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I think that H&K's M-4/M-16 mods to the gas system and mags address the most significant shortcomings with the current weapons and should be tested as the next PIP cycle rolls around. I can see little more that can be done beyond that for the current weapon, though I do believe that there are ammo and optical sight issues that could be improved on.
IMHO, the XM8 is an attempt to salvage something from the horrible OICW program. Having said that, if I was in the market to equip a force from scratch, I would strongly consider it, but would not dump an existing M-16 series weapon for it. It has some good characteristics, most from the G-36, though the rifle and optics could use some more work before I would consider testing them.
The biggest problem, as I see it, is that the Army is looking at replacing the 20" barrelled M-16 AND the 14.5" M-4 with the 12.5" XM-8. Other barrel lengths are available, but are not currently being considered. The conventional 5.56x45 FMJ is very velocity dependent in its wounding mechanism. The immutable laws of physics dictate that no matter how nice or sexy the weapon, a 12.5" barrel is not going to be more lethal than the already problematic 14.5" M-4, and may be less accurate. This would necessitate a better round (no, not the 6.8), a longer barrel, or both.
IMHO, the XM-8 does not provide much value added for the cost. For the amount of money spent, it is my belief that you would find a much better solution to soldiers hitting and killing bad guys in going to the 77 gr. bullet with sufficient quantities for all soldiers to shoot monthly, a good low powered optical sight, new ranges (indoor at BDE/BN level?), and well-qualified marksmanship training at a variety of KD and unknown ranges under varying conditions.
I am also sufficiently pragmatic to believe that the system may be adopted anyway for political reasons, regardless of the dubious value.
Just my .02, YMMV.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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