SOCOM is seeking a lightweight machine gun with heavy firepower and a longer range to bridge the gap between the M2 and M240

• SOCOM aims to field a next-gen lightweight machine gun that bridges the gap between the M2 and M240.
• The weapon should weigh less than 24 pounds but have the range and fire rate of a heavy machine gun.
• Potential contenders include the Sig Sauer MG338, Ohio Ordnance REAPR, and True Velocity RM338.

SOCOM and the Marine Corps are gearing up to field a new machine gun — one that will break the traditional mold.

Machine guns come in three types: we have light machine guns that chamber intermediate rounds and maximize weight savings; medium machine guns that offer more power with full-powered rifle rounds; and heavy machine guns that might weigh more than 100 pounds but provide light armor and barrier destruction as well as a longer range.

SOCOM's new machine guns blend the medium and heavy machine gun types to create something novel. This new weapon seems ready to supplement or even replace the M2 heavy machine gun.

The M2, affectionately known as "Ma Deuce," has faithfully served the United States for over a century. When the Marines boast about taking a gun to every climb and place, they're referring to the M2 since "Ma" has been everywhere.

Originally designed toward the end of WWI as an anti-tank weapon, the M2 is a formidable gun, but after a century of service, it's lost its cutting-edge. The M2 is big and heavy and is mostly used as a vehicle-mounted weapon. Dismount drills exist, but they aren't being done in actual warfare. Further, its .50 BMG and similar anti-material rounds are bulky and heavy.

The M2 and the .50 BMG will always have their benefits, but those are seemingly less needed among special operation forces and Marines. Against enemy infantry forces, the M2 is a waste. This led to a demand for a gun that offers the range of a heavy machine gun with respectable power but without the weight.

SOCOM'S new light-heavyweight requirements

SOCOM and the Marine Corps are targeting a new machine gun that provides their elite troops with several features, including 2000 meters effective range on area targets; .338 Norma Magnum chambering; 24-inch barrel; weigh less than 24 pounds; fire rate between 500 and 600 RPM; have a suppressed and unsuppressed barrel; have a lightweight tripod (with the ability to use M240 mounts); and have a rail mounting system for optics/accessories.

To put it simply, they want a weapon that weighs less than a medium machine gun but has the range of a heavy machine gun. This would make it portable for a single user while still able to be mounted on a vehicle.

The .338 Norma cartridge required by SOCOM outclasses the 7.62 NATO cartridge used in the M240 by a large margin by throwing a 300-grain projectile at 2,700 feet per second. In the civilian market, it's a common long-range precision load. SOCOM and the US Army have already adopted the cartridge for sniper rifle systems.

The .338 Norma Magnum will have hefty recoil, and as the gun won't be heavy enough to reduce that felt recoil, it will need some recoil-dampening system to be man-portable.

A move to a suppressed barrel isn't a surprise. Such a barrel won't silence the gun but will reduce noise and flash enough to make it harder for enemy forces to target the gunner at the long ranges from which the gun is intended to be used.

The contenders

SIG MG338

SIG has been receiving a lot of military contracts. It won the Modular Handgun and NGSW competitions. The SIG MG338 — the company's entry into this light-heavyweight machine gun — has been around for a while. The SIG MG338 is a short-stroke gas piston gun capable of both semi-auto and full-auto fire.

SIG designed the gun to be fully ambidextrous, and users can swap from the left or right side to keep the gun fed. While that sounds great for lefties, the primary benefit is that the weapon can be used in a wider range of vehicles with ease. One of the gun's more impressive aspects is its ability to fire from a closed or open bolt. Closed-bolt operation is more reliable for first-shot ignition, and an open bolt allows air to cool the gun.

The MG338 manages recoil extremely well. It uses a proprietary system that allows the barrel to move rearward when fired. This dissipates energy and brings recoil down to M4-levels making the weapon very easy to control. SOCOM has adopted the MG338 in small numbers, and it's likely this gun is the frontrunner of the contest.

Ohio Ordnance REAPR

If this was a contest for the coolest name, then Ohio Ordnance would win. REAPR, which stands for Recoil Enhanced Automatic Rifle, is most certainly a backronym, but I'm here for it. The REAPR focuses on being easier to carry than other designs, as it can be broken down into several components and carried in a backpack.

Besides being portable, the REAPR meets most of the requirements. Although it's a few pounds heavier at 26.1 pounds, its ability to break into three main components allows its weight to be spread throughout the team. This keeps things easy for those long-range movements, such as establishing LP/OPs, patrol bases, or working with Indigenous forces.

The REAPR offers ambidextrous controls and the ability to swap feeding from left to right. An interesting feature of the gun is the feed tray that slides in and out of it. This makes it easy to load the gun without opening the top cover, thus preventing optics from being damaged by the hot barrel.

True Velocity RM338

True Velocity lost the NGSW deal but intends to arm SOCOM with its new RM338. General Dynamics designed the gun years ago, but the project languished. True Velocity purchased the design and made its own adjustments.

The RM338 closely resembles and handles very similarly to the M240. The benefit of that is ease of training, but the downside is its use of older M240 ergonomics, and it doesn't appear that the RM338 can swap feed sides or functions with ambidextrous controls.

The gun uses a recoil mitigation system that drives recoil down significantly — according to those who've fired it, you can even walk and control it. The gun also features a high degree of accuracy with point target engagement out to 1,500 meters. True Velocity is also selling its gun with a polymer case ammo, which would reduce weight significantly. It's worth mentioning that the company has filed a suit against SIG for stealing its recoil mitigation technology.

Who will win?

As a machine gunner, I am always watching the news about the newest machine guns. Although I have never fired any of these weapons, from what I've read and from having handled two of the three, the REAPR is my favorite and I like its thin, compact design. However, I think SIG has the best chance of winning. Either way, we'll be here to let you know which machine gun SOCOM chooses.

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