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small arms,

quickmajikquickmajik Member Posts: 15,576 ✭✭✭
edited January 2009 in US Military Veteran Forum
what were the personal favorites? what guns did the enemy have? ever do any experiments with em'?m-79 like, dislike? god bless you guys!
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  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    M-79 grenade launcher was the sweetiest little toy ever made. Damm I wish I had one now expecially during rush hour on the belt way.
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  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022 ✭
    edited November -1
    Yes, the m-79 was cool but I have to say the M-203 that replaced it was better. Carrying an M-16 with one of those made you feel pretty formidable. Some argued that the 79 was more ergonomic and therefor more practical, but you can only hold one shooter in your hands at a time.

    There were a lot of good small arms in those days. Because of the length of the conflict, there was quite a transition from WW II era arms at the beginning to stuff at the end that we are still using today.

    I was on small craft (river patrol and assault), so some of my very favorites do not quality as "small arms."
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  • Jim RauJim Rau Member Posts: 3,550
    edited November -1
    I was issued one but refused to carry it. I'll be damn if I am going in harms way with a 'single shot' anything. But it worked out ok. We had a guy in my squad who could hit anything he shot at with the 79 so he took my 79 and I took his 16. I was a 12B and got to destroy the cahces so I got to 'take' the best for trades to the RearEcheoln MF's. The Air Force guys would give you anything for a good SKS or a Tokorev pistol!! Litterly saw and used almost every weapon ever issued form WW I on. Those guys (VC) used alittle of everything.[8D]
    We were working with our Cav Troop and one the 79 guys threw his up on a trac and it discharged and killed one of our guys about 100 yds away. They then said many of them had defective safties!!![V]
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  • quickmajikquickmajik Member Posts: 15,576 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I didn't know about the safty malfuntions. I have heard alot of bad stuff about the early m-16's though.

    I haven't heard much about the sub machine guns they issued, if any. did they issue those too anybody?
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  • Jim RauJim Rau Member Posts: 3,550
    edited November -1
    Are your refering to the XM177E2?
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  • mrseatlemrseatle Member Posts: 15,467 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Jim Rau
    Are your refering to the XM177E2?


    ...is that the one they used to shoot up all the rats in the food storage silos in India?
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  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886 ✭
    edited November -1
    Saw SF types with the "shorty" M16 (XM177E1). Saw a few folks carrying 9mm subs (maybe Swedish K?-Perforated barrel/wire stock/magazine went in the left side)..they had a very green looking finish on the barrel)

    Had use of a Stoner a few times. Don't know the model. (Think smaller M-60 that took belted M16 rounds) Best, Joe
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  • quickmajikquickmajik Member Posts: 15,576 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have hEARD ALOT OF BAD (AS IN THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS DYING) ABOUT THE ar-15/m-16 BEFORE THE CHAMBER AND BARREL WAS CHROME LINED.
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  • Laredo LeftyLaredo Lefty Member Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thousands of soldiers dying over malfunctioning M-16's never happened. The M-16 did have issues early on, but was corrected.

    My M-16 performed perfectly. On one occassion I fired 25 twenty round magazines during a firefight.
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  • gap1916gap1916 Member Posts: 4,977
    edited November -1
    I was able to play with a Stoner 63 once. One sweet weapon. [8D] Mostly i carried a 45acp and an M-16 or M-14 and on some operations the AK47.
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  • IronrifleIronrifle Member Posts: 664 ✭
    edited November -1
    Am I the only guy here that carried a 105 Howitzer?
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  • Sky SoldierSky Soldier Member Posts: 460 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Ironrifle
    Am I the only guy here that carried a 105 Howitzer?


    Nope.

    I was on a gun for my first eight weeks in country. Couldn't stand the Mickey Mouse and volunteered for the FO section. Best decision I ever made.
    Saw a grunt sling his M79 onto his shoulder and it discharged and the grenade bounced off the helmet of a guy standing about 10 feet from him and then continued on and exploded in the bush well away from us. Big tadoo when the guy under the helmet swore he would put a round up the grenadiers' butt in the next firefight. After a little bit of comrade counseling he calmed down and the "police action" went on as scheduled.
    They issued me an AR-15 when I got there (May '66)and suggested that I fire a few clips through it. The best I could do after firing 3 20 round clips is get 5 rounds through it before it jammed (FTE). I asked for a cleaning kit and they told me "you don't need one".
    When I got into the FO section my Lt. had his own sidearm so he let me draw his 1911 so I would have a dependable weapon.
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  • quickmajikquickmajik Member Posts: 15,576 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thank you all for the insightful and amazing recallings of those days.

    Yeah I was talking about the xm177s and any other SMGS. like the greasegun or whatever could be seen in american hands. any insight on hand grenades or grenade launchers and silencers would be great too. what y'all thought of the stoner belt fed, its all equally cool to me. And most likely everyone. Even the mundane is wonderful for historys sake to me, like how your rifle was your own. It all is truely great in my mind.
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  • 11echo11echo Member Posts: 1,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I like the M-79, you could put a round in a 55-gal barrel at 50 yd.s! I didn't like the 203! The sights on it were not as good as the M-79, plus it was heavier to carry ...but better then walking around with a single shot weapon!
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  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,471 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As a Forward Air Controller (AF) I was issued a CAR-15 collapsing stock carbine and a S&W .38 revolver. Gave up trying to haul the CAR-15 in the cockpit for many reasons, but did use it during a camp attack once. No problems with it. Wore the .38 on every flight, loaded with tracers. Would have used it as a backup signal flare - or would have eaten one rather than be captured.

    We got to play with a lot of guns, including an M-3 grease gun, AKs, SKSs, and more. Just play, though. They never trusted us with anything more dangerous than a smoke grenade, LOL!

    Was always too busy while being shot at to ponder the bad guy's gun type. But could usually tell an AK from an SKS by the firing rate. Was fired at with everything from a crossbow to a surface-to-air missile. Those will get your undivided attention. I will say that the bad guys had more entertaining tracers: red, green and sometimes gold. Right purdy show if you could forget for a second what they meant.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
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  • Jim RauJim Rau Member Posts: 3,550
    edited November -1
    Rocky,
    Don't I know you from somewhere else on this big old 'web'!!!????[8D][}:)]
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  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,471 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's likely. [:D]
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
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