Military round comparisons

[LRRPF52]

Interesting that the New Zealand army has decided to replace their 5.56mm Minimis with the 7.62mm flavour: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/...chine-gun/

The Mk48 is an approach to the weight/length problem with the M240 (MAG58), however, it is nowhere near as durable according to those who have used it. It suffers from the same problem the AK has, which is beating itself apart. The FN Minimi and variants use an inverted AK piston/operating rod/bolt carrier & bolt if you ever get a chance to compare the two, and the SAW receiver is too short for even the 5.56 NATO, let alone 7.62 NATO. We already had plenty of issues with the M249's long-term durability.

The Naval Special Warfare community has been using the Mk48's for around 10 years now. When they break them, their budget allows for rapid replacement with no questions asked, and they are a very small organization. Trying to field the Mk48 en masse would be a maintenance nightmare. Another huge complaint with it is soldiers having AD's with it, since it is difficult to lock the bolt to the rear with the longer rearward movement required, in the same receiver size as the 5.56 SAW.

Any successful LMG in the recoil-management, accuracy, and long-term durability departments will use a constant-recoil system, not a "beat myself to pieces mitigated with a buffer" system.