3 shot burst?

There ya go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burst_mode_%28firearm%29

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Articles.asp?ID=125

Most M16 and M4-style weapons issued are capable of semi-automatic fire and 3-round burst. The burst-fire mechanism utilizes a three-part automatic sear that fires up to three rounds for each pull of the trigger. It is non-resetting, meaning that if a soldier fires a two-round burst and releases the trigger, he will encounter a single round fired the next burst. In theory, burst-fire mechanisms allow ammunition conservation for troops with limited training and combat experience, at the cost of a very poor trigger pull. They also tend to limit the weapon's effectiveness when used in suppression, ambush situations, and close-quarters combat.

thanks for the replies but i was looking for an explanation of exactly how the sear accomplishes this it just seems odd

http://www.bushmaster.com/electronic-documents/2005CatalogV2/Bushmaster Lower Receivers.pdf

scroll down to m16a2 3 shot burst

mvician said:

http://www.bushmaster.com/electronic-documents/2005CatalogV2/Bushmaster Lower Receivers.pdf

scroll down to m16a2 3 shot burst

Click to expand...

perfect thank you

i've been trying to think of where i'd seen this before and couldn't for the life of me, but came across it by accident today.

a detailed 3 round burst description with graphics:

http://ar15.com/content/guides/function/burst/