Army, Marines rate weapon success

Stars and Stripes ^ | Sunday, July 13, 2003 | Mark Oliva

[OldEagle]

You may very well be correct. Bad logistically and expensive?? We already have the M14's and the ammo isn't hard to find, but you still might be right. I sure don't know.

[CGTRWK]

Yep, clamp both of them down in a machine rest to take the shooter out of the picture and in all likelyhood they'd shoot the same.

Interesting and somewhat relevant link here: http://www.accuratereloading.com/223sb.html

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***If shooting ability for a given cartridge size was a measure of manhood, my 110-lb girlfriend must have a johnson that drags on the ground.***

Why would anyone want to drag a 30-06 Johnson WWII rifle on the ground? Does not it have a shoulder strap?

[Prodigal Son]

Yep, clamp both of them down in a machine rest

Ok, that's just what I need in a combat weapon- a big clamp and worktable to clamp it to. I say that playfully, but that's the whole point. These guys are in combat- not a turkey shooting contest. Their weapons have to serve them in a wide variety of situations. YOu can't go clamping your personal weapon down to a tripod every time. One reason the 50 is deadly out to 1800+ meters is because of that tripod and T and E mechanism. But the 50 is a crew served weapon and weighs a ton (figuratively). A tripod for a personal weapon like the M16 makes it useless.

[american_ranger]

I use something called dri-lube. No problem with sand. I knew 20 years ago not to over lube in a desert or freezing weather.

Today I was at the range shooting a 1903-A3 and a Remington 1917 Enfield. Both in 30-06. No problem on knockdown or long-range power. THe 1903-A3 has the prettiest trigger pull. You pull back until it catches. Any increase in trigger force will cause the gun to fire. It is like this every time. I just wish it had a 1903-A1 rear sight instead of the 1903-A3.

[CGTRWK]

Entirely right, of course. And you've tangentially summed up the problem with the M4 pretty well - combat weapons do have to serve in a wide variety of situations, and the short and handy M4 with its foot and a smidge sight radius is every bit as useless as long range as your M16 on a tripod would be for going house to house.

I remain convinced that short barrel and all, putting a scope on the M4 would go most of the way towards matching the M16 at a distance.

[bandleader]

You are shooting .45 Long Colt.That is a revolver round!The standard for .45ColtACP is a 230-grain bullet!!Same caliber,Different delivery system!!!

[RaceBannon]

500+ meters is 7.62 country. Should have broken out the M14's in storage if there are any left.

Sure, but still, an M16-a1 was good enough for us 25 years ago, too, though, the A2 should be good for 600 yards, there should have been more long barreled rifles around, that's all, no need to carry 2 different types of ammo for the rifles in the squad.

[RaceBannon]

M1911A1 is no longer made, the M1991A1 is, and there are magazines that carry 8 rounds or more for it, too.

Colt would LOVE the business!(they laid me off 4 years ago...sigh)

[mark_interrupted]

This isn't a new problem. In Vietnam the troops had to buy drikote for themselves.

[Shooter 2.5]

Why do you want the shorter sight radius?

Do you like the ladder sight better?

[bandleader]

OK,This is ABSOLUTELY my last word on this subject!I load 9mm with 115grain bullets and 5grs.of Unique!I load .45ACP with 230grain bullets and 6.5-7grs.of Unique!!Can we all agree about something?That is that the 1911 Colt is far superior to the 9mm Beretta??As I said before,you can't get 10grs.of Unique into a .45ACP case!!!!!!!Enough,Already!!!!!!!!!

[gc4nra]

"M1911A1 is no longer made"


The "1911" has become more of a style rather than a specific
gun. I call my Kimber, Springfield and Colt all 1911's.

[TEXASPROUD]

Do you really load 10 gr of Unique with 230 gr FMJ?

[CalvaryJohn]

Dri-coat works great on my tablesaw- I guess now I'll have to buy another can.

[x1stcav]

Yeah, I keep disregarding the logistics thing.

I don't know if it was you, but somebody else on this thread had the better idea: a long-barreled upper for the M16A2 for a longer sight radius with iron sights, or with some sort of optics. Should work.

[pa_dweller]

The Browning High Power is an excellent weapon! :-) I also hear that a guy named Glock has made some ultra reliable pistols that are favored by police in the U.S.

That's what I get for being purposely vague! ;)

Allow soldiers to buy their own personal sidearms, as long as it is of an approved caliber. The soldier will then have more confidence in their arm, and will be more likely to be proficient with it.

Interesting idea. It would complicate the armorer's life though.

[g'nad]

Wanna bet there was no money in the budget for replacement mags during the klinton regime,

I didn't see a new M-9 mag in the FMF fer my last 10 years... only the shooting teams and the boys at the weapons lab had any new gear... M-9 is junk... why do you think the MEUs issue modified 1911s?...

[bandleader]

Having"messed up"so badly with my previous replies,I will attempt to vindicate myself!I have used Hoppes #9 and standard lubricants to clean my firearms since boyhood.A friend(Marine)recently turned me on to"Tetra Gun".You have to put a mask on when using the solvent(or cotton wool in your nose),but this stuff is GREAT!It is a Fluoropolymer base that really does the job.After you have used it a few times,clean=ups are much easier(especially with fouling propellants like Unique"!!The armed forces should try this stuff!!!!!

[Shooter 2.5]

The answer to that is one post 72 which is no, he doesn't.


Does anyone want to volunteer to tell him there isn't such a thing as a Long Colt? LOL.

Are you going to the shoot at New Braunfels? I'm thinking about bringing my semi-auto-revolver.