M27 IAR: Next USMC Service Rifle?

[stanc]

On the heels of a widely praised 2015 decision to issue the more maneuverable M4 carbine in lieu of the M16A4 to Marines in infantry battalions, the Marine Corps may be on the cusp of another major weapons decision.

The Marine Corps' experimental battalion, the California-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, has been conducting pre-deployment exercises with the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle to evaluate it as the new service rifle for infantry battalions, the commander of 1st Marine Division, Maj. Gen. Daniel O'Donohue told Military.com Thursday.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/11/18/marine-corps-experimenting-new-service-rifle.html

[ahillock]

Meh, not being chambered in 6.5 Grendel.

[cory]

This looks like a horrible idea.

[LRRPF52]

All they really need is a free-floated M4A1 with a good trigger that reliably ignites primers.

SF and SOCOM have already had that for years now.

More importantly, marksmanship training needs to take the front row seat over equipment. There are some good comments about this from one of the senior USMC guys inside the program, and it's a training issue, not equipment.

[ahillock]

All they really need is a free-floated M4A1 with a good trigger that reliably ignites primers.

SF and SOCOM have already had that for years now.

More importantly, marksmanship training needs to take the front row seat over equipment. There are some good comments about this from one of the senior USMC guys inside the program, and it's a training issue, not equipment.

Well said.

[Grendel]

OK now I'm seriously confused after reading that.

[LRRPF52]

OK now I'm seriously confused after reading that.

What's there to be confused about after reading this gem from the Commanding General?

"So it starts with the fire team and the squad, if you give them a better weapon with better fire superiority, you'll just put that vicious harmony of violence on the enemy."

Superiority
vicious
harmony
violence

These are the buzzwords you need to familiarize yourself with. The enemy will cower at the red logo of HK on the side of the magazine well (that doesn't fit common magazines in inventory), because he will KNOW that vicious harmony of violence is going to descend on him.

[NugginFutz]

It appears the HK416R is an overpriced version of what the average armorer can assemble for themselves out of basic quality components at 1/2 - 2/3 the cost. Non-compatible magazines? Sounds like a formula for failure.