Wave of the Future: The XM-8 Battle Rifle
Answer: The new XM-8 rifle by Heckler and Koch.
Photo by Heckler & Koch, USA XM-8
Rifle: The Skinny Name: Type of Equipment:
Killer Features: All weapon attachments, barrels, butts, and optics can be switched out by operator, without special tools or maintenance Improved "pusher"
gas piston cuts down on weapon jamming Attachments
include XM320 40mm single shot grenade launcher, and LSS (lightweight stand-off
shotgun) 12-gauge shotgun that fires 2.75" and 3" 12 gauge shells The German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch believes it's high time for a change; specifically, it would like to see the United States retire the M-16 and replace it with a slick, new, high-speed battle rifle dubbed the XM-8. And boy, what a rifle it is … Army of One The XM-8 weapon system -- for that's what it really is, a family of related weapons -- packs quite an arsenal in its portable shape (6.4 pounds, lighter than the current M-4 at 8.85 pounds). It takes its cue from the M-29 Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW), a $10,000 prototypical technology test bed from the late 1990s. The OICW was a combination of "kinetic energy" projector (a battle rifle that fired the Remington .223) and a semi-autonomous, air-bursting 20mm grenade launcher. The XM-8 is the "kinetic energy" portion of the OICW, plus a receiver to which all other components can be attached or removed. Complementing the XM-8 are two attachable weapon systems, the XM320 40mm single shot grenade launcher and the LSS 12-gauge shotgun. The XM320 incorporates a swing out barrel design with integrated sight, and is capable of firing all currently manufactured 40mm grenades, while the LSS is capable of firing both lethal and non-lethal shotgun shells, as well as specially-designed breaching shells. Both weapons are mounted forward of the magazine, underneath the barrel, and can be installed by the operator in minutes without tools. The XM-8 is a model of efficiency in use: its operation controls are ambidextrous, it has three firing modes (single round, three-round burst, and fully automatic), and can handle a variety of magazines, including a 30 round semi-opaque (to allow the shooter to see how many rounds are left in the magazine) hard plastic magazine, which can be rapidly reloaded in close combat situations, and a 100-round drum (for sustained fire), as well as 10-round weapon qualification magazines and M-16 style metal magazines. Flexible on the Fly Whether the user is a sniper or part of an attack team, the XM-8 can accommodate all uses. It uses four different interchangeable barrels (a 9" compact, a 12.5" assault, a 20" match grade sharpshooter, or a 20" heavy barrel for sustained high ROF applications), each of which can be swapped out at the unit level in less than 2 minutes. The weapon can also be equipped with a 5-position collapsible stock, a flat butt plate (for an extremely small weapon profile), an adjustable sniper stock, or a folding stock. Attention has also been paid to look and feel with the XM-8. Forward handguards incorporate non-slip materials to improve weapon handling and retention. The XM-8's non-metallic components are manufactured from fiber reinforced plastic polymers which can be molded in numerous colors, and can be removed or replaced by the operator without specialized tools. In other words, whether you're in the jungle or on the sand, the weapon's "skin" can be changed to blend with its surroundings. The XM-8 doesn't skimp on optics, either. Its optics/sight package is an "all-in-one" combination: an infrared laser target designator, IR target illuminator and 1x close combat red-dot sight. In addition to incorporating the three sights into one system, the sight is zeroed at the factory and can be removed and reinstalled by the operator without specialized tools, or the loss of zero. Contrast this with the M-16/M-4 series: While advances have been made in their combat optics to improve rifle accuracy, these advances have brought additional issues (increased weight, cost, the need to continuously re-zero the devices when removed). XM-8
Variations
XM-8 Baseline Carbine
XM8 Carbine with Add-On XM320 Grenade Launcher
Compact Carbine • Short 9" barrel Sharpshooter
Variant Automatic Rifle •
Heavy 20" barrel for sustained fire Content and graphics from Heckler & Koch USA Website. For the M-16, mounting optics requires the use of weapon specific (read: non-interchangeable) adapters. The M-16A1 (still in widespread
service with the National Guard and Reserves) was designed to fire the M198 5.56mm
Ball cartridge, while the M16A2 and later rifles (used by Active Duty formations)
was designed to fire the heavier M855 cartridge. While both rifles can chamber
and fire both types of bullet, the M885 bullet weighs more, and is less accurate
when fired from the M16A1. Combining three optic units into one not only reduces weapon weight, but also simplifies equipment issue, maintenance and accountability. One
common bullet type (5.56mm cartridge) for all models. Pushing Lead Of course, all the fancy weapons and attachments on a rifle don't mean much if it jams on the operator. One of the M-16's major flaws is jamming, due to its gas operating system, where propellant gasses are used to cycle the rifle's bolt and fire bullets. In the M-16, these gasses are vented directly back to the rifle chamber itself. This means that every time the weapon is fired, propellant gasses, gunpowder residue, and other particles are deposited directly on the bolt face (this process is called "fouling"). Eventually, the bolt becomes too dirty to fully lock into place, rendering the weapon unreliable. While no gas-operating weapon (including the XM-8) is immune to the effects of fouling, the XM-8's system presents a clear advantage over the M-16: The receiver utilizes a six-lug rotating bolt that fully supports the cartridge case and is driven by a "pusher" type gas piston. This piston is unaffected by barrel changes, and is even capable of operating if the weapon's barrel is full of water. Most importantly, it eliminates fouling of the bolt face, which dramatically improves the weapon's overall reliability in a sustained firing situation. In short, soldiers using the XM-8 in combat should have one less thing to worry about, and that one thing can mean the difference between life and death. Goodbye to the Past If you add up all the M-16's flaws -- its poorly designed gas operating system, its need for constant maintenance and cleaning, its lack of interchangeable parts - it becomes clear that the XM-8 is superior to the M-16/M-4 family in all respects. It is lighter, cheaper, more reliable, and easier to maintain than the current rifle. In short, it surpasses all of the M-16's strengths while eliminating all of its weaknesses, thus earning a spot on our Military Gear Hot List. XM-8 Prototype Specifications Caliber:
Builder: Weight: Overall
Length: Barrel
Length: Rate
of Fire:
Rate of Twist:
Barrel Life: Muzzle
Velocity: Magazine
Capacity: Stock: Bayonet Lug:
Bipod
Interface: Sighting
System:
|
Served in the Military? |
Back
to M1 Garand home for more on military weaponry
The M1 Garand in World War II Site Map