Knight's Armament KS-1 Selected as the UK's New Assault Rifle - L403A1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ต.ค. 2024
- The United Kingdom has announced the selection of the Knight's Armament Company KS-1 as the new Alternative Individual Weapon for the new Ranger battalions and the Royal Marines Commandos. The requirement for the new rifle was released back in August 2021. It will enter service as the L403A1.
Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here -
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NB. As I explain in the video this is the 'Alternative Individual Weapon' - not an outright SA80/L85 replacement (that's coming thought), it basically fulfils the same role every AR-pattern rifle in UK service has since the 1960s. Thanks for watching guys, check out our accompanying article for this video here -
armourersbench.com/2023/09/06/project-hunter-the-uks-new-assault-rifle/
Thank you for sharing 3 brothers 6 cousins and still 2 uncles couldn't tap out, refusing to give up and are today logistics boys x When a kid all were my heroes., I learned to be an armorer through my grandfather who was a director at Enfield Small Arms. It was the greatest playground any boy could have. I do build custom designs completely bi-spoke and do not want to go into a sales mode as don't need any business as an amputee I'm in no rush with the rifle holder and the tailor is boss
The problem is the UK MOD is incredibly poor and doesn't have the funds to develop and procure a newly developed rifle. Adopting the L403 slowly over time is less costly.
@@nemisous83 None of your above stacks warrant any credibility I remember wrapping it around trees. at Warminster. Mags just fell off gas parts melted, and carbon sealed the deal and seized. Don't talk of shit that doesn't work and its end result. and you pick up all and everything and make it so like a Pro
I Know British are Culturally "Stupid Cheap"... but 10, 000 rifles over Ten Years.. what a Joke.
@@skeletonkey6733 are you speaking English or bri'ish? Because that sentence is so broken it's hard to understand.
10,000 rifles in a decade… If the UK keeps cutting troops it might not need that many rifles.
Good maybe we can get contract overruns then.
Those rapid response or special operation capable unit will not be cut off
Considering their adverseries are using acids and knives they don’t need rifles at all.
@@thekraken1173 Russia and China relies on acid and knives now? Fascinating.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I'm retired from the Brit Army now, but used SA80 (A1,A2 and A3) plus C8 as issued. The first A1 I had was very old and abused and got replaced by more of the same when returned to the armoury. A2 had no issues and I didn't use the A3 for long, but it seemed a decent upgrade. The C8 I was issued had been battered, but was much more reliable than my first A1. My range scores were no better or worse with the C8 and you could attach just as much ancillary crap to the C8 as the A3. The best thing about being issued a C8 is the green eyes of those with SA80's.
During my time, issued uniform changed three times, webbing changed at least three times, I lost count of how many vehicle changes we had - but my reflection across all of this is that I always bemoaned having kit provided by the 'lowest bidder' and I aspired to have SF kit to make my ego feel special too, especially when my deployments were rather humdrum (99% boredom and 1% fear)
Much respect to my serving brothers and sisters - my time wasn't that long ago and I already feel that my training and experience is irrelevant as we face the prospect of potential 'conventional' war.
This is the KS1 model it is a very refine AR rifle, the gas system is totally sealed so you hand will not get burned. The rifle is light and the suppressor is very refined liked the rifle itself. It as dimples like on a golf ball to give the suppressor more surface area so that it cools down faster. It use ball bearings on the inside of the suppressor so that it does not stick to the muzzle. It is a very smooth shooting weapon, however, you cannot used steel cased ammo that is the only downside.
I remember the a2 came in at the beginning of iraq, I was still using the a1
"99% boredom and 1% fear" That's a common distribution in a war zone.
I still think the 94 pattern DPM combat gear was the best ever made, it was tough but felt like you were wearing pyjamas.
^same as my experience
I own a KAC SR-15 and it’s all around the best AR I’ve had. Ultra reliable and everything screams quality and QC.
Have you tried the lmt Mars? I would like a comparison
I have both and they do not do anything a PSA can't.
@@dustinmooring698 lmao.
"you have chosen... wisely". It's been well known that esp among gas guns this is the premier hard use rifle. If you ever handle one, and look at it closely you can see why, the finish and depth of the chrome lining, the double pinned gas block, the modified bolt lugs and others. This gun is made around a philosophy of actual functional improvement and durability on a platform that's already really good.
Very short barrel. It wont have the effective range of the bullpups. But it's light, ambidextrous, adjustable pull and there's a ton of options for the AR platform I guess.
@@defenderoftheadverb The 13.7" barrel is easily effective at typical combat ranges, up to 400m.
@@defenderoftheadverb I think you're overestimating the distance that soldiers typically fight at.
@@Kryternvaried massively depending on theatre
@@Krytern I'm pretty sure it's always been 'as far away from each other as humanly possible' to be honest. That's how Agincourt went in our favour. The French were in pointy stick mode, and we were using arrows like grown ups.
The point of the NGSW program in America was to extend lethal range because if your opponent has a viciously sharp slice of mango, and you have a modern rifle, they're dead. The M16 5.56 platform doesn't offer much advantage over the AK platform. They also expect it to defeat Russian and Chinese body armour, and of course the new sights are an improvement. Oh and the ammunition is lighter.
They want normal troops to be able to kill the enemy before the enemy can even get close enough to have a chance. Hopefully that'll work.
Chris Bartocci: *faints*
Hilarious
Welcome to small arms solutions....
I choked on my fucking chip 🤣
After ejaculatung for the 8th time in your rectum
Why 😂
Can’t go wrong with KAC, but it was really cool to see Glock produce an ar prototype.
Jesus, the MoD will do literally anything to avoid straight up replacing the SA80 in general service.
To be fair the l85a3 seems like a decent service weapon by all accounts
@@theowainwright74063rd time lucky. Not good enough for the troops in the front line.
Someone else showing his utter lack of current service and only knowledge obtained from outdated criticism of the old L85A1. The L85A2 and A3 are absolutely solid standard-issue infantry rifles. But carry on spouting your lack of knowledge. I used the A2 and A3 before transitioning to private sector work, and both rifles fulfilled the role for an infantry rifle perfectly-well. You are continuing to operate on badly outdated talking points. The time has come for a modern replacement given our shrinking army and increased specialisation and advancements in weapon design, but the A2 and A3 have done their job.@@thomasmusso1147
Why does the SA80 need replacing in general service? The latest version is considered as good as any and better than most according to those I've heard who use it.
