Texas-based ammunition manufacturer True Velocity’s 6.8 TVCM case was optimized for consideration by the U.S. Army in the search for a Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) system, but a video released by the company this week indicates there are advantages the branch can reap by harnessing its innovative design—regardless of the branch’s final decision. The composite-cased cartridge was part of a total firearm package submitted for NGSW by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. It is among the three finalists undergoing testing and evaluation.
The video demonstrates its compatibility with the Army’s currently fielded M110 semi-automatic sniper system, and the M134 rotary machine gun, or “minigun.” The company refers to this added 6.8 TVCM functionality as its “switch-barrel” capability.
“You’re talking about something as simple as pulling a barrel off the M240 and replacing it with one that accommodates 6.8 TVCM,” said Patrick Hogan, True Velocity’s chief sales and marketing officer, “and, all of a sudden, you’ve increased the effective range of this weapon by more than 50 percent, you’ve reduced the weight of the ammunition by over 30 percent, and you’ve given our soldiers a meaningful advantage on the battlefield.”
In August 2019, the U.S. Army announced it had pared NGSW submissions down to three for testing and evaluation. Entries by SIG Sauer and Textron Systems are the other two still under consideration for the firearm modernization effort.
“True Velocity is an American-owned, American-based company that set out with a singular goal in mind, and it was to provide the American warfighter with an unfair advantage on the battlefield,” Hogan said. “The Next Generation Squad Weapon program has given us the opportunity to do that… Not only do we have this forward-leaning momentum with next-generation capabilities, but we have a plug-and-play application that can be fielded on the battlefield today with weapons that our soldiers are carrying into battle.”
