Quote:
Originally Posted by Warhero
Well I'm bit "surprised" that USMC will use German-based weapons (>M27->HK416/M9->Sig Sauer)in future. Do USMC ever considered using Remington/Colt rifles? Are they too expensive or otherwise not suitable for USMC?
PS. Will M27 continue using ACOG or some other crosshair?
Warhero
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The USMC really stresses accurate fire over volume of fire.
Aside from tradition there's a excellent reason for this. Unlike the US Army there's rarely a resupply vehicle nearby. What you're carrying is what you've got. Tho typically each Rifle Company has a jeep/HMMWV (perhaps with a trailer) carrying extra small arms ammo and a few 5gal cans of water. But generally resupply is a once a day (or less) affair. If the USMC expended ammo like the US Army they'd quickly run out. So accurate fire, and single shots, are the norm.
This brings us to the M27. The M249 was never a weapon the USMC liked, but it beat the M-16 (perhaps with a bipod) they'd been using since around 1969 as a team/squad automatic weapon. The M27 is basically a modern version of the venerable BAR of WW II fame. An M60/M240 is to heavy (as is it's ammo) for a team/squad weapon unless like the US Army you always have a resupply (and transport, they're a bit heavy to hump) vehicle nearby. There's nothing in the US inventory comparable to the M27, thus it was adopted.
Having used the M27 for a while, and not being to thrilled with the US Army's wholesale adoption of the M4 the USMC continued to use M16A2s and never fielded the M16A4 or M4 wholesale (they were used in combat zones but never fielded back home). It was determined the M27 was an excellent replacement for the M16A2/A4, better accuracy, more reliable, gets rid of the M16 gas system. Thus again the choice is what's avaliable in the US inventory or adopt the M27 wholesale.
As to the M9 and SIG, the USMC doesn't use a lot of handguns and many years ago the POWERS THAT BE at the pentagon intentionally let the M1911s be used, and unrebuilt until they were pieces of junk thus the adoption of the M9 as a replacement. After all the US Army is generally in charge of weapons procurement, and 15 shots vs 7 is ALWAYS better when your doctrine stresses volume over accuracy. So the M9/SIG are used because there's no other real alternative. but there are a lot of M1911s still in use unofficially. And almost any Marine that has the choice will take an M1911 any day (you only need to hit them once).