Wonder Gloves

Submitted by Eric Daniel

The nomex CVC (or aviator if you prefer) gloves are something of a polarizing piece of clothing.  They can be expensive (if you’re buying your own), and flimsy (they were built for aviators, not coal miners) and for those reasons folk don’t care for them very much, but hands down (pun not intended) for me, these are the best gloves I’ve ever had.

What I like best about them is that they are warmer than the issue wool inserts by themselves, they are far more dexterous than the stand alone inserts (not to mention the insert and shell combination with the black leather gloves) even to the point that I can accomplish most things with them on (I don’t have to take them off to dig in my pockets, for example.)  Moreover, they dry rapidly and don’t loose their shape and still provide some degree of insulation when wet (what is it with wool gloves that turn into stretchy blobs when wet?)  Oh, and as an added bonus, they’re also fire retardant.

Yes, I agree, they can be a little sensitive to abuse.  But, as with most things, you can find a work around for this.  In my case I carry a sewing kit (just like you did when you had all those buttons on those BDUs…) and a spool of nomex thread, and as soon as I split a seam, time allowing, I stitch it up.  In addition, when I pick up a new pair, I always try and give the fingertips another pass with the needle, just to reinforce those edges.  Also, I always carry a pair of black leather shells with me so that when I do engage in heavy labor, I can slip the shells over the nomex gloves to further protect them from abuse.  One thing folk also seem to forget with these gloves is that the palm is made of leather, and that leather must be treated.  Along these lines, what’s good for me is good for the glove – a little bit of Bag Balm rubbed into both the palm of my hand and the palm of the glove treats the leather inside and out.

As for keeping the cost down, your best bet is to look for “seconds” sales.  Just before deploying in 04 I found a site selling “seconds” (gloves that had a cosmetic defect or blemish.)  I was able to pick up five pair at $9 a pair (retail is between $20-30.)

Yes, I know there are more durable variants of this style of glove out there, but for the price I paid, I don’t think you can beat the issue ones.

CWU-33 Survival Vest

Submitted by SGT Pigg

I am a grunt who fought with 3 I.D. in 03 and 05 in Iraq and was a Sniper in 05. I can tell you I used to spend up to four days at a time in OPs.  The R.A.C.K. gear is great, until you have to go prone with it on. As a sniper in a Mech. unit, I liked the Air Crew Vest the best. It is all MOLLE and you can set it up as long as you ditch the harness. Plus, you still have the back area for more gear when not mounted. I bought mine on E-Bay for about 40 Bucks. I don’t know how that can kill a pocket book at all.

ED -- SGT. Pigg, I assume you're refering to the CWU-33 Aircrew Survival Vest pictured above.  I agree, the all MOLLE construction makes it a better choice for hanging stuff on than would the RACK, but I wonder how well it would fit over body armor.  I have one of the older nylon mesh aircrew survival vests and to test the theory I tried to put it on over my interceptor (I used books in place of SAPI plates.)  It wouldn't fit.

Also, as you pointed out, the only place I've ever found these for sale (on line that is) is on e-bay, where they seem to be running in the $15-30 range.

Has anyone ever tried out one of these in the dirt beetle role?

Man on Fire

Submitted by Christian

It wasn't exactly a chick magnet. But how're ya gonna call attention to yourself if you're not on fire?

During my recent month-long embed in Iraq, I had the good fortune to link up with some cool gear from companies working to supply the military with tactical equipment that's a lot more functional and, dare I say, stylish than the government-issued gear.

In that vein, Massif Mountain Gear, the Ashland, Oregon-based company that currently supplies the Army with its high-speed "combat shirt" (a hybrid shirt/jacket that incorporates a lightweight, moisture-wicking, fire-resistant torso with ACU-like fire-resistant sleeves), hooked me up with one of their "Elements" jackets and a set of their Hotjohns underlayer garments.

First, the Elements jacket.

Let me put it this way, it ain't the sexiest thing on the block. The tactical model Massif sent me had some cool accoutrements - it was in a coyote tan color, had a large, bellows pocket on one sleeve and an aviator-style pocket on the other. But by and large the jacket is pretty cut and dried.

Made of DuPont Nomex III, the Elements jacket is intended to withstand the kind of flash burns many troops (and embedded reporters) face on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. And the folks at Massif clearly know what they're doing when it comes to fire-resistant garments since they're also oriented toward the forest fire-fighting set.

In the cooler weather of the Iraq winter, I found the Elements jacket plenty warm. Its fleecy interior was comfortable, but I gotta say, it was a little bulky for my taste, inhibiting the kind of layering I like to normally do. Massif says the Elements has an abrasion-resistant and water-repellant exterior. I never tested the jacket in a downpour because I just didn't trust it to stave off the moisture. It's abrasion-resistant enough, but it's no Shoeller Dryskin.

One other nitpicky problem I had was the lack of ventilation. If the jacket's going to be as thick as it is (I'd compare it almost to a 300 weight fleece … let's call it a 250 weight) then throw in some pit zips and/or some widely gusseted cuffs. I couldn't roll up my sleeves or air out my underarms when the heat of a foot patrol built up.

To be honest, and I know the truly helpful folks from Massif are going to be disappointed in this, I might leave my Elements jacket back home on my next embed and opt for a simple flight suit. Unless you're going to be in very cold weather for a while or are cold-blooded by nature, the Elements is almost too much of a good thing. Like I said, I'm a layer-er and the Elements was too bulky for that.

But one item I will definitely not leave behind is my set of Hotjohns. A next-to-skin fire-resistant pair of long underwear that aren't bulky in the least, not too warm - but still warm enough - and non-binding (they really fit under pants and other layers and don't grab at them at all)? How can you lose? I wore them all the time and was always comfortable (and not too stinky either).

So, I wasn't exactly "on fire" wearing Massif's civilian tactical gear during my month in Iraq this winter … but, hey, wasn't that kind of the point?

Check out Massif Mountain Gear here.

What is a Combat Handgun?

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Read this article the other day about the Air Force’s $90 million request for new pistols getting nixed and instead they were granted $5 million to “study” joint combat pistol needs with the Army.  This, in turn, reminded me of a piece I’d written several years ago on the H&K Mk. 23 Mod 0 SOCOM.  A lot of money was invested in building that state of the art pistol, and there’s no arguing that it is in fact, one hell of a handgun; but you don’t see too many of them around.  Of all the SOF personnel I saw in Iraq, none had anything other than the M9 Beretta, and of the several I spoke to about the .45 SOF pistol, none had ever seen one. 

To be sure, I’m sure there are more SOF folk than there are SOCOM pistols, and there might be some sort of SOP regarding the use of the SOCOM, but if that were the case, why go through all that trouble to make such a superlative firearm and either not issue it in greater numbers, or restrict the use of the ones you do have?

Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  I am not a “gun” guy.  As a soldier, I use firearms as the tools of my trade. I can take them apart and put them back together, and I know how to troubleshoot them when something does not work right.  What I can’t do is quote chapter and verse on muzzle energy, knockdown power, stopping power, fit, feel, or functionality of any particular firearm or bullet.  This having been said, however, I think, even given my own limited “gun” knowledge, I could come up with a replacement for the M9 for less than 5 million dollars.

Take my experience with the M1911A1 .45 pistol and the M9 Beretta.  The thing I liked best about the M1911A1 was the fact that it was made out of forged steel; You could drop it, kick it, crawl on it, you could do anything to it short of melt it, and you wouldn’t affect it’s reliability.  Moreover, properly blued or parkerized, the M1911A1 was very forgiving of the elements.

