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Montana Highway Patrol Upgrades (downgrades) firepower (switched from M14 to AR15)
The Daily Interlake ^ | 9 April 08 | NICHOLAS LEDDEN

Posted on 04/10/2008 6:59:04 PM PDT by LSUfan

Crack, crack, crack.

Three Montana Highway Patrol troopers, firing from the prone position, sent 15 rounds from their new rifles downrange in quick succession recently.

The .223 caliber bullets punched easily through the plywood and paper targets, kicking up clods of dirt from the berm behind the range at Glacier Park International Airport.

After officers from the sixth district-which covers Flathead, Lake, and Lincoln counties-qualify with the new weapon, every trooper in Montana will be riding shotgun with a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle.

"They're just all-around more versatile for our day and age," Trooper Jerril Ren, one of the patrol's firearms instructors, said of the AR-15. "For the changing times, I think it's just more appropriate."

The AR-15s are replacing the patrol's old M-14 rifles, which normally are carried in a patrol car's trunk. After qualification, troopers will be required to carry their assault rifles mounted between the front seats of their vehicles.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailyinterlake.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Montana
KEYWORDS: ar15; banglist; m14; m16; rifles
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To: strongbow
. Seems to me they gave up a better firearm for some other reason

Well, one reason might be a switch from mostly rural calls to more urban action. The M-4 will be fine in the town, most of the time, and it has the advantage of being able to be be mounted in the front of the patrol vehicle, rather than be in the trunk. But as been pointed out, short versions of the M-14, or other 7.62 rifles, are available.

I suspect a sort of "we want the sexy military guns". OTOH, it is easier to train the officers on the M4, especially the ones who have never shot a *real* rifle before. Although I wouldn't think that would be that much of problem in Montana. Maybe it's the police recruits that are coming from a more urban background rather than the areas to be polices being more urban these days. Or a combination of the two. But if they must have short intermediate power rifle, I'd suggest something in 7.62x39 or one of the new fatter short cartridges, such as 6.8x43 SPC (Remington) or .243 WSSM.

61 posted on 04/11/2008 6:09:46 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: appeal2
Geneva Convention mandated full metal jacket rounds, banning the hollow point from combat after WWI. Much more humane round than those hollow points. Stoner developed the AR15 to get around the Geneva Convention.

The Geneva Convention doesn't deal with bullets. You are thinking of the The Hague Convention of 1899. It doesn't really mandate FMJ, but it does ban expanding bullets, but only in warfare. There use in purely domestic matters is not covered.

62 posted on 04/11/2008 6:17:24 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: FreedomHasACost
You hit my point right on target, I am happy to have the weapon in the front

So, get an AR carbine in 7.62 NATO. Of course it will bite at both ends somewhat more than the .223, but heck *most* policemen don't shoot all that much anyway, and the recoil isn't going to bother those who do.

63 posted on 04/11/2008 6:20:55 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: Habibi
The soldier carrying the weapon certainly did look impressive, even though all he could have done was club the terrorist with that (probably) unloaded M16.

That varied a lot from state to state. Some state's didn't even allow an empty magazine in the weapon. Other required one. Very few, but some, mandated a loaded magazine.

The M16/M4 can of course be fired on semiautomatic, and US Military ones, have been 3 round burst fire in place of continuous full auto, for decades. Still your basic point is still valid, they'd have been better off with pistol caliber carbines, but the military doesn't issue those, except perhaps to a very few "special" units. In the aftermath of 9-11, they had to bring what they had.

64 posted on 04/11/2008 6:27:15 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: A.A. Cunningham
The 5.56 round, just like the 7.62, tumbles upon contact.

they don't actually tumble, but they do yaw sideways. They *might* make one full 360 yaw before exiting, if they exit that is. Tumble sort of implies something going end over end rapidly relative to it's forward progress. They don't do that. They don't always yaw either, especially the newer rounds. If they don't, they just punch little holes going in, and little holes going out. I prefer big holes, but OTOH, I own a .30 Carbine..go figure. (But no centerfire handgun other than .45 ACP)

65 posted on 04/11/2008 6:37:13 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: wastedyears
I prefer the DPMS LR-308AP4: Photobucket
66 posted on 04/11/2008 7:00:41 PM PDT by SVTCobra03 (You can never have enough friends, horsepower or ammunition.)
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To: El Gato
"So, get an AR carbine in 7.62 NATO"

Did that, bought Armalite AR-10 carbine. It is real picky about what ammunition you use. Feels great, looks good. Would I trust it or my M1A if my life depended on it?? Never , I mean never had any round get stuck, fail to feed, fail to eject or just plain go bang when I shoot my M1A's. The Armalite loves to shoot expensive ammo only. I have lots of milsurp .308 and the M1A shoots everything I have ever put in it.

67 posted on 04/11/2008 7:06:15 PM PDT by strongbow
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To: El Gato

My bad! No dum dums in warfare.


68 posted on 04/11/2008 7:27:52 PM PDT by appeal2 (Brilliance is typically the act of an individual, but great stupidity is reserved for the Gov't)
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To: henry_reardon

It’s an A-Team gun!


69 posted on 04/11/2008 8:47:07 PM PDT by Armedanddangerous (Chuin, Master of Sinanju (emeritus))
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To: TexasRepublic

>When the enemy heard the ping and popped up, we’d shoot them.

Priceless!!


70 posted on 03/14/2011 5:50:49 AM PDT by bill1952 (Choice is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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