We look towards Italy to find a weapons system that has been developed for the "Soldato Futuro" or Italy's equivalent to the "Future Soldier" systems project in the US. Here we find the Beretta ARX160, a modular and lightweight rifle that is unique system in itself, and is more flexible design as compared to other future soldier rifles such as the FN SCAR, the Magpul ACR, and the HK XM8.

What is nice about the Beretta ARX160 is that, when coming you are used to a different rifle, such as the AR-15 or the AK-47, it can accommodate your habit, especially in the removal of the magazine. The magazine catch is very much ambidextrous, allowing you to release the magazine from a left or right handed position, and if you're an AK user, you can remove the magazine by the bottom of the trigger guard, which is almost like the magazine release catch in the AK which is more at the magwell area.

Another thing that is unique about this rifle is that it has a quick detach barrels, allowing the user to change barrels in the field and changing such is claimed to be in two seconds. Mainly made up of polymer to reducer weight, the upper and receiver portions are connected by special quick release locks. Since it is ambidextrous, the port ejection system can either be on the left or the right, which something left handed shooters would readily welcome. All one has to do is select which side of the rifle the shell ejection should be without any disassembly. The firing selector is a 90-degree switch which is also ambidextrous.

As if the emphasis on this rifle being ambidextrous is not enough, the cocking handle can also be placed on either side of the rifle. I have to agree when Beretta claims that is an over redundant weapons system, and it is indeed, but I am not complaining.

Just like the FN SCAR it has a specially designed 40mm grenade launcher called the GLX160. Also mainly made of polymer, it can also be a standalone GL by adding a stock to stabilize it when firing. The stock will remind you of the stock in the RX-4 Storm rifle.

While it is mainly designed for the 5.56x45mm NATO for interoperability with other NATO forces, it can accept 5.45x39mm, 7.62x39mm, and 6.8x43mm.

The 4-position folding stock makes it different from the other Beretta rifles with its rounded anti-slop butt plate removal to use the stock as storage compartment.

All these mentioned features makes this a very versatile rifle, but what is even more special is that lubicration is made to a minimum. Lubricants attract dirt and sand and can lead to jamming of the rifle. If you're operating in different environments, your worries about foreign objects lodging into your rifle are less.

While it looks like fish at first glance, and not as sexy as some of its counterparts, the Beretta ARX160 makes up in terms of flexibility. Now, it's just a matter of having an airsoft version of this. The problem is the ACM-airsoft brand that has led the way in developing such rifles, which is JLS, is nowhere to be found. After the SCAR, FN2000, and the Beretta RX-4, the company just abruptly disappeared and nothing is heard about them after the RX-4 release.

More details about this rifle as shown on the video below: