01-10-2012, 11:08 PM
Agreed. I make my points so that the perspective can be applied to current decision-making and thoughts moving forward into the future. We look at the AR10, for example, which is now basically the Army and Marine's Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle System in the form of the Knight's SR-25/M110/Mk11. We could have avoided the whole M14 experience if they had just awarded the service rifle contract to the superior design in 1955. While I have an aficionado's affection for the M14 as you do, I still recognize the AR10 for what it offers over other designs.
While the BMP is extremely vulnerable to RPGs and mines, I think it does a great job of insulating the crew from small arms fire. Maybe .50 BMG and 12.7mm AP do a good number on it, but a shoulder-fired service rifle is a bit of a pea-shooter in that application. Frontal shots on the BMP are futile with pretty much any heavy machinegun as well, unless you're good enough to target the periscope windows.
Small arms on trucks and jeeps is a freebie, but pretty much any small arms rifle cartridge will make Swiss cheese of unarmored vehicles.
Ammunition for different weapon systems like rifles and LMGs gets assembled, packaged, shipped, and loaded in totally separate usable forms, even when they are the same cartridge and loading like M855 for the SAW and M16 family. SAW ammo is linked, placed in 200rd plastic drums, placed in worthless cloth bandoliers, and packaged in ammo cans. M855 for rifles/carbines is placed on 10rd stripper clips, which are then boxed in 30rd boxes, placed in cloth bandoliers, then packaged in ammo cans. Only in the rarest of circumstances are the cartridges removed from links to feed mag-fed weapons, and that is usually during training with blanks.
We effectively already have a 3-caliber system when you look at how the SAW ammo is distributed and fed into the little pigs. I still prefer 2, and think it can be done with the new multi-role LMG that replaces both the SAW and 240, while leaving the M4 alone.
While the BMP is extremely vulnerable to RPGs and mines, I think it does a great job of insulating the crew from small arms fire. Maybe .50 BMG and 12.7mm AP do a good number on it, but a shoulder-fired service rifle is a bit of a pea-shooter in that application. Frontal shots on the BMP are futile with pretty much any heavy machinegun as well, unless you're good enough to target the periscope windows.
Small arms on trucks and jeeps is a freebie, but pretty much any small arms rifle cartridge will make Swiss cheese of unarmored vehicles.
Ammunition for different weapon systems like rifles and LMGs gets assembled, packaged, shipped, and loaded in totally separate usable forms, even when they are the same cartridge and loading like M855 for the SAW and M16 family. SAW ammo is linked, placed in 200rd plastic drums, placed in worthless cloth bandoliers, and packaged in ammo cans. M855 for rifles/carbines is placed on 10rd stripper clips, which are then boxed in 30rd boxes, placed in cloth bandoliers, then packaged in ammo cans. Only in the rarest of circumstances are the cartridges removed from links to feed mag-fed weapons, and that is usually during training with blanks.
We effectively already have a 3-caliber system when you look at how the SAW ammo is distributed and fed into the little pigs. I still prefer 2, and think it can be done with the new multi-role LMG that replaces both the SAW and 240, while leaving the M4 alone.