Not everything on the M1911A1, however, was perfect.  I thought the ejection port on the slide to be too narrow and I remember that “stove piping” was a constant issue, where the spent casing would extract from the chamber, but would not eject clear of the slide.  Now I don’t know if this issue was the result of the small ejection port or some other issue, but it was something I noticed with the pistol.  The lack of removable or adjustable sights seemed to me to be a viable point of improvement.  While I understand that the inclusion of such features would obviously drive up the price of the weapon, I would have, at a very minimum, liked to have seen replaceable sights on the pistol.  Many, many of the .45s I saw had mangled front and rear sights, no doubt the result of decades of service.  Adjustable sights might have been something of a luxury for a strictly “defensive” weapon, but I believe replaceable sights would have been an improvement.  Finally, some complained about the recoil from the .45, that it was too powerful, or that the weapon, being made from steel, was too heavy.  I personally thought the recoil was manageable (more than the M9 to be sure, but not alarmingly so) and when compared to all the other gear I was hauling around, the extra 2 pounds from the M1911A1 was hardly noticeable (not to mention a loaded M9 weighs almost the same.)

As for the M9 Beretta, it fired well, it was easy to take apart and put back together, and since it was made of a non-ferrous alloy, it was again very tolerant of the elements.  Moreover, it did have a nice big ejection port (right out the top of the slide.)  On the downside the M9 was made of a non-ferrous alloy, which made it significantly more susceptible to damage from what I would consider routine exposure to the combat environment.  I’ve seen M9s crack when dropped off of vehicles, suffer significant gouging, and pinching of the frame.  With the M1911A1 if I could get the slide to work I had faith that the pistol would work, and work safely.  Not so with the M9.  Moreover, the M9 was a SA/DA (single action/double action) pistol, which meant that you didn’t need to thumb cock it like you did with the .45 or rack the slide to cock the hammer, you could just pull the trigger and the hammer would cock itself and fire.  However, with the Beretta the trigger, in DA mode (hammer down) was WAY out there and for some folk, reaching all the way out there with one finger was literally quite a reach (I’ve even seen folk “double pull” the trigger where they pull the trigger partway and then readjust their finger position to complete the process.)  For me, coming from a M1911A1 background, I always thumb cocked my M9 during qualification.  This may not have been the standard, but it was how I “grew up” and I didn’t see the need to go to a different method simply because TRADOC said so.  Others have also complained about the “fat” double stacked, 15-round magazine, but again, with my big hands, that wasn’t an issue.  Finally, as with the M1911A1 the M9 does not have removable or replaceable sights, though again, in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t really a deal breaker as much as it would have been means of maintaining the accuracy of the pistol over its service life.

(Now, before anyone mentions it, I intentionally did not address the physical characteristics of the bullets themselves.  Over the course of my military career the only thing I’ve ever “killed” with my pistol was paper and plywood, so I can’t comment on the combat utility of either the .45 ACP or the 9mm Parabellum.  But bullet lethality is a whole ‘nother can of worms, which we will get to shortly.)

My question before the court is this.  What is a “combat handgun” and what is it that we really need and what do we want it to do.  I would think that really what we’re talking about here is a defensive/back up/bail out weapon, not one that you would use as your primary offensive arm (yes there are many situations where a pistol is superior to a long gun in offensive operations, like searching confined spaces, vehicles, or what have you, but I don’t think a pistol would be my first choice for assaulting an enemy position or defending my perimeter.)  Again, I’m not a gun guy so I’m not going to tell you what that ought to be, but let all of you take the ball and run with it.  To better organize the discussion, though I thought it might be helpful to break down the discussion into a couple of functional areas.

Automatic or revolver?  Yes, it seems a bit antiquated to ask the question, but it’s as good a place as any to start.  In terms of sheer reliability I would thing there would be nothing more reliable than a revolver.  Up until the introduction of the M9 in fact, aviators were still issued a .38 revolver.  They were small, easy to operate, and very reliable.  On the down side however, I would think that, unless you trained regularly with one, reloading one under combat conditions would be something of a disaster waiting to happen (I have visions of Stanley Baker as Lt. Chard in Zulu trying to reload his revolver with shaking hands) but the same could be said of any weapon I suppose. 

Something else to consider is action type.  Should the pistol be SA (single action) only DA (double action) only or SA/DA?  Many law enforcement agencies are adopting DA only pistols for liability purposes, but should this be a consideration for military personnel as well?

Construction.  Steel or alloy?  As I said, I grew up with the all-steel M1911A1 and then transitioned to the alloy M9 and now there are “plastic” polymer handguns, of which I have only very limited experience with (while deployed in ‘05 I carried a Glock Model 19 9mm compact.)  I like the durability of the steel over the alloy M9, but the Glock also seemed to hold up well (it had a steel upper on a polymer lower.)  Furthermore, what kind of finish should the pistol have?  Blued?  Parkerized?  Stainless steel or some other exotic metal?

Size.  How big should the pistol be?  Full size (4+ inch barrel) or compact (2 inch) barrel?  Should it have a double stacked magazine or single stack?  Over the years many folk have complained about the weapons they were issued, that there were certain aspects regarding them that they didn’t like, but I’ve never heard any say that they couldn’t use a weapon.  Another question along these lines is, should the services field different sizes of the same caliber, or just a single unit?  Should we have a pistol with a single stack or double stacked magazine?  More is always better, but as would be the case with a double-stacked .45-style pistol, you’re talking a lot more (in terms of grip size, that is.)

I think there is a tendency now a days to look for a “satisfy everyone” approach (the XM-8 with it’s golf bag of mission flexible barrels, for example) rather than a “satisfy the requirement and learn to deal with it” approach (here’s your M1911A1, have a nice day.)  We don’t have his and hers M-16s or M2s or M249s, so coming up with five different flavors of handgun so that everyone can pick the one that “feels” best to them is, in my opinion, a waste of resources.

Cartridge.  Ok, here comes the can of worms.  Traditionally, this discussion tends to degenerate into .45 v. 9mm.  Again, I have absolutely zero experience with actually using either cartridge for anything more than killing qualification targets, a task for which both are more than adequate.  What I do know about them is they have both been around FOREVER, and their ballistic characteristics are well known.  At a purely visceral level, when it comes to bullets, I tend to believe that bigger is better, so I like the .45, but is that really a proper basis for selecting a cartridge?  Moreover, while the 9mm and the .45 are proven, they’re also old.  There are many new (relative to the .45 and the 9mm) cartridges out there, such as the .357 SIG, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, just to name a few.  Should we consider one of those?

Economics.  While talking about guns is great and wonderful, buying them is a completely different experience, and the bottom line here is, regardless of what the services decide to adopt as their service handgun, economics will play an important, if not THE most important, roll in the process.  We currently have a lot of 9mm pistols in our inventory, and a lot of 9mm ammunition to go with them.  So do our allies.  Complain all you want about the 9mm, but it will require big bucks to replace the Beretta and its legacy (ammunition, spare parts, etc…) But it can be done.  The Coast Guard did it just recently when they dropped the M9 and went to the SIG-Sauer P229R DAK in .40 S&W while the USSS (United States Secret Service) went to the SIG-Sauer P229 in .357 SIG, citing its armor penetrating qualities among others (that’s something else that has advanced significantly since the introduction of the .45 and 9mm; the proliferation of both soft and hard body armor.)

