04-06-2014, 11:15 PM
Tony Williams Wrote:...If my reading of this is correct, then I don't see the US forces accepting a CLAWS calibre which has an inferior long-range performance (at least in terms of hit probability - trajectory, flight time and wind drift) to the 7.62mm M80. Which drops you into something vaguely resembling 6.5mm Grendel (i.e. GPC) performance territory. It would be the only calibre routinely carried at squad level.... ...Of couse, even if the US Army happens to be thinking along these lines at present, what they'll end up with may be very well be entirely different....Tony, you know that I am a fan of the Grendel but I am realistic enough to recognize that we can get hit probability at least as good as the 7.62mm M80 at 1000 metres with even a 20 calibre using a case size not too different than the 5.56 NATO.
We have also seen and participated in discussions about what the bullet needs to to when it gets there. The biggest stumbling blocks for going smaller than 7.62mm appear to have been the interest in getting through common structural materials like cinder block and concrete. The trip from there through 7mm and now 6.5 mm in your discussions has been slow and sometimes painful. Nonetheless I commend you for keeping the discussions alive!
I also agree that senior civilian. military, and political figures can be a huge wild card in what actually happens.