10-16-2011, 05:00 AM
SBBW Wrote:"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. "
LRRPF52, not sure at what stage the above quote came in the test and evaluation. The IAR kept sub 2" groups after being shot for 25000 rds. I find it hard to believe almost any Marine, even one with a Pizza box could not make above average hits. As I understand it, there is talk that they may change the distances that tables are shot in the Corps to a longer distance because the IAR made it too easy due to it's accuracy. At least in the issued version. As far as functionality, You and I had a recent conversation about optics, in that conversation we discussed what optics that Tier One units were using. To the best of my knowledge, a lot of them are using HK 416's, which with a couple of modifications, is an IAR. I doubt they would bet their life on it if wasn't better than what they had an option to use.
As far as the belt vs mag issue, you are correct. A higher capacity would be more suited in this role, but I would bet that most guys would rather have something they can make hits with, that worked as close to 100% of the time, than something less. The surefire 60s may be a solution in the near future. They seem to run in the 416s, at least some of them. Agreed, that a bigger issue is who is going to carry his spares and not use them when the going gets hot. Not trying to pick a fight, just trying to offer an additional view.
My understanding is that certain folks prefer the 416 because of the "cool factor", and units have adopted them within certain levels. I know that LAV doesn't really use them in his courses, and from a handling perspective, I can totally see why. Something just does not feel right under recoil in that gun, suppressed or naked. When I see the guy who was the end-user driving a lot of the development of the 416 preferring not to use it in his practical, daily work, I start to scratch my head. Same thing goes for the Masada/ACR. When do you see that many guys from the team that designed it using it in their courses? I've seen Drake a few times, but DI AR's dominate in carbine classes and will, even as op-rod system flood the market. You can't get away from the superior handling of an in-line operating system that has no torque off the bore axis.
Back to LMG's: I forecast that the IAR will supplement belt-fed systems, and never replace them, especially when hiccups start to occur with the SF mags and dust. IF the SureFire mags prove as reliable as 30-rounders, I will be more than pleasantly surprised, by history is not on the side of reliability and coffin mags. I really hope the SureFire mag works out though, honestly, since Russia seems to be interested in making them for the AK100 series, as well as the An-94. No fight inferred at all...I'm just one guy who has only walked in one set of boots in my life at a time. Maybe I'm totally out of it on my assessment of the 416, but I have to tell you that it recoils more than my AR10's, and I know how to muscle a gun to the point that I can pull the trigger as fast as mechanically possible and still keep all my hits on a 7" circle at 7yds with a 5.56, lightweight carbine, using zero muzzle brakes or special recoil-elimination devices..just standard parts. I cannot do that with the 416 as of yet, and the ones I've shot have heavier barrels, and way heavier fore-ends.
I imagine the IAR has a smoother impulse with a rifle-length gas system, and from a bipod would be steadier, but unless they found a way to make it constant-recoil, it will never touch an Ultimax or KAC LMG, and those are some lightweight systems with smaller profiles with the commando barrels than the IAR. The shorter IAR variants might really show some promise if the SF60rd mag works long-term. I still like belt-fed, especially when it comes to resupply and consolidation & reorganization on the objective. That 100rd SF mag is out of the question for obvious reasons though.