US Military Selects New Rifle and Ammunition

[Red Leg]

As an Australian i am referring to the Australian army process of deciding on military equipment ie clothing & boots, vehicles ect i have no idea how the US army does things but seeing some of the equipment you have i would say better than us. Weapons we buy from other countries & build under license our our own versions at the Lithgow small arms plant in N.S.W ie the F88 Austyer 5.56 rifle & i can assure you there is plenty of bureaucratic BS involved in that process.

Got it - and I admit I am overly sensitive to that common refrain. The Army’s requirement developers, acquisition leads, and program managers are primarily uniformed and most with combat experience. We screw up acquisitions and programs, sometimes royally, but not because good people aren’t trying to do their best.

 

[rdog]

Got it - and I admit I am overly sensitive to that common refrain. The Army’s requirement developers, acquisition leads, and program managers are primarily uniformed and most with combat experience. We screw up acquisitions and programs, sometimes royally, but not because good people aren’t trying to do their best.

Thanks Red Leg, i was in Vietnam for 2 years 1969-1971 i was astounded by the US army logistical might, we would have 50 of one item you would have 5000 of them we lent heavy on your supply system.

 

[Red Leg]

Thanks Red Leg, i was in Vietnam for 2 years 1969-1971 i was astounded by the US army logistical might, we would have 50 of one item you would have 5000 of them we lent heavy on your supply system.

Can’t thank you enough for being part of that effort. I was privileged whenever I had the opportunity to serve with Australians. Had a young SAS officer on my staff in Kuwait who was one of the finest officers I have ever known.

 

[Louis Toadvine]

It might just be hearsay, but I seem to recall one of the drivers for the NGSW cartridge specs being a desire to defeat NIJ Level IV body armor/plates out of a rifle with a short barrel (i.e. a rifle that is not significantly larger than the M4). I believe Level IV plates are built to withstand a hit from an armor-piercing round in a caliber up to .30-06 (M2AP). That's pretty serious armor against typical small arms.

A requirement to defeat such armor with this project's barrel length limitations would of course inform the velocity required and by extension the resulting pressures. No easy feat no matter how you slice it.

 

[Kalthoff]

If these numbers are accurate, the new offering is quite a bit heavier:

The XM5 weighs 8.38 pounds, or 9.84 pounds with the suppressor, much heavier than the 6.34-pound M4. That new rifle will also use 20-round magazines, smaller than the 30-round magazines troops currently use.

A soldier's basic combat load will be seven of those 20-round magazines, a total of 140 rounds, weighing 9.8 pounds altogether.

The M4's combat load, also seven magazines for a total of 210 rounds, is 7.4 pounds.

In total, a rifleman with the XM5 will carry roughly four pounds more than today's M4 rifleman.

https://www.military.com/daily-news...oldiers-will-carry-more-weight-less-ammo.html

 

[mdwest]

Sig wins again...

They just picked up the SOCOM PDW contract.. sole-sourced (not competed) for the MCX Rattler....

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...special-operators-new-personal-defense-weapon

Im starting to wonder if Sig has Llyod Austin in their pocket lol...

(actually the MCX is a fine weapon, at a very reasonable cost compared to other options.. I can absolutely see why they went this direction..)...