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Old 01-11-2022, 05:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartan198 View Post
Actually, the Noveskes are being procured in both .300 BLK and 5.56. That's what I meant when I said they were going Noveske across the board, which I admit I wasn't clear on. The two platforms are cheaper to maintain as a whole because the only thing that's different is the barrel.

But on the topic of .300 BKL in the US military, my sources have told me that it's being employed in situations where subguns like the MP5SD and MP7 previously would have been and that those platforms are in the process of being phased out.
Ah, gotcha. And yeah, I'm not surprised. If DEVGRU still has any 14.5" guns, for example, those are almost surely going to be 5.56 guns, not .300 BLK (though my impression is that 10.5" weapons have always been their go-tos for most missions).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartan198 View Post
The DI system has seen continuous modification and improvement over the last 20 years and today runs pretty much on par with piston systems. But the 416 still for the moment has a chance at sticking around as the 416A5 is one of the carbines currently being tested by CAG, with the other two I've heard being an MCX variant and, allegedly, the Knight's SR-16 (there seems to be some contention on the latter, though).
Agree, it's never fair to compare DI guns of 20 years ago to the DI guns of today - too much has changed (especially RE gas tube length, gas block design, barrel profiles, buffers, etc.)

I don't expect piston guns to go away completely - and certainly, piston guns have seen just as much improvement in the last 15 years (when the HK416 was first fielded) as the DI guns. I do think that so long as DI guns maintain a weight advantage, that's likely to be a decisive factor. But still, the piston ARs have shown that they have longevity, so they'll probably still be around, even if they're not likely to dominate the market (as folks used to predict 10-15 years ago).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartan198 View Post
None of the Noveskes I've seen in pics were on 416 lowers.
I'm not sure all of DEV's 416s were built on 416 lowers, either. Some of them may have been 416 URGs on existing Colt M4 lowers. Then again, maybe they're just re-using the same pistol grips on newer lowers because that's what their operators prefer. (Side note: Not sure why they like Hogue grips; it was a great design 20-25 years ago compared to a standard A2 grip, but too many AR makers have introduced better grips since.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartan198 View Post
The NGAL seems to only be in use with JSOC and hasn't yet filtered down into the rest of SOCOM.
I meant that I don't think it's become standardized even in DEVGRU, either. Most of the pics of DEVGRU guys that I've seen with their new carbines show them still using PEQ-15s/LA-5s.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartan198 View Post
Dedicated CQB optics will always have a place. I doubt the ATACR will replace everything, especially considering how much gear these members of these units buy out of their own pocket. It will just be another tool in the toolbox, much like how the SCAR ended up when it turnout to not be the "M4 killer" some thought (wanted?) it to be.
Agreed.
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