01 / Program origin
Built from scratch.
Every earlier TTM program re-engineered an established platform. The Beaver is the first designed from first principles - concept definition, formal trade studies, then parametric CAD.
TTM · Program BVR-001
Beaver
6.8 TVCM · Ultra-compact SOF battle rifle
02 / BCG kinematics
Zero carrier tilt.
A two-piece cylindrical carrier in Maraging Stainless Steel and Carpenter 158. Its rear half is the buffer, so the recoil spring travels perfectly linearly inside an exceptionally slim receiver.
03 / Mission envelope
Battle-rifle power in a PDW footprint.
Level-4 armour defeat at 500 m, an SR-25 magwell and a fully tucked suppressor - inside the size and weight profile of a standard 5.56 rifle.
Cartridge architecture
6.8 TVCM
Polymer-cased · 65,000 PSI · Level 4 @ 500 m
01 / Selection
Chosen over .277 Fury.
The program rejected the 800-metre armour-defeat standard as an Afghan-theatre relic and locked the realistic 500-metre infantry limit instead - which is exactly what unlocks a lower-pressure polymer case.
02 / Pressure
65,000 PSI, not 80,000.
Fifteen thousand PSI below .277 Fury. Far less thermomechanical stress on the bolt and chamber, slower barrel wear, and an acoustic signature that survives a drone-monitored battlespace.
03 / Mass & heat
30% lighter than brass.
The polymer casing also insulates. It carries heat out of the chamber on ejection instead of soaking it into the receiver, which is what makes sustained suppressive fire practical.
Systems architecture
Four subsystems. Zero compromises.
The Beaver is not a hybrid of existing platforms. Each subsystem was independently evaluated through a formal trade study, then integrated into a single coherent chassis.
Cartridge architecture
6.8 TVCM polymer casing: 30% lighter than brass, thermally insulating, 65,000 PSI chamber pressure, and reliable Level-4 defeat at the realistic 500 m infantry engagement limit.
BCG kinematics
Two-piece cylindrical carrier in Maraging Stainless Steel + Carpenter 158. Rear half acts as integrated buffer - zero carrier tilt, perfectly linear recoil in an exceptionally slim envelope.
Gas architecture
Adjustable short-stroke piston at mid-length (9-inch) dwell. Op-rod return spring anchored at the upper receiver - thermally isolated from the suppressed gas block, preventing rod buckling under sustained fire.
Chassis & receiver
7075-T6 aluminum with a 1.000-inch bore. SR-25 magwell for maximum internal volume. Knurled press-fit steel top-hat inserts on all critical fasteners - steel-on-steel lockdown at 65,000 PSI.
Overview
A major pivot - built from first principles
Every previous TTM program was a rigorous CAD analysis and re-engineering of established military platforms. The TTM Beaver is something fundamentally different. It is the first TTM platform designed entirely from scratch - a next-generation Special Forces rifle developed through the full engineering cycle, from concept definition through formal trade studies to parametric CAD modeling.
Using Milanote as a master design board , every subsystem - from the cartridge to the bolt carrier - was subjected to a formal trade study. Competing platforms were disassembled on paper: the SIG MCX, HK416, FN ARKA, and Q Boombox were each analyzed to identify where they compromise. The Beaver resolves those conflicts in a single integrated design. The foundational requirement rejected the US military's 800-meter armor-defeat standard - identified as an Afghan theater relic - in favor of the 500-meter realistic infantry engagement limit, which unlocks the lower-pressure, polymer-cased 6.8 TVCM cartridge as the optimal solution.
The TTM Beaver harnesses the extreme compactness of the Q Boombox, the relentless reliability of an HK416 short-stroke gas piston, and the 30% weight reduction of the 6.8 TVCM polymer cartridge - delivering maximum lethality without compromising the acoustic signature or maneuverability required for modern urban and trench warfare.
Using advanced materials not widely available until recently - aerospace-grade Maraging Stainless Steel for the BCG and polymer-composite 6.8 TVCM casings - the result is a suppressed, zero-tilt CQB platform capable of defeating Level-4 body armor at 500 meters in the size and weight profile of a standard 5.56 rifle.
