This is one of the more sillier threads RichardG has started, and that is saying something.
As one who has worked for the US Army for 20 years and has seen how we go about procuring things, I'm not surprised that it's taken this long to consider a new rifle. Big-ticket items get all the bucks, while the smaller things get whatever dollars are left over or are "left until next year's budget" and the Army has to make do.
Add to that it takes YEARS for a bureacracy to come to a decision, do all the testing, get the money from Congress, state exactly what they want in a Request for Porposal, change it 60-70 times based on what is possible and/or Congressional*Pentagon pressure and politics, negotiate a contract, and actually build the bloody things. All this when the money may not be available in the budget for year after year because we need more Nuke subs or B-2 Bombers.
But a contract for up to 2 million rifles, to include support services, ammuntion clips and such would still be a major deal--and if US companies don't want to bid on it, I bet some European or Russian (I always thought the Russ built the best infantry rifles..not complex, but sturdy and trustworthy) corporation might be willing to do it.
The point being..oh, wait a minute, this is a Richard G thread so making a point would be a waste of bytes.