too light to be a robust 8.59mm MMG
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fuchs
I've argued for a while that an intermediate calibre between 5.56 and 7.62 makes sense for dismounted combat while an intermediate calibre between 7.62 and 12.7 makes sense for sniping and mounted combat.
A bit of homework confirms that your views are widely supported by items on the web. Many commentators share the view that 5.56x45 and 7.62x51mm rounds should be succeeded by an intermediate round designed for use in assault rifles and platoon-level MGs. But their solutions for the elusive combination of range, barrier penetration, lethality and ready controllability of close-range automatic fire from a rifle wielded by the 95 percentile soldier span calibres from 6 to 7mm, projectile weights of 6 to 10grams, muzzle velocities of 750 to 925mps from a 450 to 500mm barrel, and ammunition that weighs in somewhere between 50 and 70 rounds per kilo.
But there has been more commonality of opinion about that notional second round intermediate between the 7.62x51 and the 12.7x99mm for use in company-level and vehicle MGs. Some commentators have supported the 8.59x70mm Nammo Lapua round currently used in long-range bolt-action sniper rifles: 16.2gm projectile and MV of about 900mps from a 660mm barrel. Others have supported that calibre but argued that sustained bursts of fire demand a lower MV in order to reduce the damage caused to rifling. Now General Dynamics has possibly satisfied the latter by developing an 8.59mm belt-fed MG and demonstrating its ability to satisfactorily fire bursts of another other long range marksman round the 8.59x63.5mm Norma Magnum round: 19.4gm projectile at an estimated MV of 825mps from a 660mm barrel.
But the intriguing aspect is GDs new 8.59mm LWMMG. See
http://www.generaldynamics.com/news/...eID_1811=17733
Its logical to start with the robust and reliable 7.62x51mm MAG58/M240 MG that weighs about 12kg on its bipod. That or a similar gun could have been beefed up with a modified and reinforced receiver and a heavier 8.59mm barrel and bolt group to produce an 8.59mm GPMG weighing say 14 to 16kg. According to a press release the LWMMG weighs just 11 kg. It has a low firing rate of 500 rpm but each cartridge has much more propellant than does the 7.62x51 and the barrel of the LWMMG must lack the mass needed to function as a useful heat sink for sustained fire. The alternative of carrying and frequently juggling several spare barrels is a laborious and often impractical exercise.
A near-term upgrade of the LWMMG is certain to involve a much heavier barrel. So what is/was the intended purpose of the introductory 11kg version ? Is there a need for a sniper squad to include a team with a highly portable MG to briefly support the operation of one or more sniper pairs that are typically armed with a bolt-action rifle and a self-loading rifle ? Is there a need for a sniper pair to be sometimes armed with a bolt-action rifle plus a long-range MG ? Or is GD suggesting or responding to some other role or requirement ?
Parallel development, great minds and all that...
I've long advocated a 6-7mm cartridge (the US Army 6mm SAW round had development potential) for man portable Platoon weapons, 10mm for a pistol or SMG and an enhanced 7-8mm cartridge for MMGs (a Co/Coy weapon IMO), some Sniper applications and vehicle weapons. A pepped up 8mm Remington Magnum (with an unbelted case), would work...
The .338 is a good cartridge but I think a bad compromise between 7.62 and 12.7; it's a little too big and like FNs abortive '15.5mm' too close to the 12.7 to be a really meaningful alternative.
I lack the vocabulary to ask this very well
but here goes. Is the 1700m range of the weapon really that big a selling point? There are a limited number of environments where that sort of viewshed is consistently available: deserts, mountains in the desert and above the tree line, steppes with the right vegetation mix, tundra (am I missing any?). And while a sniper taking a shot at that distance makes sense to me, am I correct in assuming that it’s not a distance you want to start the shooting from if you are attempting to close with the enemy?
That’s a convoluted way for a layman to ask whether the range of this weapon is one of or the big attractions it holds.