6.5mm Banach
| 6.5mm Banach | |
|---|---|
| Type | Rifle |
| Place of origin | Mirhaime |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Marsail MacMhatha |
| Designed | 1979 |
The 6.5x39mm Banach is an intermediate cartridge developed by Reingiker Ardamezou to cater to a shift in the doctrine of the Mirhaimian Realm Defence Forces. It is an improvement of the of the 6mm PPC.
First unveiled to the public in 1980 as a cartridge accompanying the STK-05 platform of assault rifles which was eventually introduced into service in 1982. Its ballistic performances are considered to be superior to the 7.62x51mm with only half the recoil, capable of remaining supersonic at 1,200 yd (1,100 m) range.
Its name was inspired by the Banach - a beast of legendary strength attested in the legendary The Tale of Kanri.
Development and History
Towards the end of the 1970s, the Mirhaimian Realm Defence Forces sought a new rifle to replace the aging STM-78 platform. Though a modernization of the STM-78 was put into consideration, the MRDF decided to continue to follow the general transition towards smaller calibre ammunition and directed the Reingiker Ardamezou (Reingiker Armory) to procure a suitable replacement capable of using the intermediate 6.5x39mm Banach intermediate cartridge, an evolution of the 6mm PAW cartridge developed by the company in 1978 which is, itself, an evolution of the foreign 6mm PPC cartridge based on the 5.6x39mm. The weapon was required to be highly reliable in all climates the MRDF is expected to operate in, as well as being easy to handle and maintain, while meeting a certain minimum level of accuracy.
The use of the 6.5x39mm Banach cartridge was because of the assertion that the Banach is a good "middle ground" between the 5.56x45mm, and 7.62x51mm cartridge in use with the Volscine and Sarvian Armed Forces as well as the Mirhaimian 6.5x42mm it was supposed to supersede. It retains greater terminal energy at extended ranges than either of these cartridges due to its higher ballistic coefficient (BC). For example, the 123 gr (8.0 g) 6.5 mm Banach bullet has more kinetic energy and better body armor penetration at 1,000 m (1,100 yd) than the larger and heavier 147 gr (9.5 g) bullet of the M80 7.62mm round. However, in order to obtain ballistics that are superior to the 7.62x51mm cartridge, a platform with a longer barrel and firing a heavier bullet is necessary. To achieve the same results from shorter length barrels, even heavier bullets are needed.
From 1978 to 1980, Reingiker, in conjunction with the MRDF, trialed and evaluated a number of designs both domestic and foreign. After a number of years of trials with the Regiment of Saint Desar's Commonwealth Hussars E3 of Division F1 'Seblanon na Aran' (Heralds of Aran), a domestic Reingiker design was chosen to be the basis of the new standard issued rifle with a number of major modifications to fit Mirhaimian service. These included a larger trigger guard and cocking handle (to allow for operation while wearing winter gloves, a necessity for temperatures reaching down to −30 °C (−22 °F)), a larger handguard, a different collapsible shoulder stock, different iron sights and gas block, a modified bolt, deletion of the 3-round burst capability, and a corrosion-resistant dark finish. A gas regulator was also added.
The resulting rifle, dubbed the Siinrak Tionsal Mionsamhai 2005 (STM-5) came into service with the MRDF in the year 1982, superseding the STK-78AB which was gradually pushed into reserves and self defence units or modified and sold off to the civilian market under the commercial name "TM-78" (Rifle Model 78).