Finally, there is the question of going custom or COTS (Commercial, Off The Shelf.)  Every couple of years someone will write in to ARMOR magazine about the need for a PDW (personal defense weapon) for tankers and other armored vecicle crewmen.  The M4/M16 are too large they say, the M9 is too small – what tankers really need is a custom weapon that is sort of M9ish, and sort of M4ish, but completely unique to their needs.  Rubbish.  If tankers really needed a “bail out” gun, and there is a compelling argument for such a need, especially with all the urban action going on (though seriously, unless the tank’s on fire, you’ve lost turret power, none of your MG’s work, or your stuck in front of an enemy ATGM factory, you are generally safer inside the tank than outside) there are plenty to choose from.  Yes the M4 (or the full auto version, the M4A1) will work just fine, but if you want something  more “exotic” then go with something from the Heckler&Koch MP line, such as the MP5K-PDW.  I thought it sadly humerous that the Army announced the development of a “combat shoulderbag” after claiming that they couldn’t find a suitable bag on the civilian market.  To say the same about a handgun I think would just border on criminal insanity.

The bottom line here is there are enough guns out there that surely we can find one that meets our needs (you’ll notice that there isn’t a member from any law enforcement agency in all of America walking around without some sort of duty weapon) and I don’t think it would take $5 million to figure out which one we need.

Forget Me Not

Submitted by Eric Daniel

I came across this the other day while looking for some other kit and I thought it might be worth mentioning as a potential training aid to all of you out there still using the M2 .50 cal.

What you’re looking at is the breech lock out of the barrel extension assembly on the M2 machine gun.  Those of you familiar with the assembly and disassembly of the M2 will remember that it is a fairly simple and forgiving weapon when it comes to taking it apart and putting it back together.  If done correctly, all the parts will simply drop into place.  If you have to force it, tweak it, coax it, or curse at it, you’re doing something wrong.

The only exception I’ve found to this is the breech lock.  The part itself is a forged metal square about 1.5" on a side and .5" thick.  It has a hole through it on the bottom and a notch on the top.  Most importantly, one side of the top is beveled, and the other is not.

THE LOCK MUST BE INSERTED INTO THE EXTENSION BEVELED FACE FORWARD.

Unfortunately, the lock will go into the extension facing either direction and you can put the weapon together with it inserted incorrectly, but you will only get the bolt to cycle once before the entire weapon jams up on you (and you bash the hell out of the “back” of the breech lock.

I came to acquire this piece of memorable jewelry courtesy of my 1st tank commander SSG William Bullock.  SSG Bullock, a hard-charger from 2/2 CAV across the street, was as fine a TC as a new soldier could want.  He was not imposing or intimidating, patient with new soldiers, and forgiving of their mistakes.  So the 1st time I put the .50 back together wrong, there was no screaming, there was no yelling, there wasn’t anything.  SSG bullock knew immediately what the issue was and after finally getting the .50 broken down again, I was re-educated on the importance of attention to detail when it came to the breech lock.

After the lesson was over and the .50 up and running, SSG Bullock told me to get a piece of 550 cord, loop it through the ruined breech lock, and wear it around my neck every time we went to the field as a physical reminder to pay attention to the breech lock.

I found that trick to be so memorable and useful that I passed it on to every new member of my future crews when they made the same mistake as I had and it has been quite successful (except for one Lt. who picked up seven while he was on the tank and finally had to be ordered by our CO to leave the .50 the hell alone.)

Anyone have a similar story?

Eureka I’ve Found It!!

Submitted by Eric Daniel

After doing the piece on the Army’s new shoulderbag, and reading the feedback that it got, I decided to go on walkabout to the garage and do a little dumpster diving to see if I could dig this gem up.

After a week or so I found it; my old, Vietnam-era (M1961 Combat Field Pack) “butt pack” I used to use with my LBE back in the late 80’s.

Now, to be sure, I’ve newer BPs in my collection, including the camouflaged nylon variant of the M1961, as well as the MOPP suit bag, but the reason I went looking for the canvas M1961 was because, in addition to the ALICE clips on the “back” of the pack (to clip it to your pistol belt) the M1961 has a pair of “tabs” on the top, which most folk used to attach the back clips of their LBE to. 

Well, take away the pistol belt and LBE, and clip the shoulder strap from the 2-quart canteen to those tabs, and voila, you have a CLS-sized shoulder pack that you can sling too and fro to your heart’s content. 

Another nifty feature the M1961 has is a couple of ALICE capable “slots” on either side of the bag, which are good for holding on to a pair of canteens or what have you.

Be forewarned though, the M1961 is strictly “old school.”  It’s made of OD green canvas and is not MOLLE compatible.  It will, however, survive a drop from 6’ onto concrete and total immersion in salt water for 30 seconds, so it’s pretty durable.

A question for you “old timers” though.  What’s the purpose of the rubberized nylon “throat” in the bag and what are you suppose to do with the row of eyelets on the right side of the bag flap?  I usually stuff the throat down into the bag before I fill it and use it as a liner for additional water protection, but I’ve no clue what those eyelets are for.

Get an M1961 Pack here

Barn busting, Remington Rand style

Submitted by Eric Daniel

In 1990 I was issued an M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol that had been manufactured by Remington Rand during WWII.  Though a stout and reliable firearm, my “Colt” had one limitation. 

Its accuracy. 

To put it mildly, I was surprised the bullets ever hit the ground.  At 25m I had a shot group of around 2 feet. 

Now, I was (and still am) by no means an expert on firearms, and stories abound regarding the inaccuracy issues of the M1911A1, but the one thing I did know was the .45 was, and still is, used extensively in pistol competitions, so I knew the weapon design was not the issue, nor was the ammunition, but I was at a loss as to why I literally couldn’t hit the target right in front of me.

This went on for a year or so until we got a new Platoon Leader in our company who also happened to be something of a shade-tree gunsmith and a Colt collector.  What he said was, no the weapons aren’t bad, and the ammunition, while not match grade, wasn’t the cause, but rather, the Army’s level of “tolerance” in key components.  Bottom line, all my troubles centered on the barrel and barrel bushing.  Upon further inspection it was noted that when fully seated (slide all the way forward) my barrel was still capable of movement, a LOT of movement, as was explained to me, which obviously was having an effect on my accuracy.  Unfortunately, as the LT explained, that “slop” was still within Army tolerance, so technically there was nothing to be done.

Well, the next day what should appear but a Brownell’s catalogue, listing all the parts I would need to ‘fix” my .45.  I purchased a barrel, barrel bushing, barrel link and pin (as well as a plastic deadfall hammer and some lapping compound to fit the barrel and bushing to the slide) and then spent the next field problem hammering the slide back and forth the fit them.

The results, however, were immediate and satisfying.  My shot groups had collapsed to about 5” (good I thought, considering I was still shooting a stock slide and receiver.) The Lt., on the other hand, was shooting VERY good groups, but then he’d gone the extra step to get a complete fitted slide assembly, to include adjustable rear sight; after qualifying he’d just remove his slide, re-attach the Army issue one, and turn the .45 back into the arms room (which would explain why folk who checked his .45 out to qualify with didn’t do so well.)

Anyway, that small investment on my part not only dispelled all those accuracy issues surrounding the .45, but also improved the quality of my shooting.

Visit Brownells here

Boresighting the M256 cannon, Step 1...

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Two things turned me on to these indispensable binders; the 1991 Canadian Army Trophy competition (where I was a gunner) and the SGT Morales club (where I was caught moving in the open.)  For the first, the checklist binder was indispensable for providing a easy access means of referencing our gunnery SOPs and procedures, as well as providing me with a means to record all of my boresight data, as well as store cut out maps detailing the location and lane responsibility for all the target pits out at range 301 in Graf (for you who have never been there, there are a LOT of target pits out at 301.)  For the second, the check list binder was my concession to the Board’s requirement that I carry a binder with all my soldiers CTT/ SQT/APFT/IWQ/Personal data and favorite color in an easy access format (most SGT Morales candidates I saw were carrying veritable file cabinets of information.)

