[Langenator]

And the coolest part of it was even, technically work. All the officers in my brigade here at Ft Jackson went on a guided tour of the FN Mfg plant in Columbia, SC today...way cool. They make M240s, M249s, and M16s for the Army, plus a couple of other cool MGs for the Navy SEALs. Got to see where they do all the machining for the receivers, how they make the barrels (they also make the barrels for Browning and Winchester rifles there), where they all get put together, and where and how they test fire them before delivery. The test fire/QC process was really impressive. I only wish there was some way I could have smuggled one of the M240Bs out of there (happiness is, after all, a belt fed weapon :p )

Then we got to visit what out guide called the "trophy room" where they had on display functional copies of everything they build there. I got to hold the Mk 46 and Mk 48 MGs (cut down, lighter SEAL versions of the M249 and M240B, respectively) plus the new, LEO and military only FN-57 pistol (I want! I want! I want!) Way, way cool.

Thusly inspired, I capped off my day with my first trip to the range in a couple of months. I didn't shoot that great (which means I have a great excuse for more practice), but I'm reasonably sure I outshot the two trainees from the local police academy who were on the next lane.

So I'm feeling pretty dang happy...how about you folks?

[BowStreetRunner]

2 of my classes got canceled my day was great:D

[Tamara]

Doesn't THR member owen work there? Didja get to say hi and exchange the secret THR gun nut handshake? :D

[SteelyDan]

Oh, my day?

1. Got a disappointing decision from a judge in a fairly big case. Expected, but still disappointing.

2. My wife called and said she had decided to give our new dog back to the Humane Society. There were good reasons for this, but it's still hard.

3. Worked late, got home, wife threw a fit after I said nothing more than "Are you okay?" (quote: "I'm apparently less important than a dog!"), got in the car and disappeared for two hours. She went straight to bed without saying anything.

4. Son cried in my arms about the dog, and worried about Mom.

5. Found out daughter at college has mono and pneumonia. Both are mild, but still.

6. Gotta get up at the crack of dawn to go with son on two-day school camping thing I agreed to chaperone when it was months away. Now it's here, and I'm really not looking forward to it. It's supposed to rain.

All in all, pretty much par for the course. Except I usually win the court cases. And by tomorrow I'll be fine.

[Frohickey]

Did you get any free samples? ;)

[Sportcat]

Langenator,

Tens of thousands of people drive by the factory every day not knowing what they produce there (for better, or worse :rolleyes: ). Myself, I've always wanted to tour the facility, but I doubt civi's can just sign-up for the tour.

Glad your enjoying your stay in Columbia. Me and Mrs. Sportcat just moved from there last month.

[outfieldjack]

Every once in a while..... always a fun inspection....

[4v50 Gary]

Perhaps a good job for gunners is fire marshal, OSHA inspector or food inspector (if there's a cafeteria). Of course, you can get "sidetracked" to the proofing area.

I once had a couple of quarters "proofed" at Sturm Ruger for my brother & myself. :D

[Hawkman]

I don't remember the last time I had a great day. And if I did, I would remember that my wife or kids found a way to screw it up for me!:banghead:

[Langenator]

Tamara-

I didn't see anyone named owen. My tour guide's name was Stephen, head of the shipping department, used to work in testing.

Interesting tidbits I left out:

FN ships 3200 M-16s to DoD each month, plus 125 M240s, and I can't remember how many M249s. The testing guys test fire all of them, plus additional testing on the barrels before they become part of a complete gun.

I didn't know that the M240 (aka the MAG-58) is a mechanical descendant of the BAR. JMB LIVES!

I tried to slip a MK 48 under my shirt, but couldn't quite pull it off. :p

And for fun this weekend, Mrs. Langenator and I are going to Asheville to the gun show. (God I love that girl!:D )

[C.R.Sam]

Candy factory for gunnies.
Thanks for the report Langenator

Sam

[P95Carry]

Nice one Sir .... oh that every day could be so filled with interest and enjoyment.

Tho I do try!!:)

[blades67]

I've had a great week. Managed to get to the range and shoot three times this week and always managed to bring home more brass than I took!:cool: I tell the Boss Lady that it's because of my L.N.T. Outdoorsman ethic, but she says it's because I'm afraid to buy brass. It's not true, of course, because with all that free brass just sitting on the deck like that means that I don't have to!:D

[jsalcedo]

I took my best friends stepson to the range for the first time today.
He just turned 13 and is in those awkward formative years.

Just went and picked him up on the spur of the moment and taught him the safety basics on the way. (which he never deviated from once)

I started him off with the ruger MKII and at 7 yards he was getting the rounds into the size of a silver dollar.

We then switched to the makarov which he loved except for the smell of the wolf ammo of course.

I left him behind the red safety line and went into the office and brought back a silenced M3 grease gun and 3 magazines.

His eyes lit up and got as big as dinner plates. For a non gun kid he immediately recognized it from the dirty dozen.

After going over the basic operation I had him take off his hearing protection and inserted a magazine, looked through the peep-hole and sqeezed off 5 6 round bursts. completely obliterating a shoot and see target.

I handed the greasegun to the young shooter and he skillfully inserted a mag, pulled the bolt back and fired 2 long bursts sending all 30 rounds
into the size of a pie plate. the gun made a very soft click clack noise due to the 18 inch integral silencer.

With a huge grin on his face he thanked me a dozen or so times and
asked me every sort of gun question under the sun during the 20 min drive back to his house.

A very good day indeed.

[Kobun]

Tamara,
Didja get to say hi and exchange the secret THR gun nut handshake?
What handshake? :uhoh:
Did I miss out on something while I was in Africa for a few weeks?
:(
You better teach me quick, or I won't give you a report on how the NS works after the rebuild... ;)

[Langenator]

OK, one last thing I forgot to mention about the FN plant, then I'll shut up-but this was really great.

There was a bulletin board in the employee canteen. On this board were numerous pictures of U.S troops, with their FN built weapons, in action. Also on the board were numerous business cards, each with a small American flag and something similar to the following:

Specialist John Smith
U.S Army
Middle East
Nephew of Bob Smith


From great people come great guns. Thanks to all the people there at FN.