Curious sir, howd ya come by the intel on it?
Also, any validity to the suppressor being made with less thermal signature in mind due to proliferation of more and more night/thermal optics?
+what's the reasoning behind reinforcing the upper?
Thanks for chiming in btw
No classified intel. Just read the articles that are out there, and putting together the tid-bits I hear in the industry, and I am a military rifle nut and clone builder. And, I could be wrong. I think there is a stroke of genius in what he has done, and the Army can indeed pick-up the upper and drop it into an existing KAC M110 lower. That was in the article. wham-bam, get us going! That is a fast way to get a new 6.5mm to market, and call it an M110L1, or whatever the next letter is. KAC is up to "K" The M110A1 is the new HK CSASS.
But that is all Army speak. The USMC and Navy Seals adopted the M110 with the Army when they moved away from the Mk11. So, you know how the Navy thinks about an Army weapon? Not good enough. So, the Navy and the guys at Crane are looking for a Navy CSASS, and the word I hear from the barrel makers is that they are hard at work producing 6.5mm blanks. Not .308 or .300WM (which of course are the same blank) And, from the field, it really looks like the Creedmoor is the new bullet. Yes, politically, everyone is saying the Rem .260 is still in there. And, it could be. My guess is that it is a done deal that the new round is the 6.5CM. Now, with Bill Geissele using a Bartlein 6.5CM, that adds weight to the prediction.
Now, go back in history to the XM100. Remington Defense offered a great weapon, together with DPMS. They pulled together a reasonable prototype at 1/2 the cost of Knights Armament's Mk11. It was the debut. They did not win, as the military establishment saw KAC as being able to deliver, and the troops knew the KAC products. I think the same is happening here. Will Geissele get a contract for the VSASS? Hard to imagine that. But, he has shown quick to market ingenuity, and a good enough reputation for triggers and mounts, that next time could be his time. Next time is the US Navy / USMC Crane CSASS, in my judgement. Again, maybe I am wrong.
And, then there are players like KAC, who have really been let down, with HK winning the contract to replace the M110, and Mark LaRue, who has been looking for his day to shine, and is showcasing three new 6.5 guns, one in small frame, and two in large frame.
... fun to watch, and super impressive to see what Bill Geissele has done. A giant surprise to me.
