Updates on the Army’s new combat rifle competition
Jeff LPH 3 sent me this article on the Army’s continuing selection process for a new personal rifle, to replace the M4/M16 and the M249 SAW.
The gun that will replace both the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and the M16/M4 rifle/carbine weapons — and add a new, widely distributed caliber to the U.S. military inventory for the first time in decades — is less than two years away.
The Next Generation Squad Weapon finished its first prototype test event in September. The three previously selected offerings came from Sig Sauer, Textron Systems and General Dynamics Ordnance.
There’s also a plan in the works for a new optics system for the rifle.
Concurrently, the Army in April has also selected two companies, L3 Technologies and Vortex Optics, to compete for the fire control for the weapons system.
Lots more at the source.
Source; Defense News
Category: Army, Army News, Guest Link, Guns, Science and Technology
So I guess the Garand is out of the running. Sad.
With the Garand out of the running means less M-1 thumbs. I’m living proof of the infamous M-1 thumb.
Look for a Holbrook device.
Didn’t the Army have a replacement a few years
Back for the SAW ??? Holy crap they love to spend money
SAW is a mean mothertfucking weapon when it works.
“…when it works.”
It works fine when you properly train your Troops on assembly and disassembly, but I’ve seen a few perfectly good Machine guns having to go for repairs because some Private Snuffy had a better idea on how to reassemble it after field stripping!
M4A1 variant in 7.62 NATO… lethality problem solved.
M14 with bayonet…..riot and looting problem solved.
Recoilless riffle, buckshot, parallel with the marching surface, repeat as necessary.
Don’t tease me! I fired a way yonder better score with the M1, for familiarization, and the M14, (if your lucky you may be able to talk a short timer out of his) than I did the wore out, loose shooting Mattel M16 we had for qualifying.
I can understand a need for different platforms, but pick a damn universal caliber and stick with it. Never can tell when you may have to scrounge up ammo from the dead bodies of your enemies.
Send me one each of the prototypes, even that funky looking General Dynamics model. I’ll smoke test them on feral hawgs, “mostly peaceful protestors” and ne’er do wells alike.
Yeah that GD model with the magazine up its ass is a no go.
Can you stay on target and swap mags?
Disclaimer: I worked for the bastards and enjoy a meager pension.
1972 basic at Fort Polk, LA my assigned weapon was an XM-16 manufactured by the Whirlpool Corporation.
1987 basic at Fort Jackson, M-16 manufactured by General Motors, Hydramatic Division.
Didn’t the Hydramatic M-16 send the brass in a weird direction?
My (OSUT) issued GM Hydramatic M-16 had a round/”button” forward assist and was re-stamped as an A1.
a -sweet- 16, easily shooting sub-dime groups on the 25m zero target. I then maxed the qualification course.
-sweet- 16
Depends on if it had an overdrive gear or not.
They know this ain’t gonna happen…
Can’t change physics and Stoner harnessed all the forces from the wickedly powerful devil’s cartridge, the exact same that should only be wielded by military, the highest velocity .22 lazerbean evah.
The whole idea is ludicrous, especially when you consider the M855A1 solved all these problems!
I has idea Bro’s and Sis’s; let’s buy a million rounds of Mk262 and tell those idiots at Building 4 that it’s a new sheet, M855A2!
Back the f**cking truck up to collects the moe kneesssss!
They really need to keep looking at caseless ammo! It ends up being lighter, and it doesn’t leave all of our nice brass casings in third world $h!t holes for them to gather up.
Yeah the new round is nice, but is it because you are trying to make all of the surplus ammo on the market obsolete by ensuring their won’t be any to be surplus?! All it really means is we all get new uppers for our ARs!
Caseless ammo hasn’t worked out so good thus far. The closest anyone ever came to making it work was HK with the G-11. HK swears that it was reliable and passed all tests with flying colors (all they needed was a few hundred million more Deutsch Marks), but that story doesn’t seem to hold up when you read about it. The ammo itself seems to have been a major problem, with the solid propellant block into which each bullet and primer were embedded being fragile enough to crack and crumble just from being carried around inside a magazine. That’s before you even scratch the overheating, fouling, and short service life issues.
Brass is durable, sinks heat, and takes away most of the fouling. You’re probably more likely to see rayguns than workable caseless small arms ammo.
The gas seal of the chamber is also a function of the cartridge. Allows looser tolerance on the bolt/lock, thus enhancing reliability.
You nailed it. Caseless ammo is great on paper, but to make it ‘work’ that’s exactly what it’s going to take: paper (ie money).
We used to use caseless ammo almost exclusively…and it was made out of paper. And the main physical requirement for PVT Snuffy was he had to have his front four teeth for tearing said cartridge. Many a potential draftee would knock those front teeth out in an attempt to avoid service. That led to the development of a bayonet attachment to tear it. Modern technology…ain’t it great!
And HK recommended that the G-11’s clockwork “bolt” assembly be replaced after 3,500 rounds due to overheating and the stress of firing without a case to trap any energy. Yet they swear it was “very reliable.” I don’t think that means what they think it means.
It also had to be sent to an armorer for cleaning.
Apparently the Textron weapon requires batteries. What genius decided it was a good idea to have battery operated rifles for the infantry? Jesus.
The General Dynamics weapon is a bullpup with the same barrel length as the A1 (20″) but apparently shorter overall. It also uses some sort of unique composite cartridge which makes me wonder about how the logistics system would be able to handle that. Aside from the logistics issues of rolling out a completely new caliber not widely produced, composite ammo? Wonder how that will hold up sitting in a bunker, getting wet, etc…?
And then you have Sig. The only weapon that is made by an actual firearms company. And they didn’t have any partners in the process. They stuck with the AR platform, tweaked a few items and called it a day.
The first two options seem like an obvious no to me. And the last option appears to be a slightly better version of the M4. Then again, I could be wrong.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/10/18/bullpup-or-belt-fed-prototypes-armys-next-gen-squad-weapons-finally-revealed.html
I agree penguinman.
I’m sure the Sig is already “out”…no crony jobs and opportunities to be found building a system that is well understood and works right from day one….
Plus their factories are in the US I believe.
Another mark against them.
A Rifle that requires batteries? Who’s the self-certified Genius who came up with that?
I do not care for a rear of the grip magazine, i.e., Bullpups. I kind of get used to certain muscle memories.
Lethality Cross Functional Team And PeOS needs to move cookoffs closer to the Soldier’s face because… reasons.
Excellent. About effing time.
I especially like the bullpup design. It moves the center of gravity back and allows for much faster reaction in close quarters.
I have fired bullpups before, and contrary to popular beliefs the mag doesn’t tangle with your magazine pouches.
Shooting from the prone is also a breeze, as you rest the weight of the weapon on the mag and intuitively push against your shoulder with your non-firing hand.
Excellent design. Let’s hope it works as promised.
I wonder if it will shoot paint balls?
After all, this is the new, nonviolent Army.
This one would be a good choice. Fires the .308 Winchester while remaining light like an AR-15. You might even be able to make a bullpup design with it.
https://www.springfield-armory.com/saint-series/saint-victor-ar-15-rifles/saint-victor-308-ar-10-rifle/
When they showed Chesty Puller the new flamethrowers his first question was where do you attach the bayonet
I first joined the army in 1986. Since then I’ve heard more about “the new uniform” “the new PT test” and “the new rifle” than I can count. Here is is, 34 years later and we are rolling out the new uniform and the new PT test. If we really get a new rifle, it’s time for me to hang it up.
Didn’t read all responses, just got home.
However I just wanna put in my request chit. I volunteer to test any and all proposed new weapons personally.Just putting it out there.