I think I am going to continue posts on weird weapons.
The Calico M950 was a cool looking 9mm pistol with a 6 inch barrel that came with either a 50 round or 100 round helical magazine that sat on top of the pistol. Obviously, when fully loaded with ammo, this "pistol" could weigh in at almost ten pounds... it was 4 pounds with a 50 round magazine that was empty.
The pistol was made by Calico Light Weapons Weapons Systems. The pistol ejects empty cases from a hole in the bottom of the gun. This pistol used a roller delayed blowback system, similar to the HK Mp5 submachine gun and CZ-52 pistol. It was fully ambidextrous.
Calico also made variants in 22 Long Rifle, as well as carbines and submachine guns in both calibers. The submachine gun is supposed to be able to shoot 750 rounds per minute in full auto. Calico is still making these guns.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
The Worlds Worst Machine Gun
This particular machine gun is universally condemned as the worst machine gun ever designedm let alone built. In fact, it may have the distinction of being the worst firearm ever developed. If it isn't, then it is darned close second.
The French Modele 1915 Chauchat, also known as the CSRG (after the 4 person commission that designed it).It was a bad design made of even worse materials. It was an early usage of stamped parts production when the machinery and the metals were not as good as they should have been to produce a machine gun that needed close tolerances. It was the "jam-o-matic" of jam-o-matics. It was designed for use with the French8x50R "Lebel" cartridge, which has a large rim. As such, the magazine was a half-moon looking device. Since it was a long recoil design, there was a lot of movement during cycling. So, IF you can get a sustained rate of fire, then the point of aim was always changing as the whole barrel and bolt moved together.
The long recoil system had been around for about 15 years. In fact John Browning patented the concept in 1900. Browning used the concept in his designs for the Browning Auto-5 and the Remington Model 11. The long recoil concept worked, well, until the French got to it. The French Army wanted a light machine gun that soldiers could walk and fire with. The Chauchat was about 20 pounds, which was, for the time, pretty light.
The French were involved in World War 1 at the time and took any weapon they could get and this pig was one of those weapons. To show you how bad it was, with a desperate need for machine guns, they stopped using this one even with no other options. Fortunately, the Americans came across the pond following "Blackjack" Pershing and the French saw an easy out. They dumped this hunk of junk on the Yanks in the thousands. The were converted to 30-06 and were given a straight magazine. This thing was not built for 30-06 pressures to start with, and this caused even more issues with an already worthless gun. According to Ian Hogg, one of the foremost arms experts, the 30-06 just shook the gun into pieces. The main issue was failure to eject spent rounds.
In theory, the gun had a cyclic rate of 250 rounds per minute. Obviously, this is very slow for a machine gun but the rate of fire was slowed by the long recoil system. Not that this mattered as it is said that you could never finish a 20 shot magazine without a stoppage, let alone try for 250 rounds straight through. At the end of World War 1, only 63,000 Chauchats were left in the French arsenal, of the 260,000 made. About 30,000 were dumped on the Americans.
Per Mr. Hogg, "It's service career was an unending tale of malfunctions and jams."
The French Modele 1915 Chauchat, also known as the CSRG (after the 4 person commission that designed it).It was a bad design made of even worse materials. It was an early usage of stamped parts production when the machinery and the metals were not as good as they should have been to produce a machine gun that needed close tolerances. It was the "jam-o-matic" of jam-o-matics. It was designed for use with the French8x50R "Lebel" cartridge, which has a large rim. As such, the magazine was a half-moon looking device. Since it was a long recoil design, there was a lot of movement during cycling. So, IF you can get a sustained rate of fire, then the point of aim was always changing as the whole barrel and bolt moved together.
The long recoil system had been around for about 15 years. In fact John Browning patented the concept in 1900. Browning used the concept in his designs for the Browning Auto-5 and the Remington Model 11. The long recoil concept worked, well, until the French got to it. The French Army wanted a light machine gun that soldiers could walk and fire with. The Chauchat was about 20 pounds, which was, for the time, pretty light.
The French were involved in World War 1 at the time and took any weapon they could get and this pig was one of those weapons. To show you how bad it was, with a desperate need for machine guns, they stopped using this one even with no other options. Fortunately, the Americans came across the pond following "Blackjack" Pershing and the French saw an easy out. They dumped this hunk of junk on the Yanks in the thousands. The were converted to 30-06 and were given a straight magazine. This thing was not built for 30-06 pressures to start with, and this caused even more issues with an already worthless gun. According to Ian Hogg, one of the foremost arms experts, the 30-06 just shook the gun into pieces. The main issue was failure to eject spent rounds.
In theory, the gun had a cyclic rate of 250 rounds per minute. Obviously, this is very slow for a machine gun but the rate of fire was slowed by the long recoil system. Not that this mattered as it is said that you could never finish a 20 shot magazine without a stoppage, let alone try for 250 rounds straight through. At the end of World War 1, only 63,000 Chauchats were left in the French arsenal, of the 260,000 made. About 30,000 were dumped on the Americans.
Per Mr. Hogg, "It's service career was an unending tale of malfunctions and jams."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
It's just sad....
Regardless of what the article states (http://www.click2houston.com/news/16417710/detail.html), the worst part of the article is the following quote:
Andy Kahan, the crime victim's advocate for Houston's mayor, said of the gun ad, "It's just sad that we have to live in a society where you think that you have to have a firearm just to keep you and your family safe."
First of all, Andy, since before this country was founded, a firearm was required for survival. It served as protection and as a way to put dinner on the table. Funny to think that in the 500+ years since the Europeans stepped foot on this continent (again), with all the history classes we are required to take, Andy hasn't come to the realization that guns in America have history and will be around long after he is gone.
Let's be fair, Houston has never been the safest town in the U.S., but they were the worst, either. Then Hurricane Katrina hit According to the news media, Houston's crime rate went ballistic once the refugees from Katrina moved in (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/05/AR2006020500884.html or http://www.wdsu.com/news/8445395/detail.html).
I quote, here: Since Sept. 1, when an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Louisianans resettled in Houston after Hurricane Katrina, evacuees are believed to have been involved in 26 slayings, or nearly 17 percent of all homicides. The cases, according to Houston police, involved 34 evacuees -- 19 of them victims and 15 of them suspects.
Late last month, investigators in the Houston Police Department's Gang Murder Squad announced the arrests of eight of 11 suspects believed linked to nine homicides in the city's southwest side and two others in nearby Pasadena, Tex. The slayings occurred since November, and all the suspects are displaced New Orleanians who landed in Houston after the hurricane.
The third article links above states that crime rates increased over 30% following the arrive of the Katrina refugees, 35 ex-New Orleans residents were arrested for murder.