@@Scaleyback317 you are correct. The A2 and A3 are perfectly fine infantry rifles and served fine in Afghanistan and Iraq. People still to this day go on about the L85 as if we still use the awful A1 version. The weapons are very old now and have seen enough rounds put through them to warrant replacing them - but make no mistake they are still Excellent infantry rifles.
Sure there’s much better on the market. These rifles being one example. But infantry have NEVER had the BEST weapons possible. They have always had the weapons necessary. And for infantry needs, the A2/3 fulfilled that admirably.
Thanks for the info. Knights. They do some splendid weapons. That machinegun they do in 762 and 556 with the recoil reduction look amazing as well.
Yes, by all reports you got a very refined AR. A lot of good engineering went into solving a lot small but annoying problems. Rifle is light weight and smooth shooting.
I sure hope some L85 parts kits come into the market. Id love to build one.
Will never happen I'm afraid.
Unlikely, but if the black market's your thing, South America seems to have a number in criminal hands...
They're gonna be dumped off by the container load to Ukraine
Yeah, considering the ridiculous gun laws in the UK, I doubt they'll sell any of them. A damn shame.
Just purchase a 3D printer All the sizes and scales are out there just don't get the materials and stress components wrong with tolerance or in for a breach exp Leave it to the pros.
My guess is they went with KAC not only because they make good ARs but they also make pretty good suppressors. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a deal to include them.
Possible but there are also loads of European manufacturers who make high quality ones like B&T and ASE Utra. The European manufacturers have way less red tape associated with suppressors so that is a thing to consider.
In These types of competitions it’s always about the package. And perhaps kac offered the best all around. Like they submitted the guns with a certain scope and suppressor and I’m not sure the tender would’ve allowed swapping those components (like selecting the 416 + vortex scope+ sig can)
@@kenb.1096 I figured. Why go through the hassle of buying separate suppressors when they can come off of KACs factory line in the box. Same thing happened when we got the 110A1’s from the factory before I left the Army.
This is an incredibly balanced and functional piece of kit. It will serve equally well in CQB as well as at distance. Kudos to the Brits for getting it right.
It says it in the video ffs
Half expect the MOD to select a stripped down economy version of the Sten Mk2 while spending hundreds of millions of pounds to consultants to ensure its culturally safe.
How dare you.
It would at least be a sterling smg.
@@studentaviator3756 I used the Sterling SMG when I was in the Marines many moons ago. It is actually a very nice weapon, light and low recoil.
@@stevebarlow3154 I can imagine, I have heard that the Sterling was a very capable SMG for its time, but how come were you issued with it ?
I thought Royal Marines typically used SLRs or the L85a1s.
@@studentaviator3756 I meant that the Sterling SMG was one of a number of weapons that I trained upon at the time. Everything from a Browning automatic pistol to a Wombat anti-tank gun. The SLR was the main weapon at the time.
@stevebarlow3154 would love to hear more about the Wombat.
I always liked the What Would Stoner Do (WWSD) project made by Gun Jesus. But in fact, we already know what Stoner would do, because he did it. And it was the SR-16.
The UK special forces were never in on the bullpup, they had the Colt Canada C8 with the L119A2 as the most recent version.
He says that in the video and there is another video where he discusses the history of AR pattern rifles in British service.
The special forces role demanded weapons that were lightweight and customisable for different conditions, two things the l85 rifles didn’t do very well. Which is why uk special forces used armalite style rifles basically from the beginning.
In the case of the ranger regiment the fact they have a focus on joint force training probably meant they needed a weapon that at least had a layout that was recognisable to the soldiers they were helping to train
I've never understood the "Their special forces use ARs, so ARs are better than *insert bullpup*" argument. Special forces rely much more on their individual small arms and close quarters fighting than the far majority of an army. That means it makes sense to prioritise ergonomics and they can live with shorter barrel lengths. The advantage of bullpups is that you have the range of a full length rifle with the portability of a carbine. That makes a lot of sense if your primary weapon is not your rifle (artillery, engineers, and other supporting roles) or if you operate with vehicles (mechanised infantry). Special forces were also issued SMGs back when full power rifle cartridges were the norm, yet you never saw SMGs replacing rifles across the whole army.
@@fridrekr7510the main reason is that it's a lot more modular and easier to swap parts compared to other designs out there. Most ar patter rifles allow you to change out accessories and configurations without any sort of change in how you use or handle the rifle. Now you can say that they can change out or add rails to anything but that usually requires work when you have something on the market that does it right out the box. Like if you wanted to configure the rifle for CQB, you can easily do so with the change to a reddot and add a light, but just as easily you can configure the same exact rifle for urban with maybe adding a magnifier or swapping it out for a lpvo. Something you can't do very easily with the main army's bullpup design.
@@fridrekr7510 Shh you're making sense. It confuses them.
I see they went with a flow-through suppressor on this system as well. I guess they saw the same issues with suppressors as the US Army did and were looking out for the soldiers' health as well.
Yeah, I'll be lookin at an OSS can to pair with my others....
Not a Flow-Through suppressor, that's OSS/Huxwrx technology, patented and trademarked. The KAC PRT line of suppressors are low back pressure not Flow-Through.
@@FDCNC It's the concept I am talking about. People understand the concept if you say something like that and don't give a 50 million word "name" or explanation. Maybe I would have said "flow-through" style then?? Now stop being so literal and chill out.
@@Lonewolfmike Why are you telling him to chill out when you're the one that went off on him for giving you free information? I'm sure he understood your point. You just used the wrong term and he told you the right term. That's a good thing, if you have enough self esteem to recognize it as such.
They fixed the back pressure issue. But no one has fixed the heat buildup issue that effects your scope view that all cans have yet.
Ergonomics of the AR 15 series is still annoyingly good after nearly 6 decades. The machined aluminum receivers allow for such a light and svelte rifle in all dimensions. There are arguably better external piston rifles out there for added weight, but they all borrow heavily from the ergonomics of the AR 15.
@@keithmoore5306 Objectively in the wrong. Pistol grips have taken over because people fucking realized that we arent using crossbows anymore. AR15 is more comfortable to hold and use than either of those, while being lighter and giving you access to all controls with one hand.
@@keithmoore5306 interesting how that myth is still alive. The AR platform perhaps the best rifle in the world compared to whatever else is out there.
@@keithmoore5306 Wait until you drop an M1 or M14 into mud, or have the wood stock warp when it gets wet.
The US could have done something great and adopted the FAL in the preferred British designed ammo, but no, they had to force the rest of us into a platform and ammo type, then ignore the terms of the agreement anyway twice.
