Yep, it´s based on the DSA models.

Venezuela does have the ability to make small arms, though (including the AK factory the Russians are helping them build). That means they can flood Brazil, or Colombia (or any other country that hates Chavez) with lots of automatic weapons and ammo, which will go straight to narco-insurgents like FARC or the drug gangs. We know they're already doing this to some degree. That could be pretty painful for those targeted countries if it ties up their security forces with internal concerns.

Makes sense for designated marksmen, but anyone else, hmmm...

Exactly. Though that does make the assumption that the guy's buddies (and his COs) don't associate a concept like "first aid" with the bourgeois. Or the evil infidels.

But all things being considered, I think 5.56x45 does the job just fine.

Actually, the Taliban are huge on getting thier wounded evacuated and to medical attention. I can't really go into detail, but they do not abandon their wounded.

Venezuela make the "new" Aks and, maybe, some other russian weapons, and yes, they can flood other countries (remember the AT4´s incident some months ago), that´s why there´s a new arms race: Brasil (FX-2 program and submarines, buying refurbished Leopards 1, producing the COIN Super Tucano), Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Chile (buying Leopards 2 and planes). Chavez, drugs and the natural resources are the main problems in this region.

Honestly, the army (not the navy) hates the 5,56. Why? Because they have been using the same cartridge type for a century without problems, first the 7,65x54 and then the 7,62x51, this last one since the 50´s with the introduction of the Fal. This refurbished rifle is a temporary patch, FN Herstal has offered the FN2000 some years ago, but they want to keep the fire power. Personally, I´d choose the Fn Scar in both calibers, or the Bushmaster ACR.

Me too, but tell that to our Minister of Defence, who don´t want to make the 5,56 ammo here. That old lady is really annoying...

Hmmm, interesting, though it makes sense when I think about it. The Taliban have never quite as big into martyrdom as the rest of the Islamic world (they were latecomers to the suicide bombing trend, considering how long they've been around).

Yeah, the AT4 incident is what I had in mind. Though even before that, everyone knew that Chavez was providing aid to FARC. As his regime becomes less stable, though, there's a good chance he'll be willing to do a lot more of that stuff. Actually, I think that supporting proxy forces would be far more effective than any attempt to fight a conventional war with his neighbors.

Well, there is a path dependency argument to keep in mind. There are a lot of countries that never want to change weapons/calibers just because there's too little benefit to justify the costs. I had this same discussion once with a Hungarian about why his country's forces never gave up their 7.62x39mm AKMs (which they call AK-63s) in favor of a 5.45x39mm or 5.56x45mm rifle. Even after they joined NATO.

I can only imagine. :D

Seen in another forum:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS_BScbL2nQ

The recoil looks suprisingly controlable on full auto

While some self proclaimed "experts" will tell you that a 7.62X51mm NATO weapon is "uncontrolable" on full auto. Years of having friends with both training and experiance in shooting such weapons tells me something else. The fact of the matter is that with 7.62mm firearms they take a higher level of training that a 5.56mm weapon. Observation of people using such weapons tells me that when shooting at 100m(in which distance 80% of combat takes place) a 7.62mm weapon is just as accurate as a 5.56mm weapon when fired in controled bursts. The real problem is that proper firearms training takes time and a very large budget. Take the SAS pistol techniques for example, they take two weeks of constant training and 2,500 live rounds of ammo. To train a member of the now disbanded 14th Intelligence company they used up 25,000 rounds per person to qualify them on the G3KA4,the HK53, the MP5K, the browning High Power and the Walther PPK. Trust me when I say that that is expensive no matter how you look at it.

Those DSA employees demonstraighting the weapons are the sorts of guys who make their living shooting such weapons and as such know the weapons like the backs of their hands and they probably shoot more ammo in a week than most people shoot all month.

Rockwolf, for shooting a Fal in full auto you must check the gas regulator and adjust it. Anyway, it´s just for CQ combat.

For my friends the Battlerifles of choice are usually the G3A3 or the M14E2. Neither of them have gas regulators. My personal observation is that it's not the weapon but the user that's important.