Our military adopting the Grendel?

[sgt_murf]

After following this debate since I was a kid, and thinking that 7.62 was a superior rifle cartridge, my position changed the moment I saw what 5.56 does to human targets the first time, and every time since then it never failed to impress me. I used to buy into that claim that the M14 is a "real man's rifle", and that 5.56 is for shooting varmints, until I saw it take half a guy's head off.

M14's were not pulled from inventory to fill the void that 5.56 leaves in people's minds. They were re-issued to be used as Designated Marksman Rifles, and they failed terribly, especially in units without the armorer support it takes to keep an M14 barely functional.

Believe none of what you read in the trash magazines, unless it is bona fide first-hand accounts from guys who are in combat arms positions, not some REMF who says the M14 is what he would take to combat, if given the chance.

LRRPF52,
Brother my comments are not to sway or take away what you state and I agree with your support on the 5.56mm My first windshield shoot in early 03 Iraq AR Ramadi was a single burst (3rounds) of issue M855 at less than 50 meters the guys brain was found in the back seat of the car.
On the M14 what the General population does not know is that the Army's inventory of M14 produced from 1958 to Jan1963 yes ya'll it was that short a period less than 6 years ONLY. The weapons that survived the early stages of Vietnam and sent back was mothballed as well as brand new weapons. Those that was mothballed have been loaned to shooting programs used by Marksmanship units in all branches. The inventory of parts have been all but sold Off years ago through DRMO since that time THOUSANDS of M14s have been dismantled and distroyed prior to the invasion of Panama, and severals since to today at the tune of probably hundreds of thousands at a wack the actual inventory is a mere 10th (1.3 Million in 1963, probably less than 10 thousand now) of what it used to be. Armours are NO longer trained to support this rifle nor is there a surplus of parts they have been SOLD!! In order to get parts MANY times a rifle is stripped the receiver is distroyed with this all being done a Rifle that once properly maintained and would consistanly Hold 20 to 30 rounds in 2-3 MOA in substained semi automatic fire now is no where near what it used to be. So no the M14 is not what it used to be the new stuff production that USED to be in storage was distroyed in the 1980s as they was not earmarked to units leaving only worn out rifles. Yes there was a recall on the rifles loaned out to rifle clubs by the Army again stripped for parts receivers distroyed.

BTW having owned M14s and used them in the early eighties I love the Rifle, is it more effective than the M16A2 and up version of the M16 only at range beyond 600m does it start to outshine the "mousegun" IN the RIGHT hands that is not the average marksman. Don't believe me go to a service rifle match that allows any Service Rifle and watch. The "Black Rifle" / "mousegun" M16 series out of the crate will Hold 1 to 1-1/2 MOA period.
Shot placement is everything!! you can kill any animal at 100yds and beyond with a 22lr with the correct shot placement (used to poach deer in a field witha 22 short at 100yds plus at night, usually 1 shot right in the eye, only thing heard was spat that was over 30yrs ago).