04-16-2013, 02:08 PM
If memory serves and I am not totally confused, the US Army has followed a path that suggests there will be no new mainstream cartridges until caseless ammunition is made feasible for military uses. Failing that, the holy grail will become electromotive or some other Star Wars launching technology.
Tony Williams has it right -- explore projectile diameter, mass, and velocity trades within the constraints of soldier-tolerant recoil levels, on target effectiveness and reasonable trajectories. He also gives special attention to keeping the recoil low enough that even the 5% by body mass solder can handle the rifle/carbine in full auto or burst mode.
One of the benefits of these and other explorations is that a nice data set will have been developed should one or more of the world's military services decide that it is time to move beyond 5.56/7.62 NATO and the more-or-less copycat items in other services.
Tony Williams has it right -- explore projectile diameter, mass, and velocity trades within the constraints of soldier-tolerant recoil levels, on target effectiveness and reasonable trajectories. He also gives special attention to keeping the recoil low enough that even the 5% by body mass solder can handle the rifle/carbine in full auto or burst mode.
One of the benefits of these and other explorations is that a nice data set will have been developed should one or more of the world's military services decide that it is time to move beyond 5.56/7.62 NATO and the more-or-less copycat items in other services.