[ArmySGT.]

I have an unending burning hatred for the Mk-19 AGL.

I would pay good money to kick the guy in the balls that accepted that thing for Army service.

Stuck with them frequently as an MP.

In 1990 I had an M60...... by 95 we had Mk-19s and a SAW. Both severely lack in my experience.

The ammo cans were 48 rounds in 1990, later reduced to 32 rounds so smaller statured people could load the gun.

It takes a good deal of upper body strength to charge the weapon (two pulls of the charging handles. Most females and a few males could not do it.

I have a video on another PC from a range at Ft. Riley...... Fam fire for the HQ platoon..... The range safeties have to charge the Mk-19 for the tiny filipina supply clerk so she can blast 32 rounds out at the 600 meter targets.

Absolutely shit on Patrol...... If your engaged in a close ambush, either the rounds are not going to arm (17 meters) or your danger close for your own ammo.... Add a high fire rate.. if it doesn't jam after 3-5 round, then your gun is empty real quick.

The fucking thing makes it a bitch to turn the turret. Most of the time the Team Leader and the Driver are pushing and pulling to help the gunner get the turret around..... This only got worse as gun shields, then later rear and side armor was added. I hear there is an electric motor now, wasn't in 2005 when I got out on MP gun trucks.

Never had a problem getting the LSAT (white snot) but, the shit is so thin and runny in hot weather we left the gun dry. In the Desert we left the guns dry and a light coat of CLP to be able to lock it back....... then squirt in LSAT from the big white tooth paste tube when engaged or about to engage.

The alternative was white lithium grease which stayed in place versus LSAT and collected less dirt than LSAT.

otherwise that fucking boat anchor collected sand (not grit) in huge quantities through all the god damn holes machined in the sides for the dual changing handles and the bottom ejection port.

The ROE prevented us from using the damn things on anything we could not identify positively with Binos or the AN/TVS-5. So having a 2200 meter effective range means not a god damn thing.

Honestly, the fucking guns rode on the turret because the CO and the BC drank the koolaid...... the guns actually had five rounds and an empty can. We engaged close ambushes with a SAW or floored it and got the convoy the fuck outta dodge. We did get the M2HB returned to us in the form of one per squad..... So patrols or convoy escorts were three gun trucks with x2 Mk-19s and one M2HB...... the M2HB was always the middle truck, that way it could support either the lead or the trail.

I would happily slag that piece of shit with a thermite grenade at any give chance.

*edit* Basic load of ammo for an MP gun truck in the 90's was 10 cans of HEDP for the MK-19. This was reduced to 4-6 in 2003. So at one time you had 480 rounds of HEDP in an unarmored M1025/M1026, later 132-168 rounds of HEDP in an M1025 or M114. This in addition to all the other things that will sympathetically detonate if you roll over a mine, or take a IED in the rear passenger doors..... Like an AT-4, all the grenades in an ammo can on the center deck, etc.