The VBR CAR is an assault rifle designed and manufactured in 1990 by VBR-Belgium.
History
In 1990, the G11 caseless ammunition rifle from Heckler and Koch with its rotating cylinder breech/chamber was considered the state of the art technology for the future infantry rifle. However, Mr. Rik Van Bruaene of VBR-Belgium did not agree with the operating mechanism and stated; ”As the projectile is accelerating up the barrel, recoil forces drive the barrel, magazine, chamber and operating mechanism rearwards within the weapon, dissipating energy for single shot and fully automatic modes but allowing burst mode to deliver three projectiles downrange before buffering occurs.” This was the only right operating mechanism for such type of weapon. The fact that the whole mass of the barrel, magazine, chamber and operating mechanism was moving rearwards and forwards was considered as an disadvantages displace of big mass. So, a new operating system was designed based on a steady rotating cylinder breech/chamber who was connected with the frame so that only the operating mechanism did move backwards and forwards during firing cycles. In 1990, Van Bruaene started research and development of a new CAR (Caseless Ammunition Rifle). The project got the name I.P.G. (Infantry Power Gun) as it was considered to give every soldier significant firepower in one gun, similar to that of a machine gun.
The big difference from the G11 and the I.P.G., is that the housing for the rotating cylinder breech/chamber is made in the steady frame. The frame of the prototype was made out one block of solid steel, which forms the spine of the system where all other parts are connected on. The I.P.G. prototype was manufactured in the VBR-Belgium workshop in Roeselare (Belgium). The big soled steel frame had also the objective to spread the heat and prevent the cook-off problems as long as possible and preventing jamming. The clockwork of the I.P.G.; One center plate driven by the gas cylinder, which moves and coordinate all the movements of the entire mechanism. So, the gas piston and the center plate are the only parts moving backwards and forwards during firing cycles. This is only a small mass displacement.
Even by the use of an open breech position, the cook-off of the caseless ammunition can create a very dangerous situation. As every rotating cylinder breech/chamber, the cylinder has to turn to put the cartridge in line with the barrel. This turn creates a situation where the cartridge is locked up in an obstructed rotating cylinder breech before it is in line with the barrel. This zone comprises a “danger zone”, which goes over several degrees in the turning of the rotating cylinder breech/chamber where the point of the cartridge is faced to the side of the frame, before it is bought in line with the barrel. If a cartridge ignites by cook-off problems in this danger zone, where the cylinder is not yet complete turned in line with the barrel, the obstructed chamber will explode. This dangerous ghost sits in all the rotating cylinder breech/chambers. As Murphy’s law always occurs once, then each rifle with an rotating cylinder breech/chambers can explode when it gets too hot. This was unacceptable for Mr. Rik Van Bruaene, by which the system of rotating cylinder breech/chambers was abandoned.
Overview
The CAR (Caseless Ammunition Rifle) is a caseless assault rifle made during the early 1990s as a response to the Heckler & Koch G11. The CAR has a very high-capacity 120-round magazine, an optical scope, and an integral bipod. It was replaced later by the CAR-2.
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