[Mobhack]

Mounted infantry that get shot at, are effectively dead meat, as with cavalry. The only purpose one may have for mounts, is to quickly move some infantry to a dismounting zone while under cover of woods, or perhaps darkness.

So adding rifles to the mounts is not going to affect them since the infantry will fall off the mounts on receiving fire. Now that is how they use their rifles - ie from the ground, where its safer, not sitting up on a great big lump of (soon to be) dog food.

As for APC firing ports - just shout "Pew! Pew!" to yourself, if your APC are within a hex or so of the enemy. That will have the same sort of effect that ports had in real life.