Re: Rail guns (was: US SOCOM desires...)

["Robert J. Hansen" <rjhansen@xxxxxxxx>]

> Optical sighting systems for non-snipers & bullpups? 3
> round burst? 

Bullpups:
	* First bullpups date from early 20th Century--
		not within last 50 yrs
	* While they make the weapon lighter, they do
		not necessarily make it *better*.  An
		unit equipped with FAMAS rifles doesn't
		enjoy a significant tactical advantage
		over an equally trained unit equipped
		with M-16A2s.  Compare this to the edge
		StG-44s (a real improvement) gave the
		Waffen SS over Army Rangers equipped with
		M1 Garands.

Optical sighting systems for non-snipers:
	* Do not make the weapon system better.  As Col.
		Jeff Cooper has remarked, a scope will make
		a good marksman even better, and will give
		a poor marksman just one more contraption
		to blame his poor results on.  I am unaware
		of any real advantage conferred by low-power
		combat optics which cannot be equally 
		conferred by training.
	* Date back to World War II, and thus aren't within
		the last fifty years anyway.