The XM29 OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon) was the name for a series of prototypes of a new type of battle rifle that fired 20 mm airburst grenades. The prototypes were developed as part of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon program in the 1990s. The term SABR (Selectable Assault Battle Rifle) was also used at certain points, but is less common.
Developed by Alliant Techsystems, with Heckler & Koch as a major subcontractor, the most commonly seen version of the XM29 consisted of a semiautomatic 20 mm smart grenade launcher, an underslung assault carbine (derived from the HK G36 then in its late developmental stage) firing a standard 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round, and a top-mounted computer-assisted sighting system with integrated laser rangefinder, thermal night vision capabilities, and up to 6x optical telescopic sight. Earlier designs used different configurations and setups. A side-by-side configuration was tested before the underslung approach was adopted. Other variations included just the 20 mm launcher or one that used the MP7 rather than the 5.56 mm NATO rifle.
The launcher part has been described variously as a light semi-automatic 20 mm cannon, a grenade launcher, or an airburst weapon. It poses a classification problem, in that it does not fit neatly into any one category. On one hand, it uses much smaller shells and has a much flatter trajectory than grenade launchers. On the other, while its calibre and velocity is more similar to light cannon, it does share traits with other infantry grenade launchers.
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