The In Range TV mud tests changed forever my opinion of the direct impingement AR15 platform. Yeah, it shits where it eats but it also farts all of the mud out of the chamber, whereas the AK 47 failed in the mud test. It's not hard to lube an AR 15 bolt and carrier and it takes minimal time and maintenance. I'll take the AR15 any and every day over a heavy ass piston gun.
@keithmoore5306 ...you are so right , as a retired soldier in the last year I'd pick the L3 above any American gun, there time has gone, its cyclical
Good to remember that this not only will be the new RM rifle, but UKSF as well. They got their rifles beforehand the Marines in December and likely inflluenced their sea hats' choice.
The SF have selected a different rifle. They have chosen a derivative of the Sig MCX.
BOTH were adopted. UKSF wanted something that shot with a foldable stock, but the KAC guns were laser accurate, so they went bonkers and got both@@zoiders
Not as if there're any Royal Marines in UKSF😅
I’ve not heard sea hat in a few years hahaha , brought back a few memories. Usually a crap hat term or the sausages from aldershot.
Knights rifles are some of the best in the AR style platform. They have all but eliminated all of the original design weaknesses, including the bolt cracking issue.
The civilian ones are very expensive, costing upwards of $3500+ US.
Giant capability upgrade for those UK soldiers/Marines
Way to go MOD on this selection. It’s a step in the right direction.
wrong calibre US is moving to 6.5mm creedmore much more versatile and stopping power than a 5.56
@@AndrewMitchell001 That intermediate round push is overhyped. It's not essential when you can plug and play with different 5.56 rounds for different target profiles. The main concern driving the intermediate was effective range mismatches in operational areas like Afghan where they did long range harassing attacks against bases and patrols, meainng a shootout kicks off between our 5.56 and their Soviet relics. But we aren't in Afghan at scale anymore and the economics favour sticking to 5.56 in any future actions that are likely to be NATO joint ops on the eastern flank or AUKUS supporting actions in Asia.
@@AndrewMitchell001 yes 5.56 is getting replaced but with 6.8 not 6.5, although 6.5 is also very nice and still more efficient than 5.56 for general purpose use ESPECIALLY out of shorter barrels.
@@AndrewMitchell001 how do you say you don’t know shit about guns without saying you don’t know shit
The US is moving to a new platform and new cartridge for 21st century peer threats and the UK finally concedes that the AR pattern was better, decades late.
Light. Very accurate. Reliable. The optics are awesome.
Excellent choice, probably one of the best AR pattern carbines in production
That thing is badass. I just bought a SR15 E3.2 14.5” but I wish I waited for this to hit the market.
@harvenat0r2that wouldn't stop knight making a civilian version of this with a 13.9 pin a weld to make a 16in barrel
its going to replace the sr15 @harvenat0r2
interesting the brits went full circle and to an AR config rifle like the us special forces members...hard to go wrong with KNIGHTS products.
little surprised they went VORTEX for the scope
isnt the us going vortex for the next gen scopes too?
@@ladder85 I believe so, the thing is most of the US special forces kinda does stuff differently then the others. so the SEALs might rig up a certain scope, ARMY RANGERS another, MARINE CORPS another, and so on and so forth...
depends on the job parameters, and when they are out for weather conditions and where they are operating.
that said, the VORTEX is normally seen in the highest use is the Vortex Razor HD Gen II-E (Enhanced) 1-6×24 Combat Scope.
Personally, the LPVO is cool and all....but I like higher magnification ranges and just use the red dot for within 100 meters.
@@ladder85 the vortex "smart scope" is still in testing and for the moment doesn't seem to be fielding the army grunts any time soon, just like the xm5/7 it was supposed to go with. The actual basic army scope they chose was the Sig Tango 6 (yes another sig).
Not doubting Vortex quality, but I also hardly see them on fighting rifles, maybe other than the Razor HD
Im curious about that optic is it a simplified XM-157 or ruggedized version of the Razor HD
that's why KAC's are so hard to come by in the US civilian market ... all production goes to the UK and other military contracts
Build your own. You can get the same quality for cheaper if you look and search around for best prices
FYI... PSA sells a 'clone' rifle similar to the 30K KAC M110 (with all accessories), called the SABER 10, at 1300 bucks without accessories. Texas Plinking and Military Arms Channel have both reviewed it.
Yeah but hopefully now the colt Canadas are available more to the public
You can't build yourself a KAC rifle if KAC parts aren't available. Though they did do a limited run of FF RAS for MK12/Recce cloners @@John_Redcorn_
Not remotely a clone. The M110 is a very particular system.@@chrisallan4591
Great video! Will be Interesting to see squads equipped with KAC and LMT rifles.
If you mated the KAC upper with LMT lower and Vickers sling???
@@rossg4788 LMT DMR rifles in the UK are 7.62x51 NATO. The KAC complete carbines are fine just the way they are.
@@LRRPFco52 They're actually now in 6.5CM
Sig didn’t lobby hard enough.
@@thekraken1173 they submitted an entry. I was mostly being sarcastic.
@@dammain1068 it didn't pass the selection.
@@practicalgunz I’m not surprised. That’s what I was joking about. That they only get their contracts due to aggressive lobbying, when there are other choices better suited for the job.
@@dammain1068 Lobbying can only get you so far, in the UK.
Tbf, the M7 & M250 are excellent systems, and the military version of the Spear LT for SOF is also crazy good. I know the ability to manufacture & supply them on time & in volume was also big in Sig's favor in the case of NGSW, but they also happen to be impressively high performing weapons, and when combined with the M157 optic from Vortex, on top of the strategies & unit tactics developed around them so far, it's just not fair how good that system is.
The M17/M18, though, on the other hand... Awful. The M9s may have developed loose tolerances from 25 or more years of being used to hammer tent stakes & otherwise be run train on by butter bars who'd never held a pistol before, but at least they still did their job well, and you knew they'd work when you needed them to with just minimal care downrange. But the M17s & M18s have only been a little more than 5 years in service for the most part, and some of 'em are already starting to wear, warp & bend so badly that you can almost hear the barrel clacking against the inside of the slide & the FCU jiggling around inside the frame just by looking at it. I give those things 10 years max before the frames, parts & FCUs finally just come apart completely & the services start looking for a replacement.
What's old is new again. The M16 lives on.
I live in the town where those are made. Had no idea they would get such a big contract. Good for them.
Every country that has adopted bullpups has chosen to revert back to standard platforms, like the AR.
The Israelis, the Chinese, the French, and now the British. Special Forces in Britain, Israel, Australia, France and Austria have always preferred standard configuration firearms such as the AR over their standard issue bullpups.
