• Accuracy

UTM Man Marking rounds (NLTA) are significantly more accurate than other NLTA systems, as it uses the rifling of the weapon (others are smoothbore – an unrifled round being fired through a rifled barrel). Data taken from currently available manufacturers specification sheets from manufacturers websites.

• Reliability

UTM uses a dual primer system. This system uses one primer to activate an expansion in the round itself that functions the weapons rather than using gas to cycle the weapon and UTM’s second primer independently and reliably controls the propulsion of the round at a stable velocity. This results in cleaner, much more reliable functioning of the system. The United States SOCOM, during trials for their CCMCK (close combat mission capability kit) tested UTM and achieved a 99.8% reliability rating.

• Safety

UTM 5.56mm and 7.62mm conversion utilise a firing pin which is offset by 3mm (See images, right). This offset firing pin design is not utilised by other NLTA or blank providers and is unique to UTM. The offset firing pin fully prevents any and all live rounds from being able to be fired (Including SRTA, CTR rounds and all other live rounds for safe training).

Firing of live rounds instead of blank or from other NLTA systems is a known hazard for systems that do not use an offset firing pin (other major brands). Safety measures for ammunition mixing are in place to prevent this but it still seems to occur in modern militaries and is an ever-present risk. Recently, during a blank exercise in the UK, a number of live rounds were fired unintentionally, resulting in a serious injury (https://emergency-services.news/sas-soldier-accidentally-shot-during-training-exercise-at-gchq/). This type of incident has happened before and could result in fatal injuries. This cannot occur with UTM systems and they create a fully safe training environment.

Blank firing exercises also have issues with live rounds and ammunition mixing. This type of situation is entirely preventable, without the use of large ‘BFA devices’ designed to catch inadvertently fired live rounds (!) and hope that less than three are fired and that the situation remains ‘safe’.

UTM’s system, which fires both NLTA and blank rounds with an offset firing pin, entirely removes this safety issue.

UTM 9mm pistol conversions use a live round lockout that prevents live rounds from chambering or firing, without the need for any extra devices and that works with both NLTA and UTM blank rounds.

Further, Safety for all participants with UTM is increased as it offers a more consistent and controlled velocity of NLTA marking rounds which have a lower velocity than competitors and yet are more accurate.  (9mm UTM MMR 102m/s , only 1.9J of energy and  5.56mm MMR 114m/s and 2.9 Joules).

UTM paint rounds cause less impact and energy transfer to participants, resulting in less injuries. A comparison of NLTA training participants both shot at close range by UTM and by other brands show less damage to UTM participants from the same impacts.

• Systems

UTM has the largest range of conversion systems for multiple weapons and the largest range of paint rounds for calibers that include the widely used 9mm and 5.56mm as well as 5.56mm belt fed for minimi type machine gun systems as well as 4.6 x 30mm for use within Heckler & Koch MP7 submachine guns, 7.62 x 39mm (7.62 short) and 7.62 x 51mm in loose and belt fed varieties.