Clearing some rumors about SF soldiers habits - rifles

[Double Naught Spy]

Why to do that? As I understand the tracer also gives out the shooters position and besides, ...

So basically, you are asking why anyone would ever use tracers since they have the potential to give away one's position.

The notion of giving away one's position sort of assumes that the enemy can't discern where the fire is coming from. Given that snipers don't usually use tracer because being clandestine is so critical, especially when shooting, the enemy will have a pretty good idea where you and your unit are if you are firing on the enemy.

Loading a tracer a few rounds from the end works fine for semi-auto fire. It lets the soldier know he is close to the end and that he needs to be considering a reload asap. Depending on targets available to him, the amount of time before he must reload after the tracer will depend on how much shooting he is doing.

In daylight, tracers are very hard to see from the side or from in front of the bullet although the tracer will be visible to the shooter if he is looking for it. It just won't be that bright in daylight.

 

[Rifleman 173]

We used tracers in Viet Nam in several different ways. One was to let you know when you were getting close to being out of ammo in your magazine. Another way was for some people to have a couple of magazines FULLY loaded with tracers. Two or sometimes three guys would flank out away from the target and wait until helicopters or attack airplanes began their runs over the target area. The shooters would cut loose with bursts at the target or over the target and the pilots would place their rockets or bombs right where those two lines of tracers intersected. It worked like a charm most of the time and insured more accurate pinpoint bombing of a cave entrance, bunker or hidden building. In addition, if you had a really dry area, enough tracers could set a hidden building on fire or dry grass near your position to identify it from the air above so your own pilots wouldn't hit your location.

 

[rero360]

I personally have put all my tracers into two mags, with all the other mags being straight ball, started doing that when I was a gunner and figured I'd want to give a light show to anyone who would get to close to the convoy.

I've never had a problem with running out of ammo and not knowing it.

 

[HorseSoldier]

I think the tracers-in-the-bottom-of-the-mag thing mostly works best in AKs and other long guns that do not have a bolt hold open on an empty magazine. Might be handy with an AR type, also, I suppose, but I've never had trouble noticing my bolt had locked back on an M16 or M4. I have pulled the trigger on a dry AK before, however. A couple rounds of tracer (on semi or full auto) would be good to trigger a mag change rather than running around with an almost empty mag.

 

[Trojan6]

We loaded our mags according to the TM just like RyanM posted. Leaders carried 1-2 all tracer mags for marking targets. Also works for MGs as well and redistributed the 4x1 linked to first 100 rds 9x1, 2nd 100 rds 5x1, and last 25 rds all tracer. Worked good enough for us.

LH3

 

[mpmarty]

Full auto has merit for more than spray and pray.
In my day the fire team concept was taught. A fire team comprised three elements, be they single fighters, squads, platoons or companies. One of the three elements (for our illustration we will use thee individuals) was armed with a full auto capable weapon such as a BAR and the other two had either bolt action or semi auto rifles. The fire team advances until it meets resistance such as another patrol, mg emplacement etc. at which time the drill was that the BAR laid down supressing fire while the riflemen flanked and eliminated the enemy. In practice it never quite worked that way, but that was the plan anyway.

 

[cameron.personal]

Of course full auto fire has it's place in combat, who are these morons that spout crap that it doesn't???