Never seen Austrian SF with any other rifle than a modernised AUG.
Because it’s trendy right now, just like the bullpup concept used to be back when everybody adopted it. That being said, I believe if somebody finally pulled of a proper bullpup it would be a better standard issue service rifle than one with a standard layout
The Australians and Austrians still have theirs, Croatia updated their Bullpup a couple years ago I forget which country adopted it but the IFAR22 is Bullpup, last I checked Iran still has the KH2002, the MTAR is still standard issue in Israel as far as I know Ukraine has the Malyuk, Singapore has the SAR21 and if I recall correctly the contender for its eventual replacement is Bullpup, it’s not a dead concept.
Bullpups are not as good in practice. Everyone who uses a weapon for a job dislikes them. Stats don't matter if it can't be used practically.
@@24YOAhe said ‘Austrian’.
I don’t think Knights Armament ever get a contract this big. I hope they can deliver.
It can't possibly compare to the origin of Accuracy International though. That was a real story of a couple of guys working in a shed getting a full scale contract that they never should have (but we're lucky they did).
The what? @@jonevansauthor
They’ll deliver. The civilian market will experience a drought for sure.
@@Sweetskis There need to turn it up, arming an entire Army, they deserve the contract as well, fine weaponry.
Maybe it’s just me but you’d think their website would be boasting like a big’un. 🤷♂️
Congrats to the Brits. They picked a great new rifle.
If you work out the maths .
Each rifle, spare parts, maintenance support cost £9000.
Is that a good deal ?
Putting into perspective, you can buy a Colt of Canada version of the C8 for just over 2000 Canadian dollars.
Accuracy International basic rifle for just over £6000.
Now this is interesting.....
I wonder about that Glock carbine though?
Vapor ware
KAC Rifles are pretty solid but in the context of the American Civilian market, they're grossly overpriced. We have access to several options that are on par with anything coming from KAC at usually half the price.
I think these rifles will serve you Brits quite well for some time to go, although I have to admit, I feel a slight pang when I think about British Small Arms development kinda fizzling out
They're not even allowed to have sharp melon ballers at home. What do you expect?
@@MM22966You can own firearms in the UK. However there are regulations to which you must comply. And no one wants a Mellon baller, only the weak have Mellon ballers.
@@tompiper9276You omitted the other part, which is that the types of firearm that can be owned are very limited.
No handguns (except muzzleloaders) and no centerfire semiautomatic rifles.
Scarcely the type of environment that is going to breed the next generation of firearms engineers.
Who cares about the American civilians Market
It is Russia, where ownership of firearms is strongly regulated, that produced the most popular assault rifle on the planet, not the USA. Just because I cannot sell firearms to the civilian population does not mean I cannot use my superior intellect to design a better weapon than the next guy. @@thepenultimateninja5797
Eugene Stoner was a genius and NOTHING will likely ever surpass the perfection of the AR-15 platform. It excels in basically everything. The ergonomics are unmatched. For CQB you put a shorty upper on it and you can clear buildings and maneuver in confined spaces with ease. For longer ranges you can put on longer-barreled uppers to reach out and touch someone. If you feel the 5.56 round is a little underpowered, you can convert the gun to something more powerful like 6.8 SPC with nothing more than changing the barrel or simply popping out two pins and swapping on a whole new upper in seconds. If you want a rifle that is Hollywood silent, you swap the upper to .300 Blackout, throw a suppressor on it and with subsonic rounds it is literally whisper quiet. If you want a piston gun instead of a DI gun, it can do that too.
And if you want something that is MUCH harder-hitting, well guess what? You can get essentially the exact same gun just scaled up slightly to handle 7.62x51. Now you're just firing a slightly bigger and heavier AR-15 that hits like a Mack truck.
It's just the perfect rifle. The fact that the Brits have saddled their troops with one of the worst rifles that human beings have ever designed...especially in horrific bullpup configuration...is honestly shameful. The L85 is dramatically worse than an AR-15 in literally every way. It's DECADES overdue for replacement (actually it never should've been adopted in the first place).
Only mistakes(IMO)...
- Stoner himself said the buffer was unnecessary for 5.56; should've deleted it, ideally replaced with internal recoil springs, maybe an AR15-AR18 hybrid upper/BCG. This would've opened up any stock options instead of being limited by the buffer.
- Stock attachment to the lower instead of the upper; this is the whole reason why we're still wasting aluminum on AR lowers in 2023, when just relocating where the stock attaches would take significant structural load off the lower and we could easily make it out of polymer with an uncompromised design
To be clear, this is a bit nitpicky; but, man, with the AR15 gas system, you keep it light weight and balanced compared to conventional piston guns, no buffer = any stock, relocated stock attachment to be able to reduce weight even further with an uncompromised polymer lower, I don't think a semi-auto rifle gets much better than that.
I'm honestly surprised we haven't seen something at least somewhat like this in the over half century history of this platform(or the two primary variants of this platform anyway), they've always seemed like pretty obvious tweaks to me. I suppose the BRN180 design could be modified to get there, but I doubt Brownells wants to create their own bespoke upper & lower designs that aren't compatible with any other uppers & lowers lol. No one seems to want to mess with the AR15 gas system outside of just conventional pattern AR15s, everything is standard piston.
(Brownells trials rifles, lets go!!! lol)
@@RyTrapp0 Of course he would say that, his later designs (AR-16/18, Stoner 62/63) were in direct competition with AR-15's. I imagine HM Royal Forces would trade the sild folding stock (storage measure) off for the reduced weight/muzzle rise of a stationary piston (mistakenly referred to as direct impingement)
I actually agree with the upper part you say, AR has variety of accessories, fully modular and unmatched ergonomics,but about l85, im not really agree, the worse one is L85A1, L85A2 and L85A3 was a good gun, they have great reliability and accuracy, but! They are too fking heavy. Nowadays DI can perform as reliable as those piston guns, and DI has lighter weight, thats why ranger regiment and royal marines chose it
L85A3: “You guys are gonna keep me around as the mainline rifle, right? RIGHT?!
Classic UK acquisitions, catching up to the US just in time for the US to adopt 6.8x51mm.
Meh - the Russians and Ukrainians are doing plenty of killing with 5.56 and 5.45 - the war in Ukraine is proving once again that artillery is far more important than what small arm caliber you're operating with. I'd be surprised if 6.8x51 REALLY replaces 5.56 here in the U.S. 5.56 is demonstrating just how perfectly capable it is against Russian Federation troops in the field. The UK will be fine.