Sounds to me like a firearm may be just the thing to keep you safe, Andy.
Andy Kahan, the crime victim's advocate for Houston's mayor, said of the gun ad, "It's just sad that we have to live in a society where you think that you have to have a firearm just to keep you and your family safe."
First of all, Andy, since before this country was founded, a firearm was required for survival. It served as protection and as a way to put dinner on the table. Funny to think that in the 500+ years since the Europeans stepped foot on this continent (again), with all the history classes we are required to take, Andy hasn't come to the realization that guns in America have history and will be around long after he is gone.
Let's be fair, Houston has never been the safest town in the U.S., but they were the worst, either. Then Hurricane Katrina hit According to the news media, Houston's crime rate went ballistic once the refugees from Katrina moved in (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/05/AR2006020500884.html or http://www.wdsu.com/news/8445395/detail.html).
I quote, here: Since Sept. 1, when an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Louisianans resettled in Houston after Hurricane Katrina, evacuees are believed to have been involved in 26 slayings, or nearly 17 percent of all homicides. The cases, according to Houston police, involved 34 evacuees -- 19 of them victims and 15 of them suspects.
Late last month, investigators in the Houston Police Department's Gang Murder Squad announced the arrests of eight of 11 suspects believed linked to nine homicides in the city's southwest side and two others in nearby Pasadena, Tex. The slayings occurred since November, and all the suspects are displaced New Orleanians who landed in Houston after the hurricane.
The third article links above states that crime rates increased over 30% following the arrive of the Katrina refugees, 35 ex-New Orleans residents were arrested for murder.
Sounds to me like a firearm may be just the thing to keep you safe, Andy.
Monday, May 26, 2008
More crap on the 5.56
I have never been a fan of the 5.56 round as a combat cartridge for out military, especially in an urban combat zone. While the light, fast bullet is great for target shooting and the rifle is plenty accurate, it is just too small to cause severe, one stop damage. Now the debate for a more effective cartridge has hit the mainstream.
1 out of 5 soldiers surveyed wanted a bigger caliber. Well, umm duh. If someone was shooting at me, I would want a .50 Cal. The 5.56 round currently in use is the M855, which is designed to defeat light body armor at 200 yards. It was not designed for unarmored people at 10 feet or for shooting through walls, ceilings, or cars to hit the jihadist on the other side.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080527/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/battling_over_bullets
1 out of 5 soldiers surveyed wanted a bigger caliber. Well, umm duh. If someone was shooting at me, I would want a .50 Cal. The 5.56 round currently in use is the M855, which is designed to defeat light body armor at 200 yards. It was not designed for unarmored people at 10 feet or for shooting through walls, ceilings, or cars to hit the jihadist on the other side.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080527/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/battling_over_bullets
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Happy Memorial Day
If you are proud to be an American, thank a Veteran. Even if you aren't proud to be an American, thank a Vet, too. Their sacrifice has allowed your right to be disgruntled with whatever you want, without fear of persecution.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.
According to http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html, "Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery." The holiday was not an instant hit. By 1890, all Northern states had recognized the holiday, but it wasn't until after World War 1 that the Southern states joined in.
All soldiers swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and therefore, swear to defend your Right to own a firearm. So, while you are enjoying your day off, BBQ'ing with some friends, watching a variety of sporting events, or playing at the lake, take a moment to think about those who have served our country and those currently serving.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.
According to http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html, "Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery." The holiday was not an instant hit. By 1890, all Northern states had recognized the holiday, but it wasn't until after World War 1 that the Southern states joined in.
All soldiers swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and therefore, swear to defend your Right to own a firearm. So, while you are enjoying your day off, BBQ'ing with some friends, watching a variety of sporting events, or playing at the lake, take a moment to think about those who have served our country and those currently serving.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Buy a car, get a gun for free
It's not new. It's been done before. Nevertheless, it's still great to see.
A care dealer is offering either a $250 gas car or a free handgun with the purchase of every car. The owner says, it has quadrupled his typical sales. He started the special because, "... of Barack Obama. He said all those people in the Midwest, you've got to have compassion for them because they're clinging to their guns and their Bibles. I found that quite offensive."
Damned right, buddy. You really have to like this guy. "We all go to church on Sunday and we all carry guns," said Muller. "I've got a gun in my pocket right now. I have a rifle in my truck. We've got to shoot the coyotes out here, they're attacking our cows, our chickens. We're not clinging to nothing. We're just damn glad to live in a free country where you can have a gun if you want. This is the way it ought to be." So far, only two people have refused guns.
I do hope, though, they have someone doing the standard background checks on these people.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080523/od_nm/missouri_gun_dc;_ylt=AnTAmnTLehZWC6oBChtnFDSs0NUE
A care dealer is offering either a $250 gas car or a free handgun with the purchase of every car. The owner says, it has quadrupled his typical sales. He started the special because, "... of Barack Obama. He said all those people in the Midwest, you've got to have compassion for them because they're clinging to their guns and their Bibles. I found that quite offensive."
Damned right, buddy. You really have to like this guy. "We all go to church on Sunday and we all carry guns," said Muller. "I've got a gun in my pocket right now. I have a rifle in my truck. We've got to shoot the coyotes out here, they're attacking our cows, our chickens. We're not clinging to nothing. We're just damn glad to live in a free country where you can have a gun if you want. This is the way it ought to be." So far, only two people have refused guns.
I do hope, though, they have someone doing the standard background checks on these people.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080523/od_nm/missouri_gun_dc;_ylt=AnTAmnTLehZWC6oBChtnFDSs0NUE
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Yeahh
Hopefully, it's a precedent...
The South Carolina State Supreme Court ruled that the age for legal ownership of handguns should be lowered from 21 to 18. Most states have a 21 or older law for handgun ownership. While I can certain question the maturity of some 18 year olds, I thoroughly agree that if you are old enough to fight and die for your country in the Armed Forces, you are old enough to make the decision to purchase a handgun.
Good Job South Carolina.
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/410185.html
The South Carolina State Supreme Court ruled that the age for legal ownership of handguns should be lowered from 21 to 18. Most states have a 21 or older law for handgun ownership. While I can certain question the maturity of some 18 year olds, I thoroughly agree that if you are old enough to fight and die for your country in the Armed Forces, you are old enough to make the decision to purchase a handgun.
Good Job South Carolina.
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/410185.html
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Do as I say...Not as i do
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/958879,CST-NWS-mell20.article
Apparently, Richard Mell, one of the Chicago's Alderman, and the guy who crafted chicago's horrible handgun ban, forgot to re-register his handguns. Yes, that's right.. He forgot. Yeah, right. He crafted a law that forces Chicago citizens to register their guns every year.
