FAL or M14 combat load

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eldon519

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Does anyone know what the typical combat load (round count) for a soldier carrying an FAL or an M14 is/was?

I've got an FAL on order, and I was kind of interested on what an appropriate quantity of magazines to have on hand would be for a SHTF scenario. I'm thinking a short-term duration here. Obviously the more mags and ammo the better, but there are practical limits.

TIA
 
7.62 is heavy!! I carried 1k one time and about broke my back.
But I would think 180 to be the minimum number to shoot for. A lot will depend on how you want to carry it (vest, leb, lbv, etc) will effect the practicallity.

That would be 4 dual mag pouches, two on each side, one mag in the weapon.
 
6 mags + 1 in weapon so 140 rounds

combat load for the m1garand is 6 clips + 1 so 56 rounds
combat load for the m-16 is 180 rounds

If you're thinking about short term duration I don't think a rifle really fits in with a 72 hour bag. All that weight you could be carrying more water. I'm not even sure it's right for Katrina, it's more a Jericho long term thing.
 
A load bearing vest from FMCO allows you to carry eight, twelve, or (!!) twenty.

It just depends on how much weight you're willing to put up with. I've got a brand new Tactical Tailor MOLLE vest that I'm going to rig up for 3-gun. I'm going to try for eight mags and see how I like it. Eight is the standard I want to use, six is okay, three or four is a light loadout. Depends on the mission.

Various South African, Rhodesian, and British rigs for the FAL/L1A1 allowed them to carry sometimes more than ten magazines. It's just a matter of weight.
 
The standard combat load for the M14 was 4 20-round mags in pouches plus one in the rifle for a total of 100 rounds. I'm not sure what it was for the FAL, and different countries probably had different ways of doing it, but it wouldn't surprise me if most countries standard combat load for the FAL was the same as for the M14.

combat load for the m1garand is 6 clips + 1 so 56 rounds
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Actually, the standard combat load for the M1 was 88 rounds. 10 8-round clips in the 10 pocket cartridge belt plus one full clip in the rifle = 88 rounds.

combat load for the m-16 is 180 rounds
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Again, you're wrong, sorry. The standard combat load with the M16 is 7 magazines, or at least it was when I was in the Army. 6 in pouches + 1 in the rifle. With 30 round mags that is 210 rounds. With 20 rounders it is 140 rounds.

Of course, standard combat loads aren't usually followed in war zones. Most grunts will pack as much ammo as they possibly can, which will often be much more than the "standard" load.
 
I'd say that six 20-round magazines in a chest rig and one 20-round magazine in the weapon would be a suitable combat load.

That would get you through a pretty good slug fest, though an extra 200-500 rounds in your vehicle on stripper clips would supplement you nicely.
 
The current combat load for either an M14 or FAL is 180 rounds, the combat load for an M16 is 240 rounds.

Though most in actual combat carry as much ammo with them as they can.
 
Does anyone know what the typical combat load (round count) for a soldier carrying an FAL or an M14 is/was?

I've got an FAL on order, and I was kind of interested on what an appropriate quantity of magazines to have on hand would be for a SHTF scenario. I'm thinking a short-term duration here. Obviously the more mags and ammo the better, but there are practical limits.
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Eldon:

Not to attempt to raise your feathers at all, but I think you should consider that you are not a soldier in a warzone.

That being said, you should only restrict your preparedness weaponry to what you are comfortable carrying. If you are as fit as a soldier and can handle all the weight of 150-200 rounds of .308 along with a 10 pound rifle w/ magazines, then more power to you.

I am not a soldier, my SHTF rifle is a Springfield M1A Scout, and in the event that I have to head out of Dodge and live like a turtle (off my back), I plan on carrying 5 total magazines. The weight is better spent in my particular situation on water and supplies.

If I am holed up in my home or I can bug out with my vehicle, I have a total of 12 M14 magazines at my disposal, and wouldn't mind having a few more.
 
Of course, standard combat loads aren't usually followed in war zones. Most grunts will pack as much ammo as they possibly can, which will often be much more than the "standard" load.
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So true. While doing convoys, 1 in the weapon, 1 on the stock, 8 on my vest, 8 in the BOB. All loaded to 28.
 
I agree with azredhawk44. While soldiers in combat tend to carry a bit more ammo than an official combat load would dictate, a civilian is not on the offensive and would not expect to be going up against a squad of similarly armed attackers.

In most realistic (temporary) situations, three or four mags would be more than plenty. From the accounts I've read in real life SHTF situations, would be criminal opportunists ran at the first presentation of a gun. If shots were fired, it was only a few rounds.
 