I strongly doubt the lasting potential of the SPEAR (ironically the only standard-issued full rifle for the US that cannot be used as a spear due to the lack of bayonet lug)
We're not switching to 6.8
Not switching.
The .277 fury was Sig Sauer copying the UK MoD's homework - it's basically a .280 British that the US took 70 years adopting because they couldn't admit that Rene Studler was a protectionist fuck-up.
The KAC is unironically a much smarter choice than the SPEAR, as well as a much better rifle. The NGSW program was just the usual cronyism designed to funnel money to a foregone winner and will not be adopted as a widespread replacement
Kind of surprised they didn't choose the HK. Always preferred piston over DI. Sure you get a few extra grams, but the HK416 is still light and doesn't eat where it shits, like DI systems do
There’s plenty of people who have logged over 10K rounds on their KACs without failures. They have upgraded a few things to help it run more reliably.
My kuzzin served in the army, I think or believe one time he told us about joining training with the UK and he said that they get a hard on when they get to use or train with the M4/AR platform lml he said they mostly like them cause the ergonomics and how extremely light it is
A shame to be purchasing a foreign made rifle when we have some fantastic manufacturing facilities here in the UK.
Yes indeed. Pity they didn't. Perhaps an Accountant ran up with his quote all giggly(
if Grayburn selects a foreign built rifle, what with 180K units, that will be a real shame and the end of UK small arms.
FN is the only company in the UK capable of manufacturing rifles currently, but any L85 replacement absolutely should be built in the UK
@@donkey1271Accuracy International have been known to make the odd rifle or two. Britain has no shortage of modern fabrication these days, we still produce everything else as well for the defence market from ammunition to AT weapons. This idea that we can't make small arms is patently false. 3:04
@zoiders AI makes bolt guns, not semi auto rifles. They also dont have the production means or knowledge to make a service rifle. Modern fabrication doesnt equal the ability to design and produce a service rifle, hence the only small arms manufacturer left is FN, who didnt have a product to tender.
Cool to see my hard work in a video.
Now the small matter of replacing our entire armoured vehicle fleet which dates back to the 1960s. We should just buy off the shelf as a short term fix, and then club into future joint projects with our allies to keep compatibility and UK production expertise to build stuff under licence.
I think the US plan for all of Europe to buy there stockpiles and ultra high margin F-35's. Interesting how all our stocks are being emptied out into Ukraine and both us and Europe dont have the capacity to replace any of it. And the US is talking about ramping up production over the long term with some Euro nations already putting in huge orders (that they cant actually afford) for replacement gear. And of course all those juicy f-35 orders being its pretty much the only system thats not been made look like overpriced, overhyped garbage on the steppes.
Agreed! If we'd have gone with CV90 over Ajax we'd have 500 vehicles in service by now. With half produced in the UK. Total bloody wasted opportunity.
@@seanm3558 the fleet should be based around CV90 and Boxer. It is 2023 and warrior, cvrt etc still can’t fire on the move. It is criminal.
Warrior is from the 60s?
@@zoiders no warrior is from the late 1980s. The 432/bulldog is 1960s vintage. CVRT 1970s.
Knights also makes the LAMG, a belt fed 556, which weighs 12lbs. If there’s a better belt fed LMG on the market I’m not aware of it. US special forces use them.
Yeah It's pretty sweet, I fired it at AFB Nellis on a demo.
Barrel is nearly half the length of SA80, so would be interested to see what velocity they will get from that and what effective range it will have. As that was something I always liked about the SA80 good range but terrible trigger.
The additional range and velocity you get when extending the barrel of a 5.56 infantry rifle is pretty negligible. If you intend to reach out to further targets, you're better off switching to a more powerful cartridge.
@@DPRK_Best_KoreaThat's when you remember how good the FN FAL (AKA SLR) actually was. Range, hitting power and actual slightly lighter than the SA80.
@@tompiper9276FAL was a shit rifle in comparison to other alternatives
@@tompiper9276 what never ceases to amazme me is why FAL has not gon through rework in terms of manufacturing techniques, maybye tiny design adjustments....
@@DPRK_Best_Korea There's a wisdom that as far as accuracy goes with modern 5,56 14,5" barrel is enough when free floating, but original AR design - as far as I understand - called for light fast bullet fired from long - 16"-20" barrel.
To be honest, I do not know why the British government did not go for something like this right from the start instead of wasted all that money on polishing a turd with the SA 80
So I see the forward assist is back in fashion. Who would've thunk it?
5.56mm, why? This is a calibre that has proven less effective in both range and penetration. The US is moving to a heavier and more powerful round so why doesn’t the UK? The old 7.62mm was super effective and also the self loading rifle was good for suppressive fire whilst also conserving ammunition. This is nothing more than upgrading to effectively what you already have- second rate.
Was it the best choice don’t know, but it was definitely the most expensive.
All units should get these all of them . It is very sad that the UK could not make these rifles or make their own better designs . Are we that useless now
Emasculation of society is the issue. Even wanting to own a gun is viewed with suspicion by our ruling classes. It is in fact your right to be armed.
Post Cold War many European societies came to view their militaries and defense industries as near useless relics of the past and so either greatly downsized them or completely scrapped them. The UK did the latter with its rifle making capabilities after they adopted the L85.
It looks similar to the Sakp AR-15/10 selected for the Swedish military
Damn they get a full ambi KAC. “OH MYYYYYY”
I can only imagine how much each one of these costs.
I did the math, and in the US a set up like what Marines and Commandos have chose would cost somewhere in the ballpark of 4.5k USD.
Which is about 3,600 in Pound Sterling. Times that by 10k you get 36 Billion pounds. So yeah, it’ll cost an imperial fucktonne.
@@Briggattonii It would be 36 million pounds, not billion for 10,000 rifles
No need to imagine
£90 million divided by 10000 = £9000
So,far too much.
Massive “procurement costs “no doubt involved
Bear in mind this is government price and not civilian, so probably costs double
Good job Britain has no social problems that money could have been spent on and no existing armaments or domestic production capability.
It’s a 90 million pound contract for 10,000 rifles right? So the unit price is £9000 that seems a little expensive.
The evaluation of this weapon platform was harsh and only slight amendments were required which, made a pleasant change with most on the barrel as was felt left floating with too many maneuvers and needed re-sighting above most yet is so very accurate and worth the time. The kinks are being worked through at home yet have been deployed in front-line units admittedly in small numbers and all sung its praises.
All probably will sing its praises.
Since it's not that hard to improve upon the L85 series.
A well-made, optically equiped, AK could do it.
