Reply To: The future of LMGs

[John D Salt]

Whirlwind wrote:

the basis of the refutation and preference for an MG34-derivative LMG comes from the weapon push/weapon pull/effects of cohesion on suppression ideas outlined in Brains and Bullets.

There’s also the point that D(Inf) decided in 1948 that the next section MG would be belt-fed ratherthan mag-fed, as some OR work had shown the benefits of mag feed on rate of fire — a more important point than the high cyclic RoF that characterised the German MGs.

Ivan Sorensen wrote:

I’d be surprised if either the Chinese or Russians weren’t investing in developing better small arms rounds for defeating body armour.

Indeed; the Chinese 5.8mm heavy round and their 5.8mm short are both designed to defeat CBA. And I gather the old 7.62 Tokarev pistol round is retaining its popularity in Russian circles because it is a much better penetrator than the fat round-nosed 9mm Luger and .45 ACP.

Sparker wrote:

I’m confused. I thought the Queens and Royal Hampshires were combined into the PWRR?

Correctly correctington. I only mention the Queen’s because a lot of the people I’m referring too are old enough to have served before the PWRR was formed. Same as me.

Gaz045 wrote:

The mention of the 6.5 Grendel takes us back to the sizes of the original cartridge size envisaged with the EM-2 and the British .280…..circles within circles……but its only govt. money!

The EM-2 and TADEN would have made an excellent armament for the section, probably better and lighter basic weapons than we have now, despite being 1951 designs.

It’s curious how many times the “ideal calibre” has been reinvented. Some of the first selective-fire rifles, the Cei-Rigotti and the Avtomat Fedorov, used 6.5mm rifle rounds. Then we have had the 8mm Ribeyrolles just too late for WW1, the Pig Board and .276 Pedersen (the calibre the Garand was originally designed for) just before WW2, .280 British just after, in the 70s the 6mm SAW. None of these were adopted. Now that the Chinese have gone for their own 5.8mm, so maybe that will shake things up a bit.

All the best,

John.