My Response: (Reprinted from My Confession)

Suggested iTunes: "You Can't always get what you want"
-Rolling Stones.

Army 'Excited' About New Subcompact Gun

October 16, 2009

Military.com|by Christian Lowe
http://www.military.com/news/article/army-excited-about-new-subcompact-gun.html?col=1186032325324

My Response:


Who knows what the army will eventually do, its taken since the army's original inquest asking about a replacement for the M4 till now for them even to consider a new carbine for regular forces. And still USSOCOM is the first to take the lead and adopt the SCAR as a replacement for the aging M4. For a sub-compact carbine/Gun there are several options already on the table from the commercial market that demonstrate modern firearms technology.

Knight's Armament Company out of Florida, makers of the Army's SR-25/SR110 semi automatic sniper rifle and all the rail systems on the legacy M4, has the PDW in 6x35mm. This shortened M4 shoots the stubby 6x35mm round out of the 8" or 10" barrel that is said to be effective out to 300meters. The PDW uses a modified AK47 piston system that gives it a folding rear stock that could fit into any vehicle.
http://www.knightarmco.com/

LWRCI, known for its propitiatory "patented self-regulating short-stroke gas-piston system", offers the PSD chambered in a bigger than normal 6.8mm SPC. LW's piston rides on top of the 8" barrel venting the harsh free radicals up and not into the receiver unlike the M4 that jams the system. Similar to an M4 with an adjustable stock and operational controls there is no retraining, just new ammo and magazines.
http://www.lwrifles.com/Products/PSD/tabid/87/Default.aspx

Or maybe even the Fabrique Nationale de Herstal P90? Its almost 'retro' that big army would be looking at a 'Sub-gun' and not look at the FNH P90. After the Army shelved the last official one back in WWII(the Thompson sub-gun) and never looked back the P90 might be a look forward. Granted the P90's not a new weapon system, in service with the Secret Service, its been nick named the "Stargate" gun after its role in the Sci-Fi TV series its chambered in FN's favorite little caliber the 5.7x28mm. With 50 rounds of 5.7 in 8 different variants FNH(USA) is already a government favorite with contracts to build 4 major weapon systems already in use to include the SCAR, the M240 medium machine-gun, the M249 light machine-gun and the full-sized M16A4.
http://www.fnhusa.com/mil/products/firearms/family.asp?fid=FNF012&gid=FNG007

But what about the SCAR? The P90's younger cousin in a shortened 10.5" barrel , the SCAR MK 16 CQC is just as much if not more a contender now that USSOCOM is buying it!
http://www.fnhusa.com/mil/products/firearms/family.asp?fid=FNF054&gid=FNG020

But in the end, the Army just might do what the Navy did and go with a shortened 10.5" barrel for the M4. Like the Navy, It is already in the system with a National Stock Number(NSN). The Seals already had it and were using it, and best of all there's no changing anything but an upper receiver from the existing M4/M16...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Quarters_Battle_Receiver