey Badger
AAC Honey badger.png
Type Carbine
Personal defense weapon
Place of originUnited States
Production history
Manufacturer Advanced Armament Corporation
Produced2011–2020
Specifications
Mass6.5 lb (2.9 kg) (unloaded)
Length24 in (610 mm) retracted with suppressor

29 in (740 mm) extended with suppressor

  • Q Honey Badger: 20 in (510 mm) retracted, 25 in (640 mm) extended [1]
Barrel  length6 in (15 cm)
Cartridge .300 AAC Blackout
Rate of fire ~800 rounds per minute cyclic
Feed system STANAG magazines
Sights Picatinny rail provided for optics

The AAC Honey Badger is an AR-pattern personal defense weapon, designed primarily for use in a suppressed configuration. It is chambered in .300 AAC Blackout and was originally produced by Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC). [2] The weapon is named after the honey badger. [3]

Contents

History

Replacement

In 2013, AAC began focusing their efforts on the production of suppressors. "We made the decision that we are getting out of the rifle-making business", stated Jeff Still, Director of Accessories and Silencers at Remington Outdoor Company. "We are going to focus all of our efforts on silencers and related accessories". [4] In 2017, Kevin Brittingham founded a new company named "Q, LLC". Along with suppressors and a bolt-action rifle of their own design, Q has also developed and marketed an improved Honey Badger.

Cease and desist

On October 6, 2020, the ATF sent Q a cease and desist letter, asserting that the Honey Badger pistol was a short-barreled rifle. [5] Though Q tried to resist this claim, they ceased production of the weapon, and confirmed this in an official statement on October 14. [6] [7] On October 15, the ATF gave their cease and desist a 60-day suspension, but Q chose not to resume production of the Honey Badger until the ATF made a definitive decision, as they believed "the ATF could arbitrarily withdraw the suspension at any time." [8]

Design

Both the rifle and the cartridge used were developed in close co-operation with American Special Operations units to create a suitable and effective replacement for the HK MP5 and similar close quarters combat weapon systems. The rifle is designed to be very convenient for military use where M16s are issued and in common use, since many similarities would exist in the fire controls, weapon manipulation, and magazines. The weapon is suppressed and it can be made even quieter by using heavy subsonic .300 Blackout ammunition.

Kevin Brittingham, the founder of AAC, wanted to design a weapon which had the ease of use of an AR-15, but the portability of an MP5. [9]

The Honey Badger was developed with a standard M4 upper and lower receiver, a short barrel with a very short gas impingement system and fast rate of rifling twist, a large conventional detachable silencer, and a proprietary buffer tube and collapsible stock featuring two prongs. [10] Whilst with the added silencer, it is 7.62-15.24 cm longer than the MP5SD, the mass is nearly identical unloaded. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heckler & Koch MP5</span> 9×19mm Parabellum submachine gun

The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a submachine gun developed in the 1960s by German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. It uses a similar modular design to the Heckler & Koch G3, and has over 100 variants and clones, including selective fire, semi-automatic, suppressed, compact, and even marksman variants. The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world, having been adopted by over forty nations and numerous militaries, police forces, intelligence agencies, security organizations, paramilitaries, and non-state actors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muzzle brake</span> Anti-recoil gunbarrel attachment

A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted muzzle rise. Barrels with an integral muzzle brake are often said to be ported.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knight's Armament Company</span> American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer

Knight's Armament Company (KAC) is an American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer, known for producing the Rail Interface System (RIS) and the Rail Adapter System (RAS) grips for firearms use. The company produces a variety of firearms, including AR-15-style rifles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.300 Whisper</span> Rifle cartridge

The .300 Whisper (7.82x34mm) is a CIP standard cartridge in the Whisper family, a group of cartridges developed in the early 1990s by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries. It was developed as a multi-purpose cartridge, capable of utilizing relatively lightweight bullets at supersonic velocities as well as heavier bullets at subsonic velocities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knight's Armament Company PDW</span> Personal defense weapon,

The Knight's Armament Company 6×35mm PDW is an experimental personal defense weapon designed by Knight's Armament Company (KAC), firing a 6mm cartridge optimized for short barrel weapons. A variant chambered in .300 AAC Blackout is also available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colt MARS</span> Personal defense weapon

The Colt MARS was an experimental, scaled-down variant of the M16 rifle tested by Colt as a personal defense weapon (PDW) around 1997. It was chambered for the experimental 5.56×30mm MARS cartridge which is a shortened 5.56×45mm NATO round. The 5.56×30mm cartridge fired a 55-grain (3.6 g) projectile at 790 m/s (2,591.9 ft/s). The rifle was patented in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Sport Guns GSG-5</span> Rimfire semi-automatic rifle

The GSG-5 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. It is built by German Sport Guns GmbH, an airsoft wholesaler located in Ense-Höingen, Germany. It was unveiled at the IWA & Outdoor Classics trade show in March 2007 following the legalization of previously forbidden military-style weapons in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magpul PDR</span> Prototype bullpup PDW

