OHF marking on butt

[Lee Enfield]

My nephew is a USMC 0331 Machine Gunner who was trained on and still uses the M240B although the U.S. Army is looking to replace their GPMG's with the XM250 which fires that crazy hot new round: the 6.8 X 51 SIG Fury. As the USMC is the red-haired bastard step-child of the U.S. military, I'm sure we'll see their use of the M240 for some years to come.

I've read that in testing the Mag58/M240 gets the desired velocity out of the "training standard pressure" "Fury" round without the super high pressure 2 part case.

Something about the MAG having a normal length barrel.

The US Mil has been sold on "free lunch" yet again...

You need the multi part exotic case because you need super high pressures to get the velocity out of the super short barrel that you need because of the large can that you need with the super high velocity blast that you need with the super short barrel that.....ect ect....

resulting in exotic alloys for the parts to minimize breakages and wear resulting from the super high pressures that you need because of the super short barrel that you need because of the can that you need because of the super blast from the super short barrel that you need because of the...."free lunch"...

Just a thought, maybe a 19" barrel with a telescoped can could get the desired velocities without all the exotics...? but then you wouldn't need to "invest" in all the specialty ammo manufacturing (someone is getting patent rights for sure), and all the exotic alloys (maybe ask the Germans why they switched from the MG34 to the MG42, right in the middle of a "minor" conflict...)

[Sapper740]

I've read that in testing the Mag58/M240 gets the desired velocity out of the "training standard pressure" "Fury" round without the super high pressure 2 part case.

Something about the MAG having a normal length barrel.

The US Mil has been sold on "free lunch" yet again...

You need the multi part exotic case because you need super high pressures to get the velocity out of the super short barrel that you need because of the large can that you need with the super high velocity blast that you need with the super short barrel that.....ect ect....

resulting in exotic alloys for the parts to minimize breakages and wear resulting from the super high pressures that you need because of the super short barrel that you need because of the can that you need because of the super blast from the super short barrel that you need because of the...."free lunch"...

Who knows what the thought process was that came to the conclusion that the new SIG round was the way to go although I'm sure we can agree that cost to the taxpayer wasn't part of the conversation. Whatever the cost, the improved penetration of body armor and greater 'point blank' range will be appreciated by the men at the tip of the spear.

[Peter Laidler]

If I had to choose between a 762 - 54R PKM and a GPMG, it'd be a hard choice Mike. The PKM is just so wonderfully simple, built like a brick sh......., er....., out-house. Just look at the claws that drag the rounds from the belt as a good example. Barrel changes too. Niot that the Soviets worry too much about barrel change discipline.

But the GPMG has a place in my heart too..... Next to the L4