05-24-2011, 05:51 PM
stanc,
I've read that, but it only addresses the new carbine requirement for using the AUTO mechanism. I'll have to check with active duty units and see if they are actually doing this with M4's yet. I also want to emphasize that the benefits of the AUTO mechanism are for the SEMI mode of fire, which Infantry soldiers are almost exclusively trained to use. Recon units (Scouts/LRS, etc.) will use automatic fire during break-contact drills, but there are very few scenarios where a rifleman should be even thinking about using it. Those are when the SAW in his fire team has gone down, but the Team Leader can make that decision and use AUTO on his in that event while riflemen continue to practice good fire discipline engaging targets of opportunity.
Anyone who has fired AUTO from a 30rd magazine-fed weapon knows that it's pretty useless, other than burning a bunch of ammo quickly (especially with the M4A1's cyclic rate). It takes a lot of training to become effective with it from a lightweight carbine or rifle, unless it uses a constant recoil operating mechanism. Then a conscript can become lethal quite quickly...
I would actually like to see a fire-control mechanism on carbines that has 4 modes, with a 2-round burst feature that doesn't affect the trigger weight in SEMI. That is a nice feature to have for CQB. The Colt Model 605B had a 4-way selector switch and fire control system, back in the early 1960's.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]174[/ATTACH]
LRRPF52
I've read that, but it only addresses the new carbine requirement for using the AUTO mechanism. I'll have to check with active duty units and see if they are actually doing this with M4's yet. I also want to emphasize that the benefits of the AUTO mechanism are for the SEMI mode of fire, which Infantry soldiers are almost exclusively trained to use. Recon units (Scouts/LRS, etc.) will use automatic fire during break-contact drills, but there are very few scenarios where a rifleman should be even thinking about using it. Those are when the SAW in his fire team has gone down, but the Team Leader can make that decision and use AUTO on his in that event while riflemen continue to practice good fire discipline engaging targets of opportunity.
Anyone who has fired AUTO from a 30rd magazine-fed weapon knows that it's pretty useless, other than burning a bunch of ammo quickly (especially with the M4A1's cyclic rate). It takes a lot of training to become effective with it from a lightweight carbine or rifle, unless it uses a constant recoil operating mechanism. Then a conscript can become lethal quite quickly...
I would actually like to see a fire-control mechanism on carbines that has 4 modes, with a 2-round burst feature that doesn't affect the trigger weight in SEMI. That is a nice feature to have for CQB. The Colt Model 605B had a 4-way selector switch and fire control system, back in the early 1960's.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]174[/ATTACH]
LRRPF52