Pretty huge news… I’m not sure I really grasp the reason for the changeover though. There is definitely a huge savings in weight… but that is definitely at the expense of magazine capacity. I wonder how soldiers will feel about this? I understand that not ALL of the SAWs are being replaced, but for the ones that are, it seems like 30 rounds in a mag would not go over well for a SAW gunner used to having a 200 round drum.
A lot more info on the specifics of the IAR and the other rifles it was up against over at MarineCorpsTimes – HERE
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4 responses to “H&K IAR replaces the M249 SAW for U.S. Marines”
[…] SAW that is currently in use by the U.S. is getting ready to be replaced. Rumor has it that the H&K IAR is the replacement, although I have heard this is false and they haven’t actually won the […]
It definitely would not be practical… you might wanna check your intel on that, I was a saw gunner during one of my deployments to iraq when i was in the usmc… you cannot gain fire superiority without a belt fed gun at the ready or with out a dramatic shift or change in weapons carried in a squad. I really dont see the marine corps making such a drastic and hasty change such as this… it takes long enough for them to approve and cycle into inventory protoype gear that is desperately needed..even with that stuff there is much scrutiny.
So i just fired this M27 IAR, for our battalion last week because the Marine Corps wants to know how us grunts think about it. This weapon is awesome and a belt fed weapon dos not mean shit. all it means is that it sounds intense. How many rounds out of a belt fed weapon are acutely hitting the target. maybe 10 out of 60 on full auto if your lucky because its just not accurate. Yea if that shit is mounted on a tripod with a T&E then its pretty freaking accurate. This new IAR shoots 2 minutes of angle right out of the box. That means its accurate as fuck. The regular M-16 and M-4 shoots 4 to 7 minutes of angle right out of the box. not accurate at all. And i have no clue what the SAW is and i don’t think i want to know. Whats so funny is in the Marines we have been taught to think that fire by volume is suppression when in reality your not hitting shit. Now fire by accuracy is suppression not doubt about it. If you are moving and shooting with the M249 SAW at a rag head fuck and you unload a 200 round drum at him and don’t hit shit he will probably laugh and keep shooting at you. Now you take the new IAR and put it on full auto and you shoot a 4 round burst at him at least three of your four shots are going to hit him because the recoil is so little and the weapon is so accurate that you kill the enemy and that means you have just suppress his rag head ass. O and the Marine Corps is going to this weapon very fast more and more battalions are asking for it. I was skeptical about it to until i fired it and a Gunner actually explained what true suppression really is. So yes this weapon is replacing the SAW. The 0331 machine gunners are carrying the SAW and the 240B now that’s wear the SAW has gone to.
M27 IAR isn’t going to replace anything but it’ll become lighter and compact alternative for good ol’ M249 for missions that won’t require 15lb machinegun to get firesuperiority like ship raids etc.