USA:n armeijan uusi tuleva 7,62 NATO tarkka-ampujakivääri

HJu · marraskuu 06, 2005, 19:23

Yes it is.

laur · marraskuu 07, 2005, 10:06

How to soldier: Heckler & Koch's HK416 upgrade tackles the M4 and M16.

Form Jane's International Defence Review, Oct. 2005.

By Charles Q Cutshaw

It is fairly common knowledge that the special operations community has long had reservations about the M4A1 Carbine. Lethality problems first surfaced in 1993, when Somali gunmen who had been repeatedly shot by Delta Force soldiers were able to continue fighting.

But lower than expected lethality is not the only issue with the M4A1. According to a 2001 Special Operations Command study, changing the M16 to a short-barrelled car- bine configuration creates a mechanism that approaches or exceeds the weapon's limits. The study states that all M 16-derived car- bines are "fundamentally flawed" for a variety of reasons. Shortening the gas tube gives rise to several undesirable side-effects, including early timing, in which the bolt is unlocked and moving to the rear while the cartridge case is still adhering to the chamber wall under residual pressure from the fired round. This causes failures to eject, separated case heads and other malfunctions.

The M4A1 has generally required intensive maintenance by its Special Forces users to keep it operational. Such problems have not arisen in the more common M16 series rifles because the latest M16A2 versions fire three-round bursts, which limits stress on the rifle, and because problems that are inherent in the carbine do not exist in full-length rifles.

Quality control

The main users of carbines are special operations units; and the nature of the missions these elite units undertake often leads to their M4A1 carbines being used in ways that were not envisaged when they were designed. Special operations users frequently have to lay down heavy volumes of fire to break contact with larger enemy forces. They also often add relatively heavy accessories to their carbines under the Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD)XModular Weapon System (MWS) Programmes. The addition of such accessories not only adds weight to the weapon, but can also reduce its reliability. According to the study, the M4Al's reliability has been further compromised by a decline in quality control.

Specific M4A1 deficiencies include problems with reliability, safety, accuracy and ergonomics. Reliability problems have included failure to extract, failure to eject, broken bolts, failure to function in extreme cold and severe malfunctions in over-the-beach operations. Safety-related issues have included frequent cookoffs, burst barrels and burst receivers when the M4A1 has been used in over-the-beach or riverine operations and the barrel has filled with water.

Accuracy problems have included barrels becoming loose or shot out after firing a relatively low number of rounds, rail systems not retaining zero and general difficulties controlling the M4A1 in full automatic.

From an ergonomic standpoint, problems have been identified with a poor cheek-weld area on the butt-stock, , lack of ambidextrous controls, poor pistol grip and vertical foregrip geometry, and "multiple ergonomic deficiencies in the SOPMOD/ MWS systems". The most serious problems have involved jamming and overheating. Ultimately, it was concluded that a complete redesign of the M4A1 would be necessary to resolve the inherent issues - a programme with an estimated cost of up to USD2 million. Although a carbine reliability parts set was developed to address the issues identified, it was no more than a 'band aid' on a system that SOCOM considered to be flawed.

Another fundamental problem with the basic AR (Armalite Rifle) design arises from Stoner's use of a gas system similar to that of the Swedish Ljungman. This blows fouling and gases back into the rifle's receiver: a major flaw that makes the rifle sensitive to ammunition certain types of ammunition, which can generate quantities of carbon fouling, causing serious problems.

The US Army learned this lesson early as it specified ball powder for 5.56x45mm military ammunition. This powder quickly fouled the receiver and, in combination with some other misunderstandings regarding the M16A1, resulted in the deaths in combat of soldiers and Marines whose rifles ceased to function due to fouling, earning the rifle a reputation for poor reliability.

The fouling problem was quickly rectified by switching powders, but the basic AR remains a 'dirty' gun that requires intensive cleaning and maintenance. An entire generation of US service personnel has grown accustomed to this as the norm, although older military hands recall the American Ml and M14, FAL/L1A1 and Heckler & Koch (H&K) G3, which did not need the the high level of maintenance required by theM16.

