Posted on 05/10/2010 10:28:42 AM PDT by Perseverando
I know all that very well. I’d still like to see Bushmaster win.
Not true. Tests have been cherry picked by all sides. Physics is physics and there is no magic out there.
Piston weapons jam. Ask any old M60 gunner.
The whole thing is just a revolving trade off of weight, rounds carried, and ....fashion.
Hawkboy, who was the designer for the bolt and gas system for the MAG-58? Way back in 1989 I was in armorers school in Germany and one of the instructors said that John Browning had started the design. I’ve never read anything to substantiate that.
Well put. I would add another attribute: Piston-driven weapons tend to be “jumper” in the recoil and recovery cycle. The AK-series does this...and the AK is with out a doubt one of the great assault rifle designs of all time. The other other old adage with regards to the M16-series is that it “$hits were it eats” —being direct gas impingement.
But, you're absolute right about everything with these types of firearms being a set of trade offs and compromises. Having humped an M60 I have to say however, that I used to have more "runaway guns" than jams with the ones I used. My biggest issues with "The Pig" was getting it to stop firing --even after I had taken my finger off of the trigger!
There is always something. I can’t remember what, but maybe the M=60 performed or was ‘fixed’ when the upper reciver had some welding done to it. Something like that. Also there was something about ‘head space’ adjustment. The little I used it though, I liked it. Still the gun, extra barrel and ammo took three or more guys to carry it all. And/or do you go the present SAW route with 5.56 round.
Around and around....
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