Special Report: Colt Canada showcases C25 in UK as small-arms contenders position for Grayburn

Colt Canada C25 5.56×45 mm assault rifle (Janes/Sean Reardon)

Colt Canada, part of Colt CZ Group, showcased its C25 5.56×45 mm assault rifle at the DVD 2026 exhibition in Millbrook, Bedfordshire, held from 16–17 September.

According to Colt Canada, the event marked the C25's first public appearance outside North America. The rifle is the latest development of the company's C7/C8 family and has been selected as the General Service (GS) configuration under Canada's Canadian Modular Assault Rifle (CMAR) programme.

The C25 retains elements of the C7/C8 architecture while incorporating a series of modernisations, Timothy Moore, head of international business development at Colt Canada, told Janes at DVD 2026.

Moore said the weapon is intended to be competitively priced against comparable assault rifles. Changes include a two-stage trigger and revised barrel geometry, while the rifles displayed at DVD were fitted with Strategic Sciences' Multi-Function Muzzle Device (MFMD). The 3D-printed device combines flash-hider, muzzle-brake, and sound-suppression functions and is designed to reduce muzzle flash, felt recoil, and the weapon's acoustic signature.

Colt CZ Group has also brought optics into its C25 offering. The Canadian configuration uses a Colt Optics 1–6× low-power variable optic (LPVO), which Colt CZ announced in March had been selected for the C25 GS weapon system.

The Canadian government announced on 19 March 2026 that it had awarded Colt Canada a contract for up to 65,402 CMAR weapon systems. The initial phase, valued at approximately CAD307 million (USD224 million), covers 30,000 GS rifles over three years. An optional second phase covers another 19,207 GS rifles and 16,195 Full Spectrum rifles – designated C26 by Colt Canada – together with associated equipment.