Neo-Luddite
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An obvious and fair answer as "firearm" was not specified; the KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife.
Longest Serving WWII/Korea-era weapons on Active Duty?
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D.B. Cooper
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Is the M-60 completely out of service now? I trained with one in basic in 94, but, not being in the combat arms, I didn't see them frequently afterward.
No, in those days, they sent them to Alaska. My dad, USA 1946-1950 and my uncle, USMC 1954-58 said it was common to threaten an unsat soldier with a transfer to Alaska as punishment or motivation. Today, there is a waiting list to get stationed in Alaska. Funny how times change.
In 1994, I was assigned to a Kaiser deuce-and a half shop van truck, made in 65. Mulit-fuel engine that, if you ran anything other than diesel in it, the injector pump would die. I never saw WWII vintage trucks, but it has bee a long time dream to own a WWII/Korea vintage CCKW deuce and a half.
I don't think those are issued. Don't the guys have to buys those on their own? (Or did during WWII)??
Thinking of "stuff" in general that has been issued for eons, I wonder if the Army (or other branches) still issue those pocket-sized Gideon's Psalms and New Testament books.
The USN MkII were issued to USMC and some USN. They were coveted by other branches during WWII.
The closest issue "knife" now is the M9 bayonet, its M11 variant, and the 3S made by Ontario for the USMC.
entropy
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As has been mentioned, some SpecOps groups still use M60E3's, but the M60 is long since retired otherwise; the M240B is the standard GPMG.
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.455_Hunter
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In the Trans-9/11 era, we mostly had SAWs, M240Bs and M2s. I don't recall the M2s being specifically older production. The 240Bs were pretty new to the unit, as well- maybe they replaced the M60s at the same time the Grease Guns went away.
D.B. Cooper
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Wow. Everything I had anything to do with in the military is pretty much gone. M60. Gone. M16A1 Gone. M16A2. Gone. M9. Gone. M35 Deuce and half. PRC77 Radio. Gone. I feel old.
Sistema1927
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Don't feel bad. When I was in, everything was changing:
Jeep to HUMV
Fatigues to BDU's
M60 to M1 Abrams
UH1 to Blackhawk
1911 to M9
C-Rats to MRE's
(and I could probably go on and on.....)
Of course, most of this was the fact that we were finally coming out of post-Vietnam malaise, and the money that was pumped in once Ronald Reagan replaced "smiling boy" as CIC.
my division chief and i were transfered at the same time from a african location. he went to the uss pueblo and i went to staff command in norfolk va. he had the crap beat out of him for some time. happy i did not get his location, could have. his name was chief ralph bowden. he was a very nice man and we all like him as our division chief. he was a little guy like me and we both looked very italian. ive never ever forgot him.
Venezuela still has several M18 hellcats in service.
South Africa still runs some 1919s in 7.62x51 in coax mounts.
Uruguay still has a few M24 Chaffee light tanks running around
Several countries still have M1 rifles in ceremonial duty.
Amazing how much equipment was produced that 3/4 of a century later you dont have to look hard to find WW2 equipment still soldiering on.
South Africa still runs some 1919s in 7.62x51 in coax mounts.
Uruguay still has a few M24 Chaffee light tanks running around
Several countries still have M1 rifles in ceremonial duty.
Amazing how much equipment was produced that 3/4 of a century later you dont have to look hard to find WW2 equipment still soldiering on.
jrmiddleton425
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U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan had a S&W Model of 1905 Military & Police .38 until at least 2012.
My buddy ran the armory there 2010-2012, and they still had the original Smith & Wesson invoice with a ship date to the U.S. Navy in 1906.
My buddy ran the armory there 2010-2012, and they still had the original Smith & Wesson invoice with a ship date to the U.S. Navy in 1906.
I found this: https://www.tacom.army.mil/ilsc/donations/rifles
Ceremonial Garands. I wonder if any fancy Springfields are around? I've seen some foreign ceremonial units with older guns.
Ceremonial Garands. I wonder if any fancy Springfields are around? I've seen some foreign ceremonial units with older guns.
entropy
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We had demilled M1903's as drill rifles when I was in ROTC. Not sure that counts, though.
D.B. Cooper
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Since you mentioned BDUs...I never thought that highly of them as camouflage; they were just...uniforms. Last year I took a friend and a friend of his hunting. The friend of a friend wore some old BDUs. (My friend and I were in orange.) I watched that guy int hose old BDUs walk off a trail into the brush and instantly disappear before my very eyes. I couldn't believe it.
