Heckler and Koch's new toy, deploying Q4 2005

The XM8

It does look like a rifle from the Federation or something, but wow..... For those of us interested in this stuff, you've gotta read this. Videos at the bottom.

mmmmmm HV 5.56 too bad ill prolly never get to shoot it...then again i may yet get back in... meh
fired everything else the had out since 1997 back
from the M9 9mm all the way up to Mk19 40mm GL
mmmm toys makes me drool just thinking about it

I don't get the technical stuff about it. but I think it looks awesome!!

Any word on a civilian model?

Lemme sum up for you Birr...

It's an offshoot of the technology being developed for the OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon), then new combo assault rifle/light assault weapon being developed for the military. It's part of an integrated, network linked battlefield system.

Anyway, they've taken what they've learned and designed a new assult rifle for the US military for standard everyday use. It's modular to reduce expenses. We're using the M-16 for field infantry work, and a specialized version for sniper work, the M-4 for special forces work, urban fighting, and some protection details, and the M-249 for when alot of ammo is needed.

This one uses the same calibre of bullet as all the others but has 1 standardized frame. Then you can just swap out the stock and the barrel to achieve everything you need for the above versions. Take the regular version and put a buttstock with an adjustable cheekpiece and a longer barrel...there's your sniper version. A shorter barrel and a collapsing stock, there's your urban and special uses. Put in the 100 round drum instead of the 30 round magazine, and you've got the high-volume ammo mostly covered (there are still some applications of the 249 it can't cover).

The cost savings are obvious with that. Now it adds an integrated sighting system that is firmly attatched, as opposed to others that are screwed on. So you don't need to constantly re-sight in for combat. Plus designed for grenade launcher or shotgun attatchments with no modifications like you need on the M-16/M-4.

Finally most rifles use part of the gas you get from the burning gunpowder to cycle the weapon to the next bullet...a lot like a car's piston in the engine. They're saying that they use that gas, but run it in a special way that the gas itself doesn't go into the chamber and leave bits of powder that wasn't fully burned off.

So very durable, lighter, cheaper, easier to maintain and accessorize to the mission. It looks like a winner, we'll see how the acceptance testing goes.

Did I read that right?
I think it said they don't need cleaning/lubrication for 15,000 rounds, and the barrel is good for 20,000 rounds.
So does that mean they have to clean it then in 5000 more shots replace the barrel?

-D-
scary engineers

yup.....

here's a bit more, with some stuff on the OICW and the G-36...their other kick-butt modular rifle.

thanks void. that really helped. i like that it can modified for shotgun use too. plus, it still does look really cool!

IA a civilian model may not be out any time soon H&K Longarms seem to take longer or not at all
I know there is no MP-5, G-36 civillian models as of yet(unless of course you have a class three LIC.)
they only ones ive seen is a civi version of the old G-3 and the UMP-45 and of course the socooms. though you dont usual see much in the way of out of country rifle or subgun designs make it to the civilain market here

Wow:

A unique feature of the XM8 modular weapon system is the ability to easily and quickly reconfigure the weapon from one variant to the other to meet changing mission requirements, to include caliber conversion.

That's fantastic!!! I'm a bigger fan of 7.62x39 than I am of the 5.56 round and think this is fantastic news!!! They'll have the ability to fire the same round as what 98% of the world will be shooting back at us.

Sorry, NATO, but methinks that 7.62 is a much better round. Regardless fo the arguments for the 5.56.



...also, having just done Homeland Security work for the last year, I wished the entire time that I had a shotgun mount attached to my M-16. Whether 0000 buckshot, or beanbag rounds, a shotgun is one of the best weapons around for building clearing and for .....quietly calming down an otherwise tense situation. No one, no one mistakes the sound of jacking in a round iinto a pump action shotgun and it's a fantastic deterrent.

Yeah, forgot about that part. It'd have to be 7.62x39 instead of the 7.62x54 though to avoid having to completely re-work it. You'd need what...Magazine and feed, chambering, and barrel ? You could use the same trigger group mechanism I would think.

Yeah the side mount shotgun accessory is great, you can almost never have too many options. Though I'm curious what they mean by a side opening breech for the grenade launcher. Does the barrel of the launcher just spin on a pivot so the breech rotates out to one side ?

Probably a side break. We have that on an old .22 here. KISS-simple.


All I can say after reading the article and watching the videos, is that I want one. Whis I had one. And I hope they get them to the guys in combat ASAP.

The low-cleaning requirement alone is worth it's weight in gold. Or blood.

i concure with obey the 7.62 is a much more fun round to shoot as well as in my humble opinion is just as acurate and twice as devastating.
I was the M-60 gunner for my MP unit for 5 years and would not have been happy if the had made me start useing the M249. while lighter and smaller, as well as haveing a faster rate of fire, But illl take the punch of the bigger bullet

I haven't heard any feedback from the present conflicts, but I was appalled at the stories in the book Blackhawk Down about the 5.56 rounds going straight through people and they got right back up and kept on fighting. Too much kinetic energy and not enough knockdown power.

Sooner or later, NATO might learn...

If i remeber correctly the new 5.56 round for the m8 and OICS is suppose to be much more effective for knock down. I think they are useing a new alloy in the round the will still give the armor penatration of the old 5.56 but on soft targets it flattens out more and transfer more of its velocity to kinetic... but thats only what i rember.

I have seen the new 5.56 hunting hollow points for big game rifles but i dont think the complies with current military or Geneeva convention doctirn

One word...OMIGOD. Since my birthday is tomorrow, anyone thinking of getting me any last minute presents, I surely wouldn't mind having one of those on my wall...

if i could get one, it would be mine....but i would share!