Will 5.56 NATO be overtaken by a new caliber?

[streaker69]

Eventually, but not anytime soon! Every couple years there is another “fan boy” round that is supposed to be SO SUPER MUCH BETTER than 5.56. From the 6.8spc to the 6.5 Grendal, the 300 Whisper, 458 Socom or 50 Beowulf. Now the new one is the Blackout. The Ar15 platform has been kickn’ Butt & takn’ names for over 60 years! We are not going to see a replacement anytime soon. And we certainly won’t be seeing the best performing round in this platform being replaced, while it’s still in use.


I believe the next “BIG” thing will be infantry Rail Gun Technology. The advancements made in the last few years have led to successful large scale, repeating rail guns. A battleship in China has already been photographed with a full size rail gun, although we do not know it’s performance. The US DOES have fully functional units which can send rounds at Mach7, with a range of 100 miles away! And I ALSO believe they are on our ships as well. The next logical step would seem to be smaller versions which the soldier could use.

I think we're still several decades away from hand held rail guns. The amount of energy needed to fire the weapon at killing velocities just isn't available yet. I've seen some stuff made, but nothing that comes close to piercing the skin. Even if they get one, getting a RoF to a reasonable level that it's useful in a battle situation is going to be difficult to over come due to the time it takes to charge the system. You just can't break the laws of physics.

[MT1]

Not till I get issued my light saber.

Here's a dose of reality for the OP... I'm active military. My gov issued cell phone is a Blackberry. You think we're a bit behind in some areas? I can't tell you how many times I've pulled it out to make a call and someone says, "wow, they still make those things?"

[JAKIII]

My gov issued cell phone is a Blackberry. You think we're a bit behind in some areas? I can't tell you how many times I've pulled it out to make a call and someone says, "wow, they still make those things?"

Well, of course... during the RFQ process the US government generally entertains and awards contracts to the lowest bidder.

[ItchyTick]

Don't see it.

Of course the 7.62 x 51 is sometimes called the AR for adults.

[Franchi20/28]

Well, of course... during the RFQ process the US government generally entertains and awards contracts to the lowest bidder.

And yet so many people are hung up on only having "mil-spec" parts in their build.

[GeneCC]

I'm thinking about building an AR15 rifle sometime in the future. I know that 223 Rem/5.56 NATO is the caliber that dominates the AR platform. But how likely is it that one of the other calibers (224 Valkyrie, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, 300 Blackout, etc) will become the new normal for the AR15 platform? I haven't followed it too closely, but I did hear the military was thinking about replacing 5.56.

The Serbs are testing rifles in 6.5 Grendel. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...-serbian-army/


The US is fielding the M885A1. This uses a copper alloy body with a steel penetrator on the nose. The design is similar to a hollowpoint but the DOD thinks it's not.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/art...all-cartridge/

[Boo Vuccla]

Of course it will be overtaken or replaced. Name one military weapon that has not been. You can't because they all have been or will be replaced by something sometime different. Period. How long a caliber hangs around as a front line cartridge by a military is nearly as cyclic as new car designs. How long a military caliber hangs on as a hunting round or paper puncher does vary. Think 45 ACP, 30-06, 45-70, 9mm Luger, etc. At some point in the not so distant future, powder cartridges as we know them will surely be replaced by a new technology as others have posted. Merely pointing at an object and humming, (think Dune), or your old Kirk and Spock Phaser or Rail Guns or something similar will make our modern firearms as obsolete as a Blunderbuss someday. When you think about it, almost everything man-made becomes obsolete to a certain extent. I am fast becoming obsolete myself!

[Hodgie]

Been using the Ma Duce (M2) since 1933 and it’s end isn’t in sight.

Will 5.56 be replaced sure someday but it won’t be anytime soon especially by another current caliber like .308, 6.5 or .224.

Regarding some energy or rail gun type shit, The technology just isn’t close to being there on the small arms level and won’t be for along time.

[Ecclectic Collector]

Building on Hodgie's post, I agree wholeheartedly with his assessment.

I think the 5.56mm round represents the best compromise military cartridge going. The Russian/Soviet 5.45 and the Chinese versions are both really just adaptions of the same concept. The loser here is the traditional 9x19mm, .45acp, etc which are limited to a rather minor role as pdf weapons.

My best guess is that the next gen military cartridges will either be caseless or if we actually begin militarizing space and need a weapon that will function in airless environment.

So the short answer is nothing will change in the short run. (meaning next decade at least). The Brown Bess platform evolved into a definitive form shortly after 1700 as the standard arm of the British Empire. It remained essentially the same arm up until the final model (I think this was labeled the Pattern 39) which was merely updated to percussion ignition. They were still in widespread use as late as the Civil War meaning its service life extended for well over 140 years.

Any kind of railgun/energy weapon requires so much juice to function that it is likely it will be generations (if it ever happens at all) before we can build a power source compact enough to be carried by an individual.

[ianb1116]

Been using the Ma Duce (M2) since 1933 and it’s end isn’t in sight.

Will 5.56 be replaced sure someday but it won’t be anytime soon especially by another current caliber like .308, 6.5 or .224.

Regarding some energy or rail gun type shit, The technology just isn’t close to being there on the small arms level and won’t be for along time.

Just as an aside here, word on the street is that M2s are to be phased out and replaced by Bushmaster (25mm or 30mm) cannons as mounted MG's.