Sistema1927
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BDU's weren't too bad for what were considered the likeliest theaters of operation (Europe, Korea) when they were introduced in the early 1980's. Not so good for desert warfare. Another uniform that was phased out during that period was the Class B khakis. They looked sharp, especially with a good press. The grey-green shirt with green Class A pants looked terrible. Another change during the time that I served.
I wore BDU's along with both patterns of DCU's ( tri color and 6 color "choc. chips"). The summer BDU's looked good starched and pressed.
As far as weapons, I was issued both the M16A1 and A2 while on active duty (89-96). I carried the M16A1 until 1992 when I got to Germany and was finally issued the A2. Most of the time the M60 was my primary weapon. I also was issued both the 1911A1 and M9 along with the M3A1. Ma Deuce is definitely been in continuous service the longest. They have tried several times to improve it and also to lighten it with out much success. The M4 was just getting issued when I got out. SOCOM along with the 82nd and 101st got the M4 first and the Army finally started issuing the M4 to other units as replacements for the M3A1 for combat vehicle crews in late 95-early 96.
There have been some really good improvments to the M2. Now they have quick change barrels that don't need a headspace and timing gauge. They have also improved the feed system.
I'm glad to see that they did away with the need to set head space and timing every time the barrel is changed. We would always beg/borrow/steal extra head space gauges since they always seem to get misplaced.
mstreddy
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Yep, I relate with all of those, and since I first went in the Corps in 1982, I've seen the:
the M16 and M16A1 to M16A2, then the M4.
And now the M9 is going to the M17/M18. We're supposed to get ours this year. There are a couple in the armory already.
The deuce and a half to the LMTVs, and even MRAPs
And I'm still in uniform -- this September marks 38 years in uniform (slight break in 88 as I went from USMC Reserve to AF Reserve). And I can't even count how many different uniform changes I've seen, in both the Corps and AF.
I'm hanging it all up in January, though. I told my troops that the going away present I want is a Sig M18 similar to the new issue ones. Let's see how much they like me!
And another story... when I first got to my Security Forces unit in 2002 they first issued me an M16 that had been stamped AR-15, then converted to M16A1, then M16A2 with all the crossout stamps and overstamps. There were still some A1s rolling around as well. In 2005 I was inventorying some weapons we brought on a deployment and there was a no-kidding 3 or 4 digit serial number M16. Not A1, not A2, just M16.
When we were in Iraq in 2009, there were a couple of the Colt GAU-5s in the armory that we got to play with.
But, yeah, sadly, a great many of the weapon systems I "grew up" with are no more...
And since I was first an aircraft maintainer --
No more A-4 Skyhawks, AV-8A Harriers, F-4 Phantoms, A-6 Intruders, A-7 Corsairs, F-8 Crusaders, F-117 Nighthawks, F-106 Delta Dart, C-141s, and my favorite the SR-71!
OK, I'll stop. I'm OLD.
daniel craig
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The Mosin nagant is still used in parts of the Middle East.
Jeff B.
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I agree... I remember travelling in Khakis in the early 80's. Nice uniform. IIRC, it went out in 1985 or so...
Jeff B.
Sistema1927
Member
I think that it was before that. I PCS'd to ROK in early 1983, and I wore the grey/green with green trousers and black sweater for travel. If the khakis were still allowed I would have much preferred to travel that way.
this may be interesting. when i went to high school from 56 to 60 we had real food for school lunch. my very favorite was sloppy joes. the school got can after can of ww2 shedded beef in a wonderful thick gravy. the cooks would put that between huge hamberger buns. us kids would go nuts for them as they tasted so good. the best sloppy joes ive ever eaten. wish someone to day would make those again as good as the government ones.
CapnMac
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Not a rumor. Also the only currently active USN vessel to have captured an enemy vessel during time of war.
Yes. And No. USN changed over to the L80 from the L70 patterns (also to 40x365 from 40x311).
That story may be a bit blurry as the last US AFV with a bow gun was the M-47, which only soldiered on in NG use into the 60s.
Most of the M3 is US armor after about 1965 were M3A3, which had two detents on the port cover to hold the bolt either open or closed. M3A3, IIRC sis used a ball detent and not a crimped lip. Interesting sidebar, by Contract, the tank manufacturer had to provide all the things needed in a track on delivery. So, they are the ones who contracted for the M3s carried, and the non-standard mag bags, and every tool roll, and the like, too.
They were really pretty good for Europe. The ERDL green were scary good in the tropics. Woodland pattern evolved out of the "brown" ERDL used by the Rangers for a while.
I went from OD Utilities to Woodland, to Chips, to DCU, to blueberries, and a single set of avocados. That photo over there at the top left is in blueberries.
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