Number of magazines/rounds issued to current troops?

[jagdpanzer347]

Greetings all. Was just curious as to what the current issue, "standard" combat load is for soldiers and marines. I realize of course this is changed to fit mission-specific needs. I am primarily interested in M16/M4 load out, but would be interested to know what M203 and SAW gunners carry.

Also, when being resupplied, is 5.56 ammo issued out on stripper clips in bandoliers? What if a troop has lost or damaged magazines?

Thanks in advance and stay safe

-jagdpanzer

 

[BoySetsTheFire]

Nothing personal here - but if anyone knows the answers to these questions I don't think they should post it. The people that need to know this already know.

 

[Oldnamvet]

In Vietnam, guys in my unit could pack all they wanted to carry. Some had 200 rounds (low end) and one big guy used to carry about 1000. That was for the M-16. Anyone who looked like they could handle some more carried M-60 ammo as well. Guys with M-79's took care of themselves. I don't remember how many rounds they carried. Keeping the switch off "auto" on the rifles made the ammo last a lot longer on "semi" and seemed a lot more effective than the "spray and pray" approach some guys took. 200 rounds didn't last long on full auto.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

BoySetsTheFire, no offense taken. The last thing I want to do is provide the enemy with intel. However the subject matter at hand couldn't be that hard to find out about, especially "in country".

OldNamVet, first of all, let me thank you for your service to our country. Your reply was very informative. Were you issued twenty or thirty round mags? Did you have many mag-related malfunctions? Lastly, what percentage of ammo was carried in mags versus bandoliers, etc?

Thanks again,

-jagd.

PS- are you still shooting the K31?

 

[SnakeEater]

I was Infantry from '96-'00. Our standard combat load was 7 mags = 210 rds. Ammo pouches for the SAW and the M249 belts were dispersed throughout the platoon, we carried as much as they'd give us. Ammo resupply was almost always on stripper clips.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Snake, hey neighbor! What about replacing lost or damaged mags. Could you draw as much ammo and as many mags as you wanted?

-jagd

 

[SnakeEater]

Sure, they'd replace lost or damaged mags, if the armorer had some on hand. Individual soldiers don't draw ammo, that was done by either the Plt. Sgt. or a SSG./Sqd. Ldr. So no, we could not get all we wanted.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Snake, thanks for clearing up some of the ammo logistics. However, it seems as though nco's could have a definite bearing on ammo availability? It just seems like 210 rounds isn't really that much, given the potential of a delayed resupply. I mean, I can pop off that many rounds easy in a plinking situatution, while allowing a good amount of cool down time! And thanks to you as well, for your service.

-jagdpanzer

 

[EvisceratorSrB]

According to one of my friends who served in the U.S. Army infantry, he did run out of ammo during a firefight. He always carried more from then on.

 

[MechAg94]

My Dad was in a maintenance battalion in Vietnam. He said he would vollunteer for area patrols out of boredom. He said he could pack in as much as he wanted to carry. The rules may have been looser in that group.

 

[steveracer]

The MEF guys carry 11 mags.

That's 330 rounds for the M-4, and 45 for the M-9. (or 27 for the shotgun)
Resupply is 30 rounds on three strippers in cardboards in cases of 1000.
M-9 Resupply is boxes of 50.

 

[TimboKhan]

When I first landed in Somalia, for some reason ammo was scarce, so we were given 10 rounds apiece. 10. I don't think I ever had more than 3 full magazines on me the entire time I was there. In Desert Storm, I don't think I had any less than 7 or 8 full magazines, plus 500 rounds of m-60 ammo on me at all times.

 

[progunner1957]

When I first landed in Somalia, for some reason ammo was scarce

Maybe Slick Willie wanted the enemy to have a better chance?

 

[HankB]

When I first landed in Somalia, for some reason ammo was scarce, so we were given 10 rounds apiece. 10.

Sending troops into harm's way with just 10 rounds is nothing less than criminal.

In WWII, my Dad told me in combat zones, standard ammo (.30/06, .30 Carbine, and .45) and grenades weren't formally issued, you just helped yourself, there was plenty to be had. If you wanted something out of the ordinary (like tracers for your Garand) you'd have to pirate them from some machine gun belts.

I *think* he may have mentioned shotgun shells were hard to come by, but then again shotguns were pretty rare . . .

 

[Roadwild17]

I got a bud over there right now,,, actually I got a few:

One says he caries 11 mags for the M4 and the other is a m249 gunner, he said he hardly ever has less than 1k handy.

 

[strambo]

This stuff ain't OPSEC. Standard combat load is still 210 rds (7 mags). However, once you're in a combat zone magazines/ammo are not hard to come by. The best source is the guys leaving. Most guys probably carry between 8-11 mags on their gear. I am set up now to carry 8 plus the one in my weapon for a total of 9. I also have an M9 and 3 mags for it. If I wanted, I could probably scrounge up double my current load (ammo and mags) in about a day.

Yeah, resupply is bandoleers, so you gotta keep your mags in good order until you can get to the rear and get them replaced.

