XM-8 Rifle

[MAJOR_Baker]

During the AUSA meeting today I talked at great lengths with the H&K representatives. In the beginning I was sceptical for the fact that H&K is German and tht US has never had a German rifle. :warstory: I think I may be a convert to this weapon system. The weapon may begin production in the next 18 months. The color will be an earth tone, which I was quite surprised by.

 

[onecat]

H&K is awesome gun company, and I don‘t think the US can go wrong with taking up a verision of G-36. I wish Canada had the money to upgrade to the G-36; but then there nothing wrong with C-7. I hope its staying Black though.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Maj Sherwood,
You seem to have a rather diverse and interesting job. You are all over the map as to your speciality and signifigance, military wise, in the US Forces. I‘m sure you have already done so, but please post your bona fides, courses, and status in the US military. This should include a way of researching your status, vis a vis the US system , which I can access. Also, let me know, by PM, how to get hold of you (a gov‘t email would be great). A reference from a moderator here will go along way to substantiating your credibility, which seems to be somewhat lacking at this point. Just a thought, drop me a line. You‘ve asked some good questions, and given good feedback, just let us know where you‘re coming from. Thx.

 

[Excolis]

here is a pic of the new C7A2 rifle. they have changed the color scheme, but it looks like the modifications are pretty good. take a look at this link.

http://www.tacticalkit.com/images/c7a2rifle.ppt

 

[Jason Jarvis]

Here are a couple of thoughts from a civilian smallbore target shooter (but not one who‘s ever had the chance to fire the C7):

1. The ambidextrous safety catch and magazine release seem like a good idea. So good I wonder why they weren‘t included in the original? Will this affect how weapons are carried on patrol (any risk of accidental magazine release or negligent discharge by getting levers caught on kit)?

2. The telescoping butt also seems to be a good idea, but is it as stable as the solid butt? Also, how much does shortening the butt (to compensate for a flak jacket) affect the weapon‘s zero? Does the scope remove/reduce the effect of shortened eye relief (versus iron sights)?

3. Why is the barrel not being shortened? I believe KevinB and/or MG34 have noted that a reduction in barrel length to 18.5" (and maybe 16") has no noticeable affect on ballistics, accuracy or penetration. This would certainly make it easier to use in the back of an LAV III/Coyote/M113/Iltis.

4. Why do we still issue black rifles? With the recent switch to CADPAT, don‘t black C7s stand out against a camo background? I‘ve read several comments about how guys now look for boots when on exercise, because now they‘re the only part of of the OPFOR that stands out. I think a CADPAT C7 looks a little silly, but making it at least light green would seem to be a logical first step. I‘m glad to see that the A2‘s furniture will be green. Aren‘t the AK5s (FN FNCs) issued to Swedish soldiers a dark green?

5. What are the advantages of a "tactical charging handle"? Will the catch keep the handle from being accidentally pulled?

And I still prefer iron sights! :soldier:

 

[Jarnhamar]

Here are a couple of thoughts from a civilian smallbore target shooter (but not one who‘s ever had the chance to fire the C7

And I still prefer iron sights!

(Lemme try this again)
If you‘ve never shot the C7 how do you know you prefer the iron sites more? Or do you mean in general you prefer iron sites on the weapons you‘ve shot.


I‘d rather see our whole army issued with cadpat combats before i see select individuals with cadpat rifle. (Same way it was done with the uniforms) I know theres reasons why it‘s imposible but it‘s still what i‘d rather. I‘ve seen some support guys treat their weapons like it had a contagious dieasese, i can‘t imagine what they would do with even a semi high speed looking rifle. And you just know some of them would have them before the combat arms .

 

[Jason Jarvis]

Having been cursed with terrible uncorrected vision + being colour blind, the army isn‘t likely to let me get behind a C7 any time soon.

That said, when I said I preferred iron sights, I was referring to shooting in general. I have restricted my use of optics to testing ammo, analyzing my position, and trying to gain a better understanding of mirage and how it affects my point of impact.

As for a CADPAT rifle, I was thinking more along the lines of a monotone rifle, one painted a suitable colour that would allow it to blend better against both CADPAT and also the natural environment (both woodland and desert, for example). I don‘t know if this is possible, but if they went to all that trouble to plug colours into a supercomputer to design CADPAT, coming up with a suitable colour shouldn‘t be that hard, should it?

I do agree with Ghost about high-speed rifles, however. Too many shooters I know get caught up in the latest toys and loose sight of what they should be focusing on -- the fundamentals. I can see certain sections needing all the high-tech kit like reflex sights, flashlights, laser aimers, etc., but is it really necessary for the average soldier?