Archive for the ‘Guns’ Category
5.56 NATO Dimensions
Steve at The Firearm Blog notes British soldiers also complaining about 5.56mm NATO
In the Telegraph:
A survey of more than 50 servicemen who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan concluded that the 5.56mm calibre rounds used by British soldiers ‘tailed off’ after 300 metres yet half of all Helmand firefights are fought between 300 and 900 metres.
This seems to make sense and be perfectly reasonable. After all, our Special Forces found out pretty much the same thing in 2001. A lot of them switched to the heavier Mk 262 from the M855 green tip.
But then there’s:
Taliban marksmen use powerful 7.62mm ammo for their AK47 machine guns, according to a report of the study in The Sun.
If they’re trying to argue that AKs firing 7.62 Russian are outshooting guys with 5.56mm SA80 rifles, they’re going to have to do a lot of convincing. Since they use the term “machine gun”, maybe they mean the 7.62×54mm used in the PK-series. But then they’re arguing apples and oranges.
Yes, the 5.56 leaves some things to be desired. Particularly out of shorter barrels.
Yes, a heavier intermediate round such as the 6.8 SPC or the 6.5 Grendel would probably do better in a wider range of circumstances, particularly at longer ranges.
Yes, full size rounds like the 7.62×51 fired from a full-length rifle pack quite a wallop.
But let’s not whine about 5.56 at medium to long range and then extol the 7.62 Russian or medium machine gun rounds in the media.
Gun Prices Soar As Afghanistan’s Postelection Crisis Continues
The reliable measure of stability in many countries is the value of the currency or the price of equities, bread or fuel — but not in Afghanistan: here the key indicator that nearly every Afghan keeps tabs on is the price of a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle. And the bad news is that the market is bullish. The stepped-up Taliban offensive and mounting discord over the outcome of last month’s election have seen the price of a Chinese-made AK smuggled in from Pakistan rise to $400 from $150 in just three months. “People are arming themselves,” a Western official in Kabul noted with alarm.
Of course, the rising prices could be influenced by things in addition to uncertainty about the election. If the perception is that insurgents are becoming bolder or that the US may be having second thoughts about fighting in Afghanistan, that could easily drive Afghans to spend a little extra on some additional household weapons. Or maybe they realize it’s just a matter of time before Mexican drug gang violence is blamed on Afghan assault weapons. (via Uncle)
Over at GunPundit, I write a little about the “new craze” of open carrying at political events.
UPDATE: More here.
Senior Airman Jelly Larsen, 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron pararescueman, scans his sector as the rest of his element team enters a building during a training exercise here Aug. 4. The 64th ERQS provides combat search and rescue support to coalition forces in the Iraqi theater of operations. Photo by Chris Hubenthal-Magarian Date: 08.02.2009
More photos at DVIDS.
Hunting invasive iguanas in Florida with an air gun. And then eating them.
With video and stew recipe.
Military.com is calling it the Remington ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) but the last I heard it was being called the Bushmaster ACR. Bushmaster is now a sister company of Remington under the Cerebus empire. The ACR was, of course, previously the Magpul Masada.
Open Carry Picnic in Kalamazoo, Michigan:
It resembled most any Sunday afternoon picnic in Bronson Park. Except most of the people assembled around tables filled with watermelon and grilled goodies had firearms in holsters strapped to their waists.
The Glocks and the Smith & Wessons remained holstered but visible during a three-hour Open Carry Picnic designed to raise public awareness of what organizers called Second Amendment rights in Michigan to openly carry a firearm in most places.
Murdoc was not too far from Kalamazoo this past weekend, but he didn’t know of this event.
Predictably, the comments section is full of lunatics. For a good laugh, go read some the choice ones.
Murdoc’s been in the Norfolk area for the past couple of days checking out some of the latest and greatest from the tactical gear manufacturer. We’ve been wheeled around town in an old beat-up Ford Pinto.
