Good luck with that one
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You cannot see a connection between we don't take our bayonets out of the armory, so we don't see their use compare to the Marines who issue them and still stick people with them?
Beyond their usage in combat, I found when I ordered my Marines to fix bayonets it was sure as hell was an effective way to keep the thieving Iraqis away from the gear.
Shooting is the preferred method; however there are times when shooting is not an option or in the cases I cited above when bayonetting has been used in the GWOT.
Do you think talking to the locals and relating to them stops from attempting to steal your stuff? I did not notice that in my year long MiTT tour and also believe it is a fundamental flaw in our current war effort the belief that most of the people we fight understand anything but violence or the threat of violence.
Even with the 84lb standard infantry combat load, the less than 1 lbs is really a psychological thing it won't stop someone from carrying an extra 30 round magazine.
"Marines know how to use their bayonets. Army bayonets may as well be paper-weights."
-Navy Times; November 1994
I don't buy into the psychological factor in any of it. People compare muzzle thumps to a bayonetting? Two completely different things (lethal/less lethal). Do I need to hang a knife off of the front of my rifle (that prevents the services from installing longer, free floating rails on GPF rifles) to inspire my "warrior spirit"? No, I do not.
I do not see any real benefits to its continued use outside of the soft "psychological" benefits mentioned above. Soldiers and Marines shoot millions of rounds for every time someone mounts bayonet. Would not a rifle that didnt have provisions for it, but had a longer free floated rail better serve them in the VAST majority of combat situations?
In case you havent figured out I'm not one for nostalgia.
Rick
But they have been used and used effectively even in the current war. If we want to just go by the number of casualties produced, why not just get rid of pistols they produce very few casualties or that matter rifles because they also produce a very small percent of wounds compared to crew served or aerial delivered ordnance. No we keep them for the same reasons we keep bayonets there is a psychological connection to the weapon.
Shooting people should still be the preferred method of dealing with enemy but in numerous desperate times US forces have fallen back to using bayonets because the still do work
The people in question already have a 12" handguard on their weapon unfortunately because of the added weight on the front end of the weapon many of them move all the accessories back towards the rear of rail so to reduce the fatigue of carrying the nose heavy weapon for extended periods
That one of the aspects of the extended fighting from FOB, vehicles and conduct nothing more than a series of raids that have become accustomed to
There is little experience anymore with prolonged foot mobile operations.
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You are planning for a single contingency that rarely occurs. Compromises need to be made but you must deal with the most likely ones first. A free floated rail would benefit almost every engagement as opposed to dealing with singular instances where bayonets were used.
If ones moves to a more long duration dismounted mission weight becomes even more of a concern. Is an A2 length gun the answer for that mission? I doubt it, and if it is those accessories quickly become useless as the duration continues on. Moving accessories such as IR lasers back to the rear of the rail reduces their accuracy as the ideal location is as far forward as possible. Again, you are forced to compromise. At some point you must make decisions as to what you actually NEED to carry and the negatives that go along with ensuring that a rifle is bayonet compatible outweigh its benefits early on in that decision making process.
Somehow SOF has been able to go to rifles that don't have bayonet mounts for almost all mission sets. You must plan for the fight you are most likely going to encounter. If forced to plan for every contingency you are weighed down to the point where your force has lost the ability to fire and maneuver (REF - OEF/OIF in almost all instances).
Rick