WI: NATO adopt the .280 British

[historyfool]

Though at least in Australia, UK and France where bullpups are standard rifles, the special forces use conventional rifles. Similiar in Israel where the paras and the Kfir-brigade use conventional rifles, but it is not the standard rifle.

 

[Minchandre]

Though at least in Australia, UK and France where bullpups are standard rifles, the special forces use conventional rifles. Similiar in Israel where the paras and the Kfir-brigade use conventional rifles, but it is not the standard rifle.

Kfir is in no way special forces, neither are the paratroopers anymore (and Battalion 50, a Nahal battalion that is trained precisely as the Paratroopers division is, including being jump-certified, uses the Tavor). Frankly, Kfir probably still uses the M4 because they're the least well-regarded of the infantry divisions, and the Paratroopers because they're the most conservative (I've heard from multiple sources that they were offered to be the first, and rejected the proposal). Also note that almost all non-infantry also use the M4 or M16 (actual special forces use all kinds of crap - most notoriously the Uzi)

 

[173rd LRRP]

SAS use of M4

I believe that SAS uses the M4 and other M16 derivatives is that they work closely with US Tier 1 units that use the M4 (Delta, Seals) and Tier 1.5 (Rangers and Marine SO). Curly Curleson, the Australian Colour Sergeant from 1st Sabre Squadron that was our instructor for 3 straight weeks at Recondo Class 03 in November 1966 had been very happy with the SLR but had been issued an M16 when they started working with SF and liked it but preferred the SLR. He said his first two shots with the SLR had killed two VC near Baria, RVN. He also did not particularly like the RVN shrub since he had been patrolling the "proper (3-tier) jungle" of Borneo where they had been working for several years.