Over the years there have been many attempts to rectify this inherent M16 operating system design deficiency by substituting gas piston and operating rod systems, with mixed success. But when Army Special Operations began looking for a product improvement for the M4, H&K offered to undertake the programme at no cost to the government, other than the loan of 10 carbines as Government Furnished Equipment through a contract with USSO-COM, for assessment.

After a detailed assessment of the carbine's general design and the issues already identified by the military, H&K proposed numerous modifications to improve the weapon's accuracy, safety, ease of maintenance, ergonomics, modularity and commonality of parts, using the performance of

the H&K G36 as a benchmark. H&K aimed to increase the reliability and component service life of the basic weapon by a factor of two to three times.

The HK416 began operational use in combat in 2005 with several special operations units and has successfully met all requirements. In a recent military acceptance test, a 254 mm barrelled HK416 fired more than 15,000 rounds without suffering a stoppage or parts failure. After 12,000 rounds, the carbine was capable of firing one inch, five-round groups at 100 m from a rest, using match grade ammunition. The test sample carbine had fired over 20,000 rounds as of June 2005 without suffering a failure, or a degradation in velocity or accuracy of more than five per cent.

So what has H&K done to make such a dramatic upgrade to the M4's reliability? Apart from the addition of a new buffer and drive spring, the modifications have all been made to the upper receiver. The Ljungman direct impingement gas system has been replaced by a piston and operating rod taken from the G36, which is itself an improved version of the proven AR-18 piston and operating rod system. This new operating rod system is the most significant single improvement in the weapon and is responsible for much of its increased reliability.

Overheating has also been dramatically reduced. When the M4A1 carbine is fired extensively in full automatic, hot gases that are blown back into the receiver can cause overheating, which in extreme cases may cause the barrel to loosen or stretch. When the latter occurs, the barrel can become bent, which can cause bullets to shoot out the side of the barrel. Overheating can also cause failures to extract and other problems. The operating rod system eliminates many of these problems along with the carbon fouling. The H&K system also eliminates the gas rings that surround the bolt, which are themselves problematic when they wear or get out of alignment.

Smooth carbine operation H&K has also developed an improved buffer and drive spring that smoothes the carbine's operation and reduces the cyclic rate to approximately 650 rounds per minute. The MIL-STD-1913 rail hand-guard is fully free-floated and retains bore sight when removed and replaced. The improved H&K handguard can be removed and replaced in less than a minute, without the use of special tools. HK416 barrels are cold-hammer forged and chrome lined.

The guns that have both upper and lower receivers manufactured by H&K also have some extra improvements: the buffer retention in the lower receiver has been modified and improved; and the magazine well has been flared to facilitate inserting magazines during quick changes.

H&K diopter-type sights have also been added, with a folding front sight and a removable rear sight that is fully adjustable for windage and elevation via the traditional H&K rotating drum system.

H&K-developed magazines that can be used with any AR-type rifle or carbine afford another significant improvement. The original aluminium AR magazines were designed to be disposable, but in reality they have often been used repeatedly. This presents two problems: they wear out relatively quickly as a result of their thin aluminium construction; and their openings allow access to dust and debris.

Although some modifications have been made to the original magazine design over the years, there had been no fundamental changes until H&K undertook a redesign. H&K magazines are all steel, with a completely new follower that will not 'nosedive', even when pushed as far to the front as possible. The feed lips have been modified to provide improved feed, as have the guide ribs, and there are no external openings in the magazines, except for a small opening at the top where the follower moves up and down.

This lack of openings means that when the H&K magazine is attached to the rifle there is no place for dust to enter. The magazine spring has also been redesigned and the magazine reconfigured somewhat. This is readily noticed when standard magazines and H&K magazines are placed side-by-side. Both 20 and 30 round versions of the magazine are available.

Room for improvement

Shooting the HK416 reveals just how much room for improvement there was with the

basic M4 design. Accuracy is excellent in both full and semi-automatic and the smooth operation of the HK416 in full automatic is remarkable. Muzzle rise is virtually nonexistent and the reduced cyclic rate makes it easy to squeeze controlled bursts.

