Aiming a Machinegun

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Bigbill

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I always wondered how do you aim a machingun.

Is is fired in aimed bursts at each target? Is it used to spray lead in a patern at advancing enemy lines? Is there a prefered way to aim it when shooting it at long range against an unseen enemy?

Maybe this question sounds dumb to a professional. But I have never been in the army. As seen in films, machineguns do not seem to be aimed at a point target. It seems they are used to throw patterns of busts into a given area, to cut down lines of men in a swath. Is this how it is done in reality?

Thanks
BB
 
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Bigbill said:
I always wondered how do you aim a machingun.

Is is fired in aimed bursts at each target? Is it used to spray lead in a patern at advancing enemy lines? Is there a prefered way to aim it when shooting it at long range against an unseen enemy?

Maybe this question sounds dumb to a professional. But I have never been in the army. As seen in films, machineguns do not seem to be aimed at a point target. It seems they are used to throw patterns of busts into a given area, to cut down lines if men in a swath. Is this how it is done in reality?

Thanks
BB
Click to expand...

MGs lay out a cone of fire called a beaten zone. As the purpose of most MMG/HMG fire is support of friendly movement or repelling attack, this method lays out the most fire across the targeted area within a given range. Most targets in a beaten zone will be struck as they cross such a zone (in theory). Usually, more than one gun will be employed and have such cones linked to provide a continuous series of beaten zones. Guns may be locked down on their mounts or allowed free movement depending on the tactical situation.

I've heard it said that the Bren had too narrow a beaten zone to be an effective MMG when tripod mounted due to it's relative point accuracy.
 
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It really depends on a lot of factors...

In the 'old days' MGs were often used and aimed like artillery for indirect fire against targets that couldnt even be seen...complicated calculations-compasses-and maps were used

In the modern era....Mgs are used much more like heavy automatic rifles...aim at bad guy...pull trigger....10rds down range instead of one

....thats a very abreviated reply....

what kind of MG were you thinking of?
 
What EOS said.

Generally though, you point and shoot a machine gun just like any other rifle. Shooting in the light role (bi-pod), 5-8 round bursts are preferable, while 20 round bursts are used in the supported role (tri-pod). The light role is used in the offensive and on patrols, while the supported role is used in the defensive.

All machine guns produce a beaten zone by their nature of operation, each shot upsets the aim of the machine gunner, sending each round in a slightly different path over a long distance, creating a cone of fire and resulting beaten zone.

In the defensive, machine guns are usually placed on the flanks of an infantry company and their FPF (final protective fire) zones are interlocked with each other to make a shield of bullets against any possible attacks. Before the enemy reaches the FPF area, machine guns usually engage point and traversing targets as they arise. IE: moving vehicles, advancing troops, etc. FPF's and arcs of fire are arranged beforehand by the officers.

On the offensive, machine guns are placed with a 'weapons det.', an independant section in the platoon under the platoon commander (or during raids and ambushes, under a 'support' element). The weapons debt also has any mortars or anti-tank assets as well. Machine guns will usually be laid on in advance of an attack and will fire on key targets to supress and kill the enemy as the platoon advances. During raids and ambushes, the 'support' element will open fire for about a minute or two before the 'assault' element moves in for the kill.

Also, the beaten zone isn't the only area that's deadly. Any 7.62 NATO based machine gun will, when fired on level terrain, produce a deadly string of fire out to 600m, as the bullets rise no more than 4ft above the ground between 0 and 600m. Anyone crossing that path is pretty much mince-meat.

Hope that answered any questions.
 
With regard to the Bren, the British Army actually used to rate Bren gun operators - there was a "marksman" designation for the Bren, which involved shooting targets at different ranges, much the same as Service Conditions, but adding two round bursts on full auto into the mix. It also included pop ups for bursts. Sounds like fun to me.
 
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Kind of related to this...

I read a lot of history stuff and a term that comes up frequently with MG's is 'firing on fixed lines'. Basically, are they predetermined beaten zones?
 
Have a friend who got the G.C. in Korea
He said trhe Bren was usualy used in semi-auto mode to prevent the chinese from spotting it. He took out a squad using single shots except for the last one who took cover behind a tree. He then flipped the selector to full auto and cut down the tree!;)

Oh by the way the BREN is a lot of fun to shoot. (if you can afford to feed it):50cal:
 
steve1973 said:
Kind of related to this...

I read a lot of history stuff and a term that comes up frequently with MG's is 'firing on fixed lines'. Basically, are they predetermined beaten zones?
Click to expand...

In the defensive, yes.

When a defensive is being planned, one of the first things done, besides digging, is the emplacement of the machine guns. While the trenches are being dug, idealy, the machine gunners are busy marking and recording any obvious lines of suspected enemy approach, terrain features, obstacles, and bottlenecks. Their arcs of fire (far left and far right) as well as FPF are given to them, usually by the company 2IC, IIRC.

All of the info is put down on a target sheet which stays with the gun on the position, so that anyone manning the machine gun knows the target locations, as well as the numbers (bearing and elevation) to input on the C2 sight (a kind of quadrant sight also used on mortars) so that the targets can be aimed at in limited visibility conditions.

If time, supply, and the tactical situation permits, the recorded targets and approaches are fired on to confirm the sighting of the gun.
 
Thanks, makes a lot of sense now...

Tyler said:
In the defensive, yes.

When a defensive is being planned, one of the first things done, besides digging, is the emplacement of the machine guns. While the trenches are being dug, idealy, the machine gunners are busy marking and recording any obvious lines of suspected enemy approach, terrain features, obstacles, and bottlenecks. Their arcs of fire (far left and far right) as well as FPF are given to them, usually by the company 2IC, IIRC.

All of the info is put down on a target sheet which stays with the gun on the position, so that anyone manning the machine gun knows the target locations, as well as the numbers (bearing and elevation) to input on the C2 sight (a kind of quadrant sight also used on mortars) so that the targets can be aimed at in limited visibility conditions.

If time, supply, and the tactical situation permits, the recorded targets and approaches are fired on to confirm the sighting of the gun.
Click to expand...
 
Bigbill said:
I always wondered how do you aim a machingun.
Click to expand...

When we trained on .30 cal Browning MG's in the 60's, we were taught to use 3 second bursts and aim tracers above the heads of infantry at 500 yards, as the tracer rounds (spaced 1 in every 5 rounds) were lighter and flew higher than the "ball" ammo.

Regards,
Badger
 
Klunk said:
It really depends on a lot of factors...

In the 'old days' MGs were often used and aimed like artillery for indirect fire against targets that couldnt even be seen...complicated calculations-compasses-and maps were used

In the modern era....Mgs are used much more like heavy automatic rifles...aim at bad guy...pull trigger....10rds down range instead of one

....thats a very abreviated reply....

what kind of MG were you thinking of?
Click to expand...

I was not thinking of any particular type, because I do not know whether there is any distinction between them, when aiming.

Is there a distinction between different types?

BB
 
Sukey. I've been in Korea and used the Bren. I never heard of anyone cutting down a tree in an action,it just does not happen. Brens were almost always fired in 2-3 shot bursts ( most accuracy that way)and very easy for a trained gunner .The mag held only 28 rounds, so full auto was hard to sustain, and barrels had to be changed a lot. In heavy action no bren operator need to be f-ckinin around changing barrels, no mater how easy it was. Duker
 
A US Vietnam veterean told me that Vietcong always tried to kill the machine gun and radio operator first, since they both controlled the platoons heavy fire power. The radio operator could call call in an air strike. Due to the extra danger in using the machine gun, the platoon members took turns to operate the machine gun.

An Korean war veteran also told that he only shoot 3 second burst with his 50 caliber machine guns, otherwise the barrel would bend from the heat. He was shooting at ground targets from an airplane, and always aimed for the first and last truck in a convoy. He also told me that he often had to change out bend barrels !
 
The WWI use always interested me. I got the impression they set them up with intersecting fire on a fixed mount with a huge stack of ammo, and just pulled all the triggers as the enemy rushed the line. Not really a beaten zone, more #####-crossing lines. Anybody actually know?

(The Bren L4A4 was great, such an easy gun to shoot, I think it would still have a place.)
 
Juster said:
The WWI use always interested me. I got the impression they set them up with intersecting fire on a fixed mount with a huge stack of ammo, and just pulled all the triggers as the enemy rushed the line. Not really a beaten zone, more #####-crossing lines. Anybody actually know?

(The Bren L4A4 was great, such an easy gun to shoot, I think it would still have a place.)
Click to expand...

Yes, the idea was to have overlapping fields of fire. Best way to think of enfilade fire is that if you shoot straight at something, you have to aim at each individual target. If you shoot across them at an angle, they will walk into your bullets, so you just have to keep in one direction. Think sort of like a shotgun and a clay - you want the clay to fly into the string of shot.

I'm sure one of the current/ex CF guys can correct me or explain better :)

At least that's my understanding of it :) Benefit of the Vickers was it was water cooled so sustained fire would be practical so long as ammo was available.
 
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