Ideal Assault Rifle

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Work out some deal to swap the charging handle over to the left side on the 550 series and you'd have a rifle that I think even most serious gunfighters would be enthusiastic about.
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Like the XCR? The 550 is heavier than it needs to be (the XCR is not). The 550 has a selector switch that is non-ergo (too far from the grip - the XCR does not). Every time you look at an issue, the XCR has solved it already. Granted, the Masada/ACR pretty well has too, but they don't exist yet - the XCR does! I'll just come right out and say it - the XCR (and Masada) make the 550/556 outdated and inferior! IMO, YMMV, etc.

Bout the only thing I'd like different (so far) on the XCR**, is that I wish the bolt handle were a *smidge* bigger/longer to grap hold of easily and wish it were contructed from aluminum rather than plastic - anything that bears that much pressure under use should not be plastic. I think only the *outer* part of the bolt handle is plastic, with the inner being aluminum or steel, but not sure. Plastic is fine for grips and such, but not something you grab and pull hard and put pressure on - a LOT. On the subject of charging handles: The XCR got all 3 variables right: (a) the handle is on the left side where it should be, (b) It is non-reciprocating, and (c) yet it CAN - with a simple push-in motion - be used to engage the bolt in a forward motion, as a forward assist. But again, if it were a bit longer and bit more robust (no plastic), I'd have much more confidence in it should I have to stand on it to get it to go INTO battery, or stand on it to make it open.

**Not counting possible improvements of a bullpup design and/or a Kriss Super V type recoil reduction system. [Why they didn't make the Super V a bullpup I don't know- a 10" SBR .45 in a bullpup would rock!]

In a bullpup there are several advanced designs including the AUG, the L85/SA80, the Tavor, the FAMAS, and the Chinese QBZ-95. I'm not sure which one is the most advanced among these - I don't know enough about them.
 
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Now if the nice folk at Robinson could provide the XCR in a bullpup variant as well.....drool...:evil:

I admit that as it is, in 7.62x51, I'm going to be hard pushed to choose between a second XCR (XCR-M) and a Kel-Tec RFB assuming it makes daylight.

Damn you Alex Robinson......:D
 
Like the XCR?
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I'd actually thought about mentioning how a 550 series rifle with a left side charging handle converges towards the XCR when I posted that thought.

The 550 is heavier than it needs to be (the XCR is not).
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But the XCR is not available with a 1-7 twist barrel. Easy fix, obviously -- I'm surprised Robinson does not at least offer that as an option.

The 550 has a selector switch that is non-ergo (too far from the grip - the XCR does not).
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I have large hands, but don't notice any problems running the safety on a Sig 556. I can see how it might be a bit too much stretch for small hands, though nowhere near as bad as the MP5, HK53 and such.
 
Im still scratchin my head over the transparent magazines that are milled from metal. Does any weapon use a milled mag? A hammer forged barrel on a sheet metal receiver sounds like the worst of both no accuracy because of the sheet metal no weight savings from the barrel.
 
Nialoth, sorrry, but on the Finnish weapon, anything with the dinosaur AK safety is not a home run! Even the Galil/Golani has already fixed that abomination. Otherwise that rifle looks pretty sweet.

Everallm, thanks for that link, and Horsesoldier, thanks for the input - you are correct. Yes it would be nice to have a 1 in 7 barrel available - they're getting loads of suggestions, so I dunno what they'd pick if they do make them (lengthwise). Personally, I'd like to see a standard-contour 18" bbl with 1 in 7.

I'm going to be hard pushed to choose between a second XCR (XCR-M) and a Kel-Tec RFB assuming it makes daylight.
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You got that straight, Jack! I'd have to get both ultimately, but I'd go with the RFB first, assuming it doesn't have plastic in cheesy places where it shouldn't, such as having the rails made from plastic as on the SU-16.
 
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PremiumSauces said:
<snip>on the Finnish weapon, anything with the dinosaur AK safety is not a home run! Even the Galil/Golani has already fixed that abomination.
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They have?

If you're referring to the 'thumb safety' that is set up perfectly for non-humans to operate, I just don't think so.
 
If you're referring to the 'thumb safety' that is set up perfectly for non-humans to operate, I just don't think so.
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+1 -- the Galil left side safety is pretty poorly designed for practical use, with the whole forward-safe, backwards-hot lay out. With practice you can run it faster than an AK safety from a low ready, though both require you to break your grip and are less desirable than the safety layout on the AR and similar weapons.
 
Me like Assault Sling Shot. 50 rock rock leather bag, 3 cubit goat leather sling. River bottom rock hit harder than dirt clod.
 
Why reinvent the magazine and why go with milled feed lips.
Mags are meant to be semi-disposable. If you go with milled parts on a mag you're tossing a lot of money away for no reason every time some doofus loses one.
The AK mag is plenty durable so I'd use that for a pattern and go from there.
 