Anyone familiar with the M16 or M4 has nothing new to learn when presented with an HK416. The manual of arms is the same, so there is virtually no learning curve. What is different, however, is how the HK416 transforms the M4 platform - it is essentially a new weapon that completely outperforms the current M4.

The HK416 can be purchased as a simple upper receiver replacement upgrade with an H&K buffer and drive spring that brings existing Ml6s or M4s up to HK416 standard, enabling organisations that already have Ml6s or M4s to obtain what is essentially a new and dramatically improved weapon for the cost of these components. The upgrade can be accomplished in seconds and there are no training issues. For those who want a completely new weapon, the HK416 is also available in that configuration.

Another new addition is H&K's enhanced grenade launcher module (EGLM) that mounts on the HK416's bottom MIL-STD-1913 rail in a matter of seconds, without the need for any tools, This 40x46 mm launcher opens to the side so that it is not restricted to short 40 mm rounds, as is the case with the M203. The EGLM, like the HK416, is fully ambidextrous and can be fired either on the carbine or as a stand-alone grenade launcher. When the EGLM is removed from the carbine and replaced, it retains zero. The EGLM is compatible with any weapon with a MIL-STD-1913 bottom rail. A shorter version of the EGLM has recently been adopted by the US Army, with the designation XM320. The author found the EGLM straightforward to use with minimal instruction on the weapon and its sighting system.

H&K has transformed the M4A1 carbine into a completely new weapon, which resembles the M4 externally but has internal modifications that make it far superior to the current M4A1. The HK416 is more reliable, more accurate, easier to maintain and has a service life of two to three times mat of the M4. It is adaptable to either M4 carbines or M16 rifles and is available in barrel lengths of 254,368,419 and 508 mm.

All HK416 barrels have a twist rate of one turn in 178 mm. The simplicity and economy of converting existing weapons by changing upper receivers cannot be emphasised enough. In the final analysis, we can only wonder why something like the HK416 had not been undertaken before, since the problems associated with the M4 carbine have been known for years. With the HK416 modification, the M4 and M16 should be capable of soldiering on foranother 50 years.

laur · joulukuu 05, 2005, 16:51

Tuukka sanoi:

"En usko että M40 sarjan ja M24 aseita tulee olemaan siviilimyynnissä, kuten ei muitakaan "modernin" pään aseita joita Yhdysvaltain eri aselajit ovat käyttäneet/käyttävät. "

TBA is selling those models:

http://www.texasbrigadearmory.com/m24.htm">http://www.texasbrigadearmory.com/m24.htm

http://www.texasbrigadearmory.com/m40a1.htm">http://www.texasbrigadearmory.com/m40a1.htm

HJu · joulukuu 05, 2005, 18:45

Except Texas Brigade Armoru is selling copies i.e. official M40, M40A1 and M40A3 are made by USMC armory. They can not bought anywhere because USMC does not sell guns. Good copies are made by Texas Brigade Armory, Iron Brigade Armory and a host of others.

Remington sells the bona-fide M24s nowadays to anyone who can buy a Remington rifle. Rifle only was something like +3000 USD and the whole set with everything including the scope, iron sights, spare parts and carrying cases was closer to 6000 USD.

MJ · joulukuu 05, 2005, 19:00

Hi Laur,

Thanks for updates!

Regarding to Mr. Cutshaw's writings I wouldn't rely on them word to word as he has written a lot BS during past decades e.g. shooting tests on rifles that weren't even produced yet; manufacturers were puzzled a bit. Anyway that's another story.

This time Mr. Cutshaw at least seems to write well...which really surprises me.

What comes to TBA's, IBA's and other makers copies of M24s and M40 series the truth is exactly the way HJu writes, good and pricey copies.

Probably e.g. TBA's and IBA's copies of M24s and M40s are better and more accurate than original US Army M24s or US Marine M40s, but who really knows that for sure... I quess nobody does.

