Machineguns fire mode.

[Marc]

Bona nit!

In the v2.2 rulebook, in the chapter where the authors explain the meaning of parameters listed in the weapon data charts, they state that when a number appears in the ROF column, all the corresponding weapons are able to fire in SA mode or in automatic mode.

I'm quite ignorant about machineguns but I suspect that the above statement doesn't work for all of them them. For Paul's site I've seen that, for example, the Browning M-2HB has a dial that allows semiautomatic fire. Is this a common characteristic? Or,most normaly, the such a selector allows only to put the weapon to a "safe" position? I have the same doubt about the automatic rifles listed in the rulebook.

Thanks in advance!

[Legbreaker]

Many automatic weapons have only two settings - safe and burst.
The M60 for example, a weapon I am intimately familar with, is one of the above. However, even though it fires at 550 rounds per minute, or 9 per second, it is possible to fire single shots after just a few minutes practice. Don't count on the shots being as accurate as a rifle though as it was designed to spread the rounds about a little (not enough that you'd notice normally, but enough that you're not going to want to snipe with it).

The Bren gun was a little different. Although classified as a machinegun despite it's rather inadequate ammunition supply (magazines on a fully automatic weapon?), one of the greatest complaints I've heard about it was not the mags, nor the weight (it's a bit of a beast for an LMG) but the accuracy - it tends to actually put rounds from a burst in the same place!

[headquarters]

many HMGs and LMGs have only safe and fire mode .Full burst or nothing .Clipping bursts is possible ,but hard if you try to do it quickly and aim at the same time.

MG-3 has this set up .

Automatic rifles have safe-single-burst setting ,some also a 3-burst setting .

Some SMG like MP-40 have only safe and burst .

[pmulcahy11b]

I'm quite ignorant about machineguns but I suspect that the above statement doesn't work for all of them them. For Paul's site I've seen that, for example, the Browning M-2HB has a dial that allows semiautomatic fire. Is this a common characteristic? Or,most normaly, the such a selector allows only to put the weapon to a "safe" position? I have the same doubt about the automatic rifles listed in the rulebook.

Thanks in advance!

The M-2HB is weird in having that dial for safe or semiautomatic -- most machineguns and and a lot of SAW-type weapons offer only safe or fire. (BTW, correct me if I'm wrong -- the new QCB kit for the M-2HB that the US is fielding also eliminates that selective capability?)

[Marc]

Thanks for your quick answers, guys.

BTW: Any idea to produce a generic "House Rule" to establish when the barrel of an MG would must be changed and about the consecuences not to do it?

[copeab]

There was a recent episode of Lock And Load with R. Lee Ermey where he fired off a bunch of machine guns. A a couple of relevant observations.

1) He fired off 100 continuous rounds from a water-cooled and an air-cooled MG (but US WWII models, .30-cal). The water-cooled barrel went up 10-15 degrees F; the air-cooled barrel went up over 100 F. He showed the proper way to use the air-cooled MG -- tap of a short burst (3-4 rounds), then wait a second, then repeat the cycle. The barrel still got hotter than the water-cooled, but much less than it had under continuous fire.

2) He also fired a Bren and BAR. He considered the BAR more accurate (of it's two automatic settings, one is 2/3 the Bren, so it can be controlled better) but found he still had to change magazines more often (20 rnd for the BAR).

[Targan]

He showed the proper way to use the air-cooled MG -- tap of a short burst (304 rounds), then wait a second, then repeat the cycle.

You are truly hard core Copeab. If 304 rounds is your idea of a short burst I'd love to see what you consider to be rock n roll mode!

I kid, I kid. I know you meant to type 3-4 rounds. But it made me laugh.

[headquarters]

Thanks for your quick answers, guys.

BTW: Any idea to produce a generic "House Rule" to establish when the barrel of an MG would must be changed and about the consecuences not to do it?

These things vary with air temperature and actual rate of fire .

