Auto rifles in boot camp

Steve Higginbotham writes:

>>Just finished basic with a standard semi-auto rifle???  When did we
>>switch to a semi-auto rifle for basic training?  I thought we were still
>>using the M-16, and full auto is part of training with the M-16...

Well, when I was in boot camp, we had M-16 A1's and they were full auto.
However, you actually only *saw* them fired full auto once, and, if you
were one of the lucky dozen or chosen from an entire company, fired it
full auto yourself.  By the time I went to Infantry Training School, the
M-16 A1's had been replaced by M-16 A2's, and they do not have a full
auto selection.  It had been changed to a three round burst feature.

When they showed us full auto fire with the M-16 A1, it was an example
of what *not* to do with your weapon.  Full auto fire from anything
other than a tripod or vehicle mounted autoweapon is generally a waste
of ammunition, thus the switch to a burst feature on the M-16 A2.
Of course, that was in the Marine Corps, I don't know if the Army does
things the same way.

Lee Eilers  [email removed]