The 'trump card' assault rifle of US special forces

The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has signed a contract with Lewis Machine & Tool Company to purchase a series of MRGG-A assault rifles, which use a very different 6.5mm Creedmoor round.

The contract includes the provision of MRGG-A assault rifles, spare parts, training packages on new weapons and proposed design changes based on experience in use. The deal has a total value of 92 million USD, valid until August 14, 2035, The War Zone (TWZ) said.

According to SOCOM's explanation, the MRGG-A assault rifle will have higher range and accuracy, helping to increase combat effectiveness at medium distances thanks to the 6.5 mm (.38) Creedmoor ammunition.

Another issue to note is that the US Army has recently officially adopted the M7 assault rifle (formerly known as the XM7) chambered for 6.8 x 51 mm ammunition, despite the many problems that have been noted with this gun.

Specifically, compared to the standard 5.56 x 45 mm bullet, the 6.8 mm bullet is heavier, making it difficult for soldiers to carry as much. In addition, a magazine only holds 20 rounds, with a base of 7 magazines, the amount of combat ammunition is only 140 rounds, compared to 210 rounds of soldiers using the M16 or M4.

In addition, the M7 is quite "heavy", specifically when unloaded, the gun weighs 3.7 kg (the M4 weighs only 2.9 kg), in addition to the 0.66 kg silencer and the XM157 electronic sight weighing 2.2 kg.

Thus, the combat weight of the M7 assault rifle is 6.56 kg, plus 7 magazines carrying 140 rounds will weigh 4.4 kg, a total of nearly 11 kg for an assault rifle, much higher than a light machine gun.

According to observers, the MRGG-A will also have the same problem as the M7 because it also uses a 20-round magazine, although the bullet weight is slightly lighter. In addition, this rifle looks more compact and resembles an AR-15, so in theory it will be lighter than the M7.

But it should be noted that this is currently just an assumption based on available images and information, and the actual shape of the MRGG-A assault rifle is still unknown.

But when looking at two nearly identical ammunition types, a question arises: why complicate things so much, if the US Army has accepted the M7 to fire 6.8 x 51 mm ammunition, why is there a need for 6.5 mm Creedmoor ammunition?

But according to the explanation, SOCOM had previously used the 6.5mm Creedmoor round since 2017 to replace the 7.62 x 51mm round for snipers and gunners.

Therefore, in the US Special Operations Forces, the best option for logistical consistency is to switch to 6.5mm Creedmoor ammunition, not 6.8 x 51mm.