| Submit your comments on this article |
| Science & Technology |
| SOCOM searches for 7.62mm conversion kit |
| 2017-03-22 |
| A US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) solicitation calling for the design of a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) could have serious implications for the future of the standard NATO 5.56mm x 45mm calibre assault rifle across the special operations community, defence sources have explained to Shephard. According to the 9 March request for information (RFI), the Tampa-based command is seeking a conversion kit for the 5.56mm x 45mm Colt Defense M4A1 carbine in order to upgrade it to a .300 BLK cailbre (7.62mm x 35mm) weapon system. The news follows years of ongoing debate in which special operations forces (SOF) have considered the evolution from 5.56mm to alternative calibres including 6.5mm, 6.8mm and .300 BLK ammunition. Despite retaining the option to alternate between such weapon systems for specialist tasks and roles, sources explained how such a wholesale change in calibre across entire assault rifle inventories had been avoided due to the vast costs associated with such a change. The USSOCOM requirement features an upper receiver and buttstock conversion kit, which would allow an operator to switch between 5.56mm and .300 BLK calibres within a few minutes with the additional benefit of the added integration of a suppressor, the solicitation reads. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #9 If I see any western soldier shooting from the hip, I'll put a bullet in him myself. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2017-03-22 16:50 |
| #8 It doesn't have a shoulder rest. I was taught (as a boot) that only |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-03-22 14:14 |
| #7 Duel use! It is a close quarters "buttstock". Designed to move in and out of vehicles quickly and move through building but give something for the operator to rest his shoulder against for stability. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2017-03-22 14:03 |
| #6 I don't claim to understand anything about engineering fire-arms, but, that picture in #1, is that a butt stock or a dildo? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2017-03-22 13:15 |
| #5 Someone put the Secret Service in charge of the old one? |
| Posted by: magpie 2017-03-22 12:20 |
| #4 Where's the case-less ammo? They promised caseless ammo for 21th century! |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-03-22 12:09 |
| #3 The buffer tube recoil reaction mass can be reduced to a compression relief chamber. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-03-22 11:49 |
| #2 “There's a great future in plastics…” |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2017-03-22 11:43 |
| #1 Most of the requirements would be fairly easy to meet. Length and folding butstock with an upper receiver that can be swapped out for different calibers... no problem. The kicker is the weight requirement. They want the rifle to come in at 5.5lbs. The current M1A4 is 6.35lbs (empty). A 9" barrel for .300 comes in at 1.09lbs, a full 1/5th of the desired weight. Most likely the weapon will be skeletonized to reduce weight:  A definite engineering challenge! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2017-03-22 11:41 |