This bullshit reeks of
another Colt LMG turd.
A 5.56mm rifle that fires in full auto? Why? It's been proven time and time again that unless you speed up the ROF ridiculously and toss in a burst limiter... or reduce it to just-like-semi that full auto is mostly useless on Average Joe weapons. I can't think of anybody that uses the 3 round burst in combat unless they're back-against-the-walls-rushed-by-mobs or they're throwing out marking tracers.
...
In my opinion, infantry primary weapon roles in the US military haven't changed much in the last 40 years.
Submachine guns are in the trash. Pistols are almost non-weapons. Shotguns are like pistols.
Today you've got:
Infantry arm: 5.56mm rifle, M16 / M4 (20" or 14.5" bbl)
"DesMark" arm: 7.62mm rifle, M14 w/ scope (one gun per squad, if you're lucky)
LMG: 5.56mm, M249 (one gun per fire team is normal for combat arms)
GPMG: 7.62mm, M240 (one gun per line squad is normal for combat arms, FSTs have more)
Let's say that the infantry arm (M4) is designed to engage point targets. It's light and compact and good at single shots. It shines in the "every guy can have one" role because it's a great general purpose primary small arm. My 240B gunner had his M4 wrapped up in a breakaway bag and attached to his ruck.
The M249 is a suppressive fire weapon. It's heavier and great for short bursts. It isn't nearly as accurate as the M4 (in my experience) but it gives you massive firepower in a single guy package. I was taught that the M249 is the legs of a fire team, providing suppressive fire for men on the move. If you've got 3 guys with M4s (1 with M203) and 1 guy with a M249, you're toting some serious firepower in a four-man team while still remaining maneuverable (room to trade off, carry special equipment, etc).
...
The real question is: why do the Marines need something that attempts to do both at mediocre levels?
If it's light and accurate, it won't do well at bursts because it's not heavy and has a tiny box mag.
If it's heavy and has a big drum mag, you're not going to want to issue it to every guy in your squad.
They're taking two separate weapon concepts and trying to mate them to create The Ultimate Gun.
Maybe they should just go with the
Ares Shrike concept.
Heh.
...
I concur with Slims. The Minimi is more than satisfactory in non-M249 incarnations such as the
Mk46 Mod 0.
ATTACHMENT #1: The 100-round soft-side nutsack starter drum is ideal for in-the-weapon carry.
My M249 gunner carried a 100-round in the gun and 3 200-rounds on his kit . (one on each hip, one hanging off assault pack)
Ignore the twist stock on the gun in attachment #1. Those things are total garbage. Go for the M4-style sliding collapsible ones.
Granted, we never got those (1SG spent the money on printer cartridges) so we rocked the fixed stock the whole time in '06.
The 200 round drums are easy to silence with cardboard and give you immense firepower.
Aftermarket companies manufacture 200 round soft-side drums for those who prefer them.
...
Combine the appropriate barrel, optics, stock, and mag config for the mission at hand.
...
Why do we need new shit when the shit we have works with new parts?
Let's refrain from more $800 toilet seats, USMC. C'mon now.