"Peter Kemp" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 02:12:08 GMT, "David E. Powell"
wrote:

It is called the USMC Designated Rifleman or Designated Marksman program,
IIRC. It issues M-14s (scoped I think) to some volunteers/highly skilled
shooters. To take on targets needing precision during small engagements
to
compliment unit fire and designated scout/sniper teams. There was news
about
it a while back.

IT's not being issued to infantry units per se, and last I heard the
DMR wasn't being issued to the sniper scout pairs eitehr (thought this
may still be on the cards). The only deployments I've heard of have
been to EOD teams spending their days plinking all the submunitions
scattered by 30 years of war around Afghanistan (and presumably Iraq
too though I've not heard confirmation). It's supposed to be good out
to about 700m.

One has to wonder what the advantage of the M14/M21 in such a role over the
M16A2 would be. If the target is an itty-bitty DPICM bomblet, that 700 meter
range is worthless--think more in terms of 100 meters, which means that the
M16A2 is plenty accurate and has more than enough ebergy to do the job.

Brooks


Peter Kemp