Machineguns fire mode.

[Mahatatain]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

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]

Originally Posted by Mahatatain

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]

Originally Posted by Targan

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.]

Originally Posted by Rockwolf66

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]

Originally Posted by Mahatatain

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]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

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]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Webstral

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.