ORIGINAL: cma3366a
Our nation had not problem switching rifles in the past when there were great technological and functional leaps to be made, even on the brink of war, with much larger troop numbers than present, our country had no qualms adopting M1 garands and M16's.
The nation we've got now isn't exactly the same one that gave us those weapons.
Just to clarify, it was not I who said the M16 is a POS. I have carried it into hostile environments and bet my life that it would work. I think it is a quality weapon and I am a big fan of the M193. I do prefer the AK platform for a battle rifle because it is the most reliable weapon I ever carried. The AK is crudely built, marginally accurate, and badly balanced. Oh yeah, it's ugly too.
I know there was a new rifle in the works before Iraq, the M6, I think. It is a modular weapon system that allows for configuration changes in the field with minimal tools. It was supposed to replace the M16 and the SAW, it also had a designated marksman configuration for use in urban sniping. It had a holographic sight and polymer frame. I thought the military was going to make the switch then, but I haven't heard anything about it in a long time. But I'm an old guy now and not exactly in the loop.