Well after 40 long years we are FINALY getting a new weapon. The m16/m4 line is a wonderful weapon, but sucks in the harsh environments of the desert. The mechanisms are too tightly wound so sand just jams them bad. Now, we are going to get his bad boy...better AND cheaper.

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?s=1-292925-xm8.php

I suggest watching the video of the fire sequences if you are into this sort of thing. Kinda old news, but I thought I would share it with everyone who may be interested.

[ 10-02-2004, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: Morgan_Corbesant ]

more destruction...*sarcastically* wheee funnn...

and i didn't even look at the site yet...
and i'm going to now...

Edit: oh it's a GAME i htought it was real -life XD haha

[ 10-03-2004, 12:20 PM: Message edited by: Spirits forever ]

Interesting...

I done some searching and found something interesting about the current 5.56mm rounds versus the AK-47 7.62mm rounds. It seems that many people seems to think that the XM8 should be chambered with either 6.8mm or 7.62mm rounds to be an effective killer, so to speak.

Personally, I know next to nothing about guns and ammos except that in the game(s), I would go for guns with bigger rounds because of the effectiveness in killing off targets. Since I have no experice in such things, maybe there was a reason for the lighter rounds because of the advantages of having less recoil or weight.

Anyway, here is the link that I was talking about (debating on 5.56mm's effectiveness against the 7.62mm).

http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/000905.html

[Edited]

And While you are at it, check out this one as well:

http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/001138.html

[ 10-03-2004, 02:46 AM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

As I understand it, you sacrifice either accuracy or recoil or both when moving from the 5.56 NATO to the 7.62. You may note that eh 7.62 used in the Kalishnikov line of rifles is not the same as the higher powder 7.62 NATO round use in, say, the M60.

Thanks for the info TL. Unfortunately I really don't know the difference between each of the two 7.62mm variants. My only experince in firearms are based on games that I played.

We don't get to play with real guns here where I live. ;)

[ 10-03-2004, 02:55 AM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

Speaking of Kalashnikov, did y'all know that the good man has come up with his own label of Vodka ? Kalashnikov Vodka.... i like the sound of that. :D

Vodka shooters :D lol
Yeah, I've heard about the XM line, but I thought that it wasno't going to be instated for another six months or more. Guess they got ahead of themselves. Happy hunting with the new toy [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

Hmm...it looked like something from out of a 3rd person shooter game.

Just out of curiosity, what's it made of? It had a very plastic look to it.

<font color=cccccc>I'm gonna attempt to answer everbody in one post.

1. XM8 is lighter than M4, has a sweet arse H&K action. Has interchangeable barrels for different configurations, it can go from SMG, carbine, rifle, squad automatic weapon, to sniper rifle in zero flat.

2. Some folks say 'tomatoe' others say 'tamatoe'. Some folks say plastic others say Polymer. Most industrialized nations have been using polymer for years in military applications.

3. Every body can read and understand numbers, so no ballistic coefficients here.

5.56mm NATO = M855 Ball = 61.7grain bullet with a muzzel velocity of 3100fps, and Muzzel energy of 1293 from a 20" barrel. Basic load = 210 rounds @ 6.3lbs.

7.62mm Russian = 7.62x39mm (Short)=120-125grain bullet, @2300fps and 1900 energy.
Basic load = 210 rounds @ 4.2kg, = 9.4lbs.

7.62 NATO = 7.62x51mm = M80 Ball = 147grain bullet @2700fps and 2379 energy. Basic load 300 rds linked = 13.8 lbs

7.62 NATO = M118LR(rifle) = 175grain bullet @2500fps and 2429 energy. Basic load 210 rds @ 10.5lbs.

What we know is the larger the caliber the heavier the bullet, = heavier soldier. Now, When I step on the scale in BDUs I weigh 240lbs; add gear, basic load, body armor, weapon, I then check in @ 305lbs. Thats 65 lbs of just basic needs, add another 15lbs for the new back pack-and add the camel back insert of 3.0l of water.

7.62 NATO is a very efficient round, and is fired through the M240B medium machine gun, (TL, the M60 is like 10 yrs outdated).

7.62 NATO M118LR is a highly effective SDM (Squad Designated Marksmen) round fired through the Korean war era M14.

5.56 NATO is a high velocity, low weight round that is ideal for close combat. It's weight relation to target dispatch is good to excellent.

Paladin2K this link is for you.</font>

Also, there is something about the 5.56 that people don't know. Its what is called and "over-stabalized" round DUAL purpose round. I forget the ranges but around 0-300 meters its an "armor-piercing" round. It will go through the light skined vehicles such as trucks, barricades, and lots of buildings. After this point however it can start to wobble in flight. This makes it anti-personel. You hear stories of these bullets entering peoples thigh and coming out of there chest. This is because if it hits you while wobbleing, it can glance off of bone and shoot in another direction. This is my understanding since it was explained to me in this way. Being an infantryman I can tell you that in my experience, this is pretty true.

The XM-8 is lighter, more reliable (less parts) and takes approximately 70% less time to clean than the current m16/m4 class weapons. With all of the configurations of the XM8, the individual soldier will be able to change his weapons to fit specific needs. This is truly an amazing weapon and will definately change the way we do battle in the desert. Not to mention we will have superb reliability in the different types of terrain that we will be engaged in.

BTW...games are horribly inaccurate as far as rounds go. Those of you who play hacker...er Counterstrike know that the colt is the choice weapon for accuracy. This is true. The AK is used for damage, and again this is true. However in real life, the AK is not accurate to the ranges that it is in games. I've shot the AK and it is accurate up to about 400 or so meters. I can hit a man at 600 meters on my M16 with just my ironsights (if I can see him and he is standing still). The AK is very reliable and you can buy them for around $50 American in some parts of the world due to how many were made and how cheap they are to produce. Personaly I would go for an HK G3A3 if I wanted a 7.62 round. Or maybe a Galil or 7.62 variant M4 :D

Hope this helps.