The Roles and Weapons with the Squad

[Compost]

I do not like bullpups (compactness is vastly overrated IMO, all weapons are compromises but one gives up too much in the way of range, reliability and functioning for small envelopes).

Understand 'functioning' if that refers to extraction/ejection. Do not understand 'range, reliability'.

However, weapons, like most everything else should really be chosen with an eye on what one is to do -- METT-TC...

Yes indeed and that makes me a gun-nut. It is easier to start with infantry specialists, excluding snipers many of whom already seem able to choose from a variety of weapons. Also easier to consider 5.56 and 7.62mm as the in-service calibres for carbines and rifles.

To produce deliberate semi-auto fire, a marksman needs a long barrel weapon with a fwd-folding bipod (preferable to a gripod) and commonly also a MP-suppressor. That task and the frontend weight could be well handled with a 7.62mm bullpup rifle.

Grenadiers could be using a specialised multi-shot launcher, capable of firing for example 40x46 low-vel and 40x51 medium-vel ammunition. A pistol's useful range is very short and many other PDWs use dubious types of micro ammunition. Integrating a PDW into a specialized launcher would tend to result in a bulky and/or awkward combination. So a grenadier's PDW could be a separate 5.56mm carbine in whichever configuration - fwd-mag or bullpup - is the lighter. If a grenadier were using a single shot launcher attachment, then the bullpup configuration provides good access to the attachment's breech and reduces the frontend weight which is even more useful if a bipod were also fitted. A rifle length barrel would probably be needed to support the launcher attachment, again in 5.56mm calibre as all-up weapon and ammunition weights are problematic for grenadiers. Multiple shots stacked in a single barrel would involve even more frontend weight and hence the same 5.56mm bullpup configuration.

The infantry crews of heavy weapons can be variously engaged in moving and operating the weapon, and then waiting for targets of opportunity or fire orders. The most frequently used crew-served weapons are the medium MG and the medium assault weapon (shoulder fired recoilless rifle or larger variety of rocket-propelled grenade launcher). Their crews would preferably have compact, lightweight PDWs: 5.56mm bullpup carbines. The crews of other weapons usually - and even in light infantry units - operate with access to transport resources for replenishment purposes, so 7.62mm bullpup or fwd-mag carbines.

That leaves the individual weapon for a 'rifleman'. For CQB a fwd-mag carbine is a useful configuration for absolute speed of reloading. If light infantry and if regular drill is prophylactic fire then a fwd-mag carbine in 5.56mm seems preferable, otherwise 7.62mm. If however, the CQB 'rifleman' is routinely expected to carry - in addition to hand grenades - other disposable weapons such as one or even two light assault weapons (eg: M72) or directional mines (eg: M18), then that individuals weapon should be a 5.56mm fwd-mag carbine. At longer range the rifleman would preferably have a 7.62mm rifle. In any conflict against a peer adversary that rifle would have to be issued together with a QA/D MP-suppressor and the suitable weapon (excluding long range tele-sight) would tend towards that of a sharpshooter.

My bias toward 7.62mm is clearly indicated above. But many other arrangements would be practicable. Infantry need scope to obtain shoulder arms that cater for user aptitude and experience/preference for either a fwd-mag or a bullpup, and also to some extent that weapon's calibre: 5.56 or 7.62mm. A future that insists on the bullpup configuration would be as backward as a present that insists upon the fwd-mag. Hence my previous posts.