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

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

> What the burst limiting does is limit ... options in combat.

Oh, I'm not so sure it limits the options very much at all.  Given that
I can put three .45s on target in the space of about a second, I don't
think it'd be too hard to put three three-round bursts on target in the
space of about a second.  If you really want a fountain of brass, it's
there--you just have to squeeze the trigger a few times for it.

For all that, though, I agree that 3RB isn't any sort of great advance
in firearms technology.  A WW2 Ranger of my acquaintance tells me that
BAR gunners often used as short a burst as possible--emptying a whole
magazine onto a target wasn't a whole lot more effective at suppressing
the position than a well-placed round or two, and the tremendous muzzle
flash and noise told every single trooper in the area (a) where the guy
with the biggest, baddest weapon was, and that (b) in just a second he
was going to be out of ammo.  Neither one was the sort of message you
want to give to the bad guy.

Same logic is applied today, as any machinegunner (hey, Lee, you out
there?) can tell you.  If you fire a long, sustained burst, the enemy is
going to see where you are, and they're going to devote a hell of a lot
of attention your way, and you're going to waste most of your (very
limited) ammunition.  Short bursts placed on point targets conserves
ammo and preserves your skin.  :)