What did you carry?

[Picton]

When the ships of Chinamen start hitting the west coast, the ground crew guys are going to wish they were a little more proficient with a rifle.

Just today, I was reading about the operators of those Israeli border cameras near Gaza when their base got overrun. Nobody thought they'd need rifles, either.

Like we all say in a slightly different context, better to have and not need than to need and not have. That goes for small-arms training and equipment for REMFs, too.

 

[tuna]

My point was there is no point in mounting scopes and lasers on a rifle if you’re not going to train with them, or even be told what they are. Irons are good enough for 90% of the military, and spend the extra money on ammo to train more than right before a deployment. Instead we now have well equipped men and women with zero idea how to use it.

 

[Cap'n Mike]

My point was there is no point in mounting scopes and lasers on a rifle if you’re not going to train with them, or even be told what they are. Irons are good enough for 90% of the military, and spend the extra money on ammo to train more than right before a deployment. Instead we now have well equipped men and women with zero idea how to use it.

You have a point about laser modules on M4s, but I would argue the Aimpoint Comp M4 Red Dots the military is issuing are an advantage for shooters who don’t train much.

Iron sights can be a bit complicated in a high stress situation.

You have to look through the rear aperture keeping one eye open and one eye closed, put the tip of the front sight in the middle of the aperture and then also place the tip of the front sight on the center mass of the guy trying to kill you, while remembering to focus on the tip of the front sight, not the guy shooting at you. Press the trigger

The Aimpoint M4 Red Dot is simpler.

Look through the tube while keeping both eyes open, focus on the guy trying to kill you, when the bright blurry red dot is over center mass, press the trigger.

 

[Cap'n Mike]

I carried the ubiquitous USGI rifle cleaning kit.

Added in are some patches, a small rag, the brass from a stripper clip to scrape carbon, and a small piece of scratch pad to help bust rust.

In 2005 during Operation Iron Fist, my Bn CO jumped across a ditch, slipped, and buried the muzzle of his M4 in the mud.

He tried to kick the mud loose, but it didn't budge.

I took the rifle from him (he still had his pistol) and used my rifle cleaning kit to clear the bore.

View attachment 923589

Good point about the clogged barrel.
Might be a good idea for the OP to ad one of these to his kit.
You can shoot through them if you have to.

Muzzle Cover Black | Army Surplus Warehouse

USGI black plastic muzzle cover designed to fit over the end of the barrel of an M16/AR15 rifle to help prevent dust and dirt from getting into the barrel. Will fit most rifles

armysurpluswarehouselexington.com

 

[ddp335]

Good point about the clogged barrel.
Might be a good idea for the OP to ad one of these to his kit.
You can shoot through them if you have to.

Muzzle Cover Black | Army Surplus Warehouse

USGI black plastic muzzle cover designed to fit over the end of the barrel of an M16/AR15 rifle to help prevent dust and dirt from getting into the barrel. Will fit most rifles

armysurpluswarehouselexington.com

View attachment 923912

Those work great and can fire right through when you need to, a foam ear plug does the job cheap too!

 

[Andy in NH]

Good point about the clogged barrel.
Might be a good idea for the OP to ad one of these to his kit.
You can shoot through them if you have to.

Muzzle Cover Black | Army Surplus Warehouse

USGI black plastic muzzle cover designed to fit over the end of the barrel of an M16/AR15 rifle to help prevent dust and dirt from getting into the barrel. Will fit most rifles

armysurpluswarehouselexington.com

I have shot through those - mostly unintentionally.

During pre-mission test fires, I forgot that I had them on and shot right through them.

Sometimes they blew completely off, other times they looked like flower petals on the end of the barrel.

There was a tactical equipment company that was shipping items to us and was using the muzzle caps as packing peanuts, so we had a bunches of them.

IIRC, they made the compensator rust faster - maybe due to the fluctuating temperatures in the desert, condensation, and the sealed space?

