How could or should the 6.5 mm Grendel be improved?

[Michael]

I do not intend to be abrasive in this matter but when you have stood on my side of the fence for a little time it behests one to be short and obvious.

Yes I sat in the meeting that is referred to, I was the token Grendel guy. My job was to sit through the presentations so that it could be recorded that I had attended and that the movement forward by this private group on contract to the DoD was with my input. Not asked to prepare anything to present until the last moment and then asked if I would stand on my hind legs in front of a group that was clearly biased to present the case for the 6.8. BS and not even very clever BS.

Was I asked to attend the definition for the performance? No! I was excluded because I work from private industry or at least that was the excuse given. Have I seen the performance spec? No! Have I been asked to attend any of the subsequent meetings? No! Will anybody tell me what the spec is? No! and as noted I have asked.

Was I asked to provide a short barrel Grendel and 1000 rounds of Wolf 123 SP ammunition for trials? Yes! And what was the reason given for this from the contracting office working on behalf of T%^G. "We only need this so we can eliminate the Grendel from any further consideration and move forward with the proposal for the 6.8". These guys do not even lie well.

So if you expect me get excited about being asked to develop something else without a hard specification only to play aunt sally again, I will determinedly disappoint you. I hope you can appreciate this position.

And that's how the military procurement system gets ya (at least in my experience). You see a widget you want off the shelf (OTS), and you form the requirement based on the specification of the widget you want. Sounds to me someone already had it in their mind the 6.8 was the wave of the future and they will not be swayed. Sorry you had to endure the jack@ssery Bill.