Thread: Xm8 Prototypes Surpass M16 ?

XM8 PROTOTYPES SURPASS M16, EXPERTS SAY

By Matthew Cox
Army Times Staff Writer
October 11, 2003
www.armytimes.com

It looks like the first prototypes of what could be the Army's next rifle already outclass anything in the M16 family. At least that’s the analysis of Army weapons experts who recently traveled to Germany to check out the XM8.

“The performance was truly remarkable,” said Col. Michael Smith, the head of Project Manager Soldier Weapons, after a recent trip to Heckler & Koch Inc. to inspect the first prototypes of the 5.56mm assault weapon intended to give soldiers a more reliable alternative to the current M16A2 and M16A4 rifles and M4 carbine.

The 30 prototypes have been shipped to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., where
they are slated to undergo testing under laboratory conditions in mid-November.
Soldiers are scheduled to lay their hands on the weapon some time in December, when the Army expects to receive another 170 prototypes.

If all goes well, the XM8 could be ready for fielding by late summer 2005. The XM8, the Army experts say, is a true family of weapons with different barrel lengths designed to address all the needs of an infantry squad. The standard model is expected to be lighter than the M4 carbine and no larger in size. There’s also a sharpshooter version for increased range; a compact version for cramped quarters; and an auto-rifle version for a squad-automatic weapon. While months of testing lie ahead, Smith and his colleagues were pleased to find that one prototype has fired 15,000 rounds without a jam and without being cleaned.

While the XM8 was not exposed to battlefield conditions, it's still a feat the current service rifle hasn't come close to rivaling, said Rich Audette, deputy project manager for PM Soldier Weapons. “I was around for the M16A2 and M4 carbine [development], and I have never seen anything coming out of the box firing like this,” he said. During their Oct. 20-23 trip to Germany, the weapons experts said they were -impressed after watching Heckler & Koch engineers “fire four high-capacity magazines, with 100 rounds a piece, in less than five minutes,” Smith said. “It fired beautifully.”

Difference In Weapons

This improved reliability can be credited to differences in the XM8s operating system from the one in the M16, the Army officials said. For instance, a thin gas tube runs almost the entire length of the barrel in all of the M16 variants. When the weapon is fired, the gases travel back down the tube into the chamber and push the bolt back to eject the shell casing and chamber a new round. The XM8's gas system instead is connected to a mechanical operating rod, which pushes back the bolt to eject the casing and chamber the new round each time the weapon is fired. So there's no carbon residue constantly being blown back into the chamber, reducing the need to clean the weapon as often. “What happens is you don't get gases blowing back into the chamber that have contaminates in them,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Clarke, the head of Product Manager Individual Weapons. The XM8 also has a much tighter seal between the bolt and the ejection port, which should cut down on the amount of debris that can blow into the weapon when the ejection port's dust cover is open, Smith said.

The XM8 is part of the Army's effort to perfect an over-and-under style weapon, known as the XM29, developed by Alliant Techsystems and H&K. It fires special airbursting projectiles and standard 5.56mm ammunition. But the XM29 still is too heavy and unwieldy for Army requirements. Instead of scrapping the XM29, the Army decided to perfect each of XM29's components separately, so soldiers can take advantage of new technology sooner. The parts would be brought back together when lighter materials become available. The XM8 is one of those components.

Testing The Equipment

From December through late May, soldiers will get a chance to fire the prototypes in desert, tropical and arctic environments. A limited-user test then will be conducted, possibly at Fort Campbell, Ky., where soldiers will test the prototypes for about three weeks while training in offensive -and defensive scenarios.
Improvements will be made based on soldier and test feedback before the final three-months of operational tests, which are scheduled to begin in fall 2004.
The final decision will be up to the Army’ senior leadership, but weapons officials said they were confident the XM8 weapon system will be adopted.

“With the introduction of any new weapon system, you have people that like it and people that don’t like it,” Smith said. “What we have to do is demonstrate a capability that is better than the current weapon system, and we think we can do that.”