03-16-2014, 05:53 PM
All my experiences with M855 on human tissue have been very consistent:
Avulsive tissue destruction, larger-than-normal wounds with grotesque characteristics, life-changing or life-ending terminal performance.
The constant mantra that 5.56 doesn't cut it seems to come from people who have yet to see what it actually does, but won't let this argument alone for whatever reasons. I think we would have been fine with .222 Remington case length, shoulder blown forward with a 30 degree angle, and left it at 1.700", giving us another .060" of OAL. The SCHV proponents really wanted 3400fps mv, but "settled" for 3200-3275fps with 55gr FMJBT from a 20" gun.
If they really wanted the frag threshold performance to be extended out farther, they would have heeded one of the Army Ordnance Board Engineers who suggested using a .25 Remington (necked down .30 Remington) pushing a 68gr FMJBT fast, without having to push the pressures as much. That would have required a redesign in the bolt, extension, magazines, and receiver set, which would have delayed AR15 RDT&E, and production, in an already time-sensitive crunch where the AR15 was basically being looked at as a stop-gap between OICW and the M14 production, which was way behind on schedule, with units in Europe and the States suffering from worn-out Garands, many of which had been through 2 wars, and were totally obsolete in terms of design, capabilities, and being able to support Army doctrine.
The Black Rifle, Volume I is a must read in order to gain a detailed historical perspective of the development of the SCHV rifle concept. In the end, we got an amazing little rifle that blows chunks of flesh from people within most engagement distances, unlike other common military service rifle calibers.
If there is one cartridge we should be looking at that needs replacement, it is the 7.62 NATO.
Avulsive tissue destruction, larger-than-normal wounds with grotesque characteristics, life-changing or life-ending terminal performance.
The constant mantra that 5.56 doesn't cut it seems to come from people who have yet to see what it actually does, but won't let this argument alone for whatever reasons. I think we would have been fine with .222 Remington case length, shoulder blown forward with a 30 degree angle, and left it at 1.700", giving us another .060" of OAL. The SCHV proponents really wanted 3400fps mv, but "settled" for 3200-3275fps with 55gr FMJBT from a 20" gun.
If they really wanted the frag threshold performance to be extended out farther, they would have heeded one of the Army Ordnance Board Engineers who suggested using a .25 Remington (necked down .30 Remington) pushing a 68gr FMJBT fast, without having to push the pressures as much. That would have required a redesign in the bolt, extension, magazines, and receiver set, which would have delayed AR15 RDT&E, and production, in an already time-sensitive crunch where the AR15 was basically being looked at as a stop-gap between OICW and the M14 production, which was way behind on schedule, with units in Europe and the States suffering from worn-out Garands, many of which had been through 2 wars, and were totally obsolete in terms of design, capabilities, and being able to support Army doctrine.
The Black Rifle, Volume I is a must read in order to gain a detailed historical perspective of the development of the SCHV rifle concept. In the end, we got an amazing little rifle that blows chunks of flesh from people within most engagement distances, unlike other common military service rifle calibers.
If there is one cartridge we should be looking at that needs replacement, it is the 7.62 NATO.