On switchable barrels? I personally wouldn't go that route myself. Too much crap to wag already IMO. Colt didn't, and the M27 isn't either.
With a base load of 22 mags (M27 IAR loadout) between the gunner and whoever helps him hump the load, you are only looking at about 550 rounds. Any remotely reasonable firing schedule through a well made LMG/IAR barrel isn't going to be harmed by that IMO.
Skip the barrels and hump more mags. Put the meatwads in the burst pattern/cone of fire/beaten zone, shorten the bursts somewhat (since you'd likely be more accurate than a beltfed anyway) and I think it'd be okay.
LRRPF52 likes 5.56 for some things--- I agree with him about how you could hump and lay out more with 5.56. A 6.5 would be pretty interesting in an IAR though. Not a belt-fed, but a more specifically targeted group mailer. With a very well designed (non politically correct) projectile, I personally believe it'd be a "hit".
ETA: It looks like they spec the M27 for a sustained rate of fire of 36 rounds per minute.
http://www.manta.us/resources/pdfs/m27_productsheet.pdf
That's one 3 round burst every 5 seconds (without even factoring mag changes in). That'd burn through the 5.56mm 22 mag base load in:
3 round burts---
22 mags = 660 rounds
660 rounds / 3 = 220 bursts
220 bursts x 5 seconds = 18.33 minutes (1100 seconds)
5 round bursts---
22 mags = 660 rounds
660 rounds / 5 = 132 bursts
132 bursts x 8.33 seconds = 18.33 minutes (1100 seconds)
Basically it appears it can eat it's entire base load in roughly 20 minutes without harm if I understand their specs correctly.
If a well made 6.5 Grendel barrel presented the same sustained rate of fire it'd eat it's base load of 550 rounds in roughly 17 minutes (15.277 minutes plus mag changes).
So you'd give up about 15% of your firing time (3 minutes) in exchange for more penetration and down range energy. If the gunners were good and spent it wisely, I'd take that trade personally, but I'd likely defer to LRRPF52's opinion. My beltfed time was mostly spent on square ranges killing paper, steel, scrap equipment, and teaching the same later after crosstraining. As AF, I also had the luxury of our version of death before dismount as well.LOL Bandoleers and cans are pretty light when they're lashed down in the back of the PK or Duck or Hummer. Nowadays they even have fancy MRAPS.
With a base load of 22 mags (M27 IAR loadout) between the gunner and whoever helps him hump the load, you are only looking at about 550 rounds. Any remotely reasonable firing schedule through a well made LMG/IAR barrel isn't going to be harmed by that IMO.
Skip the barrels and hump more mags. Put the meatwads in the burst pattern/cone of fire/beaten zone, shorten the bursts somewhat (since you'd likely be more accurate than a beltfed anyway) and I think it'd be okay.
LRRPF52 likes 5.56 for some things--- I agree with him about how you could hump and lay out more with 5.56. A 6.5 would be pretty interesting in an IAR though. Not a belt-fed, but a more specifically targeted group mailer. With a very well designed (non politically correct) projectile, I personally believe it'd be a "hit".
ETA: It looks like they spec the M27 for a sustained rate of fire of 36 rounds per minute.
http://www.manta.us/resources/pdfs/m27_productsheet.pdf
That's one 3 round burst every 5 seconds (without even factoring mag changes in). That'd burn through the 5.56mm 22 mag base load in:
3 round burts---
22 mags = 660 rounds
660 rounds / 3 = 220 bursts
220 bursts x 5 seconds = 18.33 minutes (1100 seconds)
5 round bursts---
22 mags = 660 rounds
660 rounds / 5 = 132 bursts
132 bursts x 8.33 seconds = 18.33 minutes (1100 seconds)
Basically it appears it can eat it's entire base load in roughly 20 minutes without harm if I understand their specs correctly.
If a well made 6.5 Grendel barrel presented the same sustained rate of fire it'd eat it's base load of 550 rounds in roughly 17 minutes (15.277 minutes plus mag changes).
So you'd give up about 15% of your firing time (3 minutes) in exchange for more penetration and down range energy. If the gunners were good and spent it wisely, I'd take that trade personally, but I'd likely defer to LRRPF52's opinion. My beltfed time was mostly spent on square ranges killing paper, steel, scrap equipment, and teaching the same later after crosstraining. As AF, I also had the luxury of our version of death before dismount as well.LOL
Bandoleers and cans are pretty light when they're lashed down in the back of the PK or Duck or Hummer. Nowadays they even have fancy MRAPS.
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