Low or High Rate of Fire?

[Panzergraf]

Well, basically there's two camps when it comes to support weapons, the ones who like guns with a low rate of fire and the ones who want to spit as much plastic as possible in a short time.

 

Ofcourse there's somewhat of a middle ground, but adding that to the poll would just make it boring.

 

 

There are advantages to both though:

 

With a slow rate of fire, your ammo lasts longer and you can fire long bursts without fear of pistons eating themselves or gas cooling down.

And with longer bursts, you can keep the OPFOR's heads down longer while the rest of your squad maneuvers and take out the threat.

Obviously this is more for the actual squad support guy, not the lone gun 'n run dude who just wants a weapon that doesn't need mag changes that often.

 

 

 

Then there's the plastic spitting tools of death that are high-ROF supportguns, these can spit out a terrifying wall of plastic in a matter of split seconds, if you're unlucky enough to be cought in the open, or in just a partially covered position, you're as good as hit.

Coupled with extreme high-capacity drum or box mags, these are insanely effective BB-hoses.

 

 

 

But like always, there's a flipside of the coin.

With a low rate of fire, it's harder to hit a running target, and opponents with nerves of steel who won't duck and cover like they're supposed to can easier pick you off while you're steadily pumping plastic into your surroundings.

 

And with a high ROF, well, the other guy will just have to wait until your ammo is gone, your piston is toothless or your motor toast and then pop up to finish you as you're struggling to get that damned M249 box in place.

Not to mention you need more ammo and magazines to keep your gun well fed throughout the game, as well as batteries or gas or whatever.

 

 

 

So, those are your two choices. As I see it, there no "bettrar opshun" here, it comes down to preferences and your role in the team.

Please do state why you voted as you did too.

 

 

 

 

Personally, I've tried both.

My first support gun was the "MG"36, a G36 with a C-mag and a 9.6V battery strapped to the stock.

Probably the most game-effective gun I've ever used, if kill/death ratio is anything to go by. I eventually turned this thing back into a normal G36 to be more MilSim and stuff. Besides, some events don't count this gun as a true support weapon, meh.

Now, in addition to the afore mentioned gecko, I've got an MG3 (Shoei '42 based).

Big, heavy, impractical, uber-slow rof (not at all like the real one) and a terrifying sound that makes even the most seasoned airsoft veteran hit the deck. And that's just on the bad days when it won't feed BB's.

I've got only a few confirmed hits with this thing though, but the platoon I was in at berget 6 still managed to hold a radio mast during from hordes of charging Russians we couldn't really see during the first night of the game, much thanks to this hog.

So I now belong to the first of the two camps, and were I to start using an MG36 again, I'd probably hook it up to a 4.8 or 6V battery to keep it slow and steady.

 

Your turn.

[Azulsky]

For a support weapon i think Low ROF is favorable because you are ideally laying down a base of fire for your team mates to get into position/execute a maneuver/gtfo dodge. You want just enough bb's to keep heads down as your objective is suppression not necessarily headcount. The longer you keep it up the better chance your team mates have of getting their job done. So whether you are pinning a patrol letting the rifles do the majority of the kills, or holding a point in order to force the enemy to maneuver into less favorable territory, i think slow rof is what is needed to keep heads down and movement slow for the enemy.

 

I usually reserve high rof for regular rifle, relying on a quick burst to take out a guy as the multiple bb's so close together compensate for the inaccuracy of airsoft guns.

 

As a side note lower rof is preferably in real life situations because of the controllability of the MG and subsequently longer strings of fire(barrel heating) and the ability to place rounds toward the target.

 

Cool to hear you have a Shoei, i want one soooo bad. One of these days, when the career thing pans out i guess.

[evansy]

When I play "gunner" its usually as part of a small 4 man team so I prefer to have slightly higher ROF so I can put plenty of bbs down range for those SHTF moments. I have a para so the short barrel gives me a nice wide spread at range which helps keep heads down.

When I'm playing with a larger team defending an objective I'll just stick an 8.4 in the gun to drop the ROF down so I can go longer without reloads but I dont play like that very often.

[The General]

I prefer a slower rate of fire in a support role.

 

30+ BB's a second does not appeal.

[evansy]

What is classed as high ROF?

Personally I think 1000-1500rmp+ counts as high with about 700rpm being low.

[Panzergraf]

What is classed as high ROF?

