OT: What were those shells being picked up by locals in Afghanistan?

[Trailrider]

After the tragedy of that massicre by that troop, the media showed photos of locals picking up cartridge cases that looked like belted magnums.  I understand that some magnums are used by snipers, but I was under the impression those were used in bolt action rifles only. To have wreaked that kind of havoc I would think an automatic would have been necessary. Am I wrong?

Obviously this troop must have snapped. Somehow, we've got to find a way to either figure out a better way to detect such situations, or get the heck outta there.  We aren't doing ourselves much good in this fight with the kind of F.U's that are being generated lately.  Problem is, of course, the problem with the Taliban and al-Quida isn't getting solved if we just cut and run!   

Didn't mean to get too far off our normal subject.  Just sayin'...

[Mustang Gregg]

Jim:

I have not seen any footage or pix.  Post something if you've got it.

Belted magnums wouldn't feed well from link.

NATO 5.56 & 7.62 can come belted.

MG in Kandahar

[cpt dan blodgett]

If you have the only gun in the house and the number of brave occupants does not exceed magazine capacity, one need not have a semi auto or full auto to be king.  If response time of closest living brave occupant exceeds reload time, mag capacity is irrelevant as well.

There have been reports of the individual having received sniper training, but other reports describe his having  a support role for special ops / forces.  No real light has been shead on this story and prehaps for good reason.  At some point in time most facts may be available

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[SGT John Chapman]

Are you talking about this video at 2:51ish,....those rounds look AWFULLY dirty and tarnished to have been recently fired,...

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I can see the one case COULD look like it is belted magnum ammo, but I think, Like Sgt. C, that they are awfully dirty & tarnished for recently-fired ammo.  And the other cases don't look like belted magnums.

Looks like a pile of 5.56mm to me.  Maybe 7.62x51.

[Mustang Gregg]

I looked the video over, froze framed it, etc.  Measured them the best I could and I reckon those are 5.56.
The necks & mouths of the casings are too small in relation to the body of the casings for 7.62 NATO.  So I don't think they are 7.62 NATO or 7.62 X 39.  I agree with Steel Horse.  There is fired brass laying ALL OVER this country!!

Of course I don't believe a damned thing the media puts out or shows on camera.  They could be set up for the hype.  Hell, they say they KNOW his route, his plan, his family, his history, his finances, and his thoughts all in a couple of days.  But they can't find someone's else's birth certificate after YEARS!!  OOPS-Did I say that?

They are ready to execute him without the facts in or a trial.
But we still have a certain Major (@ Ft Hood) who wounded and killed US servicemen.  

No apologoes,
Mustang Gregg
(SFC, Afghanistan)

[pony express]

I caught just a glimpse of that on the news the other day, couldn't tell what they were either. They did look kind of grungy, though. It's been many long years since I shot an M-16, but I never remember seeing cases come out soot covered. It's probably just some generic footage of some afghanis picking up brass, maybe nothing to do with this shooting. Just like they used to show about the same 4 or 5 film clips of Osama Bin Laden every time they mentioned his name in the news.

And I agree with MG on the handling of this incident compared to that Major what's his name at Fort Hood(with HOW MANY eyewitnesses?)