New Marine Corps weapon to replace SAW

[LRRPF52]

HK sure pulled a great marketing scam on the Marines, just like FN and Belgium did with the F-16 licensed contract manufacturing in the Northern NATO allies of Norway, Denmark, and Belgium. I don't know if it's true, but Belgium supposedly tacked the FN Minimi contract as a condition of adopting the F-16 as their primary fighter, but who knows. It definitely is a piece of fricken garbage. In Ranger Regiment, they have dedicated civilian armorers who deploy with each Battalion to keep the weapons in tip-top shape. When I talked with 2nd Ranger Battalion's armorer (a Marine Vietnam combat vet), he said that f****n SAW is the most difficult gun to keep running, and commanded the majority of his attention, while the 240's and M4A1's only really required normally-scheduled maintenance. That was my experience throughout my service, only most units don't and won't ever have that type of competent support at the Battalion-level. You have guys who joined the Army, and were told: "You've been selected to be an armorer." Not gun guys who know what it's like to have your life on the line with a fire-stick between you and some turd burglar from Tim buk tu.

I bet the Marines are going to be really impressed when they try to insert the Surefire 60rd mag in the unique HK mag well, which is not compatible with PMAGs, and then see what happens. We had to force one into a 416 the other day, just to see if it fit. It wouldn't drop free either, and had to be pried out with force. Gotta love some HK right about now...mmm...mmmm.....mmmmm. Check the price tag of an IAR or 416 as well...they're proud of their products, even if they don't work and KABOOM on shooters overseas.