jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm not an expert on firearms, so I might get some terms wrong. I saw online that the army is getting rid of their version of the AR-15 from Armalite, and they will be replacing it with the M5, also from Armalite. The army wanted more range and more power, and the larger bullet should give them what they want. Although the army will have to wait a couple of years for the new weapon, it is supposedly available to the public right now under the name Aero Precision M5 (I think).

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Interesting. It looks like they are going with a .308 round which is also available on the AR platform.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

There was a new rifle years ago that encountered quite a bit of resistance from the army because it wasn't developed by one of the regular suppliers. With enough pushing, it was finally adopted, although I don't know which one that was. It must be tough for an outsider to get a foothold in the supply chain.

pendennis

When Eugene Stoner (Armalite) first built his AR platform, it was in 7.62mm NATO. DoD wasn't interested in it. Stoner tried marketing internationally with some success, but not enough to be really successful. Enter the AR-15, which eventually became the M-16/M-4 chambered in 5.56mm (.223") caliber. He found a buyer in USAF Chief of Staff, General Curtis LeMay who wanted a smaller firearm for Air Force security personnel. LeMay liked the rifle, and bought them. He then managed to convince DoD, which was looking to replace the M-14 for a rifle which was lighter, and would work for closer combat.

The M-16 fit into DoD Secretary McNamara's plans to do away with the "armory system". Since the 1790's, American infantry weapons had been pretty much designed in-house. The exception was the Krag Jorgensen. The M-14 was the last infantry rifle designed in the "armory system", although it was built by several contractors.

The new M5 should be a no-brainer. The platform is identical to the M-16, so soldiers/Marines, etc., who were trained on the M-16 should be able to adapt quickly to the newer rifle. They're also looking at multiple uppers, since not everyone needs a 600m rifle.

I own an AR-10 design produced by Panther Arms. It's extremely versatile.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

My daughter was an Air Force sharpshooter. Nothing more bad ass than a chick with a big gun!

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

The 6.8 is actually 7mm/.284 so the bullet is mid way between the 5.56 x 45 and the 7.62 x 51mm but the case is about the same length as the 5.56 at 43mm so the actions are the same size as those that fire 5.56, not the longer actions needed for 7.62/.308 x 51mm, and far less than the 30-06 which had a 63mm case.

pendennis

The 6-7mm class of cartridges has always had a great reputation for accuracy. I used to own a Winchester Model 70, in .280 Remington (7mm-06). It was super accurate, and a pleasure to shoot. The recoil is low, especially in a turn-bolt rifle.

jerold222 Loc: Southern Minnesota

The new rifle is made by Sig, not Armalite. The current M4 rifle is made by FN or Colt.
The new cartridge, is a 6.8 mm bi metal case operating at 80,000 psi compare to the 5.56 that operated at 55 to 60,000 psi.
https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/tag/6-8x51mm-sig/

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

As I said, I might have some details wrong. I'm sure that Armalite isn't happy about that.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/5/19/soldiers-will-get-first-next-gen-squad-weapons-by-next-year

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I think the desire for the M-16 in the smaller caliber was because it was several pounds lighter than a similar weapon in the .308 caliber - and the ammunition was much lighter. The thought, from what I have read, was that if you are sending soldiers to slog around in the jungle for weeks at a time, you need a lightweight weapon and as many rounds of ammo as possible. The .308 causes far more damage with a hit than the smaller round, though.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Very interesting!

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

The battlefield is the deciding factor in the choice of firearm that is best suited for the mission. Fighting in the thick jungle at closer quarters had different needs than urban fighting where the enemy is in buildings blocks away raining down firepower on the troops.

The ability to get rounds on target is what counts. Getting a flood of rounds down range will help suppress offensive fire so that specialists with more accurate and effective rounds can have the moments that they need to secure the targets.

Personally, I like drones that can blow the shit out of everything with the operators sitting safely far away. That's my kind of battle keeping our warriors safe.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

Funny that DOD is going from 5.56 to 6.8. Where as Russia/China went from 7.62 AK to 5.45 AK because the bullet tumbles and causes a deadly gaping hole like the 5.56.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Maybe they switching because the smaller bullets are cheaper.

edwdickinson Loc: Ardmore PA

The military doesn't use any version of the AR-15. The military uses the M4A1. The M5 is not produced by Armalite but by Aero Precision and the Aero Precision M5 is chambered for a .308 round but there is also a Colt M5 which is chambered for 5.56 NATO like the M4A1