[faq]

I hope the Army goes ahead with the XM8. It's time to replace the M16 with something better. There have been a lot of good reasons given here to choose either the 5.56 or the 7.62. But really, why does it have to be one or the other? Design the XM8 so that it can be chambered for either round. (Right now a person can buy a Browning BAR in about a dozen different calibers.)
I mean, I've got three rifles in my gun cabinet, why should a soldier be limited to only one gun. Let the military order some of both, hand them out as needed for the situation.

[verity]

If this information is correct, the XM8 has been put on hold indefinitely.

XM8

[Tailback]

I hope the Army goes ahead with the XM8. It's time to replace the M16 with something better.

While the gas system of the XM-8 is better than the M-16's direct impingement system, the XM-8 still has one fatal flaw. It is designed to accept M-16 magazines and the magazine well limits the overall cartridge length of any future caliber to the same as the 5.56 NATO. The 6.5mm Grendel has perfect ballistics but the shape of the case may make it unreliable in full auto or burst mode. (I don't know, it needs testing) The replacement for the M-16 family needs to be a 6.5mm-7mm bullet with ballistics similar to the Grendel, 6.5 Mauser, .260 Remington etc.... If you could lengthen the case of the 6.8 SPC to bump up the velocity it would be great, but that round was and is limited by the M-16 and XM-8 magazine well.