Sig Sauer's new toy at SHOT

January 30, 2019, 10:01 AM

While at SHOT, I escaped the booth in which I was working to visit the Sig Sauer booth. There they were exhibiting their latest toy the SL-MAG (SIG Light Machine Gun,) a .338LM machine gun.

http://soldiersystems.net/2019...range-day-19-sl-mag/

I wonder how that would perform in PRS.

January 30, 2019, 10:19 AM

fritz

quote:
Originally posted by NikonUser:
I wonder how that would perform in PRS.

Multiple 338NM rounds on a plate? I don't think there would be any doubt on hits.

January 30, 2019, 11:40 AM

NikonUser

quote:
Originally posted by fritz:
quote:
Originally posted by NikonUser:
I wonder how that would perform in PRS.

Multiple 338NM rounds on a plate? I don't think there would be any doubt on hits.

Or in some case, no plate left to shoot at.

January 30, 2019, 01:48 PM

LDD

At $5 a round, you'd have to own your own ammunition company (or country) to shoot that thing belt-fed.

January 30, 2019, 02:37 PM

esdunbar

That is freaking awesome! I'll gladly pay a few more bucks in taxes for our boys and girls to have those.

I see a lot of 338 NM all of a sudden instead of 338 LM. Why is that? It felt like things were going the LM way there for a while.

January 30, 2019, 03:03 PM

roberth

Cool machine gun.

quote:
Originally posted by esdunbar:
That is freaking awesome! I'll gladly pay a few more bucks in taxes for our boys and girls to have those.

I see a lot of 338 NM all of a sudden instead of 338 LM. Why is that? It felt like things were going the LM way there for a while.

Good question.

January 31, 2019, 07:41 AM

offgrid

quote:
Originally posted by roberth:
Cool machine gun.

quote:
Originally posted by esdunbar:
That is freaking awesome! I'll gladly pay a few more bucks in taxes for our boys and girls to have those.

I see a lot of 338 NM all of a sudden instead of 338 LM. Why is that? It felt like things were going the LM way there for a while.

Good question.

338NM has been around for 10yrs. 338NM with its shorter case OAL length is more mag friendly with the 300 grain class bullet as well as a 250 class bullet to some extent. 300 grain SMK/Berger eats up lots of case capacity of the 338LM loaded to a mag OAL. Ideally with a 300 grain bullet/338LM OAL will be up against 4". Big jump in ballistics with a 300 grain bullet over a 250 class bullet. If shooting a 250 grain bullet from a 338LM, better options available, 300NM....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.338_Norma_Magnum

January 31, 2019, 11:23 AM

patw

I need to get a cover for my keyboard so I don't have to keep drooling over it.

January 31, 2019, 05:49 PM

NikonUser

quote:
Originally posted by offgrid:
quote:
Originally posted by roberth:
Cool machine gun.

quote:
Originally posted by esdunbar:
That is freaking awesome! I'll gladly pay a few more bucks in taxes for our boys and girls to have those.

I see a lot of 338 NM all of a sudden instead of 338 LM. Why is that? It felt like things were going the LM way there for a while.

Good question.

338NM has been around for 10yrs. 338NM with its shorter case OAL length is more mag friendly with the 300 grain class bullet as well as a 250 class bullet to some extent. 300 grain SMK/Berger eats up lots of case capacity of the 338LM loaded to a mag OAL. Ideally with a 300 grain bullet/338LM OAL will be up against 4". Big jump in ballistics with a 300 grain bullet over a 250 class bullet. If shooting a 250 grain bullet from a 338LM, better options available, 300NM....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.338_Norma_Magnum

I don't shoot these expensive rounds, only cheap .308 loads. But it sounds to me that a burst from that Sig would cost quite a bit at $4/shot. Or some such.

January 31, 2019, 06:03 PM

sigfreund

When a Hellfire missile gets sent to a car with two or three “insurgents,” that’s pretty expensive as well—even if we count only the missile itself, and not everything else that makes that possible. $4 a round for a long range machine gun is a pretty trivial expense for modern warfare.

February 01, 2019, 09:28 AM

NikonUser

quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
When a Hellfire missile gets sent to a car with two or three “insurgents,” that’s pretty expensive as well—even if we count only the missile itself, and not everything else that makes that possible. $4 a round for a long range machine gun is a pretty trivial expense for modern warfare.

I'm aware of the cost of various ammunitions used in warfare, and you are very correct about the trivial cost of such a round compared to other ammo being used. My point was more about "personal use." You can only run that machine gun (or indeed any other machine gun) if your ammo is provided by the taxpayer or you're independently wealthy. Those .50 caliber rounds are expensive also. I can just imagine how much a burst from a Vulcan Phalanx CIWS costs. (Then again, look at the cost of what it's protecting.)

February 01, 2019, 12:47 PM

sigcrazy7

Does the barrel release fold up? It looks like it’s close to the carry handle and could easily be inadvertently lifted when snatching up the gun quickly. Imagine how big gloves would need to fit between the handle and that little lever. Does that lever fold back?

February 01, 2019, 01:52 PM

sigfreund

quote:
Originally posted by NikonUser:
I'm aware of the cost of various ammunitions used in warfare,

Sorry I misunderstood you.

February 01, 2019, 02:02 PM

NikonUser

quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
quote:
Originally posted by NikonUser:
I'm aware of the cost of various ammunitions used in warfare,

Sorry I misunderstood you.

Not at all, I did not make myself clear.

February 02, 2019, 06:55 AM

PGT

Never read the comments but in this case, great commentary in the comments section of that article about this not fixing the main issue its designed to solve; suppressing PKM fire at > 800M

February 02, 2019, 10:14 PM

sooma

quote:
Originally posted by esdunbar:
That is freaking awesome! I'll gladly pay a few more bucks in taxes for our boys and girls to have those.

I see a lot of 338 NM all of a sudden instead of 338 LM. Why is that? It felt like things were going the LM way there for a while.

Porn, same as betamax vs vhs

February 03, 2019, 06:28 AM

mrapteam666

Interesting concept.
Now the boring practical side of me comes out, I wonder how heavy the ammo is.

Not a problem if we are dealing with the concept of mounting it on MRAPs, Strykers etc..

In the article it says it is supposed to be lighter than a 240, so in theory it could be issued to infantry troops, so that is where my question of weight comes in.

February 04, 2019, 03:02 PM

Citadel

US Army systems have a a RFO out for 338 Norma Ball and AP rounds. Should be interesting.

February 04, 2019, 03:12 PM

LDD

quote:
Originally posted by NikonUser:
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
When a Hellfire missile gets sent to a car with two or three “insurgents,” that’s pretty expensive as well—even if we count only the missile itself, and not everything else that makes that possible. $4 a round for a long range machine gun is a pretty trivial expense for modern warfare.

I'm aware of the cost of various ammunitions used in warfare, and you are very correct about the trivial cost of such a round compared to other ammo being used. My point was more about "personal use." You can only run that machine gun (or indeed any other machine gun) if your ammo is provided by the taxpayer or you're independently wealthy. Those .50 caliber rounds are expensive also. I can just imagine how much a burst from a Vulcan Phalanx CIWS costs. (Then again, look at the cost of what it's protecting.)

Nikonusers's point is the same point I was making.

I do not begrudge the military their most effect tool for getting the mission accomplished.