In the first two parts of this article on a new long range infantry rifle paradigm, we painted a picture of what sort of weapons would be needed to maximize the infantry’s long-range capability, in theory allowing them to achieve “overmatch” versus [Read More…]
Recent experience in Afghanistan, coupled with concerns about the effectiveness of the M4 Carbine – and perhaps also just a general long-term swing of the pendulum – has spurred many to advocate for a new configuration of infantry weapon centered around [Read More…]
More and more, it seems like we are on the cusp of a break in the small arms “plateau”, and that major changes may be coming both in the technology and use of infantry small arms and ammunition. The biggest harbinger of this coming paradigm shift has been [Read More…]
It looks like it could be back to the future for the US Army, if Textron’s new carbine design is any indication of what’s to come. The company unveiled its latest prototype of a cased, telescoped ammunition-firing rifle at Modern Day Marine 2016 in Quantico, [Read More…]
One of the most ballistically interesting intermediate calibers ever developed is the 6.5 Grendel, developed by Arne Brennan with the assistance of Bill Alexander, and promoted heavily by the latter’s company, Alexander Arms. The 6.5 Grendel is interesting because [Read More…]
This subject has come up in my comments recently, and I thought I would explore it in a post proper. To adopt the 6.5 Grendel (or, as we’ll see, something like it), the US Army would need to develop and procure new complete upper receivers, magazines, buffers, and [Read More…]
Almost four decades before the invention of smokeless powder, the advent of the Minié ball bullet made practical the standard infantry rifle, and with it the elongated projectile. This changed the fundamental physics of infantry weapon ammunition design, allowing [Read More…]
One thing that seems apparent from the ARDEC presentation on the CTSAS program is the excessive capability and weight of the 6.5mm CT ammunition, as well as its use of lead-cored projectiles as opposed to more modern (and less dense) EPR-type projectiles. Further, the [Read More…]
Recently, I wrote an editorial regarding the LSAT/CTSAS team’s NDIA presentation on their 6.5mm cased telescoped carbine and machine gun concepts. There was a lot to say about the history of Army programs and the pitfalls facing that team, but today I want to get [Read More…]
The National Defense Industry Association has released the PowerPoint presentations from 2016 Armament Systems Forum, including Kori Phillips’ update on the Cased Telescoped Small Arms Systems (CTSAS) program, which is the successor to the well-known Lightweight [Read More…]
The title of this article is an Anglicized version of the title of the article linked below. The search for a successful selfloading weapon that could be issued en masse to troops was closely related to the development of early weapons that were predecessors to the [Read More…]
Anthony Williams, small arms theorist and co-author of the book Assault Rifle with Maxim Popenker, wrote an article in February of 2006 on the development of the Personal Defense Weapon and its ammunition, which he amended in late 2013. He includes in the article two [Read More…]
One thing I have not yet gotten into is reloading, and I know very little about the manufacture of such things. I mean, I know how a round is constructed, but doing it, and further, innovating, is beyond my current skill set. I find things like fire forming and case [Read More…]
If you have ever gone to a precision rifle competition you will see all sorts of 6mm rounds. From the 6mm Creedmore and .243 Winchester to 6.5 Grendel and .260 Remington. They are flat shooting, high velocity rounds with a very high BC, which is why a lot of the [Read More…]
Nosler has announced a new round, the 26 Nosler. The 26 Nosler is a .264 caliber bullet aka 6.5mm. The 26 Nosler cartridge uses the Nosler 129gr Accubond Long Range bullet and fires it out at 3,400 fps at the muzzle. When zeroed at 350 yds, the 26 Nosler has a point [Read More…]
Small Arms Defense Journal spent some significant ink profiling the development of a new AR-15 platform compatible long-range round. The 6.5x40mm (aka .264 Warrior Magnum) is not to be confused with the (relatively) common 6.5 Grendel. Developed by Mitch Shoffner, the [Read More…]
I was very pleased to hear the news that the 6.5mm Grendel has been accepted by SAAMI and that Alexander Arms has agreed to released their trademark on the name “6.5mm Grendel”. Hornady submitted the cartridge to SAAMI last year but the application was [Read More…]
Les Baer Custom has cloned the 6.5mm Grendel and named their creation the .264 LBC-AR. So why would Les Baer, who were well known for producing quality licensed 6.5mm Grendel AR-15 rifles, start competing with Alexander Arms? Let me tell you why. Back in the late 90s [Read More…]
A few days ago Confederate Yankee wrote that Remington were not developing a 6.5mm cartridge. This contradicted what Adam Heggenstaller reported a couple of weeks ago. I checked with Jessica Kallam (Freedom Group – Remington’s parent company), and the [Read More…]
Back in July, when the specification for the original Remington ACR specifications where announced, I said one of the cartridges it would chamber was the 6.5mm Grendel. Remington said “6.5mm”, and in the context I assumed it was the Grendel. Not long after [Read More…]
Alex Robinson sent me an email saying that the Robinson Arms XCR 6.5mm (I assume it is the 6.5mm Grendel) caliber conversion kit will be shipping in the second week of February and the 7.62x39mm kit near the end of February. Robinson Armament XCR Robinson arms recently [Read More…]
DEMIGOD has written a comparison of the 6.5mm rounds: the .260 Remington vs. 6.5×47 Lapua vs. 6.5 Creedmoor. It’s been a good year for 6.5 mm. The .260 Remington has hit full stride after a ramp-up of several years, with top competitors at most field-style [Read More…]
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