Quote:
Originally Posted by Oberon
I think, on the whole, until the fouling problems were fixed most soldiers preferred to use the M14 rather than to pick up an AK, but out in the field, in the heat of the moment, it's always possible, but like you said it wasn't likely to be a widespread thing and would have been very very much frowned upon.
Like the AK, the M16 was a good weapon for the jungle, close quarter combat, lighter than the 14 too, but there's something about the construction of the M14 that I prefer over the 16.
Of course, here's a R.Lee Ermey clip comparing them:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ee9_1...099&comments=1 |
Meh R.Lee was not infantry though he was in aircraft maintenance so he did not have to hump an M14 through jungle,delta,highlands,....hell.Most true grunts from Vietnam whom I now where actually grunts pretty well liked the M16 sure it was not perfect but the M14 was a bit bulky and in most operational areas in Vietnam where much more claustrophobic where the long range advantage of an M14 would not have leneded itself well.Plus the weight factor in such a brutal climate as Vietnam this is a very important factor.Kind of like WWII in the Pacific many preferred the M1 carbine over other small arms for the same reasons.
Also people tend to ignore Aussie and New Zeland troops who had the choice between the M16 and the L1A1 and many preferred the M16.
Those quotes are most likely from the battle of Hamburger Hill in 1969 or the Battle of Hill 881 there was another hill battle in 1967 which I have read of but can't seem to recall the name of where the troops where ordered to pick up enemy weapons and complete the advance to take the hill or die where they stood.