U.S. supplier sent Afghan troops decades-old ammo

The Dallas Morning News ^ | 3-27-08 | various

[Greystoke]

I shoot decades old ammo I buy surplus all the time, usually old NATO 7.62, and have no problem with it. On the other hand, I wouldn’t give you a dime for any eastern block ammo regardless of age, very corrosive.

[balch3]

Bush’s fault /sarc.

Seriously, the MSM doesn’t care about whether our troops get good ammunition. They’re just looking for something to embarass the President. I’m calling BS on this.

[BradyLS]

Don’t we play to win any more?

[untrained skeptic]

I suspect that the problems with the ammo had more to do with poor quality control in communist block countries, than the age of the ammo.

Well manufactured ammo doesn't expire in 40 years.

[chaos_5]

ditto!

[VeniVidiVici]

"A lot of us are asking the question," said a senior State Department official. "How did this guy get all this business?"

Yeah, that's all the "State Dept" does is ask questions. They never accomplish anything, but they ask a lot of questions.

Just why the hell is State concerned about military procurement anyhow?

[Tijeras_Slim]

There was a pic of this stuff in the paper, boxes broken open, jumbled up, and lot’s of it corroded.
It was clearly old combloc 7.62x54R and in nasty shape.

Much of the old ammo I’ve shot up worked fine, but was in much better shape than this stuff.

[telebob]

We’er talking here about surplus ammo floating around on the world market being supplied to the Afghans. It’s most likely the same stuff the Taliban is shooting.

It seems like it is being supplied in huge quantites to the Afghans who can easily discard any bad rounds and use the rest. Nothing wrong with most of this stuff, perfectly adequate. Who cares if it’s commie surplus. We may not let it into the US for sports shooters but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful for third world militaries.

Save the primo ammo for our guys...

[SueRae]

If a supplier is exporting, State is involved.

This is a small business set aside gone bad. Looks like little to no government or QA oversight.

[Pontiac]

It seems like it is being supplied in huge quantites to the Afghans who can easily discard any bad rounds and use the rest. Nothing wrong with most of this stuff, perfectly adequate. Who cares if it’s commie surplus.

I don’t have a problem with it if we are not paying full price for this old commy refuse.

But since this is a government contract I doubt that is the case.

[kiriath_jearim]

If the old ammo isn’t reliable, and if our troops go on joint patrols with Afghan forces, then the Afghans should have reliable ammo as well.

[kiriath_jearim]

Link to entire NY Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/world/asia/27ammo.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=ammo+sent+to+afghanistan&st=nyt&oref=slogin

[telebob]

"I don’t have a problem with it if we are not paying full price for this old commy refuse."

I would imagine the contractor is paying market rate for the ammo. Why would he pay more?

[Charles Martel]

This article is vague and misleading. It sounds like com-bloc 7.62x39 ammo (countless tons of which were imported by China before being halted by Clinton's EO), but the writer makes it sound like the stuff came out of U.S. military stores.

The company involved sounds like something out of that Nicholas Cage film, Lord of War... only working as a DOD contractor or sub.

[Iron Munro]

I’m shooting 40 to 50 year old FMJ 30-06 and never have a misfire.

Military ammo is manufactured and packaged to remain usable after long storage.
Of course I only buy non-corrosive and don’t buy abused, dirty or corroded rounds to begin with.

[sharpee]

The state department might be involved in this procurement since it is with the country of Afghanistan. They had a lot to do with the initial contracts in Iraq. It seems the State Department is not set up to administer contracts. They should be using the defense department.

[primeval patriot]

I don’t have a problem with it if we are not paying full price for this old commy refuse.

One would think two or three hundred million U.S. tax dollars would buy some decent ammunition.

[primeval patriot]

Thanks.

[Sender]

Most 7.62x54R was packed in airtight sardine cans and will last...forever. Practically speaking. It may still be corrosive, however, so clean that bore.

I'd like to know the specifics of the contract. Was it to provide brand new production ammo? Or just the right caliber ammo?

If it's old surplus, it should have been CHEAP.