[El Gato]

Isn't 5.56mm a NATO standard that was adopted by the US?

Yes and no, we actually drove the standard. The europeans had wanted something intermediate betwee their existing rounds, 30-06, .303, 8mm, etc, and the "varmint" catridge size. We insisted on the 7.62x51, which is also a NATO standard round. We were right, but then changed our mind.

I remember firing a bolt action 308 when I was a kid. More like a rocket launched than a rifle - my shoulder ached for hours. I can't imagine how you could handle an automatic version.BTW, a rocket launcher generally hardly recoils at all, especially condidering the size of the rockets they launch. It's a physics thing.

[SBprone]

A 7 or 8lb bolt gun will kick a lot harder than a 10lb battle rifle. The extra weight helps but the self-loading operating system also spreads out the recoil impulse compared to a bolt gun. With a little adrenaline pumping you wouldn't even notice the recoil.

[RLK]

We were right, but then changed our mind.

---------------

Robert McNamara changed our mind.