This was an interesting article I found.. New guns being tested out for the US military in order to upgrade their firepower. The BarrettM82 .50cal sniper is nothing out of the ordinary, with the exception of that one rad scope. The BarrettXM109 on the other hand seems like something I definitely don't want to be on the opposite end of. It's a cross between a sniper and a cannon pretty much! But the biggest surprise was seeing the XM8 assault rifle or experimental M8 carbine, which if successful in it's testing runs, will be replacing the modern military of M16 and M14's.
Personally, if you hated the plastic feel of an AR-15 or M16, you're definitely going to hate the new XM8 Model, but if you enjoy the thrill of shooting 5.56mm rounds with lightweight and accurate firearms, this may be your wet dream.
www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/1281576-3 (includes additional info)
The XM8 Model, intended to to replace the M16/M14's of the US Military
Article for the XM8 model from link:
TEST FIRING THE XM8
Searching for downrange targets, I slid my index finger forward in the trigger guard, hitting the bolt catch release and chambering the first 5.56mm round. The ambidextrous thumb lever on both sides of the handgrip smoothed my lefthanded transition from safe, through semi, to full-automatic fire. The initial burst was directed at a torso target, and the weapon's high sightline and innovative stock design provided heads-up assurance that the bulk of the bullets were plastering the cardboard victim.
PM was in the Nevada desert to test fire the newest addition to the Army's small-arms arsenal, the XM8 lightweight carbine system.
"The XM8 is an experimental M8 carbine," explained Jim Schatz, Manager, Military Programs, HK Defense. "XM8 is the Army designation for what the Army expects will be its new combat assault rifle system. If it is successful and if it's fielded, the XM8 weapons system is intended to replace the M16/M4 family of weapons."
Explaining the Army's need for the new XM8 system, Schatz acknowledged that "the M16/M4 family of weapons have been around for 40 years and they continue to serve the military very well. We take nothing from the design of Gene Stoner. It's brilliant. But there are certain requirements that the conventional Army has for a new assault rifle to reduce the training burden, to increase the service life, and to increase the reliability of that M16/M4 system."
The XM8 employs a proven operating system that uses a pusher rod located above the barrel, pushed to the rear by a piston. When a round is fired, gas comes up into the cylinder, pushing a piston rod that strikes the bolt carrier and drives it to the rear.
"Once the piston comes about 6mm to the rear, all the excess gas, which you don't need to operate the gun, goes out the front, out of the muzzle and out of the gas venthole. And all the carbon goes out of the muzzle with it," Schatz said.
The operating system is one feature in a totally modular weapons design that Schatz likens to "a Lego set" in terms of its ease of assembling components and accessories.
The XM8 weapons system includes four major variants: Baseline Carbine, Compact Carbine, Sharpshooter and Automatic Rifleman. Automatic firing rates for all variants fall within 700 to 825 rounds per minute. Barrel lengths vary from 9 to 20 in. Firing the standard NATO M855 5.56mm bullet, muzzle velocities vary from 2400 fps (9-in. barrel) to 2700 fps (12.5-in. barrel) to 3000 fps (20-in. barrel).
Moving to the range, our own firing experience with multiple XM8 variant prototypes provided a new appreciation for the design features and inherent program lethality.
As these pages WENT to press, XM8 prototype testing continued through summer 2004 with the formal "decision to adopt" scheduled for September. A positive decision would lead to initial production early in 2005 with the first fielding later that year.
Personally, if you hated the plastic feel of an AR-15 or M16, you're definitely going to hate the new XM8 Model, but if you enjoy the thrill of shooting 5.56mm rounds with lightweight and accurate firearms, this may be your wet dream.
www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/1281576-3 (includes additional info)
The XM8 Model, intended to to replace the M16/M14's of the US Military
Article for the XM8 model from link:
TEST FIRING THE XM8
Searching for downrange targets, I slid my index finger forward in the trigger guard, hitting the bolt catch release and chambering the first 5.56mm round. The ambidextrous thumb lever on both sides of the handgrip smoothed my lefthanded transition from safe, through semi, to full-automatic fire. The initial burst was directed at a torso target, and the weapon's high sightline and innovative stock design provided heads-up assurance that the bulk of the bullets were plastering the cardboard victim.
PM was in the Nevada desert to test fire the newest addition to the Army's small-arms arsenal, the XM8 lightweight carbine system.
"The XM8 is an experimental M8 carbine," explained Jim Schatz, Manager, Military Programs, HK Defense. "XM8 is the Army designation for what the Army expects will be its new combat assault rifle system. If it is successful and if it's fielded, the XM8 weapons system is intended to replace the M16/M4 family of weapons."
Explaining the Army's need for the new XM8 system, Schatz acknowledged that "the M16/M4 family of weapons have been around for 40 years and they continue to serve the military very well. We take nothing from the design of Gene Stoner. It's brilliant. But there are certain requirements that the conventional Army has for a new assault rifle to reduce the training burden, to increase the service life, and to increase the reliability of that M16/M4 system."
The XM8 employs a proven operating system that uses a pusher rod located above the barrel, pushed to the rear by a piston. When a round is fired, gas comes up into the cylinder, pushing a piston rod that strikes the bolt carrier and drives it to the rear.
"Once the piston comes about 6mm to the rear, all the excess gas, which you don't need to operate the gun, goes out the front, out of the muzzle and out of the gas venthole. And all the carbon goes out of the muzzle with it," Schatz said.
The operating system is one feature in a totally modular weapons design that Schatz likens to "a Lego set" in terms of its ease of assembling components and accessories.
The XM8 weapons system includes four major variants: Baseline Carbine, Compact Carbine, Sharpshooter and Automatic Rifleman. Automatic firing rates for all variants fall within 700 to 825 rounds per minute. Barrel lengths vary from 9 to 20 in. Firing the standard NATO M855 5.56mm bullet, muzzle velocities vary from 2400 fps (9-in. barrel) to 2700 fps (12.5-in. barrel) to 3000 fps (20-in. barrel).
Moving to the range, our own firing experience with multiple XM8 variant prototypes provided a new appreciation for the design features and inherent program lethality.
As these pages WENT to press, XM8 prototype testing continued through summer 2004 with the formal "decision to adopt" scheduled for September. A positive decision would lead to initial production early in 2005 with the first fielding later that year.
If a Mod may delete this post I would feel better 
hahaha
, first ? 
