http://www.militarytimes.com/a...Early%20Bird%20Brief

Special Operations Command is looking at a new 6.5 mm round for its sniper rifle

By: Todd South, April 18, 2017

Special Operations Command is exploring a new caliber for its semi-automatic sniper rifle needs and upgrading one of its bolt-action sniper rifle systems.

Maj. Aron Hauquitz told Military Times Tuesday that SOCOM is in the preliminary stages of exploring a sniper rifle chambered in the 6.5 mm caliber. The two commercially available rounds being evaluated are the .260 Remington and the 6.5 mm Creedmoor.

Research shows that both rounds will "stay supersonic longer, have less wind drift and better terminal performance than 7.62 mm ammunition," SOCOM officials said.

Hauquitz said that the research is focused on the popularity and availability of the cartridge, and finding out the benefits and drawbacks of the different rounds.

At the same time, SOCOM is working to develop polymer ammunition in 6.5 mm to reduce the load for operators, Hauquitz said. Research is showing a one-third weight reduction for 7.62 mm ammunition, allowing the 6.5 mm to come in at 5.56 mm weight ranges.

While both the rifle and the ammunition are being developed together, Hauquitz said the polymer portion of the research would not delay potential fielding of a 6.5 mm rifle.

He didn't provide a specific date or timeline for when the new rifle would be in operators' hands but said they would have a better idea regarding the caliber later this year.

"We're purely in the exploratory phase," Hauquitz said. "We're trying to see if we can take a weapon that is 7.62 and give it greater range, accuracy and lethality."

Hauquitz said the 6.5 mm exploration came out of preliminary results of the Small Arms Ammunition Configuration study, which evaluates for the military commercially available ammunition, emerging ammunition capabilities, and ammunition technologies for conventional and non-conventional calibers.

Last year, the Army chose the smaller Heckler & Koch G28 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System for close-quarters fighting to replace the M110 made by Knight’s Armament. Both fire the 7.62 mm round.

At the time, H&K received the $44.5 million contract to manufacture up to 3,643 rifles over two years.

Meanwhile, the changes SOCOM is seeking for its bolt-action sniper rifle became public earlier this month with a "sources sought" notice. The rifle's development also involves Marine snipers.

The SOCOM contracting office posted the notice for an Advanced Sniper Rifle on the Federal Business Opportunities website on April 6. Industry responses are due on April 24.

SOCOM's current bolt-action rifle is made by Remington Defense, which won the $79.7 million government contract in 2013 after the initial announcement was posted in 2009. Dubbed the Precision Sniper Rifle, it included three quick-change barrels in calibers 7.62 mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum for various distance and power needs.

Lt. Cmdr. Lara Bollinger, a SOCOM spokeswoman, said Friday that the ASR has "far more refined" requirements and performance specifications than the current PSR sniper rifle.

The website states that the posting is not a solicitation or request for proposal but meant to “obtain information for planning purposes only.”

The PSR was designed to replace the three sniper rifles then being used by special ops snipers — the .300 Winchester Magnum MK13, the M40, which shoots 7.62 mm NATO, and the M24, which has separate versions that fire the 7.62 mm NATO and a .338 Lapua Magnum, according to Remington.

The recent announcement asks for industry information about a seemingly identical rifle but adaptable for the 7.62 mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum.

Firearms experts generally cite the Norma Magnum design as producing a faster and more accurate round.

SOCOM listed the following needs for the Advanced Sniper Rifle as a potential Precision Sniper Rifle replacement:

A light/sound suppressor that can be attached to the system when needed.
A system that includes three caliber conversion kits that can fire the 7.62 mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum.
Not to exceed 17 pounds or a total length, without suppressor, of 50 inches.
A folding or collapsing stock.
The 2013 PSR contract requested up to 5,150 PSRs and 4.6 million rounds of ammunition, according to the Remington website.

During the development of the PSR, the Marine Corps opted to continue to upgrade the M40 sniper rifle platform, which shoots the 7.62 mm NATO, despite some who argued for the larger caliber .338 as an option.

A Marine spokesman said Thursday that they are continuing to make modifications to the M40A6 while also working with the Army and Special Operations Command to develop the Advanced Sniper Rifle.

The modifications include an improved, shorter barrel, modular stock and 1.2-pound weight reduction, said Billy Epperson of Marine Corps Combat Development Command.

