Posted on 01/04/2006 11:28:28 PM PST by ghostcat
Yeah, me too... (Although I greatly prefer the XM21 myself.)
But they are kind of heavy for the little guys (and gals) to carry, especially with a full combat load of ammo.
Don't ya hate having a job to do, but don't have the proper tool???
I am a Nam Special Forces veteran, and I have lugged both the M-14 and the M-16 many miles with ammo and a full combat pack. There are advantages with the M-14, however lots of ammo is very important, and when in the brush that is a problem with the 7.62. I will take the M-16 any day of the week over the M-14.
The M-14 is a PAIN to work with compared to the FAL!
Harder to clean, very hard to adjust the gas system, heavier, harder to scope, difficult to readjust heads-pace if needed, .........
Ruh-roh. Did someone say, "boy guns" and "girl guns"?
Hope we don't compromise the Army's infantry weapon because it has to be light and limber enough to be wielded by females.
Perhaps that's why lots of ARVN's, militiamen, and Montagnards wound up carrying M-2's and captured AK's/SKS's.
And why the drum magazines available for Sov weapons like these never really made it in the Third World.
Thanks ghostcat. Excellent series.
The bottom line is that the ammunition does the work. I like the heavier slug of the 7.62, for a number of reasons. Although choosing the FN-FAL over the M-14 would be a personal matter, I'd be more than happy to carry the extra weight any time.
I'll respectfully refer you to my reply on the other thread. By the way if I haven't mentioned this to you before Thank you for your service. I was barely too young for Vietnam and too physicaly damaged to serve afterwards, but I have the greatest respect for all of you veterans. I have been fortunate to be surounded by veterans all of my life. My father was Marine in WWII, My oldest brother was a Marine in Nam, My oldest sisters husband and one of my best friends retired as one of the most decorated soldiers of the 101st Airborne(3 tours Vietnam). My other brother was served 2 enlistments in the army, the second as an officer. All of my other brother-in-laws served. I kind of feel left out at times!
Rifle: The modified FN suggested in this article sounds interesting.
But how much of an M-14 would it be with a gas tube on top?
Full auto requires the gas port be on top rather than slung underneath.
If not a M-14 or L1A1, why not a G-3 or HK variant?
They also have a .243 variant.
Bump
The world is full of successful gas operated fully automatic weapons which have the port, and operating rod mounted below. In fact the very first successful gas operated machine gun had its port and gas assembly mounted on the bottom side of the barrel. John Browning designed it and Colt produced it. It had the peculiar nickname of "the potato digger" because of the flapper assembly he designed to transfer the energy from the gas to the operating rod. If the gun was mounted too low this flapper would hit the ground throwing up chunks of dirt and digging a small trench, hence its nickname.
Another very successful auto with a bottom mounted gas assembly was the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)so successful that it can still be found in use some 80 plus years after it was introduced. The Bren gun is another, as is the M60 medium machine gun, the M249 SAW, HK MG43,and the M240B. I would hazard a guess that the majority of the successful gas operated fully auto designs have bottom mounted gas assemblies
Ghost,
You seem to know your sh!t.
This was a very good reply. I'd forgotten about, of all things, the immortal BAR.
But how much of an M-14 would it be with a gas tube on top?
Full auto requires the gas port be on top rather than slung underneath.
But the AK series has it on top! It must be true! < /sarcasm>
I'll stick with my Winnie 30-30
I agree. When I was going through basic in 1965, some of the "Urban Commandos" from New York City would whine about how the M-14 "kicked". We kids from "Fly-over Country" told them to suck it in, hold the weapon like they were taught, and grow-up.
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