New American rifle 7.62x51mm

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I suppose then perhaps the US shouldn't have been so dismissive of the .280 British adoption. If the US does abandon the 5.56 (Doubt it, at least in the next few decades) I for one will do my part, and gladly take a few crates of surplussed ammo to feed my AR. Assuming of course, that Canada's present government does not reclassify it as prohibited, but that is an argument for a different forum.

Fixed for accuracy.

 

[The Basket]

It said to be cancelled for the time being.
Which is right.
Seems very odd specifications.
It must be bigger than 5.56.... because bigger is better.

 

[Shortround6]

It must be bigger than 5.56.... because bigger is better.

depends what you are trying to do.
It also depends on physics.
Bullets are only partially scale-able, You cannot scale down the jacket thickness in proportion to the diameter so small diameter bullets have a greater proportion of the diameter (and weight) taken up by jacket material. This means long, very long, skinny bullets to get a decent weight for high ballistic co-efficient. Which means a very quick twist barrel. It also means a longer over all length cartridge unless you seat the bullet deeply into the case which cuts into the powder capacity.
Optimum bullet diameter for good shape (long range) and light bullets (relatively) is around .264 to .284 although the 7mm/.284 is bordering on the bullets not being enough light than the 7.62/.308 to show a significant difference in weight.

With steel (green) cores the weight situation gets worse as even long bullets don'r have the weight per unit of frontal area.

 

[Glider]

The big missed oppertunity was not going to the .280 round as designed for the EM2. Its power lies between the 5.56 and the 7.62 and would ahve been a good fit for todays situations

 

[Shortround6]

It would have. I knew a man who worked at Aberdeen proving ground at the time in question and the 7mm caliber impressed him enough to build several 7mm rifles in wildcat chamberings like 7mm/30-30 inmid/late 50s and early 60s.

 

[The Basket]

6.5mm Swede is said to be the best of the bullets.

 

[Shortround6]

Using which bullet?
Hate to be so technically correct but the "6.5mm Swede" is a cartridge that can be loaded with a variety of "bullets".
I do own a 6.5 Swedish Mauser in addition to my 6.5mm X 308 on a Winchester 70 action and a 6.5 Rem BR on a Remington action.
I also have a 6.5mm Remington magnum on a Remington 40 X single shot action. Only the Mauser has a factory barrel (barrel made by same company that built the action)

All will use a variety of 6.5mm bullets. Some better than others.
The 6.5 Swedish Mauser was originally loaded with a 156 grain round nose bullet but this was replaced by a 139 grain spitzer.
There are several dozen different commercially available bullets in 6.5mm caliber for a variety of uses, mostly sporting (hunting and target shooting) but few, if any, military bullets (AP, tracer, etc)

BTW I have nothing against the 6.5mm Swedish as a cartridge. I went with the 6.5 X 308 at the time ( early 90s) because in the US it was cheaper and easier to get 243 brass and expand the necks than it was to get 6.5 X 55 Swedish brass in the quantities I needed (hundreds of cases).

 

[Token]

The Blackout is good for one thing and one thing only. Subsonic suppressed shots at short distances. Anything else, and the round is outclassed by dozens of other cartridges and rendered nearly meaningless save for the aforementioned ability to only have to swap a barrel to use.

On the other hand I really like .458 SOCOM, with 500 or 600 grain subsonics, in this application. With a suppressor it makes a heck of a nice night time pig gun.

T!