Actually, you just confirmed what I had been told, that it ain't dead. The bean counters might have killed it, but the PR people still haven't put out a press release. I'd assume that the contract has expired? The contractor must have gotten notice or did the contract naturally expire? There are several components from the XM-29. Let's see, the kinetic portion is still alive; the grenades themself are probably going to be enlarged and/or redesigned but the technology will not just fade away; the sight and fire control computer were fleeting anyhow, but the software will live on; the grenade launcher itself was never singled out, so it might also just be redesigned. The only reason I know that the XM-29 is dead is because the XM8 exists and has been contracted.
Look, I know you've heard it from lots of people, but I haven't seen the fat lady yet. Your sources have titles, true, but they aren't sepaking in an official capacity. Those that ARE in an official capacity have said that the components will be developed separately. I'm sorry that I'm not an ordnance insider (apparently all of them read that infantry forum with Hardin). I don't have the inside line on anything. I have to take things on face value when I read about them just like you.
They are not maturing the technology and waiting for things to get lighter. The XM29 is dead. If they were doing as you suggested there would be no reason for HK to try to sell the XM8 to the Army.
You keep suggesting I implied the XM-29 alive and kicking. No, I never said or implied that. The automatic grenade launcher half of the system is not dead, but the integrated, eggs-in-basket approach to the XM-29's CONCEPT is still alive. You argue that if the Army said that they were going to develop the system separately, then there would be no reason to... and here's where you lose me... no reason to develop the kinetic portion of the weapon -- the XM8? How is it possible to develop one module of a weapon and not be developing one module of a weapon? Just because the grenade launcher, grenades, sight, and fire control computers aren't being tested, doesn't mean that they won't.