Is the Marine Corps going to adopt the XM8

Yeah, but that's cutting it seriously close to the limit, and you can't drill with something as short as an M4 anyway. :p
 
c/Commander said:
and you can't drill with something as short as an M4 anyway. :p

Ehhh.... 99% of the Army doesn't practice drill anyway.

They can save a few rifles for that.
 
Armyjaeger said:
I can't speak from expirience but I would think the M-4 is a good balance of size, weight and firepower for todays urban battlefields. Like mentioned everyone is entitled for their opinion, well in my opinion Xm-8 is a waste of money, there have been no major flaws in M-4 not that I've heard of right? so why fix it if it isn't broken?

Its not a case of fixing something that isn't broken, but improving on something tremendously.

What you have with the Xm-8 is a weapon with the reliability of an AK while still retaining the accuracy of NATO weapons.

The main problems with M-16 variants was their prone to jamming (I'm speaking from experience here).

The manifacturers claims the Xm-8 can fire up to 15,000 rounds without the need for cleaning. Whether this translate to actual field use remains to be seen. But even if say you fired 2,000 rounds before the need for cleaning, that's still great.

Other improvements of the Xm-8 is:

1) Adaptability, diferent variants while having the familiarity of the same weapon, including SAW, sniper, and carbine.

2) Aiming system is factory sighted to the barrel. So you don't have to zero your weapon anymore, or keep on zeroing while on the field.

3) Cost less than a fully equiped M-4 with scope.
 
gladius said:
The main problems with M-16 variants was their prone to jamming (I'm speaking from experience here).

From my experience with my personal M-4 and my military used M-4, I have only had a stoppage when using blanks.

Never with live rounds.
 
gladius said:
The main problems with M-16 variants was their prone to jamming (I'm speaking from experience here).

The manifacturers claims the Xm-8 can fire up to 15,000 rounds without the need for cleaning. Whether this translate to actual field use remains to be seen. But even if say you fired 2,000 rounds before the need for cleaning, that's still great.


My experience with the M-16A1 and A2 and the LE version of the M4 (SemiAuto) is the same as hicks. I've had stoppages with the blanks but very few with the live rounds. Those I've had with live rounds can attributed to bad magazines, or need of cleaning.

Manufactures cleaning claims aren't worth a thing. Similar Claims were made by Colt/Armalite with the M-16. Alot of Grunts in SEA found out the hard way that the manufacturer was wrong.
 
The M-16A1 assinged to me jammed constantly with live and blanks. Other former serviceman that I talked to also felt that the A1 was a piece of crap, again because of jamming.

The M16A2 was different, much more improved very few jammings, I actualy liked it. But still you needed to make sure its clean. I doubt if you could drag it through sand and expect it not to jam, like an AK. I think this is what they are trying to get at with the Xm8.

Also with the Xm8 you have a totally different design, where the gas and carbon discharge no longer goes into the reciever like it did with the M-16. This way you will most likely never have a jam due to a lack of cleaning.

If it does all they say it can do, I really think this is a better weapon than the M-16A2, provided it can do it. I'm sure the Army put it through alot of testing if it doesn't pass they shouldn't get it, but if it does I think they should.
As for the Marines I don't know what their phylosophy is as far as requirements for weapon, whether the Xm8 is good for them or not them or not.
 
even if the XM-8 isn't adopted, it probably won't be just because it didn't pass some test or meet a requirement. Just read about the hurdles and Army bureaucracy the M-16 had to go through before it was adopted, whether a weapon is ultimately adopted or not can often be highly political.
 
Thing is, whatever the next assault rifle, I think we can agree that the design will have to consider that the majority of infantry battles in present and future is probably going to happen in urban terrain, which means a lot of shooting at close quarters and also shooting out of vehicles.
 
"if its not broken dont fix it"... well its not that its broken, just outdated... its like having an old circle screened POS black and white TV when you could have a new plazma tv.... the m16 design is old, around 50 years old, and the blow back action is what makes these rifles "old" i think, the m16 uses gas from the previous shot (and powder residue) and forces it back a tube into a piston type chamber, which inturn blows back the action and chambers a new round.... but when this happens all that residue instead of leaving the gun, sits in the action... eventually it will all just gum up.... thats why most soldiers just load there m16/m4 with oil, it washes this crap out and keeps her lubed up.... but immagine if powder residue from say 600 rounds gets in there, thats alot of crap to be gumming up your action...
 
The XM-8 is the coolest looking assault rifle in the world! It would be a shame if no Armed Force adopted it. :(

I hope the Bundeswehr will use it at some point, which they probably won't since they only introduced the G36 about 10 years ago, but a man can dream, right?
 
I don't Like it, it doesnt even look accurate and it doesn't even look like it has any power. I saw a video online and the guy was holding it way out in front of him with one hand and it had no recoil at all.
 
No recoil doesn't neccesarily mean no power. With it's new gas system and all, less recoil is just another advantage.
 
Mohmar Deathstrike said:
The XM-8 is the coolest looking assault rifle in the world! It would be a shame if no Armed Force adopted it. :(

I hope the Bundeswehr will use it at some point, which they probably won't since they only introduced the G36 about 10 years ago, but a man can dream, right?

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn'tthe XM-8 based on the G36?
 
Yes the XM 8 is based on the G36!!!! But only the technical stuff inside the weapon and the magazines (which are see thru, so you can see at all time how many bullets you have left inside) are based on the G36! The rest of the design like the collapsible Buttstock or the sights are new!!!

I don´t think the German Army (Bundeswehr) will do a change again, because the G36 is a good weapon (I used the G 3 and the G 36 when i served in the German Army) and the sights are better(3.5X telescope sight below, with the second 1X red-dot sight above it)!!!!

And i think if the Marines just want a Rifle for long distance shooting, they should take the XM 8 Sharpshooter Variant
with the 20" Barrel as the standard not the 12.5" barrel. Thats the same length as the M 16 barrel. Then you have a new Rifle more reliable than the M 16 with the same accuracy!

Greetz from Germany the home of H&K

JOKER
 
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