[mbynack]

I'm not basing my analysis on rumors on the Internet. I'm basing it on 22 years on active duty and two combat tours. I have to disagree with your assessment of "smaller and lighter is better". If that were true the Marines and special forces wouldn't be pulling surplus M-14s back into service and the Army wouldn't be looking at the 6.8.

[xsrdx]

If that were true the Marines and special forces wouldn't be pulling surplus M-14s back into service and the Army wouldn't be looking at the 6.8.

The Army isn't "looking" at 6.8 with any seriousness, and those M14's have largely been replaced by 762 and 556mm AR variant heavy barreled "designated marksmen" rifles.

762 NATO has a place, but not as a general issue rifle caliber.

There is no warfighter requirement for a larger caliber?? And believe me, they aren't shy about asking for more and better stuff.

If 556 wasn't working, we'd have already fielded AR10's army wide three years ago.

[xsrdx]

I have to disagree with your assessment of "smaller and lighter is better".

It's hardly Red6's "assessment" - no major Army WORLDWIDE still uses a battle rifle caliber for general issue.

It's not a conspiracy to make war less dangerous, but recognition of the increased effectiveness of "small and lighter."

[SaltyJoe]

You two are both right, but please look at it from the DoD budgeting angle. If you get a chance to read “The Black Rifle” about how the M-16 got into service, and if either of you have had the series misfortune to work inside the Washington D.C. “Beltway”, then please look at this caliber issue as one of budgeting combat effectiveness.

The more specialized a fighting unit, the greater the individual's ability to select his personal weapon. But also realize that elite force come with elite budgets. The SEALs had a budget the size of the entire US Marine Corps (in Marcinko’s day). That's why SEALs could pick their own hardware to match their own physical dimensions and shooting comfort. Every Marine Rifleman is forced into the standard issue mold whether their MOS is 03-hump-a-lot, or 01-staff-pog.

Getting a “standard” issue in the military is feat of miraculous proportions. It's bad enough to have Communist-for-civilian oversight committees neutering our nation's fighting force back before the pre-9/11 “didn't inhale” daze (days), but even the DoD has levels of comptrollers with budget scalpel knives and chainsaws looking to slice more than a circumcision when it comes to saving money. Why do they do that? Because that's their job description. Gov’t employees hired by the military make bonuses for the literally millions of dollars they cut from the budget. But to counter that, the military also hires “budget analysts” to protect every dollar requested! And when I mean every dollar...I mean EVERY BEAUTIFUL LINCOLN FACED PENNY!!!!

We can flame on each other about rifle/pistol calibers until we join a Counter-Strike or Battlefield 2 tournament and blow each other away (of course only in a virtual world), the reality is that the budget process for fielding a standard issue is an ugly ugly monster. The 5.56mm is good enough. Elite forces have budgets for a better fit per shooter.

Peace, God Bless, Semper Fi...and keep your powder dry.