M231 Port Firing Weapon

[NanbanJim]

So I found this AK47.net thread/article on the M231 (aka Bradley Port Firing Weapon). This puppy was apparently much beloved by the T2k guys, so I figured I should post it here!

From the linked thread, it seems to be an abject bullet hose, firing too fast to malfunction (OK that's a bit tongue-in-cheek), and of limited utility. OP in that thread suggests it could perhaps be useful for armor crewmen, maybe, but that comparable if not better options exist.

My impression from reading the big yellow book was that they assumed there'd be tons of these in use all over the place for militia, second-line units, etc. Makes sense, they apparently weren't all that useful in their installed role; in Europe, there's quite a dearth of firearms; in the States, it's a full-auto weapon of reasonably familiar manual of arms.

[Brother in Arms]

Only person I know who ever carried one (IRL) was my friend Dave.

He had one of the early one with a wire collapsing stock (like a grease gun)
and since the it has no sights he attached a cheap red dot scope to the hole in the carry handle (NC star i believe) he also had a beta magazine shipped to him from home and loaded ever 5th round tracer. If remember correctly he scavenged an old bungee cord and mad it into a one point sling looped through the carry handle.

They fire from an open bolt and lack sights, so without tracers its a bit harder to walk in your shot with one of these.

I think for an up close "trench broom" sort of firearm it could be useful.

Daves favorite set-up he acquired in the balkans. He had friends who where armorers and they had a redundant M16A2 upper that wasn't accounted for in there inventory. And they also managed to get all the parts together to build an M4A4 lower they where able to request parts for "repair". Anyway they mated the two together halfs together and he said it was the best setup he ever used while in the military. He also ran Isreali orlite 40 round magazines that he bought on the internet which he thought were great until he had a malfunction with one.

BIA

[Panther Al]

I've seen a few in Iraq during the initial push, but that was the only time.


As to the M16/M4 combo, know it well.

Was issued for a few months a M4/203, and one of the Mortarmen in the troop hated trying to fit a full sized M16 in the Mortartrack. So... we swapped lowers. The M4/203 with a fixed M16 stock is perhaps the best balanced rifle I ever carried in the Army.

[pmulcahy11b]

I've only seen one, in Iraq in the hands of a Bradley TC. It had no stock. The only place I've ever laid eyes on one is in the Infantry Museum at Benning; the year I was a Bradley soldier, they were never issued to us, and Roethel (the unit armorer and my roommate) didn't even have any in his arms room. Note, this was well before even Desert Storm.

[Rockwolf66]

I have a friend who used to use one when MOUT training. It was according to him.

The damn thing rocked for close quaters combat but anything past 10 meters was almost impossible to hit due to the lack of buttstock and the recoil.

Then again this is the same guy who got to test a G11K2.

For a different game I had a character take a M231 and after putting on a scope they modified a M249 collapsing buttstock to fit on the firearm. it looked something like the folllowing.

[Brother in Arms]

Sounds like everyone has the same basic concept for using the crazy things.

I like that they fire from an open bolt. Interestingly enough they were originally issued with all tracer magazines! Some of those mags would be fun if you got a "runner"

[pmulcahy11b]

For a different game I had a character take a M231 and after putting on a scope they modified a M249 collapsing buttstock to fit on the firearm. it looked something like the folllowing.

Great photoshopping, but I don't see the point when there are AR-15s and AK-47 clones growing from every tree. It does have the "cool factor" though.

[Rockwolf66]

The idea was to take a a gun that wasn't effective and some parts off a broken weapon and make an effective weapon.

Why they built firearms that were nearly useless off of a vehicle is beyond me. Did people never think that the crew of a disabled vehicle may need every bit of firepower they can lay their hands on

[Brother in Arms]

I guess if they Bradley was broke down (threw a track or whatever) was forced to become a pill box having guns on the side could keep guys without RPG's from planting satchel charges on it....I dunno I think it failed in practice but was a decent concept.

[bobcat]

they were originaly designed to be useful disounted. hence why they still have the equipment carrying handle for mounting optics. they also were meant to have a collapsing buttstock. this was removed from the final design because army brass were afraid soldiers would actually dare using the weapons outside of the vehicle.

[Rockwolf66]

they were originaly designed to be useful disounted. hence why they still have the equipment carrying handle for mounting optics. they also were meant to have a collapsing buttstock. this was removed from the final design because army brass were afraid soldiers would actually dare using the weapons outside of the vehicle.

Which actually happened in practice. My friend above and the members of his unit prefered the M231 in CQB to the M16. Not only was it a shorter weapon, it's rate of fire was impressive.

http://youtu.be/hjVE6bocSNk

[.45cultist]

I think the parts are available to do a closed bolt, semi reproduction. A unique survivor weapon for an NPC.

[jester]

Hmmm, I may have to build one just to see.

[copeab]

Resurrecting this thread because Ian covered the M231 on Forgotten Weapons this week.

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/really-not-an-m16-at-all-colts-m231-port-firing-weapon/

Unfortunately, not an episode where he gets to fire the gun

[Raellus]

Has anyone here ever had a PC use an M231 as his/her primary weapon If so, please do tell.