New 6.8x51 (.277 Cal) Military Cartridge

[D Coots]

First in 65 years. Looks to me like a great way to dry up ammo for the general public.....

Why new ammo is a ‘daunting’ challenge for the Army’s new rifle - Breaking Defense

“The Army has not introduced a new caliber for about 65 years ... Doing so will require extensive coordination with the stakeholders across the enterprise to develop combat and training requirements, production capability as well as budgeting for procurement.”

breakingdefense.com

 

[Rsadams]

I think it will take years for them to actually get rid and faze out the m4 and 5.56.... Probably not in my lifetime at least..Just like the 1911 stuck around , battle tested will always be better weather it is or isn't actually true... Only time will tell because if there's one thing the military is good for it's getting the latest and greatest and then changing their mind and going back to tried and true old school.... They did learn in this last conflict that when not in a short range jungle environment you may need a longer range harder hitting cartridge... When you have greater ranges and bullets basically bouncing off heavy clothed bad guys it gets your attention...

 

[69mach]

let them do away with 5.56 and 7.62. maybe i will get to buy a bunch of military surplus on the cheap.

 

[gme]

It's an interesting project but I cant see NATO buying into this so unless the US is planning on leaving the STANAG it'll probably end up being another SF "cool tool"

 

[DaveTooley]

It's an interesting project but I cant see NATO buying into this so unless the US is planning on leaving the STANAG it'll probably end up being another SF "cool tool"

SF, SOCOM is pursuing the 6.5 CM
The 277 is a big Army thing
Support people will still carry M4's

 

[jdh47]

I can’t see anything happening soon. I’d imagine it would be a logistical nightmare for our armed forces all using different equipment.
For the time being our make believe president is trying his hardest to usher us into another war. One wonders who he’ll donate these weapons to?

 

[Lesloan]

I saw an article on line yesterday that said the military plans to reopen a number of ammo factories that have been shut down for decades. Also in the article it said that they were buying up most -- if not all -- of the output from various civilian manufacturers. I guess this is why ammo and reloading components are nearly impossible to find nowadays. Maybe the Taliban would sell us back some of the tens of billion dollars worth of ammo we abandoned in last summer's humiliating retreat from Afghanistan.

It's not clear what the army plans to do with all the stuff they're buying and plan to buy. With our doddering fool president at the helm I guess anything's possible.

 

[Franko]

I am hoping that it is successful and drives research into higher pressure rounds for the civilian market. However, my gut tells me that this is going to quietly fail and just fade away.

 

[CJ6]

I'm just happy for a standardized 270 x 308

 

[Karndt]

Interesting in that a M1 Garand prototype was a .276 caliber.

 

[X Count]

Why would they seriously choose a .270 over a 6.5mm?


I would have thought something in the 6.5x47, 6.5 creed or maybe up to 260 at a push case size would be ideal. Many people here would have seen how easy it is to shoot / get to shoot a mid size 6.5 effectively out to 1000yds plus

I can't see how a .270 with 25% more energy is going to have noticeable less recoil than a .308 and it's going to have more drop / drift than an equivalent capacity case that still fits mag length in 6.5.

 

[Catfur]

Why would they seriously choose a .270 over a 6.5mm?


I would have thought something in the 6.5x47, 6.5 creed or maybe up to 260 at a push case size would be ideal. Many people here would have seen how easy it is to shoot / get to shoot a mid size 6.5 effectively out to 1000yds plus

I can't see how a .270 with 25% more energy is going to have noticeable less recoil than a .308 and it's going to have more drop / drift than an equivalent capacity case that still fits mag length in 6.5.

They designed the bullet first, and started from a clean sheet. For whatever dumb reason it's not even really a .277... it's a .278.

 

[muleman69]

30-06 would still do anything these will with twist and the right bullets? Nothing was wrong with the .308 either. I have to admit 6.5x47 would be a real good choice......

 

[urbanrifleman]

They have been talking about that for 20 years.

 

[Adam in WI]

Interesting in that a M1 Garand prototype was a .276 caliber.

.276 Pedersen was a 7mm...

 

[X Count]

They designed the bullet first, and started from a clean sheet. For whatever dumb reason it's not even really a .277... it's a .278.

Oh man that's even better!! Even if you started from a clean sheet you would have to work pretty hard to show the real world difference in .001"?!

I understand starting from a clean sheet when there is a gap that isn't being filled but as we all know . . . . .there isn't many gaps left in the ballistic array of cartridges and calibres already being produced. The gaps are only as big as the marketing department can make them out to be.

 

[snert]

I only have one question.

Why can't WE make the damn thing?

 

[jdh47]

It seems to me there are a bunch of basically standardized cartridges that would work well and possibly be improved on rather than reinventing the wheel but our government has always found a way to complicate everything.

 

[Catfur]

I only have one question.

Why can't WE make the damn thing?

What do you mean WE?

 

[snert]

USA