I first found out about the ARX-160 when I saw a single picture of it while looking though the pictures of this years SHOT show. After seeing it I had to find out more about it. I found out the ARX-160 is a part of the Italian Military's Future Soldier program and that the rifle is still in prototype development.
So a quick look at the new rifle shows a few cool things that Beretta are doing. Most notably is their quick change barrel system that allows for barrel changes in the field with a simple button push. I don't think any of the other new age battle rifles have that option. However, just about everything else is the same as the others. Folding stock...check. Ambidextrous controls...check. Gas piston locking select fire operations...check. Modular impact-resistant polymer receiver system...check. A new feature with their receiver is that it features a new locking system that doesn't use removable pins. Rail systems up the wazoo for a thousand and one setups...check. The ARX-160 is also STANAG compliant so no need for new mags either. In the looks department it actually looks better than some of the other ones and best of all it comes in black. In addition to all this is the new GLX-160 grenade launch which can be mounted either under the ARX-160 or quickly mounted to it's on stand alone receiver system.
Probably the only thing that I don't really like on the rifle at the moment is the location and setup of the safety lever. It looks just a bit I don't know...not handy. In any case plan to see more and more of this rifle in the near future as it may get a civilian model and it would definitely something to keep an eye out for any ways.
Here is an interesting video of the gun. There are a few but this is the only one that I found where it's being fired.
