Larry J said:

>There are a lot of infantry weapons that weigh more than 6 KG.
>For example, the M-60 machine gun with bipod and a belt of 100
>rounds probably weighs closer to 15 KG. A SAW (squad automatic
>weapon) weighs more than 6 KG. The old BAR weighed more
>than a SAW.

During the Korean War my father was in the USMC. My father had the misfortune of being designated a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) operator. He absolutely hated that weapon. It weighed a ton and bucked like a mule (it was phyiscally painful to operate). Even worse, in Korea the only soldier with a shorter life expectency than a USMC BAR operator was a USMC 2nd lieutenant (about 30 seconds).

My father is constantly amused by these World War 2 flicks showing actors firing a BAR from their sholder. Supposably that is possible only if the BAR is firing blanks. When shooting live ammo, the BAR must be fired with its bipod on a firm support, e.g. the ground. My father (and grandfather) much preferred the M-1 rifle. Supposably it is much easier to use and maintain.

Gary