For the MG-3 you can shoot until it glows red or white , but jams or involuntary discharge is then a definitive possibility.We are talking a lot of rounds - maybe 500 - 1000 in a short time .

For peace time purposes we always changed barrels after 100 rounds -to train the drill and to lessen wear on the barrel.
maybe a rule could be that if fired continously for more than 6 phases ( shots in every phase ) a jam roll is made to see if teh barrel has overheated and jams ..?)

[pmulcahy11b]

Thanks for your quick answers, guys.

BTW: Any idea to produce a generic "House Rule" to establish when the barrel of an MG would must be changed and about the consecuences not to do it?

The consequences are that you will "shoot out" your barrel -- the barrel is weakened so that it is warped and the rifling screwed up and the weapon can no longer produce accurate fire. The bore will also foul quicker, and the breech can also be damaged leading to an increasing amount of stoppages. If the barrel is warped enough, it can literally burst, possibly injuring and even killing the gunner. If it gets hot enough, you may not have to even hold the trigger down anymore -- it's hot enough that the gun fires until it the belt is gone, then jams tight, and even 3rd-echelon maintenance will throw it away as unsalvageable.

As an aside, I was taught in Basic that when firing an FPL (Final Protective Line -- a continuous stream of fire across the front of your position to prevent being overrun), you will shoot out your barrel, because you don't stop firing until the enemy withdraws, you are ordered to stop or withdraw, or your weapon is mechanically unable to fire any more. In such a circumstance, having to take the time to change a barrel is hazardous to your health.

[Marc]

Understood, thanks. How much time (more or less) to change the barrel?

[pmulcahy11b]

Understood, thanks. How much time (more or less) to change the barrel?

For your average light or medium machinegun, 5 seconds or less. (The testing standard for the M-60 when I was in was 8 seconds -- most guys I know could do it a lot faster - my personal best was just under 4 seconds.) The M-2HB and other really old designs is another matter - you have to set the headspace and timing when you change a barrel or you risk a stoppage, and that takes 20-30 seconds at a minimum.

If the barrel is really hot, changing the barrel on some guns, (like the M-60) takes longer, because the weapon's carrying handle is not on the barrel, but on the receiver or handguard. In a hard fight, it may not matter, but changing the barrel on such a gun could give you serious burns on your hands -- figure 5 seconds more to put on heavy-duty gloves or the silly asbestos gloves that come with the gun's kit. If the handle is on the barrel, no difference.

Good M-60 gunners also know a trick -- you shove the bipod into the dirt, release the barrel, then give it very quick twist and pull the gun sharply back. Usually, the barrel will fall out, and you can knock it aside with the gun and put the new barrel in. That won't work with a very hot gun, and sometimes doesn't work at all. But figure 2 more seconds. It works better if you have an assistant gunner to hold the barrel down -- no additional time.

[Legbreaker]

Having an assistant gunner can either be a blessing, or a curse you wouldn't wish on your worse enemy.

During my time with the M60, I invariably ended up with the later - somebody of little more use than an ammo carrier. Another gunner in my plattoon got extremely lucky and was paired up with a natural No2. Even with only the basic training they worked as a finely tuned machine from the very first moment, instinctively reacting to, even before the other.

With a good No 2, drills barely take more than a few heartbeats. With a crappy one often times the gunner has to scream for them to get close enough so they can grab the spare barrel/ammo/etc and then get on with the job themselves....

:(

[pmulcahy11b]

Having an assistant gunner can either be a blessing, or a curse you wouldn't wish on your worse enemy.

That's pretty much true of any assistant, military or otherwise...:(

What's worse is when you have an assistant that's extremely competent, but is as a person is so odious that you'd like to punch him in the face every time you see him. They you really have a dilemma...:confused:

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I recall with the machinegun training we got that it was basically, bursts of 3-5 rounds and change the barrel after every 200 rounds

[Legbreaker]

It depends a lot on the weapon and rate of fire. A rapid rate of say 200+ per minute will require a change about every minute, while a slower rate of say 100 might only need a change every 3-4 minutes even though more rounds have been fired through it.

