Posted on 12/02/2008 9:12:13 PM PST by PotatoHeadMick
Indian police who bore the brunt of last week’s attacks on Mumbai had defective bulletproof vests, First World War-era firearms and insufficient weapons training, police sources have told The Times.
Many wore plastic helmets and body protectors designed for sticks and stones, rather than bullets, as they fought highly trained militants armed with AK47 rifles, pistols, grenades and explosives.
The contrast between them was vividly illustrated yesterday by CCTV footage of two militants attacking Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus, Mumbai’s main railway station, last Wednesday.
It shows the gunmen spraying automatic fire while two constables cower behind pillars, one armed with a .303 rifle similar to the Lee-Enfield weapons used by British troops in the First World War.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Unfortunately I don't..that's a little before my time; not by much, but before my time nonetheless.
Full auto weapons are good tools as long as you know how to use them.
Spray and pray keeps heads down but bullet placement on target stops the opposition.
Hey do you know Bob Hayes?
Auction arms has several under Enfield bladed weapons
I wonder if they were realy 303s or the ones modified for "crowd control" which were 410 shotguns.
The pics I saw suggested 303 because you could see that unmistakeable magazine !
Disregard my last, I get your meaning.
1950s army surplus stores, you can imagine what they were like 10 years after the war of mass production, followed by poverty in all the war nations and great wealth here, it was like going to an international warehouse of war with bargain basement, dime a dozen prices.
Like Tom Cruise says in Taps, “IT’S BEAUTIFUL MAN, IT’S BEAUTIFUL!!!”
From the pictures I saw, their firefighters also have equipment that looks like it is from the beginning of the 20th century, starting with their helmets.
The Lee-Enfield chambered for the .303 round has a ten round magazine with a one shot magazine cut-off feature.
No, mostly they have M16 variations, .22 versus .30 cal for the M14. (.223, standard Nato round, in any M16 is about par with 7.62 & Kalashnikov - either can defeat typical body armor - .308 would blow through it just as the British .303 would do.)
TV coverage also showed some Sterling SMG's, follow on the the WW2 Sten gun and a pretty handy precursor to all the little black guns we see today.
Indian arsenal (Dum-Dum?) did a lot of work repairing and modifying the British SMLE (Enfield) bolt rifle - I have one with Indian assigned mark/number designations that 'experts' keep telling me is a totally different weapon. (anyone out there with late SMLE wood for any Number 5 that isn't a Jungle Carbine - Freepmail me at once.)
All considered, the Bombay police looked pretty lame but we don't know how they'd been briefed on large scale hostage situations. Regardless of all the tension in the region, I doubt that India expected an attempt at another 9/11.
Nope!
“TV coverage also showed some Sterling SMG’s, follow on the the WW2 Sten gun and a pretty handy precursor to all the little black guns we see today.”
The SAS communications guys were carrying Stens in the eighties, was that ever a good weapon?
He owns the gun shop on Broadway in El Centro. Used to be a CA assemblyman.
Oh yes.
What was it like, I have handled them of course but I never fired one, they seem a little surreal.
My own opinion is that the success of the terrorists had more to do with the inadequacy of the police than the inadequacy of their weapons....
The finest weapons placed into the hands of a police force unaccustomed to the discipline and aggressiveness necessary for Force Protection - is a worthless police force - as was demonstrated in Mumbai....
The military had to come in to suppress an attack by 10 terrorists. Clearly - there must have been hundreds if not thousands of police in Mumbai (hiding), but armed.
A reporter even recorded his observation of Police with clear shots - refusing to fire on terrorists on a killing rampage in public places.
Good grief - have we forgotten that unarmed airline passengers defeated armed terrorist hijackers while hostages themselves! The Indians had better wake up, smell the coffee and kick some Pakistani ass....
Since I'm left-handed, I wasn't too interested in any of the old Enfields, Mausers, or Mosin-Nagants I sold back then, but I kick myself for not picking up more than the few I did purchase while I had the chance.
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