The new COLT from Canada

Everyone is currently celebrating that the new Canadian assault rifle would have been presented for the first time in Europe at the DVD in the UK. That's not true at all. We were able to see the C25 from COLT CANADA a week earlier at the MSPO 2026 in Kielce, Poland. 

The C25 was developed as part of the CMAR program (Canadian Modular Assault Rifle) and has already been officially selected by the Canadian Ministry of Defence. Important technical specifications: Barrel: 13.7", chrome-plated, free-floated, cold-hammer forged (CHF) for increased durability and sustained precision under high firing rates. Everything is built into an M-LOK upper. 

The caliber remains 5.56 x 45 mm NATO and has not been influenced by the current caliber discussions. The upper receiver features a continuous Picatinny rail on top for mounting a wide range of optics and accessories. Here is the COLT OPTICS 1–6x LPVO, which is said to guarantee the shooter's accuracy up to 300 meters. The Canadians are relying on further development and AR-15 traditions, which are currently breaking through everywhere: Instead of switching to a next-generation intermediate caliber to penetrate Level IV body armor, COLT CANADA focused on maximizing the shooter's accuracy as a complete weapon system – rifle, optics, and ergonomics – under fatigue conditions and sustained operational load.

What stands out here is not only the barrel profile or caliber selection but the underlying construction logic: The gap in armor penetration is to be closed by precision and ergonomic design, rather than changing the caliber. Or to put it casually: if the plate doesn’t work, there are plenty of other target areas. The result is an infantry rifle that is a consistent further development of the previously deployed AR-15 of the Canadian Army. The British Project GRAYBURN in search of a new British assault rifle would probably be a challenge, COLT CANADA is also present with other weapons in Denmark and the Netherlands. The company belongs to the European COLT CZ GROUP. 

It’s also interesting to see which suppressor solution the Canadians opted for, namely the MFMD, which was also separately exhibited by MILLBROOKS at the MSPO. It is as unconventional as it looks, 3D printed from Inconel and is directly screwed on. It acts as a muzzle brake, sound suppressor, and compensator all in one, and everyone is extremely curious about it. 

COLT CANADA online