Canadian Armed Forces – The Armourers Bench

In March the Canadian Armed Forces selected a new rifle to replace their venerable C7 and C8 rifles. The Canadian Modular Assault Rifle (CMAR) program has seen Canada make an initial order for 30,000 General Service (GS) variants of the new rifle. In selecting the CMAR the Canadian Armed Forces have wrestled with the fundamental question facing many major armies around the world as they come to replace their current generation of small arms – how do you defeat enemies with level IV body armor?

*New Colt Canada C25 at the range in Copenhagen (Matthew Moss)*

The US Army has opted for power and penetration with the Next Generation Squad Weapons program and the new 6.8x51mm round but not every military sees a larger, more powerful round as the answer. While the US Army has gone all-in on the 6.8mm family of ammunition for its close combat units, other nations – for various reasons – will be more cautious, not wanting to move away from the proven 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm standardised ammunition natures. After assessing a number of approaches the Canadian Armed Forces and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) have chosen to stick with 5.56x45mm for their soldiers’ individual weapons. The C25 Canadian Modular Assault Rifle developed by Colt Canada in conjunction with the Canadian Armed Forces aims to improve the average Canadian soldiers’ capability to defeat enemies with modern body armor by giving them a modern, modular rifle which improves their practical accuracy.

*Left-side profile of the C25 (Matthew Moss)*

Canada’s New Doctrine

With the new C25 rifle Canada aims to enable close combatants to strike unprotected or more vulnerable areas of their opponents’ bodies. Conventionally, troops are taught to aim for centre mass, a significant area that contains many vital organs. With the proliferation of modern body armour, which protects this area and reduces the effectiveness of 5.56mm ammunition, Canada believes targeting less well protected areas such as: the head, neck, lower abdomen, groin and legs is the modern soldier’s best option. To reliably hit these areas, which are harder to hit than centre mass, soldiers will need to be more precise with their shot placement – Colt Canada say the C25’s configuration has been developed with this in mind. However, for this new doctrine to be truly effective Canadian troops will probably need more time at the range.

*C25 with Colt Optics’ CQS-1 red dot and 1–6x Low Power Variable Optic (Matthew Moss)*

How Does the C25 Improve Soldier Accuracy?

The C25 is an evolution of the Colt Canada C8A4 (known as the Modular Rail Rifle) so at its core the C25 uses the classic direct impingement system, or expansion gas bleed-off as Colt Canada describe it. The rifle’s length ranges between 32in (813mm) and 35.2in (895mm), depending on stock position, and weighs in at 7.61lbs (3.45 kg) unloaded and without optics and accessories, but with an MFMD mounted.

Increasing hit probability and the impact of rounds on target was the key consideration for Colt Canada when working with the Canadian Armed Forces. The C25 achieves this in a few ways: improvements to the rifle’s ergonomics (new MLOK handguard, a monolithic upper receiver and fully ambidextrous controls), a new two-stage trigger, a new 1-6X low power variable optic (LPVO) and a new muzzle device – the Millbrook Strategic Sciences MFMD or Multi-Function Muzzle Device. These features combine to improve the soldiers’ practical combat accuracy.

How do these features help improve practical accuracy?

The monolithic upper receiver provides improved rigidity and stability for the mounting of optics and enablers. The two-stage trigger provides more control under stress and greater precision, the new LPVO allows the user to aim more precisely at various ranges and the MFMD helps reduce perceived recoil with a smoother impulse as well as reducing flash and blast at the muzzle.

*C25 with 1–6x LPVO at the range (Matthew Moss)*

At the Range with the C25

In Copenhagen, I had the opportunity to get behind the C25 for the first time. Putting around 100 rounds of Sellier & Bellot SS109 through a C25 with Colt Optics’ 1-6x Low Power Variable Optic.

In terms of points of contact with the weapon, the 5-slot MLOK forend, mounting to the monolithic upper receiver, minimises flex and offers plenty of room for mounting enablers like lights and lasers. The C25 has the very ergonomic ERGO 2 pistol grip and Magpul DT carbine buttstock as standard and a full suite of ambidextrous controls.

