The Heckler & Koch XM8 is a lightweight assault rifle system developed from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The rifle was designed by German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K), and shares design and engineering with their G36 rifle.

Dec 3, 2022 · Many challengers have come and gone, but the XM8 stands out because it actually achieved an XM designation. It seems like every few years, the military seeks to replace the M4 series of rifles, only to hold on to it. (Photo: Sgt. William A. Tanner)

Jan 16, 2022 · The XM8 system grew out of the U.S. Army’s XM29 program in search of a successor to the in-service M4, and here is a behind-the-scenes look at Heckler & Koch's configurable system.

Apr 30, 2020 · This is exactly what happened with the curious case of a Malaysian naval special operations unit fielding variants of the Heckler and Koch XM8, a much-touted family of 5.56mm small arms that the U.S. Army had abandoned as potential replacements for various weapons, including its M16 rifles and M4 carbines.

Mar 4, 2020 · What followed was a multiple decades-long adventure through Army weapon tests it ended in one of the offshoots of the weapon actually adopted.

Oct 22, 2020 · The XM8 was one of these rifles developed by H&K in the early 2000s as one of a number of alternatives to the M-16 and its derivative M4 carbine. Born as a scaled-down replacement for another H&K prototype — the XM29 — the XM8 entered a limited production run in 2003, concluding just two years later.

Dec 14, 2024 · Today, we’re going to talk about the XM29 and OICW program, which was a fascinating experiment in developing a new type of infantry weapon. The OICW Program. The OICW program, which stood for Objective Individual Combat Weapon, was started in 1993. The idea was to develop a new type of infantry weapon that would replace the traditional rifle.

Aug 16, 2023 · The Heckler & Koch HK XM8 was an experimental modular assault rifle system that underwent trials with the US Army in an effort to become its next standard-issue assault weapon system. The firearm was to replace the long-running Colt M16 rifle and M4 carbine forms.

Jul 7, 2011 · The XM8 Lightweight Carbine was intended to replace existing M4 carbine and select 5.56x45mm and 9mm weapons in the US Army arsenal.

The XM8 was an expirimental assault rifle which was supposed to replace the M16. while the gun preformed remarkably, the program was canceled after complaints from HK about the non-competitive nature of the program. The development of the XM8 Lightweight Assault Rifle was initiated by US Army in...