Open engineering
Every decision.
Every decision.
On record.
The TTM Beaver is not designed behind closed doors. The entire engineering process - every trade study, platform comparison, and architectural decision - is documented in an open Milanote board accessible to anyone. This is how TTM approaches original design: transparent, rigorous, and defensible.
- Ammunition trade study: .277 Fury vs. 6.8 TVCM polymer
- BCG kinematics: monolithic vs. top op-rod vs. TTM two-piece cylindrical
- Gas architecture: DI vs. long-stroke vs. short-stroke piston
- Platform analysis: SIG MCX, HK416, FN ARKA, Q Boombox
- Mission envelope definition & 500-meter requirement rationale
View the design board
Milanote · Open access ↗
All trade study data, platform analysis, and engineering decisions are publicly documented. No paywalls. No NDAs. This is open engineering.
Early development renders
CAD progress
Parametric upper receiver and BCG geometry at early development stage. Models are under active iteration - dimensions, features, and assembly interfaces subject to ongoing change.
Engineering methodology
The trade studies
Every subsystem was evaluated against competing solutions before a single dimension was drawn. These are the decisions that define the Beaver.
View master design board on Milanote
01
Ammunition & the 500-meter requirement
Candidates evaluated: .277 Fury vs. 6.8 TVCM polymer
Rejected - .277 Fury
- 800 m Level-4 penetration - exceeds the realistic SOF engagement envelope
- 80,000 PSI chamber pressure: severe thermomechanical stress, accelerated barrel wear
- Heavy recoil and excessive acoustic signature - a liability in drone-monitored battlespaces
- The 800 m requirement identified as an Afghan theater relic, not a near-peer urban requirement
Selected - 6.8 TVCM polymer
- Defeats Level-4 armor at 500 m - the realistic limit of infantry engagements
- 65,000 PSI: manageable chamber pressure, significantly reduced thermal stress
- Polymer casing: 30% ammunition weight reduction vs. brass
- Casing acts as a thermal insulator - ejects heat out of the chamber, enabling sustained suppressive fire
02
BCG kinematics & recoil dynamics
Candidates evaluated: monolithic carrier · top op-rod · TTM two-piece cylindrical
Rejected - Monolithic (SCAR / FN ARKA)
- Perfectly linear force transfer - a genuine advantage
- Requires a massive, bulky upper receiver incompatible with a PDW footprint
- No viable path to the compact 5.56-class envelope requirement
Rejected - Top op-rod (SIG MCX)
- Enables folding stock - a genuine compactness advantage
- Introduces severe carrier tilt, forcing the bolt upward under recoil
- Risks shearing polymer 6.8 TVCM case rims on extraction - a fatal flaw with polymer casings
Selected - TTM two-piece cylindrical carrier
- Aerospace-grade Maraging Stainless Steel + Carpenter 158 - rated for 65,000 PSI bolt thrust
- Rear half of carrier acts directly as the buffer: recoil spring travels perfectly linearly into a shortened tube
- Zero carrier tilt, no folding-stock penalty, and an exceptionally slim upper receiver profile - best of all worlds
03
Gas system architecture
Candidates evaluated: direct impingement · long-stroke piston · short-stroke piston
Rejected - Direct impingement
- Immediately ruled out for heavy suppressor use and continuous suppressive fire
- Vents hot carbon gas directly into the receiver - unacceptable under sustained suppressed operation
Rejected - Long-stroke (AK-pattern / Bren)
- Proven durability and simplicity in extreme conditions
- Massive reciprocating mass increases felt recoil impulse
- Tucked suppressor configuration nearly impossible to achieve
Selected - Modernized adjustable short-stroke piston
- Gas port at strict mid-length (9-inch) dwell: bolt remains locked while the chamber is still at pressure - prevents polymer TVCM case rim failure on extraction
- Op-rod return spring anchored at the rear of the upper receiver, physically isolated from the extreme heat of the suppressed gas block
- Prevents rod buckling under sustained suppressed fire and enables fully tucked suppressor geometry
Platform rationale
Why not an off-the-shelf platform?
