Hold it right there. Isn’t the standard “full auto” mode on the M16 only three rounds per press of the trigger?
Back in the day an M16 had full auto. But tests showed that after the first couple of shots, the rest were wasted.
I am not sure if the newer M16s were retrofitted.
The new M4s have a three shot burst.
I love watching this supposed combat movies where the special forces guys are just raking the enemy with automatic fire.
When everyone I’ve known that has been in a situation like that tells me that they only shoot like that to cover a retreat—otherwise its aim, shoot, aim, shoot.
Depends on the era. My M16 was full auto or selective fire. No burst mode. That was late 70s early 80s vintage.
The M4 Carbine shoots semi-auto or three-shot burst. The more recent M4A1 variant ditches the burst-fire parts and fires semi-auto or full-auto.
DOD has swung back and forth on this for years - the M16A1 was full-auto, the A2 was 3-shot burst, the A3 was full-auto.
Part of this pattern may be procurement for the different branches of the military. IIRC, the Army liked 3-shot burst but the USMC didn't care for it.
To me, 3-shot burst seemed to turn your 30-shot rifle into a 10-shot rifle.