European SF saying 10.5 inch 5.56 gives poor terminal performance.

The inherent ballistic performance issues involving SBR’s has been known and recognized for some time. Ditto some ammunition performance issues.

The selection of the weapon may be mission/role-specific and beyond the choice of the user.

Likewise, the choice of ammunition may be something beyond the ability of the user to influence or change.

Obviously, circumstances can shift, and some anticipated conditions may present us with a less-than-ideal mix of situations for any one weapon/ammunition selection.

What we can exert some control over, however, is consistently making sure our skills remain up to the widest range of potential tasks and are maintained. Also making sure our weapons and ammunition benefit from optimal maintenance and proper storage/readiness-of-equipment practices.

Having the ability to choose or influence the selection of equipment is great, but it’s often left up to the decision of someone else. Effective skills, mindset and user-level equipment maintenance can be applied to whatever we’re required to use.

I wish the military Mk. 18, or 416 was 11.5’'.

If I was running 10.5’’ I’d want it in 6.8mm SPC.

5.56x45 NATO for anything 11.5 or over though.

(This is why my 6.8s don’t get much range time by me any more. I still love them though. Didn’t Bill Wilson get a 400 yard hog/wild boar kill with a 6.8 gun with an 11.5’’ barrel? That’s awesome.)