The flight crew checklist binder, for me, became my battle book -- if it wasn’t in my binder, I didn’t need to know it.  What it did contain were BOLF FACE pages for 9-line MEDIVAC requests, Close Air Support requests, INSUMs, aerial photographs, everything I needed to accomplish my mission (as soon as I got kicked off the Corps-level Morales board (my first line supervisor was in the wrong uniform apparently), all that silly CTT/APFT, etc… “stuff” went out the window.)

The neat thing about these checklist books is that you can mix and match pages, it truly is a living document.  I can insert and remove pages as required or needed (now a days I carry a lot of stuff from the engineer’s field data manual on demo, bridge classification and mines, as well as frequently used phrases in Arabic.)

Get a Flight Crew Checklist binder here.

Dremel to the rescue

Submitted by Eric Daniel

For those of you who have never fired it, the M-240 series machine guns are solid performers.  Reliable, and possessing a high ROF, they are a great weapon to have in your bag.  The only downside I’ve ever had with it though is the difficulty in cleaning the carbon buildup off of the gas piston cup.  Powder residue is constantly deposited in that cup and on the operating rod behind it, and after a couple of thousand rounds, stripping all that fouling off can be a real chore.

While the Army does field a couple of tools that will help remove some of that buildup, traditionally, it has required a lot of elbow grease and a couple of blunt instruments.

Well, being the avid hobbyist that I am, I have a number of Dremel tools at the house, and one day I decided to bring my battery powered portable to Graf with me to see how it would work on that carbon.  Long story short, it was brilliant.  With a bristle wire wheel attached, the Dremel strips off the buildup but leaves the cup and rod undamaged (the steel in the operating rod is harder than the wire in the brush.)

My Dremel, purchased in the 80’s, ran off of four AA batteries, which would provide power for about an half an hour of continuous use.  Dremel now makes their 4.8v cordless with a built in, rechargeable battery pack, which is replaceable, so you can purchase multiple packs.

If you’re looking for a “garrison” model, with a dedicated power source, I’d recommend any of their stock models (I have the multi-speed) with the flex shaft extension, so all you have to hold on to is the tool tip.

Buy a Dremel tool here

Return of the "Elephant Gun"

Submitted by Eric Daniel

I was introduced to big bore anti-tank (anti-material) rifles back in the 80’s when I became an ardent follower of the board game Advanced Squad Leader (ASL was originally produced by the Avalon Hill Game Company, which was purchased by Hasbro, who discontinued production of the game.  ASL is now published by MLB pitcher Curt Schilling and his Multi-Man Publishing company.)  For those of you unfamiliar with the game, ASL was arguably the most accurate and detailed squad level tactical board game ever developed, with counters representing individual squads, leaders, tanks and support weapons.

Anyway, the one support weapon that caught my eye was the L-39 Lahti 20mm AT rifle.  In game terms the Lahti was heavy (5 portage points) and it fired off of the AVF kill table under the “20L” column (the only squad portable weapon capable of doing so.)  In real life terms the L-39 was heavy, (109 pounds, necessatating its transport by reindeer) and possessed such savage recoil (its cartridge, the 20 mm x 138 mm Solothurn Long, was the largest ever fired by a shoulder fired weapon in the war) that the Finns dubbed it the "Norsupyssy" ("Elephant Gun"), but it was also capable of reaching out 1,000m and penetrating 10mm of armor plate.  Rendered obsolete by advanced Soviet tank designs by 1941, the incrediable accuracy of the L-39 enabled it to remain in service as a long range sniper rifle.

Seventy years later, the concept of the long range, big bore, anti-material rifle has come full circle.  With .50 caliber (12.7mm) rifles a dime a dozen, my question now is, “who fields the new “Elephant Gun” of the 21st century?”

In terms of penetrating capability, the “Big Stick” designation would seem to go to the Austrian Styer IWS 2000.  Firing a propriatary 15.2mm APFSDS (Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot) mini tank round, the armor piercing ‘dart” will penetrate 40mm of test armor at 1,000m.  Unfortunatly, the 40-pound IWS 2000 has yet to enter service with any military (it’s unique ammunition is a logistical turn-off to most nations.)

As for absolute caliber, the “biggest” rifle out there is the Barret XM-109 25mm payload rifle.  Firing a low-velosity, scaled down version of the 30mm M789 HEDP (High Explosive Dual Purpose) ammunition used by the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the XM-109 is capable of penetrating just under 40mm of armor, and, when used with the Barrett Optical Ranging System (BORS) has an effective range of 2,500m.  Yet, like the IWS 2000, the 33-pound XM-109 is still in a developmental status (currently the felt recoil of the XM-109 is outside maximum Army tolerances.)

But, if you’re looking for something you can take home tonight, the gun for you is the Croatian RT20 20mm rifle.  Developed to shoot the thermal sights off of Serbian M-84 (T-72) tanks, the RT20 fires the 20x110mm Hispano-Suiza HS 404 cartridge which can trace its roots back to the 1930s.  Marketed as a 20mm hand cannon, the RT20 fires the largest 20mm cartridge of any currently available anti-materiel rifle (most other 20mm rifles are chambered for the Russian 20x99mm R ShVAK round or the German 20x82mm WWII-era MG151 projectile.)  To compensate for the round’s enormous kick, the 42-pound single-shot RT20 is equipped with a unique gas-operated recoil compensating blast tube.  Operating along the same principles as a recoilless weapon system, this blast tube redirects propellant gasses to the rear of the firer, to reduce felt recoil.  Unfortunately, this recoil method also presents a blast hazard for individuals behind the weapon, so care must be taken when firing the RT20 in enclosed spaces.

Of course, the hard part is going to be finding reindeer to pull it…

From Russia, with love

Submitted by John Williams

The best optic I have found is the Russian PK-01 it takes standard watch batteries and has an automatic brightness control, no fancy controls just turn it on it will keep the correct dot brightness regardless of light conditions.  Say you exit a vehicle, the dot isready to go, say you enter a building that is very dark then go back outside into bright sunlight this dot is always ready.  There is no screwing around with fancy reticles, a bunch of different brightness settings just on or off.  Also it has a 1.5 MOA dot which works nicely on my AR 15.

ED -- I've only found one source for this scope in the U.S.  The kit they show that comes with the scope features a pair of 30mm offset weaver rings (the scope, when mounted will be offset to the left of the rail.)  If you want to mount the scope directly over the rail, you need to buy seperate 30mm rings.  The PK-01 uses two standard AG13 watch batteries or one CR-1 3N Lithium battery.

Checkout the PK-01 here

Dot on

Submitted by Eric Daniel

In the realm of combat shooting the standard rule of thumb is, “he who hits first wins.”  Consequentially, for the last couple of hundred years, the focus in firearms training has been sight alignment -- the faster you can align the front and rear sights on your target, the faster you can put lethal fire on your target.

Unfortunately, until recently, darkness presented a significant challenge to this theory.  If it’s too dark to see your sights, you can pretty well guarantee that you aren’t going to be able to align them very well and your accuracy is going to suffer.  While there are a number of ways to overcome this condition (illuminate the battlefield with flares, illuminate your sights with tritium or similar material, or illuminate your fire by using tracers) none has been universally effective.

