>>Talking of which, what are those red things at the end of the barrel when on exercise? The British army use yellow ones. I presume they're to prevent the rifle from firing live ammo (but of course blanks can be fired) by some means, but I don't see how they work.
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>No, they are blank adapters. Blank rounds are all powder, no projectile. The M16 is gas-operated, and without a projectile, the gas from a blank escapes too rapidly to load another round. The adapter restricts the escape of the gas enough to work the bolt.
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>Firing a live round with a blank adapter on would be disastrous, which is why they are brightly colored (to remind the soldier that it's attached).
Thanks Daniel
That complements Tracy's explanation. I figured the bright colour was to remind the squaddy that it was there! :-)
Terry
- Whoever said that women are the weaker sex never tried to wrest the bedclothes off one in the middle of the night
- Worry is the interest you pay, in advance, for a loan that you may never need to take out.
