11-18-2021, 04:13 PM
Thanks. The goal would be mainly reduced weight and bulk while retaining "battle rifle" power. With the development of smart optics, long range performance can become more useful. I recently saw some filmed interviews of Eugene Stoner, who believed that normal infantrymen could not hit targets beyond 300m, so there was no use to have a cartridge that was effective beyond that range. In fact, he was a proponent for fixed sights, figuring that a soldier would not need anything more (and that stressed soldiers tend to fiddle with any available knobs*).
I really don't know if the problem of body armor penetration can be solved with something resembling normal rifles and ammo. Especially since the US wants very short weapons and seems to dislike bullpups. I have seen YouTube videos showing that current M4-style carbines, even using tungsten-cored AP rounds could not penetrate relatively inexpensive Level 4 plates. Penetration of some types of body armor is velocity (or energy-per-unit-area) dependent it seems. Sometimes, however, the rifles with 20"+ barrels COULD penetrate when the 14.5" and 16" could not.
It is possible that a "bullet hose" would be required. In other words, depending upon numerous hits to hopefully penetrate an area with relatively little armor protection. This conjures up images the TV series "StarGate" in which the good guys used P90's and a lot of bullets to get rid of bad guys.
* I apologize for images created in the minds of our non-American speakers of the English language for whom "knob" might also mean a particular part of the male anatomy.
I really don't know if the problem of body armor penetration can be solved with something resembling normal rifles and ammo. Especially since the US wants very short weapons and seems to dislike bullpups. I have seen YouTube videos showing that current M4-style carbines, even using tungsten-cored AP rounds could not penetrate relatively inexpensive Level 4 plates. Penetration of some types of body armor is velocity (or energy-per-unit-area) dependent it seems. Sometimes, however, the rifles with 20"+ barrels COULD penetrate when the 14.5" and 16" could not.
It is possible that a "bullet hose" would be required. In other words, depending upon numerous hits to hopefully penetrate an area with relatively little armor protection. This conjures up images the TV series "StarGate" in which the good guys used P90's and a lot of bullets to get rid of bad guys.
* I apologize for images created in the minds of our non-American speakers of the English language for whom "knob" might also mean a particular part of the male anatomy.