Beretta ARX100

About the Beretta ARX100

The Beretta ARX100 is a semi-automatic rifle, the civilian-market version of the military Beretta ARX-160 assault rifle. Introduced at the 2014 SHOT Show and sold through Beretta USA, the ARX100 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and retains the modular architecture of its select-fire parent while being restricted to semi-automatic fire. It uses a short-stroke gas piston operating system with a rotating bolt and makes extensive use of polymer in its chassis to keep weight low. Like the ARX-160, the rifle is fully ambidextrous: the case ejection direction can be switched between left and right without tools, and the controls are mirrored on both sides. It accepts standard STANAG 4179 (AR-15/M16) magazines and is fitted with a 16-inch barrel and a side-folding, six-position telescoping stock. Multiple Picatinny rails allow mounting of optics, lights, and accessories.

The ARX100 was the consumer-facing face of Beretta's ARX program, letting U.S. shooters own a semi-automatic version of the rifle Beretta had developed for the Italian Army's Soldato Futuro future-soldier project. Its tool-less reversible ejection made it one of the few truly ambidextrous rifles on the civilian market, though it never displaced the entrenched AR-15 platform.

Beretta ARX100 specifications

The ARX100 was Beretta's bid to bring its modern modular rifle platform to the U.S. commercial market, competing with AR-15 pattern rifles and other piston carbines such as the FN SCAR 16S and HK MR556. The tool-less switchable ejection and quick-takedown features were major selling points. Despite a positive critical reception, the rifle saw limited commercial sales and was quietly discontinued around 2018.