Army to give two brigades XM8 rifles
StrategyPage is reporting the Army will equip two brigades with the XM8 chambered for the 5.56mm cartridge (same as used in the M16/4) later this year for extended in-field testing.
This is exactly what is needed. We will find out if the functionality and reliability claims are real.
I'd also like to see tests of XM8s with the Remington 6.8mm SPC round, as the effectiveness of a firearm is obviously a function of the cartridge (bullet, shell, and powder) as well as the firearm. Lightweight 5.56mm bullets, fired out of short barrels, are going to have the same limitations no matter how handy the XM8 may be to carry and fire.
The H-K G36C carbine, with a short barrel (the XM8 is derived from the G36)
This also indicates confidence in the XM8 remains high as limited tests with a few hundred rifles continue. In the absence of open reports on these tests, indirect news like this is all we have to go on.
For more details on the XM8, check out the ACE overview of the Feb 04 Soldier of Fortune Magazine article on it.
Sunday, January 25, 2004 at 09:15 AM in Weapons & Firearms | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Index to articles on XM8 & 6.8mm
Here's a Random Abstract index to articles/posts on the H-K XM8 rifle (now being tested by the military) and the Remington 6.8mm SPC cartridge (now finding its way to your local gun store), which are two of the hottest internet search topics among firearm fans. A large percentage of hits on ACE from search engines are related to these two items. If that's what you want, that's what I'll give you (along with other things).
The two are only loosely related in the sense that the XM8 could be chambered for the 6.8mm. The focus of the military groups currently testing it seems to be on the longstanding 5.56mm round.
The ACE "Weapons & Fireamrs" category made the list. The latest entry is an overview (posted just yesterday) of the Soldier of Fortune (SOF) article on the XM8 in its FEB 04 issue. (I predict it will be a very popular post once the search engines pick it up.)
H-K USA has published this chart comparing the XM8 and the AR (M16/4) system. Please take this like the comparison charts the auto companies publish to show why their vehicle is better than their competitors. A favorite trick is to not list things for which the competitor's product looks better. And, take some of those numbers (like barrel life and firings without jams) with a grain of salt. The military needs to run its own extended tests under battlefield conditions to obtain realistic numbers. (We made the mistake of basing a decision on the manufacturer's claims and demos back when the M16 was adopted.)
Re. the 6.8mm, this summary page is interesting and provides some comparison tables, whether or not one agrees with its many premises and conclusions.
The index also has at least one link to blended-metal bullets, another subject which has been covered here at ACE.