XM8

The Heckler and Koch  XM8  is a developmental U.S. military designation and project name for a lightweight Assault Rifle system that was under development by the United States Army from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The weapon however, never entered service and the XM8 program was cancelled in 2005.

Characteristics and Features
The materials used to build the XM8 are almost entirely composites — with the notable exception of the cold-hammer forged steel barrel. Preliminary tests in desert and Arctic conditions have shown XM8 to be a rugged weapon, though some complaints arose. It is reported to be capable of firing 15,000 rounds without cleaning or lubrication and up to 20,000 rounds before barrel replacement. The M16A2 needs to be cleaned often, and has a barrel life of approximately 7,000–8,000 rounds.

Much of the cost and weight savings, not all of which have actually been achieved in the current prototypes, are from the weapon's electronic sight. The sight is much more than a 1.5x red dot scope, including IR lasers and pointers as well. The baseline XM8 carbine (with its integrated sight), for example, can be compared to an M4 carbine with a host of previous-generation electronic add-ons like the AN/PEQ-2, Aimpoint CompM2, ACOG, and/or BUIS. Without the advantage of the next-generation combined electronics sight, the XM8 would be both heavier and more expensive than the firearms it is intended to replace. The XM320 grenade launcher, intended to be used with the current M4/M16 firearms as well as the XM8 family, includes feature enhancements. [edit] PCAP and MIL-STD-1913

XM8 abandons the standard MIL-STD-1913, for attachment of weapon accessories, in favor of a new standard referred to as PCAP (Picatinny Combat Attachment Points), small oval holes on the forward grip. (A variant was designed with MIL-STD-1913 rails — XM8 R; and some early XM8 prototypes had rails.) PCAP is not backwards compatible with currently fielded attachments that use MIL-STD-1913 rails without using an adapter. The benefit of PCAP, however, is the precision of the accessory's connection with the body of the weapon; accessories utilizing MIL-STD-1913 rails often need adjustment if they are removed and reattached. Additionally, most standard accessory functionality is built-in to the XM8. Where functionality was missing, it was anticipated that accessories would be redesigned to utilize PCAP. In the new OICW Increment One competition, the Army has left the choice of attachment technology up to the manufacturer, with requirements built into the RFP as to the ability of sights to maintain their zero.

Variants
For much of its life, four different models of the weapon system were proposed: a compact PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) with a 9.5-inch (241mm) barrel, a Carbine with a 12.5-inch (318mm) barrel, and Sniper and Automatic rifle variants with 20-inch (508mm) barrels. In addition, accessories such as optical sights, a grenade launcher, and a bipod were integrated using a new system which allows for precision attachment (so that, for example, scopes do not have to be readjusted each time they are attached). Like the M4 and M16, the XM8 was chambered for the standard 5.56 mm NATO round and was normally equipped with a 30-round plastic box magazine. However, this magazine was not compatible with M4 and M16's metal STANAG magazine. A 100-round dual drum Beta C-Mag style magazine would have been used, as well.

One of the XM8's unique features was its modularity. In addition to attachments mentioned above, this modularity allowed for quick repairs, barrel length changes, and even caliber changes in the field. Along with its basic components, the XM8 would have complemented the XM29, with such features as identical accessory mounts.

The number and type of variants in the family varied over its lifetime, this overview with three main versions is based from a press release in the early 2000s.
 * XM8 Carbine with XM320 grenade launcher


 * XM8 Compact Carbine: 9 in (229 mm) barrel, PDW configuration, folding stock or buttcap.
 * XM8 Automatic Rifle / Designated Marksmen: heavy 20 in (508 mm) barrel, integrated folding bipod, 4X sight, 30/100 round magazine

In-Game
The XM8 is available in Battlefield: Bad Company and in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The Sub machine version (XM8C) and Light Machine Gun version (XM8LMG) are also available.

Battlefield: Bad Company


The  XM8  is a usable assault rifle in Battlefield: Bad Company. It's the most commonly used assault rifle by the Mercenaries. It is fully automatic and its stats are seemingly average except for above average accuracy, making the XM8 very balanced. It uses a 50 round magazine and has a specialized grenade launcher, the XM320, attached to the weapon.

"Hey, Where'd you get that gun? It looks slightly less crappy than the one you had before." -Haggard to Marlowe after he finds the weapon.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
The  XM8 Prototype  is an assault rifle in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The XM8 is fully automatic and now has 30 rounds in one magazine. The B - Company seem to have adopted it as their primary assault weapon since the 1st game.

In multiplayer, the XM8 Prototype requires 3020 points to be unlocked for the "Assault" Kit. The gun is well balanced, having medium to high accuracy, medium damage and medium rate of fire. It has the XM320 grenade launcher attached and a red dot sight or 4X scope can be attached to the weapon. It is very effective at medium to long range and can outgun SMGs and LMGs easily at that distance. However, to maintain accuracy, burst firing the weapon manually is recommended. The recoil of this gun resets before the visual recoil does, especially when using iron sights. Therefore, firing a second burst just before the sights line up again will still hit the target and can give you a higher chance in winning a firefight at medium range. It is also very deadly in close range as well when firing fully automatically, though it would be at a disadvantage against shotguns.

Trivia

 * The XM8 Baseline Carbine is Preston Marlowe's primary rifle in Bad Company 2.
 * It is odd that the U.S. Army would be using both the XM8 and the SCAR weapons systems, as they both competed against eachother to be the new rifle for U.S. SOCOM forces.