 

[fencer]

Oh okay, did you ever have like spare batteries for any of the equipment on your rifle or other things for being ready and effective

What are these battery operated devices of which you speak.
Damn... I've turned into my father... In my day, Marines qualified at 500 yards, with IRON sights. And about half the platoon qualified "Expert"
And at 500, the blade of the front sight basically covers the target.

When I went through Boot, my older brother gave me shit because they made us wear sneakers when we ran. Nam era they ran in their boots.
And a few years ago, I accompanied my daughter to a friends graduation on Parris Island, and I could believe that the barracks were AIR CONDITIONED.
WTF is that? The weather on the Island was a part of the training.

To be fair, I do have an ACOG on my go to rifle. No batteries required.... but I can shoot without it

 

[Andy in NH]

When the ships of Chinamen start hitting the west coast, the ground crew guys are going to wish they were a little more proficient with a rifle.

Maybe more like this?

"First wave of the Soviet attack came in disguised as commercial charter flights the same way they did in Afghanistan back in December of 1979. Only these were crack Airborne paratroop outfits."
- LtCol Tanner, Red Dawn (1984)

 

[Andy in NH]

Just today, I was reading about the operators of those Israeli border cameras near Gaza when their base got overrun. Nobody thought they'd need rifles, either.

Like we all say in a slightly different context, better to have and not need than to need and not have. That goes for small-arms training and equipment for REMFs, too.

What many "non-combat" troops fail to comprehend is that the enemy doesn't care what your MOS/Rate/AFSC is.

They just want to kill you no matter which uniform you wear or what your job is.

In fact, the enemy will bypass hard targets and select soft targets on purpose.

 

[tuna]

Just today, I was reading about the operators of those Israeli border cameras near Gaza when their base got overrun. Nobody thought they'd need rifles, either.

Like we all say in a slightly different context, better to have and not need than to need and not have. That goes for small-arms training and equipment for REMFs, too.

Well, you can wish in one hand and shit in he other, and see what gets filled first. When you’re deployed and not even issued a weapon, there’s not much you’re gonna do. If Uncle Sam only wants you to fill sand bags till you fill a body bag, that’s what SGLI is for.

You have a point about laser modules on M4s, but I would argue the Aimpoint Comp M4 Red Dots the military is issuing are an advantage for shooters who don’t train much.

Iron sights can be a bit complicated in a high stress situation.

You have to look through the rear aperture keeping one eye open and one eye closed, put the tip of the front sight in the middle of the aperture and then also place the tip of the front sight on the center mass of the guy trying to kill you, while remembering to focus on the tip of the front sight, not the guy shooting at you. Press the trigger

The Aimpoint M4 Red Dot is simpler.

Look through the tube while keeping both eyes open, focus on the guy trying to kill you, when the bright blurry red dot is over center mass, press the trigger.

Maybe, especially for new shooters. Irons are very natural for me. I don’t use red dots or optics in my normal life so I’d probably screw up looking for the on button and break something.

 

[Cap'n Mike]

Well, you can wish in one hand and shit in he other, and see what gets filled first. When you’re deployed and not even issued a weapon, there’s not much you’re gonna do. If Uncle Sam only wants you to fill sand bags till you fill a body bag, that’s what SGLI is for.



Maybe, especially for new shooters. Irons are very natural for me. I don’t use red dots or optics in my normal life so I’d probably screw up looking for the on button and break something.

There is definitely a learning curve for us old guys that were originally taught to shoot irons.

One of the best things about the Aimpoint Comp M4 currently being issued is that there is no on/off switch.
You put a battery in it and its good to go.
You never turn it off, its always on and the dot is always there.
80,000 hours later, you change the battery.
80,000 Hours = 8 years.
So the battery lasts for not 1 enlistment but for 2 enlistments.

And the sight itself is tough enough that your more likely to break your iron sights than break an Aimpoint Comp M4.

 

[In God We Trust]

The space under the trap door or A2 stocks where there is supposed be a cleaning kit is great for skittles and M&Ms.

And hiding your dip from the drill sgt.