I got this from a friend in the National Guard.
Anybody else seen or heard of these?

Marine Corps weapons' experts have coupled older match-grade M-14 rifle barrels, already in service, with a modern, fibreglass stock that offers the shooter an ergonomic pistol grip. The 7.62mm barrels were also retrofitted to accept a suppressor. The weather-resistant stock has a scope rail to accommodate different sights. Spacer plates and adjustable cheek pieces were incorporated into the design to allow an individual shooter to custom fit the 36-inch long, 15-lb. rifle. The DMR has a maximum effective range of 1,000 meters and accepts a 20-round  magazine.
   The DMR is the creation of several precision weapons repairmen from Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico in Virginia.

   "This ain't your standard issue rifle. Every piece is fitted by hand. We've made nine so far and eight of them are here. It is a perfect weapon for security from the high ground and ideal for [Fleet Anti-terrorist Security Team] companies, military police and explosive ordnance disposal technicians," said Sgt. Dalton P. Baker, a precision weapons repairman.
   "It offers a happy medium between the M16A2 and the M40 [sniper rifle]."

   Baker estimates that by using older components to fabricate the DMR, they are saving the Corps a significant amount of money, especially considering the cost of research and development required to field such arms.

   "A commercial equivalent would cost somewhere between twenty-eight and thirty-two thousand dollars a piece," he said. "We can build this rifle in two days, mostly because it takes 24 hours for the [fibreglass] epoxy to
dry, and it only costs a little more than six hundred dollars in materials."

   Baker also touted another advantage of the DMR. "We've simplified repairs so that all armourers can perform [low level] maintenance," he said.

   by Sgt. Andrew D. Pomykal US Marine Corps

Yup, it's farily old info.  In fact at the begining of the fighting in Afghanistan there were several pics of the M25 DMR posted here on the board.  

It's definately reinventing the wheel.  Before the Army went with the M14, the plan was to have one M1D per rifle squad.  Experience in Korea pointed towards the need for a Designated Rifleman type weapon (and person) to provide longer range engagement, and general purpose killing that didn't require a trained sniper (and the expense of that).  I also beleive the USMC had an M14 per platoon or so in Vietnam after fielding the M16 for dimilar reasons.  The Soviets, of course, had the SVD at the platoon level.  This was based on thier WWII and later experience.  Much of this role had been assumed with by the GPMG, but in the end a Designated Marksman rifle would seem to be a good enough idea for at least the Russians to keep and the USMC to go back to.  

Ross

Thankya sir.

Here's a link to some pics of it.  Almost looks like an AK-74 style muzzle break from a distance.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=83113