Stoner's Design Perfected: Comparing the Knight's LAMG to the Stoner 86

@noob The Marines aim and this system are contrary at this point. They want a Pure fleet M27/M38. It has a higher capacity and lighter weight with quick change. so a weapon designed for longer strings of fire.
M27 for the marines allows full auto but the Marines wanted the accuracy of a battle rifle without necessarily the long string ability. Where LAMG fits more is the replacement for the US Army SAW.

@LCON Unfortunately, Big Army is putting all their eggs in Leap Ahead tech basket, hoping to get some unspecified 6.5-7.62 caseless rifle/machine gun designed primarily to shoot AP ammo in next five years. So vaporware. SOCOM might want to buy these though, to replace their MK46 and MK48 LMGs, though even that might not work out because procurement politics with FN.

@noob Gunner community who pushed the IAR program didn't want an open bolt, belt fed LMG in the fire teams, they believed its a crew served weapon. The KAC LAMG is probably the best assault LMG out there, the best one for one replacement of the M249 out there, but it still would suffer from most of the problems the Gunners wanted to address; lack of precision in semi auto, complex operating system that 0311 PFC Schmuckatelli doesn't know how to use properly because he's not a machine gunner, open bolt isn't 100% reliable for first round shot in close quarters combat so gunner can't even be in primary positions in a stack, belted ammo is incompatible with rest of the squad so adding to logistical pressure (ammo can size: 840 rounds of 5.56 in stripper clips versus 400 rounds of 5.56 linked in two SAW drums).

@Duncan *First the Army seems to have lost interest in Caseless If you have been watching the LSAT and it's successors they seem to have moved to Cased Telescopic ammo. The Problems of Caseless are still Killers for the Program. CTA seems far more practical.
*Second Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle program is still in flux. the last report said 6.8mm not 6.5mm of course since the last prototypes seemed to be Cased teliscopic that 6.8mm could be in reference to the outer Diameter of the case much like how the CTA international gun is a 40mm shell fired from a projectile that is fired from a 65mm case. Although canceled the last Prototype Opportunity Notice to build a NGSAR didn't actually say it had to use this ammo, It did say,
"Ammunition Weight (no magazine, belt, belt components, box, or feed systems): 20 percent less than an equal brass case weight volume"
but not in what caliber for form. outside of Brass would be either Nickel, Steel or Polymer ammo.
*Third, If the Army does intended to do Next Gen squad weapons eventually the Day will come when they have to do an open competition. If they settle on a Round for it they will have to give industry a chance to build around that round. and There doesn't seem like a absolute here that would prevent re-engineering a version of the LAMG that could fire CTA or some other cased light weight rounds.

@LCON Whatever they call it all, the Army hedged on vaporware, nothing of which actually exists. You don't think its a problem to base entire small arms future on things that even on paper haven't been decided? They don't have a caliber, they don't have round, they don't have a magazine, they don't have a weapon, they have done zero testing on that weapon. They're hoping five years from now they'll have all that. Which is exactly what they say for every program, including F35.

Cranking one out over a procurement requirement is a bit premature, like judging a meal's quality based on what the menu says. Best wait to actually eat it before you judge its quality. I guess we'll have to wait 5-10 years. Probably be flying cars then, AI will have solved world's programs, and we'll have a colony on Mars. But then, finally the Army will have their new weapons. Maybe they'll even work.

@Duncan "Whatever they call it all, the Army hedged on vaporware, nothing of which actually exists."
*If the Defence indistry hadn't gone into developing new things battles would be waged armed with sticks and stones.
" You don't think its a problem to base entire small arms future on things that even on paper haven't been decided?"
*I don't think it's a problem because that's how new things get developed. Someone comes along and says what can be and sees where the Technology is. The Cased teliscoped technology is at a high TRL number TRL7 that means it's been in testing and there are physical examples being fired. because it's not being pushed into service until after 2023 they have time.
"They don't have a caliber, they don't have round, they don't have a magazine"
*Neither did the AR15 and M16 until Stoner decided to design a 5.56mm round and scale down the AR10. They were designed because at some point some one tried to go beyond the limitations of the existing system. 5.56mm has been the existing round for over 50 years now it has limitations and advantages yes but the envelope of what it can and cannot do is known. If the Army intends to keep 5.56mm then all it or the Marines should do is keep updating the Existing Carbine. but that is just minor tweaks to the system. eventually you reach a point where you have to reassess what you want and can this system meet that. For the moment yes. but long term?
"They're hoping five years from now they'll have all that. Which is exactly what they say for every program, including F35."
And it's what they said when the M1 Abrams was develoupled and the F15 and the Aircraft carrier. And Night vision goggles, And the PC, And the Internet and The Model T And the m1 garand
Textron has been firing off an building carbines and LMG's to fire there CTA Ammo which does exist and not just them either Colt Canada has as well. but it's a question of taking that technology and applying it. This is a big potential change, but the Technology is not Flying cars level. CTA ammo has been in TRL7 since atleast 2013 with examples dating back to atleast the 1987 and the Steyr ACR which fired a Cased Teliscoped flechette round. The Next Step in TRL is TRL8 which is where it is moved to a preproduction phase with Feild trails. After that is TRL9 which is where it actually would be in issue.

@LCON The multi-role spiel is built on the premise that one system can replace multiple legacy systems through a simple parts change like the HK415 IAR to replace the M249 by replacing the AR-15's standard magazine with a side-loading drum belt system.