M24 sniper rifles for Afghanistan

[HorseSoldier]

I though all the M24's were getting the barrel change to .300WM, and that tacticool stock, guess not..

Funds weren't let to even switch over all the USGI M24s on the current contract. Might change in the future, but not yet.

The 6.8 SPC will never be the MBR cartridge unless NATO adopts it. Period. The two MBR cartridges approved by NATO are the 5.56 and the 7.62. Changing the MBR cartridge during a war is simply ridiculous.

Just to rehash the history involved: 7.62x51 became the NATO standard after we told our fellow NATO nations to adopt it. We then switched to 5.56x45 and then imposed that on NATO as well (sure, NATO had a test program to adopt a new caliber, but with the US already having the M16 as its service rifle the outcome was predetermined; to let the other NATO nations besides us feel like they had a vote we did adopt the Belgian's improved bullet format).

So, during the history of its existence, no NATO nation has ever used a service rifle caliber besides what the US adopted first (+/- weapons they might have already had on issue when NATO formed).

Saying the US won't change caliber without NATO permission only makes sense if we ignore the actual history of NATO small arms entirely.

 

[Zoogster]

Saying the US won't change caliber without NATO permission only makes sense if we ignore the actual history of NATO small arms entirely.

This is correct.


The British actually tried to use what is essentially the 6.8 back in the early 1950s and have it adopted as the NATO standard.
The .280(inches) British is virtually the same in performance as the 6.8SPC and 6.5 Grendel (which is really 6.71mm) today.

The US military refused, the only reason NATO did not adopt what was essentially the same round back in the 1950s as the NATO standard round is because the US military said no.
The US military said the 7.62x51 would be the NATO standard, so it was.
Then some years later the US military said the 5.56x45 would be the NATO standard, and so it was.

NATO will adopt what the US military says because lets be honest, it is primarily US soldiers enforcing and dying for NATO policies, and a lot of the production capabilities are based in the US as well.
NATO forces are typically US forces supplemented with a small percentage of foreign forces.
So the primary voice for logistics is going to be the US military.

 

[RhinoDefense]

Yes I'm well aware of NATO cartridge history. I'm well aware of the procedures involved in the cartridge adoption process.


Read my statement again you quoted and failed to comprehend.

If NATO doesn't adopt the 6.8 cartridge it won't be used for the MBR. Is the 6.8 cartridge in use by the US military? Yes, in very limited numbers and very limited roles and is certainly not the MBR cartridge. Being used and being used in the MBR are two completely different things.

 

[John Parker]

Afghan National Army Depot 1
Attn cstc-a cje log ana
tel 079-905-9790
off jalalabad rd nxt to camp dogan
Kabul Afghanistan

Are the Navy guys still making the run from Phoenix to depot 1 and depot 2 everyday? It was fun going in and checking out all the old Soviet guns being refurbed, before the ANA was caught selling Helwans, which caused them to lock down and move all the weapons.

 

[LemmyCaution]

Considering that the goal of Operation Enduring Paycheck is to line the pockets of well connected defense and security contractors, is this news a surprise to anyone?

 

[goon]

They're employing Americans at least.

 

[Rubber_Duck]

So I have to buy my own mags because they issue me recycled and abused junk but we can buy the Afghans M24s? GREAT.

I wonder how many PMags could be bought for soldiers and Marines that need them with the amount of money this one contract is worth.

 

[Jaws]

Well, at $14 a piece, for the 9 million bucks the Afghan M24 contract shows, you could get 643.000 PMAGs for the troops.
Now if they could get them at let's say ten bucks a piece, you could get 900.000 PMAGs. :banghead: