Quote Originally Posted by Uboat509 View Post
For starters, fully automatic rifles are actually not all that common in the US Army (I don't know about the Marines). Most are issued rifles with a three round burst option instead. This is because, by and large, fully automatic rifle fire leads to a waste of ammo. The SAW and the various GPMGs (M60, M240B etc.) that are belt fed allow for more sustained automatic fire. Basic load for a the M4 is 210 rounds per man by doctrine. That, of course, gets modified based on METT-TC but 210 rounds will not last long in a weapon with a rate of fire, if memory serves, around 700 RPM (don't quote me on that number but I'm sure that it is close). Basic load for the belt fed weapons is, of course, much higher, which allows for more sustained fire. Additionally, most, if not all belt fed guns, have the removable barrels to allow hot barrels to be switched out. I don't know if the IAR has this but it is hardly practical for everyone to have spare barrels for their weapons.
In any case, automatic fire is really unnecessary for most rifle equipped soldiers in most situations anyway. Slow, steady aimed fire (I was always taught around 1 round every two seconds) is far more effective than bursts or fully automatic fire. As I have stated before, the only two drills that I have been taught to use fully automatic fire for in the last few years are near ambush and vehicle drills (where the vehicle is coming at me and I have no where or no time to get out of the way).
So, essentially, the SAW/LMG offers a greater deal of endurance in the fire-fight viz the IW which, when used properly, deliver point fires against PID targets while the LMG/SAW gets them out into the open or keeps their heads down to enable said shots?

I have also wondered wether or not having a SAW/LMG acts as a psychological crutch/sop for squadies. Would removing them aid in habituating offensive IBT rather than waiting for the SAW to start opening fire. I think I recall another thread or a post on this one that stated that the SAW/LMG/BAR was usually the only effective weapon firing or some such while others kept themselves suitably out of harms way (or did I read that wrong; probably in connexion with SLA Marshall's "work")