Soldier Systems: US Army Considers Adopting an Interim Battle Rifle in 7.62 NATO

[JSGlock34]

Soldier Systems: US Army Considers Adopting an Interim Battle Rifle in 7.62 NATO

According to multiple sources, what started out as a directed requirement for a 7.62 NATO Designated Marksmanship Rifle for issue to Infantry Rifle Squads has grown in scope to increase the Basis of Issue to all personnel in Brigade Combat Teams and perhaps beyond. The genesis of this requirement is overmatch. The troops feel like they’re in a street fight with a guy with longer arms. The 7.62x54R cartridge gives the enemy those longer arms.

I certainly understand the argument for overmatch capability and the growing interest in intermediate calibers, but I'm skeptical about any program seeking an 'interim' solution, especially for general issue. Interesting to watch as the Marines consider the M27 IAR for broader issue, while the Army ponders a completely different caliber. Meanwhile, modest upgrades to the M4 can't seem to gain traction (anyone remember the M4 PIP?), and we still haven't resolved M855A1 vs. Mk 318...

Does anyone have insight into this proposal?

[GuanoLoco]

Soldier Systems: US Army Considers Adopting an Interim Battle Rifle in 7.62 NATO

According to multiple sources, what started out as a directed requirement for a 7.62 NATO Designated Marksmanship Rifle for issue to Infantry Rifle Squads has grown in scope to increase the Basis of Issue to all personnel in Brigade Combat Teams and perhaps beyond. The genesis of this requirement is overmatch. The troops feel like they’re in a street fight with a guy with longer arms. The 7.62x54R cartridge gives the enemy those longer arms.

I certainly understand the argument for overmatch capability and the growing interest in intermediate calibers, but I'm skeptical about any program seeking an 'interim' solution, especially for general issue. Interesting to watch as the Marines consider the M27 IAR for broader issue, while the Army ponders a completely different caliber. Meanwhile, modest upgrades to the M4 can't seem to gain traction (anyone remember the M4 PIP?), and we still haven't resolved M855A1 vs. Mk 318...

Does anyone have insight into this proposal?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.62%C3%9754mmR

The 7.62×54mmR is a rimmed rifle cartridge developed by the Russian Empire and introduced as a service cartridge in 1891. Originally designed for the bolt-action Mosin–Nagant rifle, it was used during the late Tsarist era and throughout the Soviet period to the present day. The cartridge remains one of the few standard-issue rimmed cartridges still in military use and has the longest service life of all military-issued cartridges in the world.[4]

7.62x54R - kicking imperialist ass since 1891!

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[JHC]

Interim. I read that as soon vs 20 years hence so I'm good.

[Wondering Beard]

If I remember correctly, aside from a moisin nagant manual bolt action rifle, the only other rifle using the 7.62x54R, still in use today, is the SVD (and its variants) semi auto which is a sort of sniper/DMR rifle.

So, US soldiers with an M4 are overmatched by either soldiers/jihadis/insurgents fighting with a bolt action rifle or snipers using an SVD?

Which enemy of ours uses primarily M91s and/or SVDs that our guys have to worry about being overmatched? because if there isn't any, then it's about worrying about snipers and I'm not sure that changing rifle rounds will have much of an effect.

[Mike C]

PKM's are still used and are chambered in 7.62x54r. They suck shit to be in the receiving end of.


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[Rick62]

If I remember correctly, aside from a moisin nagant manual bolt action rifle, the only other rifle using the 7.62x54R, still in use today, is the SVD (and its variants) semi auto which is a sort of sniper/DMR rifle.

So, US soldiers with an M4 are overmatched by either soldiers/jihadis/insurgents fighting with a bolt action rifle or snipers using an SVD?

Which enemy of ours uses primarily M91s and/or SVDs that our guys have to worry about being overmatched? because if there isn't any, then it's about worrying about snipers and I'm not sure that changing rifle rounds will have much of an effect.

I think the PKM would present a bigger, or at least more commonly encountered, threat.

Edit: I type slowly- addressed above.


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[Wondering Beard]

PKM's are still used and are chambered in 7.62x54r. They suck shit to be in the receiving end of.


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I had forgotten about the PKMs

So we want to equip our guys with a rifle caliber that can go toe to toe with a machine gun?

[JSGlock34]

The bolt action SV98 is slowly supplanting the SVD in the Russian armed forces (starting in the VDV units). I agree that the PKM (and the newer PKP Pecheneg) is the significant threat.





PKP

[JHC]

I had forgotten about the PKMs

So we want to equip our guys with a rifle caliber that can go toe to toe with a machine gun?

Precision effective fire at distances beyond M4 legs.

[Mike C]

Can't speak for all or the intent of the change Wondering Beard. Way above what this peons pay grade ever was but in IRQ there were metric ass tons of the PKM's. 9 times out of 10 if we took small arms fire in mass it was always from a PKM & various AK's. Every blue moon we'd see an RPD or RPK. For the places I've been I was fine with what we were issued minus ammo. But, I've never been to AFG or Syria. If I was deployed there I can see the desire to have something with some more ass on it. If your firing from one side of a valley to another or hilltop to hilltop wind could be a bitch, more so when your shooting a pea shooter throwing 62gr pills. The other part of that is that cover degrades quickly or ends up being only concealment largely dependent upon engagement range and caliber. Engagement ranges are largely taken into consideration in every circumstance. If you can be effective at a longer range that your enemy why not? It allows you to stay out of their effective range while still being able to put the hurt on them.

Will be interesting to see which way this goes.

Edited to add:
Looks like they didn't get the memo about Eotech being hot garbage.