50 Caliber

[Elta]

There is a gun that supposedly is slowly replacing the 50 caliber in the U.S. Military it has smaller bullets but hits just as hard and makes the best sniper rifle as well. - I've seen it on the discovery channel a few times, any one remember what it is called?

 

[EdCase]

POssibly you are talking about either of these......
http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_XM109,,00.html

http://www.snipercentral.com/m82.htm

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

The .50 caliber what? Browning Machine Gun? Pistol? Sniper Rifle? Revolver?

 

[Ecofarm]

I doubt the best sniper rifle and the best all-purpose crew served machine gun could be the same weapon. Smaller bullets sounds pretty sucky*, for a crew weapon especially. The M2's cartridge already has a sniper. The M249 is accurate out pretty far and uses M16 ammo.

I've seen some cool weapons on TV too, but they aren't really needed considering the options available.

*The switch to a 9mm from the .45 was bad in my opinion. I'll take the .45 1911 anyday.

 

[Lotus49]

I loved firing the Ma Deuce. I was really surprised how accurate a heavy machine gun could be at range, even from the open burst of rounds after you adjusted the T&E. Then again, I think I had a talent. The instructors at MCT were amazed at how well I did, right from the first time I fired it. They were speechless, which is saying something.

Maybe I (not quite missed, but) bounced off my calling. -As the Corps had other plans for me.


BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!!!!!



....



CLINK-CLANG-CLANG-WHAM!!


-Man that s#$% was fun. Nothing really released tension like firing some serious ammo.

 

[Elta]

The .50 caliber what? Browning Machine Gun?

Yeah the BMR - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_caliber

Seeing as how I rarely go hunting with my white uncles and "true mexicans" only use Browning guns like Zapata I just assumed everyone thought I meant BMR

Supposedly there is a gun that they just started using in Afghanistan and the bullet is smaller but just as good against non tanks (Great for the Taliban on a pick up truck, one shot to the fuel tank and they are done and from a mile a way)

They usually show two guys manning it one is the shooter while the other is the spotter who reads the wind and stuff like that and tells the other guy how to aim. Used like this it is the best sniper in the world.

 

[Ecofarm]

And if you want to put down a dug-in platoon at that range, real quick? We're talking war here - taking land, not disabling vehicles... the second man needs to be feeding ammo and changing barrels, not looking down range.

M2, Accept no substitutes.

 

[Elta]

And if you want to put down a dug-in platoon at that range, real quick? We're talking war here - taking land, not disabling vehicles... the second man needs to be feeding ammo and changing barrels, not looking down range.

M2, Accept no substitutes.

I found it
it's the replacement for the M2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM312

Effective at a 10% farther range. Starts service next year.


The second guy is used as a spotter when they snipe.
I saw a video where they were hiding from a bunch of guys in a truck, all of the guys in the truckbed had RPGs and after aiming for a bit he took fired the rounds right after another and the truck blew up - 7 guys killed from 1,500 meters away

 

[Ecofarm]

Ammunition: .50 BMG M33 ball, M8, M20 & Mk211 API, M903 SLAP.

At least the ammo isn't smaller. I guess now I'm an old-timer. I'm like one of those dudes that wore steel-pots.

 

[Fëanor]

you are probably not talking about the Steyr ISW 2000


Its Ammo is somewhat larger (and its a rifle from the 80's so its not new)

(Steyr 15.2mm cartridge compared to 7.62mm NATO (.308 Wichester) cartridge)

 

[Jawz II]

The .408 Cheytac?


It was in the movie Shooter. Theres a video of the whole system online somewhere. it comes with a fire control computer that computes a firing solution which comensates for thing such as wind etc.

Back in the 90s, I wrote a short sci fi story about some futuristic soldiers who had a sniper armed with a big ass 20 mm rifle (made of lightweight materials) who had a fire control computer like that. Science caught up to the fiction part I guess.

 

[Kozmos]

POssibly you are talking about either of these......
http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_XM109,,00.html

http://www.snipercentral.com/m82.htm

those are still 50 cals.