Italian firearms producer Fabarm S.p.A. has launched a brand new variant of its extensively used STF/12 shotgun particularly configured for counter-drone missions.
The STF/12 Compact XL Range 22″, offered as a specialised improve of the platform already fielded by the German Bundeswehr because the Mehrzweckflinte 5 (MZF 5), is engineered to interact quick, low-flying aerial targets at prolonged ranges — an more and more necessary requirement in fashionable protection and safety operations.
The shotgun, distributed in Germany by Waimex Jagd- und Sportwaffen GmbH, includes a redesigned 22-inch Tribore HP barrel optimized for vary and precision. Its three-stage inside profile incorporates a Venturi-effect taper, narrowing the bore from 18.7 mm to 18.4 mm close to the muzzle. This design accelerates the shot cost, rising each efficient vary and terminal efficiency whereas concurrently lowering recoil and enhancing accuracy.
– ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW –
An prolonged 108 mm XL Range choke additional refines the shot sample, permitting the weapon to take care of constant affect vitality at longer distances — a key benefit when focusing on small aerial threats like drones.
The STF/12 Compact XL Range 22″ is chambered for 12/76 ammunition and affords {a magazine} capability of seven plus one rounds with 3-inch shells, or eight plus one with 2¾-inch cartridges. Its bolstered barrel can deal with a variety of masses, together with tungsten carbide shot particularly designed for anti-drone use by Norma.
The weapon’s development includes a light-weight Ergal 55 aluminum alloy receiver, a Mil-Spec Cerakote end for enhanced sturdiness, and a warmth protect for sustained firing. A folding inventory with pistol grip permits the general size to be lowered from 102.95 cm to 80.95 cm for improved portability, whereas the unloaded weight is 3,760 grams.
Fabarm has additionally outfitted the shotgun with its proprietary Quick Target Acquisition (QTA) sight, a 124 mm guiding ramp that naturally aligns the shooter’s eye with the goal and allows them to trace its trajectory and pace. Multiple entrance sight choices, together with fiber-optic inserts, can be found for speedy engagement of transferring targets.
During area demonstrations performed by Waimex and Fabarm with legislation enforcement and protection businesses, the brand new shotgun achieved an efficient vary of as much as 100 meters — a notable determine for a 12-gauge platform. Using 2.4 mm entice ammunition, testers persistently hit clay targets at ranges between 80 and 100 meters. Against bigger targets simulating drone fuselages, the weapon efficiently penetrated 40 x 60 cm plastic drone targets at related distances.
The outcomes show that even light-weight shotgun pellets can ship damaging drive to drone buildings when fired at excessive velocity, making the STF/12 Compact XL Range a sensible answer for short- to medium-range counter-UAV operations.
Shotguns have been among the many first weapons tailored for counter-drone use by particular person operators, and their position continues to increase as unmanned aerial threats proliferate.
Compared with digital warfare or missile-based programs, shotguns stay a comparatively low-cost answer with minimal danger of collateral harm. Shot pellets lose kinetic vitality quickly after firing, lowering the danger to bystanders or surrounding infrastructure — a function that makes them significantly appropriate to be used in city or delicate environments.
