Originally Posted by
MudderChuck
I always kind of chuckle when the news portrays somebody with a few hundred rounds of ammo as some sort of freak. A basic load (what you carry on your person) for your average infantryman is around +/- 300 rounds. One reload is another 300 rounds. A long gun and a short gun for every family member adds up fast, for instance, my family is four. One basic load and one refill for each adds up to around 2400 rounds total. Everything beyond that is a stash.
210rds has been the basic infantryman's combat loadout since the introduction of 30rd magazines (6x in two triple pouches 1 in the gun).
Automatic riflemen used to carry 10 mags (3x triple pouches), 300rds.
It was also common for troops to carry a slung bandoleer on stripper clips as well. (5x 20rd boxes in the 20rd mag era, and then 4x 30rd boxes in the 30rd era). That would give a total load of 330rds for a standard rifleman.
Veterans on patrol in Afghanistan often take to the field with 150rds. I carry the same amount in my
"Break glass in case of xenomorph invasion" gear.
I recently watched an absolutely outstanding youtube video with the former Command Sergeant Major of 5th special forces group who outlined how, on raids, SF guys used to ring their web belt with GI canteen pouches, and put 1x 30rd surrounded by 5x 20rd magazines in each one. In that fashion each man could carry 720rds.
A modern day USMC M27 IAR gunner has 22x 30rd magazines, with the load spread across the squad.
<---- ex infantry