This is what happens when 5.56 meets 6.8mm 💥
— BFBS Forces News (@ForcesNews) September 14, 2026
The US Army is moving away from 5.56 Nato to the high-pressure 6.8x51mm round. So what does that extra power actually mean?
See both rounds put to the test against Level IV body armour 🔗 ⬇️https://t.co/ReCQFKLrGn pic.twitter.com/S4TerhfhK9
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7 responses to “For Your Consideration”
That demo was not accurate. SS 109 is not used often by US military. M855 green tip, M855A1 enhanced penetrator, and MK 262 77gr otm is what is used. I’ll admit none of those is likely to penetrate level 4 armor, however it is interesting that he did not specify which 6.8mm round he used. It looked like maybe a black tip which usually denotes an armor piercing round. As for higher pressure resulting in a faster projectile, that is generally true. What he failed to mention is barrel life expectancy of only 5k rounds with the new M5 6.8mm rifle. A normal M4 5.56 rifle can easily push 30k rounds with proper maintenance before the barrel needs replaced. Last don’t forget a standard 7 mag load out is 210 rounds for 5.56 and only 140 rounds for the 6.8. Everything has its tradeoffs.
The 556 has less weight to carry which is a major consideration in the field. The real test will be fighting robots in war.
What they need to consider is how well GI JANE will be able to tote and shoot this firearm. After an eight-year break in service, I went back in as an Active Army Reservist. By then, you had “Enlisted Women” who could “do any job a man can”(!?). Well, that did not always translate correctly on the firing line, especially when the training was on full auto.
Needless to say, I decided to get out when my hitch was up as I could not see myself defending the Fulda Gap with some soldier-girl who could not handle a M-16. But I did see two crack troopers go from E-4 to WO1 on their backs. But that is a story for another time.
What does this round do that 30cal AP black tip doesn’t….
The cartridge case is bi-metal? Just how high a pressure are we talking about? Any weakness in the case could be deadly, why did they not build a new platform around the 7.62X51? A lot of questions for me.
Some answers here —
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqlKXrwmRMQ
it is ALWAYS about money. never forget that little bit. the MIC has gotten hooked on cash from Sam. how do I know this ?
simple. back in 1978 I was on the team testing the Carl Gustaf 84mm rocket launcher. it was hands down way better that ANYTHING we had at that time. close to a dozen different rounds for it.
Grunt proof in every way that mattered. iron sights to back up the optic
for one. you could re-cock the weapon if you had a misfire.
never saw that happen even once. but it was not to be. 3 army generals and 2 Marine ones in the stands on “show day”. army guys didn’t even care or watch. the Marine generals, they fired it. asked real questions and TOOK NOTES ABOUT IT AND WHAT WE THOUGHT OF IT.
in the end, we got the Dragon weapon system. at what 20 times the cost ? and it didn’t even work right ???
in the 12 years AFTER the testing of the carl G. never met any gunner that ever fired a “live round” thru it.
so image how I felt in 2004-5 or even 2006 when watching CNN and seeing the Carl G in use by our troops and hearing how great the weapon was and how well it fit the mission.
so. yeah. it ALWAYS about the money/kickbacks in the end.
they do not give one shit about the troops who count on it working.
I lost my faith/trust in Gov’t a long time ago. I am old now and on the way out the door. I just don’t care as nothing seems to matter anymore. after high school, I could have bought a new car for under 3500 off the lot. a new car is now over 30 grand easy.
as I have often said, if old Vlad would drop a nuke on DC, he be doing us and the world a favor. it not hard to end up loathing the clowns in DC.