PLA Small arms

Copy of the M16 made in 1969. 7.62mm caliber

Why do you think PLA switched to 7.62x51mm for GPMG instead of something modern like 6.5-7mm round? Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to make a 6.8mm like round?

Have PLA given up using 5.8mm as a MG round?

ohan_qwe said:

Why do you think PLA switched to 7.62x51mm for GPMG instead of something modern like 6.5-7mm round? Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to make a 6.8mm like round?

Have PLA given up using 5.8mm as a MG round?

Click to expand...

Ease of access. Ease of conversion. No extra R&D costs it’s off the shelf technology. Readily transferable and exportable.
Had they started with a new round you then need to add the new rounds R&D to both the costs and timeline.
We heard rumors of a PLA 8.6mm MG but haven’t seen it yet. That should tell you how such could have hampered the new MG program.

Clearly not as they introduced a number of new MGs in that caliber. It’s that they realized that 5.8x42mm is fine as an infantry squad weapon but when projecting beyond about 500m you want a bigger caliber. So just like the Russian and NATO did they went to a proven General purpose machine gun caliber.

ohan_qwe said:

Why do you think PLA switched to 7.62x51mm for GPMG instead of something modern like 6.5-7mm round? Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to make a 6.8mm like round?

Have PLA given up using 5.8mm as a MG round?

Click to expand...

From my 4-5 years here I've learned a really important lesson when it comes to PLA R&D. If you've thought of it, so did they and most likely even made and tested it.

For example, I said the same for new plastic rounds and handheld railguns. Less than a year later I see they have tested both.

ohan_qwe said:

Why do you think PLA switched to 7.62x51mm for GPMG instead of something modern like 6.5-7mm round? Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to make a 6.8mm like round?

Have PLA given up using 5.8mm as a MG round?

Click to expand...

From the American perspective, 6.8mm has yet to be adopted and it isn't even a sure thing at this point. Not to mention supply chain issues.

It's not necessarily an upgrade and requires further evaluation.

gongolongo said:

From the American perspective, 6.8mm has yet to be adopted and it isn't even a sure thing at this point. Not to mention supply chain issues.

It's not necessarily an upgrade and requires further evaluation.

Click to expand...

That’s a dated assessment.
The 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne already has adopted it. It’s not fully operational yet but it is in service for training.

It’s kinda interesting the Difference in the propaganda. The PLA does it like Toyota sales commercial with big red bows and tears… the U.S. Army is a mass unboxing video with a checklist.
At this point considering they are receiving weapons, contracts have been signed, ancillary items selected/ tested/ Approved and building a second production line for ammunition has been programmed into the Army’s ammunition modernization it’s kinda hard to turn the ship around.

The industrial base has a momentum it’s like a super wave. It starts small then grows until it’s a multi story wall that will move just about anything in its path.