Colt ERC (Extended Range Carbine): Long-Range, Select-Fire Carbine/Rifle

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

By David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

Colt Defense’s last new offering is the Colt Extended Range Carbine (ERC), which is a 5.56x45mm NATO (5.56mm NATO)/.223 Rem. select-fire, match-grade rifle/carbine designed to allow the end-user to engage targets in excess of 600 meters away when utilizing a 16-inch (16") barrel, and in excess of 650 meters when utilizing a 20-inch (20") barrel. The Colt ERC’s lapped heavy match-grade barrels (16" and 20 ") are 1-in-8" twist, and thus allow the operator to utilize the full gamut of bullets with grain weights from 55 to 77 grains. Both button-rifled and cold-hammer-forged barrels are available, depending on customer preference.

The Colt ERC also features a 2-stage trigger (full-auto) and Colt’s patented Mil-Std-1913 "Picatinny" rail system (quad rail)/forend rail tube. Being a select-fire, i.e. full-auto, carbine/rifle, the ERC incorporates Colt’s new…


gas regulator sleeve to control the weapon’s cyclic rate of fire (ROF) and enhance reliability, durability and weapon longevity. Also enhancing the ERC’s reliability is Colt’s pivot forward design extractor that enhances/increases the extractor’s grip on the cartridge case during hard extraction and full-auto fire.

An optional folding titanium front sight a.k.a. flip-up front sight/BUIS is also available. This feature reduces weight on the barrel and thus enhances accuracy even further. It also aids zero retention.

Last up is the optional Colt Grip Laser (CGL), which is a vertical foregrip that incorporates a travel light (white light) and visible laser (pulse mode or constant laser mode).

Company Contact Info:

Colt Defense LLC
547 New Park Ave
West Hartford, CT, 06110
800-241-2485 Toll Free
860-232-4489 Office
860-244-1442 Fax
http://www.colt.com/mil/home.asp Website


Related Articles:

Colt ACC-M (Advanced Colt Carbine-Monolithic): 21st Century M4/M4A1 Carbine

Colt IAR (Infantry Automatic Rifle) Assault Rifle/SAW Hybrid Weapon (Photos!)

Colt Advanced Hybrid Carbine (AHC): Gas-Impingement/Gas Piston Hybrid Weapon

Colt Advanced Piston Carbine (APC): Meet Colt’s New Piston-Driven HK416 Killer

Colt Sub-Compact Weapon (SCW): Folding-Stock Tactical 5.56 SBR (Photos!)

Sources Sought: ‘Improved Carbine and Subcompact Individual Weapon System’

FERFRANS Gas Piston/Op-Rod SOAR Tactical AR-15 SBRs for Special Operations

FERFRANS Ultra-Concealable Piston-Driven 6-inch AR Subcarbine/SBR (Video!)

FERFRANS Combat Rifles and GRSC Combat Rifle Scope (CRS) at the Range


Acronyms and Abbreviations used in this article:

Full-Auto – Fully-Automatic
BUIS – Back-Up Iron Sight

Colt ERC (Extended Range Carbine): Long-Range, Select-Fire Carbine/Rifle by

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

Check Also

New KAC KS-1 Tactical AR-15 Carbine/SBR with New Reduced-Back-Pressure Suppressor! (Video!)

By David Crane david (at) defensereview (dot) com February 20, 2024 O.k., we’re back. Sorry …