----"Mell said he first realized he was in violation of the re-registration requirement about a year ago. When he tried to re-register his guns belatedly, the Chicago Police Department's Gun Registration Section refused to bend the rules. Mell appealed that ruling to the city's Department of Administrative Hearings but decided to re-write the law instead."When we looked at the law, we saw the possibility of winning [the appeal] wasn't gonna happen," he said."----
Actually, the first thing he did is play the "Do you know who I am?" card. The policeman, to his credit told him, "No" and went by the letter of the law.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/blogentries/index.html?bbPostId=CzD25oBQIEwogCz1udhLdZHUmBBCl6w36xNBhHBCt0Dc745khB&bbParentWidgetId=B8k88rWwXopuz5STgLeVwBLu
Being the big shot Alderman that he is, and knowing that he was in the wrong, how did he try to fix it? Well, he tried to rewrite the law to allow for a grace period of 30 days. Must be nice to simply change the law upon your convenience.
---"During the monthlong window, gun owners who attempted to re-register their guns between May 1, 2007, and April 1, 2008, only to be rejected on grounds the registrations had lapsed would be allowed to re-register without penalty."---
Yeah.. he backdated the initiation of the bill, so he doesn't get penalized. How nifty is that?
However, it gets better. Even thought he Alderman has a gun, you cannot buy one anymore in Chicago. They have been banned from new purchase since 1982. Must be nice.
Apparently, Richard Mell, one of the Chicago's Alderman, and the guy who crafted chicago's horrible handgun ban, forgot to re-register his handguns. Yes, that's right.. He forgot. Yeah, right. He crafted a law that forces Chicago citizens to register their guns every year.
----"Mell said he first realized he was in violation of the re-registration requirement about a year ago. When he tried to re-register his guns belatedly, the Chicago Police Department's Gun Registration Section refused to bend the rules. Mell appealed that ruling to the city's Department of Administrative Hearings but decided to re-write the law instead."When we looked at the law, we saw the possibility of winning [the appeal] wasn't gonna happen," he said."----
Actually, the first thing he did is play the "Do you know who I am?" card. The policeman, to his credit told him, "No" and went by the letter of the law.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/blogentries/index.html?bbPostId=CzD25oBQIEwogCz1udhLdZHUmBBCl6w36xNBhHBCt0Dc745khB&bbParentWidgetId=B8k88rWwXopuz5STgLeVwBLu
Being the big shot Alderman that he is, and knowing that he was in the wrong, how did he try to fix it? Well, he tried to rewrite the law to allow for a grace period of 30 days. Must be nice to simply change the law upon your convenience.
---"During the monthlong window, gun owners who attempted to re-register their guns between May 1, 2007, and April 1, 2008, only to be rejected on grounds the registrations had lapsed would be allowed to re-register without penalty."---
Yeah.. he backdated the initiation of the bill, so he doesn't get penalized. How nifty is that?
However, it gets better. Even thought he Alderman has a gun, you cannot buy one anymore in Chicago. They have been banned from new purchase since 1982. Must be nice.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
OPPPS
Apparently.. the "professionals" either aren't so professional or just plain careless.
http://www.kpho.com/education/16341159/detail.html
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A firearms instructor in southern Massachusetts has been assigned to other duties after his gun accidentally went off while he was teaching a class on weapons safety.
Officials said the Glock handgun discharged while Maj. Donald Lamar was demonstrating to Bristol County deputy sheriffs how to safely holster the weapon. The bullet ripped a hole in Lamar's pants but missed his leg and foot. Sheriff Thomas Hodgson said the officer made a "gross error in judgment" by not emptying the weapon before the class last week.
Lamar, a certified firearms instructor since 2005, was transferred to another division and will not carry a firearm while the incident is being investigated.
http://www.kpho.com/education/16341159/detail.html
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A firearms instructor in southern Massachusetts has been assigned to other duties after his gun accidentally went off while he was teaching a class on weapons safety.
Officials said the Glock handgun discharged while Maj. Donald Lamar was demonstrating to Bristol County deputy sheriffs how to safely holster the weapon. The bullet ripped a hole in Lamar's pants but missed his leg and foot. Sheriff Thomas Hodgson said the officer made a "gross error in judgment" by not emptying the weapon before the class last week.
Lamar, a certified firearms instructor since 2005, was transferred to another division and will not carry a firearm while the incident is being investigated.
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Heat of the moment
It was 110 degrees, officially, in Phoenix, Arizona today. Mind you, this is the temperature at the airport. I drove by a business with a clock/thermometer today at thought it said 112 degrees. 110, 112... it's still hot as hell.
All this heat makes for a rough time concealing your weapons. The standard dress here during the summer is shorts and a t-shirt. With all this heat, that loose fitting shirt you started with when you walked out the front door is sticking to your body within moments. Soooo, where do you hide a pistol?
This is where it gets tough. You cannot wear a fanny pack--that's a dead giveaway. You cannot wear a thick holster as it sticks out. Summertime in Arizona is time for smaller guns. Put away the 1911's, larger Glocks, and other mid to full sized guns. Out come the compacts, subcompacts, and snubbies. Thin and high-rise holsters are the usual. Some people just drop these smaller, lighter guns into their pant pockets. While I have done this in the past, I worries about lint and other crap i accumulate in my pocket ending up harming the function of my weapon at a time when I might need it most.
Personally, I carry a Taurus Millennium or Subcompact Springfield xD, both in 9mm, into a tiny, neoprene Mikes Sidekick holder that fits perfectly into my pocket.
All this heat makes for a rough time concealing your weapons. The standard dress here during the summer is shorts and a t-shirt. With all this heat, that loose fitting shirt you started with when you walked out the front door is sticking to your body within moments. Soooo, where do you hide a pistol?
This is where it gets tough. You cannot wear a fanny pack--that's a dead giveaway. You cannot wear a thick holster as it sticks out. Summertime in Arizona is time for smaller guns. Put away the 1911's, larger Glocks, and other mid to full sized guns. Out come the compacts, subcompacts, and snubbies. Thin and high-rise holsters are the usual. Some people just drop these smaller, lighter guns into their pant pockets. While I have done this in the past, I worries about lint and other crap i accumulate in my pocket ending up harming the function of my weapon at a time when I might need it most.
Personally, I carry a Taurus Millennium or Subcompact Springfield xD, both in 9mm, into a tiny, neoprene Mikes Sidekick holder that fits perfectly into my pocket.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Another gun buyback
There's another gun buyback in progress. Have we not learned anything? Do we realize that these buybacks effect nothing and help no one???
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=688393
"Lawmaker Chris Higgins of Albany introduced a resolution Monday night to the County Legislature requesting Sheriff Jim Campbell and District Attorney David Soares to set up the buy-back and grant amnesty to those turning in illegal weapons."
