Army's 1st New Rifle Round in 30 Years

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2010/06/02/military-tech-action/?test=latestnews#slide=1

I thought there was talk of going to a 10mm rifle round?

I also thought I heard talk of the Army re-issuing more M-14 style rifles at the squad / platoon level to get more 7.62 NATO (.308) lead downrange, with its greater stopping power, in a fire fight?

I hadn't heard about this new round for the M-4 / M-16. Hopefully the Army doesn't repeat their mistakes of the early days in Vietnam with the introduction of the M-16 and the "good idea" they had about the same time to tweak the round in use then. Something to do with the type of powder Mcnamera (sp?) and bunch decided to go with vs. what the mfgr recommended?

Where's John Rich with the 411 when you need him?

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

Quote

Gawain said:

It's still a NATO 5.56 round, just "enhanced". The Army has issued M14 7.62 rifles to "designated" marksmen, but that's typically one or two per squad, if that.

People love to poo-poo on the M4, but it's a hammer. It can drop a target well beyond 600m in the right hands. One would be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn with an AK47 past 200m...piece of junk. I'll take an M4 or M16A4 any day.

I'm not poo-poo-in the M4. Wish I had one. But I live in the People's Republic of Kalifornia...


But but I do like my "father's" M-1 Garand. Wish I had a good one of those too. Gotta love 30-06... until you have to carry a bunch of it.

[BartsDaddy 7]

You can get a M-4 in Kalifornia. Go on calguns.net and you can find out how.

Handguns are only used to fight your way to a good rifle

[DaVinci 0]

1. No lead, bismuth-tin alloy
2. Reduced flash due to new powder.
3. Over twice the punch in 3/8th steel

It has already had some complaints....
1. The improved punch in hard targets means it pushes right through soft targets.
2. It has issues in the heat. Some basically fell apart.

The SOST (MK318 MOD 0) round is considered a better round. It is used by SOCOM and the Marines are getting some.

This new round is not as good, but it is "green". Pretty sad state of affairs when we accept a sub standard round.

Use the M855A1 for training, but give the troops the MK318 to fight.

[masterrig 1]

I've got a Remington Model 721, .30-06 and love it. I use a 180-grain bullet... it's a feral hog gittin' son of a gun!


Chuck

[GQ_jumper 4]

Quote

1. No lead, bismuth-tin alloy
2. Reduced flash due to new powder.
3. Over twice the punch in 3/8th steel

It has already had some complaints....
1. The improved punch in hard targets means it pushes right through soft targets.
2. It has issues in the heat. Some basically fell apart.

The SOST (MK318 MOD 0) round is considered a better round. It is used by SOCOM and the Marines are getting some.

This new round is not as good, but it is "green". Pretty sad state of affairs when we accept a sub standard round.

Use the M855A1 for training, but give the troops the MK318 to fight.

There is what matters. A round that can punch through more metal is completely worthless given the current wars we are engaged in. We need rounds that put people down at a distance of less than 25 meters, and something that cuts throughmetal fails miserably in this department.

I will say though that this is not even close to being the first new 5.56 round in 30 years. We have been getting issued all kinds of other rounds in the last few years that do the job far better than the M855 round, or the new A1 round.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[msandt 0]

+1 GQ. Today's fight sees a lot less armored threats and soft targets much more present. More attention on soft tissue ballistics and less on steel penetration is needed, IMO.