*C25 has a 2-stage trigger (Matthew Moss)*

The C25 also benefits from a new two-stage trigger which Colt Canada says is intended to ensure a more sensitive, clearly perceptible and predictable trigger pull with each shot. The trigger had smooth first stage take-up, with the second stage breaking predictably, followed by a short reset. The rifles have a 13.7in (348 mm), 1:7 twist, cold hammer-forged chrome-moly vanadium steel barrel with improved geometry to reduce disturbance during the travel of the projectile. The C25 is optimised for Canada’s current SS109 (C77 Ball) but Colt Canada are exploring other 5.56x45mm loadings.

Colt Canada noted that C25 has been optimised to be effective out to 300m, though with the Colt Optics’ 1-6x LPVO I can see a skilled rifleman easily reaching out further. The barrel is tipped with a directly threaded MFMD, which will be standard across the whole C25 fleet – making Canada the first country to equip its all of its service rifles with a suppressor as standard. There has been a lot of hype around the MFMD so I was excited to give one a try.

The MFMD’s flow-through design is driven by fluid dynamics which leads to its very unconventional profile. Colt Canada noted that they had tested the MFMD, which is 3D printed from inconel, extensively putting 10,000 rounds through it. Canada reportedly trialled 14 suppressors from various manufacturers before selecting the MFMD.

*A muzzle-view of the MFMD (Amael Kotlarski)*

As a left-handed shooter I found the MFMD’s flow-through design minimised gas pushed out the rear of the upper receiver and into my face and I was impressed by the MFMD’s sound signature mitigation. The base module of the MFMD is designed to work as an all-in-one flash hider, muzzle brake and suppressor. It can be augmented with an additional module, the SD, which offers further suppression but the Canadian Armed Forces have opted for just the base MFMD. Despite this the base muzzle device still suppresses the C25 to around 140dB, this was certainly noticeable on the firing line.

The new carbine comes in the increasingly ubiquitous flat dark earth finish, marking the end of the unique green furniture (pistol grip, stock and hand guards) of the C7 and C8 family of Canadian weapons. I’m a fan of the classic Canadian furniture colours, optimised for the plains and woodland, so I’m sad to see it replaced by FDE. Sadly, the new muzzle device also means no bayonet mounting.

*The C25 has a Magpul DT carbine buttstock, Colt Optics LPVO and an MFMD (Matthew Moss)*

All in all, the C25 left the impression of a capable weapon: robust, accurate and ergonomic. While we didn’t shoot groups on paper engaging plates and a crossing target at 100m supported and unsupported was pretty easy. The new MFMD has a practical effect, and the rifle as a package seems well placed to fulfil Canada’s pragmatic new doctrine.

As the UK’s Project Grayburn begins to ramp up rifles like the C25 are going to be key competitors in the upcoming UK rifle programme.

Special thanks to my friend and colleague Amael Kotlarski for filming some of the range footage used in this article’s video.

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The Canadian Armed Forces are set to adopt variants of Colt Canada’s MRR as the Canadian Modular Assault Rifle (CMAR). The announcement stated that up to 65,000 rifles may be procured over the next 5 years to replace the Colt Canada C7 rifles and C8 carbines currently in Canadian service.

According to the Canadian government, the contract will be for the procurement of up to 65,402 weapons: 16,195 will be the Canadian Armed Forces’ Full Spectrum (FS) variant, and the remaining 49,207 will be the General Service (GS) variant.

CMAR (Canadian Armed Forces) — CMAR with a receiver marked ‘C25’ (Canadian Armed Forces)

The FS variant is designed for front-line combat roles and will be optimised for ‘offensive operations in urban and open terrain’, and is described as having ‘advanced features’, likely optics and a suppressor, these will be issued to Regular Infantry units. The GS variant is intended for broader use across the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), with the Canadian Army stating that it will provide “reliable personal protection and deterrence for personnel who are not in primary combat roles.” This seems similar to how the U.S. Army plans to deploy its new NGSW weapons to close combat forces and how the U.S. Marine Corps issues its M27 rifles and M4 carbines.