Note also that it's EXTREMELY rare for a weapon to have more than one spare barrel, so chances are in a heavy battle, the "spare" is still scorching hot when it's put back on the weapon for another turn.

[leonpoi]

I've been using the following rules for a while, maybe they can be of some use:

barrel change - same as changing a belt, 2 actions but the gunner and an assistant can work at the same time to make it one 5s action. This doesn't take into account the ready for the barrel (which the assistant would have done)

spare barrels - for simplicity a spare barrel weighs about 1/3 of the gun weight.

Overheating - an overheated barrel takes 15 minutes before being considered "cool"

The following barrel change rates can be used as a guide:

Automatic rifle / assault rifle change after approx. 200 rnds:
ROF/turn RPM Barrel Change
5 50 5 min
10 100 2 min
25 300 Ruin gun/High Jam chance

Medium MG:
ROF/turn RPM Barrel Change
10 100 10 min
20 200 2 min
50 600 Ruin gun/High Jam chance

Heavy/Autocannon MG:
ROF/turn RPM Barrel Change
15 200 30 min
25 300/400 several minutes

[copeab]

Overheating - an overheated barrel takes 15 minutes before being considered "cool"


Can you speed this up by dropping the barrel in water or spraying it with a fire extinguisher, or would this ruin the barrel?

[leonpoi]

Can you speed this up by dropping the barrel in water or spraying it with a fire extinguisher, or would this ruin the barrel?

I don't know if it would ruin it but I've seen it done (dropping it in water). it's still hot so it evaporates off (shooting it with water droplets inside the barrel may damage it?). With water you could cool it in 5-10 seconds I'd think. I guess that this is also the premise behind water-cooled mgs. There are also stories about urinating on the barrel to cool it, putting snow on it, and I guess a fire extinguisher would work.

[Legbreaker]

YES!!!!

It's almost certain to ruin the temper of the metal (I'm no metalsmith, but that much I'm certain of).

You're also likely to get water entering into places it just shouldn't be, such as the gas system on the M60.

As a rule of thumb, moisture of any type is a firearms worst enemy. Even the high humity typically found in tropical regions is enough to cause issues.

[pmulcahy11b]

Can you speed this up by dropping the barrel in water or spraying it with a fire extinguisher, or would this ruin the barrel?

I wouldn't drop it in water, but I've never tried or known anyone that's tried a fire extinguisher. In Basic, we were taught that a way you can cool a barrel enough to use it a little while longer is to have 3 or 4 guys piss on it -- so warm water might do the trick.

[Marc]

Just a curious video about the matter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5V54VGfvTU

[Marc]

I've been using the following rules for a while, maybe they can be of some use:

barrel change - same as changing a belt, 2 actions but the gunner and an assistant can work at the same time to make it one 5s action. This doesn't take into account the ready for the barrel (which the assistant would have done)

spare barrels - for simplicity a spare barrel weighs about 1/3 of the gun weight.

Overheating - an overheated barrel takes 15 minutes before being considered "cool"

The following barrel change rates can be used as a guide:

Automatic rifle / assault rifle change after approx. 200 rnds:
ROF/turn RPM Barrel Change
5 50 5 min
10 100 2 min
25 300 Ruin gun/High Jam chance

Medium MG:
ROF/turn RPM Barrel Change
10 100 10 min
20 200 2 min
50 600 Ruin gun/High Jam chance

Heavy/Autocannon MG:
ROF/turn RPM Barrel Change
15 200 30 min
25 300/400 several minutes



Ei Leonpoi! Nice table. It seems a very logic House-Rule. And an easy-to-use one. I'll buy it :D.

[pmulcahy11b]

The M60 for example, a weapon I am intimately familar with, is one of the above. However, even though it fires at 550 rounds per minute, or 9 per second, it is possible to fire single shots after just a few minutes practice. Don't count on the shots being as accurate as a rifle though as it was designed to spread the rounds about a little (not enough that you'd notice normally, but enough that you're not going to want to snipe with it).

