of what use is it?

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Forrest Gump:
DONE, DRILL SERGEANT!

Drill Sergeant:
GUUUUUUMP! Why did you put that weapon together so quickly, Gump?

Forrest Gump:
Because you told me to, Drill Sergeant?

Drill Sergeant:
Outstanding, Gump! This is a new company record! If it weren't such a waste of a fine enlisted man I'd recommend you for OCS! You are gonna be a general someday, Gump!
 
roval said:
is it ever done in the military? to what end?
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My only close to this was my Marine Corps recruit training 1969 MCRD San Diego. Part of training was a "practical" test which involved walking up to a table and field stripping and reassembling a 1911 .45 ACP, we also had to do the same over and over again with out issued M14 rifles. All of our practical was accomplished in daylight. We also had to FAM (Familiarization) fire the 1911. Hard to believe that was over 50 years ago. Anyway, nothing in the dark or blindfolded. The practical was timed.

Ron
 
Reloadron said:
My only close to this was my Marine Corps recruit training 1969 MCRD San Diego. Part of training was a "practical" test which involved walking up to a table and field stripping and reassembling a 1911 .45 ACP, we also had to do the same over and over again with out issued M14 rifles. All of our practical was accomplished in daylight. We also had to FAM (Familiarization) fire the 1911. Hard to believe that was over 50 years ago. Anyway, nothing in the dark or blindfolded. The practical was timed.

Ron
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that one certainly is useful and expected. in the dark or blindfolded...not as much
 
We did the field strip a 1911 in the dark thing in ROTC, but other than that, all the disassembly/reassembly drills we did in Armorer School were in daylight, no blindfold.
I broke Ft. Jackson's 76Y course record for fastest disassembly/reassembly of the M60, and my 'reward' for doing so was holding it out at arms length by the front sight and butt stock until everyone finished theirs! :mad:
The M60 weighs 23 pounds. My arms were rubber by the time the slowest budding Armorer finished!
 
Once upon a time (around 1981) had a USMC Combat Cargo Officer, 0-2 1st LT, who decided to do some training with our ship's SAT/BAF in port duty section and have us try to field strip and reassemble our 1911s blindfolded. As a brand-new Gunner's Mate (Guns), I failed. As familiar as I was even then with the 1911, I never tried it again, nor was I ever in a position where field-stripping and reassembling a 1911 in the dark (or blind-folded) would have been necessary. Even back then, we had these things called flashlights...
 
roval said:
watching movies or reading novels, the hero or heroine being trained in firearms could " disassemble and reassemble any make of handgun in the dark" ( i think Jason Bourne) or show the character dissasembling and reassembling the firearm with a blindfold as part of their firearms training. apart from a fun contest what use will this be for?
is it ever done in the military? to what end?
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Havok7416 said:
There are many accounts of soldiers in combat having to disassemble their guns in the dark and occasionally while blind after the guns become clogged or disabled.
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Supposedly, John Basilone did it on Quadalcanal. The version of the story with which I'm familiar is something to the effect of one of the water cooled 1919 machine guns in his section went down. Because of light discipline-the enemy was all around-he couldn't use a light, so he dismantled, repaired, and reassembled the gun completely in the dark by feel. The second episode of HBO's miniseries "The Pacific," which is based on the book Guadalcanal Diary, (perhaps it was Helmet For My Pillow-I'not sure now) depicts this rather well. He won the Medal of Honor that night.

(By the way, that series is phenomenal-better than Band of Brothers IMHO. The episodes are all based on primary historical sources from either Guadalcanal Diary, Helmet For My Pillow, or With The Old Breed, depending on which episode you watch. Having read With The Old Breed myself, I can attest that the series is true to form.)


Back to the original question: is dismantling a firearm while blindfolded ever used in the military? We did it in Army basic with the A2 in the mid 90s, but only as a competition, camaraderie, esprit de corps building activity. It was never any kind of requirement. (None of us were combat arms career fields, either.)
 
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D.B. Cooper said:
Supposedly, John Basilone did it on Quadalcanal. The version of the story with which I'm familiar is something to the effect of one of the water cooled 1919 machine guns in his section went down. Because of light discipline-the enemy was all around-he couldn't use a light, so he dismantled, repaired, and reassembled the gun completely in the dark by feel. The second episode of HBO's miniseries "The Pacific," which is based on the book Guadalcanal Diary, (perhaps it was Helmet For My Pillow-I'not sure now) depicts this rather well. He won the Medal of Honor that night.
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Good info; I knew I'd seen the concept depicted in a movie before; I have it on Blu-Ray so I'll have to re-watch. By the way Guadalcanal Diary (which I'd read at the age of 9 or 10 and was enthralled) is still one of the best personal accounts of combat ever written.

Completely unrelated to the topic, the Navy just christened its newest destroyer, the USS BASILONE (DDG 122), its second ship to honor Gunnery Sergeant Basilone.
 
entropy said:
I broke Ft. Jackson's 76Y course record for fastest disassembly/reassembly of the M60, and my 'reward' for doing so was holding it out at arms length by the front sight and butt stock until everyone finished theirs! :mad:
The M60 weighs 23 pounds. My arms were rubber by the time the slowest budding Armorer finished!
Click to expand...

LMAO.... They never waste a chance to knock you down. The Good Old Army!
 
Being that I was stationed in Germany (1st Inf. Div.) part of my time in the Army, I liked Band of Brothers more.

It's based on the actual combat missions of Easy Co. 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Div. Which I later served in, I was in the 1/187 though. Right next door to the Air Assault School.

If you're in the Infantry, that's the first school your signed up for when you get to your company. No, if's and's or but's about it!

Personally I thought dropping out of helicopter on a string was fun. But over way to quick and they wouldn't let me do it over and over.
 
Mk-211 said:
Being that I was stationed in Germany (1st Inf. Div.) part of my time in the Army, I liked Band of Brothers more.

It's based on the actual combat missions of Easy Co. 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Div. Which I later served in, I was in the 1/187 though. Right next door to the Air Assault School.

If you're in the Infantry, that's the first school your signed up for when you get to your company. No, if's and's or but's about it!

Personally I thought dropping out of helicopter on a string was fun. But over way to quick and they wouldn't let me do it over and over.
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How does this relate to the topic we're currently discussing?
 
Sorry should've added @D.B. Cooper!

That and never had to disassemble any weapon blind folded or in the dark.

But I did stay at Holiday Inn once. :)
 
Never had to tear one down &/or put it back together again in the dark or blindfolded.

I say - based on the fact that it takes me forever to undo my wife's bra (we've only been married for 41 years), I say the chances for me with the gun aren't that good.
 
It builds confidence and familiarity with your weapon. In the real world you may never have to do it. But knowing that you can, will make you better.
 
I don't see it as any use in today's modern firearms. Just too many small parts to deal with. Maybe the old 1903's or 1917s, where field stripping meant a simple bolt removal.
 
Reloadron said:
My only close to this was my Marine Corps recruit training 1969 MCRD San Diego. Part of training was a "practical" test which involved walking up to a table and field stripping and reassembling a 1911 .45 ACP, we also had to do the same over and over again with out issued M14 rifles. All of our practical was accomplished in daylight. We also had to FAM (Familiarization) fire the 1911. Hard to believe that was over 50 years ago. Anyway, nothing in the dark or blindfolded. The practical was timed.

Ron
Click to expand...
I attended - ahem - MCRD San Diego in 1969. Graduated, even. Platoon 3154.
 
The real question isn't "What use is it?"

The real question is "What does it hurt?"
 
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