Quoted:
LSW Testing
(If someone with a membership would embed, that would be awesome)
My theory hinges on the fact that maximum rate of fire, while awesome on the range and downright terrifying downrange for short periods, is not especially practical for a magazine-fed individual weapon. Instead, I believe that a lower rate of fire, say 400rpm, will balance suppression with managing barrel heat and ammunition consumption. This will allow the weapon to stay in the fight longer before needing to cool the barrel or exhausting ammunition. I suspect that a light single-stage trigger will be ideal for this role; I have considered binary triggers but I honestly don't think (at this time) they are worth the expense.
However, calling such a weapon a SAW doesn't quite work. I'm thinking that LSW, or Light Support Weapon, is probably a better term. It has better sustained-fire capability than a standard rifle or carbine, while only gaining a couple pounds in weight, but is not on the same level as a 249. Frankly, given the context in which it would be utilized, it doesn't need to be.
Ammunition will probably be carried in a single D60, to be loaded in the weapon when on a patrol, and a large number of 40-round magazines. The D60 will provide massive initial firepower when reacting to or initiating contact. It would be great to carry all rounds in D60s, but they are very bulky and not suitable to being carried on individual LBE in quantity. The 40-rounders seem to be a good compromise between capacity and size.