weapons in Iraq

[jsalcedo]

All identical closed threads

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=165785
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=165299
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=165259

 

[Langenator]

The Army and Marines have used the M240 for years. It's the standard platoon level machine gun. They don't have to dismount them from the vehicles. The dismount kits for the M240 thats the coax gun in the Abrams and Bradley is very hard to come by. If they dismounted the M240 from the turret, it's most likely unusable in a ground mount role.

I bit more info on this: The coax variant of the M240 family is the M240C. In order to be used in an infantry role, you'd have to replace, at a minimum, the following parts:

1) backplate-the 240C has a backplate, not a buttstock
2) pistolgrip/trigger group-in the coax role, the 240C's trigger is actuated by a solenoid. The grip on the 240C is greatly shortened, long enough to get about one finger below the trigger guard.
3) barrel-not really that hard to do, but necessary, since the 240C doesn't have any front sights

Not sure if you'd need to replace the feed tray cover, since I don't remember if the 240C has rear sights on the cover or not. The 240C also feeds from the right-not necessarily a problem, but not the norm either.

I also don't remember if the 240C has a full-size charging handle-in the Bradley and M1, you use a cable with a loop on the end to charge the weapon. I don't remember exactly how it's attached.

 

[Waitone]

As an accomplished strap-hanger on military hardware, I am amazed at the knowledge available on THR. Thanks to all the pros for chiming in.

 

[morerecoil]

My reason for posting is not to point out flaws which have been carefully pointed out but rather offer another perspective from a Marine friend who recently arrived back from Iraq. Didn't necessarily want to start a whole new thread.

Very low opinion of the Beretta 9mm. He rates one but hasn't had one issued. Apparently the one's he's seen jam on a continual basis...probably the faulty mags I've heard about. The one he's most familiar with won't go through a whole clip w/o jamming.

He has heard the rumor about bringing back the 1911.

The AK's he's seen are of such low quality they barely hold together. I pressed him on the issue, asked about the stamped metal etc. He said "I hope this is the weapon they are shooting at me with."

Thought I'd point that out since the AK seems to be so revered.

 

[OEF_VET]

Johnny Jihad and his man jammies

LOL You can rest assured that I will be using this phrase in the future.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

Hey yall, I've been lurking here for a like 2 years or so.

I am a SAW gunner in the 101st Airborne 1/506. I am leaving for Kuwait in less than 2 weeks. My company will be attached to the 4th ID in Ramadi. This will be my first deployment so everything I have to say is based off of stateside training. So here is my $.02 or our current weapon systems.

Hey see if you can find a Pv. 2 Boren with the 101st 2/327. He is my brother and has been in country since Oct. He hates the M16 and the M4. None of the rifles he has been issued since basic have worked very well. He says he would rather have just about anything else. His general opinion is that the M249 is okay. He says it still jams sometimes but POPS is easier than SPORTS so he'd rather have it than his M4. He volunteered to man the .50 when they go on patrol just to minimize the amount of time he has to rely on his issued M4.

Also keep your head down, watch your six, do your job, and come home.

he AK's he's seen are of such low quality they barely hold together. I pressed him on the issue, asked about the stamped metal etc. He said "I hope this is the weapon they are shooting at me with."

Thought I'd point that out since the AK seems to be so revered.

And why shouldn't they be? Those weapons have probably been dragged around in that environment with little or no maintenence for several decades. Want to try and imagine what would happen if you treated an M16 the same way? Think it would last even half as long? Regarding the reliability of our current service rifle, there is almost always a qualifier--"keep it clean and..." or "any self-respecting rifleman can maintain his rifle." That may be all well and good. But how much TLC do you think those Kalashnikovs have gotten? And they are still in use? That is pretty amazing to me. The amount of abuse and total neglect they have seen... and then that some people still have the testicular fortitude to be smug about it just seems kinda hypocritical to me as it is most often done by fans of a rifle known to require regular maintence in order to function at all. Sorry for the rant.