"New" Fn Fal being tested by the Argentine Army

[S&Wshooter]

Originally Posted by Markost

Seen in another forum:

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

The recoil looks suprisingly controlable on full auto

[Rockwolf66]

Originally Posted by S&Wshooter

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.

[Markost]

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

[Rockwolf66]

Originally Posted by Markost

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.

[Ermac]

That barrel is way too short. I imagine they shoot cartridges with reduced powder charges because shooting a full powered 7.62x51 in that would have a defening blast and recoil. I think a rifle shouldin't have a barrel shorter then 15 or 16 inches. As for the controlobility of such weapons in full auto comes down to the rate of fire. Most battle rifles and assault rifles have very high ROFs which makes them hard to control in full auto, it also chews up ammo faster and heats up the weapon faster by having a high ROF.

[Rockwolf66]

Originally Posted by Ermac

That barrel is way too short. I imagine they shoot cartridges with reduced powder charges because shooting a full powered 7.62x51 in that would have a defening blast and recoil. I think a rifle shouldin't have a barrel shorter then 15 or 16 inches. As for the controlobility of such weapons in full auto comes down to the rate of fire. Most battle rifles and assault rifles have very high ROFs which makes them hard to control in full auto, it also chews up ammo faster and heats up the weapon faster by having a high ROF.

Not for it's intended purpose. I know of units that standard issue the 12.5" barreled G3KA4 because of where they will be fighting. The rounds they fire are full power 7.62X51mm NATO. Frankly the rate of fire doesn't matter as much as some people think. Those aformentioned M14E2s fire at about 700~800 rounds a minute and they are used in Full Auto competitions.

As far as the FAL in the origional post it's one ment for jungle and urban fighting so it needs a shorter barrel.

[Nyles]

People talk alot about controllability of various assault rifles, but the reality is the only time a shoulder-fired rifle caliber weapon should be fired automatically is trench clearing and in FIBUA.

The level 3 marksmanship test we do is called the run-up. Start at 300M, shoot from the prone, sprint to 200M, fire prone and kneeling, sprint to 100M, prone and kneeling, sprint to 75M, standing, sprint to 50M, standing, sprint to 25M, only then do you fire full auto. Shooting a rifle-caliber weapon full auto much further than that is not necessary.

I do think the 5.56mm is a better military round, but the reason is not full-auto fire. You can carry more ammo for less weight, the weapon itself is lighter, and most importantly it's alot easier to use in semi-auto. Remember, most soldiers in this day and age go to basic training never having shot a rifle before. And even infanteers don't get to go to the range and practice nearly as much as they should, because there are so many other skills required of a modern soldier that need to be learned and refreshed. We don't have the time or the budget, and neither does almost any other army.

[Ermac]

double post.