NEW YORK — U.S. soldiers have been waiting for a long time for weapons to replace current ones that rely on Vietnam-era technology. And the new weapons are right around the corner.
One of these weapons is the XM-8 (search), a rifle with chameleon-like qualities that allows soldiers to interchange parts, outfitting it for urban warfare or long-range sniping. Military and civilian weapons experts are still working out the kinks in the XM-8, which will replace the M-16.
"The ability to reconfigure the weapon to the mission was very, very important. ... It grew out of soldiers telling us they need these kinds of capabilities," said Col. Michael J. Smith, project manager for Soldier Weapons.
The XM-8 is designed to be lighter and more user-friendly than current weapons. It is part of a new family of weapons, including machine-gun type weapons like the XM-307 and XM-312 that are lethal at more than a mile away.
In addition to being lighter, the new technology in the XM-8 makes hitting targets extremely easy. The rifle could be in soldiers' hands as early as next summer.
XM-8
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The gas-piston operation seems to be a distinct improvement -- keeps the crud out of the action. But: the ammo is still 5.56 x 45 NATO, and now it is coming out of a 12.5-inch barrel, which won't help its stopping power much. Maybe it's just an illusion created by the available pictures and text, but I could not find any iron sights on the carbine. Optics are great -- until they break ...
I have sevral opinionated views of this weapons platform.
First, it's a long time in coming and I think it is going to be met with some resistance. Remember this is only part of the whole package that is suppose to be implimentd over the next decade. There is some type of backpack that is part of the package that is not being implimneted at this time.
Second, should we impliment this weapons platform, though similar but different, in the middle of a war? We saw what happened with a new weapons platform in the M-16 and the powder changes jamming everything up. It had everyone pointing fingers at everyone else while our boys were dieing.
I think it is a good platfrom, I just think it's timing of introduction is all wrong.
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"Some people can not live without wilderness"-Aldo Leopold
I still think changing out 223 uppers to the 6.8 would be the best option for the military it would be a better round ballistically and it would use a platform that all of our troops are already familiar with -- to the tax payers who have to pay the costs -- an upper is cheaper than a whole new gun. Also I would like to see the money stay in the states verse going to germany
I would love to see the military go to a more powerful round than the .223. Doglips put it best -- the .223 is for (4-legged) varmints.
Alas, I doubt that the change will happen.
I read somewhere that the M1 Garand was designed for a .276 round. The Army chief of staff at the time, Douglas MacArthur, decreed that the new rifle would fire the .30-06 Springfield. No doubt he was thinking of the vast stockpiles of ammo already on hand and the problems that a new round would cause for the logistics system in the 1930s Army. So, aside from Special Forces, I would expect that our troops will be stuck with the .223 -- or possibly the .308. I know which one I would choose and it doesn't start with a "2".
Witness, for example, the LW 7.82S x 24 mm Weapon System. The result of over 11 years of research by Leitner-Wise at the forefront of ballistic design, a system that seeks to provide the military and law-enforcement community with a comprehensive strategic solution to many existing mission requirements. It is, without doubt, superior to all current and prototype munitions in this class. And this is one class that is hard fought.
Leitner-Wise engineers have wisely chosen to work with the known ballistics of the 5.56mm, 55 and 62-grain projectiles, presenting them in a deliverable package able to comfortably fit within existing handgun and submachine gun designs. This is contrary to other manufacturers who have or are developing proprietary high-velocity projectiles at the expense of size and mass.
(And Muslims) Buwaaahaaahaaa Lenny!
I still wish the milatary would realise that 223 is for varmits....308 is for terrorist 
the challenger 
