SIG Wins US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon Contract

[zaitcev]

The "theory" is that the new .338 MG will split the difference between the M240B and the M2...and do both roles. And we know how well that works...

The .338 cannot carry as much payload for incendiary or other specialty rounds. Not sure how this gap is going to be closed. With grenade launchers perhaps.

[hiro]

If 5.56 goes to 6.8 and 7.62 goes to .338, is there a new calibre on the horizon to replace .50?

[OlongJohnson]

If 5.56 goes to 6.8 and 7.62 goes to .338, is there a new calibre on the horizon to replace .50?

[Gadfly]

The .338 cannot carry as much payload for incendiary or other specialty rounds. Not sure how this gap is going to be closed. With grenade launchers perhaps.

Its not meant to replace a .50BMG. It is meant to be a man portable substitute.

The M2 is 84 lbs without tripod and ammo. This thing is 20lbs. Yes, .338 is not as big a punch as 50bmg, but it is still a substantial punch for anti vehicle and material duties at distance. It is a punch that can be carried with relative ease. And the ammo is about 30-40% lighter weight as well.

It has a role. Not to replace, but to supplement.

[jetfire]

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...uer-wins-ngsw/

"An initial delivery order contract worth $20.4 million has been awarded."

I think this includes guns and ammo... how many XM5 rifles and XM250 LMGs do they intend to buy? Not many right now it seems, probably still a good few years of testing in the real world ahead.

Ammo's being made at Lake City under contract by Olin.

Reference: https://www.tactical-life.com/news/n...on-ammunition/

[Gadfly]

Sig is now the Cyberdine of Army Small Arms. If they get the Medium Machinegun contract, pretty much everyone else ought to just start shopping their goods to non-NATO allies.

I find that to be very disturbing, from a free and fair competition perspective.

How long is the contract for? How long before SIG's designs are being mad by a more reputable manufacturer like FN? How long before some senator from CT wants to throw Colt a bone and gets them a contract to make one of these new guns? Who know what will play out. But i agree, that is a lot of eggs in one basket.

[okie john]

Interesting cartridge, basically a 270 WSM in a 270-08 package, but with a faster twist and bore diameter of 0.278" instead of 0.270" to keep people from trying to use milspec ammo in a 0.277" bore. This could shine a light on the ancient 270-08 wildcat but it's probably just more glory for the 6.5 Creedmoor.


Okie John

[BWT]

How long is the contract for? How long before SIG's designs are being mad by a more reputable manufacturer like FN? How long before some senator from CT wants to throw Colt a bone and gets them a contract to make one of these new guns? Who know what will play out. But i agree, that is a lot of eggs in one basket.

Honestly,

If FN made Sig guns - this would be perfect. FN’s quality is pretty darn good and their ability to manufacture en mass is already there.

They beat Colt out for their own product and took over making M2’s some time ago.

I think Sig has a pattern of making things and releasing them then releasing fixes or new versions in rapid succession.

Which is partially why I am surprised this is all going to one vendor as well, but who knows. It also seems like the trigger control unit stuff was brushed under the rug for the 320 and nobody wants to talk about it.

We shall see how it goes.

[OlongJohnson]

Interesting cartridge, basically a 270 WSM in a 270-08 package, but with a faster twist and bore diameter of 0.278" instead of 0.270" to keep people from trying to use milspec ammo in a 0.277" bore. This could shine a light on the ancient 270-08 wildcat but it's probably just more glory for the 6.5 Creedmoor.


Okie John

Check the SAAMI spec for .270 Winchester. Bullet diameter is 0.2780-0.0030.

SAAMI spec for .277 Sig Fury is the same.

https://saami.org/wp-content/uploads...2020-11-11.pdf

In the past, I've briefly wondered why .270-08 wasn't a thing, but when you think it through, it's just a hair smaller than 7mm. There seems to be a lot more bullet selection in .284 than in .277, especially the heavies, which I surmise is mostly due to historical reasons. My read on .270 Win loadings is that people have tended to go for highest MV with lighter bullets to get the flattest trajectory out to maybe 350-ish yards max. There just isn't enough space between a .260 Rem and a 7-08 to warrant developing a slower .270 Win. The 7-08 rides on the back of 7x57 and later the various 7mm long-range cartridges as far as bullet selection.

When 6.8 SPC came along, several cartridge-specific .277 bullets were developed to optimize it. I like the SPC, but can't find any real compelling reason for it that doesn't involve feeding through an AR mag well.

[Shotgun]

Way out of my lane here. Heck, I'm not even driving on the road, I am walking on a path adjacent to the road. That being said....

I have a shooting friend tell me the adopted round is a 6.8 Fury, which will require an AR-10 type platform. It is essentially a necked down 308 in a hybrid steel/brass case. Reportedly, the Fury travels about 300fps faster than the 6.8 SPC. Any truth or comments to the foregoing? I've never even heard of a 6.8 Fury before today.