Re: SA80-A2: it's all the soldier's fault

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

> Actually, the problem in VN was not with the M-16, which is a good
> weapon, it was with the ammunition, which was not tested with the weapon.

As I said; the troops in the field were not equipped and did not operate 
with the same gear which was tested.

You're also overlooking the Army bureaucratic snafu which resulted in 
virtually no cleaning kits being ordered for the M16, which led troops to 
believe the rifle was "self-cleaning"... because otherwise they'd have been 
issued cleaning kits, right?  The troops in the weapon test were issued 
cleaning kits; the troops in the field weren't.

An acquaintance, not in any way a close friend, is a Vietnam vet of Ranger 
LRRPs.  His platoon was issued two cleaning kits, which saw extremely heavy 
use.  Even with the substandard ammunition, he says they had no significant 
reliability problems.

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