Originally Posted by
_Agrajag_
We issue people with rifles that will most likely jam before firing a full mag. Rifles that need to be mollycoddled and kept spotless to work. Rifles with receivers made by a tin can company, that bend if you look at them the wrong way. Sure they are accurate when they work. Way more accurate than a rattly old Kalashnikov. Bugger all use having a super accurate rifle if the bit of **** jams if it sees the slightest bit of dirt. Once saw a guy proving how robust an AK-47 was. He poured a bucket of sand over it, picked it up, shook it and fired off a full mag without a hitch.
That was rubbish, know 3 people personally who went through vietnam and carried M-16's at various times and they all deny that. The issue was that M-16 was advertised as never needing to be cleaned and also was never issued with cleaning kits. So guess what it never cleaned. But M-16's in australian service were regularly cleaned and while not issued with cleaning kits there was heaps due to every L1A1 / FN FAL having one. They maintain it was a training and discipline issue not a fire arm issue.