I actually have used it as a sniper rifle -- albeit with MILES gear and against hapless ROTC cadets...

[Targan]

Just a curious video about the matter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5V54VGfvTU

After watching that video I watched several more which were similar. Fascinating.

[leonpoi]

After watching that video I watched several more which were similar. Fascinating.

There is a video on you-tube that shows some nut-job shooting a mg, taking off the barrel, cooling it in water, and repeating over and over again - I just can't find it.

[Legbreaker]

While it's definately going to cool the barrel down, immersing it in water is certainly causing damage as I mentioned before.
Chances are it'll still be useable for that battle, but don't count on it after that. It may even screw it up so badly that it cracks when fired (and that's definately something in the BAD THINGS category).

As for sniping, why bother wasting the ammo on poor, hapless cadets, even if they are only blanks. I found waving a handaxe, or, better yet, charging with a SMLE bayonet on the end of my F88 did the trick quite nicely. (Yes, a hundred year old bayonet will fit after judicious application of no more than an allen key)

There's something to be said for cold steel.

:D

[pmulcahy11b]

As for sniping, why bother wasting the ammo on poor, hapless cadets, even if they are only blanks. I found waving a handaxe, or, better yet, charging with a SMLE bayonet on the end of my F88 did the trick quite nicely. (Yes, a hundred year old bayonet will fit after judicious application of no more than an allen key)

There's something to be said for cold steel.

:D

Well, it was fun to watch the cadets scatter, freeze, or drop to the ground, heedless of finding any cover or listening to the cadets that were in charge.

Charging them with an axe sounds like it might have been fun -- but I don't think LTC Shimmick would have let us do it...

LTC Shimmick didn't let us throw CS grenades at them either, but that would have been REALLY fun!

[leonpoi]

While it's definately going to cool the barrel down, immersing it in water is certainly causing damage as I mentioned before.
Chances are it'll still be useable for that battle, but don't count on it after that. It may even screw it up so badly that it cracks when fired (and that's definately something in the BAD THINGS category).

As for sniping, why bother wasting the ammo on poor, hapless cadets, even if they are only blanks. I found waving a handaxe, or, better yet, charging with a SMLE bayonet on the end of my F88 did the trick quite nicely. (Yes, a hundred year old bayonet will fit after judicious application of no more than an allen key)

There's something to be said for cold steel.

:D
are there really bayonets in a MILES training?

I've got a friend whose army career so far goes:
(Australia) Infantry -> sniper -> (Iraq) -> (Afghanistan) -> Commandos -> (Afghanistan)
when he was still training for the sniper course his group was the opposing force for a bunch of cadets. In one fight he snuck through long grass to pretty close (maybe 50m), popped up and shot, ducked down and moved, popped up and shot - repeat. He took out 16 guys before withdrawing back out of view. He said he could hardly contain himself from laughing because they just had no idea where he was.

[Targan]

are there really bayonets in a MILES training?

I think Leggie likes to keep it real.

[pmulcahy11b]

are there really bayonets in a MILES training?

I've got a friend whose army career so far goes:
(Australia) Infantry -> sniper -> (Iraq) -> (Afghanistan) -> Commandos -> (Afghanistan)
when he was still training for the sniper course his group was the opposing force for a bunch of cadets. In one fight he snuck through long grass to pretty close (maybe 50m), popped up and shot, ducked down and moved, popped up and shot - repeat. He took out 16 guys before withdrawing back out of view. He said he could hardly contain himself from laughing because they just had no idea where he was.

I remember one such exercise. The cadets were to demonstrate their proficiency at crossing a minefield under fire. We had one M-60 atop the hill at the other end of the minefield. The cadets never even got to the minefield...

[Legbreaker]

When I was acting as enemy, one of our favourite "tactics" was to sneak up in the middle of the night with a camera and take a picture from just a few metres away. The flash would blind anyone with their eyes open, and I don't recall a single photo (once developed - this was pre digital cameras) showing the sentries to be awake.

