I haven’t fired a U.S. service rifle other than my old M1 carbine, but I used to own a Mauser K98 converted to .308 Winchester and that had pretty stout recoil. Hell, my SKS has pretty stout recoil. I understand that the recoil from an M16 is pretty light, between the size of the cartridge and the recoil buffer, but the M1 and the M14 both seem to kick like a mule. Do soldiers get recoil-shy?
Thanks,
Rob
If the rifle is properly held and braced against the shoulder, recoil isn’t an issue.
It is a lot worse if it isn’t properly braced, but trust me, it is still an issue.
Training and practice.
I am guessing the short answer is yes. My Dad was left-handed and fired his '03 Springfield right or left handed depending on where he was. On the range, right ------ in the jungle it was another story. He learned to compensate for the kick and everything else quite well. His one cousin was another story; no matter how much training he got he never learned and barely qualified. He could drill nails with a .22 so it wasn’t marksmanship - so I’m betting it would be safe to blame the recoil.
With the M16 it shouldn’t be an issue. It doesn’t have any more kick than a .22 long. I could shoot the M16 at the rifle range all day long and not be sore.
I went through Marine Boot Camp in mid 1969. We were issued and qualified with M14’s. From that point forward (infantry training/deployment), however, it was M16s.
W/regard to handling recoil, and as noted above, there is a substantial difference between the two. Personally, I had a hard time with the 14. It was not the recoil itself, however. I happened to hold the rifle in such a way as my cheek would rest upon the back of the receiver. Consequently, after 10 rounds or so, those following would be agony. A day at the range would result in a black eye. While I know of others who experienced this, we were very much in the minority.
The M16, in comparison, felt like a .22. Tell ya though, the accuracy of the M14 was really something to behold, especially in the hands of an experienced shooter.
The only military rifle I’ve fired is the Steyr AUG, I don’t remember the recoil being anything special.
Which is why it is still used today as a sniper rifle.
Prior to boot camp I had no experience whatsoever with any type of firearm. I was amazed how someone with no prior training and an M14 could put rounds in small groups in targets at 500 yds.
I admit that I’ve never actually fired a 7.62 rifle (although I once knew how to field-strip an M14, which is no mean feat), but based on my experiences with the M-16 family, the Galil family, the Uzi and the 7.62mm FN-MAG, I never had any problem with recoil. The only time recoil ever bothered me was the first time I used a 52mm mortar, the kind that doesn’t come with a bipod, and even them it was mostly a matter of surprise at the *impression *of recoil - directed at the ground - running through my hand.
I never had a problem with either the M-14 or the M-16. I shot competition in the military with the M-14, and expended 10s of thousands of rounds through the M-16. My sympathies were for the WWII guys who had to carry the BAR: heavy as hell and kicked like a mule.
What was the Galil chambered for?
5.56. There are other options?
It was actually a Glilon, the carbine version.
Must be an export model.
Very light indeed. An accepted stock/cheek weld involves putting the tip of your nose against the charging handle to ensure a consistent sight picture. I wouldn’t do this with my .30-30 Marlin.
You’ll want to make sure the charging handle is locked before trying that, of course. Maybe twice. 
For the M16, there’s also firing from a prone position and with sandbags as support (if you got a trench dug)
I don’t remember there being any sort of recoil buffer in a Galil, but I recall them being rather heavy, on the order of 10lbs. or so. Combined with an intermediate cartridge like 5.56 NATO, I wouldn’t expect there to be much recoil. I fired a KAC-556 once (a short-barrelled, select-fire version of the Mini-14) which was probably lighter than a Galil and I don’t remember there being much recoil. I have fired an UZI on a few occasions and the recoil was certainly manageable. I don’t know what the MAG-58 (A.K.A. M240) is like though, but I think those are buffered like FN FALs are.
BTW, weren’t Galils also chambered in 7.62x39 like Valmets?
It occurs to me that in combat, the fear might keep your mind off such things, but you would probably notice it in training and on the range. What about things like an M82? I have seen shows where it seems like the rifle recoils about six inches, although they probably aren’t laying down a bunch of fire with that thing.
Thanks,
Rob