I find it hard to believe that the average civillian encounter could not be solved with 1-2 mags

As I recall....loaded fal mags are rather brick-like
 
My response was based on the question posed by the OP, which was "what is the combat load for these two rifles".

FAL mags weigh about the same as M14 mags when loaded.

Most of us over "50-ish" types ought not consider running anywhere with a rifle much less ammo. However, having both a well stock BoB and/or firing position is another story.:)
 
In the South African Defence Force, the standard webbing in my day (pattern 70) had space for 12 mags (4 in front in 2 dual-pouches and 8 in 4 dual-pouches behind) - and 1 on the FAL (or R1 as we called it)
 
Alot of you guys hit the mark. I was just curious what's considered good enough for the military. I'm not really that into Mad Max style SHTF preparation, and I know the reality of a good SHTF plan revolves more around water, food, shelter, etc than weaponry. I generally try to stay away from the arm-chair commando stuff. Realistically a single 10-rounder will be more than I would ever need.

When I said short term also I didn't really have a specific timeline in mind. Depending on the forum, alot of people immediately think long-term, rest of your life nuclear holocaustal situations where extremists want thousands and thousands of rounds, boxes full of magazines and cabinets full of guns. I was simply trying to differentiate from that.

Thanks for the information.
 
some of socalshooter's golden rules

You cannot have enough ammo
You cannot have enough magazines

I would figure 10 30 rounders at the least with some type of vest config and you could put the rest in your back pack.

My friends make fun of me for taking a side arm when hunting for dove...I take that and 6 magazines not to mention I had on something like 200 rounds of shotgun ammo. I did not end my day early because I did not have enough ammo.
 
Different questions, different missions.

I may want a hundred mags in my vehicle or house, if I'm carrying post shtf, I want maybe 4+1 mags for a fal.
 
Alot of you guys hit the mark. I was just curious what's considered good enough for the military. I'm not really that into Mad Max style SHTF preparation, and I know the reality of a good SHTF plan revolves more around water, food, shelter, etc than weaponry. I generally try to stay away from the arm-chair commando stuff. Realistically a single 10-rounder will be more than I would ever need.

When I said short term also I didn't really have a specific timeline in mind. Depending on the forum, alot of people immediately think long-term, rest of your life nuclear holocaustal situations where extremists want thousands and thousands of rounds, boxes full of magazines and cabinets full of guns. I was simply trying to differentiate from that.

Thanks for the information.
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When I lived in CA, I tried to maintain food for 30 days. It's earthquake country and that's a rational and doable level of sustainability. Seems to me that should include arms and what's necessary to operate them. Determining what a 30 day supply actually is is difficult.

Now that I've returned home to the south, near hurricane country the same applies I think. In December 2005, we had a 6 day power outage after a huge ice storm for example, and were about 24 hours without being able to drive an ordinary car down the road. Extreme, no, but you stop and think about what you'd need for longer problem times when those things happen.

Thinking about potential issues is more than half way to solving them.
 
Rule was: "as much as you want, but don't take the piss."

Patrolling the streets of Belfast, four is plenty: if you get ambushed you'll probably be dead before you get any rounds off and if you survive they'll have gone by the time you've reloaded.

Battling battalions of Argies or pretending to stick it to the commies, most would go for eight, plus one in the shooter, and as much as you could carry in your bergan on stripper clips. You'd also want some linked ammo for the gimpies.
 
If/when the SHTF, I won't be messing around. Even in a scenario that isn't post-apocylyptic (Los Angeles Riots for instance).

Imagine a rioting, looting, pillaging, destructive, violent MOB right outside your front door. Torching cars, kicking in doors, breaking windows, etc. Local law enforcement will not have a very good response time when the whole city is engulfed in chaos.

Yes, I'm a Marine. Yes, I'm a combat veteran. However even if I wasn't, I'd be prepared for the worst due to my responsibility to my wife and family.

It'll be a full combat load for this Marine.

PS-I'm not saying I'd be firing at the cyclic rate at a mob outside my front door. I'd only start to shoot once they entered my home.
 
FWIW in Australian service the "standard" equipment schedule for issue of an L1A1 was rifle plus three mags plus cleaning kit. However the basic webbing was set up with two basic pouches, one either side at the front, each of which could carry three mags, plus whatever you could manage in boxes or bandoliers of stripper clips in your bumpack and big pack (100 rounds was fairly standard), plus whatever link you could manage for the "gun" (section M60), plus spare batteries for the radio (AN/PRC 77), plus all the other stuff you had to carry to get the job done, eat, etc. It all adds up!
 
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