The only thing these things ever do is clean crappy, broken guns that people would never use anyhow. They are a drain of real resources from the government and police agencies that could be used for real issues, like ummm, I don't know...school improvements, catching bad guys, giving teachers raises, and training police.
Even supporters of this say it's a bad idea: "However, she questioned the value of buying the handguns, saying she's been told that the ones turned in "are not valuable, they may be broken, or people don't want to be questioned."
The Sheriff stated, "We're hopeful that the program will be successful in that we will receive handguns from the streets," he said. "However, I would be surprised if that turns out to be the case."
Enough said...
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=688393
"Lawmaker Chris Higgins of Albany introduced a resolution Monday night to the County Legislature requesting Sheriff Jim Campbell and District Attorney David Soares to set up the buy-back and grant amnesty to those turning in illegal weapons."
The only thing these things ever do is clean crappy, broken guns that people would never use anyhow. They are a drain of real resources from the government and police agencies that could be used for real issues, like ummm, I don't know...school improvements, catching bad guys, giving teachers raises, and training police.
Even supporters of this say it's a bad idea: "However, she questioned the value of buying the handguns, saying she's been told that the ones turned in "are not valuable, they may be broken, or people don't want to be questioned."
The Sheriff stated, "We're hopeful that the program will be successful in that we will receive handguns from the streets," he said. "However, I would be surprised if that turns out to be the case."
Enough said...
Friday, May 16, 2008
Bad targets
I have previously done posts where i stated "fun" targets to shoot at. Today is different. I was dragged out to the desert today to go shooting. I was already in a grumpy mood as we left pretty early to avoid the heat). When we drove the 30 miles out the the middle of B.F.E. I was shocked at the amount of trash people had dumped out there for shooting...or just dumping.
There were tires, washing machines, a refrigerator, numerous propane tanks, monitors, tv sets, dvd players, etc, etc, etc. Now, have no problem with cans, plastic bottles, milk jugs, fruit, and the like. Other then the fruit, you should always pack out what you packed it....otherwise, it's littering and/or dumping. Fruit, like oranges and melons biodegrade fast, that's if the local wildlife doesn't eat them first.
Propane tanks and fridges are bad. First propane and refrigerants are bad for the atmosphere. Second, they can explode. Trust me.. propane tanks can explode, inspite of what various testing shows test you. I have shot them with steel core and armor-piercing incendiary rounds and they make a great big fireball.
Stop trashing your shooting places. It makes the rest of us look bad. It makes shooters look bad.
There were tires, washing machines, a refrigerator, numerous propane tanks, monitors, tv sets, dvd players, etc, etc, etc. Now, have no problem with cans, plastic bottles, milk jugs, fruit, and the like. Other then the fruit, you should always pack out what you packed it....otherwise, it's littering and/or dumping. Fruit, like oranges and melons biodegrade fast, that's if the local wildlife doesn't eat them first.
Propane tanks and fridges are bad. First propane and refrigerants are bad for the atmosphere. Second, they can explode. Trust me.. propane tanks can explode, inspite of what various testing shows test you. I have shot them with steel core and armor-piercing incendiary rounds and they make a great big fireball.
Stop trashing your shooting places. It makes the rest of us look bad. It makes shooters look bad.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Surplus Crisis?
I read on the various boards how crappy the current surplus market is at the moment. I cannot deny that ammunition is horrid compared to just 5 years ago. The War on Terror has sucked the ammo market dry. Add to this the cost of raw metals and it actually can hurt more to buy ammo then to be shot by it.=P
Some ammo is still fairly inexpensive. 7.62x54 ammo is still about 120 bucks (or less)for 880 rounds and 7.62x25mm ammo is a like 1600 rounds for $150 bucks, 5.4539mm ammo 1080 rd for 130 bucks.
On the other side, 9x18mm Mak, 9mm, 45 ACp, 308 Win, 30-06, 5.56 and 7.62x39mm are just plain crappy. It used to me that you could get a case of 500 rounds of 7.62x39 surplus for 50 to 55 bucks. Now, if you are lucky, it can be found for $100.
As for surplus weapons, the market isn't all that shabby. There are 50 or more AK variants out there ranging from $300 to $1000. You can get Galil's, P38's Nagant Revolvers, Cz52, CZ 82/83, Feg PA63, FEG Ap-MBP, Cetmi's, SKS's, all sorts of Mausers and Mosins. Add to that the Enfields, Swiss K31's, and Steyr 1895 Stutzen 's. Youc an still buy a Mosin 91/30 for $70 or a Yugo M24/47 Mauser for $130. These are amazing rifles for next to nothing. There are a ton of Nepalenese weapons left over from the 18th and 19th Century/ M1 Carbines and M1 Garands are starting to show up again.
I am not going to even start on the Police trade-in market which is just as big.
In my opinion, the surplus market is still pretty darned good.
Some ammo is still fairly inexpensive. 7.62x54 ammo is still about 120 bucks (or less)for 880 rounds and 7.62x25mm ammo is a like 1600 rounds for $150 bucks, 5.4539mm ammo 1080 rd for 130 bucks.
On the other side, 9x18mm Mak, 9mm, 45 ACp, 308 Win, 30-06, 5.56 and 7.62x39mm are just plain crappy. It used to me that you could get a case of 500 rounds of 7.62x39 surplus for 50 to 55 bucks. Now, if you are lucky, it can be found for $100.
As for surplus weapons, the market isn't all that shabby. There are 50 or more AK variants out there ranging from $300 to $1000. You can get Galil's, P38's Nagant Revolvers, Cz52, CZ 82/83, Feg PA63, FEG Ap-MBP, Cetmi's, SKS's, all sorts of Mausers and Mosins. Add to that the Enfields, Swiss K31's, and Steyr 1895 Stutzen 's. Youc an still buy a Mosin 91/30 for $70 or a Yugo M24/47 Mauser for $130. These are amazing rifles for next to nothing. There are a ton of Nepalenese weapons left over from the 18th and 19th Century/ M1 Carbines and M1 Garands are starting to show up again.
I am not going to even start on the Police trade-in market which is just as big.
In my opinion, the surplus market is still pretty darned good.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Ordering guns online
There are ways to legal get guns mailed to your home. You can get a FFL (01) or a C&R (03) license. A FFL is a license to allow you to order almost any non-silenced or fully automatic pistol, rifle, or shotgun. http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?ID=70
A C&R (Curio and Relic) license is a license to order collectible weapons, specifically ones over 50 years old. This license is darn cheap... like $30 for a 3 year license.
http://www.jgsales.com/getcr.php?SID
The biggest difference is that the FFL allows you to resell weapons that you order, and the C&R doesn't. You cannot run a business with a C&R, although many FFL dealers do run side businesses ordering guns for others ( a background check is still required for the buyer).
