The M27 IAR

[Suhiir]

I'm a bit confused about the introduction of the M27 IAR to the USMC OOB (#13).

Weapon #13 M249 SAW
Wc=2, Acc=24, Whd=1, HE Kill=6, Wpn Range=10

Weapon #27 M27 IAR
Wc=1, Acc=19, Whd=1, HE Kill=3, Wpn Range=8

No where in the OOB is the IAR used in weapon slot #1. It is NOT a used or intended as a primary team/squad weapon but rather a support weapon.

I assume the reduced accuracy and HE Kill are due to it's Weapon Class designation.

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Chief among the advantages are increased accuracy and the ability for small units to move more quickly and in tandem, said Charles Clark III, head of infantry weapon requirements at Marine Corps Combat Development Command, out of Quantico.
The IAR has a 16.5-inch free-floating barrel, immediately making it one of the most accurate weapons carried by a squad of Marines. Common on sniper rifles, the free-floating barrel attaches to the rifle only at the receiver, keeping the weapon’s zeroing truer, even when placed under the weight of optics, pointers and other gear.
Each auto-rifle will be paired with Trijicon’s SAW Day Optic. It has 3½-times magnification and slightly longer eye relief than the 1½ inches a Marine typically keeps between his shooting eye and Trijicon’s Rifle Combat Optic, providing Marines carrying the IAR with protection from the weapon’s larger recoil when used on full auto.
Maintenance on the IAR also will be easier, considering it has a gas-piston system that prevents combustion gases and dust from entering the weapon’s interior.

Marine Corps Times


Ended up shooting the IAR today. All in all, i found it to be MUCH more accurate than an m16/m4. Insanely so in fact. If you asked me if i thought we should completley phase out m4's and 16's for the IAR, the answer would be an emphatic YES.

Marines Magazine


As a Marine Infantryman that has both fired this weapon, carried a M249 for a deployment, and teach both weapon systems employment.
I myself was a naysayer, until I shot the weapon at 5M to 1000M. But most importantly 5M to 550M.

Suppression is defined as: temporary or transient degradation of an oppossing force.
-In short, deny the enemy the ability to effect friendlies.

1) The M27 accomplishes this by accuraccy of fire vice volume of fire.
It’s ability to deliver accurate fire rapid fire at a distance, allows the fire team to quickly manuever.

2) The Marine Corps does not need to “update” their tactics around a automatic rifle.
The fire team in the U.S.M.C. was brought about by Col Carlson and his raiders during WW2, using ideas from China and Marines in the Banana Wars. A group of men comprised of a BAR, a Thompson, and 2 Garands (1 Garand had the Grenade Launcher attachement).
The Marine Corps is simply returning to a true Automatic Rifleman, that achieves suppression by hitting his target whether on semi or automatic.

Military Gear

Lastly a video on the IAR.

Video Link

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And, just because I like it

"Some people live an entire lifetime wondering if they've made a difference in the world, Marines don't have that problem."
President Ronald Regan

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

I'm a bit confused about the introduction of the M27 IAR to the USMC OOB (#13).

Weapon #13 M249 SAW
Wc=2, Acc=24, Whd=1, HE Kill=6, Wpn Range=10

Weapon #27 M27 IAR
Wc=1, Acc=19, Whd=1, HE Kill=3, Wpn Range=8

No where in the OOB is the IAR used in weapon slot #1. It is NOT a used or intended as a primary team/squad weapon but rather a support weapon.

I assume the reduced accuracy and HE Kill are due to it's Weapon Class designation.

A couple of issues here

1/The M27 shows up as WC1 simply because it started life as an HK416 and was modified into a SAW but I neglected to change the WC to 2. It should be WC2 and both versions of it now are WC2.

2/ The M249 Accuracy should be 21 NOT 24 and will be altered accordingly in all the OOB's that use it.

The formula for calculating accuracy can be found in MOBHack Help

"Calibre Length, ( the effective length of the barrel (from breech to muzzle) divided by the barrel diameter is the Calibre Length value) is then divided by 4 to give the game accuracy rating "

M27 Barrel length is reported as being 420 mm. The caliber of the ammo is 5.56. Divide 420 by 5.56 then divide by 4 and you get 18.884892086330935251798561151079. That gets rounded up to 19 which is what's in the game.

M249 light machine gun barrel length is reported as being 465 mm .The caliber of the ammo is also 5.56. Divide 465 by 5.56 then divide by 4 and you get 20.908273381294964028776978417266. That gets rounded up to 21 which is what it should be in the game. The only explanation as to why it might be 24 was the original information we had on BL was wrong

There is no formula for HEK. That number is created by looking at similar weapons. It's a judgment call which means the door is open to anyone with an opinion to chime in. In this case it came from the HK416 as well and a case can be made it should be higher than that ....

BUT...

The M249 light machine gun is primarily belt fed. The M27 is magazine fed

M249

Cyclic rate of fire: 775 RPM

M27

Rate of fire 560 to 640 rpm

So we have a primarily belt fed weapon with a techically higher ROF compared to a magazine fed weapon with a reported lower ROF.

What would we have to be smoking to assign equal or higher HEK values to the M27 under those circumstances ?

That said, comparing it to other SAW's with the same accuracy a 5 might be more appropriate than 3 and the range should be higher as well.

I "assume" that will make you happy(ier) ?

Don

[Suhiir]

Thank you.

I knew about the accuracy formula in MOBHack Help, but thought there might be some 'modifier' for the open bolt design of the M27 that hadn't been applied.

The official effective range of the M27 is 550m BTW.