This is the fourth installment of a multi-week effort to share examples of posters which were presented during the recent Future Force Capabilities Conference presented by the National Defense Industrial Association in Austin, Texas. I’ll let them speak for themselves.
As always, the contact info is on the poster.
In their booth at the recent AUSA show in Washington, DC, SIG Ammunition teased additional caliber options for their composite case ammunition technology recently selected by the US Army as the Common Case Architecture for the Next Generation Squad Weapon program.
Initially developed in 6.8x51mm for NGSW, the cartridge features a two-piece case which combines a steel head for strength with a more brass case. The same technology is used in the commercial round named .277 SIG FURY which received SAAMI approval two years ago.
According to Jason Imhoff, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of SIG Ammunition, they’ve concentrated on expanding the capability quite a bit with 6.5 Creedmoor and 7.62 NATO, but other calibers are also in the works. So far, they are seeing 300-500 fps increase in velocity over standard case designs.
Seen here are 5.56mm, 6.5 CM, 6.8 CCA, 7.62mm and .338 Norma Mag which are military calibers currently in use. Others, including SIG FURY versions of popular hunting and sporting cartridges will be pursued as well.
This is the third installment of a multi-week effort to share examples of posters which were presented during the recent Future Force Capabilities Conference presented by the National Defense Industrial Association in Austin, Texas. I’ll let them speak for themselves.
As always, the contact info is on the poster.
This is the second installment of a multi-week effort to share examples of posters which were presented during the recent Future Force Capabilities Conference presented by the National Defense Industrial Association in Austin, Texas. I’ll let them speak for themselves.
As always, contact info is on the poster for those interested.
Thales provides the EF88 bullpup rifle in 5.56 NATO to the Australian Defence Force. In preparation for LAND 159 Tranche 2 which will look for a new rifle and machine gun capability, Thales has developed a new cartridge in 6.8x51mm along with weapon prototypes to perform similarly to the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program.
Although they didn’t have an example of the cartridge on hand, I’m told it’s a conventional case design, producing high chamber pressures in order to achieve similar terminal effects to NGSW’s goals.
They produced two different rifle designs, a Bullpup and a Stoner pattern weapon. It also appears that they’ve developed a common magazine between the two variants.
Not content with merely making barrels for the new 8.6 Blackout, Faxon Firearms has recently released the Overwatch rifle series, looking to combine top-quality bolt-action rifle building with the 8.6 Blackout caliber. Today we’re breaking down the two versions of the Overwatch Tactical.
The Overwatch is available in a more traditional style with the Overwatch Hunter, as well as two flavors of chassis builds in the Overwatch Tactical, in a 16″ barreled rifle and a 12″ barreled/braced pistol.
The Overwatch Tactical 16″
The 16″ Faxon Overwatch Tactical Bolt Action in 8.6 BLK provides modern modularity and attachment capabilities while retaining the classic bolt action experience.
Features and Specs
• Faxon 16″ 1:3 Twist 8.6 BLK Barrel w/ Thread Protector, Taper Adapter, and Remage-Style Nut
• Muzzle threaded M18x1.5mm for use with any AI standard muzzle device or suppressor mount
• MDT LSS XL Gen 2 Chassis
• Faxon TAC 30 Action & Bolt by Stiller
• AICS Mag Compatible
• Timney Elite Hunter 510-V2 Trigger
• B5 Precision Collapsible Stock
• B5 Pistol Grip
Weights & Dimensions
• Weight: 7.61 lbs
• Length: 35.375″
• Depth: 8″
• Width: 1.5″
The Overwatch Tactical 12″
The 12″ Faxon Overwatch Tactical Bolt Action in 8.6 BLK provides modern modularity and attachment capabilities while retaining the classic bolt action experience but in a smaller package, of course.
Features and Specs
• Faxon 12″ 1:3 Twist 8.6 BLK Barrel w/ Thread Protector, Taper Adapter, and Remage-Style Nut
• Muzzle threaded M18x1.5mm for use with any AI standard muzzle device or suppressor mount
• MDT LSS Gen 2 Chassis
• Faxon TAC 30 Action & Bolt by Stiller
• AICS Mag Compatible
• Timney Elite Hunter 510-V2 Trigger
• SBA3 Pistol Brace
• B5 Pistol Grip
Weights & Dimensions
• Weight: 7.87 lbs
• Length: 29″
• Depth: 8″
• Width: 1.5″
Features of the Overwatch Tactical
Let’s go over the commonalities then the differences; here are the Overwatch 16″ Rifle and 12″ Pistol share these commonalities.
