Posted on 05/24/2010 1:23:57 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Americans outgunned by Taleban’s AK47s
Marines on patrol armed with the M4 rifle. It may be the wrong weapon for the job Michael Evans, Pentagon Correspondent
The future of the standard issue infantry rifle used by American troops in Afghanistan is under review amid concerns that it is the wrong weapon for the job.
With its light bullets the M4 rifle lacks sufficient velocity and killing power in long-range firefights, leaving US troops outgunned by the Taleban and their AK47 Kalashnikovs and the old Russian SVD sniper rifle.
British Forces face the same dilemma but the Ministry of Defence said yesterday that there was no plan to review the SA80A2 rifle, which fires the same Nato 5.56mm calibre rounds as its US counterpart. “We constantly review all of our capabilities,” a spokesman said.
However, Britain has followed the US in investing in 400 new larger-calibre Sharpshooter rifles, which use a heavier 7.62mm round, and are effective at longer ranges. The weapon is expected to be deployed in Afghanistan, alongside the standard rifle, by the end of the month.
The US Army, however, is looking at switching from the M4 rifle, which is only accurate up to 1,000 feet to one that fires the larger round. It is designating nine soldiers in each infantry company to serve as sharpshooters, equipped with the new M110 sniper rifle — accurate to beyond 2,500 feet.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Bring back the Win 94.
Here we go again.... :)
More like Awgeez....
So as an experiment, pull the M4s, replace with AR-10s that have been altered for selective fire add in some 600 yard-ish sights. Of course, this is a lot like going back to the M-14 without the same weight.
Or you could take some of the old M-14s and configure them for bullpup so they work better from vehicles http://www.shortrifles.com/
The shortcomings of the M-4 at distances not withstanding, It would be nice if the author explained why he, or she, thinks an ALK-47 makes a superior long range weapon.
Only in volley fire. ;)
In the Corps I was expected to put rounds into a man sized target at ranges of up to 600 meters with a rack grade M16-A1.
An M14 with a composite stock would be nice.
I guess it’s much easier to just by a new gun than it is to train troops better.
Bring back the M14. Or the Garand.
AR-10s or DSA makes some very nice SA58 and STG 58 FAL clones for $1100 to 1900.
Or an updated M-14. This is such BS. Obama wants our soldiers dead and humiliated by his m**lim bosses. Bush and Cheney should have fixed this before they left office too.
OH NOES WE ARE OUTGUNZ0R3D RUNS AWAY RUNS AWAY@!
Can they possibly be any more blatant in their attempts to demoralize the troops? Who the hell wrote this garbage, Hanoi Hannah?
I’m all in favor of the M14. We could make a carbine version. Put a saddle ring on it.
LLS
That rifle looks almost like a REPR from LWRCI.
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