Posted on 04/15/2004 12:03:29 PM PDT by John Jorsett
They deserves what they gets... ; )
You've got 'til tonight to do this or I'm hi-jacking the idea.
Go for it. But the troops using the things may have other ideas, as per the USAF-derived designation of *Thunderbolt II* for the A-10 aircraft, replaced in fact by *Warthawg* by those actually in the drivers' seats.
It is, and if adopted, it likely will be built at the new Georgia H&K facility. I haven't been around that area since Christmas, so I don't know how progress on the facility is coming, but the XM-8 is a long way from adoption and production anyway.
But production here does not preclude production elsewhere as well, or sales to other users. And it may be that as with the 7mm Mauser bolt-action repeaters we faced in the 1898 war with Spain in Cuba, or the stamped MP44/Stg44 Sturmgewehren of the German assault troops of WWII, someone else will jump on the idea of an advanced small arms platform first, and we'll pick it up only after deficiencies in our current hardware become too obvious, probably as a political football.
The first M16 [not M16A1] I carried and used in Vietnam, during the Tet 1968 attack on Saigon's Ton Son Nhut airport, was an Air Force honor guard rifle with blue plastic or heavily painted stocks, grip and foreend and exactly the white sling you describe. The sling was *lost* less than 10 minutes after I left their armorer's room with the rifle and last three aluminum 20-round *waffle* magazines they had, the outsides of which had been polished and Brasso-ed to a chromelike shine. They still functioned fine though, and my fatigue jacket shirt pockets were all the ammunition pouches I needed.
All it'll take is an exterior housing for the modular components, the interior mechanism being so close to the H&K G36 as to be negligable, and available in the semi-auto SL-8 version.
That's already available reworked into the H&K G36 configuration as used by the German Bundeswehr, the Spanish Army and Foreign Legion, and others. AlpineTech performs the G36 conversions, and no doubt has their eye closely on the XM-8.
We were in a VERY military enviornment, and even the question of police sales wasn't raised. I'd say the probability is better than 50%, though a civvie model may come from a subcontractor or spinoff company rather than the *official* H&K parent company.
The French refer to their FAMAS G2 rifles as le clairon, *the bugle* due to its short appearance and musicle instrument-like sight mount/carry handle.
Russian troops in Chechnya and elsewhere refer to the lengthy SVD Dragunov sniper's rifle as *the oar* and to some British troops still claim their SA80/L85A2 bullpup rifles as *The Enfield* or *Tin Nelly.* I hope the XM-8 manages a little better than any of those. *Eightball* seems an unfortunate but likely possibility.
Of course, Spanish-speaking Soldiers are likely to call it some variation of "Ocho".
With all this "modular" design and such, I find no mention of being able to configure this weapon for LEFT HANDERS..
Is there a left handed ejection port configuration?
While I always qualified expert throughout 9 years in the army, I got Damn Tired of buttoning up my collar every time I had to fire my weapon.
With all this "modular" design and such, I find no mention of being able to configure this weapon for LEFT HANDERS.. Is there a left handed ejection port configuration?
While I always qualified expert throughout 9 years in the army, I got Damn Tired of buttoning up my collar every time I had to fire my weapon.
The one I fired was not so arranged; ejection was out the right side, though more happily it's pretty much straight out the ejection port at around 90º, not rearward to bounce off the nose or in the eyes of a southpaw-side shooter. If there's a leftward-ejection version available, it wasn't mentioned, one reason I'm about equally fond of the XM-8 and the southpaw [or driver]-adaptable French FAMAS G2. The real advance, of course, would be downward ejection, probably requiring a Calico-type helical-type feed atop the receiver. But we're getting there.
I agree with you about the problem of rightside ejection for lefties, and it's not *just* limited to southpaws, either. H&K has been making a big fuss over the ambidextrous operating controlds on the new rifle, now if they'd just take that one extra step...but I've also been playing with a reversed Kalishnikov action design for tank crews and the like, and it features a bullpup configuration with ejection to the left side and forward, very neat for either left-handers or righties. And the top-mounted magazine is easily available for quick changes with either hand, and there's a sight rail on either side, with the operator mounting an optical sight on the side of his/her preference, with backup iron sights on the other. Developing...
Probably, you can already buy a Politically Correct semi auto version of the G-36, from which the XM-8 is derived
That just means they'll make them in a US facility. They already have at least one.
That sounds like almost $4K per rifle for some sort of an m16 replacement. I'm definitely in the wrong business. You can buy really fine rifles (Blasers) for that, and you can buy better military rifles for a hell of a lot less.
I believe there is another model with the same optional left or right ejection available as well. ( although in pistol calibers )
Seems to me that if the U.S. Government is going to invest in the latest, most innovative arms for their troops, then left-right/ambidextrous is a must..
Just a guess, but if 30% of your combat force is left-handed, firing a right handed weapon really cuts down on combat effectiveness..
In my case, I'm able to shoot left or right handed equally well, but I'm blind in the right eye..
In order to shoot a long arm of any kind right handed, I have to lay the bridge of my nose against the stock.. OK for a lever-action, or some light calibers, like the Ruger 22, but a real (literal) pain with a 1903 Springfield ..
I warned my brother about that bolt, but he ignored me and ruined a brand new pair of $300 glasses..
My Remington 1100 12 ga. is a left-hander, and it has spoiled me.. I will never buy another right handed long arm as long as I live..
Cheaper to outsource it.
I've always been fond of the Ithaca Model 37 pump shotgun, which both loads from the bottom and ejects downward. That's a busy little feeding and ejection cycle going on in a small place, but they work nicely.
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