But once this carbine starts seeing extremely heavy, prolonged, combat use???
Opinions might change a wee bit.
@@ravenrise320The opions wont
@gotanon9659
They might.
Whether Brit army brass give a s*** might not.
But if a ground pounder has to go to war with a jam-o-matic that doesn't like dust or dirt?
Which is likely to be encountered far more in line units than flashy spec ops??
Opinions could very damn well change.
Go on then! Friends from the other side of the pond is glad for ya. Get some!
Leaps and bounds above the L85 series.
In ergonomics and weight. Definitely equivalent in precision
@@sluttybutt Well both designs are Eugene Stoner's regardless, the L85 is a balent copy of the AR-18 configured into a Bullpup. So yes they should have inherit similarities in performance to Stoner's other designs such as the AR-15 and it's variants. You agree?
@@tasjan9190 There are a lot of designs using stoner's AR-180 system, there's nothing illicit about its use and licensing/re-engineering. And I don't understand what point you think you're making.
@@sluttybutt I regret that you didn't comprehend the context of my comment, I was simply validating your point about the accuracy while giving some historical context to as of why that may be, you on the other hand seem hostile in your response. The L85 series was complete junk straight out the gate due to incompetence and an utter lack of quality control. No illicit isn't the term I'd used, more of a shameless deed to copy another's design and do such a piss poor job in it's implementation. Good day to you Sir.
So.... the requirement specification was written to ensure an M1A4 type weapon was selected, just at the moment the USA is leaving this old carbine behind and moving to a far more capable modular weapon system.... What next? A requisition for shields and spears? Maybe a trebuchet, to replace the ailing Challenger 2/3?
Are the actual results of the selection process out there? I'm sure the Knights costs double what the Colt or Lantac would be. What massive advantage did they have?
Hahah noooo. Sadly not.
Quality, Knight was popular at producing high quality AR15 and AR10, their guns have excellent gas taming and rarely hypercycling even when using suppressor, but the disadvantages of their guns is of course the price, quite expensive
@@pandatanoao9384only expensive to the civilian market. They absolutely aren’t paying civvy prices.
@@brianrich7828 Well, whatever is actually expensive or not, those elites from royal marines and rangers will not refuse to use a quite expensive but excellent quality carbines
The KAC features a unique gas system and bolt system. Essentially the Perfected M4 platform
The left hand grip looks awkward. How does the strap attach? Will the rifle be any good in a larger calibre when needed ? Is there a bayonet for close urban combat ?
See my video on the bayonet question!
The Western world has decidedly chosen Eugene Stoner's design(s)* as the true Right Arm(s) of the Free World.
*Yes, the AR-18 pistons on AR-15 lowers (i.e. the HK416F, the MARS-L/R20) count.
Actually they choose piston rifles is because piston rifles is more easier to design, and conventional unit never use suppressor so just make it overgas no need to tame so much more easier to use and thats all.
@@pandatanoao9384 Look up who designed this piston.
The Western World has had almost uniformly had AR-15 or AR-18 derived weapons for many decades. FAMAS was the outstanding counterexample.
@@Georgewilliamherbert While technically true, many of the decades-old AR-18-based Western designs you reference (i.e. SA80, G36, AUG, Type 89, K1) do not use the Stoner-designed AR-15 lower. The recent trend encapsulated by this recent news is the West decidedly going to Stoner-designed gas systems *AND* receiver style... basically more Stoner influence.
@@eddietat95 … you can draw that line for family affiliation if you want, but most analysts go by operating system.
The old bullpup looked so much cooler.
L85 is not being replaced (yet). But indeed it does - this disappointing overpriced throwback of a weapon is just an interim for special forces, because they like to have the newest kit
Kinda surprised they didn't go HK considering British weapons procurement seems to have a major hard-on for HK long-guns.
In my mind either a H&K rifle or a FN one will win the main contract, to replace the rest of the army’s SA80’s.
@@flamingsmore5904 it's the direction the Continent is going so probably an HK 416 variation or a SCAR.
So the reasoning behind the American decision to upgrade to a more powerful cartridge (6.8mm) because of improvements in body armour don't apply here?
Both this rifle and the other one that will replace the general infantry’s SA80’s are sticking with 5.56mm
The UK has given up on the design of its own basic weapons. Not surprising given the decline in all aspects of society. Imagine any young man wanting to be a gunsmith in the UK these days, he would have the entire police force at his door and every aspect of his life and opinions picked over for any evidence of anti liberal sentiment.
Quite sad, I’ve spoken to a few young British guys and they are all interested in firearms in some way or another.
@@M856BushBurner It is the overall decay and feminisation of western soceity that has caused this. Men are meant to have weapons and be proud to own them. The power of collective governments has all but subverted our traditions. In the UK context both labour and tory governments have introduced increasingly anti gun legislation in an attempt to emasculte the part of the population that is outside their direct control.
Started on an Enfield 😍 But loved my bad boy SLR, of course I’ll be hiding at the back 😉.
I loved my old SLR, a real rifle 😁
I have never understand why countries like the UK and others, adquire small arms trough private companies and they don’t adquire them directly from the companies they make them.
PS: as a fan of Colt Canada product line, I’m devastated XD
Its called graft my good sir.
Follow the Money .l
Money
Most likely the military is required by law to purchase from a UK company, with the intent to encourage production/the economy in UK, but since there is no longer any domestic production of small arms in the UK (at least in any real volume that can supply a military) the UK company ends up just being a broker for foreign made goods.
@nwaites01 Yes my first thought on the contract was which Ministers family member/friend/pub landlord was benefiting from this.
KAC makes good stuff.itll be cool to see what the Brits do with this rifle
Another 13.7 MidLength gas gun.
It already exists, this one just has a Knights Armament rollmark on it.
Good rifle, good set up, nothing new.
Actually there is quite a lot that’s different in them.
Well, the quality of a Kac gun holds some weight, also with the small improvements to the bolt and gas system (i think they have an enlarged bolt for handling higher pressure and a straight gas tube for better cycling, not sure on that one).
Mod 2 gas block, barrel, lock ring, and suppressor are meant to work together to the extent that they beat:
SIG
Hk 416A5
DD
Bro KAC SR15/16 is literally the optimal suppressed AR setup. Pretty much everyone who has ever fired a suppressed KAC SR15 agrees and you cannot get all of the enhancements a KAC has by just building a good AR. The bolt system is proprietary.
But either way--we're talking about a combat rifle, who CARES if its a new design? I wouldn't WANT a new design--that's how the brits ended up with the L85 and it was BAD because it was new and untested. This isn't that. It's a straight up beast of a 5.56 gun.