Many gun companies, like Midway offer decent discounts for both FFL and C&R holders.
Now, why should you get one of these licenses. Because the store near you sells the guns at retail prices and as a FFL you get those same guns often close to wholesale. The savings can be significant.
A C&R (Curio and Relic) license is a license to order collectible weapons, specifically ones over 50 years old. This license is darn cheap... like $30 for a 3 year license.
http://www.jgsales.com/getcr.php?SID
The biggest difference is that the FFL allows you to resell weapons that you order, and the C&R doesn't. You cannot run a business with a C&R, although many FFL dealers do run side businesses ordering guns for others ( a background check is still required for the buyer).
Many gun companies, like Midway offer decent discounts for both FFL and C&R holders.
Now, why should you get one of these licenses. Because the store near you sells the guns at retail prices and as a FFL you get those same guns often close to wholesale. The savings can be significant.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Bill Ruger
Back from a long vacation...
This little blog space is dedicated to Bill Ruger. It is said that Bill Ruger had a hand in the design of every Sturm, Ruger weapon from the inception of the company until his retirement in 2000. If this is true, he was responsible for some beautiful weapons and some damn ugly ones, too. One thing about all Ruger firearms, pretty or pretty ugly, they all work with darned near 100% reliability.
Ruger was born June 21, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York. He was already designing weapons during his high school years, eventually having one accepted in 1938 by the U.S. Army, a light machine gun.
In 1949, Ruger and Alexander Sturm, who provided financial backing, released the Ruger 22 pistol. After that, it was all uphill. He helped bring the single action revolver back into style starting in 1953. The 10/22 is one of the best selling and most reliable 22 rifles int he world with a host of accessories second to none. The Mini 14 and Mini 30 have filled law enforcement trunks since they were introduced. Blackhawks, Super Blackhawks, Vaquero's, Single Six, Model 77 rifles, Model 1 single shots, level actions, snubbies, hunting models, etc etc etc fill dozens of catalog pages. Small pistols, large pistols, semi-auto, revolvers, magnums, and standards and innovative guns and ammo full the racks of millions of people. Don't even get me started on his plethora of shotguns of any shape, size, and gauge.
It is estimated that over 20 million Ruger arms have been manufactured. Throughout his career, he was very hands on. Stories are abound about him getting his hands dirty, digging through oil pans to find or fix something, and spending unknown hours helping his engineers resolve an issue.
Bill Ruger was not without his faults. He supported a total ban on civilians having magazines with a capacity greater then ten rounds. He once said to Tom Brokaw, "I never meant for simple civilians to have my 20 and 30 round magazines or my folding stock…" and "no honest man needs more than 10 rounds in any gun…" He was a supporter of the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban.
Now, there is some contention regarding these statements, specifically, how he meant for them to be taken.
A) Just like he said it. Blatant anti-2nd gibberish from a guy who made millions and millions off those he now hated.
Or..
B) To deflect the anti-gun people from banning guns instead to large capacity magazines. At the time he made these statements, it was just after a series of gun related shootings, school shootings, and police officers being shot. The anti's were circling the wagons and it has been said that Bill Ruger read the writing on the wall and that there was enough support in Congress to get huge gun restrictions passed. By deflecting the issue to large capacity magazines and not the guns themselves, he may have saved the industry and Pro-2nd people they ultimate rights.
In addition to firearms, he also designed a car and a 92 foot yacht. Ruger gave away MILLIONS of bucks for firearms associations, and other organizations.
Now, people compare him to John Browning for his genius, which may have a Little truth to it, but it is my opinion that his total impact on firearms and the firearms industry is no where near as amazing as Mr. Browning, it is never-the-less very important. Mr. Ruger passed on July 6, 2002.
This little blog space is dedicated to Bill Ruger. It is said that Bill Ruger had a hand in the design of every Sturm, Ruger weapon from the inception of the company until his retirement in 2000. If this is true, he was responsible for some beautiful weapons and some damn ugly ones, too. One thing about all Ruger firearms, pretty or pretty ugly, they all work with darned near 100% reliability.
Ruger was born June 21, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York. He was already designing weapons during his high school years, eventually having one accepted in 1938 by the U.S. Army, a light machine gun.
In 1949, Ruger and Alexander Sturm, who provided financial backing, released the Ruger 22 pistol. After that, it was all uphill. He helped bring the single action revolver back into style starting in 1953. The 10/22 is one of the best selling and most reliable 22 rifles int he world with a host of accessories second to none. The Mini 14 and Mini 30 have filled law enforcement trunks since they were introduced. Blackhawks, Super Blackhawks, Vaquero's, Single Six, Model 77 rifles, Model 1 single shots, level actions, snubbies, hunting models, etc etc etc fill dozens of catalog pages. Small pistols, large pistols, semi-auto, revolvers, magnums, and standards and innovative guns and ammo full the racks of millions of people. Don't even get me started on his plethora of shotguns of any shape, size, and gauge.
It is estimated that over 20 million Ruger arms have been manufactured. Throughout his career, he was very hands on. Stories are abound about him getting his hands dirty, digging through oil pans to find or fix something, and spending unknown hours helping his engineers resolve an issue.
Bill Ruger was not without his faults. He supported a total ban on civilians having magazines with a capacity greater then ten rounds. He once said to Tom Brokaw, "I never meant for simple civilians to have my 20 and 30 round magazines or my folding stock…" and "no honest man needs more than 10 rounds in any gun…" He was a supporter of the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban.
Now, there is some contention regarding these statements, specifically, how he meant for them to be taken.
A) Just like he said it. Blatant anti-2nd gibberish from a guy who made millions and millions off those he now hated.
Or..
B) To deflect the anti-gun people from banning guns instead to large capacity magazines. At the time he made these statements, it was just after a series of gun related shootings, school shootings, and police officers being shot. The anti's were circling the wagons and it has been said that Bill Ruger read the writing on the wall and that there was enough support in Congress to get huge gun restrictions passed. By deflecting the issue to large capacity magazines and not the guns themselves, he may have saved the industry and Pro-2nd people they ultimate rights.
In addition to firearms, he also designed a car and a 92 foot yacht. Ruger gave away MILLIONS of bucks for firearms associations, and other organizations.
Now, people compare him to John Browning for his genius, which may have a Little truth to it, but it is my opinion that his total impact on firearms and the firearms industry is no where near as amazing as Mr. Browning, it is never-the-less very important. Mr. Ruger passed on July 6, 2002.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Toys are bad
http://breakingnews.nydailynews.com/dynamic/stories/T/TN_XGR_FAKE_GUN_CONTROL_NJOL-?SITE=NYNYD
Once again the legislators of this country are doing their best to "save" us from ourselves. Apparently, people are too stupid to have even fake guns.
