[Squantos]

I'm of the opinion that our lone service rifle shouldn't be..............lone.

If we can drop 80 Million a piece on a Raptor then keeping a Mountain/Desert/Artic rifle (M1A/M14)in 30 caliber range AND a Jungle/Forest region rifle in a kinetic caliber....... should not be a problem.

If we have to have one service rifle, 6.5 is my choice for new and improved and 7.62 nato for tried and true. As to the action and material. I am a fan of titanium and scandium for calibers with low recoil. I am of the opinion that if a basic service rifle is built in the 4 pound range unloaded without accessories and 7 pound range with grenade launcher, optical sights and two (2) 30 round magazines "snapped" togeather ala new HK mags or maybe a redi-mag setup that IDF devised topped off with a web/neoprene sling.

I would like to see modern versions of the 40MM low velocity grenades revamped into a 20 or 25MM dual purpose round using exotic explosives, a crow frag warhead and capability to punch 4 inches of steel plate.

As to the magazines. I'd like a shorter magazine so the rifle could be properly fired from a prone position. A wider mag and mag well would still allow at least 30 rounds but I personally would really like to see 40 per magazine.

Also a magazine should be "disposable". With modern materials, phenolics and spring set myths busted a pre-packaged and loaded magazine packed and issued in crates with seven mags to a bandoleer and 18 bandoleers to a crate. Thus a crate would resupply a basic 9 man squad.

As to durability, jamming and cleaning/servicing a standard service rifle. Make all moving parts and bearing surfaces in the receiver stainless steel witrh a ceramic coating to preclude the need to keep lube or other CLP-POL product on a weapon. I currently have a 1911A1 that was "coated " by a company in Houston TX that does race engine parts. I talked one of the employees into taking my detail stripped 1911A1 and coating every single part.

After reassembly (a real big itch as the tolerances were a bit less with added thickness of the coating) I use it in IDPA once a month, fire about 50 rounds thru it in competition and about 400 a week thru it in training and maintaing proficiency . It has never jammed, stove piped or failed to feed. My detail cleaning of that handgun is semi annual. Weekly range sessions call for just a wipe down from a canook "rusteprufe" rag and a dry clean rag. Ceramics is the sh*t I tell ya. Very kewl as I have experienced it.

Stay Safe , Just some of my wish list for a service rifle.........:o) .

[Eaker]

Reading yer post it is quite clear that you know what you are talking about!!!

People would be shocked if I revealed yer true identity Madaonna.

Crap...... I meant to hit preview, not post!!!!

Seriously, I am amazed that ya'll know so much. I'll never catch up. I will continue to try.

[LibKill]

Squantos, you bring your good opinion to this discussion and I must agree.

One rifle for all is like trying to fit all Marines in an Xtra Small set of utilities.

There should be a general issue rifle, but there is room for more.

The ceramic plating is a novel idea. Is it anything like chromium bore lining>

[LibKill]

Also a magazine should be "disposable".

Another home run. The M1 had disposable "magazines". They were called clips.

The principle is the same. If a nation can arm men it should be able to make reloads convenient.

If it can't, well maybe a foreign army of occupation can straighten out their industrial capablilities.

[Travis McGee]

All cool ideas. Modern high tech coatings should be used.

We (ST2) were given Steyer AUGs to shoot about 1981 by the reps, and took them to the ranges at A.P. Hill. (If anybody shot a Steyr AUG before 1982, please tell me!) Anyway, at that time the factory tech reps told us that the gun was meant to be fired by conscripts with minimal training. That's why the 1.5 optical scope with the circle reticle. ("If a man fits like this" etc) Anyway, at that time the rep said they were planning to use throw away magazines, loaded at the factory. They were honey-colored translucent plastic even way back then, but not throw away. I don't know if anybody is issuing throwaway preloaded mags yet, but it makes sense to me.

[in the Arena]

You never stop amazing me with your knowledge. You're talking like a consultant with that post...great points indeed..

The only draw back I see to an enbloc type system is the inability for a tactical re-load...

Maybe there's some advantage to investigating a belt fed rifle. Different than the SAW though. Use disposable, short, fat, factory packed "boxes" with 30-40 linked rounds, with the first round held captive...so it is pre-positioned...similar to being held in place by spring fed magazine lips.

There would be no belt to position. Insert and charge. The "box" could be removed and replaced. Each subsequent linked round would get pulled into the lead position as the preceeding one is stripped and chambered.

Way more complicated that it sounds I'm sure...

[Matthew James]

Some great ideas -- I especially like the ceramics twist! I've been saying for years that we should make the moving parts out of stainless, but that ceramic coating sounds great, and appears to wear well.

Thanks for the Ping.

[archy]

As to the magazines. I'd like a shorter magazine so the rifle could be properly fired from a prone position. A wider mag and mag well would still allow at least 30 rounds but I personally would really like to see 40 per magazine.

Also a magazine should be "disposable". With modern materials, phenolics and spring set myths busted a pre-packaged and loaded magazine packed and issued in crates with seven mags to a bandoleer and 18 bandoleers to a crate. Thus a crate would resupply a basic 9 man squad.

Very do-able, but don't necessarily think about a magazine extending from the weapon at a 90º angle like most of today's magazines, but consider a inline magazine coaxial to the barrel/action/stock like that of the Calico, which in a 9mm pistol/SMG design offers a 50 or 100 round capacity. The company had been working on a .223 version when they relocated from California due to that state's *assault weapons* ban.

A Hill-design magazine atop the receiver is also possible, or a multiple tube feed as per the South African Neosted bullpup pump shotgun is possible, too. How would you feel about having your ammo in 10-round tubes, easily carried in something along the lines of a bowman's quiver for arrows, with the weapon taking four or five of them simultaneously, and not extending at all when in the prone position.

Take a look at the old Civil War butt-fed Spencer carbine....