In Vietnam Ak or M16

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Veteran 1970 - 71

I humped an M-60 over a lot of ground with USMC when I was 19. But it was a 3 man team effort. The other two members of the fire team carried ammo, tripod, spare barrel, and other spare parts. We could choose any personal weapon from the arsenal we wanted. I chose an M-9 "grease gun" in 45 auto.

I know the M-9 was a homely weapon left over from WW2 but our Armorers re-worked 'em with new magazine springs, lightened trigger pull, and sanded magazine well. Do not ever assume a full auto 45 caliber is worthless in close combat.

Victor Charlie killed off a lot of young guys with assortment of weapons including Mosin Nagant rifles, SKS carbines, AK-47's, and explosive devices attached to trip wires. A well planned and executed ambush is effective irregardless of weapons. They would've been equally deadly with 30-30's and 12 gauge shotguns.

USA lost the war because of policies by rascals like LBJ and Robert MacNamara. Tricky Dick inherited a bad situation. But Gerald Ford turned his back on POW's left behind. One of my life goals is to piss on their graves.

Nope. I'm not looking for a fight with anyone. My motto is "Let's give peace a chance".

TR
 
I didn't read all the replies here. So maybe this doesn't belong here. Less than 3 months into my 1st tour I got rid of the Mickey Mouse Gun (M16) as fast as I could. I carried a model 37 Ithica with an 18 tube. I also was a Tunnel Rat:evil: so it made more sense. My side arm was a 1911 45acp made by Remington Rand.

USMC :fire:
3rd MAW.
62/74
E6
 
xtriggerman
Hey that FAL/SKS looks cool how about some more info, is it Photoshop or real taleented gunsmith shop. I've alway's loved FAL's and SKS's. Everybody wants to know about AK in NAM but there was 10 times as many SKS's and some looked like they'd gone through hell and still functioned and fired flawlessly.
If you built that I tip my hat, you're good.
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That is, I believe, a Daewoo rifle. It's a rifle that the South Koreans made, combining aspects of both the AK and AR rifles. It's a bit of an odd duck, but they seem to be pretty good rifles. Cut off from importation into the US, unfortunately (like a lot of other cool stuff), and the spare parts situation is precarious.
 
Lets just say I still deal with it.
This was an odd place to add my 1st 2 cents worth :scrutiny:
 
I own a Daewoo and that is not one the back half is FAL top is SKS Barrel and gas sys?. I'd like to know what an m-9 is myself, the only grease gun we had that I know of was the M-3 machine pistol.
 
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I carried a model 37 Ithica with an 18 tube. I also was a Tunnel Rat so it made more sense.
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J Lazy H Welcome to THR!
Did you use the Ithica inside the tunnels?
You mentioned that you carried a 1911 as well. Wouldn't that be a better choice?
(Not trying to come off as a smart a** at all. Its a serious question. Thank you for your service!)
 
The Ithica was the choice. Loaded with 2 3/4 inch T shot you could sweep the average tunnel side to side. With the 45 you pretty much had to see the threat and aim. Outside I used double 00 or sluges. With the 37 you could slam fire it.
That help?
 
Give the old guy a break ! He meant M3 grease gun, or M3A1 grease gun. And dang I hope nobody lightened any springs!
I went thru basic with a new fangled M-14, but used an M1 in ROTC. When I got to the 101st 3 Brigade I was handed an M-16 , I already knew enough to have brought with me from CONUS a tooth brush, pipe cleaners, shaving brush and DRY SLIDE . We heard stories! Back then the hot setup was to dust off everything, then clean with military bore cleaner from the arms room then dry off with rags the bolt group and reciever and Dry Slide everthing and reassemble. The theory was the dust wouldn't stick to the dryslide (dri-graphitemoly with an alchohol carrier) treated parts. Well it worked for me! It worked for me in the 70s and 80s with SP1s in LEO and Civvie use. But when I started
being retrained by top trainers in the 90s and shooting 400 rounds a day on courses-it didn't work! I started sloshing in the Marvel Mystery lube over the bolt group and using Slip 2000 then XF7 when cleaning and things started working satisfactorly. I hear from guys from the Sand Box games this is the hot set up. I think the dryslide deal should work there, it worked in the red dust of the DMZ in Nam, but well I guess time marchs on!
Reguarding the AK versus AR deal; I was a assigned to inventory many weapons caches in Nam from 1968 to 1971. Saw AKs for sure but not as many as you would think as they did not leave them behind for some odd reason.I saw SF types with them , mostly with IDIG troops, but while I liked RPGs and shot them when ever I could,we just didn't shoot the AK for fear of having return fire at their distinctive sound. I have been on LRRP cross border missions and the Americans used ARs prolly because the high ranking officers allways snagged the good ones as trophies!
Today I shoot a tricked out AR, but default to a tricked out AK. I am breaking my sons in with AKs, unless they get really into training it is a far superior weapons system IMHO.But the AR can be superior if you master the system.
 
