Deep Dive: GCPD Arms Incision-MC Quick Take-Down (QTD) System
- Gareth Crook
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
The recent launch of the Incision-MC QTD rifle system has sparked significant interest, drawing in technically minded enthusiasts and professionals eager to understand the cutting-edge technology behind it.
At GCPD Arms, we value our informed and well-researched clients and appreciate their curiosity in understanding the intricacies of our rifle systems. We take pride in designing and engineering technology that inspires in-depth discussions and detailed inquiries.
One of the most common areas of interest is our proprietary QTD system. Clients want to know how it was developed, what sets it apart, and most importantly, the advantages it offers. We welcome these questions because they allow us to showcase the extensive research, innovation, and precision craftsmanship that make our rifle systems a standout choice.
Developing the QTD system
Our unique QTD system was first developed back in 2017, when plans were drawn to develop a superbly accurate, extreme long range sniper rifle specifically for military and law enforcement application – the AMAP-MC. The AMAP-MC was launched at Landforces 2018 in Adelaide, Australia. The AMAP-MC system is a beast of a rifle, chambered for 375/408 Cheytac and 416 Barrett – everything about this rifle is big! For us this set the challenge to develop a unique QTD system and pushed the boundaries of more rudimentary systems which were mostly limited to the hunting market.
Most multi-calibre sniper rifles on the market have interchangeable barrels more for the ability to swap calibres, not necessarily to reduce the physical footprint of the rifle. These rifles generally provide a physical length saving of the portion of barrel which projects forward of the fore-end/hand guard. Also, most of these other systems require varying levels of complexity, specialised tooling and time to remove and reinstall other barrel configurations.
Understanding the shortcoming of other systems, we set out to develop a system that could be reconfigured (barrel exchange as well as well as bolt head swap if require) in less than 90 seconds in the field and return back to zero better than 0.20 mil radian. In addition, the break point of the QTD system need to be at the approximate centre of the rifle system (based on the AMAP-MC architecture fitted with a 30” barrel).
The outcome? A rifle that can neatly fit within a more standardised backpack and provide improved airborne and armored vehicle insertion into the battlefield. The system also provides for more covert deployment in densely populated urban environments.
For us, our QTD has been a real game changer and set the scene for our foundation design architecture moving forward with our proprietary rifle systems, like the Incision-MC.
Design Challenges
The challenges in the developing a QTD barrel system in a precision rifle system really push the boundaries of development, manufacturing and quality control. In terms of the precision of manufacture of the barrel union (interface) and in order to achieve a better than 0.20 mil radian return to zero, tolerances of components need to be down to microns (units of one thousandths of a millimeter). Not only do components need to be manufactured to this precision, but also measured for quality assurance.
Given that the break point of the QTD system is at the front face of the action and the fore-end is attached to the barrel, the stock itself does not support the rifle in its entirety. In the case of our rifle system, the receiver itself needs to have the stiffness and rigidity to couple the entire rifle together and support it with total precision. We wrote about this challenge in our previous blog where we needed to create an absolute beast of a receiver and still keep it at a similar weight to a M700 based custom action with a full-length optics rail.
The attachment of fore-end to the barrel assembly and not having it supported from the stock/chassis posed another challenge, as the rifle needs to feel and perform as if the rifle was not coupled in the centre. The attachment of the fore-end needed to still provide a full floating barrel configuration and a fore-end with absolute minimum deflection. For this we looked to aeronautical airframe assembly technology and attachment methods used to connect wings to fuselages and also jet engines to wing sections.
While an expensive design process and costly manufacturing challenge, we met these engineering complexities head on with extremely robust and still elegant resolve.
Unlocking the Advantages of the GCPD QTD Rifle System
Since its launch in 2018, we’ve received continued interest in the AMAP-MC rifle from the civilian market. With this steady interest and a parallel requirement for a short action military/LE system we embarked on a three-and-a-half-year development journey to bring a short action platform using scaled AMAP-MC architecture to the market for both civilian sporting and military/LE markets.
For the civilian user this system as an absolute gamechanger! We have developed three barrel/fore-end configurations to cover the full spectrum of civilian shooting applications:
1. The PRS match derived “Competition”,
2. The tactical match and professional pest control derived “Tactical Full Rail”, and
3. The more elegant and highly versatile light weight “Elite Hunter”
As the with AMAP-MC, the Incision-MC QTD system allows the bolt to be reconfigured in less than a minute with no tools, and the barrels can be exchanged in less than a minute too!
In the Australian civilian shooting environment, we unfortunately have seen various states trying to limit the number of firearms registered to individual shooters. This is where owning an Incision-MC provides the unique ability for clients to buy and register the Incision-MC base rifle system, then add to this various barrel/fore-end combinations, in different calibres, for different applications all while being licensed as a single firearm with a single barrel installed. Additional barrels purchased from us are individually serial numbered considered as “spare barrels” for the one licensed firearm.
For military users, the Incision-MC based system provides all the benefits of the AMAP-MC but in an even more compact form, where the folding stock variation of the system will fit into a 25L day pack when coupled with an 18-inch-long barrel.
The Future of Precision: GCPD QTD Rifle Systems
The development and future of GCPD QTD rifle systems, as our foundation architecture is an exciting one for us. What sets us apart? Future-proofed rifle systems engineered right here in Canberra, Australia. From initial concept to final production, our commitment to quality craftsmanship ensures that every firearm we create stands as a testament to reliability, accuracy, and technological advancement.
We take immense pride in supplying ultra-premium rifles to both civilian enthusiasts and the ever-evolving military and law enforcement sectors. Knowing that our technology plays a role in shaping the future of precision firearms drives us to push boundaries, refine our designs, and continue innovating with every new development.
We hope that this has answered some questions you might have about our QTD rifle system and that you will join us as we continue this journey – shaping the future of precision rifles, one innovation at a time.
G'Day Folks,
I have been lucky enough to have handled and shot, a GCPD Arms, Incision-MC rifle.
These firearms really are a combination, of both Form and Funtion at it's finest.
Also, they have the title (as I put it), of being "Boringly Accurate", which is just how I like my rifles to be.
Best regards
John "JB" Bladen.