i'm not sure where to post this question but we all watch the news...can anyone tell me what is the yellow attachment often shown clipped to a soldiers rifle barrel?
It is for firing 'blanks', used on training exescises. The 'attatchment' prevents most of the gases going out of the barrel, and they can then '**** the rifle' as if a 'live' round had been fired.
it is a blank firing attachment (bfa) in army speak, and does exactly as 1rovert says, the gasses go through a small hole near the end of the gun just before the barrel and forces the gas piston back this in turn reloads the gun so that the firer does not have to keep cocking the gun for every round to be fired.