Existing platforms each solve part of the problem. The Beaver is engineered to solve all of it simultaneously - without accepting any of their mechanical penalties.
Capability
Existing SOF platforms
TTM Beaver
Armor defeat at 500 m
5.56 fails Level 4 · .277 Fury carries 80,000 PSI penalty
Level 4 defeat @ 500 m · 65,000 PSI
Carrier tilt / extraction safety
MCX top-rod: severe carrier tilt · ARKA monolithic: bulky receiver
Zero carrier tilt - polymer casing protected throughout
Suppressed operation
DI: heavy fouling · long-stroke: geometry conflicts with suppressor tuck
Short-stroke piston · heat-isolated return spring · tucked suppressor geometry
Ammunition weight
Brass casings - standard load weight
Polymer casing - 30% lighter than brass-cased equivalent
Platform footprint
Battle rifle cartridges require enlarged, heavier receivers
5.56-class 1.000-inch bore · SR-25 magwell in standard footprint
Structural integrity at 65k PSI
Aluminum threads strip under violent high-pressure recoil vibration
Press-fit steel top-hat inserts - steel-on-steel lockdown throughout
Program status
Development roadmap
From concept definition to final parametric CAD - the complete engineering lifecycle, documented at every step.
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Complete
Systems architecture & trade studies
Mission requirements defined. Formal trade studies conducted across ammunition, BCG kinematics, gas architecture, and chassis design. All platform-level decisions locked using the Milanote master design board.
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Complete
Cartridge & ammunition selection
6.8 TVCM polymer cartridge selected over .277 Fury. 65,000 PSI pressure cycle validated against bolt thrust, chamber geometry, and polymer case extraction dwell requirements.
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Complete
BCG & gas system architecture locked
Two-piece cylindrical carrier geometry established. Mid-length (9-inch) gas port dwell confirmed. Material specifications - Maraging Stainless Steel + Carpenter 158 - and spring isolation geometry finalized.
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Complete
Parametric CAD - upper receiver & BCG assembly
Upper receiver bore geometry, BCG interface, gas block mounting, op-rod housing, and rail system modeled parametrically. Renders available above.
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Up next
Lower receiver, magwell & controls CAD
SR-25 magwell dimensioning, ambidextrous control layout, integrated collapsible stock interface, and press-fit insert locations to be parametrically modeled.
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Planned
Full assembly integration & validation
Complete parametric assembly, interference checks, tolerance stack analysis, and publication of final specifications and full CAD renders.
Specifications
Program data
Technical direction
- Cartridge: 6.8 TVCM (polymer casing)
- Magazine: DPMS/SR-25 steel pattern
- Chamber pressure: 65,000 PSI
- Armor defeat: Level 4 @ 500 m
- Operating system: Adjustable short-stroke gas piston
- Gas port dwell: Mid-length (9-inch) geometry
- BCG material: Maraging Stainless Steel + Carpenter 158
- Upper receiver bore: 1.000 inch (5.56-class footprint)
- Receiver material: 7075-T6 aluminum
- Critical fasteners: Knurled press-fit steel top-hat inserts
- Ammunition weight savings: ~30% vs. brass-cased equivalent
- Stock: Integrated collapsible system
- Controls: Fully ambidextrous
- Status: Original design - specifications under active development
Program notes
The TTM Beaver is the first TTM platform designed entirely from scratch. All prior programs - the SIG SPEAR, CMMG MK47, MP7, and others - involved rigorous re-engineering and CAD analysis of existing platforms. The Beaver applies the same methodology to an original weapons system.
Specifications represent engineering targets derived from the formal trade study process. Final dimensions will be published upon assembly completion and integration validation.
forge programs --active
BEAVER ORIGINAL DESIGN
Get involved
Program inquiries
Partnerships, technical questions, or joining the build team - reach out directly or apply for an engineering role on the Beaver program. This is a ground-up design effort; serious contributors welcome.