Leader Dynamics 
Leader Propulsion Systems
History
Leader Dynamics of Leader Propulsion Systems Pty., Ltd. in Smithfield, Australia, developed several firearms in the late 1970's. The T2 series was designed in 1978 and manufacture continued into 1983. In 1983 the Leader T2 Series designs were sold to Australian Automatic Arms, where the design was continued into the next decade.
Charles St George designed the T1 and T2 rifles. Upon the completion of the T2 design, Charles designed the production tooling. Initially the factory produced about 200 units per month, which was doubled within a few months. Carbine and rifle versions of the T2 were designed as well as semi-auto and select fire versions.
The Royal Australian Armoured Corps showed interest in the firearm. Charles would later design a folding-stock variant known as the M18 that would contend as a 5.56x45mm replacement to the L1A1 series of FAL rifles. Eventually the AUG would be selected from Austria. This trial was in 1986 and therefore after Leader Dynamics was no longer manufacturing the firearm.
After demonstrating the T2 firearm, Oman ordered 12 Leader rifles and 12 carbines for trials. Charles also spent time in Europe, in the early 1980's, looking for interested parties. Luigi Franchi in Italy and Fábrica Militar de Braço de Prata in Portugal both showed interest.
With no interested parties ever resulting in significant contracts, Charles left the company in 1982, to start Armtech Pty Ltd. This left Brian Shaw and Jack Allan with the company; Leader folded in 1983.
Duncan Long casually lists the closure of the company as a problem of quality in craftsmanship, which isn't mentioned anywhere else. It also ignores the failures of the company to come to an agreement, even when a potential order was right in front of them, such as the case of Franchi. I'd be interested to see any era relevant literature that supports Long's statement, as he has a somewhat questionable record, in regard to research; there is an extremely relevant example at HKPro.
In the mid 2000's Charles St George continued designing for the defense industry as Leader Propulsion Systems (LPS) in TN, USA. Including work on the DREAD. He contines in the small arms industry today under the name St George Arms.
Links
