Not so sure about this

[unixronin]

The USMC has apparently backburnered the new FN SCAR-L rifle (which would be issued to all riflemen in place of their M16A4s and M4s) in order to free up funds for replacing the M249 SAW, a 5.56mm belt-fed light machine gun with a quick-change barrel that fires from an open bolt to avoid cook-offs, with a new M27 5.56mm heavy-barrel rifle that fires from a closed bolt, has no provision for barrel changing in the field, and currently feeds from a standard 30-round magazine.

Sure, the M27 is reported to be more accurate than the SAW.  But isn't that what rifles are for?  And can the M27 actually put down the sustained volume of fire needed for the support role?

This seems like a generally bad idea to me, for a variety of reasons.  The grunts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been saying they need more firepower.  As far as I can tell, this is going to give them less.  And the USMC probably wouldn't be planning to hold back one in three M249s if they didn't already have doubts about the M27.

Comments

Jackasses should have that toy rammed up their ass.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

Program officials acknowledge that a 30-round magazine cannot produce the high volume of fire the M249 is capable of when loaded with a 200-round belt. The Corps is considering high-capacity magazines that can hold 50 or 100 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, but Marines that deploy with this first batch of IARs will carry only 30-round magazines.

"The initial limited fielding will not include a high-capacity ammunition source, but that remains an option," Clark said, explaining that such magazines will have to undergo a separate round of testing.