How I spent my afternoon

[Norton]

I was doing some work up in the Harford County, MD area today and has several hours to kill so I went over to the Aberdeen Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

It's a free museum and has both a great indoor and outdoor display.

The indoor exhibits feature a LOT of small arms, including complete collections of the Mauser, Mannlicher and Mosin Nagant families. Also a great display on the evolution of the submachine gun, the American battle rifles since WW I, pre-WW I American rifles and the evolution of the 'assault rifle'.

As I was going through these I couldn't help but thinking, "I have one of those.....oh, and one of those, and those....oh, yeah I've got one of those too...."

The outdoor displays consist mostly of armored vehicles parked on concrete slabs. Sort of sad actually......they are trying to raiase money to build a state of the art indoor display for the vehicles, meanwhile they are rusting away in the field.

Great way to spend a few hours....

http://www.ordmusfound.org/index.htm

 

[pwolfman]

Norton,

What really makes that museum is the outside pieces, which I hate to see rusting out there (including the 1st M1 tank). I have had the pleasure of two guided tours from Dr. Atwater(IIRC) that included a back arms room tours (DROOL!!)

There is a lot of history there, and it takes someone that knows the little details to make it come alive. (ie, the tank suspensions for the various tanks and why they did/did not work)

If I get the honor, I would love to work there!! What a goal!!

pwolfman

 

[Norton]

I wish that I could have spent more time there and examined the outdoor pieces better. However, I was under time constraints and it was quite windy and cold.

They are having a fund drive for the new building and are doing the commemorative brick sale. Spot77 and I are going to buy one as a tribute to our grandfather who was a member of the 801st tank destroyer batallion....go Hellcats!