The SLR was from the beginning a semi-auto version of the FAL (which was known in Germany as G1 iirc). It has to be seen in context of the Sterling submachinegun which was in parallel service with the infantry and provided the full auto fire at short range that the SLR lacked.

It's possible to train very quick semi-auto 7.62NATO fire (with rifles such as SLR and G3) in order to emulate the short-range firepower of the full auto setting. It only takes a quick index finger with 'quick fire muscle memory' for this.


I remember to have been quite effective at about 30 m range with G3 full auto (multiple hits on 'kneeling soldier' target with one burst), but it's generally unlikely that you'll hit something with a 7.62NATO rifle burst that you wouldn't have hit with single fire as well. In fact, aiming low left for the burst felt like more of an effort than to simply aim at centre with the V-sight.

The real full auto advantage only comes into play when you're in an indoor firefight at distances where a compact submachinegun would have been first choice. The SLR has an excessive length for indoor use and has the Sterling as partner, thus the Commonwealth armies didn't lose much by ditching the full auto option.

Quote Originally Posted by Markus View Post
Would tracer have a suppressive psychological effect? Or would it merely serve to highlight how poorly aimed and useless and laughable one's fire is?
Special forward-visible tracers were developed for .50" machine guns in World War 2 for bomber defences. The point of the concept was exactly their unnerving effect on fighter pilots.