Electro-optical “reflex” sights have changed all of that.  These sights are battery powered, non-magnified, single sight optics that not only allow the shooter to rapidly acquire a good sight picture and alignment in all conditions (day or night) but also provide the shooter with better situational awareness since they need not be totally focused on aligning their sights, but rather need only put the dot on the target, literally.

The first of these sights was the Aimpoint M2 which the Army designated the M68 CCO (close combat optic.)  It was driven by a watch-type battery and had a single on/off rheostat on the side to adjust reticle brightness.

While the sight did perform as advertised, I had issues with it.  First, the on/off knob was easy to accidentally bump, which could either cause your sight to turn off or go to max power, which not only reduced your battery life, but also produced a visible red glow out of the back of the sight.  Furthermore, the aiming dot was visible, at high power, through the front of the sight, which could reveal your location to an NVG equipped enemy (I am told this has been addressed though I can’t confirm it.)

The sight I liked, and what in addition to the ACOG seems to be the one being currently issued, is the EOTech model 550.  The 550 is a non-magnified EO sight which displays a 1MOA (minute of angle) dot in the center of a 65MOA circle.  Reticle brightness is regulated by up/down buttons on the back of the sight, and the newer versions are equipped with a NVG direct button that automatically dims the reticle for use with night vision devices.  The 550 is powered by a pair of standard AA batteries, has a reticle life of 1100 hours, and is waterproof to 1 ATM (33 feet.)

What I liked about the 550 over the M68 was the battery choice (AAs are much easier to get) the fact that there is no forward projection of the beam, even on max power, and that there was more positive control of the reticle brightness.  The 550 is also mil-std 1913 rail compatable and works well with weapon mounted NVGs such as the AN/PVS-10.

While I’m sure that there are certainly more modern CCOs out there with many more bells and whistles, the 550 does everything I need it to and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Check out the EOTech 550 here

Me and my M-14

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Ok, this story takes a while, so bare with me.

I was mobilized for OIF III on Veteran’s Day (go figure), November 11th, 2004.  Two days later I was at Ft. Bliss going through 30 days of accelerated training to prepare me for deployment.  As part of that training program I was issued an M-16A2 from the unit to which I was going to be assigned (which was, at that time, embarking for Kuwait.)  Upon inspection, I determined that the rifle’s front sight post was bent, and that the weapon was deadlined.  I brought this to the attention of the Major distributing the weapons (out of the back of a black Suburban, no less) and asked if I might get a replacement.

“Sorry Sergeant, no can do. All these weapons are getting issued tonight, and there aren’t enough to go around. You’ll just have to make do.”

Fair enough, I said, and moved out smartly.  The next day, out on the zero range, I explained the situation to the range safety who said, “No problem, we can fix that right now” and he whipped out his Gerber-tool and proceeded to straighten the bent post.

Ping -- There went the post, snapped in half.

“Oh well, nothing to be done about it now. You’ll have to get it fixed when you get to your unit in Kuwait."

Thirty days later I was stepping off the bus in Kuwait, armed with an un-zeroed and un-serviceable M-16, trying to find out my unit of assignment.  Eventually I found my First Sergeant, who directed me to the Supply Sergeant, who told me everything had already gone north into Iraq, and I’d have to get the sight fixed there.  In addition, all available ammunition had been issued and I would have to wait till I got to Iraq to draw my basic load.

Five days later I was stepping off a Chinook in the dead of night armed with five duffel bags and an un-zeroed, un-serviceable, and un-loaded M-16.  Three days after that I found myself attached to the ING (Iraqi National Guard) training program.

Here’s where my luck finally took pity on me.  While going through the supply room looking for things to steal for the ING, I saw a number of M-14s piled in a corner collecting dust.  I asked the Supply Sgt. if I could sign one out, since it appeared to me that they weren’t doing much good there on the floor.  He asked me if I’d ever qualified on one before, “oh sure, lots of times” (in a previous life maybe…) and then signed over one rifle, one scope, a scope mount, and one magazine.

“That’s all we have”, he said.  No manuals, no parts, no nothing.  I was going to have to figure everything out on my own.

The first issue was the incompatibility between the scope mount and the rings that came with the scope.  The scope, a Leupold Mk IV 4.5 – 14 M1 LR/T using Leupold’s QRW detachable rings, was not resting properly on the supplied scope mount, a Springfield Armory Gen. III mount.

“It won’t work” was the reply I got via e-mail from Leupold on the subject.  The SA mount is not to MIL-STD-1913 standard, they said.  I needed to either get a standard picatinny mount, or get SA rings. 

I opted to get a new mount.  The mount I chose was the A.R.M.S. #18 M-21/M-14 scope mount.  In addition, I purchased an A.R.M.S. #19 Throw lever QD mount (for the Leupold scope) and an A.R.M.S. #20 for an AN/PVS-4 night sight.

With my rifle-mount-scope issued resolved, my next task was to get ballistic data (dope) on the various bullets at my disposal, namely M80 Ball (146 gr FMJ), M852 (168 gr Match) M118 (173 gr Match) and M118LR (175 gr Match.)  Searching the internet provided me with enough suspect information (what?!? doubt the internet?!? heratical, I know…) that I decided I needed an authoritative source for ballistic data.

Enter the Army’s Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at Ft. Benning, GA.  I e-mailed them regarding my needs, as well as describing the equipment I was using. Their response was thorough and quick. They not only gave me ballistic tables for all the ammunition I requested, but they broke it down by drop (in inches) and in “clicks”, for both the M1 series of scopes (.25 MOA adjustments) and the M3 scopes (1 MOA adjustments.) Their data was spot on and saved me hours of trial and error effort. I cannot say enough about the support they offered.

To round out my M-14 kit I ordered an additional 5 magazines (USGI original manufacture $30 each, new), an M-14 “dash ten” operators manual as well as the “dash twenty-three” parts manual, cartridge extractor, gas plug wrench, and an M-14 lube kit.

Finally, after a month or so of exchanging e-mails with companies all over the U.S. I had the mounts I needed, the rings I needed, the ballistic data I needed and the bullets I needed.  I was officially in business.

Lessons learned

To get “my” M-14 operational required about $700 on my part and a month of e-mails and internet searches.  Once I started taking the M-14 on missions, I began to make notes on where I could improve my original setup.

Stock: The rifle came with a standard wood stock.  While this was all good and well, it was also bone dry, and in need of touching up.  A search in-country poroduced no linseed oil (you’d be surprised how many folk have no idea what “boiled linseed oil” is) so I had to have my mother send me a quart.  An alternative to wood, though, is getting a synthetic stock.  While there are a number of stock manufacturers out there (I myself purchased an M3A stock from McMillan Brothers ) what you have to be aware of is wether the stock you buy is set up for an M-14 reciever or the Springfield Armory M1A reciever (M-14 recievers have a semi - full auto selector switch which has been deactivated, but still projects from the reciever, whereas the M1A reciever lacks this and mounts flush in the stock.)  Either of the recievers will go into an “M-14” stock, but the M-14 reciever will not go into an M1A stock without carving out a notch for the defunkt selector switch.

Furthermore, stocks come in two basic styles; drop in, and bedded.  Drop in stocks are ready as is. You drop in the reciever and you’re in business.  Bedded stocks require the reciever be “bedded” to the stock, which generally involves a gunsmith drilling mounting holes in the reciever and fitting a pair of mounting pins.  Bedding a rifle stock is most definitely not a do it yourself job.  If you don’t know what your doing you can get yourself killed.  If, however, you have the time, resources, and permission from your food chain to get your M-14 “bedded” it will be the better for it.

