User:Helmut Anzeletti/sandbox

During my time in Eastern Ukraine often the question was raised, if an automatic gun can fire single rounds? Several time the statements was given, that an automatic gun cannot give single rounds at all, despite the patrols on the ground of OSCE SMMU reported, that they could hear single rounds of heavy machine guns. Due to the circumstances that I have served since 1977 in the Austrian Armed Forces I used beside many others machine rifle/guns as below listed:

5,56 mm StG 77 (automatic rifle) 7,62 mm StG 58 7,62 mm MG 74 (light machine gun) 12,7 mm uesMG (heavy machine gun-based on MG 42 Germany) 12,7 mm MG 85 (mounted on M 60 A1) 20 mm Machine gun (mounted on Armored vehicle SPz A1)

To best knowledge and experience all machine guns above you could fire (with some practice of course - or coincident) single rounds.

Regarding my experience of 30 mm Automatic gun:

During the testing with AFV ULAN (former ASCOD) 1997 in Austria we had a "problem" with the crews using the 30mm "Mauser" Machine gun:

The soldiers of the Armored Infantry were so "happy" that they had now a real "gun" under their hand, they started to fire single rounds like main battle tanks at their targets and complained that the precision lacks.

The team of the company (Fa. Steyr) stated correctly, that the machine gun was never meant to fire single rounds, but bursts. For burst the precision requirements might differ.

So based on this, it was very possible for these type of weapons to fire single rounds.

I do not know specific about weapons of eastern armies, but I could say, you hear sometimes single shots from caliber of 25- 35 mm type weapons here too.

Secondly the construction of heavy machine guns has not so much developed since their origin.

Happy for any comment.