XM8 project cancelled
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URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=154118
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Topic: XM8 project cancelled
Posted By: sticky979
Subject: XM8 project cancelled
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 2:08am
 The XM8 is the project name for a lightweight assault rifle system that was under development by the United States Army from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The Army worked with the small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K) to develop the system to its requirements in the aftermath of the OICW contract, for which H&K had been a subcontracter to ATK. Although there were high hopes that the XM8 would become the Army's new standard infantry rifle, the project was put on hold in early 2005, and cancelled on October 31, 2005.General Dynamics was involved in latter stages and H&K had plans to produce the rifle at a plant in Georgia. H&K was British owned at the start of the project, but was later bought back by a group of German investors. Engineering work was done at facilties in the United States and Germany. |
Replies:
Posted By: Hairball!!!
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 2:32am
| Cancelled October 31, 2005? Why are you posting it now? |
Posted By: BARREL BREAK
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 2:48am
| Big deal? |
Posted By: chronic future
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 12:09pm
| old |
Posted By: High Voltage
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 12:16pm
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i fail to care
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Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 12:18pm
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Old for those of us who cared. Irrelevant for the majority who didn't. Shame, though... ------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
Posted By: Lt. Howler
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 12:30pm
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The SCAR will be much better anyway ------------- HOOAH!!! |
Posted By: Da Hui
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 12:36pm
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^Link? ------------- 
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Posted By: hybrid-sniper
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 12:39pm
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http://world.guns.ru/assault/as70-e.htm - http://world.guns.ru/assault/as70-e.htm
Looks like it's already out, slick. |
Lt. Howler wrote:Posted By: iceman1186
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 1:44pm
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^^ looks sharp, to bad the light is still using a .223. At least the heavy is use a good round. ------------- 
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Posted By: dmp4892.
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 2:23pm
| The SCAR is like my favorite weapon in GRAW. |
Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 4:13pm
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The SCAR will not be a general issue rifle to your average grunt- it's another weapon in the lineup for the specops types. Realsitically, the M16 system does not need to be replaced with an entirely new weapon. there are uppers and lowers based on the system that offer incredible possibilities. Say, for instance, a safe-semi-auto lower receiver with a carbine stock, and a Barrett M468 upper in 6.8mm SPC, with a 16 inch barrel. It incorporates an ARMS inc. S.I.R. rail into the basic assembly, so it's already fitted for all the modular accessories. A weapon like this is the same as the M-16 only in appearance and operation- but think of how much training time that would save; a family of uppers based on the 6.8mm cartridge could simply replace the uppers in service, mated to lower receivers from existing weapons as appropriate. The troops would already be familiar with the system, and would simply need to adapt to the heavier round. Eugen Stoner's system still has a lot of life in it as modern technology is adapted to it. There's no need to ditch the M16 style weapon for a new one, so long as efforts are made to field a weapon with all the modern components and capabilities the soldiers deserve. ------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
Posted By: lester98c
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 4:17pm
| i wonder if smart sparts sp8 is going to flop like this |
Posted By: Linus
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 4:55pm
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Posted By: DeTrevni
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 5:24pm
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well, duh. fn >*. my uncle has an L1A1, which is just an australian fn fal. ------------- Evil Elvis: "Detrevni is definally like a hillbilly hippy from hell" 
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Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 5:27pm
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SCAR fills a certain role, but may not necessarily suited for general use. DeTrev, the Canadian forces used our version of the FAL for a great number of years too. Supposed to be a hell of a rifle. I'd like to put a few mags through an F2000 jsut for kicks. That looks like an interesting system. ------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
Posted By: Brian Fellows
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 6:13pm
| I wonder if the UK plans to replace the L85 anytime soon? I hear it performs poorly in real combat situations. |
Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 6:42pm
Sweet on the range, crap in the sand. Even the A2 version they have after H&K gave it a makeover isn't particularly reliable. I've not heard of any plans to replace it, though. ------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
Posted By: oreomann33
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 7:37pm
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I LOVE GUNS
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Posted By: oldsoldier
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 8:01pm
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Just like the military to try and reinvent the wheel. The M16 series will soldier on for quite awhile. Just like in the 50's when the military looked for the next "combat rifle" and everything from the M14 (upgraded M1 Garand), SAR48 (FN/SLR copy), AR10 (7.62,
several Stoner designs, and the final pick the M14, replaced less than 8 operational years later by the AR15/M16. The XM8 was a problem child from initial test, every engineer trying to improve reliability, and the system got what is deserved. ------------- 
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Posted By: Da Hui
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 8:03pm
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I wish my last name was Stoner. -------------
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Posted By: Linus
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 8:12pm
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Something I want to know is why are the British so keen on the bull-pup design while we stick with the magazine in the front?
I know that bull-pup is supposed to make the gun more compact... but the guns still appear average size, or around there. -------------
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Posted By: brihard
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 10:35pm
Negative. The L85 is significantly shorter than an M16. 780mm as opposed to 986mm. Until you've had to use a rifle or other long arm in room to room training you have nothing informed to add to this. ------------- "Abortion is not "choice" in America. It is forced and the democrats are behind it, with the goal of eugenics at its foundation." -FreeEnterprise, 21 April 2011. Yup, he actually said that. |
Posted By: rednekk98
Date Posted: 01 May 2006 at 3:59pm
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I've heard rumors the UK is looking into fielding the G-36 or even pick up the XM-8 in the future. The XM-8 was a good concept, but it had several real drawbacks. A 12" barrel is OK for room clearing type stuff, but 14.5" carbine barrels already produce poor terminal results at range. Also a sight that's zeroed in at the factory that they don't want you to touch seems like a step backswards, even if it's a good system in other ways. What really killed it was that there was no chance for other designs to compete, manufacturors complained, they held it off and had some cool down time to wonder why the hell they really needed a new rifle. |