Rock and Roll with an L1A1..............

[jeff hamerstone]

I really need to start proof reading my replies before I press the submit button , I feel like an idiot,What I meant to say on my last post was That rifles fired on full auto have less accurcy than rifles fired on single shot, but in a panic situation if you have full auto capability you sacrifice accuracy for self confidence. And I'm only guessing but I think that is why the Brits choose semi-auto FN's over full auto selective fire FN's.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

The only problem with a full auto rifle is that troops tend to leave it in the go-fast mode. It can get a bit sticky if you use up all the ammunition you have on full auto in a fire fight and it's still going on.

[jeff hamerstone]

You also have to be carefull that you don't melt the barrels, I've seen them glow red hot and the bore looked like a dark line right down the center, on other type weapons.

[Sarge]

A select fire rifle is not intended to be used on FA all the time!
Proper training will keep most - But NOT all - from misusing the rifle on FA.

You can have similar problems with semi autos. I once had 2 M1 Carbines so hot that the stock was smoking. We had all this excess ammo and the range officer didn't want to do the paperwork to turn in back in so after the troops left the range those NCOs & officers who wanted to shot it all up. I shot one till it started smoking and then grabbed another. I very probably trashed 2 Carbines that day. But hey, it was unkles weapons and nobody was complaining, so I had a ball. It is amazing how fast you can go thru multiple mags when the object is to shoot them empty, not hitting some specific object - altho I was trying to do that too.
Sarge

[jeff hamerstone]

Sarge13 ; That must of been a blast getting a chance to burn up those two carbines. I was never allowed to go over the five round burst rule, but when I did my senior NCO let me know about it

[Sarge]

I don't think my intention on the first carbine was to get that result, doubt that I even knew it was possible. Can't say what my thoughts were on the second as I don't remember. I would also be surprised that I was the only one to get similar results/cause a carbine to need rebuild that afternoon.
Who knows as no one talked about it afterwards.
Had a similar opportunity on the M60 range one afternoon, but we were not abusing the guns that time. The assigned gun crews finished with their familiarization shooting and it was decided that the range officers & NCOs would shoot up the remaining ammo. That was the only time I ever fired the 60 from a tripod. Accurate little beast! Another fun afternoon!
Sarge

[Peter Laidler]

We always have a similar problem at the end of range and field firing shoots, wher there is, say, 3,000 rounds of ammo left. You just KNOW that if you take it back, the ammo storeman will complain about the small trifling mixed lots and amounts that he has to log back in. So to prevent this happening and to keep his books straight, we just shoot the lot off. Preferably from the GPMG/L7A2/MAG-58 in the sustained fire role or a Bren from the ground.

That's how my young son who used to come with me to watch, has probably fired enough ammo to frighten a small Country! There's nothing quite like a hot machine gun barrel.........................

[jeff hamerstone]

I've told this account many times and I will never forget it, since we are on the topic of running weapons on full auto I find it appropriate to add to this thread. One day we were on the moving tank firing range where move your tank to one firing position to another. the last station was when the tank comander fired a couple hundred rounds from the .50 cal. We returned to the staging area and as we were dismounting the tank my loader lost his balance and proceded to slip off the turret. the only thing he had to grab before he hit the ground was the red hot barrel of the 50. I never in my life since have seen somebody's palm of thier hand so badly blistered. I really felt sorry for him, I always paid attention on dismounting tanks the proper way after that incident.

[stencollector]

Those C2A1 barrels got blisteringly hot as well. When looking to reposition a -FNC2A1 while in the prone position, you had the choices between that long naked barrel or the tiny 4" handle which was usually folded out of view. The barrel usually won and in the split second it took you to realize the mistake the damage would be done, usually to the webbing of your palm between the thumb and fingers. It was a mistake any C2 gunner usually made once but rarely twice.

[jeff hamerstone]

WOW those FNC2A1'S HAD NO HANDGUARDS??? You Brits are tuff