AR 10 in the Dominican.

[fjruple]

If I remember correctly Ilio Capozzi was killed not to long after the picture was taken.

[browningautorifle]

Ilio Capozzi was killed not to long after the picture was taken.

Ilio Capozzi was born on 16 November 1918, in Rome, Roma, Lazio, Italy. He had at least 1 daughter with Elide Arcangeletti. He registered for military service in 1965. He died on 19 May 1965, in Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic, at the age of 46.

Interesting, my great uncle was USMC and posted to Santo Domingo in about 1921.

Here's a Reddit thread outlining him. Multilingual and an adventurer for sure. A photo taken by LIFE Magazine of an Italian mercenary Elio Capozzi wearing the US M1942 HBT camo uniform and carrying an early pattern AR-10 Battle Rifle while chatting with a Dominican rebel holding a Cristobol Carbine during the Dominican Civil War; Santo Domingo, 1965 : MilitaryPorn

[Flying10uk]

Too, the FN and AR10 aren't even close to the same.

I wasn't, in any way, suggesting that they are. The point that I was implying is that they both fire 7.62 Nato. Or to put it another way 7.62 Nato was a popular caliber for military rifles at the time.

[browningautorifle]

they both fire 7.62 Nato

Yes, they do that. But we can't just roll them together in caliber, military rifles aren't like that. The handling is important, the feel. That platform proved the light caliber was widely accepted and the heavy caliber not much.

[mrclark303]

It's an interesting one Jim, I would say the AR10 was a failing of the advertising men, a wrong time to the market really, Fn had pretty much cornered the 7.62mm market with the Fal in the late 1950's.

By the 1960's, Vietnam ensured the AR15 a launch pad and a market dominance it still effectively has 50 years later.

[browningautorifle]

a wrong time to the market

Perhaps...

[RCS]

The AR-10 was manufactured under license by a Dutch Company in 1960 and adopted by Portugal. These were issued to paratroops and special forces and used
from 1961 to 1974 in Angola, Portuguese Guinea and Mozambigue extensively. Some were fitted with 3x scopes, all were selective fire and could use rifle grenades.
None of these AR-10's exhibited the problems and issues associated with the early M16's service in Viet Nam under identical conditions.

Note: after Portugal retired their AR-10 rifles, the parts kits (without the selective fire lower) were imported into the USA where some companies manufactured a
semi auto steel lower to fit these kits, they are still around !

[browningautorifle]

None of these AR-10's exhibited the problems and issues associated with the early M16's service in Viet Nam under identical conditions.

They had better ammo than the ARs...the ball powder issue. Still compared to the number of countries using the M16/M4 and variants...a pittance.

[Brian Dick]

I had one of the rifles built on a Sendra receiver that RCS refers to in the mid 1990's. A friend from Florida was here in SC working a show and picked up a new HK91 on a trade. We put them on the range together the Monday following the show and even though the parts kit and barrel of the AR-10 were not in the greatest of condition, it walked all over that HK in both handling and accuracy. I've always regretted selling it to be honest.

[browningautorifle]

it walked all over that HK

I had an HK G3 issued by Sweden in 1980 over in Cyprus. It worked great but got so hot so quick I wouldn't have wanted to do anything sustained with it.