{"id":13160,"date":"2016-04-01T18:01:37","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T18:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=13160"},"modified":"2016-04-01T18:03:38","modified_gmt":"2016-04-01T18:03:38","slug":"the-escadrille-best-ar-cartridge-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-escadrille-best-ar-cartridge-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"The Escadrille – Best AR Cartridge Ever!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"311-3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Not too long ago I decided all this silliness with trying to invent a new and better AR cartridge needed to stop. So, I decided to devise the best solution to the problem with a goal that the new cartridge must utilize standard AR-15 magazines, while maintaining standard capacity. That it must deliver at least 1,000 ft.-lbs. of energy at 300 yards, offer supersonic and subsonic performance, work with a wide selection of bullets and must serve competitive shooting, hunting, and tactical applications.<\/p>\n

The .300 AAC Blackout accomplishes this with the .223 Rem. case and a larger-caliber bullet, so the .223 Rem. as a parent case was not an option. Larger-diameter cases like the 7.62×39 mm were no good, because they reduce magazine capacity. The 6.8 Rem. SPC case seemed perfect since the diameter of its parent case, the .30 Rem., still allowed for standard capacity, and 6.8 Rem. SPC bolts are readily available.<\/p>\n

Thirty caliber seemed the obvious choice, but most .30-caliber bullets are designed for velocities unachievable from an AR-15. This is true for almost every caliber larger than .223 with one exception: .311. And, with a bore of .311, .32-caliber pistol bullets could be used. The advent of the .327 Fed. Mag., and the amazing Gold Dot bullets designed for it, adds welcome versatility to the search for a better cartridge. With the plan to neck the 6.8 SPC up to .311 and to duplicate the ballistics of the ancient but effective .303 British cartridge, I contacted some of the smartest folks I know.<\/p>\n

\"311-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mike Cyrus of Lehigh Defense is a master wildcatter. He chose 6.8 SPC cases with large primer pockets, worked the brass and developed the loads. He also consulted the grandson of World War I Lafayette Escadrille fighter ace Raoul Lufbery\u2019s ground mechanic, a man who wishes to remain anonymous. Lufbery and his mechanic mastered the Lewis machine gun and its use of the .303 British cartridge fighting the huns.<\/p>\n

One rifle was built on a Bushmaster MOE platform with a 16-inch barrel, the other on a DPMS Hunter with a 20-inch barrel. Accuracy with both .311 rifle and pistol bullets is spectacular and .308-caliber bullets shot nearly MOA, too. Subsonic loads drove tacks out to 200 yards, and both rifles were unfailingly reliable\u2014even without adjustable gas blocks.<\/p>\n

For proof of concept, I contacted an old friend from my Special Agent days with the Railroad Police: Semaj Dnob is an Israeli-born, British-based operator, who works covert government contracts. He\u2019s the guy all tactards want to be. After 12 months in the field and with more than 15,000 rounds fired in training and in anger, Semaj told me our new cartridge was, \u201cLike nothing I have ever seen in action.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was inspirational for the design team, but we needed to know if the cartridge would work for hunters. Working in New Orleans during the aftermath of Katrina in 2005, I ran into a man who goes by only \u201cJameson.\u201d He was there killing feral animals terrorizing the parish and town. Jameson is an Irish national who travels the world killing critters for governments and individuals who don\u2019t know how, or who are too wimpy to try. He doesn\u2019t drink the Kool-Aid of, \u201cYou gotta have a big gun,\u201d so I knew he was the man for the job. After whacking everything from wild African dogs to grizzly, Jameson said of our creation, \u201cBloody unbelievable!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"311-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The project has been two years in the making and we\u2019ve finally conducted enough testing to tell the world, but the cartridge needed a name. Suggestions included: .309 Death Dealer, .311 Whiteout, .30 ARC (Awesome Rifle Cartridge), .30 Tactard and .310 BARCE (Best AR Cartridge Ever).<\/p>\n

Though I did little of the work, the concept was mine, so I chose the name. In honor the brave Americans of the Layette Escadrille, like Lufbery, who fought the airborne Huns of World War I with the .303 British Lewis Machine gun attached to the upper wing of their Nieuports. The decision was made to simply call the cartridge, “Escadrille.”<\/p>\n

From a 16-inch barrel it will push a 125-grain bullet to almost 2,800 fps. A 20-inch barrel will add about 120 fps. It hits like a .30 Rem. AR, but its magazines hold more ammunition. At more than 3,000 fps, 100-grain Speer Gold Dots deliver massive tissue damage with no over-penetration concerns. In addition, rifles run as reliably with subsonic ammo as with supersonic. The blended-powder charges, developed by the nameless man who helped Cyrus, keeps the rifles clean and pressures low. The Escadrille is the final answer to the AR.<\/p>\n