The new barrel increases bullet flight stability, he said. The new stock incorporates a folding adjustable buttstock, and additional accessory rails will support aiming lasers and optics. Each rifle also comes with a new pack, ballistic calculator, weather station and chronograph for muzzle velocity recordings.

As the ASR is developed, Epperson said the Marines are “assessing the MK13 as a potential interim solution” to increase sniper teams’ range and lethality.

The .300 Winchester Magnum MK13 has a farther range than the 7.62 mm NATO round the M40A6 uses. The MK13 is a rifle that has been used by Army snipers and other units.

Regular Army snipers continue to use the bolt-action M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle, also produced by Remington. It is chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum.

I read somewhere that there was a push for some sort of .264 cartridge that the AMU helped develop.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/...11/10/usamu-264-usa/

-Tom

Good. A 6.5mm cartridge should have been adopted 90 years ago, but better late (way, way late) than never.

Anyone who has shot a 308 and a 6.5 (Creedmoor / Lapua / Remy) side by side figures out in about 2.1 seconds that the 6.5 is a superior round at distance.

The advantages of the 308 include larger bullet selection, longer barrel life, more kinetic energy inside 350-ish yards.

The advantages of the 6.5s include flatter flight curve, less wind drift, less recoil, more kinetic energy on target beyond 400-ish yards, longer distances before bullets transition to transonic & subsonic speeds.

Competitors in tactical and steel matches learned quite awhile ago that 308s just cannot compete with the 6.5s.

quote:

SOCOM's current bolt-action rifle is made by Remington Defense, which won the $79.7 million government contract in 2013 after the initial announcement was posted in 2009. Dubbed the Precision Sniper Rifle, it included three quick-change barrels in calibers 7.62 mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum for various distance and power needs.

Maybe it's just me, but if I'd spend 80 million dollars four years ago on rifles that can shoot 7.62, I might just look at getting another set of quick-change barrels made in a 6.5 cartridge.

I guess I'm not smart enough to work for the government.

There was a .276 Pederson at one time as well.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
Good. A 6.5mm cartridge should have been adopted 90 years ago, but better late (way, way late) than never.

Interesting to think how our history in warfare might have been different with the Pedersen cartridge, not the .30-06 McArthur effected.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
Good. A 6.5mm cartridge should have been adopted 90 years ago, but better late (way, way late) than never.

The Swedes did. Considered doing something in 6.5x55 recently, just haven't explored it too much yet.

are we going to spend $50 million to find out its not doable??

Because that's never happened in the history of Army procurement.

I'm kinda at: you have 5.56, 7.62, and .50. Make it work.

------------------------

One thing's for sure. Between the Creedmoor and 260, whichever one doesn't get chosen will have a harder time in the civilian world remaining competitive against the new "must-have" military cartridge. Everybody wants to be an operator in their own fantasy.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Everybody wants to be an operator in their own fantasy.

Ain't that the truth .

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyBiker:

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Everybody wants to be an operator in their own fantasy.

Ain't that the truth .

Well then, we know at least two who do.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
are we going to spend $50 million to find out its not doable??

Because that's never happened in the history of Army procurement.

I'm kinda at: you have 5.56, 7.62, and .50. Make it work.

------------------------

Except we all know it's doable...6.5 Cred rifles have been winning sniper matches for many ears. Many AR-10 type rifles chambered for them, it works.

I'd like to see the 7.62 barrels on both the bolt guns and semis simply get swapped for 6.5 barrels and bolts as they wear out. That would be cost-effective and improve capability.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
are we going to spend $50 million to find out its not doable??

Because that's never happened in the history of Army procurement.

I'm kinda at: you have 5.56, 7.62, and .50. Make it work.

------------------------

There's a little more to it than that. We're not talking "Regular" Military. Special Operations Command has it's own budget, and get's the toys that the need. (Think Glock: Regular Military doesn't have them, SOCOM does.)
The Regular Military is still going to be plinking away with 5.56, 7.62 & .50.
A Sniper in a Line Unit from the Army or Marines will still have a 7.62/308, but if you're in a unit that falls under the SOCOM umbrella, you get to expand your arsenal to 6.5mm.

I think it's a good thing for us if it happens. Somewhere down the line, there's more 6.5 out there on the market.

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:
I think it's a good thing for us if it happens. Somewhere down the line, there's more 6.5 out there on the market.

