The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Capacity, Hit Rate, Multiple Assailants and some thoughts...

mes228 · June 28, 2012, 07:19 AM

Just an aside to this topic. I bird hunt with a Gentleman that was awarded a Silver Star in Vietnam. He seems about as far from a hero as it's possible to get. I told him once that "you just don't look like a hero to me".

He replied "I'm not. I was a 19 year old kid, that the worst helicopter pilot in the world, landed on the top of the wrong mountain with a bunch of other kids. Then couldn't come back because of weather and pick us up. I had a position on the line that the enemy tried to come through at about 3 am. All I did was fire five 30 round magazines in just a very very few minuets. I was just trying to keep them off of me. If the rifle had jammed, or ammo ran out - I wouldn't be here."

That influences the way I think about "capacity" anymore. It's just a way to "keep them off of me". I also asked myself that question when buying "keeper" AR rifles. I asked "Will this rifle fire five 30 round magazines in 5 minuets and still work?". A military Colt will do that, along with FN and perhaps others. At any rate I ended up with a FN and Daniels Defense AR's. After using them I believe both would run until they melted, if I ever needed to do that. Just an old mans ramblings. Your mileage may vary.

June 28, 2012, 07:19 AM	#4
mes228 Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2005 Posts: 628	Capacity Just an aside to this topic. I bird hunt with a Gentleman that was awarded a Silver Star in Vietnam. He seems about as far from a hero as it's possible to get. I told him once that "you just don't look like a hero to me". He replied "I'm not. I was a 19 year old kid, that the worst helicopter pilot in the world, landed on the top of the wrong mountain with a bunch of other kids. Then couldn't come back because of weather and pick us up. I had a position on the line that the enemy tried to come through at about 3 am. All I did was fire five 30 round magazines in just a very very few minuets. I was just trying to keep them off of me. If the rifle had jammed, or ammo ran out - I wouldn't be here." That influences the way I think about "capacity" anymore. It's just a way to "keep them off of me". I also asked myself that question when buying "keeper" AR rifles. I asked "Will this rifle fire five 30 round magazines in 5 minuets and still work?". A military Colt will do that, along with FN and perhaps others. At any rate I ended up with a FN and Daniels Defense AR's. After using them I believe both would run until they melted, if I ever needed to do that. Just an old mans ramblings. Your mileage may vary.