U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Last Spring, USSOCOM undertook a study of 6.5 family cartridges to determine a path forward for Precision Intermediate Caliber Ammunition. Over the last year, USASOC, the primary driver of this initiative, narrowed it down to 260 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor. Testing indicated that the two calibers performed very closely.
Last month, the command conducted a reliability test, using two incumbent weapons, currently in US service; the FN SCAR Heavy and KAC M110. Two weapons of each type were used, one was in 260 Remington and the other in 6.5 CM. What they found is that both weapons performed just as well and were just as reliable in either caliber.
As both cartridges were similarly accurate and reliable, the determining factor for selection of 6.5 CM would end up being trade space. The prevailing attitude is that there was more room with the 6.5 CM to further develop projectiles and loads.
I don’t expect a major announcement or any fanfare with this decision. Instead, you’ll begin to see small movements toward configuring weapons to utilize this round.
At the USASOC Sniper Competition, there were several weapons in 6.5 CM. Yesterday, we gave a little tease on Instagram of a Knight’s Armament Co M110 in 6.5 CM.
Today, I fired an FN Mk20 in 6.5 CM which was configured as a demonstrator for new features, such as a non-reciprocating charging handle and AR-style stock. Shooting a SCAR Heavy is like taming a beast, but with 6.5 CM, the recoil impulse was negligible.
Briefings last year indicated that SOCOM was interested in looking at an intermediate cartridge family gas gun and light machine gun. However, the lay Of the land is a little different now. I do not expect a full and open competition for a new car being in 6.5 CM. Rather, I expect them to modify the 7.62 rifles they already own. Additionally, there has been no recent talk of looking at a light machine gun in that caliber.
I bought my savage 6.5 back in December of 2017..it is the best rifle I have ever owned…it is so much fun to fire as well..and as accurate as you can imagine…I will buy another …
So, we say that the 6.5 Creedmore is outperforming the veritable 7.62 which it has relied on and worked the logistics out for many long years. My question is, does it really? Or does it just mean that it outperforms other rounds from this caliber? I am really curious.
Been going back to my roots for long guns. Am back to .30-30, .308 and .30-06 bolt guns. For 20 years I carried first a Remington 700 7 MM Remington Mag or a Browning 1885 High Wall 7 MM Rem Mag, for deer, Pronghorn and elk. Now all hunting rifles are .30 caliber bolt guns. I do have various and sundry .22 rifles for small game and varmints, And I have a .223/5.56 NATO bolt gun just for kicks. I find the 6.5 CM interesting but have no desire to add a rifle of that caliber to my small collection.… Read more »
Well drop my panties and run out and buy one cause operators
There is a niche for certain calibers and certain weapons but I’m starting to wonder about the logistics of it all as it widens and grows. The number of calibers and weapons adopted and being used or tested has increased significantly. Hopefully things will settle in soon