 

[jotto]

Agreed with the above posters on basic load. I carried 9 mags on my last deployment. We had so much ammo and demo stocked on our track that running out of ammo was not an issue. I also had quite a few .50 cal cans full of loaded magazines as well. Ammo resupply was as simple as me stopping by the ASP and signing for some. Same with the demo and AT-4's. If I had to give rough numbers I'd say that my riflemen carried about 300 rounds each, SAW gunners about 600-800 and 240 gunners about 3-400. Probably around 2000 rounds of all types stored on the track which 95% of the time was nearby. 2000 rounds at least on it for the .50. 4-8 AT-4's, and a lot of grenades, smoke, clusters, M203, etc. Also about 250-500 lbs of demo.

 

[ID_shooting]

US Army 88-96, 7 mags here, 6 in pouches, 1 in rifle. I was the armorer, I had foot lockers full of spare mags (all 30 rounders) troops were welcome to grab as they needed.

Ammo came in everything from 2 round boxes on strippers in bandoliers to crates full of loose rounds. Many a day with a detail of privates stacking mags.

 

[possum]

i am currently an e-5 in the Infantry. The basic combat load is 210rds which was stated previously. While i was in Iraq from June 04 to june 05 I carried extra mags 11 in my chest rig one in my weapon, and a 20rd " i am gonna die if i have to use this mag" in my right cargo pocket. I see no reason why the amount of ammo carried would cause an issue. That info is in many military manuals that have ulimited distrubution, you can find these at gun shows and on the www.armystudyguide.com website which is where there is alot of general info, and the one resourse i used to study for the e-5 board. Just because that is the basic combat load that dosen't mean that everyone carries that little or that much. There are some that I saw with only 2-3 mags at a time in sector. Being infantry and around the "*hit" more than most I carried more, along with many others. But I also had a 25mm chain gun and coax to back me up!

 

[DMK]

How did you guys carry your mags in combat? A couple dual mag pouches on a pistol belt? Bandoliers? Stuck 'em in pockets?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

There are four factors in ammunition supply. The Required Supply Rate (RSR) established by the S3, the Avaliable Supply Rate (ASR) tracked by the S4, and the Basic Load, established by the commander. The combined Basic Load for all individuals is summed up as the Unit of Fire, and the commander dictates how many Units of Fire are carried. Typically, the infantryman carries one Unit of Fire, one or two more are carried in unit vehicles, one or two more carried in the Combat Trains, and at least that much in the Field Trains.

For small arms ammunition, the ASR is almost always equal to or in excess of the RSR. For artillery and mortar ammunition, and similar heavy weight munitions (like mines) the ASR is often determined by the transportation ability of the command.

The standard Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) includes two magazine pouches, each of which holds 3 magazines. With one magazine in the rifle, this gives the rifleman 210 rounds. Additional ammunition is issued on stripper clips.

Magazines themselves are not accountable (especially in combat) and if your Platoon Sergeant asks for them, he'll usually get them. Magazine pouches are likewise readily available.

As a minor point, each magazine pouch can hold two grenades strapped to the sides, and troops usually carry at least 4 grenades going into action.

 

[fal 4 me]

When I first landed in Somalia, for some reason ammo was scarce

Maybe Slick Willie wanted the enemy to have a better chance?

Let's see, so the U.S. landed in Samolia on December 9, 1992. So you must mean Bush 1 right, because it would be hard for Clinton to send troops somewhere before he was even inaugurated.

 

[rangerruck]

If you ask me, it depends on the political climate. i joined in the mid 80's and served until right up to the first sandbox trip. One time our btn went to the Philipines, during the height of civil unrest, the marcos' were on the way out, and the commies did not want Aquino assuming power. We go over there, and are we near a big city? Subic bay, Angeles City? No. They stick us off way out in the big , HUGE, bad bush. And who had the ammo? our pltn Lt.'s were under intruction for them and their rto to carry it, and only dispense it , if we came under fire. What a###es!

 

[jotto]

To the person who asked how we carried our magazines:

I have a Blackhawk harness with a 3 triple mag pouch attached to the front. Each pocket holds 3 magazines plus one in the weapon. I also forgot to mention that I carried 4- 20 round magazines completely loaded with tracers for target marking.

 

[Newguy1]

When I hit the ground in Summer of 2003, I didn't have any ammo. I had two M-9s though....

I flew commercial from the states to a Friendly Middle Eastern Country FMEC (the one where NightCrawler worked if I remember correctly). Because I was flying comercial I had to have my weapon locked in my luggage, the FMEC conficitated my bag until they checked out why I had a gun.

I did not have my duffles split loaded very well and the one with the M9 in it also had all of my underware in it. I had the horrible mental image of a FMEC military/police/customs guy running around with my underware on using my M-9, and that wasn't too comforting. The idea of flying into Baghdad with no weapon wasn't making me very happy so I went to the Armory and explained what happend.

I had a quick turn-around to get in country so I was issued another M-9 while the US Embassy worked a deal with the FMEC to get my M-9 back. One major sanfu with the whole process was that there was no M-9 ammo there (I also didn't get any armor, that was reserved for O-7s and above at that time). I got my M-9 form the FMEC guys just before I flew out. I was told to get your ammo in country, there is lots there.... there was, it was just a 2 hour drive away. So there I was.... 2 M-9s and no ammo.

I was pretty lucky in that I found a blown up Iraqi Army police barracks and got a case of ammo there.

My second trip to IZ I got a lot smarter I went in with a M-9 and a M-16.