7x46mm UIAC (Universal Intermediate Assault Cartridge)

[Meketrefe]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...lt-cartridge/#
7x46mm UIAC (Universal Intermediate Assault Cartridge)

Posted April 7, 2010 in Ammunition, Rifles by Steve Johnson with 53 Comments
Tags: 7x46mm, Ammunition, rifle, rifles

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Cris E. Murray helped design the 6.8mm SPC cartridge for SOCOM and considers it to be the best cartridge for the AR-15 platform and similarly sized weapons. The problem with the 6.8mm SPC, and similar cartridges like the 6.5mm Grendel, is that their performance has been constrained by the necessity of the cartridge to be able to be chambered in a M16 or M4.

7x46mm UIAC in AR-15 magazine and AR-10 magazine.

In his spare time Chis has been developing the ultimate military cartridge which he calls the 7x46mm Universal Intermediate Assault Cartridge. The design is based on the 7.62x45mm Czech cartridge.
The 7x46mm is designed to replace both the 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO cartridges. It is low recoil and so can be used from carbines, but has long enough range to be used in machine guns and marksmen rifles. Its overall length has been optimized so that guns chambering it would be bigger than an AR-15 but smaller than a AR-10.

- See more at: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2....OUVahHm6.dpuf

[BuellSix8]

Very interesting article... Too bad at this moment not practical.

[Meketrefe]

Very interesting article... Too bad at this moment not practical.

I am working in one that is a 7mm in the AR15 magazine pmag type. This will give similar performance but shorter.
Also when we talk about "assault" I think is very subjective because in the new theaters we might be looking at actually increasing
the 308 range and power for light machine guns vs. reducing. So there is no one do it all. But for the foot soldiers the 7mm, 6.8 or even 6.5 could be a do it all.
I also wonder why we didn't look into the 6mm a long time ago. This would not give the universal solution but will fix some of the shortcomings w/o radically
increasing operational weight of battle packs and thefire reducing firepower.
The 6x45 could be that round right now. 85gr moving at 2850fps... not bad.

[BuellSix8]

I believe that's what attracted me to the 6.8.... Balance between overall ballistics, weight, range,... For me, it the best multipurpose choice, so far.

[Meketrefe]

I believe that's what attracted me to the 6.8.... Balance between overall ballistics, weight, range,... For me, it the best multipurpose choice, so far.

Roger that. It is a very smart round that balances many things well. might not be the best for target, might not be the most powerful one can fire from the AR but overall it is super verstile.
It could be compared with 308w little cousin in terms of overall balance.

[ADK2ndClub]

I know this is an old post but we had a similar conversation at my last drill. I am in an AMMO unit so we were debating 7.62 vs 5.56 projectiles. With military its not about getting the US Army but getting NATO do adopt a standard, while SOCOM will use weapons as "mission dictates", to be fully fielded NATO would have to approve and adopt it. Mainly because if you are fighting with coalition forces and you run dry, the Brit beside you can toss you some ammo, its also why most other countries that do not use AR platform gas system battle rifles still design them to accept AR magazines.

[Meketrefe]

I think whether you talk about the 308 or 224 bore you need speed and decent trajectories (military must have) in the case of the 308 means you will need substantial grain and powder but then it is too much for the other purposes. The 5.56 actually does very well with modern ammunition and bullets in the 70-80gr range but then it falls short in momentum at longer distances and also with
the short barrels sometimes required. So that is why the whole talk about the intermediate calibers that would fill the gap but in the end I think it is hard to find a caliber that does what both offer in the full spectrum of things. With that said the 308winchester coudl be a 7mm (like the 7mm-08) and be even more efficient and the 5.56 could be a 6mm (with the same case like the 6x45) and be more efficient but it was not the way it went down.
I still think the 6.8spc in the modern reviewed SPCII chamber is a very good cartrige for the 16" carbines but will never displace the power of the 308w with specialty ammunition like the Brits have done.
I think we have a 308 vs. a 7mm because Americans were infatuated with the 308 bore after WWII and therefore discarded the 270 and 7mm initiatives from the Brits although those would have been superior cartridges ballistic ally talking. Now with all that said the 308w has proved itself to be a very good cartrige very accurate and versatile.

[Robin'son]

There is no one perfect cartridge for the modern M4 type battle rifle, but so far the 6.8SPC is about as close as anyone has come, and works equally as well in the hunting fields with the civilian version.
I can't remember all the details but I seem to remember that this caliber was in fact slated to replace the existing runt round (along with a host of other changes in infantry level weaponry), but O'dipwad nixed all that.
Robin