Army picks SIG to produce Next Generation Squad Weapon

[Diamondback]

Based on Slater's find, so far all I'm hearing is heavier, less ammo, and harder to keep running in the field.

[BrigandTwoFour]

I think that article had a misprint on the barrel length. Everything else I've read says the XM5 barrel is 13 inches.

I bet they're including the length with a suppressor since that was part of the contract.

[call_me_ski]

Flash hider maybe. But most likely they flipped the 5 and the 3 in 13.5.

[jackblack73]

The article also says the XM250 is 4 pounds lighter.

[C-grunt]

The article also says the XM250 is 4 pounds lighter.

I think that's supposed to mean its 4 pounds lighter than the M249. Very poorly written there.

[C-grunt]

"The XM5, which weighs about two pounds heavier than the M4, and the XM250, which is about four pounds lighter, are still in their prototype phase and may change slightly by the time it is out for mass production. The XM5 weighs 8.38 pounds and 9.84 with the suppressor. The XM250 weighs 13 pounds with a bipod and 14.5 with the suppressor.

Currently the XM5 basic combat load is seven, 20-round magazines, which weighs 9.8 pounds. For the XM250 the basic combat load is four 100-round pouches, at 27.1 pounds. For comparison: the M4 carbine combat load, which is seven 30-round magazines, weighs 7.4 pounds, and the M249 light machine gun combat load, which is three 200-round pouches, weighs 20.8 pounds.

The overall length of the weapons with suppressors attached are 36 inches long for the XM5 and 41.87 inches long for the XM250. The barrel of the XM5 is 15.3 inches long and the XM250 is 17.5 inches long. The barrel on the XM250 is also not considered a quick-change barrel like the M249."


https://www.army.mil/article/256697/...dier_lethality

I missed something here earlier. The XM250 doesnt have a quick change barrel? I was under the impression it did. I cant remember if I read that or just assumed because it's an obvious feature to put on a belt fed machine gun. I was actually pretty impressed with the XM250 otherwise.

So now we are going to have a suppressed belt fed machine gun that shoots 130+ grain projectiles at 3000+ FPS operating at 80k PSI chamber pressure and it doesn't have a quick change barrel?

[Coal Dragger]

This has debacle written all over it.

[1168]

I missed something here earlier. The XM250 doesnt have a quick change barrel? I was under the impression it did. I cant remember if I read that or just assumed because it's an obvious feature to put on a belt fed machine gun. I was actually pretty impressed with the XM250 otherwise.

So now we are going to have a suppressed belt fed machine gun that shoots 130+ grain projectiles at 3000+ FPS operating at 80k PSI chamber pressure and it doesn't have a quick change barrel?

That would certainly limit its sustained rate of fire, ruling it out as a good 240 replacement in ground units. Could still be viable as a Mk46 and Mk48 replacement. 249 questionable. I’m curious about its barrel profile, given the claims of the weapon being significantly lighter than the 249. A lighter barrel would limit rapid rate of fire, or at least the amount of time the gunner could use that rate, which would make it a big step backwards. Even with the same weight barrel, I’d expect the cartridge to limit the rapid rate of fire. This would all be too bad, because the MG replacement portion of the program makes more sense than the M4 replacement portion. At least to me.

[C-grunt]

My theory since the beginning is the rifle gets scrapped and the MG gets adopted but rechambered in 7.62 Nato.

I watched (skimmed) the video from TFB TV last night about the XM250 to see about the barrel. They were talking with the lead engineer. She said they have a model of it with the quick change barrel but that the NSGW contract specified not having one. So it sounds like Sig is foreseeing this being an issue and already have the solution waiting.

[sinister]

Consider M250 an automatic rifle and NOT a light machinegun. It'll work the same role as a BAR or M16A1 with bipod.
There still isn't a doctrinal role fit. SAW made it easier to have an LMG in the squad but burdens it with weight. M250 is neither fish nor foul -- it provides anti-body armor capability that's not required in East Asia / Southeast Asia jungles against chinamen.