Carpe Diem,

MJ

laur · joulukuu 05, 2005, 19:14

HJu and MJ, Mike Lau (owner of TBA) writes in his "Military and Police Sniper" (if i remember correctly) that people are not disturbed about this high price. The reason is psychological. Thay wanna feel themselves like US armed forces sniper in combat. Small boys collect toy soldiers, big boys collect copies of combat weapons. If we continue this line, all we want go to nature and bring mammouth to our cave

HJu · joulukuu 05, 2005, 19:31

If people want to feel like US snipers in combat they should buy a +6KUSD rifle and shoot crappy M80 ammo pulled out of machine gun belts :-)

I believe TBA, IBA, George Gardner, Patriot Rifles etc. can produce as good or even better rifles than USMC but that is only because civilian outfits can change over to better parts anytime they come to the market. USMC takes usually 10-15 years to change anything on their rifles because of maintenance and spare parts standardization issues. Because the demand is pretty high the civilian outfits can charge premium prices on rifles that are basically tuned Rem700´s.

I would like to own a handmade custom Rem700 (actually a Surgeon) just for the fun of it. Now that Badger makes trugger guards that accept AICS magazines the Rem700 slowly can become a viable alternative to other sniper rifles. I do not really understand fixed magazine rifles in combat in the new millenium. They were probably ok in 1960ies but not anymore.

laur · joulukuu 07, 2005, 09:54

Here is that HK 416 article in acrobat reader format

http://www.hkdefense.us/corporate/media/pdf/JanesIDR416_Oct05.pdf">http://www.hkdefense.us/corporate/media ... _Oct05.pdf">http://www.hkdefense.us/corporate/media/pdf/JanesIDR416_Oct05.pdf

laur · kesäkuu 01, 2006, 09:52

Via ar15.com comes next "Jane's Defence Weekly" article.

JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - MAY 31, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

US sniper system enters operational testing

SCOTT GOURLEY JDW Correspondent

California

-The US Army is preparing for the imminent fielding of a small number of the new sniper weapons

-The SASS would be a man-portable, shoulder-fired system

The US Army has begun operational testing of its new XM110 7.62 mm Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS). In addition to the testing, it is also believed that the army is preparing for the imminent fielding of a small number of the new weapon systems on an "urgent need basis".

The XM110 will expand the inventory of army sniper weapons, which currently includes the M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) and the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle (LRSR).

The M24 is a 7.62 mm bolt-action, six-shot, repeating rifle while the M107 is a .50 calibre semi-automatic weapon.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Stoddard, product manager for Crew Served Weapons, the XM110 SASS emerged in late 2004 in response to a changing battlefield requirement to engage both light-skinned materiel and personnel in an urban environment, offering multiple targets that needed to be engaged quickly and accurately.

The solution called for a semi-automatic 7.62 mm weapon to supplement the sniper's role of supporting combat operations with greater firepower and greater possible stand-off ranges.

According to the army solicitation, the SASS would be "a man-portable, shoulder-fired system utilising military standard 7.62 mm x 51 mm calibre ammunition but optimised for the open-tip M118LR long-range ammunition. Additionally, M993 armour-piercing (AP) ammunition will be fired based on specific mission requirements. Compatibility with the existing family of military 7.62 mm x 51 mm calibre ammunition is also required".

The accompanying statement went on to define the full 7.62 mm x 51 mm ammunition family as the M118 Long Range cartridge, M993 AP cartridge, M82 Blank cartridge, M80 Ball cartridge and M60 High Pressure Test cartridge.

The government solicitation reportedly drew responses from five interested vendors, with the contract awarded in late September 2005 to Knight's Armament Company.

Col Stoddard noted that the company submitted its winning proposal based on the Mk 11 MOD 0 sniper rifle the company fielded to US Naval Special Warfare SEAL Teams as well as the 'Stoner Rifle' SR-25 that was fielded to the US Army 75th Ranger Regiment.

Utilising the Mk 11 as the basic design, the company made a number of changes to satisfy specific SASS requirements. Col Stoddard pointed to modifications that included a new detachable weapon suppressor, a different configuration of the accessory mounting rails and changes to some of the trigger components.

Other SASS design features include a folding detachable bipod, 10- and 15-round magazines and a variable power day optic scope.

In addition to the weapon components, SASS elements also include a new XM151 spotting scope from Leupold that provides the spotter with the same reticle that the sniper sees in the Mark 4 Leupold sniper scope on the weapon.

