Weapon experience in the military: US Army

[ATWA]

The Army trusted me with an M16, nothing else. I spent my time from 1979 to 1982. Everything else I have ever owned or fired has been in civilian life. My understanding is that enlisted MILPERs now qualify with sidearms. Is that correct?

It is correct. If you are an MP you will go through extensive training with the Beretta 9mm, and you have to qualify with it as well.

On the rest of the thread, my favorite weapons that I have trained with would probably be the MK-19 and the M249 SAW.

[Canis-Lupus]

What NATO or other nation's military weapons did you find best in class?
Ex-Soviet had to be the AK-47 + IMHO an RPG beats a LAW any day 4 penetration. Israeli was for me the UZI.
Bundeswehr had good pistols and rifles.
Feel sorry for the Brits SA-80, IMHO composite crap.

Canis-Lupus

[Jaeger]

I was lucky enough to have the chance to train on and fire a lot of weapons and frankly, I loved all of them. Even the ones that were "lacking" in whatever way. A bad day shooting still beats a good day doing most other things.

Having said that, the weapon I most enjoyed shooting was the M110A2 8 inch howitzer. There's just something about "pulling tail" and sending a 200 pound projo 12-18 miles downrange. And with (to the best of my recollection 25 years later) 128 lands and grooves, she was an accurate beast.

[DocBoCook]

My very first armed watch in the US Navy was Bow watch with a M-14 and a M-9 in 2002 on a supply ship on the left coast. I have ever since been in love with the M-14

[ricbak]

~~ I have ever since been in love with the M-14

Hallelujah...Amen...

I carried one on my first tour in the "Nam" in summer of '68. I am glad to see the rifle making such a come back.

[DocBoCook]

Hallelujah...Amen...

I carried one on my first tour in the "Nam" in summer of '68. I am glad to see the rifle making such a come back.

No comeback in the Military. They started phasing it out on the East coast, and they just hadn't finished yet. They were gone after the first of the AOE's were decommissioned.

[ricbak]

No comeback in the Military. They started phasing it out on the East coast, and they just hadn't finished yet. They were gone after the first of the AOE's were decommissioned.

I'll see if I can get some better info other than "Hearsay". I have a family member who is heading to Afghanistan soon, and has 2 tours in Iraq. When we were together a while back, He was saying that a scoped verson of the M-14 was being used. I thought that was good being not a big fan of the Original M-161A's The AR's have come a long way from those days.... I'll see what I can find out.

[ricbak]

No comeback in the Military. They started phasing it out on the East coast, and they just hadn't finished yet. They were gone after the first of the AOE's were decommissioned.

M14 | NavySEALs.com - Experience the SEAL Edge

~~Although the M14 was phased out in the 1960’s, M14 variants are still used in the U.S. military. Navy SEALs started using modified M14s as sniper rifles as early as Vietnam. They have used them in Afghanistan and Iraq, primarily as designated marksman and sniper rifles. Navy SEALs keep the M14 in inventory due to its excellent accuracy, effectiveness at long range, and strong takedown capabilities of the 7.62mm round.

[DocBoCook]

M14 | NavySEALs.com - Experience the SEAL Edge

We all know that the S.E.A.Ls don't count. They can have any weapon they want, foreign or extinct

[charliej47]

The Government taught to use any weapon handed to me with a brief description of it characteristics. I qualified with the M14, M16A1, 1911, M79 (got pretty good with it too), M203, LAW, .357, MP5, 9mm, 12GA combat -