If you have used a full-auto weapon in combat, was it in full- or semi-auto mostly?

[winchester1886]

I did a lot of spray and pray. Vietman 67-68

 

[eastbank]

both,eastbank.

 

[Coal Dragger]

With my M16A4 in actual combat I never recall using burst. With an M249 or M240 well..... obviously full auto since there is no semi-auto setting on a belt fed weapon.

 

[Big Bad Bob]

My M4 was always clicked to Semi, now the 249's and 240's another thing. But always fired controlled 6-9 or 3-6 round bursts.

I am qualified expert on all 3 and the M9.

 

[snake284]

I shouldn't even respond to this since I wasn't in the military. I flunked my Physical in '69 and they declared me 4-F. I was actually trying to join Uncle Sam's Boy Scout Troop, the U.S. Army. I made it to the last doctor and he didn't like what he saw. Anyway, didn't really hurt my feelings at the time, but later you feel guilty about those things.
My dad's dad was in WWI in the Army at the front, my dad was a P-51 Mustang Pilot in the 8th air force, both my sons have served, the oldest in the Navy aboard U.S.S. Independence out of Yokosuka Japan from 93 thru 97, and my youngest boy is still in the 82nd Air Borne stationed at Fort Bragg NC. He's been in since Jan. 2006 and has been to Iraq Twice. My oldest boy spent quite a bit of time in the Persian and Arabian Gulfs while he was in the Navy. I also had an uncle that was a West Point Grad, class of 39 who was sited to receive the DSC for action on Bataan and survived the Death March, and Camp O'Donnel and died in Camp Cabanatuan later that year in October of 42 during a diptheria epidemic in the camp. He was given the DSC Postumously by Wainright after the War in I think 1947 or 48. He was from Ablilene Texas.

So you can see I come from a rich miltary back ground and it feels like crap that I didn't go.

Anyway, the only time I have shot anything full auto was a doctor in our gun club let me shoot his full auto M-16 once. That's it. But it was fun to hit the Happy Switch and Rock and Roll!!!

 

[Tim the student]

Old thread, but whatever.

I've never shot burst in combat - only semi.

 

[marksman13]

Jumping in this old, zombie of a thread. Vern, another Army unit you can add to that list of Army/Marine combined units. My unit (155th BCT) was attached to the 2nd MarDiv in Iraq in 2005. We have the option of wearing the 2nd MarDiv patch on our right shoulder.

 

[Cash4Gold]

Well, semi was what I used when I actually saw who I was shooting at. When there was thick vegetation and I was taking fire but couldn't exactly see where they were at but I knew the general area, I was shooting three round burst. Honestly, I doubt I actually hit anything with the 3rd burst.

 

[jhngardner367]

It depended on which weapon I was using,since we didn't always carry one type on our lrrp's.Normally,I used the M21,which is the "sniper version",of the M14,so I didn't try a rock-n-roll,because it was just plain uncontrollable on full auto.With the M16,--no problem!

 

[Hangingrock]

The 3rd MarDiv deployed to Viet Nam with two regular regiments and one reserve regiment.

The 3rd Marine Division was composed of 3rd – 4th – 9th infantry regiments and the 12th artillery regiment. The 4th Marine regiment and 3rd battalion 12th Marines formed the 1st Marine brigade in Hawaii. These units were transferred to Okinawa in 1965 and thus to Viet-Nam.

To the best of my knowledge there was never a reserve Marine regiment from the 4th Marine division that served in Viet-Nam.

At Camp Pendleton the Marines formed the 26th – 27th infantry regiments and the 13th Marine Artillery regiment. These units went to Vietnam and were at that time under control of the 3rd MAF (Marine Amphibious Force) If memory serves me correctly all Marine units in Vietnam during my time of service 1964-1968 were under control of the 3rd MAF and there were also (2) US-Army divisions.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'm just going by what the Marines told me -- the 1st Bde, 5th ID was OPCON to 3rd MarDiv its entire time in country.

 

[7thCavScout]

I was an M249 SAW gunner. So my choices where limited.

 

[DanTheFarmer]

I was never in combat, thank God, but I hope you don't mind me adding my observations from training.

It became obvious to me real fast that semi-auto was best almost all the time and full auto was for real close range stuff as mentioned above: room or trench clearing, bad guys emerging by surprise from smoke or unexpected direction at close range, and things like that.

I did want to comment on the use of supressive fire. I remember training on the two man buddy rush. One guys rushes for not more that 3 seconds then flops down, his buddy shoots to keep the bad guys heads down while guy number one is up, then they swap places. My comment is, even in training, the adrenaline gets pumping and your sense of time can leave you. You can burn A LOT of ammo on semi when it is your turn to shoot during a buddy rush. Combat must magnify this even more.

Anyway, that's what I remember from "the Schoolhouse", I defer to those who actually had to "take the test".

Dan

 

[APIT50]

Actually the ol' M2 does have a semi option but that's no fun, just twist to unlock the bolt release and u r semi.
The m240 is so accurate that it works great popping singles if u can.
M16 very difficult to control even on burst, M4 really no better cyclic rate is pretty high.
I did use burst to get the attention of people so I did'nt need to use the M2.

 

[Grunt]

Burst for blanks (I mean, it's a freakin' blank...who cares!!!) and semi for live ammo is what I believed in.

 

[Flfiremedic]

While I was in training and before joining I had visions of dragging wounded Marines to safety with my A3 on burst firing one handed...THANK GOD I was attached to a unit with a bunch of real "Been there" types that taught me what suppressive fire was all about and the "Well Aimed" shot.
Come to think of it I was pretty shocked my first time at the armory when my expected M9 had a carry handle and a a really long barrel.