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Army updates automatic rifle procedures after soldier films misfiring M41A

Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
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Replies

  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    The M41A rifle changes the 3 round burst back to full auto and has a heavier bbl from what I can tell.
    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
    Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
    I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
  • JayhawkerJayhawker Posts: 18,364 Senior Member
    What in hell is an "M41A".....
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • shushshush Posts: 6,259 Senior Member
    Jayhawker said:
    What in hell is an "M41A".....

    M41A Pulse Rifle?



  • JayhawkerJayhawker Posts: 18,364 Senior Member
    That's got to be it....
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    I think the S&S just transposed A1 to 1A  in their article title as I did too........ sorta like the M1A is the civilian version of the M-14. Didn't sound right or follow protocol for nomenclature designations used by the military to me either.

    They even considered a M4A1+ model.
     

    Army upgrades

    "The M4 product improvement program (PIP) is the effort by the U.S. Army to modernize its inventory of M4 service rifles. Phase I consists of converting and replacing regular M4s with the M4A1 version. This variant of the rifle is fully automatic and has a heavier barrel, and is given ambidextrous fire controls. Phase II of the PIP explored developing a new bolt carrier. 11 designs were submitted. The competition was scheduled to conclude in summer 2013, but ended in April 2012. Over six months of testing revealed that the current bolt carrier assembly outperformed the competing designs, especially in the areas of reliability, durability, and high-temp and low-temp tests. Phase II also includes a competition for a free-floating forward rail assembly. The Army may award contracts to up to three finalists in early 2013, with the selection of a final winner in early 2014. If the Army determines that the winning rail system should be procured, delivery of new rail is anticipated by the summer of 2014.[30]

    In March 2015, the Army launched a market survey to see what the small-arms industry could offer to further enhance the M4A1 to an "M4A1+" standard. Several upgrade options include an extended forward rail that will allow for a free-floated barrel for improved accuracy with a low-profile gas block that would do away with the traditional triangular fixed front sight, removable front and rear flip-up back-up iron sights, a coyote tan or "neutral color" rail for reduced visual detection, a more effective flash suppressor/muzzle brake, an improved charging handle, and a new single-stage trigger module.[31] In June 2016, the M4A1+ was canceled after reviewing the offerings and determining that there were no major upgrades currently offered.[32]"





    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
    Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
    I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    edited May 2018 #7
    Hey, the M41A uses Clips and fires the .45 Long Colt bullets..............Smilie laughing animated emoticon
    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
    Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
    I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
  • JayhawkerJayhawker Posts: 18,364 Senior Member
    Of all the media outlets Stars and Stripes is the one that should get military stuff right.....of late I have noticed a shift to the left of center in that publication and I'm not entirely sure I like it...
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    S&S must have fixed it because my thread title was copy and paste from the article header this morning.
    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
    Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
    I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
  • tennmiketennmike Posts: 27,457 Senior Member
    Seems that the three shot burst mode has caused a lot of trouble since its introduction. That is one overly complicated contraption to start with, and is subject to wear. Semi and full auto worked good; the burst fire just doesn't seem to fill a need. Sort of like a solution in search of a non existing problem.
      I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer”
    ― Douglas Adams
  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    edited June 2018 #11
    I think my Ruger ARs have Bolts for semi-auto only on them. A cutout of some kind. I'm not sure of the pros and cons of either and I wouldn't ever contemplate turning one into an illegal full auto anyway.

    The idy when the Army decided to go from Auto to 3 rd Burst on their M16s/M4s was theoretically to save ammo and allow soldiers to get more hits on the enemy.

    Apparently it hasn't panned out. I think it was the Marines and/or the AF who decided not to follow suit. 
    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
    Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
    I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
  • tennmiketennmike Posts: 27,457 Senior Member
    If I had to guess WHY the three shot burst mode came into being it is because the military wanted to stop the 'mag dump syndrome'. Like you said, BC, to save ammunition. The same thinking by the Army back in the late 1800s is the reason that the Army was very much against repeaters like the Winchester and Marlin lever actions of the day, and the old single shot Springfield trapdoor rifles survived as long as they did. Fear of wasting ammunition. Same deal with bolt action rifles with the magazine cutoff so the rifle could be fired single shot only.

    Friend of mine, and neighbor, was an M-60 machine gunner in Vietnam in the late 1960s. He echoes the sentiment that in a firefight there's no such thing as too much ammunition. He was there, so I take his word for it.
      I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer”
    ― Douglas Adams
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