The RCMP has been quietly rolling out its new patrol carbine program, training instructors and preparing to issue the new kit to officers.
There was a lot of speculation about the rifle and its capabilities when the program was first announced in 2011, including thread after thread on the
The LE Patrol Rifle featured in our cover story on Colt Canada is similar to the one the RCMP chose. It is a semi-auto, 15.7-inch-barreled version of the Colt Canada LE Patrol IUR, complete with the solid one-piece, integrated upper receiver and full-floating, cold hammer forged barrel.
Rumour has it that it will be equipped with the combat-proven Aimpoint red dot sight, Troy folding backup sights, Vickers combat sling, quick detachable light and the same silky smooth, two-stage trigger upgrade used by many US special forces.
When asked, a Colt Canada expert would only say the company was “very pleased” with the ammunition the RCMP chose to match the LE Patrol’s 1-in-7 barrel twist. In fact, if you asked AR-pattern rifle experts around the world, they would say the new RCMP carbine hits every checkbox for the best of the best in rifle, sights, magazines and accessories.
The Aimpoint red dot sight, for example, is one of the fastest and most durable sight systems on the market. With its extended battery life, it’s designed to stay on all the time; the battery is simply replaced every few years. Rated to be fully functional from minus 45 to plus 75 degrees Celsius – which should nicely cover almost every weather condition in Canada – the Aimpoint can be submerged as deep as 45 meters.
Walking around the Colt Canada factory and talking to the people who design and build these rifles made me think about my dad. He spent 30 very proud years with the RCMP and remained active with the Veterans Association and in documenting the history of the Mounties long after he retired. He lived his life with the quiet confidence of a Christian with four aces.
When he passed away at 90, his funeral was a sea of red serges; many of the officers who proudly wore them that day were not even born when he retired in 1967. I know that he would be somewhat saddened by the need for the new carbine but proud of the choices made in its selection.
The RCMP didn’t just step up to the plate with this rifle; it knocked it out of the park.
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