@@LRRPFco52 HK416A5? Well good thing the Germans are at A8 already.
nice vid have subbed and pressed the bell hello from Scotland :D
11000 dollars each for rifle, optics, supressor and mount seems abit steep even gor a KAC
If you factor in some nice cases for them and a 10 year maintenance deal, thats okay imho. When they still have some perfectly fine rifles in ten years,that is.
They've done it. They went with the AR15 platform that we said they should've 40 years ago lmao. It'll work much better than the SA80.
These are gonna be real popular clones, I hope this also means Colt Canadas are gonna be easier to get in the US
Thank you for your service to frog kind, frogstronaut. I and many other frogs look up to you(literally, due to you being in space).
Doubt
Bring back the SLR that thing was a beauty
as a massive 416 shill i really want to know how their trials went.. i mean a lot of countries pick 416s for a reason so this one is particularly surprising to me... must be a great weapon then
If the MoD had any involvement its crap.
The Uk paid 10k pounds for each of the rifles, so its probably a money laundering operation
Probably because it's too expensive, I'd guess that most countries that equip their troops with it are small and rich. The US mostly just equip their elite troops with the 416.
After that video im only interested what glcok and steyer put on the table
Well, I will say, I was disappointed with the A3, they could have done more of a upgrade,
But in any case, SA 80 has reached more or less the end of it’s potential.
And I gotta say, when you’re really hammering it (in a real firefight), it doesn’t inspire much confidence.
I’m sure, eventually, will will adopt the 6.8 round, so it is time to start making the change away from the SA 80, and start getting used to the AR type platform, lots of REAL lessons are coming out of the Ukraine 😎
I can't even understand why we are wasting money on this outdated platform, when we could just have gone to one of the three NGSW companies and bought the preferred rifle, all of which are better than anything in 5.56. I'm very much in favour of our troops having weapons that outclass our enemies by as much as is practical.
One of the biggest lessons of Ukraine is that the Russians are being held back by superior technology but we need to maintain that advantage until they become a civilised country (and China too) but there's no realistic date for that. Might as well try and set a date for commercial fusion reactors at scale :D
Perhaps might like to consider buying spares??! Be interested to read the system's ILS plans and related calculations.
Honestly seems a bit preemptive selecting a new 5.56mm weapon for elements of the British military when the U.S. seems to have finally decided to ditch 5.56 in favour of 6.7mm, since whatever calibre the U.S. goes for the rest of NATO eventually ends up adopting.
I still think the SA series is a dam good idea and I don't think I would get many arguments from servicemen on here regarding it's outstanding accuracy up to 500 yards. Did the taliban try/buy or copy any of the American stuff, no!!. Sadly what the MOD missed again... Was the opportunity to impact a sea-change with cased telescope ammunition. Prototyping a bullpup with this better round would give you more ammo, better feed reliability and if you went full grain a hell of a lot more stopping power as CTA’s offer twice the kinetic damage.
KAC for the 5.56 and LMT for 7.62. Superb choices!
Just as the US armed forces move up to 6.8mm and 8.5mm (.338' )
This was an oversight by the MOD in my mind, we'll be changing rifle again in a decade to take advantage of better performing ammo types.
@@Zurvan101 Or they could simply adopt M855A1/70gr TSX (Brown Tip) and get superb terminal performance, along with long barrel life, low ammo weight, low recoil, and superb accuracy.
@@Zurvan101 That move by the armed forces was based on some frankly novice presentations.
They presented the advantages of the bullet diameter / caliber, by picking and choosing stats from several 6mm caliber cartridges, mixing and matching velocities with completely different SDs, from rifles with different barrel lengths.
The girls looked like they were right out of Highschool giving a PowerPoint presentation they’d made the night before.
It was actually a shame to watch when the typical TH-cam audience could see the problems with their requests.
Sig just provided a two part case to bump the pressures up to meet the velocities, and necked down .308 to the diameter/caliber they were asking for.
…And this was supposed to be for a new service rifle.
Sig basically gave them a 7.62x51 handload necked down and won.
It really makes you wonder how this is the state of our military brass when they’re out of touch with the level of competence on TH-cam.
@@-John-Doe- EXACTLY. SIG responded to the RFP by providing a wildcatted 308 with hybrid brass and a 270 bullet (6.8mm). I've shot an XM7. Significantly more recoil than full house 308 commercial loads in my 16" AR10 of the same weight (308 Win 168gr Federal Trophy Bonded Tip)...guns are the same weight, too. XM7 Is a no-go. Proficiency scores will drop. It's no fun to shoot. The SIG can mitigates some recoil (though partially by just making a heavy gun even heavier), but also increases bolt velocity even more. From the ~13.5" barrel that SIG is delivering, a 16" AR10 in 308 or 18" in 6.5 Creed is absolutely in the exact same neighborhood for terminal effect, bullet drop, wind drift, etc.
I’m in love with Knight’s Armaments and Daniel Defense.
10k rifles over 10 years is not fast enough and the count is not enough either, but we will see.
Funnily enough before seeing this video I saw a video about why the US special forces dropped their new rifle due to a combination of politics and initial teething problems.
Hopefully the slower pace of this contract will allow for adjustments without major problems.
Wow. Such a broad and déverse sélection of guns there
Good choice 👍 Glad to see the requirements did not consider a bullpup configuration. It would be interesting to learn more about the offering that Glock tendered into testing. I’ve believed for a long time that they should hang up the ghastly sa-80 pattern rifles and buy a German or American offering.
What is the exact vortex scope?
This is a video sure to make people jump to inclusions and elated to post their preloaded snark. When Enfield hasnt existed in decades, you're kind of screwed. Imagine having all L85 receivers EVER made a fixed amount, never to be increased. You will have to find a replacement of some sort, eventually. People will glom onto the "standard configuration" stipulation for the contract, but will ignore the gas operated, rotating bolt part. They wrote it for the market. =The handful of companies with the production capacity to supply defense contracts is a rise adverse one where no one is going to make a quirky operating system when a cookie cutter formula will do.
L129a2 looking spicy too, very Gucci gat
Apparently the Brits aren’t interested in a 14 pound service rifle. Seems smart.
The l85A2, an all steel gun with a 20 inch heavy profile barrel with their 4 x and a loaded 30 rnd mag is 11lbs how the spear is 14 lbs I have no idea.
