stancrist said:

Looks like a very long (22-24") barrel

Yes I'm not sure what to make of that.

-The barrel length was simply a holdover from civilian 6.5C rifles

-The barrel length was chosen at random for the show

-The 6.8TV needs a long barrel

-The 6.8TV performs even more aweseome out of a long barrel

-Theres a contract for this specific configuration

?

gatnerd said:

Yes I'm not sure what to make of that.

I vote for your third option.  To get the advertised 135gr @ 3000 fps, 6.8TV needs a long barrel.

       Introducing the 6.8 TVC for MARS-H - Lewis Machine & Tool Company (lmtdefense.com)

I seem to recall that the concept for the TV round was that it ran at a lower pressure and used a longer barrel, hence the RM277 being a bullpup.

if you guys could design the perfect ACR for hit probability, what would it be like

Thanks.  I had intended to say something to that effect, but it slipped my mind.

A follow-up note:  Although the barrel looks unusually long in the pic that gatnerd posted, it may only be 20 inches, like the MARS-H 6.5 DMR

gatnerd said:

Simply going from FAL to AUG proved a solid boost in firepower and hit probability for the Austrians, and was ready by 1977.

Very true.

How did the 5.56 MG-42 work for Spain? I have read not well.

gatnerd said:

I personally think they should have tried something else new rather then the jump from G3 to G11.

They actually did try something else.  They went from G3 to G36.

Would depends on the context, but the goal of the ACR program was to "double" the hit probability versus the M16, and you can "double" Ph only if it's already below 50%.

For really increasing hit probability above 300 m, a FN FAL chambered for the .243 Winchester and using a 105 gr VLD bullet would have been a great improvement.

Farmplinker said:

How did the 5.56 MG-42 work for Spain? I have read not well

I had read mixed reports.

Certainly looks pretty awesome and controllable in this video:

YouTube

CETME Ameli - 80 rd burst - WAAAAYYY more fun than the SAW!

WAY more controllable than the M249 SAW.Recoil in almost non-existent.Extremely portable - I'm carrying the weapon, with an 80 rd belt of 5.56x45 mm.My AR-15...

Given the G11's 1967-1990 design timeline, vs the 1974-1981 design timeline for the Ameli, theres every reason to expect Germany could have produced a highly reliable 'Micro42' in less time then the G11.