Turning the Page?

14 Feb 10

Are we finally turning the page?

Recently, I've been forwarded a number of scholarly articles from prestigious military journals, strongly critical of the current 5.56mm cartridge for which our military rifles are chambered. Of course, they are all gratuitously wordy, take forever to finally get to the point, and are filled with interminable (but colorful) charts and graphs. Anything less, and I'm sure they would never have been allowed to rear their heads!

The interesting point is that they all, at long last, unite in concluding the 5.56X45 cartridge, in every configuration attempted, unequivocally lacks adequate (1) range, and (2) penetration for the requirements of a main-battle, infantry rifle, beyond doubt. Of course, this has all been common knowledge for forty years!

But, until now, this well-known fact has been mentioned only in nervous, paranoid whispers, at least among those concerned with their next promotion. No frank nor open discussion has even been permitted (except among those of us outside the System), despite innumerable, indisputably accurate reports from the field of the cartridge's endemic inadequacy.

This is, of course, ever the way big institutions operate, and always will. Yes, it is encouraging to see this forty-year-old procurement mistake finally out in the open. Most of the people, including former Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara, who foisted this fraud upon the military are now lo ng-since dead, so we are now down to the last few self-righteous egos that need defending.

The 6.8mm may yet see the light of day, in our lifetimes!

/John