First of all. HighDesertWolf-I thank your father for his service in Vietnam-what he thinks is paramount.

I come from the post Vietnam era-my brothers served. There opinion was throw the M-16 in the garbage, and spend a month's pay for an M-14.

The M-16 is a spray and pray weapon. The M-14 is a shooter's weapon. I realize the amount of ammo carried is an important factor. But I feel the M-16 will never attain the lore of the M-14, it will just fade away while our guys are still using M-14's.

The problem is that America is no longer turning out shooter's. It is now Politically incorrect to train a child to shoot and handle a weapon. I graduated high school in 76. We took our shotguns on the bus so that we could go squirrel hunting with the basketball coach after school. Try that today.

The first thing the military does with a real shooter is take the M-16 out of his hands, and put a real weapon back in those hands(not the M-16). I have a friend whose son is a Marine Corps Sniper-he does not carry an M-16, andbelieve me his job is not toWOUND AN ENEMY COMBATANT. If you want to learn more about these weapons just go to Camp Perry and watch the old timers shoot. Leave your rifles in the trunk, or be prepared to have your clock cleaned-those guys can do it. And by the way-leave your charts, and ballistics, andenergy calculations in the truck. Or be prepared to be laughed at. Tom.