Army's new cartridge?

[barretcreek]

Found an article in a Guns&Ammo publication about a proposed polymer cased 6.8 mm cartridge. Author has a definite opinion about it.

Anyone know anything?

[Sunray]

The U.S. Army has been testing the 6.8 for years now. I wouldn't bet on 'em getting the funding for new rifles or even for re-barreling.

[Tuna]

They would do better at 7mm instead of 6.8mm. 7mm is the ballistic top of the ladder. But with the Democrats taking office there will be little if any funds for any military improvements of any kind.

[Sunray]

"...would do better at 7mm..." That's odd. The Brits were working on a 7mm cartridge(2.76 Enfield) when the U.S. decided to jam the 7.62/.308 down the rest of NATO's collective throat.
The assorted pundits don't seem to think Biden will do much of anything either way. He does brag a lot about helping vets though.

[RCS]

7x49mm Liviano

The Belgians at FN took the early 7,62x49mm Nato case and necked it down to 7mm and made the
Venezuelan 7x49mm Liviano cartridge. They also sold around 5000 new FN FAL rifles chambered for
this cartridge to Venezuela in 1954. Even Castro had one later on !

It would be an excellent cartridge today in the AR systemP1010027_0027.jpg

[Johnny P]

This ammunition came out several years back and was going to revolutionize the ammo industry, but the public just wouldn't buy it. It does sell for $3.50 or so a round today.

This is .38 Special, but it also came in rifle calibers.

[Major Tom]

Yikes! How would you reload that?

[Johnny P]

Like the Blazer aluminum case, it really wasn't intended for reloading. I have heard of the Blazer cases being reloaded, but only once or twice before it fails.

[bruce]

The 6.5-7mm bore offers excellent utility for anti-personnel, etc. Hard to see any real problems with it. The .50BMG is always available for anything beyond the 6.5-7mm as a GP round. No reason it should require extreme research/testing. The M-16 design is proven over 50 years of usage. If deemed necessary, the 5.56 chambering could be retained for rear-service areas. About like the M-1 Carbine. JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.

[Art]

this stuff has come up over and over again for decades. I don't see the M16 family of rifles being replaced in my lifetime or maybe my kids. There are a lot of reasons for that, first is the cost, not just in buying new rifles and squad automatic weapons or converting existing weapons but the obsolescence of billions of rounds of ammunition, second, the troops actually like the M4 system, third, one of the reasons the troops like the M4 system is neither it or its ammunition have the weight penalty of previous weapons firing a heavier round. These guys are loaded down like pack mules, it isn't for nothing they derisively refer to the M16 as "the musket."

[holdover]

new cartridge for M16

Read in AR that the 6mm ARC by Hornady was approved in June. Looking at the specs it out shoots the 6.5 Grendel and many others, and fits the M16 platform. Be a cheap upgrade of existing M16s.. The ammo issue would be a challenge, but they could sell their stock of 5.56 to the people who bought it, WE THE PEOPLE. Now that is the joke of the day!

this stuff has come up over and over again for decades. I don't see the M16 family of rifles being replaced in my lifetime or maybe my kids. There are a lot of reasons for that, first is the cost, not just in buying new rifles and squad automatic weapons or converting existing weapons but the obsolescence of billions of rounds of ammunition, second, the troops actually like the M4 system, third, one of the reasons the troops like the M4 system is neither it or its ammunition have the weight penalty of previous weapons firing a heavier round. These guys are loaded down like pack mules, it isn't for nothing they derisively refer to the M16 as "the musket."