Shooting the EM-2 (New Video)

[stanc]

That would have been a great cartridge with some joint engineering, research, test, development, and evaluation of it.

Would have been exceptional in a downsized AR10 and FAL, as well as HK's G3. The .280 British is about the maximum cartridge profile I would want to see for even a DMR duty position, as well as a Squad Light Machinegun/Auto Rifleman position. Once you step up to 7.62 NATO, you really handicap your soldier's load, endurance, and hit probability.

I wish I could agree with all of that, but in my opinion the .280 British would've been nearly as bad of a choice as 7.62 NATO.

And I don't see it being exceptional in the AR10 or FAL. First, those rifles could not have been significantly downsized, because there is negligible difference in the OAL of the two rounds, and both have the same case diameter. That means magazine sizes and weights are nearly identical, and both were of 20-rd capacity. As a result, basic ammo load would've been the same as for 7.62 NATO (100 rds), with the same handicap on combat endurance.

Second, the FAL actually was made in .280 British, but was almost as long as the 7.62 version, and only a few ounces lighter.

.280 FAL


7.62 FAL




So, adopting .280 British would've been of little benefit to the infantry rifleman, and -- since it had mostly the same drawbacks as 7.62 NATO -- would surely have been succeeded by 5.56mm, too.