Comments:
Your article on the M3A1 says that it may fire if dropped whether the bold is cocked or not. I don't think so. It fires on an open (cocked) bolt and until the trigger id depressed, all of the cartridges are in the magazine and there's no way it'll fire. If it's cocked, it might though.
Admin reply: When loaded the cartridges are stripped, chambered and fired by the forward motion of the bolt when either cocked or driven back by mechanical motion. Picture dropping the loaded weapon, uncocked, in a way to give maximum rearward inertia to the bolt when weapon motion is stopped by hitting a hard surface. If the inertial energy is sufficient to cause the bolt to continue moving past the top cartridge, the spring will cause it to strip, chamber and fire a cartridge just as though it were in full blow-back operation. If you don't believe this, try it, but not if the fired round can hit anything.
Your article on the M3A1 says that it may fire if dropped whether the bold is cocked or not. I don't think so. It fires on an open (cocked) bolt and until the trigger id depressed, all of the cartridges are in the magazine and there's no way it'll fire. If it's cocked, it might though.
Admin reply: When loaded the cartridges are stripped, chambered and fired by the forward motion of the bolt when either cocked or driven back by mechanical motion. Picture dropping the loaded weapon, uncocked, in a way to give maximum rearward inertia to the bolt when weapon motion is stopped by hitting a hard surface. If the inertial energy is sufficient to cause the bolt to continue moving past the top cartridge, the spring will cause it to strip, chamber and fire a cartridge just as though it were in full blow-back operation. If you don't believe this, try it, but not if the fired round can hit anything.
Added: May 7, 2014
Name: Wm Barkley
From: Va.
E-mail: Contact
Was with the 7th div 31st inf reg.made the inchon landing.