JASmith Wrote:...whether one or more of us is convinced something will or won't happen, we need to carry options to deal with those alternatives.Joe, it seems to me that you're overthinking this matter and making it immensely more complicated than it needs to be.
The goal is a simple one: Develop a cartridge that's significantly better than 5.56x45, without incurring excessive penalties in weight and magazine capacity.
For those who think a smaller, lighter round than 7.62x51 is needed for GPMG use, the goal is a cartridge with performance "good enough" to replace 7.62x51.
Quote:...attention needs to be given to equally plausible alternative paths. To repeat my previous post, we need to consider the alternatives and dispense with them, even our favorite ones, on arguments more convincing that "that has been tried before." Technology changes with time, and that change opens the path to implementing long-standing ideas previously discarded because the then-new technology, threat, or fiscal environment couldn't support implementation.Give attention to plausible and feasible alternatives, certainly. But, I see no logic in being concerned with ideas that have been shown to be implausible or otherwise not worth pursuing. The task is difficult enough without devoting time and $$$ on ideas that have been demonstrated to not be viable.