Which assault rifle will replace the M16/M4 as the standard assault rifle in the United States military?
May 20th, 2010 by eranio
I see that nations like China, Belgium, Israel and others all have adopted new 21st century rifles with the same or better specs as the M16/M4 and that are more adapt for urban warfare, what rifle do you think will replace the outdated ones we have now and when?
A 21st century rifle is like the Tavor Assault Rifle where the magazine and gear box are behind the trigger so the barrell is farther back making the weapon and silloette of the fighter smaller. Also optics such as a red dot or laser scope are built in
Posted in Military Rifles
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
It will be many years before the military can field a new service weapon, due to the procurement process, it makes it almost impossible to field a new weapon, especially one that will completely eliminate another. Think about it, the Army fielded the M16A1 in 1965. It will probably be another 20 years before another weapon is even thought of.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I hope a replacement can be on of the LWRC weapons.
http://www.lwrifles.com/Products/tabid/56/Default.aspx
But who knows when it will be replaced.
http://www.military.com/news/article/army-taps-industry-for-m4-replacement.html
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
We are replacing the M16 with the bulls eye.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Who knows. We will find out when the gun is created, until then we will stick with the M16. But there are some special forces that use a new weapon, but I can’t remember the name off the top of my head.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
HK 416 or XM8. Honestly though, you can get head shots at 500 yards with and M16A2 with iron sights. Might not be great for cqb but thats why they make grenades.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
There are no plans to replace it for many years. In fact they have been working on several new variants including a belt feed version.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
J.R. I to was in the army 1965 Anyway found this
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as61-e.htm
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Way the economy is heading…probably rocks!
Who knows. They are piss poor weapons anyways…The Marine Corps first implemented the rifles in the mid-1980s, while the Army were using them during the Vietnam War. I rather see them remodel an M14, but gas-operated and magazine fed; debur the trigger housing to allow fluxation of the pull rate and ratio. Then we’ll have a very deadly automatic rifle in our arsenal.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Define a "new 21st Century rilfe"? The basic technology of the automatic rifle has not changed substantially in over 50 years. There is nothing really "new" out there at all.
*****EDIT****
So you think bullpups are "21st century"? You do know that the British army nearly adopted a bullpup design in the early 1950′s don’t you? And the Austrian army has had a bullpup since the 1970′s. This is not a new design philosophy. Just having the magazine at the wrong end of the gun does not make a gun modern. There have been and still are many reasons to reject the bullpup concept and many armies do reject it.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Just like you said. TAR21