UK Adopts L129A2

[GUNNER10]

Looks like the UK just modernized their LMT's..


https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...nes-adopt-6-5cm-lmt-l129a2-ft-huxwrx-leupold/

 

[BCP]

I wonder how many the brits will actually purchase.

 

[RUTGERS95]

Looks like the UK just modernized their LMT's..


https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...nes-adopt-6-5cm-lmt-l129a2-ft-huxwrx-leupold/

View attachment 8233495

now they need to adopt lmt for the main service rifle

 

[Happiness Is A Warm Gun]

The UK has been making some impressive decisions lately. They have had LMTs in 308 for years, and now LMTs in 6.5 and KACs in 556.

 

[slowworm]

I wonder how many the brits will actually purchase.

Civilians? I can safely say zero.

I might just buy one to taunt them.

 

[TheOE800]

Seems only mil contracts LMT and KAC get for their guns are foreign. MK11 and SASS says notwithstanding.

 

[Lightning8]

The first sentence of that linked article irritates me a little because it's unfortunately a very common American willful hubris/ ignorance. That author needs to watch the news. The Brits are leading the Western world in modern war. Most Americans don't understand this. We've collaborated more and more with the British Rangers and I've seen them come a looong ways in the last 10 years. Im still not sure about their upper end echelon of capabilities like Intel fusion, targeting, and interagency collaboration but as an action arm I don't think they lack anything.

They lack size. UK took the peace dividend and disbanded a significant amount of the military. What remains may be very good but become inconsequential in a near peer event

 

[pmclaine]

The first sentence of that linked article irritates me a little because it's unfortunately a very common American willful hubris/ ignorance. That author needs to watch the news. The Brits are leading the Western world in modern war. Most Americans don't understand this. We've collaborated more and more with the British Rangers and I've seen them come a looong ways in the last 10 years. Im still not sure about their upper end echelon of capabilities like Intel fusion, targeting, and interagency collaboration but as an action arm I don't think they lack anything.

You ready to put your bona fides to the test of comparing against the authors?

Go ahead tell us how many tacos can you eat and you better have a vid if you want to be believed.

 

[pmclaine]

The UK has been making some impressive decisions lately. They have had LMTs in 308 for years, and now LMTs in 6.5 and KACs in 556.

I think it’s sad actually.

Kind of shows the loss of Britains creative capability.

They used to make some good stuff on their own and pride would have kept them from departing from domestic production.

Granted if the great tool is there and you can’t come up with better than run with it but let’s see some of that “It may be a right cock up but take pride in the fact it’s a truly British cock up! God save the King!” sense of Patriotism.

 

[TheOE800]

I think it’s sad actually.

Kind of shows the loss of Britains creative capability.

They used to make some good stuff on their own and pride would have kept them from departing from domestic production.

Granted if the great tool is there and you can’t come up with better than run with it but let’s see some of that “It may be a right cock up but take pride in the fact it’s a truly British cock up! God save the King!” sense of Patriotism.

I say, those colonists are really up to something with these “AR-15” rifles!

 

[Lightning8]

Sure. They are a smaller country. But I can attest that they aren't inconsequential right now. Very much the opposite. Definitely imposing consequences on someone right now.

How many infantry brigades can they field simultaneously? Better yet, how many divisions?

 

[pmclaine]

I say, those colonists are really up to something with these “AR-15” rifles!

If you can’t beat ‘em. Join em.

 

[BCP]

How many infantry brigades can they field simultaneously? Better yet, how many divisions?

Russia can field plenty and look how well they are doing.

 

[Lightning8]

Honestly, I don't know. I don't play strategy board games while binge watching the history channel from my recliner sofa. I'm speaking from recent experience.

Also, I don't think the "How many brigades can X field?" question constitutes accurate analysis anymore. There are countries changing the world out from under us right now without fielding any brigades. Sure, conventional maneuver land warfare is still important in the right place at the right time, but that's small time thinking given all the other ways for a nation to impose it's will these days.

Do you still dream about crossing the wet gap?

How many Brigades are currently fielded by Ukraine? Per to peer or near peer still takes numbers. Great Britain cannot field enough force to be significant

 

[msgriff]

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

I think it’s sad actually.

Kind of shows the loss of Britains creative capability.

They used to make some good stuff on their own and pride would have kept them from departing from domestic production.

Granted if the great tool is there and you can’t come up with better than run with it but let’s see some of that “It may be a right cock up but take pride in the fact it’s a truly British cock up! God save the King!” sense of Patriotism.

I think the SA80 debacle took all the winds out of their sails for small arms production. They had to hire the Krauss (hk) to come in and unfuck that piece of shit and anyone in the MOD who is anyone was carrying a m16 variant for the last 20 years or so anyway.

They also have no domestic sales so there is little incentive for anyone to innovate at the small chance of getting a award for a dwindling military that is a joke in the modern world.

 

[GUNNER10]

Seems only mil contracts LMT and KAC get for their guns are foreign. MK11 and SASS says notwithstanding.

Domestically, I think our overall procurement system is about 50/50 in choosing the best peace of gear at the time and I think part of this is downstream effect of who writes the requirement and the project officer the manages the solicitation/evaluations. In the past two decades we have been able to get some really good gear but we have also made some questionable decisions.

At approximately the same time as USASOC was adopting the USG-I the USMC elected to go with the M27 which was really something that was developed in 2005/2006 and evaluated in 2007 and selected in 2008. Not taking anything away from the M27, but a lot has changed in small arms development in that time frame, and a lot has changed from 2018 till today.

looking at the issue in a vacuum, one organization was able to get a much more modern peace of gear as they were better able to navigate the process.

Comically, the USMC did adopt a very modern Sniper rifle in 2022 when they chose the Mk22, 10 months prior to disbanding scout sniper platoons in the infantry. So all organization in the DoD have the ability to get new, modern gear, they just have to do the leg work. There is no reason why the USMC could not have gone with the HK416A5 with modern optic and low back pressure suppressor.

 

[JohnDeereGuy1996]

Russia can field plenty and look how well they are doing.

A lot better then the media is telling you.

 

[Lightning8]

Great point. What was your assessment of UKR ability to resist an invasion by a superior(non-peer) force? So how are they accomplishing that? Because this stand-alone, vacuum analysis of one nations pacing item isn't a metric that means anything. It's the entirety of western Europe supporting them. What is the scenario that has the UK toe-to-toe'ing it with a peer nation all by themselves? Your metric only has merit in a fantastical scenario. In reality, and certainly as we speak, modern warfare seems to be a coalition approach to maintaining the western worlds culture of rules based order. And the Brits are taking a leadership role in that.

Also, "peer-to-peer" isn't synonymous with land maneuver warfare or LSCO. Peer-to-peer can happen in global competition, low-intensity, and by proxy. A conventional Army guy probably thinks that way tho so I can understand why this is your outlook.

Western Europe aka NATO effectively disbanded their militaries and pocketed the peace dividends. Bottom line Europe’s defense almost completely depends on the US and the US taxpayers.

 

[Vynz]

They picked a great looking rifle. I’d love to shoot one just to see what it feels like.

 

[TheOE800]

I agree. I would totally own one. It's shame that version isn't available to buy. I'd also like to compare it to one of their piston rifles. Who knows, maybe I'll run across one of these in Europe and get to fuck with it.

LMT has a rich history of releasing contract clone rifles for the commercial market. Sometimes with a hideous SHARPSHOOTER laser engraving, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.