Military Rifle Proposal

By Steven Hessman


Proposed military rifle
Illustration courtesy of Steven Hessman.

I'm putting together a weapons (rifle) proposal for the U.S. Military. I envision a 150 grain spire point bullet @ 2750 FPS, fired from a semi-automatic rifle. Possibly an upgrade of the '06 M-1 rifle, but fed with 20 round box magazines. It will pretty much duplicate the old .30-06 round.

I'm going to make the case half an inch shorter for faster action time. And faster rates of fire in the squad automatic weapons that will follow. With a good peep sight, and provision for mounting a scope. (To be used in limited numbers by, for example, snipers.) Black fiberglass stocks. Ambi. safety, probably forward in the trigger guard.

Then I'll be proposing that the Army adopt the Marine Corps marksmanship
training program. That is to say, actually teach 'em to shoot. Not just jerk off three round bursts as fast as they can using the various stylish aiming toys hung all over the forearms of their current .22's.

I see no need to take baby steps to a 115 grain 6.8mm (.277 cal) @ 2600 cartridge in new uppers. Even if we give it a catchy name like "Special Purpose Cartridge."

Lets dump that aluminum varmint rifle with the luggage handle on top. Let's go directly to a .30 caliber that we all know works! I can arm the entire US establishment for less that the price of one new F-22 fighter plane. Which, by the way, is a solution in search of a problem.

I believe after this new rifle is used in combat they'll realize that one torso hit with one of these .30 caliber bullets will put a man down. As opposed to needing and carrying three or four times the number of bullets in .22 caliber.

In fact, I may just go back and check the small arms archives and see what has worked since, say, 1940. Maybe apply some common sense terminal ballistic information to the problem. I mean, no one would choose to hunt 200 pound deer with a .223. Why 200 pound targets dressed in heavy clothing and flack jackets and helmets? If we put about a 50 pound limit on game hunted with a .223, Why do we want to hunt 200 pound people, who are shooting back, with it?




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