Army thrilled as next-gen 6.8mm squad weapons once thought 'unachievable' are revealed

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Here are the three contenders:

Sig Sauer ('hybrid' ammo):
upload_2019-10-23_18-49-54.png
SIG SAUER Selected by U.S. Army for Next Generation Weapons with New Ammo:
https://www.ammoland.com/2019/09/si...my-for-next-generation-weapons-with-new-ammo/

Textron (cased-telescoped ammo):
upload_2019-10-23_19-21-28.png
This Gun Paired With New 6.8mm Ammunition Could Be The Army's Next Standard Issue Rifle
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...-could-be-the-armys-next-standard-issue-rifle

General Dynamics (composite ammo):
upload_2019-10-23_19-24-30.png
True Velocity Shows the 6.8mm Composite-Cased Cartridge of General Dynamics NGSW Submissions:
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/09/07/true-velocity-composite-cased-ammo-ngsw/
 
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I have a Daniel Defense 6,8 SPC II which is the only 6,8 SPC sold today.

Accuracy is excellent and it shoots farther than 5,56 with a bigger hammer. A few friends hunt with the 6,8 and the terminal ballistics are wicked.

TRX said:
I look at that picture, and I see some grunt spending tedious hours with a Q-tip and canned air, trying to get every last speck of dust out of those tacticool handguards, and sharp-eyed DIs finding something to scream about anyway.
Click to expand...
Canned air is cheap.. ;)
A white glove poked around the insides always made them happy.
 
TikkaShooter said:
I have a Daniel Defense 6,8 SPC II which is the only 6,8 SPC sold today.

Accuracy is excellent and it shoots farther than 5,56 with a bigger hammer. A few friends hunt with the 6,8 and the terminal ballistics are wicked.


Canned air is cheap.. ;)

A white glove poked around the insides always made them happy.
Click to expand...
Trick used to be let them find something and then they'd usually stop looking too hard.
YMMV though... ;)
 
My day job took me to AUSA in DC last week. I looked at all three. Not seeing any game changers yet. The pressure and velocity they are pushing these new cartridges to, to meet the Army's requirements would be hard on barrels at bolt gun rates of fire. Flip the giggle switch and that cartridge is going to munch barrels.

I think True Velocity may have finally cracked the hybrid polymer cartridge unlike the three or four previous attempts but trying to push the performance to this level is likely going to be the undoing for both the ammo and gun.

Will be interesting to see what happens.
 
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I don't believe any of them are 6.8 SPC. They were given bullets, but the developers were free to invent their own cartridge for the bullet. I believe one of them is using a composite (plastic) case. Another vendor is using a telescopic case. Another is using a traditional brass case (it's not SPC, and they call it a 'hybrid' case). From what I've seen, the cases they are using have Magnum-size capacity. They're big.
 
All three companies competing for the NGSW contract have there own new cartridge. The Army has specified a specific 6.8mm projectile. No official specs for the projectile or ammunition performance requirements are public yet but I have see bullet weight estimates being about 8 gram (123gr) and a muzzle velocity target of 3500 fps. Like I said barrel burner.

Sigs systems (remember this is two different guns, a rifle to replace the M4 and machine-gun to replace the SAW, that share ammo) will use a hybrid ammunition similar to this:
dfdf-660x426.png
The steel base is there to help deal with the increase pressure.

The Textron systems is using a case telescoping round similar to the right three rounds in this picture.
Textron-case-telescoped-ammo-1500582662-ctsammo--300x264.jpg

General Dynamics rifle will be using this new cartridge developed by True Velocity.
True-Velocity-6-8mm-770.jpg

I personally think General Dynamics and True Velocity have the better system so far but the whole program is very much in the early stages and alot can and will change and it could all evaporate just as quick.
 
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The 6.8 SPC II I think is the best bang for the buck for hunting with an AR15. But I don’t have my hopes up for cheap 6.8 SPC II ammo as all bulletins point towards this being a different animal altogether.
 
<*(((>< said:
The 6.8 SPC II I think is the best bang for the buck for hunting with an AR15. But I don’t have my hopes up for cheap 6.8 SPC II ammo as all bulletins point towards this being a different animal altogether.
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Yes, it does seem like a fleeting hope, however there will definitely be bullets produced for whatever beast this thing becomes. I’m looking forward to cheap RMR pulls.
 
mcb said:
All three companies competing for the NGSW contract have there own new cartridge. The Army has specified a specific 6.8mm projectile. No official specs for the projectile or ammunition performance requirements are public yet but I have see bullet weight estimates being about 8 gram (123gr) and a muzzle velocity target of 3500 fps. Like I said barrel burner.

Sigs systems (remember this is two different guns, a rifle to replace the M4 and machine-gun to replace the SAW, that share ammo) will use a hybrid ammunition similar to this:
View attachment 867315
The steel base is there to help deal with the increase pressure.

The Textron systems is using a case telescoping round similar to the right three rounds in this picture.
View attachment 867316

General Dynamics rifle will be using this new cartridge developed by True Velocity.
View attachment 867317

I personally think General Dynamics and True Velocity have the better system so far but the whole program is very much in the early stages and alot can and will change and it could all evaporate just as quick.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pictures. A 123 gr. bullet going 3500 fps. Nearly triples the energy of the 5.56. Almost back to the 30.06, but in modern terms maybe.
 
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WestKentucky said:
Yes, it does seem like a fleeting hope, however there will definitely be bullets produced for whatever beast this thing becomes. I’m looking forward to cheap RMR pulls.
Click to expand...

Yes, I’ve been thinking the same, if nothing else I hope we get some cheap projectiles and bullet technology out of it all. If it ever happens...I’ve been around long enough to hear the banter at that level about the next weapon to recognize nothing is for certain.
 
I said on another board believe it when you see it. The "plastic" ammo is IMHO a real good idea, lighter, you don't reload it anyway so why not....carry more is one thing....but moving it around on boats, planes whatever is going to allow you to carry more of it....so that is a win.

It is a VERY EXPENSIVE deal to switch over to a new rifle....let alone a new rifle and cartridge. They do have money again so it might get to see the light of day, but I doubt it.....it would really need to be over and done with inside of 10 years otherwise I really think there is little chance.

I am pretty far from an AR fanboi but it is really a good platform even if it is on the otherside of 50 years old.
 
Speedo66 said:
Composite cases? Just what we need, more single use plastic to screw up the environment.

Think of the number of cases the Army will produce, and leave everywhere, if they adapt this.
Click to expand...

True Velocity claims their cases are 100% recyclable. Using their technology to make currently fielded cartridges (they are making 5.56 NATO, 7.62 NATO, 338 NM, 50 BMG, 12.7x108mm) they are claiming 50% lighter case resulting in 30% lighter weight ammunition. The ability to carry 30% more ammo for the same weight would certainly be an asset to the soldier even if none of the 6.8 magic comes to being.
 
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Speedo66 said:
Composite cases? Just what we need, more single use plastic to screw up the environment.

Think of the number of cases the Army will produce, and leave everywhere, if they adapt this.

Sorry, I’m finally starting to think of things like this in my old age.
Click to expand...
Well, maybe the ammo will be made from recycled plastic bottles or grocery bags..?
Puts a whole new meaning to "Green Tip" ammo. ;)
 
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