Faxon TAC30 Action by Stiller
Stiller Actions has been making premium quality rifle action based on the Remington 700 for years. With customers hunting in the woods, competing at the range, and chasing down enemies of America, Stiller Actions is well known to those who demand quality.
Tac30 Action
• Designed for Tactical and Long Range Hunting applications
• Bead Blasted 416 Stainless
• 90-degree bolt throw
• Modified M16 extractor, Remington 700 pin-style ejector
• It fits any Remington 700 short-action inlet stock
• Accepts AICS pattern mags
The first thing you’ll notice with the Tac 30 action is how amazingly smooth the bolt rides when you run it back and forth. But, of course, you can thank Stiller’s proprietary, double-layer coating for that.
Timney 510 Elite Hunter 510-V2
The Timney Elite Hunter 510-V2 is one of the best triggers on this earth. Zero creep, sharp break; it’s perfection in tangible form.
The Differences Between The Overwatch Tactical Rifles
There are two primary differences between the Overwatch Tactical 12″ and 16″. First, besides the barrel length, the rifle has a buttstock, while the pistol has a stabilizing brace.
First, let’s talk barrel length. Next, here’s a look at the preliminary load data for 8.6 Blackout, as provided by Faxon and Q.
The difference between 12″ and 16″ with Barnes supersonic 160gr is only 150 fps. With Sierra’s 300gr subsonic round, the difference is about 40 fps. With 8.6 Blackout optimized for performance in short barrels, there’s little difference.
Instead, the barrel length (and corresponding brace/stock) is more about personal preference and legality. For example, in some states hunting with pistols is outlawed, regardless of caliber.
There’s also the matter of comfort and terrain. If you’re on the shorter end, you’ll probably opt for the 12″ barrel. This is also true if you spend more time hunting in densely wooded areas.
But if you’re more of an ent who likes hunting in wide open spaces, that modest performance gain in the 16″ barrel combined with the more adjustable B5 stock makes a better platform for most.
Regardless of which barrel length you prefer, it’s clear that Faxon Firearms is swinging for the 8.6 Blackout fences with the Overwatch Tactical and Overwatch Hunter.
Like 8.6 Blackout, but prefer a semi-auto to bolt-action rifles? Read more on Faxon’s Sentinel AR-10 platform rifle.
In remarks this week during the Future Force Capabilities Conference presented by the National Defense Industrial Association in Austin, Texas, Marine Corps civilian Mr Chris Woodburn, Deputy, Maneuver Branch, Marine Corps Capabilities Development Directorate, mentioned that the Marines desired to add the capability to fire .300 Win Mag to the new Mk22 Advanced Sniper Rifle.
Currently beginning fielding, the Mk22 is manufactured by Barrett Firearms and offers the capability to fire 7.62 NATO and long with the new cartridges: XM1162 .338 Norma Magnum (NM) Armor Piercing (AP) (DODIC: AC32) and XM1163 .300 Norma Magnum (NM) Ball (DODIC: AC33). It is a joint service project being adopted by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and USSOCOM.
The Marine Corps is seeing great success with their current Mk13 Mod7 chambered in .300 WM. Since they have a reliable supply of .300 WM ammunition and their snipers are familiar with the round’s performance characteristics, they want to to add the capability to the Mk22.
San Antonio, Texas (September 16, 2022) – A specific barrel batch in caliber 6.5×55 SE, which is used in the SAUER 100 model, is being recalled as a precautionary measure. The rifles in question, that we have identified based on their serial numbers, must not be used any longer and should be returned to SAUER USA in exchange for a new rifle. This batch of barrels in caliber 6.5×55 SE has shown that a progressive premature weakening of the barrel material may occur after a high volume of shots, which could lead to severe damage of the rifle and personal injury. The exchange is, of course, free of charge for the customer.
You can check which rifles are affected by the recall by plugging in the serial number of your rifle at the following link:
SAUER Recall
Please reach out to Sauer USA at recall@blaser-group.us or (210) 377-2527 ext. 243 if you have any questions. For Canada residents, please contact The Gravel Agency Inc. at csr@gravelagency.com.
