Corps chooses H&K to make SAW replacement

[bobdina]

Corps chooses H&K to make SAW replacement

By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Dec 2, 2009 14:52:40 EST

The Marine Corps has selected the infantry automatic rifle made by Heckler & Koch as the weapon that will replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in infantry fire teams, a senior service official told Marine Corps Times on Wednesday.

Read more here- http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/marine_IAR_120209w/

[GTFPDQ]

I dont quite understand this decision, why take fire power away from the Marines? The Minimi is an exceptional weapon.

[bobdina]

I dont quite understand this decision, why take fire power away from the Marines? The Minimi is an exceptional weapon.

I'm not too sure either, the official explanation is to save weight however your gonna be humping (brit word escapes me right now) a whole hell of a lot of ammo with that. I remember when this thing first started they said they we still going to be keeping half of their SAW's for mounting on vehicles and for base defense. I'm sure if their not happy with the IAR they'll be dismounting those SAW's and take them on foot for patrols.

[nastyleg]

What they will lack is the ammo carring capacity and the only substitute for the 200rd mag or the nut sack is the beta mag which carries 100rd and is ackward to carry. I dont see why they did not adopt the SHRIKE. It is a M-4 that is belt fed.

[Bisley_Bob]

humping (brit word escapes me right now)

I think the word you're after is carrying!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/nobbie_ferguson/200356248-001.jpg
I got your back man!


Vocabulary aside, I was really surprised that the USMC was sacking off the SAW. They really should have looked at us with our LSW and realised that a light machine gun fed by 30 round magazines is a useless piece of crap. Hopefully they find it works well and prove me wrong, but I doubt it.
Also, how many friggin mags are the support gunners gonna have to be carrying? They'll start coming across issues like having to get lads to stop firing and bomb up for their support gunners. I can't see this ending well.

[Reactor-Axe-Man]

Vocabulary aside, I was really surprised that the USMC was sacking off the SAW. They really should have looked at us with our LSW and realised that a light machine gun fed by 30 round magazines is a useless piece of crap. Hopefully they find it works well and prove me wrong, but I doubt it.
Also, how many friggin mags are the support gunners gonna have to be carrying? They'll start coming across issues like having to get lads to stop firing and bomb up for their support gunners. I can't see this ending well.

I had thought that we Yanks had already learned that lesson with the BAR. A great weapon made useless with 20 round magazines...