‘Switch-Barrel’ capability offers ballistic advantages beyond NGSW program
GARLAND, TX (June 3, 2021) – Texas-based ammunition manufacturer True Velocity released a video today detailing the performance advantages of its proprietary 6.8 TVCM composite-cased cartridge currently being evaluated by the U.S. Army in its Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program.
Though True Velocity’s 6.8 TVCM case design was originally optimized for use in the NGSW-Rifle and NGSW-Automatic Rifle submissions designed by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, the video demonstrates the cartridge’s additional compatibility with currently fielded weapons including the M240B belt-fed machine gun, the M110 semi-automatic sniper system, and the M134 rotary machine gun, or “minigun.” The company refers to this added 6.8 TVCM functionality as its “switch-barrel” capability.
“True Velocity is an American-owned, American-based company that set out with a singular goal in mind, and it was to provide the American warfighter with an unfair advantage on the battlefield,” said Patrick Hogan, True Velocity’s chief sales and marketing officer. “The Next Generation Squad Weapon program has given us the opportunity to do that … Not only do we have this forward-leaning momentum with next-generation capabilities, but we have a plug-and-play application that can be fielded on the battlefield today with weapons that our soldiers are carrying into battle.”
True Velocity’s composite-cased 6.8 TVCM cartridge delivers significant performance and logistical benefits over traditional brass-cased ammunition and currently meets or exceeds all requirements of the NGSW program. The 6.8 TVCM cartridge provides significantly increased muzzle velocity and effective range over the traditional brass-cased 7.62x51mm round, while simultaneously reducing the weight of the cartridge by more than 30 percent and keeping chamber pressures at normal, safe operating levels, a factor that allows for compatibility with currently fielded weapon systems like the M240B.
“You’re talking about something as simple as pulling a barrel off the M240 and replacing it with one that accommodates 6.8 TVCM,” said Hogan, “and, all of a sudden, you’ve increased the effective range of this weapon by more than 50 percent, you’ve reduced the weight of the ammunition by over 30 percent, and you’ve given our soldiers a meaningful advantage on the battlefield.”
The U.S. Army down-selected True Velocity’s composite-cased ammunition in August 2019 for the NGSW modernization program. True Velocity submitted its 6.8mm composite-cased cartridge as part of an overall NGSW weapon system in partnership with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.
For more information on True Velocity and the NGSW program, visit tvammo.com.
How does a thicker case wall not detrimentally reduce internal case volume and, thereby, powder charge?
I’ve been discussing the possibility of rebarelling at least some of the 100,000 or so M240s in the US inventory for 6.8 next gen. It’s good to see the idea is catching on.
You have to wonder if the SIG offering wouldn’t be just as easy- new barrels with appropriate gas ports. Definitely a big selling point for either over the CT rounds. Might actually stand a chance of adoption outside the US. The SIG round produced in brass case and barrel replacement could offer an important intermediate step for some countries that couldn’t take the whole bite at once.
Yes, you can do the same thing with SIG’s ammo. In fact, you can apply the case to any rifle caliber cartridge and get similar results. I’m curious how TV plans to adapt their production technique to Lake City.
I would really like to see what those cases could do in the SPC/30rem and x39 based cartridges. .257 and 6mm rounds like the .25dti and 6mmAR and ARC are already smoking hot- neck up a Valkyrie case and squeeze a 117 in it ….. Even a Grendel or 6.8 Valkyrie would probably be pretty awesome.
Which cases? The TV hybrid or SIG hybrid?
I think the SIG cases show the most promise for increasing the performance in a given case size which would translate to weapon size. No doubt the TV case would be lighter, but at standard pressure you’re still gonna have larger weapons and mags. Militarily it might be a hard choice, for civilians use something that shoots like a 6CM in a rifle the size of a Recce or M4 would give most guys chills.
As a large proponent of TV ammo, I find the timing and content of this PR release to be a bit surprising. Of course a 6.8 projectile with the right casing can be fired with from any 7.62mm with just a barrel change. Same for 6.5 CR, it is by design, so no news here. Further, publishing this video and asking why we need a new weapon at the same time their biggest partner GD is competing in the NGSW is odd. Finally, the main question, which is still unanswered, is can TV ammo withstand the high-pressure required to achieve the desired NGSW penetration and range from short barrel weapons not from longer barrel weapons like those featured in this video. The decision of GD to go with a questionable bullpup design just to have a longer barrel with a lower pressure seem to indicate otherwise.
It’s quite simple, in my opinion: they know that their NGSW proposal is going to lose so they are starting to leverage their participation in the NGSW competition for other future enterprises. Because, everybody should stop lying to themselves and admit it: the NGSW competition exists because the Army couldn’t just award the contract to Textron. Textron has been working on their ammo for decades and it is far beyond anything else. If it weren’t for the Textron case telescoped ammo, the M16 and M4 would have reigned supreme until we got hand-held plasma rifles and railguns. TV seems to understand and accept the reality of the NGSW competition. Good for them! I hope they have success with their ammo on the open market. SIG keeps lying to themselves and are trying to leverage their popularity to pull some rabbit out of the hat. But they have no real chance of winning. And they should stop beclowning themselves trying to act as they have a real chance.
