Interesting news from Tactical Wire

[tombogan03884]

  Todays Tactical Wire contained an interesting note ;

http://www.thetacticalwire.com/

The ARMY TIMES was quoted in the NSSF weekly brief as reporting that the Army has requested nearly $10 million from Congress to start solicitations for firearms competition to begin acquisition of a new carbine. The current carbine is the M4. If approved, the first round of tests may kick off as early as late in the summer of 2010 and last for around a year.

[billt]

I think the M-4 is on borrowed time, and has been for some time now. It has seen just too many stoppages in the gulf since the original 1991 war. We have the technology to produce something better, and we should. Every weapon and aircraft in the inventory has time limits before it becomes outdated. The M-4 has well exceeded that time. There are people who love it, as I do, but right now I would be far more comfortable if I were to go into battle with an AK-47. They simply run better in the rough.  I only hope they don't make the same mistake they did with the M-9.  Bill T.

[fightingquaker13]

I think the M-4 is on borrowed time, and has been for some time now. It has seen just too many stoppages in the gulf since the original 1991 war. We have the technology to produce something better, and we should. Every weapon and aircraft in the inventory has time limits before it becomes outdated. The M-4 has well exceeded that time. There are people who love it, as I do, but right now I would be far more comfortable if I were to go into battle with an AK-47. They simply run better in the rough.  I only hope they don't make the same mistake they did with the M-9.  Bill T.

It would save us a lot of money, and cause a lot of old communists to die of laughter, if we just adopted the AK as a carbine, and went .308 as a battle rifle.
FQ13

[billt]

It would save us a lot of money, and cause a lot of old communists to die of laughter, if we just adopted the AK as a carbine, and went .308 as a battle rifle.
FQ13

As much as I hate to admit it, I couldn't agree more.   Bill T.

[billt]

Very pretty.



Very practical.  Bill T.

[Sponsor]

[ratcatcher55]

Very pretty.



Very practical.  Bill T.

Tsk, tsk!

Close that dust cover soldier! That's what its there for!
Drop and give me twenty!

[Texas_Bryan]

Gas pistonize the incoming inventory.  Or am I just over simplifying things?

[billt]

Gas pistonize the incoming inventory.  Or am I just over simplifying things?

We just may see that. I'm in favor of it, but that is me. I just want our men to have a gun that runs. No matter what!  Bill T.

[fightingquaker13]

Gas pistonize the incoming inventory.  Or am I just over simplifying things?

The caliber is part of the problem, not just the durability of the weapon. 5.56 out of an AR is gret at 300 yards plus, but it doesn't have the umph at 100 feet in urban combat. We could go .308 for everything, but they tend to be heavy, long, and damn hard to control in full auto. The 6.8 would work as a carbine (say designed for 150-200 yards or less with a folding or collapsible stock and 16" barrel for vehicles). But again, for probably $400 per unit, we could have US makers churning out AKs with better aligned sights and rails inside of six months. Spend the cash coming up with an always goes bang .308 (like say the old FN FAL) for a battle rifle and hand out the AKs to support troops and CQB specialists.
FQ13

[Texas_Bryan]

The caliber is part of the problem, not just the durability of the weapon. 5.56 out of an AR is gret at 300 yards plus, but it doesn't have the umph at 100 feet in urban combat. We could go .308 for everything, but they tend to be heavy, long, and damn hard to control in full auto. The 6.8 would work as a carbine (say designed for 150-200 yards or less with a folding or collapsible stock and 16" barrel for vehicles). But again, for probably $400 per unit, we could have US makers churning out AKs with better aligned sights and rails inside of six months. Spend the cash coming up with an always goes bang .308 (like say the old FN FAL) for a battle rifle and hand out the AKs to support troops and CQB specialists.
FQ13

I'd think reintroducing the battle rifle would be a good idea, but how realistic is it to expect a large scale change of 40 years worth of military thinking in that area?  And the 6.8 just sounds incredibly redundant.  Carbine round is a carbine round.  Either make the jump to .30 cal or don't.  And we all know that a US military AK ain't going to happen, sorry to ruin the fun.   Gas piston AR's and M1A's, done.