http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/137272882

A methodology for choosing the best caliber for a light infantry machinegun

The best caliber is taken to be that one which yields the greatest effective range under constraints on weapon recoil energy and system weight. For bullets and guns having a particular configuration, relationships are developed which express these constraints. Semi-empirical expressions for recoil energy and system weight are obtained as functions of caliber and muzzle velocity. When energy and weight are constrained, a feasible region is defined in the two-dimensional space of caliber and muzzle velocity. Within this feasible regions, the greatest effective range is found at the smallest caliber (and largest muzzle velocity.) (Author).

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