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If you or a well-trained soldier shoot an M4 or M16 in burst mode at a man-sized target at say, 150 yards, how many shots will hit it? The answer is probably two, and possibly three.
If you shoot an M14 in burst mode (assuming they made this), at the same distance, how many rounds would hit the target? The answer is ONE.
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Except even the burst capability is almost never used. The infantry rifleman is told their mission is individually aimed rounds at identified targets. In this capacity, a trained soldier can put out aimed semi-automatic rounds from a 7.62mm rifle like the M14 as fast, or nearly so, as a 5.56mm rifle. Even against multiple targets when displacing, I always expected to operate in semi-automatic with the M16. The 3rd burst feature was somewhat of a curiosity to us, and never used unless we had lots of mags forced on us by Cpls and Sgts who didn't want to participate in a range exercise, and then it was just to get the rounds expended as fast as possible with little or no thought given to accuracy.
If accuracy is a consideration with volume of fire, most soldiers are going do better trained in hammer pairs with semi-automatic fire than with automatic fire, regardless of the caliber.
The civilian sector has shown us that the M14 can be made smaller and lighter in a carbine for CQB, that chassis systems can eliminate any accuracy/bedding problems that may exist while allowing for the same number of sights, white lights, lasers, and vertical foregrips as the M16, and that compensators can even largely eliminate the "excessive" recoil of the 7.62mm round.
And while we are on the subject, it has been shown that 7.62mm belt fed machine guns can be made small and manageable enough to question the validity of 5.56mm systems as well.
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Psst, burst is full-auto fire,
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Heh hehe...
If you say so...