@@Blaidd7542 thats because its not. its the same weight as the SCAR H
@@CircaSriYak yes both are around 8 lbs and then you throw a 2lb optic on it and a near 2 lb suppressor, stick in a 2lb mag and you’ve got a 14lb rifle.
Meanwhile the scar with a 4x acog FNs suppressor and the same capacity magazine puts you just under 12lbs.
@@Blaidd7542 it’s a poorly engineered POS slammed into service by officers on the take.
Time will tell. Knight has a habit of changing their components after they win the contract. Example. The M110 SASS for the US Army. The production versions never held a candle to the tested rifles that won the contract. They almost met minimal specs required by writing. Good luck UK, but your probably gonna regret this decision.
Hey what's a few suppressors launched down range amongst friends.
Or a few triggers falling out. I'm sure it's OK because they were probably awarded a contract for the maintenance as well.... it'd be a waste if the shit didn't break all the time..
In the name of God😮😮
UK has lots of 556 and does not want to move to the 6mmARC for their Special Operations.
Discussions of the .264 International seem to have not effected any decisions.
6ARC appears to be the only option for saving the existing receivers. .264I is a New Receiver and Magazine. It may provide the answer to the need to arm backline soldiers with something that has hope of penetrating existing Generation L-IV armor. Anything short of a New Rifle is the 6ARC.
They are dragging their feet.
It's crazy how these American companies like LMT and Knights are getting these foreign army contracts.
They make amazing weapons. I’m surprised more countries don’t adopt U.S. arms.
Meanwhile the US is adopting everything Switzerland makes, tolberone and holy cheese will be in the MREs next.
@@Blaidd7542highly doubt the U.S. moves away from 556. it all seems huff & puff (money laundering.) especially after our neighbors adopt this & from what i’ve heard the URGI project is well liked.
@@Blaidd7542 If you're referring to the US Army buying choosing to buy literally everything from SIG Sauer, the Swiss and American companies known as "SIG Sauer" are not the same. They share names, but that's all they share.
The products, design teams, headquarters, manufacturing facilities, and even websites are different. Most of the modern SIG Sauer designs like the MCX and P320 were designed and produced by the American company in New Hampshire.
@@Blaidd7542 Sig Sauer Inc in is an American company based in NH, USA. The German branch is defunct. The Swiss company, Sig Sauer AG, operates manufacturing and development separately. They are owned by the same L&O holding company based in Germany. Other than that, they are completely different entities.
Are these not being used with bayonets now
Congratulations to the UK armed forces for now having the firepower of average American suburb!
less dead kids as well.
I couldn't help but notice that there isn't a single picture of the new rifle with an underbarrel GL fitted (it's also absent from the "possible modifications" graphic in the accompanying article). Are you guys ditching them in favour of standalones (or entirely)?
It's hard to say I don't see why an HK GL couldn't be mounted but it's also rare you see A3s with them. (There was a change to the handguard design I believe). So it remains to be seen if when Grayburn is selected whether we'll go for UBGL or standalone.
Honestly surprised they went Knights over Sig. Not a complaint, either platform won't let us down.
Especially since the MCX is already in widespread use with special LE and military units in the UK.
I find it interesting they went KAC over LMT, especially since they have been using the LMT .308
Why? The SIG is not a proven rifle by a quality manufacturer. It won the NGSW because of relationships.
@@brighthought11 maybe is because the LMT is heavier, so they choose the lightier KAC
@@sluttybutt Are you saying SIG isn't a reputable qualify manufacturer?
agree with all. except during post war classic drew downs, UK created the "Rangers" when UKSF simply needed to reenforced.
It seems the rangers will be doing roles similar to the US Green berets, so it could be a benefit to allow the real special forces to conduct more pressing operations
I cant believe I'm seeing a military procurement actually pick an incredible setup. Take notes folks cause this dont happen often ESPECIALLY when it comes to British small arms.
Only thing that surprises me is that an actual national military chose a 13.7" setup. Pin and weld bros....we made it.
Thats just untrue. The only really shaky british rifle was fixed after 10 years in service (same as the M16/AR15) the rest have been pretty much standard setting for reliability for 300 years.
Interesting - but I'm still clueless WHY the standard British assault rifle isn't good enough.
Anything to do with bullpups only shooting around r/h corners maybe?
Shame bullpups are going the way of the dodo, even if it was a piece of garbage like the L85
It's a shame that probably 75% of bullpups are pretty crappy designs. And I say this as someone with a bullpup fetish, it's wild just how many have gotten it so wrong...
Ayy, at least the HSP VHS-2(Springfield Hellion) and Desert Tech MDR exist, those things are pretty legit. Honestly a little surprised we haven't seen them really get much military adoption(I mean, I can accept at this point that they wouldn't be general issue; unless you're Croatian), I'd think there would at least be some SF groups and such with an interest in them. Especially with how short you can get an MDR now, downright submachine gun size, but with modern carbine capability.
@@RyTrapp0 the big problem with bullpups is that they are one end of a compromise in design principles to make a rifle suitable to mechanized warfare, and now the priorities in that compromise have shifted. Back then, they weren't willing to budge on anything less than 18-20" for a 5.56 rifle, so they chose a bullpup configuration to keep the barrel length while getting that OAL down. Now, most militaries are choosing the ergonomics and economies of scale instead, leading to the dominance of the 13.5-16" carbines that are so dominant now.
Also notable is how pretty much every western military has made one or both of two choices in their small arms procurement: a system with economy of scale behind it, or a system produced domestically. For example, the USA and Germany fall under both, France, the UK, and the Baltic countries just the former, and Poland, Czechia, and Croatia fall under the latter. And among all those, only Croatia adopted one.
EM-2 was 7X43mm (.280 caliber). Seems like, unless you are planning for a serious return to mounted combat and/or having a bunch of smaller framed soldiers, you might be considering a move towards another standardization effort within NATO, on 6.8X51mm (.277).
That gives you a ~65,000psi brass case round for garrison training and up to an 80,000psi bimetal, high pressure, combat cartridge. Which would greatly simplify barrel life and lower tier export issues on joint purchase/manufacturing.
For extended ranges and NATO use, with the heavier, 135gr bullet and the higher operating pressure, the 5.56mm will not be competitive, either for precision or terminal ballistics on protected targets, out past ~150m. Threat body armor is catching up, fast.
It would also be nice to know why the British are paying 11,000 dollars per weapon as the XM5/XM7 is now available for public sale at around 8,000 dollars, U.S. but the XM157 NGSW-FC, which is not available for civilian sale, is about 10,800 dollars, by itself.
How much does the optic on your weapon system cost?
There no effort for NATO to stop using 5.56mm