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Seasoned Vet
 
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Copied this from lightfighter.
All you 7.62 junkies should love this. Personally, I think its a good thing. The reading is a little dry.
Document Type: Presolicitation Notice
Solicitation Number: H92222-04-R-0001
Posted Date: Oct 15, 2003
Contracting Office Address
U.S. Special Operations Command, Headquarters Procurement Division, 7701 Tampa Point Blvd, MacDill AFB, FL, 33621-5323
Description
The United States Special Operations Command is issuing a solicitation for the procurement of SOF Combat Assault Rifles (SCAR). The program will use full and open competition to fulfill the joint USSOCOM SCAR requirement. The SCAR will be developed in two threshold configurations, a SCAR-Light (SCAR-L, 5.56x45mm) and a SCAR-Heavy (SCAR-H, 7.62x51mm) with the SCAR-L being the priority. Both the SCAR-L and H will possess the capability for barrel modularity and thus will be available in the following variants: Standard (S), Close Quarters Combat (CQC) and Sniper Variant (SV). The SV can be a modular enhancement or a separate weapon. The barrel modularity can be accomplished via complete upper receiver changes or just the barrel. The SCAR-L shall be optimized for 5.56x45mm and thus shall use an enhanced 5.56mm magazine. The SCAR-H will provide an ?open architecture? design to accommodate changing calibers from the standard 7.62x51mm. The initial caliber change is projected as the 7.62x39mm. The ergonomic and parts commonality between the SCAR-L and H shall be maximized to create a ?family? of SCAR weapons. This commonality is essential for training time reduction, enhancing mission effectiveness, and improving the SOF operator?s ingrained operational and emergency procedure autonomic responses that are critical during high stress situations. The SCAR system will be rugged, highly reliable, controllable in full automatic fire, have no unsafe failure modes, be highly ergonomic, corrosion proof (objective)/resistant (threshold), capable of lube-less firing (objective)/minimal lube firing (threshold), and capable of being operated and maintained by a single man. The SCAR-L with stock collapsed or folded shall not exceed lengths of 29.9?/33.6? extended with standard barrel. The SCAR-L shall weigh no more than 7.25 lbs unloaded. The SCAR-H shall be collapsible or foldable to lengths not greater than similar configurations of currently available 7.62mm battle rifles (30.3? folded/40.2? extended with standard barrel). The SCAR-H shall weigh no more than 9 lbs. The following are the Key Performance Parameters for the SCAR: Adaptability, Modular/Family of Weapons, Reliability and Accuracy. The SCAR barrels/caliber will be readily exchanged at operator level, without head space/timing adjustments, within 20 minutes, threshold (T), 5 minutes objective (O). The SCAR-L and H, in threshold caliber configurations (5.56mm NATO and 7.62mm NATO) with M855 and M80 ball ammunition respectively (T), spirally developed/alternate caliber configurations (O), shall have a Mean Round Between Stoppages (MRBS) of 2,000 rounds (T), 8,000 rounds (O). The SCAR-L and H, in threshold caliber configurations (T), spirally developed/ alternate caliber configurations (O), shall have a Mean Round Between Failure (MRBF) of 15,000 rounds (T), 35,000 rounds (O). The SCAR-L and H, in threshold caliber configuration/ball ammunition (T), spirally developed/alternate caliber configurations (O), will have a fully functional service life without overhaul for a minimum of 15,000 rounds (T), 90,000 rounds (O) for the weapon and 15,000 rounds (T), 35,000 rounds (O) for the barrel. The SCAR, in threshold configuration (T) and all caliber/barrel configurations (O), will not add more than 1.0 MOA at 300 meters (T), .25 MOA at 300 meters (O) to baseline (M855, MK262, M80, M118) ammunition performance The SCAR shall also be compatible with the SOPMOD Accessory Kit components via MIL-STD 1913 rails. It is envisioned that the SCAR weapons will be available with a sling, bipod, forward handgrip, blank firing capability and an operator?s manual. Offerors will be required to provide product sample SCAR-Ls as part of the proposal. The product samples will consist of 3 each SCAR-L rifles with standard barrels, 1 each CQC conversion and a SCAR-H technical approach. After evaluation, the government will have the flexibility to award ?multiple? contracts for follow-on test/evaluation quantities. The contract type will be an eight-year, Firm-Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ). The minimum quantity is projected to be 12 each SCAR-L Engineering Test Units with standard length barrels, 6 SCAR-L CQC conversions, 1 each SCAR-L Sniper Variant and 1 each SCAR-H standard. The government will conduct an evaluation of the test units that may result in subsequent delivery orders for the SCAR family of weapons. The contract(s) minimum quantities are delineated above. The contract(s) maximums are 84,000 SCAR-L Standard; 28,000 SCAR-L CQC conversions; 12,000 SCAR-L SV; 15,000 SCAR-H Standard; 7,000 SCAR-H CQC conversions; and 12,000 SCAR-H SV. The contract will contain a Provisioning Item Order (PIO) contract line item number (CLIN) of $10,000,000 for both the SCAR-L and SCAR-H. The contract will also contain a CLIN for Engineering Services for product improvement/caliber modularity development for a not to exceed amount of $4,000,000. The contract will also contain CLINs for magazines and tool and gage kits for both the SCAR-L and SCAR-H. The contract will also have provisions for ordering technical data. The contract is F.O.B. Destination (NAVSEA Crane - Crane IN). For the minimum quantities delineated above the delivery is required 180 days after order. Subsequent deliveries of the SCAR-L will require deliveries to commence 90 days after order. The delivery schedule for the SCAR-H is 180 days after order for the first deliveries and once in production will be 90 days after order. The ordering parameters (quantities) for all SCAR variants and magazines are a minimum quantity of 10/ea and a maximum quantity of 20,000/ea. The maximum monthly delivery rate is 2,000/ea for the SCAR L weapon type and 500 per month for the SCAR H weapon type. The solicitation will require delivery of 3/ea SCAR-L (5.56x45mm) product samples; 1/ea SCAR-L CQC conversion and a SCAR-H approach included in the concise technical proposal by the closing date of the proposal. The solicitation will be evaluated on a best value basis and the Government will reserve the right to award to other than the lowest priced offeror and other than the highest technically rated offeror. The SCAR L product samples are not required to meet the specification in its entirety. The technical proposal shall address any differences between the product samples and the production units; must address any known deficiencies where the product samples do not meet the specification; and shall have a separate section addressing the vendor?s SCAR-H approach. The Government cannot guarantee the condition of the product samples after testing. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by the agency.
