Tag Archives: Infantry Automatic Rifle

The typical Devil Squad is changing, due to the M27

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U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion 8th Marine Regiment fire the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle during a live-fire weapons exercise at range F-18 on Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 8, 2017

The building block of every infantry platoon in the Marines is the squad, currently a 13-strong unit. Under the new format, it will shrink by one to 12 and constrict the size of each fire team from four to three members, but the number of M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle systems will swell as every member will carry one, effectively tripling the current volume of fire available to the unit, according to officials. Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller said the development will make the squad “more lethal, agile and capable.”

While the unit has given up their M249 Squad Automatic Weapons — the U.S. version of the FN Minimi — the M27 has taken the place of that belt-fed weapon and will by 2020 phase out the M4 rifles in the squad, upping the number of the modified select-fire variant of the HK416 5.56mm gas piston rifle per squad from three to 12.

And that’s just the start of the changes.

The rest in my column at Guns.com

IARs are looking better and better

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CW5 Wade, 2MarDiv’s Gunner, released another interesting video last week, this one on controllability of the M27 IAR on full-auto vs “aggressive semi-auto fire” — an argument the Marines have made since Guadalcanal.

While the video is interesting (here) the IAR they use is a really great set-up.

They are using Trijicon’s versatile VCOG Combat Sight, a 1-6x24mm scope built for CQB, long range and everything in between that has proven to be very popular, especially when compared to the M27s standard optic (the SU-258/PVQ 3.5x35mm Squad automatic-weapon Day Optic)– though both use a Larue Tactical base and an RMR backup on the top of the scope for reflex shooting. The suppressor and flip up sights are KAC. On the right-hand side, just out of sight, is an EOTech AN/PEQ-16B MIPIM LED IR illuminator. Add folding bipod, Blue Force Tactical sling, weapon mounted light (if anyone knows which model this is, drop it below) and a 30 round mag and the 9~ pound IAR jumps to more like 12 with a 30-rounder PMAG. Still, that’s better than a stock M249 and a heck of a lot more accurate and maneuverable.