Vietnam Defence 2024: The Most Unusual Guns of the Expo

By Vladimir Onokoy

The Firearms Blog recently covered new rifles, pistols, machine guns, and sniper rifles showcased at the Vietnam Defence Expo 2024. Clearly, in the last 10 years, Vietnam’s small arms industry made a huge leap forward, manufacturing everything from pistols to anti-materiel sniper rifles.Let’s take a look at the anti-material bullpup rifle at the exhibition. TFB first wrote  about it in 2017, when production allegedly began at the Z111 factory. At the time, the exact designation was unknown; now, we know the rifle is called SBT12M1.The SBT12M1 is chambered for 12.7×108, which is the Russian counterpart of the .50 BMG. Its overall design is based on the Russian KSVK, developed by the Kovrov factory, but with some changes such as a different bolt handle and a cross bolt safety near the trigger guard.

SHMT-M1 amphibious rifle. Photo by Nguyễn Tăng Thế Thiên

Another new and very unusual rifle is the SHMT-M1. It is an amphibious rifle chambered in 5.56×45 based on

Source: The Firearm Blog