"Federal law requires toy guns or imitations to bear an orange tip, indicating they're not real. However, lawmakers say those tips are often disguised or removed."
Now lawmakers are passing fake gun control laws. There are bills under consideration to prevent people from having paintball markers in their vehicles. Come on.. a few stupid people do stupid things and not a 10 year old can't carry around a BB gun on his way to the woods for fear that the sheeps of America will run in fear. Little Johnnie can't carry around a snapgun anymore because we have become so scarred of guns that now we are preventing kids from playing Cops and Robbers or Cowboys and Indians.
Where is common sense anymore? We have already had dodgeball and Red Rover banned in schools because they are dangerous. Jungle Jims are all padded because, god forbid some kid bang his head on a bar and learn from their mistakes. Playing "war" was a staple of growing up. It taught you team work, how to throw better (water balloons as grenades), and the virtues of a more grown up version of hide and seek.
"It's important that a child cannot walk into one of these little convenience stores, plop down a dollar and walk out with something that can get him shot on the spot without question," Deberry said.
It's more important that we teach kids and adults to be responsible with all their toys and guns. It's more important that we teach police, parents and kids to be better people not force stupid rules on them.
Once again the legislators of this country are doing their best to "save" us from ourselves. Apparently, people are too stupid to have even fake guns.
"Federal law requires toy guns or imitations to bear an orange tip, indicating they're not real. However, lawmakers say those tips are often disguised or removed."
Now lawmakers are passing fake gun control laws. There are bills under consideration to prevent people from having paintball markers in their vehicles. Come on.. a few stupid people do stupid things and not a 10 year old can't carry around a BB gun on his way to the woods for fear that the sheeps of America will run in fear. Little Johnnie can't carry around a snapgun anymore because we have become so scarred of guns that now we are preventing kids from playing Cops and Robbers or Cowboys and Indians.
Where is common sense anymore? We have already had dodgeball and Red Rover banned in schools because they are dangerous. Jungle Jims are all padded because, god forbid some kid bang his head on a bar and learn from their mistakes. Playing "war" was a staple of growing up. It taught you team work, how to throw better (water balloons as grenades), and the virtues of a more grown up version of hide and seek.
"It's important that a child cannot walk into one of these little convenience stores, plop down a dollar and walk out with something that can get him shot on the spot without question," Deberry said.
It's more important that we teach kids and adults to be responsible with all their toys and guns. It's more important that we teach police, parents and kids to be better people not force stupid rules on them.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Hummmmm?
Not my normal post, but worth exploring why she was removed from combat. This medic..male or female did their job to the extent that she received a Silver Star. Tits or no tits.. if she wants to stay with a combat unit.. she has earned her right.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003415.html
KHOST, Afghanistan -- Pfc. Monica Brown cracked open the door of her Humvee outside a remote village in eastern Afghanistan to the soft pop of bullets shot by Taliban fighters. But instead of taking cover, the 18-year-old medic grabbed her bag and ran through gunfire toward fellow soldiers in a crippled and burning vehicle.
Vice President Cheney pinned Brown, of Lake Jackson, Tex., with a Silver Star in March for repeatedly risking her life on April 25, 2007, to shield and treat her wounded comrades, displaying bravery and grit. She is the second woman since World War II to receive the nation's third-highest combat medal.
Within a few days of her heroic acts, however, the Army pulled Brown out of the remote camp in Paktika province where she was serving with a cavalry unit -- because, her platoon commander said, Army restrictions on women in combat barred her from such missions.
"We weren't supposed to take her out" on missions "but we had to because there was no other medic," said Lt. Martin Robbins, a platoon leader with Charlie Troop, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, whose men Brown saved. "By regulations you're not supposed to," he said, but Brown "was one of the guys, mixing it up, clearing rooms, doing everything that anybody else was doing."
In Afghanistan as well as Iraq, female soldiers are often tasked to work in all-male combat units -- not only for their skills but also for the culturally sensitive role of providing medical treatment for local women, as well as searching them and otherwise interacting with them. Such war-zone pragmatism is at odds with Army rules intended to bar women from units that engage in direct combat or collocate with combat forces.
Military personnel experts say that as a result, the 1992 rules are vague, ill defined, and based on an outmoded concept of wars with clear front lines that rarely exist in today's counterinsurgencies.
"The current policy is not actionable," concluded a Rand Corp. study last year on the Army's assignment of women. "Crafted for a linear battlefield," the policy does not conform to the nature of warfare today and uses concepts such as "forward and well forward [that] were generally acknowledged to be almost meaningless in the Iraqi theater," it said.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, noncombat units in which women serve face many of the same threats that all-male combat arms units do and are performing well, commanders say. "Army personnel were consistent in their perception that a strict adherence to the Army policy would have negative implications" and that the policy should be revised or revoked, the Rand study said.
The Caretaker and Boss
Brown never imagined she would be a soldier, let alone one decorated for gallantry in combat. Growing up in central Texas, she had bounced around to nine schools, moving frequently with her brothers and mother, a nurse, before going to live with her grandmother Katy at age 15.
Despite the itinerant life, Brown excelled academically. She graduated from high school a year and a half early -- a day after turning 17. She planned to enroll in college, but that changed when her brother Justin, who was a year older and like a twin, was drawn to the Army.
Justin had long dreamed of becoming an infantryman, and one day they stopped by the recruiting office together, Brown said in an interview in Khost. On impulse, she offered to join with him. Grinning, they announced the decision to their grandmother, who said she "didn't feel it was the right time with the war on."
But Brown persuaded her grandmother to allow her to join with her brother before she turned 18. Justin "was older, but she was always the caretaker, always the boss," Katy Brown said.
Vice President Cheney pinned Brown, of Lake Jackson, Tex., with a Silver Star in March for repeatedly risking her life on April 25, 2007, to shield and treat her wounded comrades, displaying bravery and grit. She is the second woman since World War II to receive the nation's third-highest combat medal.
Within a few days of her heroic acts, however, the Army pulled Brown out of the remote camp in Paktika province where she was serving with a cavalry unit -- because, her platoon commander said, Army restrictions on women in combat barred her from such missions.
"We weren't supposed to take her out" on missions "but we had to because there was no other medic," said Lt. Martin Robbins, a platoon leader with Charlie Troop, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, whose men Brown saved. "By regulations you're not supposed to," he said, but Brown "was one of the guys, mixing it up, clearing rooms, doing everything that anybody else was doing."
In Afghanistan as well as Iraq, female soldiers are often tasked to work in all-male combat units -- not only for their skills but also for the culturally sensitive role of providing medical treatment for local women, as well as searching them and otherwise interacting with them. Such war-zone pragmatism is at odds with Army rules intended to bar women from units that engage in direct combat or collocate with combat forces.
