MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE , Florida ( CNN ) -- No piece of equipment is more crucial to a soldier in the field than his rifle . And America 's most elite troops are about to get a new series of rifles designed for their unique and dangerous missions . CNN was given an exclusive look at two new rifles for an elite group of U.S. troops . `` The difference is , I 'm gon na have a weapon that 's gon na fit the situation , '' an Army Ranger staff sergeant said . Special Operations Command ( SOCOM ) is about to start training its SEALs , Green Berets and other Special Operations troops in the use of Mark 16 and Mark 17 rifles . Within a year , the new rifles should be in action against terrorists and insurgents in Iraq , Afghanistan and hot spots the public may never hear about . The usually secretive SOCOM gave CNN an exclusive chance to see and even fire the new weapon recently at its headquarters near Tampa , Florida . Watch a preview of the new weapons » . The contractors working with SOCOM to develop the weapon say it is more versatile and more accurate , jams less and lasts longer than the current rifle used by many Special Operations troops , the M-4 . The Mark 16 ( Mk16 ) fires a 5.56 mm round , the same size used for decades in M-16s and M-4s . The Mk17 fires a larger 7.62 mm round that is used in some U.S. military machine guns , but it 's not the same round as in the AK-47 , the world 's most widely used assault rifle . Both of the new rifles are designed to kill regardless of the situation . `` Whether that 's a soft target , a guy without body armor , or whether that 's an enemy force within a vehicle that you need to shoot through a window or the side of the vehicle and you want to ensure that round is not deflected , '' said Tucker Campion , a retired Navy SEAL who now is a civilian contractor working on the new rifles . `` We want a round that , when it hits the enemy soldier , provides the maximum amount of damage . '' Even though they fire different-size bullets , each rifle is largely interchangeable with the other . By changing only a few parts , including the bolt and the barrel , a soldier can switch from a gun that fires the lighter 5.56 mm round to one that shoots the heavier 7.62 mm round in a matter of minutes . That 's just one example of the rifle 's versatility . Each gun comes with three interchangeable barrels , and each gives the troops a specific advantage . `` If you were going to clear an urban environment , buildings , rooms , you 'd probably throw the short barrel on there , '' the staff sergeant said . CNN is honoring the Ranger 's request not to identify him , because in battle , anonymity is crucial for Special Operations troops . `` If you 're in Afghanistan and you 're walking in the mountains and the hills and all that , and your distance is going to be a lot greater to the enemy , and you 're probably going to want to throw the longer barrel on there so you get that extra reach , '' the Ranger said . Even though the rifles fire the same bullets as existing weapons , they are designed to be much more accurate . `` If you look at a current inventory assault rifle , you get 350 to 400 meters , '' Campion said of their range of accuracy . `` Put a long barrel in ( the new rifle ) , and now you 're at 6 to 7 ( hundred meters ) . So we 're extending the standoff between us and the enemy . '' A longer standoff means an American can shoot an enemy soldier from farther away ; thus , the American is safer . One of the main goals was to design a gun that lasts longer . Campion says the M-4 is designed to fire 6,000 rounds over five years . But the Mk16 and Mk17 were designed for Special Operations , who are likely to fire 6,000 rounds in less than one year . The new rifles are designed to handle the greater rate of use and last twice as long . The design changes that make the Mk16 and Mk17 last longer also make them more reliable . Nothing is worse for a GI in battle than for his rifle to jam at the wrong moment , but it happens with all kinds of guns . These new rifles are designed to reduce those jamming problems as much as possible . The new rifle also comes in a Mk13 model , which includes a grenade launcher mounted below the barrel . To those who will use the rifles in the field , what they need first and foremost from the new weapons is success . E-mail to a friend .
This will provide an elite group of troops with versatile new rifles . Mark 16 , Mark 17 rifles designed for their unique and dangerous capabilities . Usually secretive Special Operations Command gave CNN an exclusive look . The new rifles are designed to handle the greater rate of fire and last twice as long .