Amazing what the various plattoon sergeants responses were after the photos were posted on the notice boards.

:D

On another "enemy" exercise we had to walk through an ambush site three times before it was initiated. Each time making more and more noise to the point where we were actually banging on anything we could just to wake them up!
Poor trainees not getting enough sleep....

:rolleyes:

[pmulcahy11b]

are there really bayonets in a MILES training?

I wish, but unless the cadets were specifically training in Combatives, things like that were forbidden. But imagine the look on the faces of a college kid when someone charges at them, with a camouflage-painted face, a wild look on his face, and wielding a big axe.

The cadets had an exercise where they had to negotiate with a local. I decided to speak in German (I was pretty good at it at the time), while throwing in a little Korean and Spanish, and a few phrases I learned in Turkey and some words I learned during a training exercise in southern Israel. I loved it when ROTC had Advanced Camp at Bragg!

[Legbreaker]

Ah, there's nothing like screwing with the minds of recruits/cadets/trainees.

:p

[pmulcahy11b]

LTC Shimmick didn't let us throw CS grenades at them either, but that would have been REALLY fun!

Things he did let us use were artillery and grenade simulators, smoke grenades, and hand-launched flares at night.

I remember soon after I went on active duty and we had an overhead flare pop at night without warning. The SOP is to hug the ground fast and don't move. My cheek got impaled on rusty barbed wire, and it was a few days before I even had a medic look at it, though I cleaned it out as best as possible. By the time we got back to garrison, the cut was huge, warm, and festering. A doctor at the hospital had to clean it out. And that's why I have a scar on my cheek to this day. Adds character.

[Targan]

When I was acting as enemy, one of our favourite "tactics" was to sneak up in the middle of the night with a camera and take a picture from just a few metres away. The flash would blind anyone with their eyes open, and I don't recall a single photo (once developed - this was pre digital cameras) showing the sentries to be awake.

Sad, pathetic losers. While I was an infantryman I NEVER, not once, fell asleep while on sentry duty. I accept however that on a couple of occassions, after a week or more in the bush and only a few hours of sleep per night, I was pitifully un-alert :o

[Legbreaker]

All I'll say on that note is that the feed cover of the M60 makes a relatively comfortable pillow on those long, cold night ambushes.

:o

I will add though that I have been so utterly exhausted while on sentry that I was halucinating. Saw vehicles, houses, trees, elephants and more moving about in front of me, but not one single enemy infantryman...
Good thing the expected attack didn't come until about an hour after I was relieved.

[jester]

The SAW makes a good backrest too, and its feedtray also is a decent pillow I must say.

[TiggerCCW UK]

I will add though that I have been so utterly exhausted while on sentry that I was halucinating. Saw vehicles, houses, trees, elephants and more moving about in front of me, but not one single enemy infantryman...
Good thing the expected attack didn't come until about an hour after I was relieved.

When I was a sprog cadet we were carrying out an ambush towards the end of a week of field excercises. We were positioned in deep ditch beside a road waiting for the enemy (The Fantasian Freedom Fighters that some other Brits on here may recall from excercise?) to bimble along the road. I was part of the cutoff group at one end of the ambush and was so completely exhausted that a leprechaun appearing floating in front of the bush I was hiding in didn't seem at all wierd :) On a similar excercise in Otterburn training area we had to stop another cadet from blowing the ambush by wandering over to a coke machine that he could see on the far side of the track we were positioned along:D

[pmulcahy11b]

All I'll say on that note is that the feed cover of the M60 makes a relatively comfortable pillow on those long, cold night ambushes.

My LT caught me doing that on one drill when I was humping both an M-60 and a Dragon, and when we got to the objective, we were ordered into MOPP IV. I flat fell asleep, which was uncharacteristic of me. The LT showed a flash of intelligence and sent me to the medics, where I was diagnosed with the flu and had a fever of 104 degrees F. I think I would have been comfortable on a bed of nails, I was so out of it.

