[packagingguy]

This is the new rifle and light machine gun to be adopted by the military. It is a 6.8x51 with a bi-metallic case of both steel and brass, allowing it to operate at higher pressures than the 7.62x51.

It appears the military wants to move back towards a rifle rather than an intermediate round such as the 5.56x45 NATO.

Sig-Sauer makes civilian rifles in semi-automatic and bolt action chambered for the new round:

https://www.sigsauer.com/mcx-spear.html

https://www.sigsauer.com/sig-cross-rifle.html

[Deaf Smith]

Looking forward for a increase in supply of 556 with a significant price drop in the future.

[Big Red Badger]

6.8,,,
Should free up 5.56/223.

[marktwain]

The round and rifle are moving toward "every rifleman a sniper" model.

The rifles are supposed to include optics with laser rangefinder, wind evaluator, and sound suppressor.

Combined with exceptional ballistics (140 grain .270 bullet starting at about 3,000 ft per second), this should mean consistent hits on man-sized targets to 1200 yards or so, without a lifetime of shooting experience.

A soldier will still need to be a rifleman, but the emphasis seems to be on aimed fire rather than suppressive fire.

[DesertRhino]

6.8x51 with a bi-metallic case? So it’s a non reloadable case and a first ever case with two separate components.

Expense and complexity for no good reason I can see.

[Bob434]

Sig pellet guns don’t have the best reputation. Hope,their firearm guns are better.

[SecondAmendment]

And they will find a way to classify the round as “Armor Piercing” so the ATF can prevent civilians from getting it or the rifle ...

[Durus]

So it’s basically an AR10 with some piston monstrosity bolted to the top? Swell.

[unread]

"For civilian shooters, the 6.8 mm baseline measurements resemble a beefed-up version of a familiar cartridge from the hunting world, the .270 caliber rifle round."

"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."