Iran's Ministry of Defense has been making a big deal about a new .50 BMG rifle thier defense industry has produced. Just a few months ago I wrote that if Iran had not done it already, they were bound to clone the Steyr HS-50. The new Iranian rifle resembles a clone of the HS-50 designed primarily with manufacturing cost in mind.
The lower portion of the gun looks to be identical to the version of the Steyr HS-50 which was sold to Iran. The butt stock looks a lot cheaper (just a rubber pad screw on to the end) and the upper receiver and handguard are simple heavy tubular affairs able to be made cheaply in a machine shop using lathes.
I am not usually this critical about a new gun, but it really says something about the state of Iran's firearm industry when a terrorist organisation hiding in the mountains managed to produce a better looking, lighter and more ergonomic DIY anti-material rifle than they did.
Iran clones all the defense technology they purchase. Any company that sells Iran arms is just asking for their technology to be cloned. Eventually Iran is going to find that nobody will be willing to sell them modern defense technology.
UPDATE: Kit Up is reporting that the rifle is chambered in the larger 14.5mm round. I still stand by my assertion that it is a clone of the HS-50, albeit a scaled up clone.
[ Many thanks to Siyah & Nugroho for the tip. ]
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