I have not heard of a Regular Army unit using M-14's in the DMR role -- as a general rule. They tend towards the carbine with an ACOG. Of course there may be exceptions. The units I work with give the M-14's to the sniper teams as a back up.
Now, the M-14's initially issued to units were service grade quality. It has been many years since the M-21's were expended. Some units got their M-14's fixed by contractors. Some guys monkeyed around with the ones they got. There is no system in the Army that rebuilds M-14's to the match grade standards of about 1975 which is the last regulation I have seen concerning the National Match M-14. Most don't use them very much as they are unreliable, have excessive recoil, are heavy, and perform no better at normal engagement ranges than the issued carbine with issued ball ammo. The units I worked with got their M-14's in country -- handed down from other units who got them from other units and so on.
So, to answer your question. Most units don't use them in a DMR role, opting for the issued carbine with ACOG and issued ball ammo. As for the ammo question -- guys will fire what ever 7.62 they can get. It isn't that easy to get specific dodic's of ammo, even if you are in combat. IMHO the only difference anyone would see firing M-118 LR and M-80 out of those M-14's is the increased recoil of the M-118.
800meters with a rack grade M-14 that has been trashed from four years of combat conditions? He, he, he. Take a M-240 with a MGO and fire a burst of six. I guarantee a better hit and kill probability than blasting with a high recoiling, trashed, obsolete, unreliable POS.
I have worked with several hundred precision riflemen who have gone to combat and most returned. The longest shot any of them took with any intent to actually kill someone was about 800 meters. Two guys out of several hundred did this.
The simple fact is that there are few places in the world (aside from military firing ranges) where someone can even see past about 300 meters. And that is only because they are higher than ground level. The two fellows I mentioned were in multi story buildings and killed guys who were also in multi story buildings so they could see that far.
Also, the Army defines 800 meters as the maximum effective range capable of a "trained" Sniper firing an M-24 with issued M-118 LR under ideal conditions (winds under 5 MPH, low mirage, fully supported, no stress, etc.) and gives them only a 50% first round hit probability due to range estimation issues.
History has put sniper shots at 450 meters or less and this is for a reason. It is called the reality of terrain and real life conditions combined with danger space and a cone of fire.
I think sometimes guys view the Army from glasses designed to believe such rags as Shooting Times, Gun World, The American Rifleman, and even SOF.
I advise guys to think real close about that show 'Future Weapons' too as his 'tests' aren't true tests at all.
Enough said.
Let the Games Begin!!!
LR1955
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צ'אט
07-11-2007, 14:47
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