Bingo

When I began shooting 6.5 Creedmoor a few years ago, Midway stocked maybe 3-4 types of 6.5 Creed ammo, and maybe 10-12 types of 260 Remy ammo. Today, Midway stocks 21 types of 6.5 Creed and 19 types of 260 Remy ammo. That's a definite market indicator.

Creedmoor ammo originally was only from Hornady -- now there are 7 brands.
260 ammo was for hunting back then -- now it includes quality match options.
If even a small part of the military backs 6.5/260, the market will continue to grow.

308 is a quality all around chambering. But it's getting long in the tooth compared to 6.5/260 chamberings.

quote:

Originally posted by Replacement Tommel:
I read somewhere that there was a push for some sort of .264 cartridge that the AMU helped develop.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/...11/10/usamu-264-usa/

-Tom

That's for regular line troops and not snipers. The 7x46 is also being looked at. I'll be surprised if they make a change to one of those cartridges since that would be a AR10 frame. Heavy with extra weight and less ammo in the field. I would not be surprise to see an shift at some point to the 6.8 or something along the lines of a 270AR or 7mm Valkyrie. Those are AR15 cartridges that perform well out of SBR. But they would need to enlarge the magwell slightly for the 270AR and 7mm Valkyrie.

When it comes to a sniper rifle, is the 6.5 Creedmoor or 260 Remington better than the 7.62, 300 Win Mag or 338 Lupua? I've always read where the 6.5 has superior sectional density and ballistic coefficient. That and less recoil seem be what drove the 6.5 to the front of the line in popularity over the 7.62 in shooting matches. I get that. But thats a shooting match. Sectional density and ballistic coefficient doesn't kill people. The 6.5 and .308 are not all that much different out to 300 yards. And even at 600 yards, the 6.5 doesn't really have an advantage over a skilled shooter with a .308, 300 Win Mag or 338 Lupua. Those are proven killing calibers. Maybe they need to talk to their snipers. Chris Kyle praised his .300 Win Mag. In his book he said the following:

I used the .300 Win Mag for most of my kills. It’s an excellent all-around cartridge, whose performance allows for superb accuracy as well as stopping power. The .300 is a little heavier gun by design. It shoots like a laser. Anything from 1,000 yards and out, you’re just plain nailing it. And on closer targets, you don’t have to worry about too much correction for your come-ups. You can dial in your 500 yard dope and still hit a target from 100-700 yards without worrying too much about making minute adjustments.

This will probably ruffle some feathers, but I don't see a change happening. The 6.5 seems to be the flavor of the day like the .300BLK. The 6.5 is a great choice for shooting competitions and matches. But is it batter than .243 or 6mm in competitions? And for a sniper rifle, is it better than 7.62, 300 Win Mag or 338 Lupua. Not IMO. For killing people, I think Chris Kyle summed it up pretty well.

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:

The Regular Military is still going to be plinking away with 5.56, 7.62 & .50.
A Sniper in a Line Unit from the Army or Marines will still have a 7.62/308, but if you're in a unit that falls under the SOCOM umbrella, you get to expand your arsenal to 6.5mm.

At least as far as the Army goes, my sniper friends are mostly shooting M2010s in .300 WM these days.

Snipers tend to be real gun guys though, so I'm sure they'd embrace the 6.5 concept. I'll ask 'em and get some input.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyBiker:

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Everybody wants to be an operator in their own fantasy.

Ain't that the truth .

Well then, we know at least two who do.

Only if operators all use Ruger No 1s, revolvers, and look like Rolan.

Here's what my buddy and former teammate (active duty sniper) had to say when I showed him this link.

Me: Thoughts? I think it's a great idea as long as we maintain .300 WM and/or .338 LM options. .260 would be pretty slick, since literally the only change from 7.62x51 would be a barrel, even for semi-auto systems.

Him: Yeah the .300 WM and .338 are both sweet rounds. The 6.5 CM is awesome, I have one [personal], but I'd rather carry the .300WM because we might not be fighting booger eaters in flip flops in the future, we could be fighting dudes with body armor. So energy is a thing. Also if I need to disable optics or equipment on vehicles I'd prefer .300 or .338.

That's just one opinion, but the guy has a LOT of experience and has been an Army sniper for over a decade, so it carries at least a little weight.