Details

This is the XM8 Infantry Weapons System – A system of weapons designed to replace the M4, M16 and M249, and the true beginning of the end to the Future Warrior OICW program it spawned from.

All weapons in the system fire 5.56mm NATO from a closed bolt and operate via an AR-18-derived Short-stroke Gas Piston much akin to the G36. In fact G36 Similarities do not end there, but we’re getting ahead of things.
Mentioned previously, the XM8 came as an outgrowth of the OICW program. The project being marred by considerable and frequent delays, the DoD and H&K came to a decision to take the Kinetic (Bullet-firing) portion and see what they could do about making a next-gen complementary infantry system. The base that was picked was G36C/G36Ks and spun off from there (the initial prototyping was handed back to H&K with the feedback to “make it more Starship Troopers”).

To make good on the feedback,H&K called in concept artists from Audi’s Udelhoven design studio,and with this art in hand, finally fleshed out the iconic look that would sustain the weapon.With a turnaround of under 120 days from receiving concept art, H&K rolls out it’s formal live trail prototypes, 30 units available in 3 models : Baseline Carbine, Compact Carbine, and Support Weapon.
Internally, these are functionally identical to,though not interchangeable with, G36s. They used G36 Translucent magazines, and they retained that very 2000s determination to have optical sights intrinsic to the weapon platform.

One of the key selling points the XM8 ran on was the PCAP mounting system- a No-zero-shift mounting system that.. functionally is just big M-LOK. It just is. Two studs on the accessory go into diamond/tear-shaped holes on the gun and outward in opposition to retain it.This really leaned into one of the driving goals of the program, which was to make a properly modular platform. While the barrel mounting and push-pin system did a lot for the “big stuff”, this mission specifical accessory kind of accessory systems stuff was not really “a thing” in the non-SF world, and this was very much seen as a better more Grunt-proof solution.

Come 2004, the XM8 hit Spiral 2, onboarding the feedback, and going out for mass trials to the tune of 300 units. This time however, the ISM was finally good for the launch, and was issued with these units, mounted to the weapon on PCAP points behind the carry handle. Again, positive feedback with the troops for the most part. (ret) General Petraeus was enamoured with the compact weapon he trialled that he carried one for the remainder of his tour in Iraq.
The feedback on the ISM in particular was a very mixed bag. On one hand, the IR and visible lasers being slaved and integrated to the sight were handy and useful, the Battery life and ruggedness of the sight were sticking points. Other than that, it is just a red dot, and does what red dots do, and also holds a lower third co-witness on the back-up sights.
The PCAP-mount ISM was not the only version of the sight that InSight made. Concurrently, the ISM was made available to the commercial and Law-Enforcement with the ISM-V and ISM 1400-A7 respectively. The major differences between the 2 is one is Red-laser only, and one is IR light and laser, both coming with an additional white-light and the capacity for a pressure pad link.
Impressive tech aside, it suffers the same problems of the XM8-exclusive version.
To give the XM8 support weapon variant proper outreach to a Designated Marksman role, Insight developed the AMO – The Advanced Magnified Optic. It’s a 4x prismatic optic, with the same laser slave zeroing. It’s basically a fancy ACOG, with a factory standard Sunshade.

Ironically, the most successful component of the whole XM8 platform. Seeing as the OICW was still a no-show, the XM8 needed a viable Grenade launcher complement, and it needed to do at least better than an M203 to be worth it. H&K already had a solution – the AG-36/AG-C. Not only was it ready, it did outperform the 203- it could take High-pressure and over-length 40mm rounds, was safer and more ergonomic. A complement in a picatinny/standalone launcher was also sought, and also quickly filled by the AG-C, and while the XM-8 specific version died with the program, the 320 itself went on with some additional tooling, to become the standard infantry Grenade Launcher for the US Armed Forces.

Now here’s where the cats and pigeons start fighting. Because the XM8s were ostensibly an outgrowth of an R&D program, their trials up to this point were kind of treated like extended R&D by the arms makers in the US. However, with the acceptance to trials of 300 units, formal X-designation, and Army Procurement seriously considering these as viable contenders, said arms makers raised hell about not being even considered in the race. This halts the program’s further expanded troop trials, and the litigation began. By 2005,from the US military side, the XM8 project was cancelled. However, one last effort by H&K was made in the interim.
Spiral 3 (also known as the XM8-R) was submitted to the MWSF and SCAR trials and pitted against the FN SCAR-L and HK416, and with a 18k Mean Failure to Fire on dust tests kind of walked all over the competition. The new controls and magazines didn’t impress however, and the XM8 development was truly functionally dead.
H&K continued for about 4 years to offer this XM8, sans US Government markings, to Military and law enforcement worldwide as the GVM8, however the only meaningful adopted was some sporadic purchases of the weapon by Malaysian Navy Special forces ( to bolster purchases of G36KVs). After that, the story ends.

The NIArms pack as delivered gives you a deep cut through the Xm8’s pre-service life, from the first functional demonstration models to its end of life in the MWSF, with everything in between and more. A Slew of Optics, colour selections, and other attachments gives you the functions for a proper Future Warrior fit-out.

Pack Contents

57 Individual weapons, Variations covering-
- 4 Major Weapon configurations plus 1 GL
- 3 Eras of Development
- 4 Factory Finishes
- Various minor ergonomic custom parts
12 Bespoke PCAP Attachments (Optics, Illuminators, Grips)