H&K's new XM8

Should they Issue this instead of the M16/M4?

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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R

Rampage

Active member
I belive this is going to replace the M16/M4 by 2005
It looks like an amazing gun after looking at the stats
but it looks a little to plastic for my taste.

http://www.hk-usa.com/pages/military-le/rifles-carbines/xm8.html

xm8_still-lifepopup.jpg
 
Did anybody ever seen weapon which looks shitty on data sheets? Especially thoose placed on the maker's site. I think well have to wait and see how this gun behaves in real combat situation, because no testing can emulate real combat. Bu i think it will be good, coz H&K made nice rifles before, and has great experience in making guns. Anyway, this looks way better than OICW shit.
 
rovai said:
Anyway, this looks way better than OICW shit.
Click to expand...

First of all, you need to tone the language down a bit.

The XM-8 is actually salvaged from the OICW project. I'm REALLY not happy about the drop in barrel length (and resultant decrease in long range accuracy), reliability is fine, but if you have to expend 30 rounds to hit a target 300m away because you're firing out of a 2" mickey mouse barrel, it's not really worth much in my book.

About the "saying the same about the M16 when it came out," the M16/M4 family proved that the trade-off between longer range and ammo carrying capabilities/rate of fire was worthwhile, but the XM-8 uses the same ammunition as the M16/M4 and has a similar rate of fire. What it will have to prove is that reliability is a worthwhile trade for accuracy, and I don't believe it will succeed in proving that.
 
Sorry for "shit", but i never meant something bad...just saying the facts...

They already have the proof - the AK-74(not 47!).

Anyway, the reliability vs accuracy is one single most discussed subject in the military all over the world. And finding good trade off between them is one heck of a job. Accuracy without reliability(especially in close combat/jungle/desert) worth nothing, and very reliable gun that cant hit shi..err..nothing is also bad.

Also, Russians have developed new assault rifle, AN-94 "Abakan". It has great accuracy in semi and auto mode(in semi mode abakan shoots 2 bullets very fast, second bullet is shot before barrel is retracted, so you get the same recoil while shooting one bullet). It also has some nice engineering feats. But, its less reliable than AK and more complicated. Still, its more reliable than M16/M4, and is believed to be more accurate. But as I said, many weapons look great on sheets and tests, and work bad in battles. Some of the soldiers who tested this rifle, say that theyll stick with good old AK. Well just have to wait and see the new guns in action.

More info here: http://club.guns.ru/eng/abakan.html
 
JaegerWolf08 said:
I am pretty sure it has the same range as an M4.
Click to expand...

The M-4 has a 14.5" barrel, the XM-8 has a 12.5", since the 5.56 is very velocity dependant in its wounding mechanism, it isn't going to be as lethal as the M-4, esp at longer ranges - and may be less accurate.
 
Yes, the new gun looks very good, except for the 12.5 inch barrel. I'd opt for a bullpup config with a 18 or 20 inch barrell.

Go forwards people, not back.
 
Where's the metal?

Firearms are really really changing. I went to the gun shop last month to pick out my birthday present. I saw the new synthetic rifles and the sci-fi laser gun look-alikes.

I picked out a bolt action .22 with a wooden stock.

Just my personal preferance, cause I don't have to worry about how it will shoot after being lugged through the jungle and mud and buried for 10 years in the sand.

Dad thinks the Army should still be using the Garand ;)
 
Ah, we've got a couple of Garands for parade and we've fired them a couple of times...they're incredibly accurate for being as old as they are. Can't compare to the M16 though.
 
BmrSooner451 said:
I'm sure you can stick a 14.5 in it
Click to expand...

Oh, you mean just grab up one of the spare barrels laying around on the ground, dang why didn't I think of that? ;) :lol: Just kidding.
You are correct that barrels are interchangeable on this weapon (there is no 14.5" though, there is a 9.5", a 12.5", and then a 20" which is used in the sharpshooter and SAW versions), but the standard issue will have a 12.5" barrel, and I can almost guarantee you that it will be nearly impossible to round up enough extra 20" barrels to refit say an Infantry platoon (around 40 men, including the weapons squad, which would also require the 20" barrels), let alone getting such a refit approved.
If the DA wants this new rifle, they should, in my opinion, make the standard barrel length longer (at least 14.5"), I can see no logical reason for the reduction in length, it won't save that much weight, the thing's too light already anyway, and if the purpose is to shorten it for easier movement during urban operations, like movement through doorways, etc., we do not need a submachinegun style weapon as our standard issue, we are not going to be spending all of our time indoors (unless I am horribly mistaken about the terrain in that Afghanistan place ;) ).
 
Check out the link in the first post in this thread, right above the picture of the new pea-shooter.
 
I think the looks are good. I think we'll just have to wait and see how good it really is. If the accuracy with this barrel length is as good as it's predecessors, that would be an improvement. Smaller gun; just as accurate. Is there any reason to think H&K would put a short barrel in it if it was inaccurate?
 
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