[TexasGator]

” and the select-fire M14 and M16 infantry rifles of the Vietnam War only seem to have produced more misses, requiring the expenditure of 200,000 rounds to kill one enemy combatant. “

Then number keeps getting bigger! OTOH, a lot of those rounds were NOT M14 or M16 rounds.

[Leaning Right]

Consider that in World War II, American infantry units fired 25,000 rounds to kill just one enemy soldier.

I read somewhere (wish I could remember where) about a combat study that was done soon after WW II. It turns out that many of those misses were due to moral reasons. Something like 25% of the infantrymen surveyed had reservations about shooting another human being, even an enemy human being.

So instead of shooting specifically at a person, they just shot at a location where the enemy was known to be.

That of course does not explain all or even most of those misses, but it is an interesting take on the situation.

[DJ MacWoW]

Did You Know?

The Current FReepathon Pays For The Current Quarter's Expenses?

Now That You Do, Donate And Keep FR Running

[SampleMan]

I think the concept of Dedicated Marksman, is a great idea. Not really snipers, but marksmen who are futher back during firefights and pick off enemy personal during the short moments when they are exposed.

[JoeFromSidney]

See H. W McBride, A Rifleman Went to War for sniping in World War I. It's not that we just recently learned the value of snipers. It's that we forgot after every war and had to learn all over again.