Watch Marines Demo the Right Time for Full vs. Semi Auto

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U.S. Marines, CWO5 Christian Wade, 2nd Marine Division Gunner, and Cpl Gerald Tredo, 3/6 infantryman, compare shot groups while firing on semi-automatic and full automatic at various distances on October 18, 2017 at Camp Lejeune. The intent is to provide guidelines on when it is most appropriate to use semi automatic and full automatic when suppressing an enemy. (Screen grab via U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Bethanie Ryan)
U.S. Marines, CWO5 Christian Wade, 2nd Marine Division Gunner, and Cpl Gerald Tredo, 3/6 infantryman, compare shot groups while firing on semi-automatic and full automatic at various distances on October 18, 2017 at Camp Lejeune. The intent is to provide guidelines on when it is most appropriate to use semi automatic and full automatic when suppressing an enemy. (Screen grab via U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Bethanie Ryan)

Everybody's favorite Marine gunner is back.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christian Wade, 2nd Marine Division Gunner, made yet another entertaining "Gunner's Fact or Fiction" video -- this one to demonstrate when automatic fire is most effective in suppressing an enemy.

Wade and Cpl. Gerald Tredo, an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, fired on semi-automatic and full-automatic at various distances during a training exercise last month at Camp Lejeune, N.C., then compared the shot groups.

"Here's the point: There are some times when fully automatic fire is appropriate and effective -- up close, personal, very extremely violent engagements," Wade explains. "But at some point when you gain fire superiority, you might want to transition back over to an aggressive, semiautomatic."

Trivia question: At what distance, roughly, do most tactical gunners switch over from full to semi?

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