Vektor LM5
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 332 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.70 kg
- Introduced
- 1990
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Vektor LM5 is a semi-automatic-only carbine chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, developed by Lyttelton Engineering Works (later Denel Land Systems) as the civilian and law-enforcement version of the select-fire R5 carbine. Derived from the Israeli IMI Galil SAR, it retains the R5's long-stroke gas-operated action, rotating bolt, chrome-lined 332 mm barrel and side-folding polymer stock, but is restricted to single-shot semi-automatic fire. It sits between the full-length LM4 and the compact LM6 in Vektor's semi-automatic sporting line.
When the compact R5 carbine proved popular with South African aircrew and police, Lyttelton Engineering Works offered sport shooters a semi-automatic-only cousin, the LM5 - a Galil-based carbine legal for civilian ownership at the height of apartheid-era firearm enthusiasm.
Part of the LM4/LM5/LM6 family of semi-automatic sporting rifles corresponding to the military R4, R5 and R6. The LM5 mirrors the R5 carbine's dimensions but is semi-auto only, with no full-automatic or burst capability. The 'LM' designation reflects a Lyttelton-Musgrave marketing arrangement for the sporting line.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Denel Land Systems (formerly Lyttelton Engineering Works)
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- South Africa
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1990
- Variant of
- Semi automatic civilian
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 332 mm
- Overall length
- 877 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.70 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.30 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 35
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 920 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1700 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 1000 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Chrome lined barrel
Rotating bolt- Semi automatic only
Side folding stock
Polymer furniture
Adjustable iron sights
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 141 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 3.70 kg | 2.95 kg | Among the heaviest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 144 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 877 mm | 838 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 332 mm | 406 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 35 | 30 | Among the largest capacities |
Answers
Questions about the Vektor LM5
How much does the Vektor LM5 weigh?
The Vektor LM5 weighs 3.70 kg (8.16 lb) empty and 4.30 kg (9.48 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Vektor LM5?
The Vektor LM5 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Vektor LM5 hold?
The Vektor LM5 holds 35 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Vektor LM5?
The Vektor LM5 is 877 mm (34.5 in) long overall, with a 332 mm (13.1 in) barrel.
Who makes the Vektor LM5?
The Vektor LM5 is made by Denel Land Systems (formerly Lyttelton Engineering Works) (South Africa).
When was the Vektor LM5 introduced?
The Vektor LM5 was introduced in 1990.
How does the Vektor LM5 operate?
The Vektor LM5 uses a gas operated long stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian market (South Africa)
- South Africa
- South African law enforcement
- South Africa
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/vektor-lm5' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "vektor-lm5", "name": "Vektor LM5", "manufacturer": { "id": "denel-land-systems", "name": "Denel Land Systems (formerly Lyttelton Engineering Works)", "countryCode": "ZA", "foundedYear": 1992, "website": "https://www.denellandsystems.co.za", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "452eaadaccf0ec2ec9abbef8c1ca7623b60cf62f7e5c6c1060d489b45dc6d200" }, "category": { "id": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "ZA", "year_introduced": 1990, "barrel_length_mm": 332, "weight_empty_g": 3700, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}