10-13-2011, 05:17 PM
stanc Wrote:Not sure what you mean by that. The IAR was not proposed by HK. It was a USMC idea. IIRC, we discussed it on the old forum several years ago. There was a Marine Corps Gazette article, the original of which is no longer accessible, but a copy is at:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=813478
Did you read the results of the tests? The Ultimax was the most preferred weapon by the horde of entry-level Marines that participated in them. The HK had the worst hit probability of all, but was determined to be statistically insignificant. The main complain with the Ultimax was that they couldn't obtain a proper sight picture for some reason.
I wonder if they pooled a bunch of SAW gunners and told them to use the standard support hand grip, which places your support hand under your cheek, thereby raising your eye height for other machinegun designs that had too high of a sight line.
"Infantrymen feel strongly about replacing the M249 SAW with a true AR inside the fire team but feel just as strongly about keeping the M249 SAW for its automatic fire suppressive capability. Given the results of this assessment, accuracy alone is not a strong enough reason to replace the M249 SAW. However, most would argue that accuracy was never the problem with the M249 SAW. The problem with the M249 SAW was the lack of mobility when manned by an individual while attempting to move at the pace of a rifle team."
While reading the test results, it became clear to me the tests were structured by some bean-counter who has very little conceptual understanding of the practical considerations of employing LMG's in the Infantry Fire Team. I don't care if they've been polishing USMC campaign hat brims for the past 3 decades, there is a major disconnect in the tests, but the actual soldier comments cut through all that BS anyway, which is good, and it's exactly as I have been saying all along...
We need a platform closer to the AR/M16 in weight & maneuverability, with the firepower of the SAW. Those two words sum up what is needed: Maneuverability + Firepower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev2yJeeyn5A