[size=200]THE 5.56 X 45MM “TIMELINE”[/size]
A Chronology of Development by Daniel E. Watters
Prologue
http://looserounds.com/556timeline/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Author’s Note: This chronology was inspired by the constant confusion on Rec.Guns regarding the intellectual and materiel origins of the .223 Remington (5.56x45mm) cartridge. Admittedly, Remington’s prolific release of .224 caliber cartridges in the 1950s and ’60s does not help. In order to provide a backstop for one of Dean Speir’s newsgroup posts, I developed the following timeline. It remains a work in progress, and the reader is encouraged to read the suggested texts for more in-depth analysis.
Alone, the saga of the .223 Remington and AR-15/M16 is a long tale of “NIH” (not invented here) skulduggery, panicked R&D fixes, all-out marketing efforts, old boys network flesh-pressing, inter-service rivalry, procurement end-runs, and Congressional witch-hunts. However, the saga becomes almost epic when you consider the related weapon systems (both competitors and accessories) along with the intellectual heirs of the SCHV and SALVO concepts, including the various micro-caliber rifle experiments and the current PDW craze. A careful reader will note that many ideas, solutions, and yes, even problems keep popping up again and again as the years pass.