Shaped through service: Colt Canada details its new C25 carbine

In an event held in Copenhagen in early October Colt Canada, part of the Colt CZ group, allowed potential customers and media to have a hands-on trial of the new carbine that will equip the Canadian Armed Forces since early 2027

In 1976, 50 years ago, the Government of Canada contracted then Diemaco to ensure the Canadian military small arms fleet MRO. Six years later the company received a further contract, this time a production one, to manufacture C7 assault rifles and C8 carbines under license from Colt. Since then, the weapons produced in Kitchener, Ontario, became the issue rifles and carbines of Canadian armed forces, and obtained considerable export success with what has since become Colt Canada.

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Over 40 years after the first version of the C7/C8 in 5.56×45 mm calibre entered service in Canada, the Department of National Defence (DND) decided it was time to provide its units with a new individual weapon. “The original desire by Canadian Armed Forces was to replace the C7/C8 family around 2030,” Tim Moore, Colt Canada’s International Business Development Chief, told EDR On-Line. The design work on the new 5.56×45 mm platform started at Kitchener around 2023, based on the requirements issued by the military.

The key issue is that nowadays the enemy infantryman is equipped with a ballistic armour; to overcome this DND considered three different courses of action. COA 1: increasing the impact energy so to penetrate the armour plate; COA 2: hitting the soft spots which are not protected by the armour plate, such as groin, hips, shoulders, and face; COA 3: delivering massive firepower to keep the enemy face in the dirt. The first was discarded on the basis that for the time being technology is not yet mature, the third one was not considered the most effective way to reach the objective, COA 2 being the one selected, which meant increasing accuracy.

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On March 14th, 2025, Mark Carney became the new Canadian Prime Minister; the new government decided to move significantly to the left the small arms replacement programme, officially the Canadian Modular Assault Rifle (CMAR) project, and in late May 2026 a C$ 307 million contract was signed for Phase 1 procurement of 30,000 C25 carbines, first deliveries being planned for mid-2027. Heavily based on the company Modular Rail Rifle, the first weapons delivered will be in the C25 GS (General Service) configuration. Colt Canada introduced the C25 during MSPO and DVD in September 2026, however the full presentation in Europe took place at an event in Copenhagen, in early October.

The C25 maintains the expansion gas bleed off operating system typical of the C7/C8 family, however many features have been deeply modified in order to increase accuracy. In a rifle one of the most important elements when talking accuracy is the barrel, the C25 featuring a chrome-lined, free-floating, cold hammer forged barrel. EDR On-Line understood that the 13.7-inch (348 mm) barrel length was part of the Canadian requirement and is an intermediate length between that of the latest C8A4 and the that of the previous C8A2/A3.

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The barrel of the C25 ensures a better accuracy as it has been totally redeveloped; cold hammer-forged, it is made from Chromium‑Molybdenum‑Vanadium steel. First of all, it is a much heavier barrel, which inside geometry has been the subject of several design and assessment iterations, EDR On-Line was told. This work was done by Colt Canada R&D in cooperation with DRDC (Defence Research and Development Canada), the governmental technology house that cooperates with several Departments among which DND. While the rifling maintains the typical 1:7 twist, optimised for the SS109 NATO STANAG ammunition, with six groove, internal ballistics and the interaction between grooves and bullet have been considered and optimised. The work on the current version is finished, however Colt Canada and DRDC are continuing working on those subjects, including new materials and new methodologies, looking ahead at further improvements that might be applied to future C25 versions as well as on other weapons of that category.

The C25 features a two-stage trigger, which allows to feel the break point before adding pressure to pull the final travel that releases the round; slowly releasing the trigger the shooter feels again the break point so he can release the following round without the need to go through the full trigger cycle, shortening time and increasing accuracy. During the test of the weapon at the Københavns Skyttecenter, the Copenhagen Shooting Centre, it took us a dozen of rounds to get used to the trigger system, following which shooting became pretty consistent.

This was also due to the addition of the suppressor: the Canadian Armed Forces will be the first known to field a full fleet of suppressed individual weapons. The MFMD, for Multi-Function Muzzle Device, was developed by Strategic Sciences and is being produced by Millbrook using 3D printing technology and Inconel 718. As the name indicates the MFMD is not only a suppressor; merges into a single system three different functions, flash hider, muzzle brake and suppressor. The muzzle brake ensures a reduction in recoil, over 30% according to Strategic Sciences, which allows a quicker re-aiming between each shot. It vents gases forward and up, which drastically reduces toxic gases inhaled by the shooter, a major health and safety issue. The noise generated by the rifle is considerably reduced; without suppressor this is around 165-170 dB, while the MFMD brings it down to 140 dB, which means around five times less; this does not mean it comes into the safe area where no ear protection is required, this being around 80 dB. “The MFMD was designed by a fluid dynamic expert, and what is really interesting is that there is no low-pressure point, which means it is a nearly self-cleaning system,” EDR On-Line was told, the notional gain in mass after 10,000 rounds being marginal according to tests conducted by Colt Canada, bolt carrier speed having increased by a mere one per cent.

An add-on suppressor can be fitted, reducing noise by another 8-10 dB, all these data being at the shooter’s ears. At distance the noise is much more reduced, which adds a degree of acoustic stealthiness, not being heard being key to avoid being shot at. The other one is not being seen, and here the flash hider function, which reduces by over 50% the flash, is another major advantage provided by the MFMD. All this at a mass increase of around 560 grams.

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Canada military considers the C25 a weapon to be used up to 300 metres distance, hence a good optical sight is needed to fully exploit the above-described accuracy-increase measures. Hence the adoption of the Colt Optics VMR 1-6×24 FFP MRAD. In 100 metres range we mostly used it at x1 magnification, with a trial at x2, but with targets at greater distances a higher magnification would have been useful. This LVPO (Low Power Variable Optic) sight has apparently been developed for military use only, as it does not appear in the catalogue of the company, which in 2024 was founded by the Colt CZ Group in Brighton, Michigan, to design and build professional grade sights.

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The C25 is fully ambidextrous, as magazine release, bolt catch release, and safety switch are all available on both sides. The latter maintains the typical 90° angle between each position, safe, semi-auto and auto. The octagonal upper receiver is made in aluminium and features an integral STANAG 4694 rail on the top, and five Magpul M-LOK slots on the other surfaces. Magpul also provides the DT Carbine stock as well as back-up sights, while the 2AR Suregrip pistol grip is provided by Ergo. The C25 length varies between 813 and 895 mm, depending on the stock position, while its mass with suppressor but without optic, mount, magazine, and accessories is 3.45 kg.

“The C25 is built from a defined Concept of Employment, not a sales brief. Make shooting easier. Make target acquisition faster. Make the first round land where it needs to. Make the follow-up shot controllable. Everything on the rifle earns its place against that list. This rationale is being led by the Canadian Armed Forces, and it’s based around real life requirements,” was the conclusive message from company representatives. “But the journey does not end here; in terms of 5.56 we are exploring all sorts of exotic things. In conclusion, this is an evolution and a continual spiral development of a platform.”

Further contracts will follow from Canada, the C25 replacing the C8A3 currently in service; a second phase to procure 19,207 is expected, however this number may increase as the “North, Strong and Free” Canadian DND document foresees an increase in manpower.

Photos by P. Valpolini