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I was issued an M 14 while in the Marine Corps during the earliest phases of the Vietnam War. It did have a lot of recoil. We used the M 1 Garand in infantry training. At any rate I swear I have seen several photos of US troops if Afghanistan using the M 14 ?
I've seen rangers with them....maybe even some of the SF guys have them....
I was issued an M 14 while in the Marine Corps during the earliest phases of the Vietnam War. It did have a lot of recoil. We used the M 1 Garand in infantry training. At any rate I swear I have seen several photos of US troops if Afghanistan using the M 14 ?
Indeed, when they can be had they are fast scooped up. Personally, I feel the Springfield SOCOM and Scout Squad should be widely issued to forward troops. The M4 is great for tankers, and is just dandy for special uses at CQB distances in an urban setting, but the good ol' M1A/M14 design has a LOT going for it, top of the list being it's cartrige. I'm not a fan of the M14 on full auto, but there is no need for it to have to be used thus anyway. To quote an old WW2 slogan..."They got the GUTS...give em' the FIREPOWER.
I was issued an M 14 while in the Marine Corps during the earliest phases of the Vietnam War. It did have a lot of recoil. We used the M 1 Garand in infantry training. At any rate I swear I have seen several photos of US troops if Afghanistan using the M 14 ?
The M14 is known as the DMR (desigmated marksman rifle) and there will often be a designated marksman in a platoon in the Marine Corps. That said, it is being phased out in favor of the EMR/M39. Of course they all descened from the M1 Garand.
Just my opinion, but have never been a fan of the 5.56mm. Using a .22 cartridge more suitable for hunting varmints has never seemed like a good idea. There seems to be growing support for the 6.8mm Remington SPC. Hits much harder than the 5.56, harder than the Rusky AK, not as hard or as much recoil as the .308. Several US makers such as Barrett are chambering for it. The Jordanians like it so much that KADDB is making rifles and carbines for their army. As for Afghanistan, those Remington 700 .308 bolt action sniper rifles would sure be able to reach out and touch a terrorist and do the job. Heck, if there are still any around, a hundred year old bolt action Springfield chambered for the venerable .30-06 would do just fine for keeping the bad guys in heads down mode at long distances.
FOXNews.com - U.S. Military Reconsiders Army's Use of M4 Rifles in Afghanistan
The U.S. military is re-evaluating the Army’s use of the M4 rifle in Afghanistan following concerns that the Taliban’s primitive AK-47’s are proving more effective.
The M4 is an updated version of the M16, which was designed for close quarters combat in Vietnam. But while the weapon is better suited for the kind of urban warfare common in Iraq, some have questioned whether it is deadly and accurate for Afghanistan – where U.S. troops often find themselves in long-range combat.
An Army study found that the 5.56mm bullets fired from the M4s don’t retain enough velocity past 1,000 feet to kill an enemy. In Afghanistan, forces are often up to 2,500 feet apart.
^^^^^^^^^^^
There is a need for those weapons, but I don't think it outstrips the versatility of the M16/M4 and the logistics behind switching everything to rifle with a different round. The Army could try the Marine tactic of embedding snipers or designated marksman in infantry platoons with the higher caliber rifles (M40,M14, and M39). In addition to heavy use of close air support, indirect, and direct fire.
During the battle, the designated marksman single handedly thwarted a company-sized enemy RPG and machinegun ambush by reportedly killing 20 enemy fighters with his devastatingly accurate precision fire. He selflessly exposed himself time and again to intense enemy fire during a critical point in the eight-hour battle for Shewan in order to kill any enemy combatants who attempted to engage or maneuver on the Marines in the kill zone. What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn’t miss any shots, despite the enemies’ rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position.
Quote:
After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield.
Throughout Thursday, U.S. Marines pummeled insurgents with mortars, sniper fire and missiles as gun battles intensified.
edit: just saw that's exactly what the Army is doing
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