CornerShot

Lore & Background

The CornerShot was designed in the early 2000s by Lt. Col. Amos Golan of the Israel Defense Forces, working with American investors. Corner Shot Holdings, LLC was founded in Florida by two former senior officers from anti-terrorism units of the Israel Defense Forces together with US investors to produce the system. Its purpose is similar to that of the periscope rifle and the curved barrel (Krummlauf) attachment on the Sturmgewehr 44 rifle in World War II.

The standard CornerShot mounts a pistol in the front end, which bends horizontally at a mid-frame sixty-degree hinge. A digital camera and flashlight are attached to the barrel in the bayonet position. On the butt side of the hinge are the trigger, a camera screen on a horizontal hinge off the left side, and controls for the camera and light. The pistol version can fit various models including the Beretta 92F, Glock, SIG Sauer, and CZ pistols. The Assault Pistol Rifle (APR) mounts a custom pistol to allow use of 5.56 mm ammunition. A 40 mm grenade launcher variant exists, and future versions will be mountable on the US M16 rifle and a European joint assault weapon.

Several countries have developed their own versions. China has made the HD-66, CF-06, and CS/LW9. Pakistan's POF Eye was first revealed at IDEAS 2008 and entered service with Pakistani security forces in 2014. Iran has demonstrated a clone. South Korea's Korea Special-Purpose Weapon (KSPW) was unveiled in 2016, developed by S&T Daewoo. India's Trikaal was publicly unveiled at the World Defence Show 2024, and the ShootEdge was unveiled at India International Security Expo 2015.

Reader's Guide

The CornerShot represents a modern evolution of the concept of firing from cover, echoing World War II-era devices like the periscope rifle and the Krummlauf. Its significance lies in providing operators—particularly SWAT teams and special forces in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue—the ability to observe and engage targets while remaining physically behind cover. The system's design incorporates a digital camera and LCD monitor, allowing it to function as both a weapon and a surveillance tool. It can be remotely emplaced and operated from behind camouflage, with video output sent to a commander or saved to a two-hour flash memory chip. The CornerShot's adaptability is enhanced by a universal accessory rail and compatibility with various pistols, as well as optional cameras, folding stock, suppressors, lasers, and tactical flashlights. Its influence is evident in the proliferation of similar systems developed by China, Pakistan, Iran, South Korea, and India, indicating that the concept has been widely adopted and adapted by military and law enforcement agencies globally. The system is used by forces in Azerbaijan, India, Israel, Mexico, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Did You Know?

• The standard pistol version can fit Beretta 92F, Glock, SIG Sauer, and CZ pistols.
• South Korea's version, the Korea Special-Purpose Weapon, was developed by S&T Daewoo and unveiled in 2016.

Origins & Design Philosophy

The CornerShot emerged in the early 2000s to address a specific tactical gap faced by SWAT teams and special forces operating in hostile environments, particularly those involving terrorists and hostages. The design was conceived by Lt. Col. Amos Golan of the Israel Defense Forces, who recognized that operators needed a means to observe and engage an armed adversary without placing themselves in the line of return fire. His concept drew a clear lineage to earlier wartime solutions—the periscope rifle and the curved-barrel Krummlauf attachment on the Sturmgewehr 44 of World War II—all of which shared the fundamental principle of enabling a shooter to see and strike a target from a protected position. To move the design from concept to production, Golan enlisted American investors. Together with another former senior officer from IDF anti-terrorism units, they founded Corner Shot Holdings, LLC in Florida, a company established specifically to manufacture and distribute the system, thereby bridging Israeli tactical expertise with American capital and industrial capacity.

Technical Design & Modular Capabilities

At its core, the standard CornerShot features a pistol mounted at the front of a frame that bends at a sixty-degree horizontal hinge near the mid-section. A digital camera and a tactical flashlight occupy the bayonet position along the barrel, while the trigger, a 2.5-inch color LCD monitor on a side-hinged arm, and camera and light controls sit on the butt side. The pistol slot accommodates a range of sidearms—Beretta 92F, Glock, SIG Sauer, CZ—chambered in 9×19mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, or 5.7×28mm. Beyond the basic pistol configuration, an Assault Pistol Rifle variant swaps in a custom pistol capable of firing 5.56 mm rounds, and a 40 mm grenade launcher option extends the system's reach. Future iterations were planned to accept the US M16 and a European joint assault rifle. Every model shares a universal accessory rail, a folding stock option, and interchangeable cameras for day or night operation. The system can also be deployed remotely behind cover, with a wired video feed streaming to a commander or recording up to two hours onto a flash-memory chip in the stock.

Global Proliferation & National Variants

The CornerShot's tactical appeal quickly outgrew its Israeli origins, inspiring a wave of national developments across multiple continents. China produced at least three analogous weapons—the HD-66, CF-06, and CS/LW9—while Pakistan unveiled the POF Eye at the IDEAS 2008 defence exhibition in Karachi, with the system entering Pakistani security-force service by 2014 and newer variants following. Iran publicly demonstrated a clone of the Israeli design, though as of 2016 no confirmation existed that it had been fielded. South Korea's Agency for Defense Development invested ₩350 million between 2008 and 2015 to develop its own version, which S&T Daewoo later unveiled in 2016 as the Korea Special-Purpose Weapon, mounting a K5 pistol and offering MIL-STD-1913 rails for optics. India pursued two parallel paths: the DRDO-designed Cornershot Weapon System, built in aluminum alloy and unveiled as the Trikaal at the 2024 World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia, and Zen Technologies' ShootEdge, first shown at the 2015 India International Security Expo.

Operational Service & Global Users

The CornerShot and its national derivatives have found service in a remarkably wide array of military and law-enforcement organizations worldwide. In Israel, Shayetet 13 employs the system. Pakistan fields it across its armed forces, the Special Service Group, and civilian law-enforcement agencies. Turkey operates the weapon through its Special Forces, Gendarmerie Special Operations Command, and Police Special Operation Department. Vietnam uses it via its Special Police Force, the Vietnamese Army, and the 113th Special Forces Brigade. South Korea's ROK Army and Special Forces maintain the domestically produced variant, while North Macedonia's Special Tasks Unit "Tiger" and Mexico's Special Forces Corps (CFE) have also adopted the concept. India's Delhi Police and Punjab Police use the system domestically, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police moved to adopt the Trikaal after extensive testing, with 100 units slated for delivery and the National Security Guard planning additional procurement. Azerbaijan, Myanmar, and Russia also appear among confirmed users, underscoring the weapon's broad international appeal.

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