I think the idea behind the smaller caliber is that it’s designed to maim, rather than kill. The theory is that a wounded soldier is more of a liability on the battlefield than a dead one. He can’t fight effectively, and he’ll slow everyone else down. A dead soldier just gets left behind. FWIW.
According to our soldiers in Iraq, the 5.56mm is a poor CQ combat weapon.
>>The theory is that a wounded soldier is more of a liability on the battlefield than a dead one. He can’t fight effectively, and he’ll slow everyone else down. A dead soldier just gets left behind. FWIW.
Like most theories, they fail when put to the most stringent tests. Ask any WWII vet what he thinks the effectiveness is of a wounded vs. dead enemy soldier.
Kill them all, let God sort them out.