Lessons from Iraq

[trust me]

Just read an extensive account from a returning Marine. He states that morale is good, we're killing the enemy at a rate of about 25:1, and the soldiers are pissed when they read the home press write, "Are we losing in Iraq?" The Iranians and Syrians are supplying better explosives for the roadside bombs, and that's what is killing our boys. The jihadists are getting few because we've killed them all with long range sniper fire and good battlefield shooting. Rumor has it that one sniper has broken Carlos Hathcock's record with over 100 confirmed kills...

The M16 is despised because it won't work in the fine sand environment. The old M-14s are being modified and reissued, as are the 1911 45s. The 9mm ball ammo is not killing the enemy, just like it won't kill thugs over here. The shotguns are prized for house-to-house work. Mossbergs and some old WW2 era pumps. The old 50 is doing a lot of good work, and the Vietnam era machine guns are doing well. It seems that the best weapons over there are the oldest weapons. Is there a lesson in there somewhere?

He states that the Iraqis have had enough of the cowards that bomb their own people and are really starting to stand up and fight back. The embedded journalists are despised and distrusted because they aren't getting the real story back to the American public.

If you see a soldier home on leave, buy him lunch and tell him you appreciate all he or she has done.

[Auk1124]

It seems that the best weapons over there are the oldest weapons. Is there a lesson in there somewhere?


I seem to recall reading somewhere or another that one of the favorite weapons of the WWI era German Stormtroopers for storming trenches was a shovel, with the edges sharpened on a rock, basically making it a battle axe. Supposedly their Mausers were too awkward for trench fights, so they would charge the trenches armed with nothing more than a shovel and a couple of grenades, if they had them.

More things change the more they stay the same. Weaponry adapts to environment.

[killinmammals]

Dang...beaten the record! Over 100 confirmed is ALOT....not bad work. They need to keep up the good work over there.

[trust me]

If this is in fact true, I suspect the weapon used is a McMillan 50 or something very similar.

[Buk Bust'r]

10-4 on the older weapons!

The M14, M2's and the like are excellent weapons! In Afghanastan, they realized all too quickly that the 5.56 was lacking at the longer ranges and the 14's were seeing service there as they are in Iraq. When I enlisted, we were issued the 16's and as long as you could clean 'em they were alright. However, as they don't work well in sand, they don't work in the arctic environment either. Takes on thing to make a 16 run, oil. That said, they froze up in extreme cold, therefore, the 14's saw service there as well.

Way I look at it, a lot of things get better with age!

[Tom Threetoes]

When I enlisted in the National Guard in January !966 the weapon we had at the armory was the M1. While on active duty we were issued the M14. Near the end of my enlistment we got the M16. It was kinda neat to have used three of the five battle rifles of that century. Of the three the 14 was my favorite.

[eddiejohn4]

I carried a 12 ga in the marines and was also issued the m16.The 5.56 is a good cal but has its limitations.in the beginning the m16 were built with to fine of tolerances and therefore were prone to jamming.the ak47 had no such flaw and performed well in all types of terrain.I imagine that the marines in Iraq are having that problem now with the m16s.

[brandon2000]

Trus me, I think I read an article on that and they said he was using either a win mod 70 or rem 700 sinper rifle in 308. Not sure though but that's what I think I saw.

[newshooter05]

i was in viet nam in 1966 when they took my m14 and issued me a m16 car to carry , it was a pos and i lost or had dystroyed 4 before they said they would court marshal me if i lost any more. we had no cleaning equipment or rods. they jammed because the army in there wisdom had failed to crome the barrel and chamber and the ammo was changed to a different powder than the twist rate was designed for because it was cheaper and the rounds key holed.
nothing quite like being in a fire fight and have the head pulled off a round that is jammed in a chamber . u have to tear it down and use a knife point to get the round out.
several guys died because of these mistakes by the military.
i saw what a 5.56 round will do to humans and also what a 9mm will do and anyone who says they are fine for combat is just wrong .they were no good in 66 and 67 and im sure they are not much if any better now.

[95bravo]

I got to add that the M19 is garbage. The 50 cal is king. The M240 rocks the house also very easy to clean/ aim/ mount.

[john4]

Typical sniper rifle is the M24, it's a Rem 700 chambered in .308 some special units may be using modified .50 cals

Mk19 is good for long range stuff and only if co-mounted with a 240/249 for backup, close quarters is not it's specialty, but when doing what she was designed to do it can be very effective.

M2 is the best weapon the Army ever bought, that's why it's still being used today!

The M14 is much better suited battle rifle than the M16, especially in Iraq and Afganistan.

[RocketRider]

I've got a friend in Iraq right now with the 82nd infantry from Georgia. He echoes pretty much the same thing, the troops are pissed that the real truth is not being told by the media. He told me recently about one reporter interviewing some of our snipers, digging for a story. He asked one of them "What do you feel when you like up the crosshairs and shoot an insurgent?" The soldier looked at him and replied "Recoil", then walked off.

Classic!

R.R.

[95bravo]

I spent 9 months in Iraq as a Mark19 gunner I think that qualifies me to say they sux. If your on a all day convoy or patrol, you don't have time to stop and clean them. In southern Iraq you can set your clock by the 3:00 pm sandstorm. Any little bit of dust on the bolt face and it Will not fire. When my life is on the line I want to pull the trigger and hear a boom. Give me the good old m2 any day of the week.
I did see firsthand an insurgent that took a M19 round in the gut, and it was not pretty. I also saw an insurgent that took a M2 incendiary round to the head. They were both equally dead. I'd rather have the reliability of an M2 over an M19. An M2 is alot easier to free gun than a M19. I've seen M19 hit building and just make a little Spalding mark where as a M2 will punch a nice hole.