Militaries all over the world train troops to use the semi-auto selection on their assault

[brewens]

rifles most of the time. We probably have veterans on here that can add to that. I would suspect the use full-auto laying down covering fire in a combat situation where other guys are trying to advance on an enemy position. Any kid that plays a lot of Call of Duty or those type games probably knows blowing through a clip on full-auto isn't a good idea in most situations.

It really makes no difference that those guns are not the actual assault rifles the military uses. You could make a case for it almost being better if a shooter did have full-auto. In some mall, it might be bad for the first couple people he fired at, but everyone else might get away while he reloaded, if he had extra clips.

I just keep seeing right-wingers nitpick people using the term assault weapons. One guy on FB always counters with, "those aren't assault weapons, they were banned in 1934". NRA babbling points. He knows damn well that people know we are talking about the semi-auto rifles with high capacity clips that have been mass marketed for years now. It's just an attempt to shut down serious conversations on the subject.

[ExciteBike66]

1. This

Full-auto was too wasteful. The Army had the M249 for that with their drums, no need for the M16/M4 to do more than plink away on semi.

[atreides1]

2. In my day!

When I was in the army...we had the M-60...for those units that didn't have a MG, at least one member of the squad was designated as the Automatic Rifleman...he was the guy who was ready to fire on full auto.

[rampartc]

3. "full auto" is, in most cases, a waste of ammunition

marines in my day were instructed to use semi auto in most cases. your analysis seems correct to me

"it might be bad for the first couple people he fired at, but everyone else might get away while he reloaded, if he had extra clips."

these guys do carry plenty of ammunition, but the more of it that gets stuck in the wall and ceiling the better.

note : the gun enthusiasts prefer "magazines" to "clips" and for some inscrutable reason they do not consider "automatic rifles" to be "automatic weapons"

[Aristus]

4. We were trained to fire on semi-auto only, unless specifically instructed by Range personnel

to fire on full auto (we called it 'rock-and-roll'.) Such instructions hardly ever came, because full auto wastes ammunition, and contributes to poor marksmanship, which is what we were training to improve.

It really pisses me off that any shit-for-brains, limpdick Rambo-wannabe with no military training can get his hands on one of these killing machines...

[Hoyt]

5. Dayton shooter got of 41 rounds in under 30 seconds. Lethal enough.

[underpants]

6. If memory serves - we had single shot, 3 round burst, and full

I think we may have fired full one time in basic. It’s a waste. Single shot was what we used to qualify at Basic Rifle Marksmanship week.

I never carried an M-16 after basic. I always had a 45 or a 9.

[flotsam]

7. In '72 the 16's had only safe, semi, and auto...

We were trained to fire 3 round bursts. The drill was lock and load and then "Fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, and fire" God help the recruit who ran out of bang bangs before the seventh burst!