Scope mount: As I said, my original mount was the A.R.M.S. #18.  While this mount did what I asked of it, the one issue I did have with it was occasional ejection failures (the spent casing would get hung up in the chamber because of the narrow opening between the chamber and the bottom of the scope mount.)  Looking to correct this issue (jams are a bad thing, after all) I went looking for a different mount.  What I settled on was the Smith Enterprise, Inc. M-14 mount. This mount can trace its liniage back to the original Brookfield Precision Tool mounts manufactured for the M-25 sniper rifle.  Since going to the SEI mount I haven’t experienced a single jam. In addition, I also picked up an extended bolt stop release, which basically makes it easier to manipulate the bolt stop while wearing gloves.

Bullet drop compensators (BDC): While the data provided by the USAMU was spot on, it was still a lot of data to remember, and considering that I carried several types of ammunition on me at any given time, refering to index cards in a firefight wasn’t a viable option.  My solution was to get a retractable ballistics chart (RBC) from Leupold.  The RBC fits on the scope, where it's out of the way, and contains a self retracting tape upon which you can write down ballistic data. When in doubt, I need only pull out the tape and confirm my settings.

Another option recently offered by Leupold, is custom etched bullet drop compensators (BDC.)  The BDC differs from the standard windage knobs in that they are custom built to your rifle and ammunition and are graduated by range.  What this means is that with a BDC you don’t need to count “clicks” when applying windage, you just rotate the BDC windage knob to the appropriate range and you’re set. This is also a lifesaver when it comes to re-setting your scope after making several range adjustments. I haven’t gone this route yet, but if ever I get tapped for deployment again, I will probably have some built (just in case.)

Stoppum floppum, the SERPA sticks to your hip

Submitted by Chris Crum

After trying half a dozen holsters, I settled with the Blackhawk SERPA tactical holster because it does not slip around your thigh, does not pull your trousers down, is comfortable, you can run with it, it has a very secure and fast locking mechanism which is easy to find in any situation, you can get your hand in your pocket due to the two points which attach to your belt around your pocket, and the single push button lock is adjustable. I cannot say enough about the durability and practicality of this holster. It made carrying my Beretta 9mm duty weapon better on the last two deployments.

Get the SERPA here

Say hello to my little MG3

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Ok, this entry might be a little outside the realm of Kit Up, as I most certainly did not buy this, but it definitely was not government-issue (at least not my government) and it is a brilliant piece of kit, and as Meat Loaf once said, “two out of three ain’t bad.”

Anyway, one of the byproducts of conducting security operations in Iraq is you end up with a lot of confiscated weapons, and over the years, quite a respectable collection had been assembled by the various units rotating through the IA mission on our FOB. Naturally we had such staples as the AK-47, AKM, RPK, RPD, and PKM, but we also had some pretty cool specimens as well, like Dragunov SVD sniper rifles, a working DShK, RPGs, even such oldies but goodies as a couple of Mosin-Nagant M1891bolt action rifles and a PPSh-41 sub-machine gun (non-functional unfortunately, otherwise this thing would have been a blast.)

The piece d’resistance, though was a brand-new, never been fired, fully functional German MG3.

We came about this little gem after detaining a collection of Iraqi oil and pipeline security folk who were conducting illegal shakedown checkpoints out in the hinterlands. In the process of cataloguing their equipment the scribing NCO described the MG3 as some sort of Star Wars blaster rifle, and so it’s true nature went undiscovered until I happened to see it propped up against the wall in the supply room, whereupon I discerned the true nature of this fine piece of warmongery.

The machinegun itself was in a sorry state. It was bone dry (a blessing as it would turn out), packed with dust, and had never been fired. Since it had never been lubricated (that I could tell), cleaning it up was simply a matter of field stripping it, blowing the majority of the dust out and then giving it a good bath and scrub in solvent. Once clean, dry, lubricated, and reassembled, my MG3 and me went out to the range to convert some linked 7.62 NATO into heat and noise. For those of you who have never had the opportunity to fire an MG3, it is quite possibly the finest, single barreled medium machinegun ever built. Based on the German MG42 of WWII fame, the MG3 is essentially the MG3 rechambered from 7.92mm Mauser to 7.62mm NATO. Its ROF is 1,200 rounds per minute and it is an absolute dream to shoot.

Had we simply found the weapon in a raid I would have ditched my M16 and hauled that sucker with me everywhere, but alas and alack, I had to give it back when we eventually released the Iraqis we had detained. I shudder to think now what state “my” MG3 is in, but for the week or so we were together, and the thousands of rounds we fired together, I was in absolute heaven.

Check out the MG3 here

Build it and they will fill it

Submitted by Eric Daniel

When I finally said goodbye to my ancient LBE and started wearing the RACK, I needed a bail-out bag to carry all the stuff I used to carry in my butt pack, but couldn’t anymore (namely because there’s no “butt” on the RACK to put anything.)

This quest actually turned out to be more difficult than my original quest for an LBE replacement.  There are a lot of “assault” style packs out there, with a lot of features, and they all come with price tags, so I wasn’t about to go out and buy the whole lot and try them all.

After much observation, questioning, pulling, prodding, and stomping, the bag I settled on was the Camelbak Motherlode.  The Motherlode is not the biggest bag out there, but that isn’t what I wanted.  Over the years I have seen folk walking around with some truly enormous “assault” packs.  We’re talking packs that would rival the CFP-90 infantry dumpster for shear portage capacity.  But size wasn’t what I wanted.  I’d learned long ago that soldiers will expand to fill every nook and cranny of any allotted space.  I wanted a pack that would carry some rations, some ammunition, some socks, and some water, in the event I had to run away to fight another day.  The Motherlode is big enough that I can carry what I need, yet small enough that you can actually carry it.  Since I’d quit carrying canteens (on my person that is) the 3-liter bladder in the Motherlode is nice (coupled with a 1 liter canteen (with cup and cooking stand) for cooking) and it is capable of accepting an additional bladder if you really want to load up on water.

One of the other nice features about the Motherlode is it collapses; there are side compression straps on it, which allow you to cinch down the pack so that it doesn’t rattle or flop when it’s not packed to the gills.

Finally, the pack comes equipped with cut outs for radio antennae.  The pack will accept two transmitters (if you’re using ASIP sized radios) or a single, full blown SINCGARS, in addition to the odds and ends I put in it.

The Motherlode may not be the best (and it’s certainly not the biggest or the most expensive) but it does the trick for me.

P.S.  For all you drink tube hydration system users – Suggest you get a length of 1.5” tubular nylon webbing of a suitable color and line your drink tubes with it.  The nylon is not only more durable than the plastic tube (or its neoprene insulation sleeve) but it can also be easily replaced as it becomes worn over time.

Buy the Motherlode here

Getting yer RACK on

Submitted by Eric Daniel

I have a love-hate relationship with my web-gear.  Back in the day (the late 80’s for me) the only thing available was the LBE (Y-harness) and pistol belt.  While the LBE itself wasn’t good for much, it did help take the weight of the loaded pistol belt off your hips, and my pistol belt was loaded.  I carried 5 three-mag pouches, 2 canteens, and a butt pack (in addition to the regulation bent neck flashlight, compass, NOD bag and first aid pouch.)  In the pack went an MRE, socks, NBF powder and small toilet kit, alcohol pens and tape for maps and such, and trioxane tabs for cooking water. For years this arrangement worked because all of the dismounted stuff I did was truly dismounted.  We might get delivered somewhere in a deuce and a half or hummer, but we didn’t patrol in one; all that we did on the ground.