Personally I think 1000-1500rmp+ counts as high with about 700rpm being low.

 

Something like that, yes.

[Punkypink]

I think it depends really. I'm not playing a squad support role, but IF I had a M249 I'd favour a high ROF. If I had a RPK, I'd favour a low ROF, because that way just seems right.

[evansy]

I think it depends really. I'm not playing a squad support role, but IF I had a M249 I'd favour a high ROF. If I had a RPK, I'd favour a low ROF, because that way just seems right.

You've just reminded me of something that happened last time you were down at sya. Me, Marlowe and Lex? formed a little squad. M249 and two RPK's You should have seen some poor guy dive for cover in the ferns when all three of us started shooting at him.

[Porscht]

Personnally I'd aim for a low ROF just because i hate it to hear the enemy firing from 3-4 249's like frrrrrrt.. there is nothing more useless then shooting thousands of rounds at a target and not hitting it and the own team doesn't think about to flank it..

 

just my opinion. i still don't like playin with an m249 even if it's funny to have an nearly endless mag

[tosuzu]

You've just reminded me of something that happened last time you were down at sya. Me, Marlowe and Lex? formed a little squad. M249 and two RPK's You should have seen some poor guy dive for cover in the ferns when all three of us started shooting at him.

 

Man if only you had an M60 he would be scared !#@$less.

 

I would prefer a balance. Anything too high and then your not only wasting ammo but your going to really destroy your parts faster but anything too low and you really can't call it a support gunner.

[Beast06]

With my brain? Low ROF. Didn't stop me with 40rps out of my M60

[thewallhitme]

my theory:

 

the idea of a support weapon is to supress, i think we would ll agree on that. so, how to we supress a target? well, lets take this scenario.

 

there is a bunker with only 2 windows. there are multiple enemy inside. the only way they can get fire on you is through the windows. so really, all you need is a few rounds going through the windows to stop them firing. this could be done with a very low ROF. possibly something as low as 5 RPS. ideally it would be nice to have a gun that you could just keep firing and firing through the window without stopping or using too much ammo.

 

in this scenario a slow rate of fire would be fine.

 

 

scenario 2

 

you are in a bunker, with lots of firing ports (lets just say for now that you cannot be supressed because of such good cover), however, the enemy can come from many directions. whenever an enemy does expose himself to your fire its only for a second or 2 before he gets another position of ducks again.to keep them from popping up, a sheer mass of fire is needed. the faster the ROF in this scenario the better. something exceeding 800RPM.

 

scenario 3:

 

you are a 4 man team sneaking behind enemy lines, u get pinged and have to return fire. to get their heads down u need lots and lots of fire very very rapidly onto the target. again, in this scenrio a faster ROF is needed.

 

 

in my conclusion, i would say that a fast ROF is much more versatile. i say this because with a fast ROF you can still limit how much u fire, ie in short bursts; however, with a slow rate of fire, you can only fire slowly. in scenario 1, the desired effect of constant fire could have been done with a high ROF without burning too much ammo by simply milking the trigger to get 2-3 round bursts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

also, a super dooper silly high ROF is so much more fun and intimidating.

[evansy]

Man if only you had an M60 he would be scared !#@$less.

 

I would prefer a balance. Anything too high and then your not only wasting ammo but your going to really destroy your parts faster but anything too low and you really can't call it a support gunner.

I'm working on that one but its taking a while to save up the £1000 for an inokatsu E4

[evansy]

gorram lag monkeys making me double post

[Carrion]

i personaly think all AS guns should run close to there real steal ROF.

 

as i hate with a pasison those who do think wasting 1000s of rounds on nothing is agood idea or a silly rof to hurt others is good.

 

that said i also support power banding of guns into distinctive groups for assult/battle rifles SMGs, carbines. support, sniper etc to bring more balance to the game not i r got mp5k with drum mag and 10.8v batteryit r machine gunzor

 

[RSM]

I personally am in the process of building a 40rps M249 set up, although unrealistic, I distinctly remember everyone being intimidated by the muzzle report of CA 249s at my local site once they started showing up. Now with more people knowing the basics of rof upgrades beyond just whacking a 9.6v battery into the gun, the intimidation factor of a blistering rof has somewhat disappeared up until someone builds something that announces itself at 1800+ RPM.

