The Unit - Dark Side of Moon episode - Wife like 50BMG

[thegriz]

Hold on...

Doesn't allow, dosen't allow?

With all due respect, you have a serious relationship problem there.


Marriage is a compromise.

She lets you have guns and you won't get rid of her.

Relax there Feedthehogs. I married the one who puts up with the guns! My sister-in-law doesn't allow them for her hubby. Yep, he's whipped. My beautiful bride is a whole different story.

My wife resisted firearms, even resented them at first. Now she appreciates them.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Which one is the more likely result; tipping over (a laThe Unit) or limbs being blown off (a la Miami Vice)?

Body parts is the more likely result. They generally can't show that on a network TV show. I've seen actual footage of 50 cal hits. Body parts can and do fly.

 

[wooderson]

Sure you didn't see the "Afghanistan sniper" footage that's actually some rednecks huntin' prairie dogs with a Barrett?

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Nope

 

[SASS#23149]

:You have a GREAT wife!!!

sadly,mine knows how much a Barret (sp) costs.

 

[7ranquilcitizen]

Good episode action wise in a long time. The shootout reminded me of "when we were soldiers" though. I too raised a eyebrow when they were firing the sniper rifles. Thought it funny that they were firing at the same time at the same, wouldn't that make it harder for them to figure out who was off how much if they were shooting at the same target. Anywhos can't really complain as the last war tv series was "over there" and that was a mixed bag.

 

[mrkubota]

Only thing is... those looked like .408 cheytac rifles, not the .50 Windrunners.

CheyTac

Windrunner

 

[PvtPyle]

The unit, sucks. It is a POS for a show and is nearly universally loathed bypeople in the SOF community. It is like a brain surgeon watching "Scrubs" for realism (I on the other hand LOVE scrubs!) I do not know a single person in the entire Group that watches it. My wife tried to get me to watch it but she is a very wise woman. When I started grabbing things to throw at the TV, she turned it off.

 

[Skibane]

Well then, I guess it's a good thing that it isn't made for "people in the SOF community".

Meanwhile, the rest of us mere mortals find it to be highly entertaining...

 

[loki.fish]

I just watched it on the CBS site. Seems it's the only full episode there. Made me want to go shoot my new Barrett Stupid night time....stupid night shift job. Oh well, soon, soon.

I think Mr.Kubota is right, they look more like the Cheytac rifle than a Windrunner. But they both look so similar it's hard for me to tell.

That whole misfire thing had me stumped as well. The only thing I can think of is he had a major malfunction that caused the bolt to seize and he couldn't open it. Otherwise he should have been fine. How the bolt would have seized.....I haven't a clue. I'm pretty new to the whole rifle area.

 

[wooderson]

The Unit is a cartoon, like all television. Even my beloved Wire ain't exactly swimming in verisimilitude.

 

[LostCajun]

Overall, I enjoy watching the show, but don't actually believe much of it.
Regarding THIS episode, was that voice in the back of anybody else's head screaming "Zulu!" the longer it went on? About all they left out was the singing.
LC

 

[50 Freak]

I was thinking Zulu all through the episode.

And those were Cheytac rifles. Not windrunners. Check out the handheld ballistics calculator and the cut of the barrels. Definitey Cheytac.

 

[Joe Gunns]

Reminded me of ZULU, too.

What I appreciate about the show is that it generally shows people doing what they need to do despite physical discomfort and personal hangups.

 

[jason10mm]

Heh heh, ya'll will hate me, but I took my wife to shoot a friends M99 .50BMG this past weeked. She not only shot it once, but asked (and received) seconds! Then she said we ought to make one our anniversary gift to each other next year!

I guess it is not that surprising to me, since her favorite handgun is the S&W500, closely followed by the H&K USP45 Tactical.

Yes, she does have a sister, but since she lives in Kali, no luck getting a 50 out of the deal

 

[kbellis3]

Looked like .408

If the show is filmed in CA the prop company may not have had any actual .50 CAL pattern "sniper" rifles in stock, due to to the state of CA banning and registering pre-ban .50 CALs in CAlifornia. Or all the .50 rifles were already rented out from the prop house.

