Why will my guns on the bomber not fire online sometimes?

[Gilly]

I've found from experience that it's best not to rely on auto gunners and switch to manual as soon as I suspect someone is closing on my six. This also enables you to be opening fire long before the auto ones would even consider firing. You stand a good chance of hitting them before they are within an effective range which in realistic means they won't get closer either (262's being the exception.....shadow, McQ!!!). In arcade it means that by the time they do close up they're already pretty beaten up and your in with a chance of downing them. Just my thoughts as a pretty hardcore bomber jock