Captured Mosin's in Vietnam

[Dan Crocker]

Such a different mindset back then compared to today's military rules,it is my understanding that trying to bring back any type of weapon in the military today will land you in deep s***.

You can bring back guns that are pre-1898 manufacture, which makes me laugh, really, because the gun makers of the Khyber and Peshawar have all kinds of repro Martini-Henrys for sale that wind up as 'authentic antiques' at US bases. I even saw an M1917 repro marked '1896.' It's a joke. The process involves having the MPs sign off on the gun, then getting a letter from JAG, then mailing it home certified. Anything modern though...it's not allowed.

 

[Cmdr. Gravez0r]

Best bringback story I've heard is of a mechanic finding two AK's, all wrapped up and everything, hidden in the fuel tank of an Abrams. Some good ole boy had tried to smuggle them back but hadn't gotten to 'em in time.

 

[NickEllis]

What's the reason behind the whole disallowing of bring-backs? What caused the change in policy? Doesn't seem to be any harm in it.

???

 

[jackdanson]

Confirmed: There are no bringbacks.

Does this include magazines? I've seen a few "gold mags" from Iraq floating around. (and yes, they really were from iraq....)

 

[evan price]

I've heard three reasons:

1. They don't want to bother with trying to see if it is legal or not (FA or not for example). Easier to say no.

2. Souvenir hunting was to be discouraged because certain types rig booby traps and that leads to casualties.

3. We don't want to appear like the marauding pillaging hordes trying to grab souvenirs. Cops, not conquerers.

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

I wonder what happened to all those mosins in the pictures. I realize a few were probably brought back. Were the rest destroyed? Or is it anyone' guess what happened to them.?

 

[chuckusaret]

chuckusaret, how did you like the shotgun?

Great for dense jungle fighting, but the buckshot got to be quite heavy. I had a Remington 12 gauge pump that had seen its day but never failed to fire.

I wonder what happened to all those mosins in the pictures. I realize a few were probably brought back. Were the rest destroyed? Or is it anyone' guess what happened to them.?

Most of the large caches, where I was on my last assignment were turned over to the combat engineers, they destroyed them. The weapons that we managed to keep were taken to Da Nang and swapped off to the REMf’s for fans, booze or what ever we didn’t have up north. I was in Hue Phu Bia in the 70’s and had conex’s full of weapons. Our collection included M2 Carbines, Thompsons, water cooled 30 cal MG that were mostly left by the French when they pulled out in the late 50’s. The firearms act of 1968 did not allow us to bring any type firearm back as a war trophy.

 

[AirForceShooter]

Brought a Mosin back in '68.
Still have it.

AFS

 

[bill larry]

Some pics form the source, Spec 4 J.T. Kelly

My dad was in the 150th CHFM attached to the 502nd Outlaws in Vinh Long. He was a B model Huey crew chief and door gunner. These pics are from 1964 and 1965. Notice in addition to the Mosins all the captured M1 Garands and carbines. I also see Swedish K's, etc. The last pic is for giggles. Please do not reproduce these anywhere. Thanks!

 

[Beagle-zebub]

bill larry, great pics! In the second pic, what are those two MGs on the right end of that row of MGs in the pic? They look like FN MAG-58s with BAR flash suppressors--***? It looks like there are real BARs to the left of them.

 

[yokel]

Such a different mindset back then compared to today's military rules,it is my understanding that trying to bring back any type of weapon in the military today will land you in deep s***.

We must note the cruel irony. How often do we hear the claim that American troops “defend our liberties” or “support and defend the Constitution.”

As our Founding Fathers understood so well, the primary threat to our liberty lies with our own government rather than Vietnam or Iraq.

 

[Rockwell1]

Best bringback story I've heard is of a mechanic finding two AK's, all wrapped up and everything, hidden in the fuel tank of an Abrams. Some good ole boy had tried to smuggle them back but hadn't gotten to 'em in time.

Given there's no way to get a fully assembled AK (or even a dissasembled one FTM) into the fuel tank of an M-1 tank that doesn't involve cutting a hole in the fuel tank wall. I'm going to speculate that your "bring back story" is just that, a story.

 

[John-Melb]

Beagle-zebub, I think they're Brens.

 

[bob kk]

Shot a full auto AK. That was a few years ago. Fighter pilot
brought it back from Korea. Didn't ask how he got it on the carrier.
When I was in Germany. after you got your orders to come home.
We could go to Frankfurt and buy a 45 with paper work to bring it
back with us. As to inspection What was carrier aboard ship. I
was one of the inspectors and didn't look to close to see what
they were bringing back.

 

[Ignition Override]

Sometime recently a few C-17 crewmembers were convicted of bringing some AKs from Iraq and might be locked up in the Leavenworth military prison for a while.
A guy I worked with might have a buddy in their former active or reserve squadron (Charleston AFB?).
Assuming that this story is accurate, they will probably never be allowed to legally own a gun when they are released, if they are considered felons as civilians.

As an admittedly strange comparison, let's consider that you can be locked up for five years simply for injuring a Florida alligator, from what I read last night, and fined a few thousand US rubles. You can be charged with a crime for putting one in your car etc. This really surprised me.
A veteran whose AR malfunctioned and went full-auto (though borrowed by somebody else and used at a range) is now in prison in Minnesota for a few years.

 

[Deadman]

I recall watching documentary footage recently of Vietnamese using Mosin Nagants as anti-aircraft weapons.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Nice pics..... and pretty much ALL guys looked like Art Garfunkel back then.