The Magpul PDR is a prototype bullpup-style 5.56×45mm NATO carbine unveiled by Magpul Industries in 2006. Although halted in development as of 2011 it has garnered some attention, largely due to its "futuristic" appearance. The system consists of a gas-operated bullpup carbine intended to replace some submachine guns, M9 pistols and M4 carbines while still offering the rapid fire and range of an M4 carbine in an ultra compact firearm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.300 AAC Blackout</span> Rifle cartridge originally designed for use in the M4 carbine

The .300 AAC Blackout, also known as 7.62×35 mm, is an intermediate cartridge developed in the United States by Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) for use in the M4 carbine. The cartridge yields increased performance in shorter barrels and effective subsonic performance for silencer use when compared to 5.56 mm NATO. The .300 AAC Blackout uses standard 5.56 mm NATO magazines and components with the exception of the barrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FN 5.7×28mm</span> Handgun cartridge manufactured by FN Herstal

The FN 5.7×28mm is a small-caliber, high-velocity, smokeless-powder, rebated, non-tapered, bottleneck, centerfire cartridge designed for pistols and personal defense weapons (PDW) uses, manufactured by FN Herstal. It is similar in length to the .22 WMR and .22 Hornet. Unlike many new cartridges, it has no parent case; the complete package was developed from scratch by FN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Armament Corporation</span> American firearms manufacturer

Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) is an American company that develops and manufactures firearms, firearm suppressors, muzzle devices and related accessories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silencer (firearms)</span> Device which reduces sound intensity or muzzle flash on a firearm

A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that suppresses the blast created when a gun is discharged, thereby reducing the acoustic intensity of the muzzle report and jump, by modulating the speed and pressure of the propellant gas released from the muzzle. Like other muzzle devices, a silencer can be a detachable accessory mounted to the muzzle or an integral part of the barrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIG Sauer SIGM400</span> Semi-automatic rifle

The SIGM400 is a family of firearms manufactured by SIG Sauer. The M400 is an air-cooled, direct impingement gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine that is based on the earlier AR-15 rifle. Depending on the variant, it can be chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO or .300 AAC Blackout cartridges, and may have a fixed or telescoping stock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemtech</span> American firearms manufacturer

Gemtech is an American manufacturer of silencers (suppressors) for pistols, rifles, submachine guns, and personal defense weapons (PDWs). The company also produces ammunition and various accessories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIG MPX</span> Submachine gun

The SIG MPX is a gas-operated submachine gun designed and manufactured by SIG Sauer, and is primarily chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. It is a gas-operated firearm featuring a closed, rotating bolt. These design features, rare in submachine guns, were chosen to enhance the safety of the user and to have a more reliable firearm. It was designed in 2013 and was released to the general public in 2015. It features the SIG Sauer short stroke push-rod gas system to reduce the recoil and improve the reliability of the weapon.

The .277 Wolverine (6.8x39mm) is a wildcat cartridge. It is a multi-purpose mid-power cartridge with increased ballistic performance over the AR-15's traditional .223 Remington cartridge. The use of a modified 5.56 case means that at minimum, only a new barrel is needed to convert any 5.56-based firearm to .277 Wolverine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IWI Tavor X95</span> Bullpup assault rifle

The IWI X95 is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle designed and produced by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) as part of the Tavor rifle family, along with the Tavor TAR and the Tavor 7. IWI US offers the rifle in semi-automatic only configuration as the 'Tavor X95'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIG MCX</span> 2010s multi-configuration firearm family by SIG

The SIG MCX is a family of firearms designed and manufactured by SIG Sauer, produced in both selective fire and semi-automatic only models, and features a short-stroke gas piston system, which is inherited from the earlier SIG MPX submachine gun. The MCX is available in rifle, carbine, short-barreled rifle, and pistol configurations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8.6mm Blackout</span> Rifle cartridge

8.6mm Blackout, also sometimes referred to as 8.6 BLK, is a centerfire rifle cartridge developed by the firearms manufacturer Q, LLC. It utilizes a shortened case from the 6.5mm Creedmoor necked up to an 8.6 mm caliber projectile. 8.6 Blackout is designed for use in bolt-action rifles or as a caliber conversion for AR-10 style rifles.

References

  1. ↑ "The Honey Badger". liveqordie.com. October 25, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Honey Badger SD by Q Review | The must have .300 Blackout rifle". Lynx Defense. October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Honey Badger® by Q SBR". January 5, 2023. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Honey Badger Cares: AAC Getting Out Of Rifle Market - Tactical Retailer". Tacretailer.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  5. ↑ C, Luke (October 6, 2020). "BREAKING: ATF Issues Cease And Desist For Honey Badger Pistol". The Firearm Blog.
  6. ↑ C, Luke (2020). "SHUT DOWN: Q LLC Forced to stop producing Honey Badger Pistol". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ Q, LLC. "UPDATE: ATF ISSUES 60-DAY CEASE & DESIST SUSPENSION" (PDF). Live Q or Die. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  8. ↑ Weingarten, Dean (October 15, 2020). "ATF Pistol Brace Reversal Political Move, 60-Day Suspension of Honey Badger Decision". AmmoLand. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "AAC .300 BLK Honey Badger PDW". Gears of Guns. December 5, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  10. ↑ "AAC's HONEY BADGER PDW (with video)". Tactical-life.com. November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.