Lewis Machine and Tool Company

Lewis Machine and Tool Company

Type	Private
Industry	Defense
Founded	1980
Headquarters	Milan, Illinois, USA
Products	Firearms, weapons
Number of employees	100-150
Website	www.LMTDefense.com

Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT) was founded by Karl Lewis in 1980. LMT started its business by providing law enforcement and government agencies with military type weapons and accessories. Today, LMT still provides law enforcement and government agencies with weapons, but they have now also expanded their services to foreign military and commercial retailers. All of LMT's engineering and manufacturing is done in house at the Milan, IL facility. LMT manufactures complete weapon systems such as the M4/AR-15 and the M203 grenade launcher. Today, the Ministry of Defence of both the United Kingdom and New Zealand plus the US military utilize many of the products that LMT produces.

Products

LM308MWS

LMT created the Monolithic Rail Platform (MRP). The MRP is a one piece upper receiver for the AR-15/M4/M16 platform and is made from a single aluminum forging. The LMT MRP has a quad rail system that utilizes the Mil-Std 1913 rail. It is available in two different lengths, one standard rifle length and the other for Close Quarters Battle (CQB). The MRP upper receiver has a quick change barrel system that allows the operator to change the caliber or the barrel length of the weapon in a very short period of time. The MRP also features a free-floating barrel, relatively low temperature to handguard & optics, long barrel life, easy-to-access/clean design, a straight gas tube resists bending and retains better alignment with gas key as compared to other designs, and a relatively low number of parts (13). Also, its top rail position matches M4 & E3-type weapons ensuring optics and sight compatibility and accepts standard & enhanced M16-type (Stoner design) components

In late 2009, LMT introduced the .308 Modular Weapon System LM308MWS. The LM308MWS uses the 7.62×51mm NATO round. The LM308MWS is based on the proven Stoner Rifle design with some new features that including a one piece upper receiver and a completely free-floating barrel design for improved accuracy. LMT integrated their MRP design into the large AR platform. Since the LM308MWS has the MRP design, the barrel is completely free floating, thus increasing its accuracy and its ability to stay cool. This design also allows changing the barrel to a different size in around one minute. Reports have shown that this rifle has an effective range of 800m and can easily achieve a Sub-MOA grouping.

LMT is currently supplying 16", 18" and 20" 1:11.25 blackened stainless match barrels, as well as 16" and 20" chrome-lined chromemoly 1:10 battle barrels available for civilian purchase.

L129A1

L129A1
Type	Service rifle
Place of origin	United States of America
Service history
In service	2010-Present
Used by	British Armed Forces New Zealand Army
Wars	Afghanistan
Production history
Manufacturer	Lewis Machine & Tool
Specifications
Weight	9.8 pounds (4.4 kg)
Cartridge	7.62×51mm NATO
Barrels	16 inches (410 mm)
Effective firing range	800 m
Maximum firing range	900 m
Sights	TA648-308 6×48 ACOG

In 2009 Lewis Machine and Tool Co was chosen to supply the UK Ministry of Defence with 440 of the LM308MWS 7.62×51mm rifle under the official service designation as the L129A1. LMT has since supplied more than 3,000 to UK forces.

LMT submitted the LM308MWS for an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) by the British Ministry of Defence for a semiautomatic 7.62 NATO caliber sharpshooter rifle. Other weapons submitted included the FN SCAR-H, HK417, Sabre Defence XR-10, and others. LMT's rifle was chosen as the winner and designated the L129A1. The L129A1 entered combat use in April 2010.

The requirement was for a rifle to be able to fire standard NATO 7.62×51mm rounds, but 155 gr (10.0 g) sniping ammunition was found to be superior and is issued with the L129A1. Its 1:11.25 inch rifle twist was designed to fire 168 gr (10.9 g) match rounds, but the rifling prohibits it from accurately stabilizing 175 gr (11.3 g) sniping rounds.

The primary optic chosen by the British for the L129A1 is a Trijicon ACOG TA648-RMR-UKS (NSN: 1005-99-305-9104. The ACOG’s body is made of 7075 T6 aircraft aluminum, the same as the rifle’s receiver. A fiber-optic powers the reticle during daylight hours and a tritium light source in low or no light conditions. The aiming chevron’s brightness is adjustable by the user. The unit’s reticle has a built-in bullet drop compensator for 7.62×51mm NATO from 100 to 1,200 meters. To transition from long range to close-quarter battle, there is a Picatinny rail on the ACOG’s top that accepts a 1.2-ounce Trijicon 1× LED Rugged Miniature Reflex sight with a red dot powered by a CR2032 battery. Additional accessories include the optional L17A2 Schmidt & Bender 3-12 × 50 Sniper Scope, the OTIS 7.62 mm Sniper Cleaning System, a small Dewey rod to clean the chamber, a front sight adjustment tool and a rail-mounted, quick-detachable sling mount so the sling may be mounted anywhere on the rail.

The LM308MWS standard US commercial model differs slightly from the UK issued L129A1 in the following aspects:

• 1) the barrel is a 16" fully chrome-lined, cryogenically treated, polygonal rifled 1:10 right-hand twist chrome-moly machinegun grade steel, instead of the 16", 1:11.25-inch twist matte-black stainless steel barrel on the L129A1. It is crowned with LMT's special crown design, designed for maximum accuracy with ordinary ball ammunition.
• 2) the muzzle device is a standard M16A2 type flash suppressor instead of the SureFire suppressor mount.
• 3) the sights are the LMT detachable fixed sights instead of the Knight's Armament Company's low-profile folding micro back-up iron 200-600 rear sight and folding front sight.
• 4) the supplied furniture—LMT SOPMOD stock, Ergo suregrip, rail covers from Tango Down—is black instead of the tan/coyote brown supplied to the UK MoD.
• 5) the receiver is marked "LM308MWS", instead of "L129A1."

There is also a UK commercial variant of the L129A1. Designated the LMT308SP, the model is a straight pull action rifle, and not a semi-auto.

CQB16

CQB16
Type	Service rifle
Place of origin	United States of America
Service history
In service	2015-Present
Used by	Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Production history
Manufacturer	Lewis Machine & Tool
Specifications
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO

On 12 August 2015, the New Zealand Ministry of Defence announced that it would be replacing the current Steyr AUG 5.56×45mm rifle for all branches of the New Zealand Defence Force with a product from LMT, later revealed to be their CQB16 version of the AR-15. A tender was released from May to November 2014. LMT was one of eight companies that submitted rifles for trials that took place between March and June 2015. Two versions with 406 mm (16.0 in) and 457 mm (18.0 in) barrels will be delivered firing heavy 77 gr (5.0 g) ammunition. Interestingly, selection of the CQB16 switches from fielding of a bullpup rifle to one with a traditional layout, as well as choosing a direct gas impingement operating system over a gas-piston system likely offered by competing entrants. The contract is for just over 9000 rifles to equip all three branches of the New Zealand Defence Force and be in service by 2016.

External links

• Official website