It is also entirely possible that whoever make the decision about such things decided that the CheyTac just looked COOLER.

Only the gun nuts here or at the FIFTY CALIBER SHOOTERS ASSOCIATION would know the difference.

K-3


PS The more I know about firearms, tactics, H2H, or CQB, the less I can watch movies, tv, or read books with any ability to enjoy the content.

 

[SoCalShooter]

Did anyone else notice that they had the box magazines but were single loading the weapon?

 

[carnaby]

I've been wondering about that episode myself. I've never been in any kind of combat, so I have no idea, but it did seem like the US Army and Unit guys should have had better success with their M4/M16's against the enemy when they were in the 100 yd range and just slowly crouching. They looked like awfully good targets, but they weren't being hit hardly at all by the American barrage of 5.56.

What give? Is that accurate, so to speak? Or in "real life" would they have got plastered?

 

[loki.fish]

Did anyone else notice that they had the box magazines but were single loading the weapon?

Yeah, I noticed that too. Made as much since as the "misfire" that disabled the other rifle.

 

[carnaby]

Anyone watch the season finale? Dang, they've totally sucked me in. It's cool that they changed the story to something new from the ordinary one mission to the next.

 

[TimboKhan]

My (non-desk/gunshop/mallninja commando)buddy likes the show and gave me a long list of reasons why he watches it. Needless to say, I am at least interested in checking it out.

also, does the military really use the underslung grenadelaunchers mortar style? is there a sighting system that can be used, or even a 'rule of thumb' like 45degree = X yards, 60degree = Y yards 90degrees = on top of you! figure out the rest from there

Now, having not seen the show, I guess I don't know exactly what you mean by mortar style, but I am assuming you mean that they put the butt of the rifle on the ground and start firing off rounds. I would say that is possible but unlikely, in addition to the fact that I am not entirely sure how one could do that safely. There is a sighting system for the M203 on the gun, but it is meant to be used from the shoulder. As far as I know, there is no possible way to use the sight on the rifle as a mortar sight. That being said, I think with some practice, you could become reasonably accurate with the thing even without the sights, as it doesn't have a particularly long range. I was an 0331, not an 0311, so those guys could tell you about the weapon far better than I can, but I am guessing around 300 yards is about it.

 

[Dain Bramage]

Which one is the more likely result; tipping over (a laThe Unit) or limbs being blown off (a la Miami Vice)?

Don't forget, they were shooting at 2,000 meters. At that range, the .50 BMG merely sucks the life-force out of the target in Lord of the Rings wraith-style.

It's only under 1,000 meters that the .50 discombobulates bodies like a shrike tearing into an insect.

Under 500 meters, it induces a momentary mini black hole that disintegrates the target like a Star Trek ('66 to '69 only) phaser.

 

[buzz_knox]

I'm no HS/LD type, but my off the cuff opinion is "not very".

The HS/LD guys barely give it that much. Then again, that may be due to Haney's involvement. He's not exactly beloved among the members of the unit he claims to have been a plank owner of.

 

[PvtPyle]

so those guys could tell you about the weapon far better than I can, but I am guessing around 300 yards is about it.

Small targets can be hit at 300, but I regularly hit vehicles out to 425 or so with the 40mm we have.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

The HS/LD guys barely give it that much. Then again, that may be due to Haney's involvement. He's not exactly beloved among the members of the unit he claims to have been a plank owner of.

I have heard that also. I read his book and it was entertaining and some of the episodes of the show were obviously based on stories from his book.
I like the show and just think of it as entertainment, not documentary. I think that (compared to most shows) it has some of the more realistic gunplay and tactics. You don't see them running into a group of *insert bad guy ethnicity of choice* firing FA from the hip with bottomless magazines vaporizing people with 5.56 rounds. Hopefully more shows and movies will follow suit but I'm not holding my breath. Hollywood likes explosions and CGI.