flash hiders

[W.E.C]

I got to do an Andy Rooney here and ask,
ever wonder why m16's have flash hiders and then load every 5th round with tracer?

 

[two-rocks]

So I've been told:

The hider will keep the shooter from getting blinded for a few seconds while shooting, not hide the flash from the enemy.
Tracers direct the others where to fire (I was told by a former Ranger)... and not all soldiers have them...

I don't get the Andy Rooney part, as I don't watch those shows...

 

[KAG]

Normally you don't load traces in your mags, per SOP you may keep one or two mags either all tracers or every 5th or so. Belted MG ammo comes every 5th. In my opinion even a flash hider leaves a pretty significant flash at night.

 

[jtorbin88]

A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a device attached to the muzzle of a rifle or other gun that reduces its visible signature while firing by rapidly cooling the burning gases that exit the muzzle, a phenomena typical of carbine length weapons. Its primary intent is to reduce the chances that the shooter will be blinded in low light conditions. Contrary to popular belief, it is only a secondary benefit that the flash suppressor reduces the intensity of the flash visible to the enemy.[1]When barrel lengths were dramatically decreased with the introduction of various short-barrel rifles and carbines, this flash became a serious problem during night-time combat, as the blinding flash would make it impossible for the shooter's eye to adjust to the darkness. Originally limited to "special purpose" roles, it was now expected that all infantry weapons would have short barrels with this problem, and thereby be of limited use in night combat. Flash suppressors became common on late-World War II and later assault rifle designs, and are almost universal on these weapons today.

 

[M60]

Normally you don't load traces in your mags, per SOP you may keep one or two mags either all tracers or every 5th or so. Belted MG ammo comes every 5th. In my opinion even a flash hider leaves a pretty significant flash at night.

Linked ammo came with every 5th round being a tracer but remember, with the cyclic rate of the M60 or newer versions being what it is, every 5th round looks like a steady stream of light during sustained fire, when you can't afford to let up. You also have to keep moving since the tracers expose your position and all of the indians want that stream of light to go away.
In the M4, I don't know about todays SOP, but I do know that tracers, while giving away your position are also a tremendous aid in target aquisition in the dark. That's why I load 4 tracers, then 3 M855's then 1 tracer and repeat until the last three, "first three in the magazine" are tracers. The first 3 tracers aid in nightime target aquisition, then every third tracer aids in helping to stay on target and the last 4 tracers aid in staying on target as well as informing you that the magzine is about to need to be replaced. This method does require that in the best interest of your health record that you keep moving , but then, in Ma. since we can't have a flash supressor, you have to stay on the move anyway, so what the heck, use tracers.