Well hell, by your logic SIG has almost 200 years of work under their belt since that’s how long the current state of the art in cartridge cases has been around. Plus, it works and as mentioned by SSD can be used with other calibers. Textron’s round is a one off that will require new machines and won’t work in any legacy systems.
Let us know how a chamber check works out for you on Textron’s spacegun.
He’s not wrong. Textron is the Army solution with 20+years of funding and optimization through the different programs . It’s where they were going before they even decided on a caliber/projectile- this is just to confirm they have the best solution and check the boxes.
The ability to upgrade is ingenious really, Congress may well take a look at that and decide it’s the more economical choice on top of potential for allied forces. It’s an end run, but who knows. From an arms control perspective Textron is the clear choice though, and I wouldn’t discount that from their thinking.
I’m curious on how Textron offering stuck up. As mentioned, they’ve been working on it for 20+ years with the Army yet with zero adoption to date. Won’t the lack of backward combability with existing systems (unlike Sig hybrid or TV polymer ammo) would be the dead of it? Also, the NGSW is not just about ammo it is also about the guns. It is difficult to see how Textron still immature platforms will stand up to Sig’s regarding ergonomics and performance. The Sig Spear is a beefed up version of the MCX, which is already used my militaries/LE around the world, and the MG is the little broker of the MG338 already selected and used with SOCOM.
The SIG MMG in 338 has participated in a Combat Evaluation by MARSOC but has not been adopted. It will compete with other systems once USSOCOM releases the final requirement.
Ability to upgrade? CT? There’s no way to upgrade any legacy systems. It will require every current small arms system to be replaced with the CT technology and similar operating systems. Not even sure what that means pistol caliber systems like MHS and SCW which are both still undergoing fielding.
For the other two companies.
Seems like TV beat SIG at their own game by offering Big Army basically no change, very minimal cost, while gaining the ammo overmatch they want. Up until now I have been thinking that SIG was the smart one by fielding weapons most similar to existing weapons and betting on Big Army not really wanting too much change all at once.
IMHO this is TV reading the tea leaves and offering a solution to Big Army future budget woes. It is well known that the US Army is currently facing a major budget crunch for FY2022 and for the foreseeable future with lots of big weapons systems they want to field (LRPF, OMFV, VTOL etc.) This new messaging to Big Army Brass as a means to an end to allow Big Army to afford their other toys by adopting TV Ammo and rebarrel existing guns and then maybe have another weapons program in 5-10 years based on TV ammo.
I think TV just fired a shot across the bow to SIG with this one.
I wonder what General Dynamics (GD) thinks of this video as True Velocity (TV) is basically saying that Big Army doesn’t need the GD rifle at all and can pick TV ammo alone. I wonder if there is some friction in that partnership? Could the GD rifle submission not be doing well in the competition and this is TV trying to salvage their product by marketing it as a stand alone solution?
That’s because the TV ammo is tied down to the worst “MG” in the offering which will torpedo the GD-TV family of weapons and ammo from being picked. Any flexibility the Army had in this program went out the window when it decided it would take the whole hog instead of picking the best per category.
The ideal mix would have been the TV ammo, GD bullpup rifle and the SIG MG rechambered for the TV ammo. The SIG MG is a great design that’s hampered by a barrel-melting carbine and unimpressive ammo in terms of weight savings compared to the competitors… the exact opposite of TV’s problem. It’s be a match made in acquisition heaven.
Apparently you missed this nugget.
https://ssdaily.tempurl.host/2021/04/12/lonestar-future-weapons-forms-strategic-alliance-with-true-velocity-to-bring-manufacturing-expertise-and-innovation-to-force-modernization/
Beretta is out and some new company formed earlier this year and owned by the same guys who own TV is in. GD seems to have tapped out.
There is one thing I don’t get. TV has been teasing commercial sales for years, and have allegedly built a massive manufacturing capability of tens of millions of rounds annually, yet other then few millions rounds made for the NGSW bid, what do they do with this capacity? Meanwhile, we’ve got a major ammo crunch going on for almost two years. If they can truly manufacture en masse as they claim why not simply use this excess capacity and dump millions of 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds into the civilian market?
Vet – correct question. I have long suspected that TV is a company run and funded by Technocrats/elites who have no interest in the commercial market or civilian sales. They think these types of weapons only belong in the hands of governments. I can’t think of a counter-argument because it appears they have been operating in the red since inception (size of infrastructure investment + no commercial or recurring government sales). Combine continuous operations at a loss with the greatest ammo bonanza we’ve seen (which you identified) maybe ever, and what else could it be? Why else would a for profit private enterprise ignore such a large and immediate revenue opportunity that would make them profitable practically overnight?