"It's a system now," Col Stoddard said. "So it's a crew; it's a team of crew-served weapons. We manage everything that has 'team' or 'crew' involved and that's a sniper team. So we're giving a product not only to the sniper but we're giving something to the spotter as well as part of this system. The system has performed well in developmental testing and we're happy with the testing so far. It shows very high reliability and very good accuracy."

Follow-on operational testing (OT) for the XM110 is currently taking place at Fort Drum, New York. Fifteen systems entered OT in mid-May, leading to a planned low-rate initial production (LRIP) decision around the end of June.

"When the OT is done I'll go to full materiel release," Col Stoddard said. "My plan for full materiel release 'standard' [and change from XM110 to M110] is in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2007 [FY07]. So I'll do an LRIP, I'll qualify the production line and then we will go to a full standard in [the first quarter] of FY07, around December of this year."

Col Stoddard is expecting to receive supplemental funding in mid-2006 to support LRIP through to the end of FY06, with the programme then picking up its own funding in the Program Objective Memorandum beginning in FY07.

A base contract is already in place with options that can be executed for weapon deliveries.

Col Stoddard identifies a current Authorised Acquisition Objective level of 4,492 systems to meet all army requirements.

"Right now that's the amount of guns I'm buying, but I could buy more if the army wants," he said.

"We're always concerned about reliability," he added. "We want to make sure that things are durable and reliable and that they do what the KPP [key performance parameters] says. I need to know that if I point it at something that it hits what I'm pointing it at and it hits very accurately what I'm pointing it at. Having said that, because it has done so well in [early trials] and because it comes from the pedigree of the Mk 11 that has been out there since the late 1990s, we went ahead and the users have already seen the programme."

The lethal element of the XM110 7.62 mm x 51 mm Semi-automatic Sniper System is now in operational testing(Source: US Army)

laur · kesäkuu 21, 2006, 16:06

http://www.hkpro.com/hk417.htm">//http://www.hkpro.com/hk417.htm

MJ · kesäkuu 26, 2006, 17:21

Hi Laur,

Good updates!

Carpe Diem,

MJ

laur · lokakuu 29, 2006, 14:36

This kind of news from Strategypage.

~~Lainaa~~M-24 Forever

The U.S. has had such great success with it's M-24 sniper rifle (and a big increase in sniper training), that it is spending $11.3 million to buy new rifles, plus spare parts and accessories. The M-24 itself costs about $3,500, although a complete "system" (with various scopes) puts the price closer to $10,000. The 15 pound (with scope) weapon is based on the Remington 700 hunting rifle. The bolt action M-24 uses specially made (for accuracy) 7.62mm ammo. Under controlled conditions, the M-24 with its special ammo will put ten rounds within a 12 inch circle at 500 meters. For your average sniper, the rifle is very accurate out to 800 meters (and 1200 meters for a really good shooter.) Although there are a lot of semiautomatic sniper rifles out there, the bolt-action M-24 has been very well received by snipers since it was introduced in 1988. Israel has bought it, as have many police departments. The U.S. Marine Corps uses their own version of it (the M-40, also based on the Remington 700).

http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/200610715911.asp">//http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/200610715911.asp

laur · marraskuu 18, 2006, 14:52

~~Lainaa~~Interestingly, according to HK personnel, there were a series of Norwegian tests conducted on the HK417 with 12 inch barrel and an unspecified Norwegian brand of ammunition that consistently yielded 1/4 inch groups at 100 yards, with some going as small as .17 inch!

http://www.hkpro.com/HK-Blackwater.htm">//http://www.hkpro.com/HK-Blackwater.htm

laur · marraskuu 20, 2006, 20:49

Hensoldt and HK 417.

http://www.i-e-a.de/productssimple51.html">//http://www.i-e-a.de/productssimple51.html

laur · tammikuu 06, 2007, 12:47

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2007/01/99m-from-us-navy-for-mk11-sniper-rifles/index.php">//http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2007/01/99m-from-us-navy-for-mk11-sniper-rifles/index.php