That video Stan posted of the M27 during a USMC live fire shows why I'm not a big fan of a box mag fed LMG in the Squad.
The M27 also isn't anywhere near as controllable as designs that are now 80 years old, some of which were German. The Sturmgewehr itself remains one of the only controllable select-fire intermediate cartridge rifles if you look at constant recoil principle.
Another was the Stoner 63A. Watch how the gun barely moves even in the assault rifle configuration:
There are two major technological developments that have really changed LMGs in the Squad though that deserve mentioning:
1. Widespread use of optics
2. Own the Night Aiming systems
These 2 developments do make a magazine-fed IAR more viable, with a major consideration: High levels of training for the IAR gunner.
In my experience, those levels of training rarely happen in most infantry units because of training distractions, unambitious leadership who are content with status quo, and limited training resources for larger units.
In Ranger Regiment, those levels of training are the standard, to the extent that deployments with 150 missions within a 180 day period are vacations from the Stateside training cycle.
The M27 also isn't anywhere near as controllable as designs that are now 80 years old, some of which were German. The Sturmgewehr itself remains one of the only controllable select-fire intermediate cartridge rifles if you look at constant recoil principle.
Another was the Stoner 63A. Watch how the gun barely moves even in the assault rifle configuration:
There are two major technological developments that have really changed LMGs in the Squad though that deserve mentioning:
1. Widespread use of optics
2. Own the Night Aiming systems
These 2 developments do make a magazine-fed IAR more viable, with a major consideration: High levels of training for the IAR gunner.
In my experience, those levels of training rarely happen in most infantry units because of training distractions, unambitious leadership who are content with status quo, and limited training resources for larger units.
In Ranger Regiment, those levels of training are the standard, to the extent that deployments with 150 missions within a 180 day period are vacations from the Stateside training cycle.
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