Bah, I tot you were refering to the M16A2, which is a bit
heavier but by any standards the definative M-16 variant in terms
of reliability, accuracy and other nick nacks.
Yes, the SAR-21 is heavier then our little S1, but that's mainly
due to the inclusion of a no parallax 1.5x scope and the LAM, which
in my opinion, is a good trade in for combat effectiveness. Esp.
when the marginal increase in weight means that shooting becomes a
lot more accucrate.
Yes I handled both weapons before and snapped off enough shots to
know that the SAR-21's reputation as a "failure" is more due to
ignorance and M-16 worship syndrome then actual preformance. And of
course, I do have a guards friend which has extensive experience
with both weapons to make an impartial choice about them.
I like the weapon for the fact it rarely IAs (and you can adjust
the gas tap selector), and you don't have to worry about parallax
and sight pictures to snap your targets down. Pratice is what you
need to get used to the SAR-21 shooting method, not shoot a few
rounds, note how different it is from the M16, and get
irrated.
In the end, it's the concept of the assualt rifle that that
produces projectiles and makes it easy to direct these projectiles
at a target while making sure it does survive field abuse and
conditions that matters. Not what emotional attatchment we actually
feel with a vintage weapon. Sadly, it's not surprising that most
soldiers tend to stick with what they know, and not actually
exporing new possibilties with other weapons.
It's strange how many grunts tend to view the SAR-21 through the
M-16 yardstick, which is a strange one for an assualt rifle, for
the M-16 is a fragile, unreliable and complicated one as assualt
rifles go in history. Somehow the fact that the SAR-21 is far more
reliable, accucrate, well balanced, durable, idiot-proof and loaded
with features that the M-16 can only emulate at far greater
modification and cost, is conviently glossed over by many soldiers
who insist on sticking with their M-16, which by any standards, is
a poor and rapidly obsolent weapon.
Comparing the M-16 with the SAR-21 is prehaps akin to comparing an
M-60 Patton with an Abrams tank. I doubt many grunts actually gave
the SAR-21 an fair trail.
If weight is an issue, go grab an MP-5 submachine gun and jump into
battle.
Amazingly, many of the same people argue against using body armour
as it is way too heavy esp when stats show that wearing body armour
can cut fatalities and casuties in battle by up to 70 percent! Just
because it's too heavy. I pity the army that is obessive about
cutting weight to the point of sacrificing actual
effectiveness.
