XM8 Carbine, updated firepower for our military.

[robini123]

The XM8 Future Combat Rifle is intended to replace existing M4 Carbines and select 5.56mm x45 weapons in the US Army arsenal beginning as early as the fourth quarter of FY05.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...nd/m8-oicw.htm



Click for variations: http://world.guns.ru/assault/xm8-2.jpg

XM8 variants, from top: XM8 with XM320 40mm grenade launcher; XM8 Compact / PDW; XM8 Sharpshooter; XM8 Squad Automatic (drawing from H-K USA booklet)
Caliber: 5.56x45 mm NATO
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 838 mm in basic configuration, butt extended
Barrel length: 318 mm in basic configuration; also 229 mm in Compact and 508 mm in Sharpshooter and SAW versions
Weight: 2.659 kg empty in basic configuration
Rate of fire: ~ 750 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds (STANAG) or 100-rounds double drum in Automatic Rifle/SAW role
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as61-e.htm

Video of rifle in action:
http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?s=1-292925-xm8.php

[82nd Airborne Dad]

I want one!!

[robini123]

Originally Posted by 82nd Airborne Dad

I want one!!

It sure looks like fun. I like the way the rifle can be broken down and reassembled into an assault rifle, machine pistol, sniper rifle, or an updated version of the SAW. COOL!!!



The news said it will be in the hands of soldiers as early as next year. Light weight, hard hitting and polymorphic… gotta love that!

[robini123]

Another weapon I have known was is development for the last several years is the OICW assault rifle.


Click for pic: http://world.guns.ru/assault/oicw.jpg

The XM-29 SABR OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon) in its present configuration (2002)


http://world.guns.ru/assault/oicw3.jpg
XM-29 OICW ammunition - HE (High Explosive) ant TP (target practice) rounds for 20mm unit and KE (Kinetic Energy) 5.56mm NATO round
Caliber: 5.56 mm NATO (KE) and 20x85mm (HE)
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt (KE), unknown (HE)
Overall length: 890 mm
Barrel length: 250 mm (KE) 460 mm (HE)
Weight: ca 5.5 kg empty; ca 6.8 kg loaded
Magazine capacity: 20 or 30 rounds box (KE) and 6 rounds box (HE)
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as40-e.htm

[RetPara]

Wonderful... just fecking wonderful... the stock does not have the strength needed for close combat and the 5.56 IS underpowered. Screw the NATO standard we had the chance to upgrade a WORLD standard and the DA staff choked again....

[robini123]

Hey all you weapons experts in the house. I have a question about the XM-29 OICW ammunition - HE (High Explosive) round for 20mm unit, specifically the HE.


Obviously a 20mm projectile is a HELLA BIG round to be firing from a hand held weapon. So it has to have a wide trajectory at a low velocity. My question is; if the shell were to land at the feet of a terrorist… realistically, how much damage could it cause… and what would be the blast radius and kill range? Also… how does it compare to the grenade launchers in use by our military today?


How’s that for a question.

[robini123]

Originally Posted by RetPara

Wonderful... just fecking wonderful... the stock does not have the strength needed for close combat and the 5.56 IS underpowered. Screw the NATO standard we had the chance to upgrade a WORLD standard and the DA staff choked again....

I have a question. If a person it hit in the head, neck or trunk with a 5.56mm round... they are out of action are they not? In most cases anyway? I know the 7.62 round packs more of a punch... but like I asked... who could take a hit in the chest from a 5.56 and still be good to go?



On the other hand, using a larger caliber round would produce more recoil, thus less accuracy. So is this a fair tradeoff? I do wonder if we have the technology to produce a carbine that fires a 7.62mm round with the same accuracy of a 5.56mm though.