It makes you wonder how many other organizations are going to follow suit.
INDIANAPOLIS ― The Department of Homeland Security plans to get rid of all its 7.62mm NATO, or .308 caliber, long-range rifle ammunition and replace it with an intermediate caliber that Special Operations snipers will field next year — the 6.5mm Creedmoor.
Speaking Monday during a panel at the National Defense Industrial Association Armament Systems Forum here, Devin Patterson, a DHS engineer, told the audience that the switch would give their “tactical observers,” civilian speak for snipers, a more accurate round for their sensitive security missions.
Longtime military optics maker unveils new scope for Army snipers
The Leupold Mark V rifle scope is a new and improved version on the Mark IV family of scopes the company has made to meet the needs of military snipers for decades.
And because the dimensions of the cartridge are not drastically different, the change mostly involves just a barrel change.
“It’s an easy swap,” Patterson said.
That’s because with the 6.5mm, they can continue to use the same NATO-spec magazines that are in use with the 7.62mm.
While Special Operations Command snipers have also adopted the same caliber, cartridge configurations could be somewhat different because of DHS mission-specific concerns.
They are evaluating a hybrid of open-tip match ammunition with improved hunting round technology.
The key, he said, is for their shooters to avoid “overpenetration.”
“Current [open-tip match] rounds don’t meet these requirements,” he said.