Then came “modern” times, where everything you do is “mounted”, even getting to the point that you can’t go 50 feet without having to get back into the truck.  That, coupled with the fact that “uniformity” was now our primary focus (meaning you had to have your kit on when ever you got more than 5 feet from your vehicle) meant that a change in how I carried my equipment was in order.  As much as I liked the canteens (with their attendant cooking stand and cup) and the butt pack, they both had to go.  There was simply no way I could ride in a humvee wearing my LBE with those canteens sticking out of my back like 2 cancerous tumors, and going through the chore of donning, removing, and stowing the LBE every time I got in and out of the vehicle was not only a waste of time and a big pain in the ass, but it was tactically unsound; you ought to dismount the vehicle in a fighting condition.

So I started looking for an LBE replacement.  The one I settled on was the RACK (Ranger Assault Carrying Kit.)  Developed by Specialty Defense, I’m told that it was developed specifically to meet the Ranger’s requirements for “assault” oriented gear.  The RACK, in effect, is a MOLLE apron.  All it is is a wrap around vest with MOLLE loops on it for you to attach bags and pouches too.  What you attach, where you attach, and how much you attach is completely up to you.  In addition, everything on the RACK is in your front plane, meaning you can see it and get to it without having to grope behind you, and with nothing behind you, you can wear it while in a vehicle without any discomfort or loss of mobility.

As great as I think the RACK is, it isn’t without limitations.  While the RACK is easy to wear in a vehicle because there’s nothing behind you, that does limit the amount of stuff you can carry.  I could carry more with my old LBE-pistol belt rig than I can with the RACK, but I couldn’t carry it all the time, so the trade off is now, if I go on walkabout, I need a bail-out bag as well (Camelbak in my case) to carry a few additional essentials.  The RACK, by today’s standards, is also relatively old technology – there are systems out there that are much more advanced than my lash up, made of more exotic materials and what not, but mine’s bought and paid for, and I’m disinclined to spend modern money to upgrade something that currently still meets my mission requirements.

Buy the RACK here

Shoot-out at the Tal Afar Corral

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Pistols are great.  There is simply no better way to describe them.  I think everyone ought to be issued one and it’s a shame that they aren’t.  Whether you’re searching a confined space such as a basement or closet, dealing with detainees, or simply want the security of knowing that if you ever experience a malfunction with your long gun, you can go to the pistol rather than fight your rifle and the bad guys at the same time.

Unfortunately, pistols don’t carry themselves.  You need to pack it around (in our case it was Glock-19s that we’d gotten from the Iraqi Police), and the easiest, most convenient way of doing that is with a holster.  For us, that meant either clipping the holster to our IBA, which meant you had to wear the IBA 24/7 if you needed to take your pistol anywhere or you needed to run the holster through your belt, which meant that you had this tumor on your hip where ever you went.

Hearkening back to my days of watching Adam-12, I opted to go the route of the police duty belt; I’d get a separate belt that could accommodate my holster, extra magazines, and what ever else I might want to sling, but since this belt wasn’t attached to either my armor or my pants, I could take it off when I didn’t need it.

My belt of choice was the Eagle Industries duty belt.  It was simple, straightforward, and easy to operate.  Made from nylon and velcro, it was neigh on indestructible.  My holster of choice was the Safariland Model 6004 tactical.  It too was simple, indestructible, and utterly reliable.

Buy the Eagle duty belt here
Buy the Safariland M6004 holster here

Worth its weight in kevlar

Submitted by Eric Daniel

When I deployed to Iraq this last go around, I was issued the Interceptor vest and SAPI plates.  While I never had an opportunity to evaluate the capabilities of the vest’s armor, thank God, I did have ample opportunity to evaluate the carrier the armor came in.

Long story short, the Interceptor carrier sucks.  My biggest beef with it is the fact that ergonomically, it’s very inefficient, and like many pieces of Army equipment, it doesn’t take a good idea far enough.  The idea of putting MOLLE straps on the vest is a good idea; this allows you to tailor your combat load to meet your personal preferences and mission requirements. 

Unfortunately, by virtue of the fact that the Interceptor vest is a front opening system, the biggest load-bearing surface on the vest, your chest and abdomen, is wasted.  MOLLE loops should go all the way across the front, but on the Interceptor, you have them only on the sides.  Moreover, there isn’t a single panel across the sides for MOLLE webbing, rather the front and back panels of the vest overlap.  Again, another opportunity for additional storage is lost.

One carrier I did have the opportunity to check out while deployed though was from Eagle Industries.  These vests were issued to the local ODA team working our area and they were most impressive.  The Eagle vest is a side-entry vest with fully strapped front and side panels; you can hang everything but the kitchen sink on one of these suckers.  In addition, in the event you ever need to ditch the vest in a hurry (you fall in a blue feature or you take a penetrating wound to the chest, for example) there’s a single pull cable incorporated into the vest that will cause the vest to fall away when pulled.

However, excellence doesn’t come cheap.  These vest run $580 a shot, and I doubt your food chain will buy off on purchasing them simply because they’re a brilliant piece of kit, but I figured I’d throw it out there for that very reason – it is a brilliant piece of kit.  Next time I deploy though, I am going to take a long, serious look at picking one of these up.

Buy one here

From swagman to SF, these gloves rock

Submitted by Stuart Owens

The Hatch CQB glove is amazing. It's made of Kevlar with a kangaroo skin palm. The cuff is long enough to cover your watch and fits nicely under your ACU cuff. The fabric is thin enough that you can do most tasks (including shooting) without removing the glove. I spent 3 months in training and 12 months operating in Iraq with these. I still have the pair (although they are nearly black now), and they still go to the field with me every time. Great gloves.

Buy a pair here

Clean as a Whistle -- The OTIS tactical cleaning kit

Submitted by J. Balboni

During SAFS assembly, (sniper school for everybody) the old pros showed me the gun-cleaning tool that's issued for "SPECIAL military personnel" and is used by civilian professionals. It is designed so that you can PULL a med/loose patch to get the majority of contaminants out, or, the tightest patch you can imagine to clean the corners of the lands! You run a CLEAN patch through every time, not a piece of rope crammed with abrasive carbon, metal & crud that abrades your barrel! Even civilian pros would never use a dirty rope (it's clean for the first pass only, after that, it’s dirty bud.)  Those in the know, use an OTIS. When you pull the coated cable, it’s not touching anything! The only thing touching the bore is a clean patch! Take care of your stuff properly, and it will take care of you. Oh, and it's all in one small pouch, the size of a sm. bagel, AND has everything you need to clean a 9 mm, 12 Ga., 7.62, or a 5.56, patches, oil, and a BORE LIGHT!

OTIS tactical cleaning kit

Bore Snake Bonanza

Hoppe's Bore Snake may be the best weapon cleaning tool ever invented. When we deployed to Iraq in 2004, a high-speed sergeant in my platoon had one of these and it got passed around all year. Just drop the weighted end of the rope down through the chamber, and pull it through the bore. The brushes are built in, and the soft part of the snake acts as cleaning patches to make the inside of your barrel sparkle. You can use any kind of solvent on it, or just run it dry, and when it gets dirty, stick it in your cargo pocket (to keep it from wrapping around the agitator) and machine wash. They come in every caliber imaginable, including .50 cal and all shotgun gauges. 5.56mm is .22 cal, 7.62 is .308.