The exact configuration and barrel lengths of both variants have not been confirmed, but both rifles have monolithic upper receivers, carbine-length gas systems, ambidextrous controls, MLOK forearms, are chambered in 5.56x45mm and while barrel lengths have not been announced they are likely to be a 14.5in barrel, perhaps alongside a 20in variant, with an approximate weight of 3.4kg.

*Member of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group with CMAR, November 2025 (CAF)*

Variants of the CMAR have been in testing for some time, with variants initially designated the C8A4. In January 2024, it was reported that the first 500 ‘basic C8A4s’ had been assembled and supplied to the CAF for “final user input” on configurations. These have been seen in photos of trials with troops since mid-2024. Colt Canada’s MRR, or Modular Rail Rifle, was first unveiled in 2015. Last year, at SHOT Show 2025, I had the chance to take a look at the latest configuration of the MRR: the MRAR – Modular Rail Ambidextrous Rifle.

Over the last 18 months, a number of photographs have been released featuring Canadian troops training and trialling CMAR variants in various configurations, including with a SAI Optics 6 patrol scope and a 5.56 Huxwrx suppressor. Other configurations tested appear to have included carbines with optics from SIG Sauer, Burris and Steiner.

*Trials ‘C8A4’ during evaluations in 2024, equipped with Burris Optic (CAF)*

The promotional video released with the CMAR procurement announcement, however, features a carbine with a C8A3-marked lower receiver, a Strategic Services MFMD suppressor and a SAI 6 optic in FDE. These were displayed by Colt Canada at DSEI 2025. It remains to be seen if this is the final configuration of the CMAR variants are both equipped with the same optics and suppressors. In terms of what the final designation for the rifles may be, a clue appears to have been offered by a pair of photos shared by the Department of National Defence’s LinkedIn page, feature a carbine with a longer barrel which appears to have a lower receiver marked ‘C25’, suggesting this is a potential designation for the CMAR rifles.

The CMAR project will be delivered through 2 phases:

Phase 1 includes procuring 30,000 General Service (GS) rifles over three years. The estimated value of this initial phase is approximately CA$307 million, including applicable taxes.

Phase 2, which is expected to begin in year four under an optional provision, will include procuring the remaining 19,207 GS rifles, 16,195 Full Spectrum (FS) rifles, as well as associated ancillaries.

The two-phase approach spreads the cost and prioritises the replacement of the C7.

*C8 MRR with 11.6in barrel, at DSEI 2025 (Matt Moss)*

The Canadian government was also keen to highlight the economic drivers of the sole source contract award, noting: “The investment will bolster Canada’s defence industrial base for years to come, creating good‑paying jobs and contributing roughly $10 million annually to Canada’s GDP over the next five years.” The announcement added that Colt Canada has a commitment to include at least 80% Canadian content on the weapons.

The Canadian Army expects that the first deliveries are expected in 2027. It remains to be seen what the final configurations of the two variants will be and what their final designations might be.

Update – 8/4/26:

Colt Optics has announced that they have been selected to provide “a 1-6x LPVO”1-6x Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO), along with its custom dual ring mounting solution” for the CMAR GS variant. Colt Optics appears to be a relatively new venture and this marks their first publicly reported major contract. It remains unclear what the FS variant will be equipped with. In addition to the announcement an image of a CMAR marked ‘C25’ was provided.

*CMAR with Colt Optics LPVO (Colt Optics)*

Bibliography:

Defence Investment Agency awards contract to replace current Canadian Armed Forces assault rifles, Canadian Government, (source)

Colt Canada awarded $273 million CAD contract to modernize military rifles, Colt-CZ Group, (source)

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This is an expanded version of an earlier version of this article published at TFB.

Tag: Canadian Armed Forces

Hands On with the New Colt Canada C25