Over the last few years, the US Army has been holding a program to replace the M4 and M249 weapons. While several programs came before the NGSW program, this is the first time one of these programs has been touted as an actual replacement. I don't know yet if the weapons will become the primary weapon for the whole of the Army in the future and fully replace the current weapons.
According to the media round table the DoD held, the new weapons will be fielded by front line fighters with the M4 and M249 playing in the hands behind them at least for the foreseeable future. They also noted that manufacturing will take a few years to get stood up at Lake City specifically for the 6.8x51 round and that 5.56 and 7.62 will continue to be made. It sounds like 5.56 will be phased out EVENTUALLY but not for a LONG time. Some time frames I had seen were that full production wouldn't be ready at Lake City until nearly 2029 and that SIG will be providing the ammo until that occurs. Part of that is that a new facility needs to be built and that would take around 4 years from now to stand up. 5.56 will continue to be produced to supply the various Nation Guard units. Word on the street is that some folks are still using M16A1's which is why Lake City is still making M193, so expect that 5.56 in SOME FORM will be made for the foreseeable future. Basically, if you're worried that lake City will stop making 5.56, don't. Lake City and whoever is managing it will be pumping out 5.56 for a long time.
Let talk about the new cartridge a bit. Externally, the round looks like a 308 Winchester round. A more keen eye will note the case head is a different color. That change in case head is part of a newer idea to use a multipart design for the case with the head being stainless steel and the body being brass. The parts are connected with a washer. Another company called Seismic Ammo has been using the Shell Shot Technologies NAS3 cases which aren't dissimilar. I think the locking systems are different, however.
The advertised performance of the 6.8x51 round sounds very similar to the .270 Winchester which an older cartridge from the 1930's based on the .30-06 family of cartridges and is very popular for hunting here in the US. Both this new 6.8 and the 270 seem to use a similar bullet. I would be interested to see if you could reload the 6.8x51 with commercial bullets for 270 Winchester.
The crazy thing about 6.8x51 isn't the bullet or case design but the pressure associated with the specifications. To get 270 Winchester capabilities from a Short Action case size, SIG had to boost pressure up to around 80,000 PSI. That's wild. It seems to be working just fine but I do have concerns with how loud the report will be compared to contemporary cartridges. I've heard that the Army will be working with SIG to finalize everything.
When that happens, I hope to see a plethora of manufacturers working to either re-barrel existing platforms or updating them to versions that can work with the new round.
Honestly, I think this will be a good thing. I had conceptualized for a while that a 308 Winchester semi auto rifle would make for a great Universal Militia rifle under the pretense of traditionalist ideals of the early American Militia rifleman from 1792's Militia Act. Under the Militia Act of 1792, all men between 18 and 45 were required to furnish themselves with either a "firelock" or a rifle. I would imagine that those guns would have been fine enough for hunting back then, especially the rifle.
Today, we could potentially have rifles in this new 6.8x51 cartridge that are both suitable for use in military use but given the performance of the cartridge, commercially loaded or handloaded ammunition using bullets suitable for hunting will allow We the People to have a single rifle that can be used to hunt deer, elk etc while being able to use military ball for Militia purposes.
SIG already offers a bolt action rifle in the new cartridge which is currently available to the civilian market and a very small amount of MCX Spear rifles are available as well. Factory produced ammo has been released along with loadings for hunting using Nosler bullets.
It would not however, replace the small rifle cartridge for LEO, home defense and small game hunting found in the 5.56x45 cartridge.
Do you need to run out right now and buy a SIG Cross or the collectible MCX Spear First Edition? No. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. Keep are your AR-15 and wait it out until folks come out with cheaper alternatives. The cartridge is similar in size to 308 Winchester, which makes me believe that an upper receiver for AR-10 rifles could be developed for use on existing platforms. I'm hoping Palmetto State Armory comes out with an upper for their PA-10 and I will be holding my breath. I am sad that I will likely need a new suppressor since the Dead Air Primal likely won't be rated to handle the new SIG round.
In parting, the new .277 SIG Fury or 6.8x51 cartridge will likely solidify it's place as a popular hunting cartridge here in the US. I say that with confidence having seen the 308 Winchester evolve from the 7.62 NATO round, the .45-70 Government still being around, 5.56 being stupid abundant and 30-06 Springfield having slain deer and big game in the world for how many decades now. If the Army doesn't abandon it any time soon, it'll be here just like the other Ordinance cartridges have been around.
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