30. Same.
Originally in Viet Nam they started with 20rd. The springs sucked. They switched to 30rd and use it to this day.
There are plenty of exceptions and special applications. Special ops uses 100 rd drum mags and the like. The biggest change since 'Nam is in the number of mags carried. Guys I know that served in the sandbox tell me that they routinely carried over a dozen M16 mags and 4-5 M9 mags. That's a lot of firepower.
I never used anything more than a 20-round in my ROTC, active duty, and reserve time from 1973-84.
I have a buttload of MILSPEC magazines I got for $9.95 ea in a good deal online a couple of years ago (CTD IIRC)....they are from various manufacturers with all the contract info, mfr. and FSN#s, still brand new - never loaded (yet).....they are 30 rounders.
AK-47 mags seem to be mostly 30 but I recall every time I would see an interview with Osama he would have one which was longer than standard, probably a 40 round one.
During most of Vietnam 20 round mags were used. Some guys taped two back to back for quick change. Advantages and disadvantages to that. 30 round mags made there way to Vietnam at the end.
I still remember the criticisms of the M-16 when it was first adopted. It was clear that the WWII mentality was still at work.
1. The handle was too high exposing too much of the soldier’s head if fired above a barracade.
2.The magazine was too long making it impossible to use in the prone position.
3.Too light to be used in a bayonet charge. The buttstock too flimsy to be used to hit after the bayonet thrust.
4. A full auto blast would empty the firearm too fast causing a waste of ammo(shades of “that old fogey” Ripley).
In other words, excuses, excuses.
Many carried 2 or even 3 bandoleers. Also, magazine pouches on web gear/ALICE . But all were 20 round. In my day...Unfortunately, we were also ordered to load only 18 in each magazine as the springs were prone to "breakage."
*Some operators use the 100 rd. Beta C-Mag dual drum magazines.
The standard US military aluminum GI mag is supposed to be 30 rounds but you cannot physically cram more than about 27-28 rounds in it. When you see a GI pull out a mag and knock it again’st his helmet a couple of times he is making sure that the follower is aligned so it will feed properly. The govt issue mags are inferior to the P-mag.
But the P-mag will carry a full 30 rounds and some even have a cute litte window to see how many rounds you have left. They do not fail, they do not break and you don’t have to slam them on your helmet. This is why our troops in Afghanistan buy their own P-mags even though command does not want them to. When our guys go out into Indian country as soon as they get away from base they dump the govt issue mag and pull out their own P-mags. They won’t tell you that but they do.
Depends on the TO&E for the MOS, doesn’t it?
< /annoying acronyms >
As part of Obozo’s enhanced “Nation Building” strategy, all full auto weapons will be exchanged for the venerable Stevens bolt action, single shot .22LR and each trooper will be issued a single round to be carried in the left vest pocket. The weaponn is not to be chambered until hostile enemy fire has been encountered and at least 3 members of the patrol have been wounded or killed.
I pulled two kinds of guard duty in 1970.
One was infrequent and was protecting the perimeter of an air base. We were issued, I think, one bandolier containing about six magazines, fully loaded. We also had two bandoliers of boxed rounds.
The other more frequent duty was guarding an inner perimeter around a communications site. The guard shack contained a foot-locker with an easily-broken, tamper-proof lead seal. I never saw the inside of it, but was told that it was full of ammo for both M-16s and the M-79 grenade launcher.
When reporting for this duty, the prior soldier on duty would turn over the magazine for the guards rifle. This magazine contained TWO cartridges. We operated more in a "Dial 9-1-1" mode. The guards first responsibility was to warn everybody else that there was a problem.