Ok, I think I've read enough to see that they're pretty useless in the game...

Two questions about them though:

#1. Can you increase their rate of fire? If so how?

> I saw a post with the same question but the answer was incomplete.

#2. Is there a mod that improves their abilities/stats?

> I saw how the Total Realism made things more...historically accurate...but doesnt that mod take off over a hundred years of game time? Is there a mod that leaves the time periods alone but improves the...AI(for lack of a better term)?