"Guns from the Future: the US Army Advanced Combat" Topic

…. Rifle Program(1986-1990)

"After the 2nd World War, the concept of what an infantryman should carry into battle was changing in vast ways. Gone would be weapons like the M1 Garand, the K98, and the Lee-Enfield Mark IV, that were replaced with battle rifles like the FN FAL and the M14 and the new kid on the block: the assault rifle. America would adopt its first assault rifle formally in 1969: the Colt M16. Developed by ArmaLite engineers Eugene Stoner, Jim Sullivan, and Bob Fremont in the 1950's, the AR-15 was sold to Colt in 1959 and was serious departure from the M14 battle rifle. Advanced for its time, the M-16 would enter directly into war in the jungles of Vietnam. Even at the time of adoption by the US armed forces, there were programs ongoing to find the infantry weapon of the future. However, it wasn't until 1986 that the US Army and USAF would find put the newly updated M16 platform, the M16A2, head-to-head with four next-generation military rifles under the Advanced Combat Rifle Program (or ACR Program). FWS will finally be exploring an interesting time in the history of combat rifles and the M16's history with the ACR Program that ran from 1986-1990. This article has been requested for sometime and it is finally nice to dive into this program. Please note, the H&K G11 caseless rifle and its examples with be explored in much more extensive depth with its own Guns from the Future article in the near future.

After World War II, there was a number of studies and research conducted attempting to figure the path for the future of warfare…including military firearms. As early as 1948, there were studies conducted on the future of small arms in the wake of atomic warfare and these initial studies, like Project BALANCE by the Operations Research Office, had started the conversation about flechettes ammunition. In 1952, dueling reports spoke of combat between less than 300 meters with greater need for "pattern dispersion" ammunition and smaller caliber weapon may be able to deliver greater wounding effects and controllable fully automatic fire. In November of 1952, the ORO developed Project SALVO for a controlled volley/burst fire weapon that may use duplex or dart ammunition. During the same time, one of the founders of AAI, Irwin R. Barr was investing into his own personal obsession of flechette ammunition to develop a single flechette cartridge for a next type of infantry rifle. In 1956, government funding came towards developing a single flechette cartridge firing rifle that moved at 4,000 FPS. In June of 1956, the first Project SALVO ammunition were being tested via mule weapons. In 1957, it was decided to move forward with development of flechette cartridges…but, there was no flechette rifle platform yet. The SALVO testing had been conducted using modified Winchester Model 70 rifles…."
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