10-16-2011, 10:53 PM
LRRPF52 Wrote:My understanding is that certain folks prefer the 416 because of the "cool factor", and units have adopted them within certain levels. I know that LAV doesn't really use them in his courses, and from a handling perspective, I can totally see why. Something just does not feel right under recoil in that gun, suppressed or naked. When I see the guy who was the end-user driving a lot of the development of the 416 preferring not to use it in his practical, daily work, I start to scratch my head. Same thing goes for the Masada/ACR. When do you see that many guys from the team that designed it using it in their courses? I've seen Drake a few times, but DI AR's dominate in carbine classes and will, even as op-rod system flood the market. You can't get away from the superior handling of an in-line operating system that has no torque off the bore axis.
Interesting thoughts on the recoil factor. I agree with the masada/ACR comment.
Back to LMG's: I forecast that the IAR will supplement belt-fed systems, and never replace them, especially when hiccups start to occur with the SF mags and dust. IF the SureFire mags prove as reliable as 30-rounders, I will be more than pleasantly surprised, by history is not on the side of reliability and coffin mags. I really hope the SureFire mag works out though, honestly, since Russia seems to be interested in making them for the AK100 series, as well as the An-94. No fight inferred at all...I'm just one guy who has only walked in one set of boots in my life at a time. Maybe I'm totally out of it on my assessment of the 416, but I have to tell you that it recoils more than my AR10's, and I know how to muscle a gun to the point that I can pull the trigger as fast as mechanically possible and still keep all my hits on a 7" circle at 7yds with a 5.56, lightweight carbine, using zero muzzle brakes or special recoil-elimination devices..just standard parts. I cannot do that with the 416 as of yet, and the ones I've shot have heavier barrels, and way heavier fore-ends.
I tend to agree with the supplement vs replace. I have seen the Surefires run great in the 416. I have also seen them fail more than 50% of the time otherwise, no matter what the rifle. I hope that it works and proves reliable in all platforms it would be a great addition for several reasons. I will try to shoot the IAR/416 vs the AR10, side by side. Never have done that.
I imagine the IAR has a smoother impulse with a rifle-length gas system, and from a bipod would be steadier, but unless they found a way to make it constant-recoil, it will never touch an Ultimax or KAC LMG, and those are some lightweight systems with smaller profiles with the commando barrels than the IAR. The shorter IAR variants might really show some promise if the SF60rd mag works long-term. I still like belt-fed, especially when it comes to resupply and consolidation & reorganization on the objective. That 100rd SF mag is out of the question for obvious reasons though.
Having never shot an Ultimax, I can't comment. I agree on the hundred round mag, it is freaking huge, although the way some guys have the front of their kit loaded up, they could still probably shoot it prone. LOL, I know I can't unless i was shooting up a mountain.