The XM25, in contrast, appears to work well. It is accurate at ranges of up to 500 metres. That is almost as far as America's main assault rifle, the M-16, can shoot conventional bullets with accuracy. More pertinently, it is nearly double the range of the AK-47, a rifle of Soviet design that is used by many insurgent groups. And according to Sergeant-Major Bernard McPherson, part of the XM25's development programme in Virginia, it is receiving rave reviews from soldiers in the field.