Is 6.8 mm a NATO round?

Is 6.8 mm a NATO round?

The 6.8mm SPC cartridge was designed to address the deficiencies of the terminal ballistics of the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge currently in service with the armed forces of all NATO-aligned countries. The 6.8 mm generates around 2,385 J (1,759 ft⋅lbf) of muzzle energy with a 7.5-gram (115 gr) bullet.

What size bullet does the US military use?

5.56 mm
The US military has been using the 5.56 mm round for nearly 60 years — here’s how it all got started. While the Army is currently planning to move away from the 5.56 mm round in its infantry weapons, that has been the standard for decades.

What caliber did Chris Kyle use?

The Tool. Although Kyle used a . 300 Winchester Magnum for most of deployments, his most famous and longest shot was taken with a McMillan-built TAC-338.

Is all 5.56 ammo NATO?

There is no difference between 5.56x45mm and 5.56 NATO. They are the exact same cartridge, just using a slightly different name. The former is simply a dimensional description, while the latter, 5.56 NATO, is the official nomenclature.

What kind of ammo will replace the 556 NATO round?

The 6.8 round would replace the 5.56 NATO round, which would mean two types of ammo for rifles on the battlefield, at least initially, Milley suggested. The 6.8 mm round was first developed by Remington and Special Operations Command. It is more lethal and accurate than the old rounds and 10 percent lighter.

Is the US Army ditching the NATO caliber?

You may not have heard, but late last year it was decided that the United States army would be ditching the traditional 5.56x45mm NATO and 7.62x51mm NATO rounds for an entirely new caliber in the form of the 6.8mm.

Is the US Army planning to move to higher caliber ammo?

When the service published a semi-formal request for ideas on FedBiz­Opps last October, it specifically mentioned the intent to move to the higher caliber from the current 5.56 NATO round now in use with the M4 carbine and M249 squad automatic weapon.

How much does the army spend on new ammunition?

The army plans to purchase at least 250,000 new 6.8mm firearms over the next decade after that, which will come out to around $150 million a year. The new 6.8mm ammunition will have a lot of roles to fill, because it will need to be used as both a close range and long range caliber.