[Legbreaker]

Worst load I had was carrying the M60, spare barrel (and cleaning kit), plus 77 set (radio) and spare battery. We were lacking a No2 gunner (as usual!) and properly trained signaller that week. Fortunately the 600 rounds of link I was also carrying were only blanks and about a 1/3 of the weight of real rounds.
Wouldn't have been too bad since the gun on the front and radio on the back basically cancelled each other out (could actually stand perfectly upright) but the terrain was mountainous to say the least. The slopes we were climbing were so steep you could touch the ground with hand outstretch while standing straight up.

[B.T.]

How to deal with Machine guns and fire modes?
Here is a list for the MGs mentioned in the "Infantry Weapons of the World" of Ver.2. I've tried to figure out, what the weapons abilities are IRL:

BAR: special
The BAR has been produced in several countries and in several versions. Some of them were "full auto only", others had been made "selective".

AAT-52: ?
Bren L2A4: selective
RPK: selective

M249 SAW: full auto only
Colt M1895/1914: ?
DP: ?

DShK: full auto only
FMM 24/29: selective
HK-21: selective

KPV: ?
L86A1 LSW: selective
Lewis Mk I: full auto only

M214 6-Pac: full auto only
M2HB: selective
M60: full auto only

M134 Minigun: full auto only
Browning M1919A4: full auto only
MAG-58/GPMG: full auto only

MG-3: full auto only
MG-08: full auto only
MG-34: selective

MG-42: full auto only
PK(M) : full auto only
RPD: full auto only

Bren Mk II: selective
Browning M1917A1: full auto only
SG-43: ?

Stoner LMG: ?
Stoner M207: ?
Steyr AUG LMG: selective
From all that I've read, there is no selector, to switch from "single shot" to "full auto". You just pull the trigger. If you pull it slightly, you've got a single shot, if you pull it harder, you automatically get "full auto".

Vickers Mk I: ?
Vz-59 : full auto only


The "?" in the listing means: I don't know and had no info on the subject.

House rules (For Ver 2.2):
I let the players decide, if they want to use "Small Arms: Rifle" or "Autogun", when firing a light or medium MG.
Heavy MGs have to be fired using "Autogun".
If someone uses "Autogun" with a MG, whose RoF is "5", the character may fire single shots.
I don't allow to switch from "Single Shot" to "Burst" during an action.
Two exceptions: If a machine gunner with a MG (RoF: 5) uses "Autogun", he may fire his shots as he likes, combining "Single Shot" and "Burst" freely.
The Steyr AUG LMG may combine "Single Shot" and "Burst" as the shooter likes, because of the unique action of the weapon.

I hope, this listing will be useful for some of you. If someone has info on the weapons with uncertain info, please let me know. I'd like to complete this listing!

[Antenna]

www.ludd.ltu.se/~antenna/

"Miscelleneous"
"Gamerelated" to left menu
"IFR for AAA" under gamerelated

Antenna

[Medic]

Ah, there's nothing like screwing with the minds of recruits/cadets/trainees.

:p

One of the classics, I've used against fellow reservists who have NVG (not very common in the reserve units), is to light up a IR chemlight in some bush a bit further away and then disappear from that location. Shows up pretty well through the NVG, but when you look with the naked eye, nothing. A rather useful distraction...:D

[Mahatatain]

The Bren gun was a little different. Although classified as a machinegun despite it's rather inadequate ammunition supply (magazines on a fully automatic weapon?), one of the greatest complaints I've heard about it was not the mags, nor the weight (it's a bit of a beast for an LMG) but the accuracy - it tends to actually put rounds from a burst in the same place!
According to my father (who I must stress is not a military expert of any kind) to make the Bren gun spray the rounds in a burst and not just put them all through the same hole the designers had to loosen the fixing where the bipod attaches to the gun to make it move around a little, essentially making the Bren gun rock slightly on its bipod.

I have no idea whether this story is true or not however.

