True Velocity Extends Benefits of 6.8 TVCM Cartridge to Current Military Weapon Systems

Texas-based ammunition manufacturer True Velocity has released a video detailing the performance advantages of its proprietary 6.8 TVCM composite-cased cartridge currently being evaluated by the U.S. Army in its Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program.

Though True Velocity’s 6.8 TVCM case design was originally optimized for use in the NGSW-Rifle and NGSW-Automatic Rifle submissions designed by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, the video demonstrates the cartridge’s additional compatibility with currently fielded weapons including the M240B belt-fed machine gun, the 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.

“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,” said Patrick Hogan, True Velocity’s chief sales and marketing officer. “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.”

True Velocity’s composite-cased 6.8 TVCM cartridge delivers significant performance and logistical benefits over traditional brass-cased ammunition and currently meets or exceeds all requirements of the NGSW program. The 6.8 TVCM cartridge provides significantly increased muzzle velocity and effective range over the traditional brass-cased 7.62x51mm round, while simultaneously reducing the weight of the cartridge by more than 30 percent and keeping chamber pressures at normal, safe operating levels, a factor that allows for compatibility with currently fielded weapon systems like the M240B.

“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 Hogan, “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.”

The U.S. Army down-selected True Velocity’s composite-cased ammunition in August 2019 for the NGSW modernization program. True Velocity submitted its 6.8mm composite-cased cartridge as part of an overall NGSW weapon system in partnership with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

For more information on True Velocity and the NGSW program, visit tvammo.com.