Troops who fought in Afghanistan list benefits, troubles of weapons

Pacific edition, Stars and Stripes ^ | Sunday, August 4, 2002 | Lisa Burgess

[demlosers]

Good info.
Comming tomorrow in Stars and Stripe : Troops give M-9 Beretta pistol a vote of no confidence

[patton]

Sniff. I miss my M-60.

B/3/325 INF ABN 82nd ABD

11B2PLGMH

[Jeff Chandler]

Out of 54 soldiers surveyed on the M-4, 27 stated that their M-4 carbine has malfunctioned, although Dean noted that the question was not specific to Afghanistan.

Man, oh man! Isn't it time that the military gave up on the M16 and its cousins? I've been hearing this stuff about it for decades. It seems as if it's just too tempermental for actual combat situations.

Any other views on this?

[NAV1]

The M-9 Beretta is possibly the biggest POS in the U.S. arsenal, the shining example of lowest-bidder procurement.

That's been my experience anyway...

[glorgau]

Excellent feedback done in an organized manner.

[LibWhacker]

These troops?

LOL, I was just looking for a good pic of the M-240b (I want one!) and found this instead. One of the reasons I hated being in the Army was that firearm safety was a joke.

[LibKill]

The M-16 has been through three or four upgrades, it still isn't very good.

My own suggestion would be to go to an AK type weapon. With one M-14 per fire team, for long-distance work.

If that is too complicated, then just bring back the M-14.

[demlosers]

Sniff. I miss my M-60.

Hey no worry
I think the military designated the M60 to (or upgrade variant)the M240 series. The M-240B machine gun won a 100 percent vote of confidence overall.

[LibKill]

Who are those morons?

[parsifal]

Didn't the old 45 work pretty well? If so, why did US switch? parsy.

[demlosers]

Well, boys will be boys....

[LibWhacker]

LOL, I don't know. Some dips**** in Hawaii. Go here.

[Radix]

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=28212


I sent this article to my son. He told me that he just recently had to qualify with that 9mm. He said Quote "it truly is a shiity weapon". He even spelled it that way, LoL.

[LibKill]

Didn't the old 45 work pretty well?

Yes, very well indeed.

If so, why did US switch?

Cold War politics. 9mm is the standard NATO pistol round. And, by the time of the switch, the .45s in service were all 40+ years old and kind of worn out.

[parsifal]

Then why not make new "45s" that chamber 9mm rounds. Its the mechanism that matters isn't it. parsy.

[LibKill]

Then why not make new "45s" that chamber 9mm rounds. Its the mechanism that matters isn't it?

Well, you are using your head. The M1911A1 has been available in 9mm for many years.

The problem is that 9mm ball is not a very good round. If someone is excited and/or drugged, they can take a handful of 9mm ball and still have enough fight left in them to kill you before they die.

I say, bring back the .45. It is a proven fight-stopper. And .45 ball (non-expanding) works great.

[patton]

No, parsy, it is the slug. If I shoot someone with a 9mm, he ignores it. If I shoot him with a .45, he lies down and plays dead. I rather like that.

[Amerigomag]

the .45s in service were all 40+ years old and kind of worn out.

My father's generation (WWII) all brought home their M1911A1s, didn't you?

[LibKill]

My father's generation (WWII) all brought home their M1911A1s, didn't you?

Unfortunately, no. Post-Vietnam the Corps keeps its weapons.

I do have a very nice stainless .45, but I bought it on the civillian market.

[parsifal]

I was referring to mechanical reliability. If a 45 works well, I do not see why the same design and materials cannot be reused for a long time. If the 9mm slug doesn't work well, I would think that is a separate problem, independent of the make of the weapon. parsy.