[Targan]

According to my father (who I must stress is not a military expert of any kind) to make the Bren gun spray the rounds in a burst and not just put them all through the same hole the designers had to loosen the fixing where the bipod attaches to the gun to make it move around a little, essentially making the Bren gun rock slightly on its bipod.

I've heard a similar anecdote. I think your dad might've been on the money, or close to it.

[Rockwolf66]

I've heard a similar anecdote. I think your dad might've been on the money, or close to it.

I've heard the same from British family members with time in service.

PS: Ohio Ordanace Works has created a select fire triger group for the FN MAG M-240.

[B.T.]

Ohio Ordanace Works has created a select fire triger group for the FN MAG M-240.

Is this device in service with US forces? And do you know, since when it was produced? Could it be encountered in 2000 (I use the ver2.2 timeline)?

[Rockwolf66]

I don't think it's in use by the US military.

I've seen them for the past year or so among magazines directed at the Civilian NFA community. This leads me to speculate that they are ment for either Per '86 registered FN MAGs or Post '86 LEO M240 machineguns.

I'm guessing LEO as they would be in the market for such a modification.

I used to question why LEO would need a machinegun( case in Point the El Paso TX PD owns at least 1 M249). Then I looked in on what they are faceing in some parts of the country.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

According to my father (who I must stress is not a military expert of any kind) to make the Bren gun spray the rounds in a burst and not just put them all through the same hole the designers had to loosen the fixing where the bipod attaches to the gun to make it move around a little, essentially making the Bren gun rock slightly on its bipod.

I have no idea whether this story is true or not however.
While the story may be apocryphal, the Bren Gun was exceedingly accurate. The Stoner 63 LMG was also very accurate and needed to have this 'loosened up a little'.
My father was the gunner in an Infantry Section at the start of his Australian Army career and he carried the Bren Gun until it was replaced by the M60. He was quite proud of the fact that he could put all rounds through a door or window with the Bren.

He stated that he and some of the other gunners disliked the M60 because it sprayed the rounds "all over the place". They latter came to accept that the idea of the machinegun was to but as many rounds into an area as possible rather than put them all through the same hole.

[perardua]

The L7A2 GPMG (FN MAG/M240 to heathens from other nations) has sort of a selective rate of fire, in that unless you adjust the gas regulator to the correct position for that particular barrel on that particular gun (known as balancing), your rate of fire will be either too high or too low.

This is quite a good description of how and why we do this: http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Balancing_the_GPMG

Also, the .50 cal HMGs we use (which have a quick change barrel) can still be set to semi-automatic. It has been suggested that this is to be used for ranging shots, but a burst does the job just as well.

[Medic]

Both the Finnish 7.62 KvKK 62 (the now mostly retired light machinegun in 7.62x39) and PKM are, in skilled hands, capable of squeezing off single rounds. The KvKK is the easier one, though it has a very high rate of fire on cyclic. The PKM requires even lighter squeeze for single shots, but it's still feasible.

[pmulcahy11b]

He stated that he and some of the other gunners disliked the M60 because it sprayed the rounds "all over the place". They latter came to accept that the idea of the machinegun was to but as many rounds into an area as possible rather than put them all through the same hole.

I never used the 60 in combat, but used correctly, it makes a decent ad hoc sniper rifle, when used with MILES. It's a good way to wake up sleepy or less-then-alert National Guardsmen and ROTC Cadets, since a MILES laser beam doesn't have a drop in it like bullets, you can tap someone at 700 meters with the right optics.

[Legbreaker]

I never used the 60 in combat, but used correctly, it makes a decent ad hoc sniper rifle, when used with MILES. It's a good way to wake up sleepy or less-then-alert National Guardsmen and ROTC Cadets, since a MILES laser beam doesn't have a drop in it like bullets, you can tap someone at 700 meters with the right optics.

Can just about do that with iron sights and a steady hand.

