Posted on 07/24/2020 8:58:10 AM PDT by w1n1
Was the Preferred Weapon for the U.S. "Tunnel Rats" while Hunting the Việt Cộng
Since World War II, America's elite forces have used quiet firearms for missions where it pays to be silent. Sound suppressors—commonly referred known as silencers—remain in service today. What many don't know is that U.S. commandos once carried revolvers with special cartridges designed to muffle gunshots.
According to a 1968 Army report on silencers, "Throughout the history of firearms, gun noise has been of considerable concern to the military." "To the enemy, gun noise reveals presence and, often, the location of the shooter, thus resulting in a counter attack."
With all the speculation, in the end, a special revolver was used in the tunnels during the Vietnam war to hunt for the Việt Cộngs. The Việt Cộng dug elaborate subterranean networks to hide guerrilla fighters and supplies from American firepower.
Soldiers who volunteered to scour these amazingly complex tunnels couldn't carry full-size M-16 rifles with them through the narrow entry points. M-1911 pistols were their only means of defense.
However, the tight passages amplified the sound of gunshots. These U.S. "tunnel rats" could quickly go deaf from firing their pistols at enemy fighters.
To try and save the soldiers’ ears, Army commanders scrounged up silenced .22-caliber handguns. The Limited War Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland also sent suppressed .38 caliber revolvers—but without any special piston rounds. This gave the AAI Corporation a chance to to build a dedicated "tunnel weapon." Read the rest of suppressed revolver here.
I’ve seen where they’ve done it with Nagants, which is what you’re thinking of.
If I recall, when we went out on some special op, they issued us High Standard pistols with integral suppressors. They were semiautomatics and I believe the magazine held 10 rounds. The ammo that the issued was subsonic. We couldn’t keep them though and had to turn them in at the end of the op.
They need some of those movie and TV revolvers.
A bunch of Nagant revolvers hit the stores about the same time as Morin rifles in the late 90’s. Never really popular, the ammo is too funky.
I don’t buy commie surplus, too much potential for bad karma.
How do you feel re: German surplus rifles and pistols?
Not into Nazi stuff either.
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