Posted on 04/21/2022 9:13:32 AM PDT by packagingguy
Today, it has been announced that SIG Sauer have won the contract to provide both the NGSW-Rifle and NGSW-Automatic Rifle. An initial delivery order contract worth $20.4 million has been awarded. SIG’s MCX 6.8 Spear will be designated the XM5 Rifle and the LMG-6.8 belt-fed will be designated the XM250 – designations directly following on from the M4/M4A1 Carbine and M249 SAW which the new weapons will replace. SIG’s selection means that the US Army’s new 6.8mm round will be based on a hybrid metallic case, not the polymer-based design developed by True Velocity
(Excerpt) Read more at thefirearmblog.com ...
My nephew is flying down kodiac in May for grizzly bear on a tag they cancelled over covid last season. I'v been passing on my guns to nephews so I don't pass on they get sold. I've gifted my 338 fed armalite ar-10 to him. It's actually a great short range bear gun. I've knocked down moose and bear with that gun and it's always nice to have a 20 rounder; just in case.
One can buy and fire AP ammunition such as 556 & 762 for use in rifles.
It’s 6.8x43mm.
The new 6.8 is indeed 51mm. The 43 is 6.8 SPC, conventional case.
Sigs been making bi metal cartridges for a while now.
You can buy rifle chambered for one now. And for the last few years
So it’s basically an AR10 with some piston monstrosity bolted to the top? Swell.
I like most of my Sigs. The only one that hasn't performed as desired is the P365XL. It has problems dropping into battery and seems to lock up the slide when performing a standard "reset" test with the trigger pulled fully. The P365 predecessor is just fine.
Wouldn’t you think that an American company would have a better chance of supplying the American Military?
I’m only somewhat familiar with their pellet pistols- which have some pretty bad design flaws - which is odd since they are supposed to be a pretty good firearm manufacturer
They have pistols with batteries now? (Im behind the times)- I’m not sure i’d want to depend on electronics in a gun-
It looks like the upper is different but the lower remains without the buffer tube. The other entries into the competition were very mechanically complex and used less tried ammunition systems.
As I stated in an earlier post we need ammunition compatibility with our allies, so the 5.56 and 7.62 will probably be around for a while.
"In battery" refers to having the slide fully forward with the barrel locked into the slide and the "bolt face" flush against the case head of the loaded cartridge. Some designs have a detent that must extend into a recess on the bottom of the slide to allow the trigger to engage the sear.
The P365XL slide drags against the next round feeding from the magazine. Sometimes it fails to go "in battery" on the initial cycling of the slide or after the first few shots. After a couple rounds are fired, the spring pressure of the rounds under the slide is reduced and the slide closes to be fully "in battery".
Sig isn't the only supplier of pistols that have problems stripping a round off a full magazine and driving into the "in battery" position. The Keltec PMR30 is supposed to hold 30 rds of 22WMR. In practice, it works fine with 20, but starts having feeding problems above that fill level. It's a fun pistol on the range...just a bit quirky.
And a corresponding scarcity due to the change.
Part of me wonders if there’s an ulterior motive backing this move.
Things have changed? Must hurt like the dickens if one gets hit (wearing a vest) with something like a 7.62 Nato.
“Indeed, American Soldiers have worn ceramic inserts (called Small Arms Protective Inserts or SAPI for short) in their body armor that protect against M80 ball rounds for many years. The Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI) that Soldiers currently wear protect against threats up to and including .30-06 Springfield Armor Piercing rounds.”
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/get-new-army-bullet-can-penetrate-body-armor/
Unfortunately, for those of us who like the 6.8 SPC (6.8x43mm), the new SIG cartridge is much different - picture the .260 Remington necked up slightly to 6.8mm, with the case shoulder moved forward a bit, and a stainless steel case head to handle 80,000 PSI. The new round will probably make a great (if expensive) GPMG or sniper rifle round; as far as cartridges for infantry rifles go, it sounds a lot closer to the .276 Enfield (circa 1912) than the 5.56x45 or 7.62x39 - so I'm guessing full-auto won't be an option...
;>)
"That size difference matters, but in different ways. The XM5 rifle is two pounds heavier than the M4 when both are unloaded. But the XM250 is four pounds lighter than the M249 SAW."
I guess not.
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