[Rockwolf66]

It's rather easy to tell when I'm on a M60 as I fire in strings of double taps. I'm so used to fireing in short bursts with a faster fireing weapon that I end up double tapping my target repeatedly. I have to acctually think about holding down the trigger.

[Webstral]

When I was acting as enemy, one of our favourite "tactics" was to sneak up in the middle of the night with a camera and take a picture from just a few metres away. The flash would blind anyone with their eyes open, and I don't recall a single photo (once developed - this was pre digital cameras) showing the sentries to be awake.


It's beyond infuriating how unwilling to govern themselves so many soldiers are. It's not just the enlisted men, either. At the MI school, I'd go out as OPFOR when one of the classes of new MI lieutenants was in the field. The only time I failed to walk into the perimeter unchallenged was December '95 when the West Point graduates stayed up all night singing Christmas carols. In the field.

Can't say how many times during training I woke up for my shift more-or-less after it was supposed to start. No one had awakened me. No one was awake. It's a bad feeling when you know the unit has its pants down in the field.

The most serious incident of this sort happened in Iraq. One of our guys, whom we nicknamed the Narcoleptic Ranger, fell asleep behind the machine gun in a watch tower overlooking Checkpoint 12 in the Green Zone. How often this had happened in the past, I can't say. However, a staff sergeant working for the battalion staff sergeant major had been making the rounds to check on the sentries and discovered the Narcoleptic Ranger and his supervisor asleep. The Narcoleptic Ranger was asleep on his feet. He had the gall to express dissatisfaction with receiving an Article 15. I'd have put him in jail, and I actually liked the guy (he had been in my fire team when we started training). I also never would have gone down with him on the gun.

My first line duty NCO said to me that the Rangers were nothing more than what the infantry ought to be. I asked why every unit wasn't more like the Rangers, then. He told me that getting grown men to live up to their commitments and responsibilities is very, very difficult--even in an all-volunteer Army. The years since then have only served to prove him right.

[Webstral]

It's rather easy to tell when I'm on a M60 as I fire in strings of double taps. I'm so used to fireing in short bursts with a faster fireing weapon that I end up double tapping my target repeatedly. I have to acctually think about holding down the trigger.

An M2HB range is huge fun, if one doesn't take the poor trigger control of so many of the gunners seriously. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, the cyclic rate of the Ma Deuce is pretty low. You have to concentrate on what you're doing to keep the butterfly down for 6-9 rounds. As many as half of the guys are out there firing 1-round bursts. Try hitting man-sized targets at 800 meters with a 1-round burst from an M2HB. On the other hand, it's surprisingly easy to knock down a man-sized target at the same range or closer with a 6-9 round burst from a tripod-mounted gun. The burst lasts a ridiculously long time if you've recently fired the M249, but things do happen downrange. I'm sad to say that I have a special talent for machine gunning. When I was a junior enlisted man, a couple of battalion commanders wanted me to gun on their tracks. (I'd gladly trade that now-useless native talent for better child care instincts.)

[Rockwolf66]

An M2HB range is huge fun, if one doesn't take the poor trigger control of so many of the gunners seriously. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, the cyclic rate of the Ma Deuce is pretty low. You have to concentrate on what you're doing to keep the butterfly down for 6-9 rounds. As many as half of the guys are out there firing 1-round bursts. Try hitting man-sized targets at 800 meters with a 1-round burst from an M2HB. On the other hand, it's surprisingly easy to knock down a man-sized target at the same range or closer with a 6-9 round burst from a tripod-mounted gun. The burst lasts a ridiculously long time if you've recently fired the M249, but things do happen downrange. I'm sad to say that I have a special talent for machine gunning. When I was a junior enlisted man, a couple of battalion commanders wanted me to gun on their tracks. (I'd gladly trade that now-useless native talent for better child care instincts.)

Alas,I can't afford the $500 for a belt of ammo for a MaDuce. For that much money I would much rather Burn out the barrel on Buzzgunner's HK21E. Of course now that I've said that he probably won't let me shoot it unless I bring my own barrel.:D