Military personnel experts say that as a result, the 1992 rules are vague, ill defined, and based on an outmoded concept of wars with clear front lines that rarely exist in today's counterinsurgencies.
"The current policy is not actionable," concluded a Rand Corp. study last year on the Army's assignment of women. "Crafted for a linear battlefield," the policy does not conform to the nature of warfare today and uses concepts such as "forward and well forward [that] were generally acknowledged to be almost meaningless in the Iraqi theater," it said.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, noncombat units in which women serve face many of the same threats that all-male combat arms units do and are performing well, commanders say. "Army personnel were consistent in their perception that a strict adherence to the Army policy would have negative implications" and that the policy should be revised or revoked, the Rand study said.
The Caretaker and Boss
Brown never imagined she would be a soldier, let alone one decorated for gallantry in combat. Growing up in central Texas, she had bounced around to nine schools, moving frequently with her brothers and mother, a nurse, before going to live with her grandmother Katy at age 15.
Despite the itinerant life, Brown excelled academically. She graduated from high school a year and a half early -- a day after turning 17. She planned to enroll in college, but that changed when her brother Justin, who was a year older and like a twin, was drawn to the Army.
Justin had long dreamed of becoming an infantryman, and one day they stopped by the recruiting office together, Brown said in an interview in Khost. On impulse, she offered to join with him. Grinning, they announced the decision to their grandmother, who said she "didn't feel it was the right time with the war on."
But Brown persuaded her grandmother to allow her to join with her brother before she turned 18. Justin "was older, but she was always the caretaker, always the boss," Katy Brown said.
Brown," she was told, "you're going."
The outpost in Paktika province was little more than a cluster of tents walled off with dirt-filled barriers. There were no flush toilets or running water, and Brown worked in an 8-by-5-foot medical aid station barely big enough for a stretcher. "I loved it," she said.
Then, when fighting against the Taliban intensified in the spring, Brown was placed with Delta and Charlie troops as a line medic, spending days on combat operations. "It was more like a constant mission, because . . . there was more Taliban acting up," placing roadside bombs and attacking bases, she recalled.
"What we would do is go out for four or five days, come back to the FOB [forward operating base], get resupplied for eight hours then go right back out," she said. "If we got tips Taliban were in a village, we went there."
Mortars and Fire
At dusk on April 25, 2007, Brown's platoon had just finished searching for a Taliban leader near the village of Jani Khel. The convoy of four Humvees and one Afghan National Army pickup truck had turned into a dry streambed when a pressure-plate bomb exploded under the rear Humvee.
"Two-One is hit!" Staff Sgt. Jose Santos yelled. Looking back, Brown saw the Humvee engulfed in a fireball as its fuel tank and fuel cans ignited. Insurgents about 100 yards to the east opened up with machine guns and AK-47 semiautomatic rifles, as Brown and Santos ran without cover to the burning vehicle.
Four of those injured crawled or were thrown from the Humvee, while a fifth, Spec. Larry Spray, was caught inside by his boot and was on fire. Sgt. Zachary Tellier managed to pull him out.
Brown and a colleague then grabbed Spec. Stanson Smith, who was in shock and blinded by blood from his lacerated forehead, and dragged him by his body armor into a ditch about 15 yards away. Tellier helped Spray limp over.
No sooner were they in the ditch that insurgents began firing mortars. Brown threw her body over Smith, shielding him as more than a dozen rounds hit nearby. The ammunition inside the burning Humvee then started exploding, including 60mm mortars, 40mm grenade rounds and rifle ammunition. Again, Brown lay over the wounded.
Robbins, the platoon leader, repositioned his Humvee near the injured and was incredulous that Brown had survived. "I was surprised I didn't get killed and she'd been over there for 10, 15 minutes longer," he recalled.
"There was small arms coming in from two different machine-gun positions, mortars falling . . . a burning Humvee with 16 mortar rounds in it, chunks of aluminum the size of softballs flying all around," said Robbins, of Portsmouth, R.I. "It was about as hairy as it gets."
Santos, the platoon sergeant, drove the pickup over to get the wounded to safety. "It was pretty much just like a miracle run," Brown recalled. With another soldier, she hoisted Smith onto the truck, while Spray crouched behind the back window and Brown dived onto a bench in the back. There, Brown put pressure on Smith's head, which was bleeding heavily, and also held the hand of Spray, who was charred and shaking.
etc etc etc
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003415.html
KHOST, Afghanistan -- Pfc. Monica Brown cracked open the door of her Humvee outside a remote village in eastern Afghanistan to the soft pop of bullets shot by Taliban fighters. But instead of taking cover, the 18-year-old medic grabbed her bag and ran through gunfire toward fellow soldiers in a crippled and burning vehicle.
Vice President Cheney pinned Brown, of Lake Jackson, Tex., with a Silver Star in March for repeatedly risking her life on April 25, 2007, to shield and treat her wounded comrades, displaying bravery and grit. She is the second woman since World War II to receive the nation's third-highest combat medal.
Within a few days of her heroic acts, however, the Army pulled Brown out of the remote camp in Paktika province where she was serving with a cavalry unit -- because, her platoon commander said, Army restrictions on women in combat barred her from such missions.
"We weren't supposed to take her out" on missions "but we had to because there was no other medic," said Lt. Martin Robbins, a platoon leader with Charlie Troop, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, whose men Brown saved. "By regulations you're not supposed to," he said, but Brown "was one of the guys, mixing it up, clearing rooms, doing everything that anybody else was doing."
In Afghanistan as well as Iraq, female soldiers are often tasked to work in all-male combat units -- not only for their skills but also for the culturally sensitive role of providing medical treatment for local women, as well as searching them and otherwise interacting with them. Such war-zone pragmatism is at odds with Army rules intended to bar women from units that engage in direct combat or collocate with combat forces.
Military personnel experts say that as a result, the 1992 rules are vague, ill defined, and based on an outmoded concept of wars with clear front lines that rarely exist in today's counterinsurgencies.
"The current policy is not actionable," concluded a Rand Corp. study last year on the Army's assignment of women. "Crafted for a linear battlefield," the policy does not conform to the nature of warfare today and uses concepts such as "forward and well forward [that] were generally acknowledged to be almost meaningless in the Iraqi theater," it said.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, noncombat units in which women serve face many of the same threats that all-male combat arms units do and are performing well, commanders say. "Army personnel were consistent in their perception that a strict adherence to the Army policy would have negative implications" and that the policy should be revised or revoked, the Rand study said.
