The Good Old Days!!!
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Steyres could'nt put a round through a Landrover skin, unless there was access to a long round. However I did have access to Thumrait's Remington 380. Virtually flat out to 800 yards, less kick than a 303 (they said it was worse, they hadn't fired one), great 'scope, outstanding!!
The house boss had an afternoon banging off with an M1. She enjoyed and was good-shooting wise.
The house boss had an afternoon banging off with an M1. She enjoyed and was good-shooting wise.
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Anyone at Brize in 87'ish during Taceval when SF mate did something unspeakable with fuelled VC10K and a thunderflash? Guard was beratted by CO and asked why he was seen running away from the incident and not toward the fully fuelled 10k and attached thunderflash!!
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Now, the .303" with brass butt-plate - that did give a kick!!
But the No. 4 Mk I rifle is rather heavy and the .303 is a bit down on energy compared to 7.62 Nato, IIRC. The No. 4 has very nice sights and a lovely, smooth, fast throw to the bolt. No Mauser-style action that I've used has ever matched the feel of the No. 4 bolt throw. Not all that accurate, however.
The FAL/SLR has a big following, but frankly the appeal escapes me. I've got one and I'm not a fan. The receiver is overly long, putting the handguard and balance point too far forward (unless you are built like a gorilla). It is easy to field strip. But I've jammed mine several times -- open up the gas port just a bit too much and the empty cartridge casings don't fully eject and get caught between the dust shroud and the bolt carrier. I've never particularly enjoyed kick the operating handle of a rifle to get it open...
I find the M14 balances much better for me and has better sights and a better trigger. I've also had better luck with the M14 magazines than FAL mags -- less likely to have the base plate fall off and dump the contents of the magazine at your feet.
Downsides of the M14 is that takedown is more complex and you have to clean from the muzzle. Also the safety lever for the M14 is not in so great a spot.
I've got a couple Garands. They're lovely rifles, but a bit heavier than the M14. Loading them is dodgy, though I've so far managed to avoid M1 thumb.
Last edited by OFBSLF; 30th Jun 2005 at 20:27.
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Shandyman
I was there as a young SAC AATC sitting in Brize Radar (aah those were the days of making ATIS recordings) local control watching the whole thing. Wondering if the crash bays would absorb the subsequent fireball before it engulfed the tower (and me). My how we laughed... not.
Anyone at Brize in 87'ish during Taceval when SF mate did something unspeakable with fuelled VC10K and a thunderflash? Guard was beratted by CO and asked why he was seen running away from the incident and not toward the fully fuelled 10k and attached thunderflash!!
TAC Int Bloke
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Remember a VC-10 in Germany in early 1990's being used as a film prop for some Hollywood blockbuster complete with USAF titles et al- producer storms around playing the 'big shot' chomping on cigar generally being an arrogant tw@t - then, when statically placed under the centre of aircraft attempts to light cigar.
Large aircrew mate appears as if by magic from nowhere, knocks penis extension from shocked luvvie's mouth and proceeds to tell him in no uncertain terms just how big a c*** he was being, what the consequences of his actions were, and what his chances of reproducing were if he repeated them......also threatened to take 'his' VC-10 away
Magic moment - Wasn't you BEags was it?
BTW Film went straight to video
Orac- If you got 40 runs in 30 mins wasn't that you finished for the month? I'll amend the 2128 appropriately......may have forged your sim totals for you in the past……
Large aircrew mate appears as if by magic from nowhere, knocks penis extension from shocked luvvie's mouth and proceeds to tell him in no uncertain terms just how big a c*** he was being, what the consequences of his actions were, and what his chances of reproducing were if he repeated them......also threatened to take 'his' VC-10 away
Magic moment - Wasn't you BEags was it?
BTW Film went straight to video
Orac- If you got 40 runs in 30 mins wasn't that you finished for the month? I'll amend the 2128 appropriately......may have forged your sim totals for you in the past……
Cunning Artificer
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All this talk of boots and rifles! In the good old days we had REAL weapons. Things so bright & beautiful, even those cool pilot sunglasses were no use and they had to put black-out curtains in the aircraft. Rifles were for playing with during our annual skive down at Bisley every year and boots were for wearing with seaboot socks out on the Line. The downside was the genuine grandad shirts - it took years for the collar stud scars to fade after we went to collar attached.
In't good old days we had holiday camps all over the world. Changi was particularly nice. Cheap beer, cheap fags, cheap food, and for the singlies, loads of cheap women. Hong Kong was interesting, over our side the bright lights and good life, over the border, Mau suits and the little red book. A kind of far eastern version of Berlin. Ah! Berlin! the sweet fraulines...
Malta made a nice detachment in January - not too hot but warm enough for shirt sleeves. Cyprus was OK except for the fighting-drunk Pongoes. Germany was of course a piss artist's dream but I remember the girls being exceptionally friendly too.
As ever there was the dread risk of Muharraq, Masirah, Sharjah or that ultimate in misery - Salalah. Khormaksar wasn't exactly a dream location either, towards the end, but it was an OK sort of place up until 1964.
But wherever Innesworth sent you, there was little danger of being shot at or bombed, as even Northern Ireland's "troubles" were still in the future.
Mini skirts and mascara - them really were't days, they surely were.! Sigh....
In't good old days we had holiday camps all over the world. Changi was particularly nice. Cheap beer, cheap fags, cheap food, and for the singlies, loads of cheap women. Hong Kong was interesting, over our side the bright lights and good life, over the border, Mau suits and the little red book. A kind of far eastern version of Berlin. Ah! Berlin! the sweet fraulines...
Malta made a nice detachment in January - not too hot but warm enough for shirt sleeves. Cyprus was OK except for the fighting-drunk Pongoes. Germany was of course a piss artist's dream but I remember the girls being exceptionally friendly too.
As ever there was the dread risk of Muharraq, Masirah, Sharjah or that ultimate in misery - Salalah. Khormaksar wasn't exactly a dream location either, towards the end, but it was an OK sort of place up until 1964.
But wherever Innesworth sent you, there was little danger of being shot at or bombed, as even Northern Ireland's "troubles" were still in the future.
Mini skirts and mascara - them really were't days, they surely were.! Sigh....
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
As for 'aircrew arming' pre SLP. We had every type of revolver you could imagine. Very good at bird scaring but little else. Standing at about the 10 yard point we were luck to hit any target let alone the one we were aiming at.
First 9mms we used to fire at 25 yards. Now that was impressive. Then they wanted us to get nice little groups and brought us in to 15 metres.
Me, I thought the nest place for all the bullets was downrange just as fast as I could pull the trigger.
First 9mms we used to fire at 25 yards. Now that was impressive. Then they wanted us to get nice little groups and brought us in to 15 metres.
Me, I thought the nest place for all the bullets was downrange just as fast as I could pull the trigger.
