Not only is the AR platform as accurate as any bolt gun, it is much easier to build and the useful life of the barrel is twice as long.
Now if they would issue it in 7.62.
The MK11 is 7.62mm. The Marines screwed up the DMR program 14 years ago when they could have purchased the same rifle. Internal rice bowl politics saw that the M14 DMR was selected. It was a failure. BTW, no semi-automatic weapon will ever exceed the accuracy of a bolt gun (tighter tolerances available on a bolt gun). The MK11 has its own problems. In the future look for the MK11 to be replaced by the Special Operations Combat Assualt Rifle, Sniper Version.
"Not only is the AR platform as accurate as any bolt gun, it is much easier to build and the useful life of the barrel is twice as long.
Now if they would issue it in 7.62."
You won't get any semi as accurate as a bolt gun... but it is easier to build and the barrel life is close to being the same as on a bolt gun if not a bit shorter. The AR10 is in .308 also known as 7.62x51mm.
Having built some very accurate semi's and some precision bolt guns in my day, there is no way to make a semi reliable and consistant while maintaining the kind of accuracy that a precision bolt action rifle like the M40 achieves.
Mike