Go with God, but make Him walk the point.
If you load a mudfoot down with a lot of gadgets he has to watch somebody a lot more simply equipped - say with a stone axe - will sneak up and bash his head in while he is trying to read a Vernier. - Robert Heinlein
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Regular Joe
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 8/25/2008 6:32 AM
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Sounds like the Stoner weapons system
- There are very few problems that cannot be solved by the suitable application of
HIGH EXPLOSIVES -
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Seasoned Vet
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 9/7/2005 7:22 PM
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Wow, they aren't asking for much are they?[ ]LOL
Looks to me like Knight's Armaments will probably be the leading contender for this contract. They already make the Mk11 MOD 0 in 7.62x51mm and the SR-47 in 7.62x39mm for SOCOM. Both rifles are of course based on the Stoner AR-15/M-16 rifle series and are modular.
IMO, the biggest challenge will be coming up with a common lower receiver for the SCAR (H) that can fit 2 different size magazines for the 2 different 7.62mm rounds. Of course this could be accomplished by using a spacer in the magazine itself for the 7.62x39mm.
I wonder why they did not specify one chambered in the experimental SOCOM 6.8x43mm (.270 SOCOM)?
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Seasoned Vet
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quote:
The SCAR system will be rugged, highly reliable, controllable in full automatic fire, ........The SCAR-H shall weigh no more than 9 lbs.
These two requirements are mutually exclusive for 7.62mm NATO chambered lightweight rifles. This is the same requirement that made the M-14 useless in full auto mode. I guess the Army can keep dreaming, but the laws of physics cannot be broken.
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Stare Master
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quote:
Originally posted by Delta_6
quote:
The SCAR system will be rugged, highly reliable, controllable in full automatic fire, ........The SCAR-H shall weigh no more than 9 lbs.
These two requirements are mutually exclusive for 7.62mm NATO chambered lightweight rifles. This is the same requirement that made the M-14 useless in full auto mode. I guess the Army can keep dreaming, but the laws of physics cannot be broken.
John, you are right. The only way this could be done IMO is to make the round so underpowered as to negate having a 7.62 in the first place.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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Seasoned Vet
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Personally I don't understand why the military wants to create a new cartridge like the 6.8x43mm when there are SO MANY existing cartridges that would make OUSTANDING assault rifle rounds IMO.
It seems to me that logistics could be greatly simplified by adopting .243 Winchester instead. It is a necked down 7.62mm NATO case using a 6mm bullet that can be had in weights from 70 grains up to 105 grains. I would probably choose the 95 grain loading travelling at 3,000+ fps. Adopting the .243 Winchester as the 6mm NATO would allow all older 7.62mm rifles to simply be rebarreled. The case size is identical to the 7.62 NATO so the original bolt and magazines can be retained, only the barrel would need changing. The original chamber could even be retained and used with an insert.
If the military did this, then they could have a SCAR-L and a SCAR-H as ONE rifle. All you do is simply change out the upper receiver or barrel. If a quick change barrel like the SAW were used, then all that would need to be changed in the field would be the barrel and you are ready to switch from 6mm to 7.62mm or vice versa. This would obsolete the need for two separate rifles (SCAR-L and SCAR-H), and the need for any other cartridges and magazines.
If it were me designing this rifle, I'd use an H&K G3 style barrel and barrel extension with H&K G3 style bolt and place both in an aluminum upper receiver like an AR-10/AR-15 with a charging handle and dust cover like the AR-10/AR-15. I'd also make the barrel quick change like the SAW.
http://www.hkpro.com/Internal.htm
http://boards.hkpro.com/video/Cutaway128.mpg
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Seasoned Vet
Group: Past PNET Supporter
Last Login: 9/7/2005 7:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by 509Trooper
quote:
Originally posted by Delta_6
quote:
The SCAR system will be rugged, highly reliable, controllable in full automatic fire, ........The SCAR-H shall weigh no more than 9 lbs.
These two requirements are mutually exclusive for 7.62mm NATO chambered lightweight rifles. This is the same requirement that made the M-14 useless in full auto mode. I guess the Army can keep dreaming, but the laws of physics cannot be broken.
John, you are right. The only way this could be done IMO is to make the round so underpowered as to negate having a 7.62 in the first place.
Barry, the Spanish actually made a light loaded 7.62mm NATO called the 7.62mm CETME in the late 50's. It had a 112 grain bullet that travelled at 2450-2500 fps. It's performance was very similar to the Soviet 7.62x39mm.
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