National Army Selects New Cartridge in the .26 caliber size

[RicInOR]

Story from the NRA

An Official Journal Of The NRA | U.S. Army Selects True Velocity Composite-Cased Ammunition

True Velocity composite-cased ammunition has been selected for the U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon modernization program.

www.americanrifleman.org

My first thought is: "How expensive will these be?"

Second, from the comments section, "How will our partners new green initiative deal with the plastic cases?"



More here: Woodpile Report (but you have to scroll down/search for "Remus's notebook", Ol' Remus does not direct link to his articles)

Read More

 

[ma96782]

Just a few of the many attributes that differentiate True Velocity munitions from brass include:

• 30% lighter than a comparable brass round, saving money used in logistics while adding time and firepower to tactical and strategic deployments
• Unsurpassed accuracy produced by higher production tolerances, more efficient powder burn, and tighter concentricity
• Material reduction in heat-generation adding life to weapon systems
• Magnetic retrieval of used cases, saving time during training
• 100% recyclable
• Dramatically reduced production footprint, replicable anywhere. On-demand production in theater is a reality.

Read more at their web site: A Composite Munitions Company | True Velocity Inc.

Too bad, that I don't qualify to be an investor. Then, they could maybe......license their technology to the big guys?

Aloha, Mark

 

[Basedgreaser]

Its cool. I got no issue with recyclable cas... oh wait brass is already a recycle-able material.
Sooo.... plastic could be made cheaper then brass?? Whats the potential for 3D printing cases....

The reloading market would dramatically change if these plastic cases can be 3d printed. How cool would that be?? Instead of a "ghost gunner mill" you could have a "ghost ammo 3d printer" hell the cases are even white!

 

[308]

I bought a bunch of polymer cased 5.56 years ago and it shoots great. Not sure why they need a new caliber...dint clik lol

 

[Basedgreaser]

I bought a bunch of polymer cased 5.56 years ago and it shoots great. Not sure why they need a new caliber...dint clik lol

6.8, 6.5 > 5.56 by nearly every metric of performance. Not so drastically that it necessitates a full military change over, but hey if we somehow "have the money" why not give our troops the best?

People always talk about uncle sam cheaping out on the gear they give our troops. Maybe this is a stray divergence from their legacy?

 

[ma96782]

M5....last I heard was gonna possibly be in 6.5. Of course nothing is final yet.

The Colt M5 Carbine Colt's Other Piston Carbine

Aloha, Mark

PS...this is what I was looking for: https://www.military.com/kitup/2017/10/lethality.html

 

[WoodsPlinker]

I wonder how much of this is because brass and lead production tends to come from Asia now?

It is a security concern.

When environmental concerns are brought up I can't help but wonder if it's at the expense of the environment requiring more energy to produce.

And of course, provide with better tracking and possibly restriction capability?

So many questions.

 

[cigars]

I'm still waiting for my phaser and jet pack....

 

[Member 3687]

Here is the scary part, the military get a new round and the powers to be say it can only be used by the military and not to be sold to civilians.

So the round and upper is proprietary. Also if the cases can not be reloaded you can not roll your own making it easier to limit you.

Then with the military no longer using the 5.56 it will no longer be cheap to manufacture as they will be producing the new round for the military and the 5.56 is secondary.

It is one way to limit our rights by driving up prices and limiting supply.

Just a thought.

 

[2A2Dend]

I think manufacturers would be way ahead of that game. The civilian populace also shoot 5.56.
I don't expect anything to change. Aside from our personal and US tax deficit

 

[Member 34319]

I'm still waiting for my phaser and jet pack....

At least I'm not the only one.

 

[clearconscience]

Are these reloadable?

My question is, why they gotta be white? Someone is going to claim racism

 

[awshoot]

... The reloading market would dramatically change if these plastic cases can be 3d printed. ...

The base appears to be steel -- so sort of like a shotshell with metal and plastic components. This is supported by their marketing materials which indicate that a magnet can be used to pick up spent brass.

Here's the part I don't understand -- they claim that it reduces weapon heat but it was my understanding that the ejected brass actually carries a lot of the heat away from the weapon, that part of the problem with caseless ammo is that there is no ejectable heat sink. Anyone have any ideas on this?

 

[Basedgreaser]

The base appears to be steel -- so sort of like a shotshell with metal and plastic components. This is supported by their marketing materials which indicate that a magnet can be used to pick up spent brass.

Here's the part I don't understand -- they claim that it reduces weapon heat but it was my understanding that the ejected brass actually carries a lot of the heat away from the weapon, that part of the problem with caseless ammo is that there is no ejectable heat sink. Anyone have any ideas on this?

So steel base ... does steel absorb more heat then brass? Also if its part plastic how much heat is that taking?

 

[Stomper]

I'll believe it when they actually field it to "front line" units, otherwise..... yawn.

 

[awshoot]

So steel base ... does steel absorb more heat then brass? Also if its part plastic how much heat is that taking?

I'm gathering that the case acts like an insulator and holds the heat so it doesn't transmit to the chamber. I was looking at plastic cased ammo on youtube and watched parts of this video (but did a lot of skipping as it is pretty all over the place). At 4:52 he compares plastic and brass ammo through a thermal imaging device, and the plastic shells are hotter than the brass ones -- so I'd guess that explains how they don't transmit as much heat to the chamber. Anyway, here is the vid:

EDIT: As for it being plastic -- I don't think that would be a detriment. A 12 gauge is going to generate a ton of heat and shotshell is basically the same concept.

 

[Ura-Ki]

The base appears to be steel -- so sort of like a shotshell with metal and plastic components. This is supported by their marketing materials which indicate that a magnet can be used to pick up spent brass.

Here's the part I don't understand -- they claim that it reduces weapon heat but it was my understanding that the ejected brass actually carries a lot of the heat away from the weapon, that part of the problem with caseless ammo is that there is no ejectable heat sink. Anyone have any ideas on this?

For the Heat issue, I believe it's a heat rejection thing, as in the heat is absorbed by the plastic as the round is fired and instead of the heat sink effect migrating to the chamber, it's carried out during ejection! Course this don't change the throat area and down the barrel as the flame front expands, but...............
IDK, but that's my best scientific explanation! Sort of how heat rejection coatings on internal engine parts help cooling, by reflecting heat, or rejecting it and expelling it out of the engine!

 

[CamoDeafie]

Plastic isnt exactly "green" to manufacture
Now if it were made from hemp based plastics...

You know.. with all the social media uproar over plastics in the oceans, including "microplastics", especially the stuff being found in bellies of dead whales and birds and so on.... one would think producing polymer cased ammo would be a "step backwards" in terms of "environmentally safe ammo"

So... brass is better for the environment

The only reason for going to plastics would be lighter weight for the troops to carry.

 

[Basedgreaser]

Plastic isnt exactly "green" to manufacture
Now if it were made from hemp based plastics...

You know.. with all the social media uproar over plastics in the oceans, including "microplastics", especially the stuff being found in bellies of dead whales and birds and so on.... one would think producing polymer cased ammo would be a "step backwards" in terms of "environmentally safe ammo"

So... brass is better for the environment

The only reason for going to plastics would be lighter weight for the troops to carry.

Honestly. How do you get greener then metal?? Reload it re use it recycle it remanufacture it reshoot it repeat. If anything how about a clean burning powder that requires less cleaning of the action

 

[CamoDeafie]

Honestly. How do you get greener then metal?? Reload it re use it recycle it remanufacture it reshoot it repeat. If anything how about a clean burning powder that requires less cleaning of the action

Or go 100% caseless, like what they were supposedly developing (caseless telescoped ammo)