US Army Considers Adopting an Interim Battle Rifle in 7.62NATO: eventually adopt 6.5

[LRRPF52]

U.S. Army weapon officials just opened a competition for a new 7.62mm Interim Service Combat Rifle...according to an Aug. 4 solicitation posted on FedBizOpps.gov.

"The Government has a requirement to acquire a commercial 7.62mm ICSR to field with the M80A1 Enhanced Performance Round (EPR) to engage and defeat protected and unprotected threats," the solicitation states.

The competition will consist of live-fire testing and evaluate the following:

Dispersion (300m - function, 600m - simulation)
Compatible with Family of Weapon Sights - Individual and laser
Weapon length (folder or collapsed)/ Weight (empty/bare) / Velocity (300m and 600m calculated)
Semi-Automatic and Fully Automatic function testing (bursts and full auto)
Noise (at shooter's ear) / Flash suppression
Ambidextrous Controls (in darkness or adverse conditions) / Rail interface
20-30 round magazine to support a 210 round combat load

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/...rifle.html

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Full auto, huh?
20-30rd mags that support a 210rd combat load?

Somebody has obviously never tried to carry 7.62 NATO mags to that round count, and especially has never done it with plates.

Cue the SF unit that tried an all-7.62 NATO mix within their first few weeks on deployment, then stashed everything in their ASP and said, "Never again will we be that dumb. F that noise." These are guys with physical fitness and endurance levels that exceed the median in other combat arms units measurably, who frequently conduct movements that are 3-5x what a regular infantry unit will ever do, with heavier rucks, evasion plan contingencies in enemy territory that cover many map sheets and national borders even.

Someone needs to shoot all the 7.62 NATO out of the system and be done with that albatross cartridge once and for all.

The Army's Interim Combat Service Rifle should have either 16-inch or 20-inch barrels, a collapsible buttstock, an extended forward rail and weigh less than 12 pounds unloaded and without an optic, according to a May 31 Army request for information.

All weapons should include items such as a suppressor, cleaning, specialized tools and enough magazines to support the basic load of 210 rounds.

Milley told lawmakers in late May that the Army does not believe that every soldier needs a 7.62mm rifle. These weapons would be reserved for the Army's most rapid-deployable infantry units.

"We would probably want to field them with a better-grade weapon that can penetrate this body armor," Milley said.