10 - 7 c. Respect to the (Machine) Gun. Fires with respect to the weapon include fixed, traversing, searching, traversing and searching, swinging traverse, and free gun fires. (See Table 10-5 and Figure 10-4.) Table 10-5. CLASSES OF FIRE - RESPECT TO GUN Fixed Fixed fire is delivered against a stationary point target when the depth and w idth of the beaten zone will cover the target w ith little or no m anipulation needed. After the initial bur st, the gunner s w ill follow any change or movement of the target without command. Traversing Traversing disperses fires in w idth by s uccessive c hanges in direction, but not elevation. I t is delivered against a wide target with minimal depth. When engaging a wide target requiring traversing fire, the gunner should select successive aiming points throughout the target area. These aiming points should be close enough together to ensure adequate target coverage. However, they do not need to be so close that they waste ammunition by concentrating a heavy volume of fire in a small area. Searching Searching distributes fires in depth by successive changes in elevation. It is employed against a deep target or a target that has depth and minimal width, requiring changes in only the elevation of the gun. The amount of elevation change depends upon the range and slope of the ground. Traversing and Searching This c lass of f ire i s a c ombination i n w hich successive changes in di rection and elevation r esult i n t he distribution of fires both in width and depth. It is employed against a target whose long axis is oblique to the direction of fire. Swinging Traverse Swinging traverse fire is employed against targets that require major changes in direction but little or no change in elevation. Targets may be dense, wide, in close formations moving slowly toward or away from the gun, or vehicles or mounted troops moving across the front. If tripod mounted, the traversing slide lock lever is loosened enough to permit the gunner to swing the gun laterally. When firing swinging traverse, the weapon is normally fired at the cyclic rate of fire. Swinging traverse consumes a lot of ammunition and does not have a beaten zone because each round seeks its own area of impact. Free Gun Free gun fire is delivered against moving targets that must be r apidly engaged with fast changes in both direction and elevation. Examples are aerial targets, vehicles, mounted troops, or infantry in relatively close formations moving r apidly t oward o r a way f rom t he gun po sition. W hen f iring f ree gu n, t he w eapon i s normally fired at the cyclic rate of fire. Free gun fire consumes a l ot of ammunition and does not have a beaten zone because each round seeks its own area of impact. Table 10-4. CLASSES OF FIRE - RESPECT TO GUN