 

I skirmish with a 350fps gun that runs at 30rps (M4 14.5inch) in urban, though I may put 5-7 round bursts down stairways to spook people, once I start putting plastic into people I am practically tapping the trigger to get off a 2-3 round burst when at close ranges, should as stairwells, if I am shooting over 20m though, I might put down an extended burst if I wonder across an enemy door stack/blob.

 

However, I would use the M249 I'm building only in woodland games where much more mobility is allowed to both (rather than being forced to advance up stairs towards an M4 like mine) sides and I find it much more entertaining to blast shrubbery apart around peoples cover while the more agile members of my team slip up the side to give the opposition the good news on single shot.

 

In short heavy assault (what I would call something like my M4) and support weapons should be pyschological tools on the field, emphasis on tools in that misuse of them and being an overkilling barsteward gets you labelled as a tool.

 

Incidentally I can safely say I've never had a complaint raised against me about the insane rof on my guns bar incident when someone actually ran into mine and a buddy's fire sectors, we had a chat afterwards and he was totally understanding about it

[Marlowe]

You've just reminded me of something that happened last time you were down at sya. Me, Marlowe and Lex? formed a little squad. M249 and two RPK's You should have seen some poor guy dive for cover in the ferns when all three of us started shooting at him.

 

That was pretty comical. I felt sorry for the poor sod.

 

I tend to run my RPK on standard gears using a 9.6 3300mah battery. Sometimes I am tempted by a higher rof but I've never found the need yet.

[Punkypink]

You've just reminded me of something that happened last time you were down at sya. Me, Marlowe and Lex? formed a little squad. M249 and two RPK's You should have seen some poor guy dive for cover in the ferns when all three of us started shooting at him.

LOL

 

Actually the only MG that should be allowed to have an insanely high ROF should be the MG42

[MarsdenH]

LOL

 

Actually the only MG that should be allowed to have an insanely high ROF should be the MG42

 

Actually the prime example of having such a high ROF. German infantry squads where so successful in squad vs. squad combat because they were able to put way more lead down range then the opposition. It simply overwhelms.

 

1000-1400rpm FTW.

[Punkypink]

I have no doubt the sound was also terrifying enough to have a psychological effect on enemy troops.

 

Plus it just looked so much cooler than equivalent allied weapons of the day.

[MarsdenH]

Don't understand why people don't get the fundamental idea of light machine guns. They are there to win fire superiority. Fire superiorty=more round in the air then the enemy.

[Punkypink]

Then again must be a right b*tch trying to keep them supplied. I reckon something with a lower RoF would have been easier to keep on target (but not necessary so).

[Gliderrider]

The 34's and 42's when used in the SF role had a wack off great big tripod(Well Duh). And unlike UK Tactics, the german doctrine was for the section to support the MG, so 8-10 blokes carrying at least 1 500 round tin of ammo for the MG.

 

As well as that, I was talking to a vet who told me that when they were on the eastern front they used to have two MG's for every tripod. Once the 1st MG needed a barrel change they swapped MG's. Apparently this took about 1/3rd the time of a barrel change. Then one of the blokes would swap the barrel on the MG so it was ready for when the other MG needed swapping.

 

He also said that istead of opening up once the russians got within range, they would wait till they were about 50m away, because at that range the 7.92 round would go through about 5 blokes before it lost its velocity!!!!

 

Anyway, I want to see what this chinese '34 is like, It looks the bees knees if the RSOV piks are anything to be believed.

 

And yeah, MG's Need a High ROF, as well as pretty high Ammo capacity. It's what they are there for. Also, what is the bennefit of lugging a SOAB MG around all day, if you have the same ROF&Ammo limits as a rifleman with an MP5?

[talon_0315]

Don't understand why people don't get the fundamental idea of light machine guns. They are there to win fire superiority. Fire superiorty=more round in the air then the enemy.

 

It also depends on the army's squad doctrine. American doctrine has the machine gun providing cover for riflemen to move in and kill the enemy. German doctrine has the machine gun as the core of the squad's firepower with all the riflemen providing security and support.

 

Different ways to get the most bullets in the air into the most amount of people in the shortest amount of time.

 

As for what I believe works in most Airsoft games, it's a hybrid of both, with an emphasis on rate of fire rather than FPS for the machine guns.

[Punkypink]

what happens when you fight the chinese who have so many men that you don't just run out of ammo, but your friggin artillery gun barrels melt as well a la Korea?