M16 maybe replaced as US Millitary Rifle!!!

[Adirondack Joe]

I've also read where the army is testing a 6.8x43 cartridge.

That would be correct, sir. Remington has finished development of the 6.8mm Remington SPC (Special Purpose Cartridge) and it is being evaluated by the military. Specs as of now are 115 grn FMJ at 2800 fps.  It is supposedly lethal out to 500 meters, which seems quite reasonable. It is based on the 30 Rem case and is designed to function in M16/M4 type rifle actions. Remington is also rumored to be developing Tactical Model 700's for urban police sniper use in this round.

If this cartridge is accepted, it will be quite an odd-ball. Old-school military cartridges such as the 7x57, 6.5x55, 30-06, 308, etc. were able to be successfully used as very excellent big-game cartridges. The 5.56 proved to be a most excellent varmint cartridge in its civilian version, the 223 Rem. I don't see the 6.8mm SPC as being very useful as either a varmint cartridge or a big game cartridge. Some report that it would be in a similar class as the 7-30 Waters, but even then I am skeptical. On the other hand, the 6.8mm has been reported to be an excellent target/match cartridge. Perhaps it will see its greatest usefullness going neck to neck with 6mm PPC's. Only time will tell, I guess.

[Topper]

Recently given the option, my Force Protection guys have left the M-16 in the Armory racks in favor of a shortened version of the Mossberg 12 Ga. M-500.  We've heard the rumors that changes are comimg for the old worn out battle rifle as well.

[MGMorden]

Most of the talk I've been hearing has been leaning towards the XM8 being the next replacement for the M16.

Link:

http://www.hk-usa.com/pages/military-le/rifles-carbines/xm8.html

It's supposed to be lighter (more plastic. don't know about reliability).  All of the prototype models have been designed for use with standard 5.56 NATO, but then again the 6.8 Remington SPC was designed to be able to be used in 5.56 magazines, so for from my understanding switching a 5.56 NATO design to fire 6.8 SPC should be trivial.  

As for the 6.8 Rem SPC though: it should theoretically work well for a lighter big-game cartridge.  Smaller deer and antelope shouldn't be a problem at all.  I certainly wouldn't hunt elk or larger with it (and probably not whitetail as you never know when the 200+lb buck is going to walk up on ya), but it's not without it's uses.  As I don't hunt varmints the .223 is useless to me except as a target round.

[NH_Hunter]

AHA! I have figured out a better weapon! A Ruger AC556 with a 18.5" barrel chambered for 6.8x43 REM. Now wouldnt that be awesome? Lightweight, controllable under full auto, compact (just have to swap stocks for cqb), knockdown power, opitome of reliablilty. Fairly accurate. Now doesnt that just sound awesome?

NH_Hunter

[1911crazy]

I find it very funny while we spend millions taxpayers dollars for equipment every picture I see of Iraq our guys are carrying AK's??  Maybe we should work a deal with Russia for small arms what the heck everyone else has.  I think our goverment will cheapen the change over so much like they will just change the uppers on the M16 to save  cost/taxpayers dollars and not change out the whole sorry weapon.  It will be a failure all over again.  They our guys will carry AK's again!!!!!                                                                        BigBill

They say we won the war in Iraq my question what did we win? We won more dependents on US $$$$ we will give them social security too.  And we can't feed everyone here in the US thats pretty bad letting our own poor starve.

[bgjohn]

AHA! I have figured out a better weapon! A Ruger AC556 with a 18.5" barrel chambered for 6.8x43 REM. Now wouldnt that be awesome? Lightweight, controllable under full auto, compact (just have to swap stocks for cqb), knockdown power, opitome of reliablilty. Fairly accurate. Now doesnt that just sound awesome?

NH_Hunter

And they barrel would be burned up in a couple thousand rounds!
JM

[smdavis]

The M16 is a great design that offers a lot of variety in options without a lot of user agony. I keep a rack full of uppers to service three lowers. .223, 7.62x39, 9mm and now the .50 Beowulf (soon the .26 Grendel). When you absolutely, positively have to anchor the exterminated in its tracks there is nothing like a .50 Beowulf.

Hopefully the M16 will be around for a while. If I were stuck with a rifle in Iraq I would not be playing with AK toys I would want a .50 Beowulf and someone to tote the cartridges.

Of course, the most effective crowd control device in my memory is the faithful M1A1 Flame Thrower.

Steve

[bgjohn]

Isn't a 50 beowulf about like shooting a shotgun with slugs? If so why not use a shotgun?
JM

[BIGBOREFAN]

I'm not military orinented but seems to me a good replacement would be a AR-10 in 260 Rem. Sounds like a good combo to me but then again I never been in the Military.


BBF

[MGMorden]

I'm not military orinented but seems to me a good replacement would be a AR-10 in 260 Rem. Sounds like a good combo to me but then again I never been in the Military.


BBF

The .260 Remington would certainly be a nice choice (ballistically it's almost identical to the 6.5x55SE which is currently my favorite rifle cartridge).   I don't know if current 5.56 magazines could be adapted to fit it though.  That seems to be a requirement of any replacement round, as the army already has so many M16's and variants in service, and the XM8 in development.  Even if the M16 is replaced they'd probably retrofit the majority of them and store them "just in case".

[mikej]

There's a big thread over on shootersforum.com in the rifles and rifle cartridge section about the XM-8 and the 6.8x45 cartridge. It has pix of both, and alot of links to various sources about both. Even has a pic of someone who has a deer rifle chambered in it with the deer he killed.