I asked my wife to send me one when I was deployed, but she got the wrong thing (thanks anyway, honey) so I actually tried to make one out of 550 cord and some thicker nylon cord.  It kind of worked, but when I went home on leave I made sure to get the real thing.  Together with some spray Teflon lube (Remington makes some called "Rem dri-lube"), we all had clean bores and well-lubricated bolts.

Shop for Hoppe's Boresnake Bore Cleaner

Light of War

Submitted by Manny Salas

This little flashlight will take a beating! It's been attached to my body armor for 3 years and it's been hit with saltwater, dirt, and tons of abuse without breaking. I've only changed the batteries once (uses three 1.5 Alkaline Coin Cell Batteries.). It comes with a nylon lanyard, small clip, and three colored filters. It will light up small spaces and is perfect for finding gear and looking at maps in the dark.

Shop for the L1 LED light

Get a Grip!

Submitted by Chris Willden

I bought the Grip pod from www.strategictacticalgroup.com and loved it. It is a front grip that attaches to the rail system on your M16/M4 and a bipod that is spring loaded inside the grip.  Push a button and it "pops" out and you have an instant bipod. It's great.  Best $150 I spent during my time in the military.

Not So Silly String

Submitted by Ward of Kit Up!

We've seen reports in Time (sorry . . . promise we don't make a habit of reading it) and CBS affiliate KOVR relating that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have discovered that Silly String is great kit to find otherwise invisible tripwires.  Of course, Silly String isn't standard issue gear, so families and friends have been answering the call and adding it to care packages.

Silly String:  It's not just for birthday parties anymore.  Don't go door-kicking without it!

Cut Noise, Not Sound

Submitted by Seth Mills

The ear valve provides noise abatement without shutting off sound. Using these on a range during training allowed me to more easily hear instructions from the tower. Using under combat conditions let me hear what was going on around me, including radio transmissions.  These sonic filters give less of a "plugged" sensation, too.

While those wearing normal plugs were chanting, "Say again," under fire, I could hear everything while still giving myself a decent measure of noise protection.

Shop for Sonic Filters

D-Rings Da Ting

Submitted by Justin Jackson

Every soldier should have at least a couple of D-rings (carabiners) handy. I keep at least one dummy-corded to my IBA for those fun sensitive item checks.  In the meantime, they're not going anywhere. I also used to run my M-4 sling through the ring to make sort of a make-shift tac sling. I have a couple on the bottom of my assault pack that I hook my CLS bag to. I've even acquired one that has an LED light with three different color bulbs in it. With enough time, I could make or fix anything with a roll of 550 cord, a roll of 100 mph tape, and a couple D-rings.

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Make Your Weapon a Plate

Submitted by Steve Ritterbusch

The Otis Deluxe Military Cleaning System was designed for the soldier in mind who carries rifles, pistols and shotguns. This system was engineered to clean and maintain all issue small arms weapon systems. This one kit eliminates the multiple kits required to service the issue weapons. The Deluxe Military Cleaning System includes the tools necessary to clean all 7.62, 5.56, 50 Cal., 12 gauge shotguns, 9mm through 45 caliber pistols and sub guns and replaces over three pounds of conventional gear. Bore obstructions, mud or snow can be dislodged out the muzzle end. A stuck empty case or bullet lodged in the neck can be easily knocked out. Specific tools are included to clean the locking lugs, bolt face, carrier key, bolt and slide.

     A Naval Reservist friend of mine recently sent me the following:  "I attached the cleaning kit to my gear and used the lubricant while out in the field.  The lubricant worked great.  I had a squad of 12 members and I shared within.  We didn't have any weapon jams or other issues.  I absolutely love the cleaning kit!  The tools let me get the carbon out of the tight, hard-to-reach spots.  My weapon was so clean, I would have eaten off of it."

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Tactical Teflon

Submitted by Francis Marion

You can credit this piece of advice to the S.O.B. who stole my bike just before 9-11.   While packing my bags before my first deployement to Afghanistan I saw a can of bicycle chain lube for a bike I no longer had.  I hate to see any purchase go to waste, so I tossed it in my bag to try on my M-4.  Let me say, nothing sticks to teflon. 
     Finishline's Teflon-Plus is a wax based teflon spray that completely eliminates metal-on-metal friction and all of the typical grinding a weapon usually goes through. It does not collect dust. Clean-up is also much easier. I wipe the wax off the weapon and all carbon comes off with it; only 3 small areas that receive high pressure gasses need any scrubbing.  All other dry lubes I have tried are a real pain to clean. I have used this stuff almost exclusively in all my rifles for over four years, three combat tours, and thousands of rounds of ammo.  I pleased to report that my rifles have always performed flawlessly. They do not jam, and they need less maintenance.
     Be advised:  This lube is not for "conceal carry" pistols. Although it does lube them just as well as rifles, it attracts lint from your clothes (but not dust). I had problems with my M9 when lint buildup in the wax base caused my slide to bind.

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COIN Candy

Submitted by Terry Young

This sort of item is mandatory kit when you go out among the locals (never mind what country).  I found out in Vietnam that if you can befriend the local kids, you will be much safer.  One of the ways we made friends was to have our families send us a candy called "Fizzies."  These things would fizz up at the touch of liquid, and the kids just loved it!  After that they would tell us about where the "safe" areas were and where not to go unless we were looking for NVA or VC Cadre. Counter-insurgency ops?  Think Fizzies when you're trying to get the kids on your side.

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Limb-Saving Watchband

Submitted by Buzzard

This watchband saved my wrist from being split in two during a high seas covert ship boarding. We were attempting to board a vessel carrying illegal cargo during the most unpleasant sea conditions from a RIHB boat, and as we were coming along side the vessel the seas swelled down the RIHB dropped below the curve of the vessel's hull.  As the seas began to swell up we were stuck bellow the curve of the hull and were pushed up into the vessel. When this happened my arm was pinned between the console railing of the RIHB and the hull of the vessel. Had it not been for this watchband my wrist(arm) would have been split between the two bones. Having this watchband on kept the bones from separating and all that was sustained was some bruising and a shattered watch. This band differers from many others in that it is a single piece of nylon that wraps around the wrist twice and is secured with Velcro. Others only use an inch or so of Velcro to secure the band or include plastic rings where the band loops through to tie back to itself - both of which are far from being really safe. Heck, I've been known to take a $692 watch off of the metal band and use one of these babys instead!

Friendly fire isn't friendly

Submitted by Eric Daniel

Telling friend from foe is a difficult task at the best of times, at night it only gets harder. Even with the advent of night vision goggles, the task is only slightly easier (as Ben Franklin used to say, "Under NVGs all cats are green.") While there are a number of products available that will greatly facilitate telling friend from foe, one of the few that is publicly available is Scotchlite reflective tape and fabric. Manufactured by 3M, Scotchlite is the same reflective material used on modern safety equipment, and similar to the reflective material found now on commercial truck trailers (which is, surprise surprise, also manufactured by 3M.) In and of it self it reflects enough ambient light to be easily seen with NVGs, and when observed under direct light it appears to be a brilliant white.

The fabric I use comes in a roll 1 inch wide and 25 feet long, which is ample enough to mark up a regiment. How you use it is up to you. Remember, a little goes a long way. You can sew it directly to your uniform, or you can attach it to velcro, which will allow you to remove it when you don't want to use it. You can cut it to any length you want to, using it in strips or squares, according to what ever SOP your unit comes up with.

A word of caution though. This stuff loves direct light and should be used with care in high light (typically urban) environments, but when out in the boonies, it works just fine. The fabric itself is durable, does not fray easily, and is flexible and easy to sew. 3M does not do direct marketing, but you can get a local distributor by visiting the 3M website.

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