Robinson Arms

11 July 07

Latest from Robinson Arms:

Alex Robinson will be shipping his excellent XCR Rifle, now in 6.8mm caliber, this fall. The 7.62X39 and 308 Versions will be produced sometime in 2008. Alex is persuaded that the 6.8mm is a superior military cartridge, even if interest has (temporarily) gone cold at the Pentagon. Supply of 6.8mm ammunition, like all ammunition right now, is short, but several manufacturers are currently making it. The 6.8mm XCR takes a 25-rnd magazine, similar in dimensions to the current, 30-rnd, M-16 magazine.

The 6.8mm is a genuine, 300-meter cartridge with excellent barrier penetration. By comparison, the current 5.56mm (223) is a 150-meter cartridge, with poor barrier penetration. Happily, Cor-Bon's DPX round significantly improves the 223 in the penetration department, and that is my current first choice in that caliber, but effective range is still limited to 150M.

The folks at Jensen Arms, the largest and best gun retailer in Northern Colorado, tell me that the only 223 ammunition they can currently get in quantity is Serbian-manufactured, and the UN, with the enthusiastic participation of our cadre of liberal politicians, is doing its best to dry up even that supply. Quality is fair, at least for practice shooting. All this, whilemajor domestic manufacturers have all stopped taking orders indefinitely, even from police departments! What little 223 is available is high priced, but is being scooped up anyway. For the foreseeable future, we peons will only get what slips through the cracks of huge, in-progress Pentagon orders.

Accordingly, all of us should currently be hoarding ammunition, 223 and 308 particularly, at every opportunity! No telling when the Iraq/Iran situation will wind down, and demand for small-arms ammunition will significantly exceed supply until then. An "adequate" personal cache may become critically important in the wake of the next "big event," whenever it happens!

/John