I read the first page, but thats it and I'm not sorry

sounds like you put everything good about any rifle on your list, wont my face be red when you build it in your garage :eek:

Honestly when I got into guns all I could think about was making a better one. My idea was a p90 with caseless rounds in like a 6.5 grendel or something. Oh and most importantly it had a big rail all the way across the top that would come off and have an inverted rail underneath so it could all attach to a big 20mm grenade launcher.

THATS RIGHT forget about the rifle your gov wants AIR BURST MUNITIONS

your welcome:)
 
Very intriguing list. When ingenious effort is balanced with Reality, then you have real improvements.
Speaking of improvements, anyone with a Glock might find this new sight concept interesting:
www.speedsights.com
The ideal rifle sounds almost like a perfect mating between the AR and AK platforms. Didn't the Daewoo do something like that, before Klinton banned it??
 
there are gas piston ARs, but they aren't as good as a different rifle (FN SCAR and Magpul Masada/bushmaster ACR come to mind) that is designed from the ground up to be better. The robinson Arms XCR is too much AK, IMO.
 
Like the XCR? The 550 is heavier than it needs to be (the XCR is not).
Click to expand...

you compare a full sized rifle with 21inch barrel to a carbine with 16inch barrel.
ofcourse the carbine will win.
the SIG551LB has a 18inch barrel and weights exactle as mutch as the 16inch XCR.

The 550 has a selector switch that is non-ergo (too far from the grip - the XCR does not).
Click to expand...

did you use a 550 lower or a 556 lower? the swiches are at diffrent places on both systems.

the XCR (and Masada) make the 550/556 outdated and inferior! IMO, YMMV, etc.
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can the XCR and Masada do this?
http://www.biggerhammer.net/sigamt/550/550techinspection/

i am not saying that the 550/551/552/553 series of rifles are the best of them all, there are points that could be done better, but i honestly think that it is a very decent system.

Work out some deal to swap the charging handle over to the left side on the 550 series and you'd have a rifle that I think even most serious gunfighters would be enthusiastic about.
Click to expand...

i read that multiple times now and i can not figure out way you would want the handle on the left side of the rifle if you are not a lefthanded shooter?
i mean the boltactions that dominated the battlefields for years where all cooked with a handle on the right side and noone, except the lefties, complained about that?

maybe it is just a habit after years of having handle on the right side, but i dont think i could get used to a leftside charging handle.
 
can the XCR and Masada do this?
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Yup, and a bit. I don't remember the link, but someone put the XCR through a heck of a torture test. It passed, a little scratched up, but those AK-like internals were fine.
 
I'll stick with the M16 I used in combat, it works. Light, fast and simple is better. Last I knew they didn't issue gun bearers and the enemy didn't wait for the swing of a big clumsy,old tech front heavy rifle. Keep the ideas coming, you might accidently hit on a good one. I give you credit for thinking about it.
But don't forget, there are a lot of ideas that have been tried by people who want to kill really badly. I don't think there will be big changes in rifles until ammunition technology is improved. Think about caseless ammo that leaves no residue, or has new properties for penetration and tissue damage.
 
If I am in need of a true assault rifle, I want it belt feed.

If I could afford one, I'd have an M60 as my primary "Don't tread on me" weapon. Yeah I know it weighs 23# and shoots heavy ammo, it also is a dangerous piece of kit. I have shot one from helicopter, parachuted with one strapped to my side, and spent weeks afield humping that heavy damn thing. The weight goes away when it's time to get to the assault part. Effectiveness outweighs any design feature when it's time. The M60, you have to know one to love one.
 
The Rob Arms XCR is a Daewoo with the chargeing handle on the left.

To me the XCR is what would have happened to the Daewoo if it had the same amout of developement as the AR15 has had.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.....
 
I am actually working on something (still in blueprint stage) that matches most of those specs, but it's a .22 Magnum that takes several different magazines and has a similar butt to the XM-8 and looks allot like a "Mass Effect" gun, or like a beefed up XM-8 as of right now. It has target rifle like adjustments though and several reliable new functions that do not yet exist off paper.
One of my greater complaints about modern firearms is lack of use of composites in the frame (steel skeleton with synthetic body) and insufficient metal. If I can ever afford it, I would like to one day build a rifle almost entirely out of S-7 with the obvious exception of the optics, synthetics and springs.
I have been spending years working on ways to make guns as reliable as possible but still maintain accuracy and overall performance. The gun I always end up looking back to is the Enfield SMLE, which is very tight where need be and extremely loose everywhere else.
In automatics, it's difficult because you need to make the gun work with the shooter, which raises all kinds of issues to work out when trying to achieve both extreme reliability AND accuracy.
 
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I know what you mean by the M60. It was my favorite in Vietnam when mounted on a vehicle. Either on a swivel in a jeep or gun ring on a 5 ton straight truck. There is a pic of me on the Guntrucks sight with an M60. I post it but I can't seem to get that to work. I still favor the M16 while on foot or shooting in a confined space. I qualified with and was issued an M14, M16 and M60 at different times and also used a 50 cal. They each are great and have their place.
 
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