YAGT: Venerable M-16 to be replaced by the XM-8

[MasterAndCommander]

The obligatory pic

Link to story

So when's the civilian version coming out? 😀

 

[PowderBB3D]

I saw this on FoxNews last night. Pretty cool stuff, and the rifles remind me of Starship Troopers or the Assault Rifle in Halo.

 

[jagec]

comes equipped with a grenade launcher and shotgun that can take out Sigourney Weaver's aliens

I dunno, those guys were having trouble even with their pulse rifles...

To hear my Army friend tell it, what the M16 really needs is a larger caliber.

 

[Yossarian]

how come we don't have a rifle yet with a digital ammo display?

 

[Shockwave]

I'm not all that impressed. Not to say its not damned cool, but the major downfall of the M16 is that damned 5.56 (That and the gas system).
If you REALLY want a good gun go with a 6.8 SPC in an M16 platform that has been modified to use the AK gas system. That would be a combat rifle.
The M16 comes in all different flavors and styles, and most are interchangable.

 

[booger711]

looks cool, but i bet there will be some diehard fans of the m16 yapping their heads off

 

[imported_whatever]

they are going to have to change ammo if they want to actually kill anybody with a 5.56 out of a 12.5" barrel...it wont even fragment at point-blank if it uses the now-standard m855. another problem is that trigger-happy GIs can melt the barrel if they sustain fire too long, unlike on the m16 where the gas tube wears out first and you have a single-shot weapon.