STLRN posted this little clip he picked up on internal USMC news. Since some of those here avoid the GD board because it isn't strictly guns I'll copy it here.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=209019&page=1#bottom

ISSUE RIFLE COMBAT OPTIC (RCO) AND INTEGRATED INTRA-SQUAD
RADIO :
A. DISCUSSION: GCE EXPERIENCE IN OIF AND MCWL EXPERIMENTATION IN PROJECT METROPOLIS SHOW THAT MARINE INFANTRYMEN ARMED WITH THE M16A4 AND A MAGNIFIED DAY OPTIC ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WITH AN M16 WITH IRON SIGHTS. WITH AN ADDED INTEGRATED INTRA-SQUAD RADIO (IISR) THE INFANTRY SQUAD HAS A CAPABILITY THAT DRAMATICALLY INCREASES THE SQUAD'S OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS. THE GCE HAS IDENTIFIED BOTH THE RCO AND IISR AS TOP PRIORITIES FOR POM-06, AND HAS LINKED THEM WITH THE MODULAR WEAPONS SYSTEM (MWS) PROGRAM AS A SINGLE CAPABILITY SET. FIRST PRIORITY OF FIELDING FOR THE CAPABILITY SET WITHIN THE GCE IS TO THE INFANTRY, DIV RECON, LAR, CEB (MINUS ENGINEER SUPPORT COMPANY (ESC), AND MP CO. SECOND PRIORITY FOR GCE FIELDING IS ARTILLERY, TANKS, AAVS, ESC, AND HQ BN.
B. ACTION: PP&O LEAD; COORDINATE WITH OPERATING FORCES, MCCDC, AND SYSCOM FOR DETAILED NUMBER OF RCO AND IISR, AND BANDING OF CAPABILITY SETS FOR POM DISCUSSIONS


It looks like the West Coast DMR M16A4/TA31 ACOGs went over even better than thought. Notice it specifies MAGNIFIED day optic-not the Army's M68 Aimpoint.

Gonna make it difficult to get a ACOG for us civvies in the near future-but the price may come down... admittedly they don't specificly SAY ACOG but considering its what they have recent experience with and own some already- and the other easily available choice is the M145 Elcan...

I just qualified with an Aimpoint for the first time ever (without a pre-qual familiarization) and shot 32.

That aimpoint is not as accurate as the iron sights on my old mothballed A2. I think I could probably shoot better now as I learned a little bit about where to aim on the targets (bottom of 50-100 and center mass out to 250 and a little high on the 300).  I used to get expert every time with a 6 oclock hold with my A2 (just aim center mass at the 300M only.)  

[b]They should get a 20in trajectory NSN ACOG with 700M drop compensator


ACOGS ROCK!!![/b]


If we deploy I'm bringing my ACOG/Dr optic combo and throwing my M68 in the ruck.

Time to go out and buy ACOGs before military gets them all! Hurry! [:D]

Really though.  How effective is a 5.56 round at 700m?

"We live in a 300m world."

More like a 500m world acutally.

Won't the magnification actually slow down target acquisition? Unless the do it like the ACOGs with the BAC.

I could see a use for a variable magnification red dot sight. Leave it on 1x for normal use, and dial it up for over 300 yard shots.  I do fine with my Aimpoint Comp ML2 up to 300 yards, but my aging eyes could make use of some magnification if it were available in a variable powered CompML2.

Hmm...figures. I just get both my ARs set up with flattops and Aimpoints and a possibly better model is being proposed now.

The Marines did in fact buy the ACOG with BAC (TA31F instead of the TA01NSN issued in the SOPMOD kit). They had around 5,000 for Iraq and the AARs from that and the initial testing prior to Iraq have been so positive that they are looking at issuing them more widely.

They better put an adjustable stock on the M16A4 though or some of their shooters are going to have eye relief issues with the TA31.

I wondered also when STLRN posted that why no one mentioned the A2 stock/body armor compatablity problem resulting in the "bazooka hold". They are lucky that the M16 is suck a mild rifle. Try that with a scoped M14 and you would be bleeding all over the place.

Yep thats what I did. You wont regret it.
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