New rifles like the Skeli X11 are fun. Any time a gun manufacturer deviates from the mainstream, it causes the geek in me to take notice and try to get into the minds of the design team behind the weapon. At first blush, the new X11 promises a number of interesting things to examine and ponder.
Right now, there is limited information on the gun, but according to Skeli, additional details on the rifle will be released soon. So, I hope to have additional information for you then. Until that time, here is what we know now.
Features
The Skeli X11 has a number of nice features that may appeal to a variety of shooters. First off, the gun uses a short stroke piston for increased reliability and decreased chamber fouling as compared to a direct impingement style rifle.
The system is adjustable to ensure the greatest reliability with a wide range of ammunition. I’m not a big fan of aftermarket piston conversions for the AR-15, but there is no denying that piston systems can work very well – especially when that is the way the system is originally designed.
One of the downsides to some piston guns is they can be heavier than DI guns. Even so, the X11 keeps weight to a relatively light 6.5 pounds. Considering this gun seems to have a full feature set, the weight seems to be very reasonable.
Rifles will be offered in three calibers initially: 5.56 NATO, 300 BLK and 6.8 SPC II. Users can quickly swap between calibers using the barrel’s quick change feature. According to Skeli, a barrel swap can be completed in just 60 seconds.
The standard barrel is 16″ long and has a medium contour. Twist rates will depend on the caliber, but the specifications have not yet been released for these.
Skeli uses a monolithic upper and hand guard that provides a single, continuous Picatinny rail for mounting sights like the Trijicon MRO. The hand guard has M-LOK compatible attachment points for the addition of a light or other accessory.
On the backend, the X11 has a folding stock. Both adjustable and fixed stocks are said to be available when the guns ship.
An ambidextrous AR-15 style selector switch is used. Keeping to the shooter friendly features, Skeli set the gun up so that it can eject from either the right or left sides my changing out the bolt. The charging handle, located forward of the receiver, is also ambidextrous.
These guns are designed and built in the United States.
Specifications
The following specifications are the expected specs for the final, shipping rifles. Some things may change, but this is what you should be able to expect:
| Calibers | 5.56 NATO, 300 BLK, 6.8 SPC, 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 7.62×39 |
| Action | semi-auto, full-auto |
| Cyclic Rate | 675-700 rpm |
| Operating System | rotating bolt, short stroke piston |
| Magazine | STANAG compatible |
| Stock | adjustable, folding |
| Barrel | interchangeable: 10.5″, 12.5″, 14″, 16″ |
| Overall Length | 25″ – 32″ |
| Weight | 6.6 lbs |
Pricing and Shipping
The X11 is still in the pilot run phase, so an exact shipping date is not yet available. Assuming no problems are found, the gun should be able to enter full production in relatively short order. I am expecting to see the gun at the SHOT Show in January.
As with any new gun, pricing may change based on unforeseen development costs. At this time, the company projects the suggested retail price to be $1,449.
TL;DR
A new rifle called the X11 is in development but not ready for shipping. It has a quick change barrel system for 5.56 NATO, 300 BLK, 6mm ARC, 6.5 GRENDEL, 7.62×39 and 6.8 SPC. It runs on a short-stroke piston, and keeps weight to 6.5 pounds. It has a folding stock, monolithic top rail and M-LOK hand guard.
Last Update: October 17, 2022
6 replies on “New Rifle: Skeli X11”
People will complain that the charging handle is too far forward, even further out than the HK G3. Some folks will also burn a finger or two on the exposed barrel nut.
I thought the same thing about the barrel nut. It’s possible there would be some type of removable cover, but those could get lost I suppose.
I have personally handled this firearm and it is like nothing I have seen before. I did not find the barrel nut to be an issue at all, but then again they put instructions on shampoo bottles for a reason (because people need them).
I found the charging handle in front like that to be a pretty slick feature. I was able to charge the gun while I maintaining a proper cheek weld.
Thanks for providing some feedback on this. I am hoping to handle one later this month.
No problem. Please come stop by our booth at SHOT, we will be at booth #N366.
As a gun guy (like we all are) I am truly blown away by the engineering of the X11. It is so revolutionary and simple I wonder how this concept was not implemented in firearms years ago.
And the pistol grip has been changed to accept all AR pistol grips.
I’ll stop by; thanks for the invite.