v.hah's Military Review: Extended Battle Rifle Mk14

EBR on duty : This one's certainly seen some action

Picture courtesy of http://media.militaryphotos.net/

Overview

The Extended Battle Rifle Mk 14 or just simply known as the EBR has come a long way from it's original form of the M-14 rifle. Developed to replace the M-1 Garand, the M-14 was plagues with problems ranging from a high recoil, the result of utilizing the powerful 7.62mm making it virtually impossible to attain any form of accuracy when firing in full auto. It’s low magazine capacity, of only 20 rounds is another drawback faced by US marines serving in Vietnam at that time. However, the M-14 did extremely well in semi-automatic mode firing accurate 7.62mm x 51mm rounds making it an ideal marksman’s rifle, resulting in the M21 and M25 sniper weapons system (SWS).

Design& Concept

Moving forward from the M21/25, came the development of the EBR 14 which stemmed from a requirement from the US Navy SEALS to create a compacter M-14. Do note that the M-14 in its original length is over 1m in length in access of 5kg in weight. Because of this, the EBR came with a telescopic stock, pistol grip, a different front sight, the all-important Picatinny accessory rails which makes it capable of personal customization which suited the special forces community. This gives the EBR the capability to be modified for different mission requirements as needed in any one given battle zone at any time. A better, more efficient muzzle brake was also in place of the standard one. A paddle like bolt stopper is another one of the changes. Lastly, the stock is designed and built based on light weight alloys. You can find some examples below :

EBR config with silencer

Picture courtesy of http://forums.insmod.org/

It’s use in current time conflicts

The EBR is currently used by the Designated Marksman in every infantry squad to lay down accurate fire up to 1000 meters in contrast to a “true” sniper. Interestingly, the first to actively use this role were the Soviets, using the Dragunov SVD rifle. This role has grown increasingly important in conflict areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan where conflict zones are measured in hundredth of feet. This calls for rapid fire, easily maneuverable and deployable rifles to effectively engage the enemy quickly. Again, a rifle should serve it's purpose irregardless of accuracy.

My take on all this

Take for example, a sniper with a highly accurate rifle is attached to an infantry squad is ambushed by a hit squad. What would be the best solution to resolve this firefight? A highly accurate rifle with a slow rate of fire? Would this be able to counter well positioned enemy positions far off? Well, maybe it could with a very experienced sniper, but reality is, most will be caught in the mass confusion during the ambush. A more realistic solution would be to equip the designated marksman with a semi-auto weapon able to converge on enemy positions as fast as his trigger finger can squeeze before getting enough time to grasp the situation and thus making accurate shots to neutralize the threat.

To conclude

The EBR and it's class of rifles will become more and more relevant in coming conflicts especially with the fight against insurgents increase. In this era where most battles are no longer symmetrical, new weapons and tactics will need to be developed. The EBR is one of them and it will remain in this theater of war for sometime to come.