Can personal firearms be used in Iraq?

[shooterer]

Here is my story.

A friend of mine who is an officer in the military has been just shipped over to a forward base in Iraq. I received an email just after she reached the base with the news that she was issued an “M-16” even though all her training was on an M-4 (it is a length of pull thing, she a small woman) and that they are out of side arms and she’ll “have to wait” to be issued one.

My question is can I buy a Berretta (I’ll need help with which sub model to buy) and send it to her to use? (I know there might be “staw” issues there)

Any info would help.

She said no, but sometimes people are afraid to ask or there may be a “don’t ask don’t tell” thing.

Thanks,
Shooterer

 

[CWL]

The answer would be "No". You don't want to get caught in Iraq armed with personal firearms.

It may be easier for you to send her a retractable M4 buttstock for her to mount on her M16.

 

[Redd Flynt]

Big time bad trouble for both of you.

 

[kingpin008]

What they said. There's a reason the soldiers are issued weapons, instead of being allowed to bring their own.

 

[Hauptmann]

This isn't the old days, you use what you are handed in the service. You can get into some serious trouble for using weapons and ammunition that were not issued to you.

 

[Hoppy590]

nope no personal arms.
as for moding her existing m16. that could be a possibility. i understand diferant commands see differant things when it comes to that

 

[Steve in PA]

She's not going to be allowed to do anything to that rifle, unless an armorer does it.

In addition, I'd rather have a rifle than a handgun in a war zone.

If she's that small, then the size of the Beretta grip must be a problem for her as well.

 

[Floppy_D]

A guy I know has brought an AK with him to the sandbox, as a convoy gun. He said he has no trouble bringing things over, but it's near impossible to bring anything back.

 

[AndyC]

Don't take anything over, don't take anything back - simple.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

A lot of guys that are in my classes that went over said they used AKs that they got from the Iraqis and then gave them back when they left.

 

[GRIZ22]

A guy I know has brought an AK with him to the sandbox,

That's a "coals to Newcastle". Officially the Army always has been issued weapons only. The guys I know who have been to Afghanistan or Iraq all say it depends on the command. Don't flaunt it and the MPs won't take it from you. This was the way it was in Vietnam.

but it's near impossible to bring anything back.

That's the way it was in Vietnam.

 

[wideym]

No,do not even try to send a weapon overseas, even sending gun parts overseas is not allowed. Women may go on some convoys or search female detainees but do not go combat missions, not to say some do not end up in combat. A rifle is 1000% better to have than a pistol anyway. My unit did use captured pistols as backup weapons, mostly HP,CZ75 and one really nice Colt Gold Cup the LT kept for himself. The local Berreta copys were dangerous for the shooter. Keep in mind we were a National Guard Infantry Brigade. When an active duty unit relieved us we offered the pistols but they wouldn't touch them. Ended up throwing them in the river.

 

[Josh Aston]

Sending gun parts over is perfectly legal. Possessing personal weapons is a violation of General Order #1 though. And shipping them overseas is illegal as well. Doesn't mean you can't get away with it. As for modding her issued weapons, I modded my 4 and 9 and no one ever told me anything about it. Of course I never asked if I could either. That said sending her an m4 upper might prove difficult, customs people may think of it as a gun. Sending her an M4 stock shouldn't cause any problems at all. Also, if you do decide to send her the stuff best way to do it is order it online and have it shipped directly to her. Packages sent from businesses tend to get there faster than packages sent from individuals.

 

[Prince Yamato]

Unless you have an export permit from the ATF and a contract with the US Army, then no.

Yeah, I wish it was like WWII also and we could ship our troops guns. Sadly, political correctness rules the day.

 

[Jdude]

Do not send an upper.
Do not send a lower.
Do not send springs, hammers or other internal parts.

If it modifies the function or touches the round, do not send it. You will get your friend in trouble.

Now, as to the collapsible butstock? That would be okay, just make sure she clears it through command and has the ARMORER do all the work. That will handle all the CYA and get the person a weapon that fits.

 

[pgeleven]

hell no, we tried our asses off to bring our own.

 

[808_guy]

No, no, no. It sucks, but that's the way it is. Even as infantrymen, the only leeway we had when it came to weapons was how we carried magazines and...well, that was about it. Adding a collapsable buttstock to a M-16 is a completely unauthorized modification to an issue M16A2/ A4. That won't get by any supervisor or commander/ first sergeant.

Send her books, soap/ shampoo, and all the good words you can think of. Those will be far more useful than weapon parts.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

This subject has been kicked around alot. You get issued what you get issued. it is impossible to bring your personal weapon to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Before you post a thread with this particicular subject you should do a search on the subject.

 

[JamisJockey]

Send her a nice stock, a good sling, and something to butter the armorer up with (log of dip, carton of smokes, good book, geedunk, whatever).
PS
When I was in the Marines I was good friends with a WM (Woman Marine) who was about 3" shorter than me. I'm 5'3"...so she was about five-foot-nuttin. She could out shoot me with the M16. Matter-a-fact, she had one of the highest personal scores I knew of.


Tell your friend to find a Marine to show her how to really shoot that M16.

 

[Striker]

if it's a length of pull issue, send her and A1 stock and screw. They are readily available and is a fairly simple and easily reversible retrofit that takes a few minutes to install with a screw driver. Much easier then installing an M4stock

NOTE: Just make sure whoever does the swap knows what they are doing so as not to lose the spring and detent for the rear takedown pin, and make sure she keeps the stock spacer for the A2 stock so it can be reinstalled.

 

[SSN Vet]

Can personal firearms be used in Iraq?

only if you're....

an Sunni insurgant,

a Shiite malitiaman,

a criminal gang member,

or a Blackwater contractor.

U.S. military of all branches will be violating standing orders and find themselves in deep do-do if they sneak a personal firearm in theatre.

 

[docfubar]

There is a memo out about modifiying weapons and by the memo changing the stock you violate the order of modifing the weapon. If an armorer does it she will be all right.

 

[Onmilo]

A Military Police Rerserve Unit bought three Maverick shotguns from the shop that I modified for use as door breaching guns.

From what I am told, the guns were were further modified once in Iraq by having the barrels cut down even with the magazine tubes.

These were not personal guns per se, but they were unit firearms that they needed and could not get through the supply system at the time, 2003, because these types of weapons were not authorized in the T.O.E. for this unit.

The guns remained in Iraq and are still being used by other units.

I am sure that there are units deployed that have the blessing of the unit commanders for use of specialized weaponry that is maintained by the unit for "special application use."

As for tossing your favorite forty Glock in your dufflebag,,,,,don't do it.
All combat situations that any military force engages in while deployed to Iraq is viewed as a potential crime scene and investigators study everything after the fact.
One civilian with a non-milspec bullet lodged in their anatomy can get you in a world of bad ju-ju.

 

[shooterer]

Thank you all for your responses and I get the message loud and clear that the answer is NO and that I was a dumb a$$ for not doing a search on the subject before posting.

I understand that rules are put in place to save lives and my thought was that if there was something I could do to help that fact not caring if I ever got the firearm back, I would do it.

I will stick with my original plan of sending her things that may make her time a little more pleasant and things that she can give to others that don’t have anyone sending stuff.

Also a lot of prayers.

Thanks again everyone.
Shooterer

 

[bogie]

Campers...

If SHE needs an M4, by the time she needs it, there should be some available, just kinda lying around. Otherwise, deal with the longer length of pull.