OD

Dingle,

The AR series of rifles are fun and capable.

The 5.56 M-16 & Ithaca 37 shotgun were the weapons of choice for Chief James "Patches" Watson who could have used any weapons he wanted. Of course he was ONLY a plank owner in SEAL Team 2 with three tours in Vietnam and 16 combat decorations, four of which are Bronze Stars with Combat "V" so he may not know as much as those of us on the errornet superhighway.

__________________
OD
"Slow down, you'll get a more harmonious outcome...."
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"The pistol, learn it well, carry it always ..." - Jeff Cooper

Euclidean

I've tackled this myself. I don't see myself becoming an AR15 aficionado, so I decided I'd just hunt down one of these next year.

http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/w...bcwa3f16m4.asp

__________________
I am The Armed Educator.

ExSoldier

Patches Watson is the current curator for the SEAL/UDT Museum in Fort Pierce, FL. I have corresponded with him and other SEAL types for several articles I had published some years ago on modern day piracy. It always seemed to me that he favored the SEAL sized (downsized) M-60 LMG, the one with the vertical foregrip. But maybe he was referring to the heavy fire backup for a SEAL Tm. I know that during 'Nam, most SEALS preferred M14's over the M16, at least early in the conflict. Even the famed SHARKMAN (Marcinko) preferred the M14. The original purpose for developing the M16 was as a wounding rather than a killing round, ostensibly to make the enemy work harder on the battlefield taking care of casualties rather than just burying bodies. Oh there was other chatter about the little gun and our dimunitive sized South Vietnamese allies....and the "advantage" of weight to ammo ratio yada yada yada.

Actually the whole thing was cooked up by the military industrial complex as a monetary boondoggle. Just another moneymaker for the CEO's and a widowmaker for the military. Originally, the M16 was a design nightmare. Rather than junk it....($$$$) it was gradually tweaked to conform to the standards of combat.

__________________
Former Infantry Captain; 20 yrs as an NRA Certified Instructor; Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO.

OD

I believe he referring to the heavy fire backup. I'm familiar with Chief Watson and have his books.
http://www.realseal.org/

I think that's the first time I've read most SEAL preferred the M-14, can you direct my to where you found that information? If you're not too set in your ways about the M-16, you may find THE BLACK RIFLE: M16 RETROSPECTIVE: ENHANCED 2ND ED. by R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell, informative. It dispels many myths, misconceptions and out right fabrications about the AR series of rifles.

__________________
OD
"Slow down, you'll get a more harmonious outcome...."
--------------------------------------------
"The pistol, learn it well, carry it always ..." - Jeff Cooper

joe/OH

Consider the FBI Miami shootout. If the bad guy had been using something with a little more oomph than a Mini-14, things would not have turned out as well as they did for the FBI.

OD

Only Manauzzi and Orrantina were not seriously wounded, Risner was uninjured. Which brings us back to the mantra of shot placement.

__________________
OD
"Slow down, you'll get a more harmonious outcome...."
--------------------------------------------
"The pistol, learn it well, carry it always ..." - Jeff Cooper

ExSoldier

OD: You read Patches Watson and I read Dick Marcinko. It was also part of one of those MILITARY CHANNEL documentary shows on the SEALs. IIRC I also got that info as part of a packet sent to me from SEAL HQ at Coronado Naval Base when I was researching my articles on modern piracy....but you have to remember, this was waaaaay pre-911. It was something like 1993.

__________________
Former Infantry Captain; 20 yrs as an NRA Certified Instructor; Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO.

OD

I have 5 or 6 of Marcinko's books also, very entertaining for fiction, I like him.

__________________
OD
"Slow down, you'll get a more harmonious outcome...."
--------------------------------------------
"The pistol, learn it well, carry it always ..." - Jeff Cooper

rocky

I think the 5.56mm cartridge doesn't perform as well for the military due to the use of FMJ only. Hps or soft points really enhance the performance. Haven't tried the Hornady TAP ammo yet, but have heard it performs well. Also , its all about application. 7.62 penetrates better, but is alot heavier to carry, ammo too.

ExSoldier

Remember his first books were not fiction. He got into trouble after writing Rogue Warrior for disclosing SEAL intensive stuff.

__________________
Former Infantry Captain; 20 yrs as an NRA Certified Instructor; Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO.