Search results

The M551 never fired a shot in anger in Desert Storm/Shield. It's presence was more of a "fleet in being" that did not influence the fight. No Sheridan, anywhere, has ever fired upon a tank manned by an enemy. If it had, any kill would be the most reported and exalted tank battle since Michael...

I just dodged the TRICAP Hood/Riley bullet. A clerk was flown out to our NDP in Tan Uyen District with a little folding desk. I asked another crew what was up with that and was told you advised him what you'd prefer for a CONUS assignment after Vietnam. I had done several training cycles at Ft...

In another life I worked at the main acute care community hospital in Salem, OR...the state capital. As such, it is also the home of the Oregon State Penitentiary, The Women's Prison and the Oregon State Hospital...the actual facility from Kesey's "novel", "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". When...

Are you sure? Fully 22% of all the B-58's that ever flew, crashed. Many of these were ground incidents & early experience but that's the stat. Classic technological over-reach for the time.

I recommend Michael Doubler's "Closing With The Enemy" & it's excellent chapter on "Busting the Bocage". It is a well researched, scholarly treatment in the arts of WWII.

The XM409 HEAT round had been an issue since the late '60's. They were reluctant to use them due to a history of premature detonations (both in-tube & just beyond muzzle) for a couple of reasons. This was completely independent of the combustible case issues. In fact, there had been four...

Depended on it's role at that time. Many M48 tanks were left for the ARVN (it was passed it's shelf life for top tier main battle tank) but M551 Sheridans were all brought out even the destroyed ones because it was still an active system in Europe & we didn't want to leave examples around. Many...

No Sir, no M60 variant of any kind saw service in Vietnam. The M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle saw limited service, but these are highly modified vehicles with only the suggestion of the shape of an M60A1.

As membership everywhere gets younger the norms of earlier periods are not recognized. Since references to earlier practices are typically generated by the provocation of historical photographs you can be sure it wasn't part of their stream of consciousness. I don't recall there being any...

Given the title, shouldn't there be at least a mention of the M1909 (Colt New Service) that was chambered in the long Colt .45 but was pushed into storerooms by the M1911? By it's 1892 design, it might have made the M1917 & half-moon clips unnecessary. The cartridge was already proven.

The wonderful era of action-adventure TV that included "Sea Hunt", "Ripcord" (with Ken Curtis!), "Whirlybirds", "Sky King", etc. Programming that would influence this 10 Year Old's adult adventure choices later.

They saw service in quite a few other countries as well, often license-built. This one in Argentina says "Bell" on the placard, but had "Agusta" labeled pedals.

The PD really had it's place when the market was thin on lightweight & compact 1911's. To achieve that they made some compromises (single locking lug, plastic buffer thingies with short lives) that made it ill-suited to be a regular shooter or range gun. I'd shoot sparingly to maintain...

They (helicopters) do just fine within their envelope for range and speed, important considerations for any systems. Eagle Claw (RH-53's) leaps to mind as an argument for alternative technology.

A semi-auto only rifle based on the M14, build domestically by Springfield Armory. https://www.springfield-armory.com/m1a-series-rifles/

Completely agree. Clever solution to a question that needn't have been asked. There are two pathways to the full auto experience (that don't have an hourly rate). I had 8 or so families of auto weapons in my uniformed experience & it was a lot more affordable than plan B.

About right. I secured one of the last new ones with numerous G.I. parts, walnut stock, TRW bolt & an ART IV scope mount. By the mid-'80's the demand was so high that they ran out of barrels and began shipping the standard M1A with National Match barrels and front sights (and are so marked)...

Back in the day when short 1911's were not widely available (and what there was tended to be heavy) I carried a Star PD for years. One reason I took up handloading was to be able to make ammo that would function in other 1911's as well as the Star. (HP ammo in .45ACP was rare in the '80's). Not...

When I lived & traveled the Rockies years ago I kept a few items in my company van for road closures or blizzards in Winter (apart from a good blanket). An empty coffee can, full roll of toilet paper & a liter of methanol. Put TP in the coffee can, soak lightly with MeOH & light for a rapid heat...

I can't forget the advice the late Marlin Perkins ("Mutual of Omaha-Wild Kingdom") would give regarding treatment for a Copperhead envenomation of a healthy adult): "Go to a movie." :D Perkins seemed a bit awkward on camera, but he was top-tier zoologist with years as reptile curator of the St...