Posted: 3/20/2005 12:43:46 AM EDT
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For those that are over in the Sandbox right now: What weapons (especially that of the unusual nature) are you finding? Like, for instance, in Baghdad. Have you seen any "personal" MP5s or anything a bit peculiar like that? I know there's, strangely, a lot of StG44s floating around in Iraq. Mainly... what I'm asking... is there anything besides AKs/SKSs/RPGs/Mosins in country? |
IMO, service men/women should be able to take any confiscated weapons they find. Seriously... We can trust a soldier with a M240G, but when he gets home, he's an evil potential baby killer if he had a RPK. Please... If it was legal, I'd be shelling out some serious dollars to get someone in Iraq to send me a StG. But, unfortunately, it ain't. 
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Yeah if someone were to stumble across a SIG 552 I'd be all over it. I suppose that they don't want our guys scavanging for weapons instead of dropping BGs though (ETA: I suppose they could be dropping them FOR their guns though). Or guys signing up just for the purpose of finding free guns. Though... maybe that's not such a bad idea. |
I agree 100%. Its ridiculous we can give these guys training and weapons to go trot all over the country side with a fully automatic weapon or "worse" (Such as an entire damned tank or fully loaded bomber) but soon as they hit Stateside they cant so much as carry a pistol under thier coat. Wtf? 
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Pfft, your unit must've been full of ammo whores. In my brother's unit, which was a National Guard unit, they got some of the older ammunition. Sometimes they had to... hmm... "dispose of old stock to make way for newer stock." He told me one day one of his superiors walked up to him and asked if he wanted to shoot some shit up. Obviously, he said yes. He told him to grab an M2 and the superior came out with a few belts for it. Again, I don't know, but it sounds like you got hosed. That and it's kinda hard for soldiers to, well, learn how to shoot with 58 rounds (and where did 58 come from?). |
40 for qualifying 18 for zero/group......9 for each. Unless you're like me and take 15 to zero and group just because you enjoy shooting and finally the Range NCOIC kicks you off because you're shooting 3 shots where the holes are almost touching each other..... 
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Certainly on the M2 or other crew weapons systems ranges we ( also a National Guard unit ) have had to burn up ammo to avoid turning it in ( a crazy reason I know, as it seems ammo both live or blank for training scenarios is either feast or famine). As far as individual weapons, my experience has been more along the lines of "you zero in 18 or less ( hoipefully in less in their minds) get on line, fire your 40 qual rounds and get off the line". Until very recently, there hasn't been ANY emphasis on promoting marksmaship.You can't even GET ammo for "practice", and they REALLY frown on non-gov't ammo being shot out of gov't weapons, so that option is out. |
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A British company working over here is armed with Sig 551s. Nice rifles, mates! A few months ago I saw a local protective detail all armed with Sterling SMGs. That was odd. The Iraqi PSD types all feel inadequate if they don't have some sort of 'special' weapon. This results in some pretty laughable rigs. I have seen AKs and even RPKs with the stocks either removed or sawed off. Even the ones who get AKMs walk around with the stocks folded and magazines inserted. I'd like to ask them what exactly they think they'll do if they ever need to fire them --just shoot them like very long barrelled pistols? Our tax money has bought Glock 19s for the (thoroughly infiltrated) Iraqi Police, but apparently they're short of 9mm ammunition. Everywhere we go that has an IP presence we get begged after for 9mm, as well as our holsters. I'm convinced that they sell the ammunition to the insurgents/terrorists. I've been told that a box of 50 rounds of 9mm hardball is going for upwards of $100 on the street here. Needless to say, we don't give them any ammunition. 
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With all the stockpiles of Iraqi stuff there wasn't any 9 mmm stockpiled to pass out to security forces? |