H&K Wins CSASS！

[scooter22]

I believe the M110 problems were with earlier guns.

[Slater]

From today's DoD contract announcements:

Heckler & Koch Defense Inc., Ashburn, Virginia, was awarded a $44,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract with options for Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System spare parts, training, and government purpose rights. Bids were solicited via the Internet with eight received with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2022. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-16-D-0051).

[mark5pt56]

There goes my hopes of the Sig Sauer MCX variant in .308.

[ABNAK]

Anyone think that since the USMC's adoption of the HK M27 and the HSLD folks using the 416 this might be an in-road to adopting the HK-based piston guns for .mil? You'd have 7.62 NATO and 5.56 versions. Just speculating, not a fan-boy waiting with baited breath on the edge of my seat.

FWIW (regarding the M110) one of my best friends is a retired SGM from 5th SFG (18B, weapons guy) and is a gunsmith. Although he retired quite a few years ago he doesn't have a high opinion of AR-based .308 platforms. Says they're more (not solely) prone to breakage than the 5.56 variants as the .308, although what it was originally designed by Stoner as, is " too rough" on that particular type of weapon.

[MountainRaven]

No. The nomenclature is the carry over, not the actual rifle, according to the article.

Another 308 magazine in the inventory is ridiculous though. Im sure the HK is a good rifle and a welcome upgrade from our M110s.

All we need to do is add G3s to inventory and we can supply everybody in NATO with magazines for every 308 they use.

(AFAIK, all the FALs are gone, but the G3 continues to soldier on with the Norwegians, Germans, and Turks in limited capacities - plus the Baltic states, who are part of NATO and have received some arms from Fenno-Scandia, including Ak4s from neutral Sweden.)

[HKGuns]

Good for HK, perhaps this will build additional momentum behind building a US MFG facility capable of producing toys for everyone without all of the German export restrictions.

Big middle finger at the German bureaucrats trying to suck the life out of the G36.

[Firefly]

Still waiting on why this is "better" or what's messing up on M110s..

But...I dunno. I'm kinda ready for the G36 to die. If I were the Kaiser of Germany; Everybody would be toting HK 416s 16" barrel with some kinda Mlok.

[Benito]

This is surprising (to me at least, but I'm not in the military, nor am I that in the loop). I though KAC owned the 7.62 precision semi-auto military contract game with its SR-25's of various configurations.

Anyone think that since the USMC's adoption of the HK M27 and the HSLD folks using the 416 this might be an in-road to adopting the HK-based piston guns for .mil? You'd have 7.62 NATO and 5.56 versions. Just speculating, not a fan-boy waiting with baited breath on the edge of my seat.

What the hell is HK doing with this proprietary attachment system, on top of their proprietary mags? They just love being special little Teutonic snowflakes. I'm frankly surprised that their guns are even chambered in non-proprietary cartridges like 5.56, 7.62x51, etc. and not some oddball HK-only stuff.

FWIW (regarding the M110) one of my best friends is a retired SGM from 5th SFG (18B, weapons guy) and is a gunsmith. Although he retired quite a few years ago he doesn't have a high opinion of AR-based .308 platforms. Says they're more (not solely) prone to breakage than the 5.56 variants as the .308, although what it was originally designed by Stoner as, is " too rough" on that particular type of weapon.

Interesting theory about the backdoor inroad.
By "too rough" do you think he was referring to overgassing? If so, that could be remedied easily by either adjustable gas block, or by drilling a smaller gas port.
Otherwise, what parts is he seeing break, and could these be related to the overgassing, as we are talking about gas operated guns)?

[MountainRaven]

Still waiting on why this is "better" or what's messing up on M110s..

But...I dunno. I'm kinda ready for the G36 to die. If I were the Kaiser of Germany; Everybody would be toting HK 416s 16" barrel with some kinda Mlok.

I seem to recall that LAV only recently gave his blessing to the SR-25, SR-25s of the then most recent iteration (we're one or two removed from that, now, IIRC). The M110 - like the Mk11 before it - is locked in the period of time when the SR-25 wasn't as good as it is now (I seem to recall KAC's reps here saying as much).

I did once speak to a retired SOF armorer who had gone to work for LWRC around the time the REPR came out and he seemed unimpressed by the SR-25. I do not recall what, exactly, was wrong with the gun, but I seem to recall that magazines were a big part of the issue.

Browsing through some older threads to back when LAV may not have been so sold on them, it appears that they may have been somewhat ammo sensitive (although I'm not sure how much that might impact a military rifle where all the ammo it's going to shoot is going to be built to a couple of unchanging specs, whether that's M80 or M118LR).

I remember they had issues. I remember everyone who had shot them wasn't particularly fond of the M110 and even less so of the Mk11. I just don't remember what it was.

I'll see if I can keep digging to find out what it was - or is. Although maybe this will be another Berenstein/Berenstain Bears thing.

[Sensei]

I was in A-Stan in 2009 when our BN fielded the M110. There were complaints about trigger failures and having to send the units back to CONUS. They were also unimpressed with the accuracy. The M14 EBR became the go-to stopgap when the M110's started having problems.