U.S. Army's New Sniper Rifle?

[David Milisock]

Going in and out of the Armory I see all type's of rifles, This is just one more tool for the Tool Box. Do the people reading this think that the other systems are just tossed in the Trash and not available to the soldier or the commander's on the ground? The big limit most times is the diconnect between the ASP and mission at hand. Sure we have a M107 or a M24 (2010 ) but all we have for ammo is Ball Ammo... Happens all the time.
I suspect that the 338 barrels will remain on the rifles more often than any of them as it will fill that long range intradiction roll from a Static position. Weight wont matter all that much while inside a Combat out post ( COP ) Chances of making a hit are much higher with a HIGH BC bullet in variable wind conditions ( same for the 300 WIn Mag over the 308)
Having spent 37 Months in Shit gan a stan, I can see this platform used in a multitude of rolls.
This idea from the 50's 60's 70's and 80's where one platform will and has to fill all of your mission requirements is old thinking. No one tool fills every need.
Now if we can just be better in the S2 shop of Inteligence....that would help.

Of course there is no substitute for a pair of Apachee's and or A10 on station for back up... Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.....

I don't think the other systems are tossed in the trash. However, are they available to a rifleman in the field where they are deployed? If they are available is the shooter given the ability to choose their preferred rifle?

A static position is something I had very little experience with. I'd say 90% of the time I worked alone, the rest of the time very mobile with a team. In any case a 24 pound rifle can stay in camp.

 

[Rtheurer]

I can tell by your writing your experience is with a fire team right along with your concern for this type of rifle. With that experience i fully understand your concern. The M110 fills that move and cover/ over watch position about as good as any rifle. ( AR10) It i suspect will remain in inventory. If you have convoyed out to a COP out on the damn border of Iran for 4 hours and you can see for miles. This system makes sense. Or if your put in charge of holding an Airfield ( like Bagram or Kandahar ) where there are miles of open terrain, Again this stystem makes sense. If your moving from building to building...Maybe not so much. Or working a Valley or ridge line. Maybe again it might be too much.
On one of our trips home we had some Marine Scout Snipers along for the ride across the pond. Have you ever picked up the current M40? It too is a Tank.
When deployed units pack up the Arms Room i suspect there are opinions on what needs to go. In the most recent exchange of plesentries AFG and IRQ a Battalion level Armory is set up. Company level missions will draw from that Arms room. So I would say yes... they should have what is available. But as you well know, Some times some people fail at doing their job and you dont get what you need out in the sticks...That will never go away i dint think.
Hope this finds you all well.

 

[David Milisock]

I can tell by your writing your experience is with a fire team right along with your concern for this type of rifle. With that experience i fully understand your concern. The M110 fills that move and cover/ over watch position about as good as any rifle. ( AR10) It i suspect will remain in inventory. If you have convoyed out to a COP out on the damn border of Iran for 4 hours and you can see for miles. This system makes sense. Or if your put in charge of holding an Airfield ( like Bagram or Kandahar ) where there are miles of open terrain, Again this stystem makes sense. If your moving from building to building...Maybe not so much. Or working a Valley or ridge line. Maybe again it might be too much.
On one of our trips home we had some Marine Scout Snipers along for the ride across the pond. Have you ever picked up the current M40? It too is a Tank.
When deployed units pack up the Arms Room i suspect there are opinions on what needs to go. In the most recent exchange of plesentries AFG and IRQ a Battalion level Armory is set up. Company level missions will draw from that Arms room. So I would say yes... they should have what is available. But as you well know, Some times some people fail at doing their job and you dont get what you need out in the sticks...That will never go away i dint think.
Hope this finds you all well.

With the type of deployment that you're describing one can only hope they bring the whole damn armory in triplicate. I hate to lose a good man because he came up short on what he needed. I've only had a few times where I felt that I wanted more reach than I had even though I was carrying a heavy 30 at the time.

I haven't picked up an M40 in full dress for over 40 years. I worked with it a few times but early on my armorer liked the model 70 as he always had some experiment going on using long cartridges, he was also 12 years older than me so it was his thing. You know how it goes sit around and do a little practice then go into the field. I was lucky he liked me so I got to shoot experimental (at that time) cartridges nearly all the time when I was in the States and I was there quite a bit working out of the West Coast. Looking back in history I may have been everywhere we weren't at that time.

