because new recruits in thier first fire fight would be "sprayin-n-prayin" and be out of ammo in like 3 minutes and didn't hit a thing. Also, after 3 rounds, you are drifting off target and wasting precious ammo. Three rounds of 5.56 in the torso and your opponent is FUBAR. This is not theory, it is first hand observation.
The M14 was, and still is a terrific weapon. I own one, as well as a Garand,that I shoot on a regular basis. The M14 is practicly useless on full auto as I know of no mortal who can keep it on the paper after the first round.
The M14 evolved into a "specialized" weapon by the time I got to Viet Nam in 1967. Since I had a "specialized" job, I used one frequently and I loved it as much then as I do now. I would'nt recomend outfitting a rifle company with them though.
Semper Fi
Sounds like we need to go back to the M14. It basically shoots a .30-06, right?