SLRs and 7.62 (split thread)

[holmslaw]

Effective range ( I think) refers to a target you can aim at and hit, and if you hit anywhere above elbow or knee, they're dead, either from the injury or shock.
Actual range is how far the round will travel.

I seem to remember the most powerful and accurate gun was a GPMG ( general purpose machine gun) on single shot. Fired 7.62, effective range 1 mile, actual range 3 miles. At night you could see tracers going (what seemed like) miles into the air.

The standard SLR was no where near as powerful.

Also, I believe when the Northern Ireland kicked off, the army were using GPMG's, but if you fired one at a house the round would go straight through and out the other side. A few people were killed in that manner so they stopped using them for street fighting.

 

[toptec]

Contrary to common belief the Jimpy (GPMG) and the SLR are both as powerful as each other. The SLR was always more accurate due to the single rate of fire.

Recall shooting at Falling Plates in a March and Shoot exercise in the 70's and they were set at 500m. The section SLR's always counted for most of the strikes the Jimpy's just decimated the stands!!

 

[holmslaw]

I thought the longer barrel on the GPMG made it more accurate and powerful than the SLR.

 

[Shytalkz]

could it be that the accuracy rating includes an allowance for Shytalkz?

I was accurate (I got it, didn't I?!), I was just confused - and if you've ever looked through one of those nitescopes, you'd understand why: the range light was blinding, hence I thought it must be the target . The really worrying thing is that it was one of them at the side, not between the targets - obviously going into the prone position I was at a bit more of an angle than I thought....

 

[Shytalkz]

Also, I believe when the Northern Ireland kicked off, the army were using GPMG's, but if you fired one at a house the round would go straight through and out the other side. A few people were killed in that manner so they stopped using them for street fighting.

The SLR was too powerful as well for that jungle. Hence part of pre-op training being street scenes from a rooftop hide and taking a pop at IRA targets, only to find that five civvies had got taken out as well; kinda brought it home. A jimpy would have decimated the place for sure.

 

[holmslaw]

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Desert_song/wpns_oman.html#gpmg

Details of SLR and GPMG.

 

[toptec]

The length of the weapon has no bearing on its power. That is determined by it's muzzle velocity. The longer barrel assists in its accuracy. The power is mainly gained from the charge in the round and the amount of rifling in the barrel, which also assists in accuracy.

Most units in 1969, on the first deployment in NI, were still equipped with Brens as well as the newer GPMG.

I was fortunate in that I had a choice of weapons for my second tour. Most of us chose the Armalite, the US Govt shotgun and an m79 Grenade launcher! Great fun on the ranges!!!!

 

[Shytalkz]

What were you in to get choice of gats, then...?

 

[toptec]

The very very early days of C.O.P. (2 PARA Close Observation Platoon), as well as driving around in plain vans all day and night hoping to get pulled by illegal VCP's. Boring Boring Boring........

 

[Deluks]

Doesn't the gpmg need the tripod to be effective at distance? With single shots anyway. With the black and white stick thing you have to zero it in. Cant remember the proper names.

 

[megawatt]

A very different firing experience ... SLR kicks back into the shoulder whilst the GPMG kicks left to right.

 

[vinty]

Theres not much point in have a rifle with a range of over a mile if most people couldn't hit anything at a mile, isn't that why they brought in the SA80 . The best rifle ever made was the AK47 imo.

 

[toptec]

Doesn't the gpmg need the tripod to be effective at distance? With single shots anyway. With the black and white stick thing you have to zero it in. Cant remember the proper names.

Now you are talking about using it in fixed firing positions on a tripod. Properly ranged and zeroed it can be very effective up to around 800m. In Bi-pod use as MW says it wanders like buggery hence the advice to fire 3-5 round bursts.

Best infantry weapons are dependant on the terrain. The AR15/16 is effective in closer quarters like Jungle work whilst the AK47, in its true form is good in dry and dusty conditions.

Best single shotter, in the old days anyway, was a .303 bolt action with sights.

 

[noseall]

Best infantry weapons are dependant on the terrain. The AR15/16 is effective in closer quarters like Jungle work whilst the AK47, in its true form is good in dry and dusty conditions.

the AK47 was very good in jungle conditions too. ask any yank on the receiving end in Vietnam.

so good that the gi's wished that they had 'em instead of those easy jamming M16's.

 

[toptec]

Good Point!