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Russian Athletes to Dump 'Inferior' German Rifles
Der Spiegel ^ | 02/21/2008 | nmb

Posted on 02/24/2008 10:53:09 AM PST by fso301

The Russian team saw their chances in the women's relay at the Biathlon World Championships melt into the snow when one athlete's rifle refused to fire. Now the disappointed Russians are dumping their German-made rifles in favor of trusty Russian weapons.

(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...


TOPICS: Germany; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: banglist; biathlon; failure; rifle
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Hmm? The article says broken bolt. Was it Chinese steel or, the translators choice or word to describe a malfunctioning bolt? Could it be that melted snow on the bolt or receiver area re-froze? Lubricant that congealed at low temperatures? Western weapons have a reputation for superior quality only when properly maintained and operated.
1 posted on 02/24/2008 10:53:10 AM PST by fso301
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To: fso301

“Western weapons have a reputation for superior quality only when properly maintained and operated.”
That is a gross overstatement.


2 posted on 02/24/2008 11:11:48 AM PST by em2vn
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To: fso301

Just to counter this Russian weapons have a long reliable record of working while being poorly cleaned or in severe climate extreme extremes just because of loose tolerances.


3 posted on 02/24/2008 11:16:15 AM PST by Eye of Unk
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To: fso301

The German target rifles used by most particiipants in biathalons are made by Walther and Anshutz, and they are anything but inferior.


4 posted on 02/24/2008 11:19:06 AM PST by VR-21
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To: em2vn

“That is a gross overstatement.”

forgive my ignorance, but are Russian rifles that much better than western rifles?


5 posted on 02/24/2008 11:21:06 AM PST by Fox_Mulder77 (Obama the poop filled pinata)
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To: em2vn
That is a gross overstatement.

Perhaps but I wonder what the Russian biathlete would say when interviewed?

6 posted on 02/24/2008 11:21:58 AM PST by fso301
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To: fso301

well Putin got mad a Bush once because he felt we were giving him inferior chickens.
Maybe this is an extension of that mentality? The Russians may feel like they are being sabotaged


7 posted on 02/24/2008 11:23:33 AM PST by Fox_Mulder77 (Obama the poop filled pinata)
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To: fso301
They're using German made rifles??
Sheesh, I'd think they'd be using the Mosin-Nagant.

Weather doesn't effect those, as proved in the battle of Stalingrad.

(I know where they can get 'em cheap too.) /s

8 posted on 02/24/2008 11:25:06 AM PST by Condor51 (Vote for McInsane or Death by Ugga-Bugga? Decisions, decisions, decisions.)
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To: Eye of Unk
Just to counter this Russian weapons have a long reliable record of
working while being poorly cleaned or in severe climate extreme
extremes just because of loose tolerances.


During WWII, the Soviet snipers, suffering with shortages, "stretched"
the grease for their rifles by thinning with gasoline...
thus, in the obscenely cold battlegrounds, their actions were much
less likely to be nearly locked up, while the Germans snipers
suffered sluggish actions lubricated with undiluted grease.
9 posted on 02/24/2008 11:27:58 AM PST by VOA
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To: VR-21
The German target rifles used by most particiipants in biathalons are made by Walther and Anshutz, and they are anything but inferior.

That's for sure. I'm thinking it was improperly lubricated or, snow melted and refroze somewhere in the action.

10 posted on 02/24/2008 11:28:20 AM PST by fso301
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To: archy; 300winmag

Here’s a giggle for ya !.......LOL !


11 posted on 02/24/2008 11:30:39 AM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: fso301

http://www.anschutz-sporters.com/

Very fine firearms. This Russia complaining is just another nationalism thing. Putin is heading down a rocky road.


12 posted on 02/24/2008 11:34:48 AM PST by Soliton
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To: VR-21

Really? It didn’t do a woman biathlete much good in Canada a few years back. She still got eaten by a bear while training one day.


13 posted on 02/24/2008 11:36:39 AM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: VOA

I would think using dry lube or even some stuff I used on my semi-auto equipment called Motorsilk, its a nano based molecular embedded molecule that soaks into the metal and is not affected by cold extremes normally found in Arctic conditions.

Tom Clancy I think wrote years ago a technothriller about how a war between Russia and the US that was won by the Allies use of synthetic lubricating fluids while the T-72 did not and the tanks froze up at -57.

I live in Alaska, been a heavy equipment mechaic for years here and I literally preach the fine use of synthetics for my equipment.


14 posted on 02/24/2008 11:40:09 AM PST by Eye of Unk
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To: fso301

A poor workman blames his tools. The Russians got beat by the Germans, so they blame the German rifles. Gee, I wonder what rifles the German women were using??


15 posted on 02/24/2008 11:55:49 AM PST by ozzymandus
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To: fso301

That comment doesn’t address your statement. What the Russian might say has no meaning in regard to your comment. The Russian didn’t make the off base statement you did.


16 posted on 02/24/2008 11:59:13 AM PST by em2vn
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To: fso301

“Hmm? The article says broken bolt. “

When I hear that about a .22, the first thing that pops into my head is that the firing pin was probably damaged due to “dry firing”. Lots of 22’s are very intolerant of dry firing, resulting in broken or chipped firing pins or a peened chamber edge.


17 posted on 02/24/2008 12:01:11 PM PST by RatSlayer
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To: fso301
Western weapons have a reputation for superior quality only when properly maintained and operated.

Yes/No. Weapons built for accuracy do not function well when dirty, because they have tight tolerances.

18 posted on 02/24/2008 12:07:42 PM PST by SampleMan (We are a free and industrious people, socialist nannies do not become us.)
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To: Eye of Unk
Just to counter this Russian weapons have a long reliable record of working while being poorly cleaned or in severe climate extreme extremes just because of loose tolerances.

Russians design their weapons to work every time. It is not just 'loose tolerances' that provide this reliability edge. All Russian military calibers feature both a strongly tapered cartridge (enhances feeding) and a sizable rim (enhances extraction).

At super low temperatures almost all common lubricnants become less effective or ineffective. (This was even more true of WW2-era lubricants.) Korean War soldiers routinely removed all lubrication from their guns to try to prevent the lubricants from freezing and jamming the action. Korean War information

The Russian main battle rifle of WW2 works well without lubrication.

19 posted on 02/24/2008 12:08:46 PM PST by Jack Black
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To: Soliton

Anschutz makes a great .22 boy’s rifle, the Woodchucker or similar name. I bought one for my son back in 1981...


20 posted on 02/24/2008 12:23:39 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (ENERGY CRISIS made in Washington D. C.)
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