This question is to the real-life combat experienced soldiers or law enforcement officials.?

Question

Dear veterans and LEF officers,

I am working on second survey of the real-life combat use of the M16/ M4 ammunition magazines.

In shooting range, the soldiers and the officers are told to collect the used / emptied magazines after the shooting practice is over.

But in real-life combat situation, I was wondering if you throw out the emptied ammunition magazines and not recover them.

This question is especially focusing on the current Iraq war, where there are heavy urban CQBs take place very often.

I have been reading numerous reports that the soldiers enter a house, then finds the insurgents, and engage in firefight. Then the soldiers leave the house, and call the tank or air support to blow up the house, while the insurgents still in there.

In the situation above, clearly, there is no time to recover the used magazines.

But I want to have a surefire answer.

is it true that the U.S. Army uses M16/ M4 magazines

magazines in a manner that is like one-time use part?

If I am wrong, could you tell me how do you or the Army use the magazine? Do they throw out the empty magazine like empty shell casing?

What is the life time for the M16/M4 magazine, in war situation like Iraq?

Please tell me.

Thank you.

Answer 1

You definitely when at all possible recover your magazines. Our basic combat load just counts what you carry in magazines in your ammo pouches and weapon. But you carry additional ammo where ever you can fit it. This includes additional mags, or "loose" ammo - ammo not loaded in magazines.
We never put in a full load of ammo in a magazine, usually 2 shy of a full magazine to keep from overloading the spring and causing some sort of malfunction. Also I always put tracers as my first 3 rounds (or the last 3 to be fired) so I will know when I am going to have to do a magazine change.

Answer 2

It depends on the circumstances. 99% of the time we pickup our used magazines and shell casings as so the enemy cannot get them and use them against us, yes they know how to reload shell casings.

Yes we use M16/M4 magazines those are the primary personal weapons we carry. They are also expensive to replace, so could you imagine a few hundred thousand soldiers leave behind say 2 magazines per day at $23.00 a magazine. Add that up and see how much money would be lost.

I mean if its a life and death situation as in you are getting the hell out of somewhere quick and you can't carry everything then what's left behind is destroyed with a thermite grenade or disassembled and thrown across a wide area so the enemy cannot get it, or use it.

When I was in Iraq, we would drop magazines on the ground during a firefight, and then once the area was cleared of any threats we would pickup our magazines. Its just a matter of what your particular company SOP says, which I believe military wide is to police up any used magazines. Not necessarily pickup any spent shell casings, we never did except at firing ranges due to accountability of range ammo for turn in. In a batter hell no we never pickup any of our spent shell casings, just keep track of our magazines and make sure we keep them.

A typical magazine holds 30 rounds, but are not supposed to be filled to capacity due to it puts too much stress on the follower and spring which causes the magazine to doublefeed and jamb the weapon system. I personally use tracers just at the end of my magazine like the last 6 or so so that I know when I'm low on ammo and can plan safely for a mag change.

Answer 3

I was on the M1A1 Abrams during Desert Storm. We only had one M16 on our tank (that we never fired). Each crew member carried a 9mm (never had to use that either).

We did however use our M240's and .50 cal machine guns. Those do not have magazines since they are belt fed. We did try to collect all of our brass and dropped them off with the supply truck (when ever it came around).

If I was in a firefight were I had to use my personal fire arm (instead of the tank), I might not be concerned with the magazines as I emptied them. But since we carried more ammo on the tanks, I would want to try to keep them on me so I could reload them.

Answer 4

I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT A COP MENTALITY APPLIES HERE!!!! They shoot people in the back over car chases! They are also apt to run from gunfights. The one basic thing I remember in the Army is there is no such thing as a backstep! You do not run from a firefight! While your cops and/or enemies run you are drawing a bead on them. You cops better pay attention to this. Y OU CANNOT shoot anyone while running away!!!!!! In the Army it is FORWARD ON only!!!!! You always salvage anything you possibly can. Even enemy weapons!!!!!!!

Answer 5

You recover your magazines if at all possible without endangering life, limb, or mission.