The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

BlueTrain · June 21, 2012, 03:02 PM

My intent was to suggest that it should be obvious that a belt-fed weapon, individual or crew-serviced, would be there for full-auto fire. But that brings up an interesting question, quite the opposite of the original question.

Why should a machine gun (whatever you care to call it) have a semi-automatic or select fire capability? Supposedly the policy was for the Bren gun to be used as a semi-automatic weapon "to disguise from the enemy that a machine gun is being used against them." Are machine gunners really trained to try to achieve single shots on a full-auto only weapon?

June 21, 2012, 03:02 PM	#69
BlueTrain Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 6,141	My intent was to suggest that it should be obvious that a belt-fed weapon, individual or crew-serviced, would be there for full-auto fire. But that brings up an interesting question, quite the opposite of the original question. Why should a machine gun (whatever you care to call it) have a semi-automatic or select fire capability? Supposedly the policy was for the Bren gun to be used as a semi-automatic weapon "to disguise from the enemy that a machine gun is being used against them." Are machine gunners really trained to try to achieve single shots on a full-auto only weapon? __________________ Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands! Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes! Buy War Bonds.