02-06-2014, 12:31 PM
Hey, Stan, thanks for quoting me! (I must be doing something right.)
My prediction is that we'll see a proper military spec lead-free 6.5 mm bullet developed for the Grendel 6.5 x 39 mm case and also for a necked-down 7.62 x 51 mm case. How this performs. Assuming it has a steel core and is mounted in a copper shoe (as per the RUAG / NAMMO 5.56 and 7.62 lead free designs) it would weigh around 7 grams or 115 grains. It may not quite match 7.62 mm exactly, but it could still deliver excellent 600 m plus performance and that may be enough.
Two important advantages of a lead-free round is that it would provide superior penetration of body armour than a regular lead core round. It would also be cheaper to manufacture. Assuming it could be designed to yaw reliably when penetrating soft tissue (like the RUAG / NAMMO lead free designs which move centre of gravity rearwards to allow this), the bullet would need need to fragment to be lethal like 5.56 mm M855. No Geneva / Hague Convention problems would speed up approval.
While the merits of a round that fits legacy weapons are hard to argue against, I still like the idea of an optimised case with growth potential that allows both tracer rounds to be fitted and an eventual move to polymer technology.
As the CCS gets underway, you gotta say hats off to Bill, Arne and Janne for setting the bar so high with the Grendel as is.
My prediction is that we'll see a proper military spec lead-free 6.5 mm bullet developed for the Grendel 6.5 x 39 mm case and also for a necked-down 7.62 x 51 mm case. How this performs. Assuming it has a steel core and is mounted in a copper shoe (as per the RUAG / NAMMO 5.56 and 7.62 lead free designs) it would weigh around 7 grams or 115 grains. It may not quite match 7.62 mm exactly, but it could still deliver excellent 600 m plus performance and that may be enough.
Two important advantages of a lead-free round is that it would provide superior penetration of body armour than a regular lead core round. It would also be cheaper to manufacture. Assuming it could be designed to yaw reliably when penetrating soft tissue (like the RUAG / NAMMO lead free designs which move centre of gravity rearwards to allow this), the bullet would need need to fragment to be lethal like 5.56 mm M855. No Geneva / Hague Convention problems would speed up approval.
While the merits of a round that fits legacy weapons are hard to argue against, I still like the idea of an optimised case with growth potential that allows both tracer rounds to be fitted and an eventual move to polymer technology.
As the CCS gets underway, you gotta say hats off to Bill, Arne and Janne for setting the bar so high with the Grendel as is.