Thread: US uses bullets ill-suited for new ways of war

US uses bullets ill-suited for new ways of war
Associated Press - May 26, 2008 6:03 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - Strange as it sounds, nearly seven years into the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, bullets are a controversial subject for the U.S.

Only a select few, including Army snipers, carry M14s. The long-barreled rifle spits out bullets larger and more deadly than the rounds that fit the M4 carbines and M16 rifles that most soldiers carry.

The smaller, steel-penetrating M855 rounds continue to be a weak spot in the American arsenal. According to Associated Press interviews, those bullets are not lethal enough to bring down an enemy decisively -- and that puts troops at risk.

At about 33 cents each, bullets do not get a lot of public attention in Washington, where the size of the debate is usually measured by how much a piece of equipment costs. But billions of M855 rounds have been produced, and Congress is preparing to pay for many more.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=8380678

Let's just give them Paint Ball Guns like our Border Patrol ...

we'll just sting the heck out of them into submission