Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducimus
Yes it was. 
The 5.56 round was found insufficient, i believe primarily because of range, as they were only intended for 200-300 yard engagements if I remember correctly. |
I think the M14EBRs are really good.They started making those when troops saw the need and started taking old M-14s and mounting ACOGs and other scopes on them to act as a marksmen weapon.I have read a few places that they where having trouble with some of the old ones which is why they started the EBR program which partly rebuilds them.
The USMC lead the way back with their M-14DMR which is being replaced by another M-14 which is similar to the EBR but has a heavier and longer barrel.The Army guys where stuck with the older M-14s until well into 2003 until the EBRs became more readily available.
I would not be surprised some of those M-14s may have been sitting around for years they might have been a bit past their prime in some cases.
There is one draw back to having an obvious DMR it also attracts the enemy a solider with a longer rifle stands out.
Of course I understand that there are a few differing concepts out there when it comes to DMR type weapons.
One concept is simply a heavier barreled M-4/16 also firing a higher grain bullet to buffer the M-14.I read a fairly interesting book about a year ago where the author and former sniper spoke with mainly US army and USMC snipers as well as a few LE guys who also happened to be in the reserves.
One US Army Sargent his unit in 2008 tested the concept of using heavier grain 5.56mm for closer in kill(~400m) using I believe a military version of Black Hills 77 grain.They had outstanding results and in some cases they where using a standard M4 barrel other times they used a heavier barrel.
The sargent said that they when possible collected the bodies so that they could be medically examined.He said that one doctor had a conversation with him and complemented his skill with the M24(7.62x51mm) the sarge informed the doc that the round had been a 5.56mm 77 grain.That tells you something when a doctor gets fooled by the expected wound ballistics.Of course 5.56 even in a higher grain and out of a heavier barrel does have its range limits.Anyway this "experiment" was to evaluate the concept of using a DMR version of the M4/16 and issuing it to regular infantry.
It actually is a good idea from a military stand point you do not have to train the solider on a new rifle and in the heat of things the weapon of course fire standard 5.56 rounds just fine.It also places less demand on the production of M-14EBRs.
The Army also has the M110(basically an SR-25) but that is a more expensive bit of kit intended for snipers not DMs.
There has been some interest in also going with an "intermediate" cartridge as a DM round something in the 6mm range I know that the Lapua 6.5mm and the Barret 6.8mm are high are the suggested list.Of course that means producing millions of rounds of completely new ammunition and also procuring all new barrels as well as uppers for a percentage of M4/16s.
With all that said I think the combination of M-14s and beefed up M4/16 as DMRs is the best option.
Of course accuracy counts for something as well I know that a Marine killed in one shot a Taliban fighter that was making ready to fire an RPG at a US Amry MEDVAC and this some gunner had already taken down an MH-47 full of Seals a few days prior so he was no slouch.Anyway one fact is that we are talking about a Marine and they are all rifleman but he still made the shot with only an ACOG (3.5x or 4.0x) on a target that was 300+m away and also above him so a tougher shot and it was also a snap shot and he got the job done.I have read of this Marine in a book about the operation he was involved in and also on a National Geographic where they talked to some Marines in the same unit yet they did not mention his name a humble person I suppose.
Of course as you said with your own personal use that is a whole other can worms all together.I would say that the biggest factor there would be your location.