An interesting read: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/future small arms.htm
One conclusion that could be made is the potential for a 6.5G bullpup as the future arm, to replace a short urban, long range, and even light SMG. The final comments are pretty accurate, tho. It is going to take a lot of effort to get the decision makers off the dime and actually create change.
The military industry at present is fixated on one specific area that is actually showing the most resistance to change - the M16 magazine design. If anything, that is the biggest issue for any new caliber - it has to feed in the straight 20 round mag well.
Guys, we can argue calibers until the cows come home (and we will,) but the more important problem to any adoption is the mag well, which is getting institutionalized as a requirement in NATO weapons. As a good example, Magpul makes the Emag, which is a euro compatible version of the Pmag for use by other platforms.
Anyone who's seen a picture or handled a AR magazine for the 7.62x39 can immediately see the obvious problem - it looks like a bad joke, a curved AK mag with the best part cut off, attached to a 20 straight M16 with the best part cut off. It's a mystery that they work at all. That is not going pass anyones acceptance trial and will doom an otherwise good rifle.
The problem is adopting a tapered case cartridge immediately obsoletes millions of magazines in service. That would likely also happen if the overall cartridge length is opened up, and if the case diameter changed, it still might require it. Regardless of cause, the issue is that every rifle would need ten magazines immediately, and units dozens more as backup. The obstacle of equipping, say, the entire deployed Afghanistan force with 130,000 rifles means also issuing at least 1.5 million magazines on the spot, with that many more needed.
It makes no difference which caliber you prefer, the magazine replacement has a significant impact on fielding any one of them - and it also needs mag pouches to fit into. There's another major piece of kit to design and issue.
Follow the money, a caliber change has a much bigger affect than we think.
One conclusion that could be made is the potential for a 6.5G bullpup as the future arm, to replace a short urban, long range, and even light SMG. The final comments are pretty accurate, tho. It is going to take a lot of effort to get the decision makers off the dime and actually create change.
The military industry at present is fixated on one specific area that is actually showing the most resistance to change - the M16 magazine design. If anything, that is the biggest issue for any new caliber - it has to feed in the straight 20 round mag well.
Guys, we can argue calibers until the cows come home (and we will,) but the more important problem to any adoption is the mag well, which is getting institutionalized as a requirement in NATO weapons. As a good example, Magpul makes the Emag, which is a euro compatible version of the Pmag for use by other platforms.
Anyone who's seen a picture or handled a AR magazine for the 7.62x39 can immediately see the obvious problem - it looks like a bad joke, a curved AK mag with the best part cut off, attached to a 20 straight M16 with the best part cut off. It's a mystery that they work at all. That is not going pass anyones acceptance trial and will doom an otherwise good rifle.
The problem is adopting a tapered case cartridge immediately obsoletes millions of magazines in service. That would likely also happen if the overall cartridge length is opened up, and if the case diameter changed, it still might require it. Regardless of cause, the issue is that every rifle would need ten magazines immediately, and units dozens more as backup. The obstacle of equipping, say, the entire deployed Afghanistan force with 130,000 rifles means also issuing at least 1.5 million magazines on the spot, with that many more needed.
It makes no difference which caliber you prefer, the magazine replacement has a significant impact on fielding any one of them - and it also needs mag pouches to fit into. There's another major piece of kit to design and issue.
Follow the money, a caliber change has a much bigger affect than we think.