But the AR can be superior if you master the system
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Respectfully sir, isn't it that way with all systems? M1A2 Abrams are great...but if you put me in the TC's seat...it would be the most useless thing in the world as I have no idea what it takes to run a tank. Not trying to be a PITA, just musing out loud I guess..
 
"I own a Daewoo and that is not one the back half is FAL top is SKS Barrel and gas sys?. I'd like to know what an m-9 is myself, the only grease gun we had that I know of was the M-3 machine pistol. "
Quite right NAVYRETIRED1, the gas system is a modifyed SKS front take down unit of my own design. I will refrain from any more off topic drifting..Sorry
 
Not much to contribute to the thread, but THANK YOU to all the veterans. I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you serving.
 
Gordon,

With all due respect, you said, "Give the old guy a break ! He meant M3 grease gun, or M3A1 grease gun.".

How do you know what he meant? And, I'm an old guy asking an old guy a question.
No slack!:)
 
Gordon,

With all due respect, you said, "Give the old guy a break ! He meant M3 grease gun, or M3A1 grease gun.".

How do you know what he meant? And, I'm an old guy asking an old guy a question.
No slack!
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Cause us old guys on this side of the room instinctively know what people mean. :D
 
m9 grease gun

Gus, you were the first to question the M9. Now your questioning another questioner. As you know M3 had a cocking handle and M3a1 had a finger hole to cock the machine pistol. hated M3A1 as that spring was strong and hard on finger.
The reason I personally questioned M9 is I used about everything in that catagory and the only gun beside the German WWll MP44 family to be called grease gun was M3.
Could have been Ingram M9 but they weren't 45 acp.
As a person who lost a lot of memory to Zanex I did't feel like embarrassing the olg guy.
 
The M3 and M3A1 submachine guns are air-cooled, blowback-operated, magazine-fed, automatic shoulder weapons. They are light, compact and rugged. The stock is one piece of formed steel rod which can be telescoped for ease of handling and the ends are drilled and tapped for usage as a cleaning rod. The stock can also be used as a disassembly tool or wrench and is made so it can be utilized to load the magazine.

There is no provision for semi-automatic fire, however, because of the low cyclic rate of fire the operator can fire single shots through trigger manipulation.

Both submachine guns are fed a magazine which has a capacity of 30 rounds.

For convenience of maintenance, the weapons are divided into groups and assemblies which consist of magazine, barrel, gun stock extension. bolt and guide rod group, trigger housing group, trigger and sear group, and receiver assembly.

Following World War II, a curved barrel was made for use with the M3A1. The M9 flash hider was developed for use with both the M3 and M3A1.

Replaced by the M4 Carbine and MP5 submachine gun in U.S. service.
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Could be that the M3 grease gun was there and the M3 with the flash hider also. They were called an M9 because of the hider instead of saying "I'll take the M3 with the flash hider" they may have said "hand me the M9"
 
I would not call anyone a liar, but my Father served in WWII, and had some experience with the grease gun...He would never have called an M3 anything but an M3, even 50yrs later.
 
Shadow man , It's like if you master the M1A2 tank AND you master series 90 Russian tank.Ya get firm ware upgrades with the M1a2 !
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Haha, thanks. The closest I've ever been to an A2 is kneeling on top of it talking to the TC, going "And that building...that one too...and, hell, that one just for fun."

Gents, not that this thread hasn't already run its course, but lets jump back on topic before it gets locked.
 
It's one of those eternals, similar to F-150 vs Silverado, 6.5 Grendel vs 6.8SPC, Remington 700 vs Winchester M70, Mossberg 500 vs Remington 870...I mean, as long as there are two weapons (or trucks :uhoh:) that perform the same function, there will be threads like this. Besides...it's kinda fun...on page two...
 
This thread is so broad and just dances around the topic as it goes on.

M16 or AK 47 in Vietnam?? Ak 47.

Keep in mind that the AK 47 was made LATE IN WWII and really never implemented, HENCE its name AK 47 -- Automatic Kalashnikov 1947. M16 was a younger rifle with its quirks, as all new things have, and therefore looked down upon as one of the major reasons why Vietnam was a disaster.
 
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