04-14-2012, 09:17 AM
I disagree with all of your statement that I quoted.
My own view of the evolution of small arms ammo in the 20th century goes like this:
Phase 1. Full power 7.5-8mm cartridges (.30'06, 7.62x51 etc)
Phase 2. The full-power cartridges were supplemented by short-range assault rifle cartridges because auto fire from shoulder guns was found valuable in battle, and the full-power ones were unsuitable for this (7.92x33, 7.62x39, 5.56x45 etc).
Phase 3 (yet to be achieved in service). General-purpose rounds, with the long-range performance to replace the full-power cartridges but low enough recoil to replace the assault rifle cartridges too. The .280 fell into this group, so might the 6.5 Grendel.
So it wasn't the .280 which was outmoded but the 7.62x51. I'd reword your quote as follows:
"The (.280 British) 7.62x51 was definitely not ahead of its time. Quite the opposite, actually. It is a battle rifle cartridge, developed (after intermediate rounds like .30 Carbine and 7.92 Kurz) even though rounds like the .280 were already showing a better way forward."
My own view of the evolution of small arms ammo in the 20th century goes like this:
Phase 1. Full power 7.5-8mm cartridges (.30'06, 7.62x51 etc)
Phase 2. The full-power cartridges were supplemented by short-range assault rifle cartridges because auto fire from shoulder guns was found valuable in battle, and the full-power ones were unsuitable for this (7.92x33, 7.62x39, 5.56x45 etc).
Phase 3 (yet to be achieved in service). General-purpose rounds, with the long-range performance to replace the full-power cartridges but low enough recoil to replace the assault rifle cartridges too. The .280 fell into this group, so might the 6.5 Grendel.
So it wasn't the .280 which was outmoded but the 7.62x51. I'd reword your quote as follows:
"The (.280 British) 7.62x51 was definitely not ahead of its time. Quite the opposite, actually. It is a battle rifle cartridge, developed (after intermediate rounds like .30 Carbine and 7.92 Kurz) even though rounds like the .280 were already showing a better way forward."