The Caretaker and Boss
Brown never imagined she would be a soldier, let alone one decorated for gallantry in combat. Growing up in central Texas, she had bounced around to nine schools, moving frequently with her brothers and mother, a nurse, before going to live with her grandmother Katy at age 15.
Despite the itinerant life, Brown excelled academically. She graduated from high school a year and a half early -- a day after turning 17. She planned to enroll in college, but that changed when her brother Justin, who was a year older and like a twin, was drawn to the Army.
Justin had long dreamed of becoming an infantryman, and one day they stopped by the recruiting office together, Brown said in an interview in Khost. On impulse, she offered to join with him. Grinning, they announced the decision to their grandmother, who said she "didn't feel it was the right time with the war on."
But Brown persuaded her grandmother to allow her to join with her brother before she turned 18. Justin "was older, but she was always the caretaker, always the boss," Katy Brown said.
Vice President Cheney pinned Brown, of Lake Jackson, Tex., with a Silver Star in March for repeatedly risking her life on April 25, 2007, to shield and treat her wounded comrades, displaying bravery and grit. She is the second woman since World War II to receive the nation's third-highest combat medal.
Within a few days of her heroic acts, however, the Army pulled Brown out of the remote camp in Paktika province where she was serving with a cavalry unit -- because, her platoon commander said, Army restrictions on women in combat barred her from such missions.
"We weren't supposed to take her out" on missions "but we had to because there was no other medic," said Lt. Martin Robbins, a platoon leader with Charlie Troop, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, whose men Brown saved. "By regulations you're not supposed to," he said, but Brown "was one of the guys, mixing it up, clearing rooms, doing everything that anybody else was doing."
In Afghanistan as well as Iraq, female soldiers are often tasked to work in all-male combat units -- not only for their skills but also for the culturally sensitive role of providing medical treatment for local women, as well as searching them and otherwise interacting with them. Such war-zone pragmatism is at odds with Army rules intended to bar women from units that engage in direct combat or collocate with combat forces.
Military personnel experts say that as a result, the 1992 rules are vague, ill defined, and based on an outmoded concept of wars with clear front lines that rarely exist in today's counterinsurgencies.
"The current policy is not actionable," concluded a Rand Corp. study last year on the Army's assignment of women. "Crafted for a linear battlefield," the policy does not conform to the nature of warfare today and uses concepts such as "forward and well forward [that] were generally acknowledged to be almost meaningless in the Iraqi theater," it said.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, noncombat units in which women serve face many of the same threats that all-male combat arms units do and are performing well, commanders say. "Army personnel were consistent in their perception that a strict adherence to the Army policy would have negative implications" and that the policy should be revised or revoked, the Rand study said.
The Caretaker and Boss
Brown never imagined she would be a soldier, let alone one decorated for gallantry in combat. Growing up in central Texas, she had bounced around to nine schools, moving frequently with her brothers and mother, a nurse, before going to live with her grandmother Katy at age 15.
Despite the itinerant life, Brown excelled academically. She graduated from high school a year and a half early -- a day after turning 17. She planned to enroll in college, but that changed when her brother Justin, who was a year older and like a twin, was drawn to the Army.
Justin had long dreamed of becoming an infantryman, and one day they stopped by the recruiting office together, Brown said in an interview in Khost. On impulse, she offered to join with him. Grinning, they announced the decision to their grandmother, who said she "didn't feel it was the right time with the war on."
But Brown persuaded her grandmother to allow her to join with her brother before she turned 18. Justin "was older, but she was always the caretaker, always the boss," Katy Brown said.
Brown," she was told, "you're going."
The outpost in Paktika province was little more than a cluster of tents walled off with dirt-filled barriers. There were no flush toilets or running water, and Brown worked in an 8-by-5-foot medical aid station barely big enough for a stretcher. "I loved it," she said.
Then, when fighting against the Taliban intensified in the spring, Brown was placed with Delta and Charlie troops as a line medic, spending days on combat operations. "It was more like a constant mission, because . . . there was more Taliban acting up," placing roadside bombs and attacking bases, she recalled.
"What we would do is go out for four or five days, come back to the FOB [forward operating base], get resupplied for eight hours then go right back out," she said. "If we got tips Taliban were in a village, we went there."
Mortars and Fire
At dusk on April 25, 2007, Brown's platoon had just finished searching for a Taliban leader near the village of Jani Khel. The convoy of four Humvees and one Afghan National Army pickup truck had turned into a dry streambed when a pressure-plate bomb exploded under the rear Humvee.
"Two-One is hit!" Staff Sgt. Jose Santos yelled. Looking back, Brown saw the Humvee engulfed in a fireball as its fuel tank and fuel cans ignited. Insurgents about 100 yards to the east opened up with machine guns and AK-47 semiautomatic rifles, as Brown and Santos ran without cover to the burning vehicle.
Four of those injured crawled or were thrown from the Humvee, while a fifth, Spec. Larry Spray, was caught inside by his boot and was on fire. Sgt. Zachary Tellier managed to pull him out.
Brown and a colleague then grabbed Spec. Stanson Smith, who was in shock and blinded by blood from his lacerated forehead, and dragged him by his body armor into a ditch about 15 yards away. Tellier helped Spray limp over.
No sooner were they in the ditch that insurgents began firing mortars. Brown threw her body over Smith, shielding him as more than a dozen rounds hit nearby. The ammunition inside the burning Humvee then started exploding, including 60mm mortars, 40mm grenade rounds and rifle ammunition. Again, Brown lay over the wounded.
Robbins, the platoon leader, repositioned his Humvee near the injured and was incredulous that Brown had survived. "I was surprised I didn't get killed and she'd been over there for 10, 15 minutes longer," he recalled.
"There was small arms coming in from two different machine-gun positions, mortars falling . . . a burning Humvee with 16 mortar rounds in it, chunks of aluminum the size of softballs flying all around," said Robbins, of Portsmouth, R.I. "It was about as hairy as it gets."
Santos, the platoon sergeant, drove the pickup over to get the wounded to safety. "It was pretty much just like a miracle run," Brown recalled. With another soldier, she hoisted Smith onto the truck, while Spray crouched behind the back window and Brown dived onto a bench in the back. There, Brown put pressure on Smith's head, which was bleeding heavily, and also held the hand of Spray, who was charred and shaking.
etc etc etc
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Az Gov veto's...
Arizona's governor vetoed a bill that would allow concealed carry without carrying around their CCW permit. Ya know, I really want people to have a special license and training to carry concealed. I am sure purists will scoff at me now, but any joe schmo without a record can buy a gun... but do we want that guy to carry his gun, just about anywhere, without any training? I would hope not. Plus, any bad guy isn't going to register his weapon anyhow, or go through any training. This law would not hinder a bad gun.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/236760
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/236760
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