XM2010 Kits Arrive In Time For The Holidays

The Strategy Page ^ | 10/20/2010 | The Strategy Page

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The U.S. Army has delivered, to troops in Afghanistan, 250 upgrade kits for their M24 bolt-action sniper rifles. These kids converts the M24s to the more powerful XM2010 sniper rifle. This main changed is allowing 7.62mm M24 rifles to fire the .300 Winchester magnum (7.62x67). This is a more powerful round than the NATO 7.62x51 round currently used in the M24. The conversion kit includes a new receiver and barrel, a new scope, a new flash suppressor and a folding buttstock. The XM2010 weighs 8.5 kg (18.7 pounds) and is 1.33 meters (52.2 inches) with the flash suppressor. The conversion of all 3,600 M24s will take five years and will cost about $7,800 per rifle

[USNBandit]

I disagree. With .300 win mag, and the standard national match round, you rarely need much wind correction inside 600 meters. While 30-06 bucks the wind much better than .308 it isn't nearly as good as .300 win mag.

I can't remember the elevation requirements because I haven't shot competitively in almost 20 years There was a reason we were shooting win mag at 1000 yards and not 30-06 or .308. Performance.

[Redcloak]

Dang. If they’re replacing the receiver, barrel, scope, and stock. What is left of the original? The trigger group?

The sling, if I'm not mistaken.

[DaveArk]

For USA, WWII lasted 3.7 years. :)

[Moltke]

True, but I thought I’d be kind and use the ‘39-’45 figure...(else I would’ve had to say “longer than WWII lasted...”) Seriously, do they have only *one* guy/gal working on this, part time?

[Eye of Unk]

I have a Winchester Model 70 in .300WinMag, it has a muzzle brake and a light contour barrel, probably not the most “consistent” type of barrel for sniping at over 500 yards.

It is my choice for elk here in Alaska but for bear I prefer my .338Win with the heavier bullets.

[broken_arrow1]

Walmart seemed to be out of them last time I checked.

You are probably on Big Sis' Walmart list of suspicious characters with that item request.

[broken_arrow1]

Anybody have and favorites in .300 Win Mag? Commercially available rounds and rifles?.

I don't know how to post a pic, but the Blaser LRS Tactical .300 Win Mag. is on my Christmas Wish List (how about it Santa?).

[VeniVidiVici]

I wouldn't mind seeing it under the tree :-)

[broken_arrow1]

Thanks for the post! Hopefully, Santa has room in his sleigh for two.

[SIDENET]

Why not simply replace the entire rifle. Most of the major components are being replaced, so why risk mixing old with new?

By having it as an "upgrade" to an existing weapons system, it doesn't necessarily have to pass the acceptance tests of a new rifle.

Of course, the big reason is that as an upgrade package, they can probably charge 3 times the unit cost of a new rifle. Plus, they can keep introducing new and costly upgrade packages to correct deficiencies. If anyone gripes about one of the future upgrades being too expensive, it can successfully argued that it is absolutely necessary because we already have soooo much money invested, that we can't turn back now.

WHAT A SCAM.

[SIDENET]

The sling, if I'm not mistaken.

Which, by the way, probably needs a costly refurbishment and retrofit program to work with the "upgraded" rifle.

Of course, in 5 years, the retrofitted sling will be found to be deficient and we will need a upgrade program to develop a state of the art rifle sling for the weapon system.

[Lee'sGhost]

Thank you!

[archy]

I wonder how it would compare to the M1C or M1D sniper Garands or the M1903A4 Springfield sniper rifle?

Much better optics than the 65-year-old military issue units originally last fielded with those older items. Remember, the scopes for the Garand were 7/8-inch units, not even the 1-inch diameter optics most usually seen on hunting rifles nowadays, and far from the 30mm optics units usually fitted on current military equipment.

That said, an old Garand or Springfield will usually outshoot most M16/Kalishnikov family rifles in use today. And my own Garand, fitted with a Soviet PSO-4 scope more usually found on the Soviet SVD/Dragonov sniper's rig, is easily capable to 800 meters, probably to 1KM if conditions are favourable.

Obscelescent is not obsolete- and far from useless. Training and practice come first, not equipment.

[Nowhere Man]

Obscelescent is not obsolete- and far from useless. Training and practice come first, not equipment.

Good points. I'm also into military and post-apocalyptic role playing games and one of my fellow gamers put it this way, "there are no obsolete weapons, only obsolete thinking."

The new rifle isn't a bad rifle at all, buy it is expensive at $7800 a clip. I also have a 1980's era book on surplus firearms ranging from the 1860's era single shot Martini/Henry rifle in .577 caliber to World War II firearms and the review for the old 6.5mm Arisaka rifle from Japan said that it was tighter rifle than even the HK-91/G-3 and the Arisaka cost only $100 at that time.