Posted on 04/12/2018 6:35:08 PM PDT by MtnClimber
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- A senior Marine Corps official confirmed today that the service is lockstep with the Army's effort to search for a rifle round more potent than the current 5.56mm round.
For months, senior Army officials have been telling Congress that the current 5.56mm Enhanced Performance Round is not potent enough to penetrate enemy body armor plates similar to U.S. military-issue rifle plates such as the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert, or ESAPI.
As a solution, the Army is experimenting with a plan to replace its M249 squad automatic weapon and M4 carbine with futuristic weapons that fire a 6.5mm case-telescoped round or something that falls between a 5.56mm and a 7.62mm round.
The Marine Corps, which recently decided to buy more M27 5.56mm Infantry Automatic Rifles, has not publically echoed the Army's concern with 5.56mm until now.
"We are working the Army; we have looked at the 6.5mm Creedmoor with the Army and [Special Operations Command]," Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, told Military.com at the annual Sea-Air-Space exposition Wednesday.
"We are lockstep with them looking at a new round."
Shrader, however, said he did not know if the effort would mean a new infantry weapon for the Marine Corps.
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
Before reading, I thought they would be looking at something in 6mm like the .243. But, I think the 6.5mm Creedmor would be an excellent choice!
Betcha they’ve got reams of data compiled on .30 cal or .30-06 huh? Imagine that. Dust off those books boys!
Probably a crapton of ammunition still.
I have a solution.
LASERS!
You want lasers?
If FedGov ever managed to confiscate privately owned weapons, lasers would become available quickly and be buildable with easily purchased parts.
I think the 6.5 Grendel would be a great upgrade. The existing lowers would be usable and the only replacements that would be needed would be the upper(barrel) assembly and magazines. The 6.5 Grendel has an effective range of 800 plus yards.
Army will never do it, it would save too much money.
One of the greatest rifles ever built-
http://www.chuckhawks.com/swedish_mauser.htm
In 1965, I ordered a Swedish Mauser rifle in 6.5 caliber. At the same time I ordered 100 rounds of 6.5 surplus ammo loaded with a 156 grain fmj round nosed bullet.
Those bullets would penetrate a tree which was 5 feet in diameter. Absolutely stunning to me.
I later learned that it was not so much the caliber as the long and heavy for caliber bullets. They were parallel sided all the way to the nose.
A similarly built 220 grain 30-06 would have done the same.
Still the .264 caliber bullet is a nice compromise between power and other factors.
Yeah, going to the Creedmore would cost a fortune , having to go to the AR-10 type lower etc..
Grendel or .224 Valkyrie would be a lot cheaper and wouldn’t require a complete platform change, but meet the needs of an average Army or Marine infantryman.
Lasguns!
Agreed. The Grendel is a very versatile cartridge.
You saved me a post, thanks. 6.5 creedmoor is great.
I built a 6.5 Grendel and a couple of 5.56 rifles. The 330 blackout is great for urban setting. The 6.5 on a AR 10 type weapon could be pretty impressive in open country. The ability to pack a large amount of ammo comes into play. Control of recoil in auto falls in there too. The Grendel with 123 grain bullets adds something to the argument over the 5.56. The issue is what compromises should the troops have to make? It’s a tough issue with no clear cut solutions on a changing battlefield.
Actually a 6.5 Carcano round loaded with the right bullet might be good.
My driver’s ed teacher ordered a Carcano and was telling us that the darned thing shot right through a pine stump. It had a similar bullet to the early 6.5 Swede loading, just not quite as powerful.
lol
Interesting how the quest for the ideal main battle rifle cartridge has led back to conclusions that were made - more or less - around 1900. Well, why not? Most current service pistols are using the modern-as-tomorrow (if tomorrow is 116 years ago) 9mm Parabellum.
In true army fashion, they will approve the new, improved, 5.57 round bc 5.57 is better than 5.56 and then they will build a whole new gun around it bc nothing curently exists. 20 years from now they will cease development due to budget cuts and cost over runs and announce the return of the 5.56. Yay.
I think the 30-06 and 8mm rifle cartridges were pretty good. I am not a big fan of 9mm and prefer 45 ACP. In expanding rounds, modern 9mm are getting better.
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