AR-15® Conversions

Safety

We understand how vital it is for units, agencies, organizations and individuals to have a completely safe product and environment to train in. We strive to make our products the safest on the market and we have, yet everyday we look for new ways and technology to continue making our products even safer. To ensure you have the latest in our safety information and innovations, please subscribe to our news alerts and updates at the bottom of the page below.

Rifles & Machine guns – 5.56mm and 7.62 caliber – Fail-Safe

UTM 5.56mm Man-Marker and Target Bullet Round Conversions are uniquely designed to prevent the discharge of traditional 5.56mm/.223 “live” ammunition (5.56 NATO, 5.56 x 45mm, and .223 Remington). Fail-Safe is achieved by utilizing an offset firing pin design, which will only work with the rim fire primer used in the UTM Cartridge, but not with a “live” center fire cartridge. In the event a 5.56mm “live” cartridge is chambered and the trigger is pulled, the Conversions offset firing pin will strike outside the primer pocket of the 5.56mm “live” round. This makes it impossible to detonate the “live” cartridge in the UTM converted weapon.

UTM’s Bolt Conversion Face – Off Set Firing Pin

FAILED LIVE 5.56mm CARTRIDGE

An example of a “Live” cartridge discharge attempt in a UTM converted weapon.

Standard ‘Live’ M16/M4 Assault Rifle Bolt Carrier Assembly

“Live” 5.56mm ammunition utilizes a center fire primer design. With a center fire primer the weapons firing pin must strike within 8mm of the center of the primer to detonate the cartridge.

Shown is a standard M16/M4 bolt carrier assembly. Notice the relationship between the firing pin and the red circle indicating the size and location of the “Live” primer.

UTM M16/M4 Assault Rifle Bolt Carrier Assembly

All UTM 5.56mm rifle conversions employ a Fail-Safe measure where the firing pin is offset from center. Not only is the firing pin strike outside the strike area of a “Live” cartridge center fire primer, it does not strike the primer at all, hence the weapon fails to fire the host weapons “Live” caliber ammunition.

This applies to all UTM rifle conversions.

UTM TBR M16/M4 Assault Rifle Bolt Carrier Assembly

Shown is a UTM M16/M4 TBR Rifle Conversion. Notice the offset firing pin. The firing pin in the UTM 5.56mm TBR conversion is positioned outside of the red circle indicating the primer area of a “Live” cartridge, hence the weapon fails to fire.

As an additional safety feature, TBR ammunition has a recessed primer to prevent firing pin contact from a “Live” or MMR bolt carrier assembly.