I'm back from Annual Training

[Nightcrawler]

A while ago, I spent half an hour typing a detailed, day-by-day synopsis of how my annual training at Camp Grayling, Michigan went. However, two thirds of the way through it, my computer decides that it's going to shut itself down for some reason. It gives me 45 seconds notice, but I can't open any other applications so I can't save my many paragraphs of typing. It crashed and I lost it all. I spazzed, natrually, hit my computer (popped two keys off), yelled at it, etc. I've had a LONG day (up at 0445) and really am not in the mood to deal with a pissy computer. I'm happy to say that by next week I'll be rid of this POS.

In any case, I'm not going to type it all again. While I was looking forward to describing the demo range, the M249 SAW range, putting in 100 meters of triple-standard in MOPP II, etc, I'm too tired to type all of that over again, and few want to read a long winded post like that anyways.

So, I'm going to keep this short. When I get my pictures back, I'll give more details of how everything went, especially the gunny stuff that I did (like the SAW range, the H&R made M16A1 I spotted, my examination of an FN M16A4, etc.) when I post the pictures.

So, it's nice to be back, and I'll get the pictures up whenever I get them onto the computer (I hope they came out!)

*whew* I'm beat.

 

[Chupacabra]

Sounds like your computer got hit with the WORM BLASTER virus thing!



Looking forward to seeing the pictures!

 

[Backwoods]

Nightcrawler, From your description of your training, I am led to believe that you might be in a 12B MOS? I did a fair amount of demo work and helped build a lot of triple standard before I retired in 1999. Also spent more than a few weeks out past "Blue Rock"(it's still there, right?) trying to keep the sand out of everything while dodging swarms of Michigan 'skeeters. Days of Joy, to be sure!

Don in Ohio

 

[voilsb]

I got back from AT and found my computer infected with the MSBlast Worm, too. Sucked.

My AT was at Camp Rilea, in Oregon. A bunch of Okies came by to be OPFOR. We did two weeks of MOUT and marksmanship.

 

[cordex]

I'm looking forward to the bits and pieces of the uber-report you retype.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Welcome back soldier. Have a beer and tell us some stories.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I'll have a Dr. Pepper instead, but thanks.

In any case, the tales of revelry may have to wait; I'm having severe internet connection problems. I can't be online for more than a few minutes before I get some kind of bizzarre error message that says something like "remote server" blah blah blah. It gives me one minute's warning then automatically shuts down the computer.

I'm at a loss.

 

[Quartus]

YOu ARE VIRUSED, DUDE! GET HELP QUICK!

 

[Nightcrawler]

How the hell did I get this virus? My computer hasn't even been plugged into a phone line for over a week and it worked fine the last time I used it.

Grr. Swell.

I suppose there isn't much to do. I'm getting rid of this computer on saturday anyway (now sans the scroll lock and print screen keys, thanks to yesterday's temper tantrum... )

 

[El Tejon]

Welcome back, Night. May you come home to a hot shower, a fresh razor and uninterrupted sleep.

Thanks for doing what you do so we may do what we do.

 

[Nightcrawler]

The M249 SAW range I went to was, in two words, ate up. It was just a 10-meter familiarization shoot, but none of the instructors there were familliar with the SAW either.

None had the necessary front sight tool for adjusting elevation for zero, and instead we had to use the rear sight elevation (measured in hundreds of meters...it's a battlesight) for zero; a bad idea.

They didn't have ANY CLP, either. There seemed to be a post-wide shortage of it, leaving the .50-cal range to use motor oil for lube and I don't know what they did on the Mk 19 range (apparently you can't use CLP on the 40mm grenade machine gun).

Fortunately, I had my own and opted for that and my own personal cleaning kit over the can of WD-40 they were passing around.

The SAW has an absolutely horrid trigger; it's like dragging a duffel bag down a dirt road. You know how you you squeeze off a shot with a rifle? With the SAW, you start pulling the trigger, then about halfway through you take a break because your fingers and eyes are getting tired.

*sigh* On top of that, it's an open bolt weapon, which I have little experience in using (I haven't live-fired the SAW in three years).

I did okay, I guess, trying to walk the rounds across rows of boxes on my paper target. The longest belt we fired was about 56 rounds, for about 200 rounds total.

I like the SAW, more or less. It needs to lose the M16 magazine well; it's patently unreliable with M16 magazines and it adds unnecessary weight.

Also, the 200 round plastic ammo boxes rattle loudly and are very bulky. The smaller, 100 round soft pouches work better, but I didn't get any at AT this year.

I'd VERYMUCH like a SAW in 7.62x51mm, though I don't think it'd be possible to make such a small/light machine gun in the larger round (I'm sure if it could be done it would be).

Gotta go...computer crashing...

 

[Owen]

On the 7.62x51 SAW ... been there, done that, got the T-shirt.



It has been adopted by the SEALS, and the Rangers are looking at it.

owen

 

[Jeff White]

I don't have a T shirt, but a better pic.....

You can read some thoughts on it from some end users here:

http://www.lightfighter.net/6/ubb.x?q=Y&a=tpc&s=7336015661&f=5436084761&m=8246089802&p=1

Jeff

 

[Nightcrawler]

According to FN Herstal USA's website, the Mk. 48 Mod 0 is a 5.56mm weapon. There's no mention of a 7.62x51mm SAW/Minimi variant.

Where'd you guys hear about this? Am I confusing models here? I could've swore it was called the Mk. 46, not the MK. 48.

UPDATE: I see now. The Mk. 46 is 5.56mm. The Mk. 48 is 7.62mm. I'd really like to get my hands on one of those. The SAW is nice because it's very light for a machine gun, but you really want better range and armor penetration (preferably with a nice mix of tracer and AP ammo) in your machine guns.