Where can you get one? You can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

As a group we\u2019ve decided to not release the cartridge\u2019s dimensions or loading data. We simply do not want to drastically alter the AR landscape and make other AR cartridges obsolete. So, the entire design team has unanimously decided to offer the following advice for interested AR aficionados: If you want an AR for multipurpose use, get one chambered in .223 Rem.<\/p>\n

NOTE: This is a condensed versions of an article that appeared in the April 2014 issue of NRA’s Shooting Illustrated.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not too long ago I decided all this silliness with trying to invent a new and better AR cartridge needed to stop. So, I decided to devise the best solution to the problem with a goal that the new cartridge must utilize standard AR-15 magazines, while maintaining standard capacity. That it must deliver at least 1,000 ft.-lbs. of energy at 300 yards, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2579],"tags":[710,400,2624,283],"class_list":["post-13160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial","tag-30-rem-ar-ammo","tag-ar-15","tag-whats-the-best-ar-cartridge","tag-wildcat-cartridges"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-3qg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8395,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/unasked-questions\/","url_meta":{"origin":13160,"position":0},"title":"Unasked Questions","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"You cannot answer a question no one is asking but when a new cartridge is offered up \u2013 wildcat or factory - that seems to be the standard response. I mostly blame this sort of reaction on neophobia, partly because that is what it is and partly because it sounds\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \".32 H&R Magnum\"","block_context":{"text":".32 H&R Magnum","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/tag\/32-hr-magnum\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"All these cartridges were designed to bring something new to the AR 15. One - developed by me and several smart ballistic engineers - has never before been seen. I could tell you about it but the blog ninjas afflicted with neophobia would immediately start with the same old same old. To learn about this cartridge check out the April 2014 edition of Shooting Illustrated magazine.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CC-4-1024x578.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CC-4-1024x578.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CC-4-1024x578.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CC-4-1024x578.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14996,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wilson-combats-300-hamr-the-most-scout-like-ar-ever\/","url_meta":{"origin":13160,"position":1},"title":"Wilson Combat’s 300 HAM’R – The Most Scout-Like AR Ever","author":"gunwriter","date":"September 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=htKA8B6bve4&t=1s My grandfather\u2019s favorite tool was a hammer, and he had several. For finish carpentry he had a small one, for framing he had another, and for tearing $#!@ up he had a big one. Wilson Combat has a new hammer and AR 15 aficionados should be excited. It\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8414,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/ar-15-cartridges-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":13160,"position":2},"title":"AR 15 Cartridges – Part 2","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The recent polls conducted on AR 15 cartridges yielded some interesting information. Obviously, these were not scientific polls but given there were in the neighborhood of 700 responses we could say they are an indication of trends. Without question it seems obvious that the .223 Remington is thought to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"30AR-7","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/30AR-7-1024x704.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/30AR-7-1024x704.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/30AR-7-1024x704.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7930,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/enough-gun-or-something-like-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":13160,"position":3},"title":"Enough Gun or Something Like It","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A couple years back I ordered a full-custom rifle. I had many decisions to make concerning the rifle and one of the hardest was what cartridge to have the rifle chambered for. The rifle was to be used mostly for whitetails were I spend the most time hunting them: Here\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \".223 Remington\"","block_context":{"text":".223 Remington","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/tag\/223-remington\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Select a cartridge you can shoot comfortably and then learn how to shoot your rifle.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/30-AR-150-Accubond-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7837,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/only-one-rifle\/","url_meta":{"origin":13160,"position":4},"title":"Only One Rifle","author":"gunwriter","date":"December 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Choosing one rifle cartridge might seem to be a difficult decision. The key to making the choice easy is to remove all emotional attachment to the cartridges you love to shoot, roll between your fingers and pontificate about. I really enjoy the .30 Remington AR, like the .250 Savage and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jack Ellis with his first buck. Taken with Remington's 62 grain Core Lokt Ultra Bonded load.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DO-1-184x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7554,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/bad-advice\/","url_meta":{"origin":13160,"position":5},"title":"Bad Advice","author":"gunwriter","date":"September 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"And yet another case of folks who think they are smarter than everyone else and are giving bad advice about something they don\u2019t have any experience with. Not too long ago I commented about keeping your mouth shut and referenced the Versacarry and how some folks who had done nothing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HUNTING"","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":".30 Remington AR","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/30-Rem-AR-214x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13160"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13167,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13160\/revisions\/13167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}