Posted on 01/31/2005 5:44:05 PM PST by ijcr
The new U.S. Assault Rifle, the XM8, is a modular weapon that can be fitted with three different barrels (9", 12.5", 20".)
The 9" barrel is for a very compact weapon for tank crews or commandoes. With the nine inch barrel and the butt stock retracted, the weapon has an overall length of 21 inches.
The 12.5" barrel is the standard, for use with the assault rifle or, with the butt stock retracted, it serves as a carbine. The 20 inch barrel is thicker as well and used for the light machine-gun version. There is also a lighter 20 inch barrel for use by snipers.
The assault rifle can be equipped with the new M320 40mm grenade launcher.The U.S. Army is happy with the initial field testing of it's new M-8 (or XM-8) Assault Rifle. One of the major design features of the M-8 that makes it superior to the M-16 is the way it handles propellant gasses.
The M-16 has these gasses going into the receiver, depositing layers of crud from propellant that did not completely burn. The M-8 keeps the propellant gasses out of the receiver and this reduces the cleaning time by about 70 percent. The troops appreciate this. More importantly, the reduced amount of crud in the receiver greatly increases reliability (far fewer rounds getting stuck.)
In fact, the M-8 is designed to fire 15,000 rounds without cleaning or lubrication, even in a dirty (like a desert) environment. Troops are not allowed to let their weapons go like that, but this degree of reliability makes it less likely that rifles won't jam in a sandstorm or after getting dropped in the mud. The M-8 barrel and receiver is also of more sturdy construction, making it less likely that the user will get injured if there's something in the barrel when a round is fired. This is not unusual in combat.
All you have to do is accidentally jam the barrel into the dirt while hitting the ground or otherwise avoiding enemy fire, and then have to return fire. On an M-16, this can often cause the rifle to, well, blow up in your face. This unfortunate event is much less likely with the M-8.
The M-8 comes with a battery powered sight that includes a red-dot, close-combat capability, plus infrared laser aimer and laser illuminator with a backup etched reticule. The sights on the M-8, similar to those which have been showing up on M-16s over the past decade, make it much easier to hit something. The M-8 is better designed for "ease of use" and support troops who don't handle their weapons frequently will find that they can more easily hit something with an M-8. Tests, using people who have not handled a rifle frequently, have demonstrated this.
Because the attachment points for rail mounted devices are built into the M-8, the sight can be factory zeroed. The M-16, because it has rail mounting hardware mounted on it, requires frequent re-zeroing in the field. This is a feature very much appreciated by the troops. The attachment points allow additional sighting devices to be quickly added to the weapon. A new 40mm, single shot grenade launcher (the M320) will be available for the M-8 and can be quickly installed by troops, without special tools. The M-8 is designed for easy left or right handed operation.
Testing will increase, as more M-8s are available, and the plan is that by early 2007, the first of over a million M-8s will begin distribution to all troops in active and reserve army units. One thing that may slow this down is the army research on the use of a new caliber (6.8mm). The new bullet has shown to have better accuracy and stopping power. While troops would be carrying less ammo with the larger round (25 rounds in the current 30 round magazine), they would require fewer shots to take down enemy troops. American troops today are much better trained in the use of their rifles than they were four decades ago. Automatic fire is not often used, with accurate, individual shots being the norm. The M-8 rifle, and possibly a new caliber, are a reflection of that.
Shown (from left to right) are the 30 Remington (a rimless 30-30), the new 6.8mm Remington SPC and 5.56mm used in the M-16. The 6.8mm SPC is under serious consideration as the cartridge for the new army assault rifle, the M-8.
yup.....love the .308 but that is the difference between a battle rifle and an assault rifle
Video of the XM-8....You have to scroll down to the bottom.
http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/blackwater/videos.html
BTTT
My military career began with the Lee Enfield No 4 and the Sten Gun Mk 5...then came the FAL and the Sterling SMG and as I was leaving the Army introduced that plastic crap the SA-80.
With the Lee Enfield we zeroed at 300 yds and fired from up to 600yds.The FAL was zeroed at 100yds and fired up to 300yds.
The SA-80 was zeroed at 25yds and fell apart at 100yds.Progress.
Looks like they took the Grenade Launcher part,Up'd it to 25 mm and are going to make it as a semi-auto grenade launcher.
"...Lee Enfield..."
Same with the M1. It was not outside of possibility to hit a target the size of a man's head at 500 yards with iron sights with an M1.
"Brigadier General Benjamin Freakley". What a kickass name.
I wish I was a Brigadier General and was named Benjamin Freakley. I'd go to bed happy every night.
The only thing that could surpass the coolness of being "Brigadier General Benjamin Freakley" would be to have a cool middle name, too. Something like "Brigadier General Benjamin Unlimited Freakley". And then run for President.
Yeah, that would be sweet.
Go Freakley in 2008!
My 2 1/2 year old just saw the pictures of the XM8 and he wants one. (Chip off the old block alert)
err
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a .270 is .277
The XM8 isn't going anywhere because the X represents experimental. The M8 as has been reported in the shooting press is a 6.8mm, .270 caliber Remington.
From what I have read it is a go with the Army and is being used by some Spec Ops personal in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They probably noticed that file was being called a lot, and have software denying it if another web site (like this one) calls it.
I put it on my ISP account's web address:
Here is a picture of my wife holding one (at the NRA Convention in Pittsburgh last year):
The worst thing about this new rifle, or any new rifle, would be the lousy 5.56 round. We need the 6.8 SPC, or something better than the 5.56 these days, that is for sure.
all of which really means nothing.
The fact that H&K is taking on a 'partner' is the biggest sign of the future of the XM8 rifle.
If you had a line on the next US military rifle that would be produced in the hundreds of thousands, resulting in millions of dollars of revenue, would you want to share a piece of that huge pie with another company?
US Army would not be comfortable with just a single source for such a weapons program.
That really has nothing to do with the fact that they are 'partnering' together, even it it was true. In peace time all that really matters beyond meeting the spec is that the weapons are made in a US plant. All beretta pistols come from beretta. Ruger just got a contract for 5,000 pistols (different type) and they're making all the pistols.
The XM8 doesn't seem to have as bright a future as many people wish to paint.
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