n9nwo Wrote:Remember that the PDW has to not only fit on a belt but also be effective out to 300m.
...and make a cappuccino latte.
Knives at 5 paces and 300M guns that fit on the belt. This thread is more Star Trek than reality.
A 5.56mm 10.5" AR with a collapsible stock is effective to 200M. A 7" barrel is good enough for 50-100M and would be more effective with specific ammo for the short barrel. Smaller calibres are less effective on flesh but have their place in the paramilitary. If these guys are non-infantry and don't train with their weapons then you wont be able to offset smaller calibres with shot placement. If the most compact versions of effective guns are still too bulky for a soldier's MOS then have other soldiers nearby fully tooled-up and the non-infantry guys with similar weapons within easy reach. If they go out by themselves then they tool-up for the likely threat. If the cap fits, wear it.
One last comment, your 'unit policy' of deferring to knives in a CQB gunfight is utterly inconceivable - 'Sliced one insurgent from chest to stomach' with a tomahawk. Your claims are steeped in ignorance. I don't trust them.