Here's an article on the weapon you described. The Army is testing it to be the new standard issue weapon to replace the M-16. It isn't a sniper weapon - they'll still depend on their exceptional marksmanship. The exploding round is a 20mm grenade with a fuse set by the laser range finder. The operator can adjust the detonation point so that it explodes over a given position or after flying though a window. The laser rangefinder is coupled with night vision and goggles, so the operator can hold the weapon around a corner and aim it without exposing most of his body, and still be able to hit the target.

Looks like a heavy piece of equipment and it'll be costly, too. Still, if they can make it work in realistic field conditions*, then it could make soldiers more deadly. I have no trouble in trading treasure over blood, anyday.

*The M-16 quickly earned a bad reputation in Vietnam because of its tendency to jam. If anything, it was built to too high tolerances, meaning a small piece of debris or grit could jam the works. Later models like the M16A2 are reportedly better, but the M16A1 I used was a real POS, IMO. They'll also need to make sure this new weapon can be used by soldiers wearing thick gloves or mittens in Artic conditions and that the ammo/battery load isn't too heavy.