7.62 mm Versus 5.56 mm

[Johnny2Stripes]

Does NATO Really Need Two Standard Rifle Calibers...An interesting read...What does anyone think?

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1986/MVT.htm

[Johnny2Stripes]

Does anyone know if the 7.62 has been modified since this report was written?

[Bravo20]

This debate has been going on since the introduction of 5.56. Effectively the 5.56 has won the battle (I suppose it is similar to Betamax v's VHS, and did the better system win there?)

[klick]

Bravo20.. you're showing your age discussing Betamax v's VHS!

I think the battle was won with the volume of 5.56 rounds a NATO soldier could carry over the heavier 7.62 round.

[Bravo20]

I know I just wanted to see some of the confused reactions from some of the younger contributers

[FCA Trooper]

NATO now has only one standard round,not two, and its 5.56. i could be wrong but i dont think a new assault rifle in the 7.62 caliber has been developed since the G3\FAL\M14 era.

[Lost Watchdog]

Big bangs

While eveybody else is going 5.56mm in rifles and LMGs (minimis etc) the Yanks have actually introduced a new 7.62mm weapon in recent years, the M240 (know to the rest of the world as the FN MAG) to give them extra firepower at platoon level.

[Come-quickly]

Beta was better quality

[Bravo20]

That's my point

[Come-quickly]

I think you could safely classify the M240 as a support weapon at this stage just a very mobile one.

[hptmurphy]

this topic gets flogged to death at least once ayear.What ****ing difference does it make? 99.9% of contributers will only ever fire at a paper target anyway and most of them will have difficulty in even hitting that. The issue is purely academical in so far as if they do get to fire operational and hang around to discuss the pros and cons it will not matter because you will be dead..........regardless of the calibre!

[Herr Klutz]

when you have a gun as accurate as the styer being fired by someone who knows how to handle it you shouldn't have a problem.

[Shnig]

hptmurphy thats the point you mightnt be dead if shot by a 5.56.

Could some body please explain to the the other ways of caliberizing 5.56's and 7.62's?

[yellowjacket]

Shnig, it isn't about the calibre used. If the target is hit in the right place, it goes down, if it's not, it won't even if you use an elephant gun.

Don't know what you mean by "caliberizing", can you clarify this a bit?

[Goldie fish]

beta is still used in audio..the half inch tapes are the biz..