[expat2]

I suspect that the author was here making the point that shots will each be aimed, rather than the fast bursts used by the Army, with its automatic weapons. The vigilantes will not have enough ammo to be able to spray bullets around like the military does (I read somewhere that the Army averages about 3,000 rounds per each killing).

Semi-automatic weapons will fire at a much higher rate than 1 per 2 secs, the interval is mostly determined by the aiming time (Snoxall also had to move the next cartridge into the chamber with his bolt action, something done automatically with the semi-autos, of course).

[DuncanWaring]

You’re probably right about that.

My point was, for anyone who thought a 2-second interval between aimed shots with a semi-auto rifle was fast, that it can be beaten, with practice, with a bolt-action rifle.

[LoneStarC]

During the collapse of Rhodesia the British defense forces were forced by the UN blockade of supplies to order their people to keep their weapons selected to single fire. The intent was to conserve ammo, but the actual result was that they not only conserved ammo - their overall success in firefights went up dramatically.

Apparently the semi-auto “limitation”forced the troops to take deliberate aim for each shot.

Reminiscent of the British general in our American Revolution era who complained to King George that the sneaky continentals “hide behind trees and take deliberate aim.”