The M110 looks like a decent system (after my time) but I got spoiled early on and the 06 and 7.62x51 lost their appeal. I like the new calibers, 300 and 338 Norma for long work, in my day I used a recoil reducing pad and shot a variety of cartridges but once indoctrinated I opted of a heavy 30. Short work I'm loving (I think they call them cartridges for micro actions) the short fat cases for AR15 actions. I got hooked on the M2 before you were a gleam in your daddy's eye!

If you get to work with the new rifle, please post a review if you can. I know how it goes.

 

[Rtheurer]

Can you believe there are actual Safety Slectors on the M2 Machine gun now!!?? I was taught to put a spent case behind the butterfly's. And dont get me started on guys not knowing how to headspace and Timing a M2 and just wing it by going all the way to the Breach and back off two clicks. Then cant figure out why there heavy guns dont work. But Sarg... we head spaced and timed it... OK show me... Thats what i thought.. Busted.
I will say one thing as far as having two wars going on at the same time. The kids now have way better gear than what they used to have. Nothing like a war to get Marines some funding and equipment.LOL.

For those of you that have never shot one of the Big Magnums with a Suppressor on it. It completely changes how it reacts with recoil, it becomes down right pleasant. Soaks up a ton of recoil and of course the acoustic signature that we use to locate where a shot is coming from is more dissipated.

I happened to be at Fort Benning one day shortly after the R&D team had done some testing with the 338. Our conversation was about accuarcy and of course exterior balistics. There is a whole lot more wiggle room when guessing wind drift on a big ole 300 grain 338 than there is a 175gr 30 cal. Especially when your looking at shots past 900 Meters. And the best part is... there is NO 338 BALL ammo, Meaning the Munitions guys cant say...OH ya we got a bunch of 7.62 for ya. Its in those cans and they are linked together... Gee thanks... Nothing like turning a 1 MOA gun into a 3 MOA gun.
One of my good friends is a Group guy. His tool of choice for multiple deployments was the 300 WIn Mag. used it all over Iraq. And a Very Short Barreled M249 SAW.

 

[David Milisock]

Can you believe there are actual Safety Slectors on the M2 Machine gun now!!?? I was taught to put a spent case behind the butterfly's. And dont get me started on guys not knowing how to headspace and Timing a M2 and just wing it by going all the way to the Breach and back off two clicks. Then cant figure out why there heavy guns dont work. But Sarg... we head spaced and timed it... OK show me... Thats what i thought.. Busted.
I will say one thing as far as having two wars going on at the same time. The kids now have way better gear than what they used to have. Nothing like a war to get Marines some funding and equipment.LOL.

For those of you that have never shot one of the Big Magnums with a Suppressor on it. It completely changes how it reacts with recoil, it becomes down right pleasant. Soaks up a ton of recoil and of course the acoustic signature that we use to locate where a shot is coming from is more dissipated.

I happened to be at Fort Benning one day shortly after the R&D team had done some testing with the 338. Our conversation was about accuarcy and of course exterior balistics. There is a whole lot more wiggle room when guessing wind drift on a big ole 300 grain 338 than there is a 175gr 30 cal. Especially when your looking at shots past 900 Meters. And the best part is... there is NO 338 BALL ammo, Meaning the Munitions guys cant say...OH ya we got a bunch of 7.62 for ya. Its in those cans and they are linked together... Gee thanks... Nothing like turning a 1 MOA gun into a 3 MOA gun.
One of my good friends is a Group guy. His tool of choice for multiple deployments was the 300 WIn Mag. used it all over Iraq. And a Very Short Barreled M249 SAW.

If you have to be able to move quick and reach out a fair piece it's very hard to beat a 300 Win Mag. I built a set, 308 and a 358 Norma because it's America and I wanted. Load them to 64,000 PSI and they do just fine. The 358 is a bit much for elk.

 

[Scalloper]

13.9-15 lbs for rifle only. The whole kit with case and extra barrels would be 24 lbs.

 

[David Milisock]

13.9-15 lbs for rifle only. The whole kit with case and extra barrels would be 24 lbs.

What about the suppressor and sight weight?