[Mackpipes]

I was one of the 4, 60 gunners in my platoon. I carried 700 rounds on me and I made everyone except the RM carry an additional 200. Bone dry my 60 was 17.5 pounds. Each box of 7.62 link was around 5 lbs. So when I did carry my 60 with full gear, they called me "Lucky Legs" as in, lucky they don't break off and stick me in the ass. I loved to pray and spry though.

[Noah]

Originally Posted by Mackpipes

I was one of the 4, 60 gunners in my platoon. I carried 700 rounds on me and I made everyone except the RM carry an additional 200. Bone dry my 60 was 17.5 pounds. Each box of 7.62 link was around 5 lbs. So when I did carry my 60 with full gear, they called me "Lucky Legs" as in, lucky they don't break off and stick me in the ass. I loved to pray and spry though.

Jezus!

I was always glad to NOT be the machine gunner (we used the M249 SAW, which is much lighter, but still a bastard to hump). Humping a 60 is just evil. We had a couple of them in the arms room and I think my knees hurt just picking one up. I liked my M16 with the 203...

[aubreym]

Originally Posted by Mackpipes

I made everyone except the RM carry an additional 200.

I loved being the radioman. I carried the PRC-25 or Prick-25 as it was lovingly called and it weighed just a little under 20 lbs. I did like to hang out with the 60 gunner though. Nothing sounds more comforting in a fire fight than the sound of that 60! Get some!

[DonNewton]

Like Ted said. . .I was always the pin man because I carried so much damned weight. Must be why I have osteo-arth in my lower back now. Wouldn't change a damned thing though. Meet some of the best people on earth doing what we did, and sometimes, you get to get up close and personal with some of them!

H&K MP5, a 9mm submachine gun. A very fine piece of equipment.

Who's going to organize a group buy?

Too bad it's only available for military and law enforcement. I like to rock and role as much as the next guy. The biggest problem is finding a place in this PC area to do it legally (besides an indoor range).

[Trak Ratt]

60s, 203s, LAWs, 16s, 14s, M1s, 50 cal. ring mounts, even 12 gauge pumps! Lugged and tugged them, loved and hated them. Generally directly related to the probability of needing one.

OK we played this one with “shop stories” how about weapon stories! What’s the dumbest thing you did with one of “uncles” or your own weapon?

I‘ll start with firing a full mag from an M16 out the passenger window of a HMMV without covering the ejection port…ouch
Getting caught “jumping” an M113 over berms just to see how it would fly… ouch but a different kind of ouch

[Mackpipes]

Completely destroyed an old ladies China cabnet from five miles away.
We were experimenting with a city bus that had been put out to pasture and some old haversacks. The demo range limit was 500lbs. Lets just say we turned the bus into confetti and went over our max shot limit X3. The range RSO got a call from the local police saying a woman had called in with structural damage to her house because of the shock. Oops.

When in doubt, overload!

[Noah]

Our range for the Mountain Bn. was awesome, out in a huge area of uninhabited mountains in rural Vermont. This is the famous "Ethan Allen Firing Range" where GE develops and tests an array of weapons, such as the gatling guns that are used on the A-10. Lots of great sound effects reverberating through those hills...

But one time in high school, my gun nut friend and I decided to have a free fire exercise in the field next to my house on a quiet saturday afternoon. The closest neighbors were about a half-click away. I had an SKS, my friend a 12-gauge, and we opened fire on an empty keg that I had tossed out in the field. It was a display. Sounded like a gun battle was going on. Powerful firearms being discharged with great enthusiasm for an extended period of time.

Within 15 minutes the cops showed up in a state of grave concern, and later I talked with my neighbor, who thought that there had been a full land invasion of Vermont. He had gathered his wife, son, and daughter and they all crouched in his stone fireplace to avoid the crossfire.

We were actually being totally safe, in the sense that there was no risk of stray rounds hitting anything -- we were firing away from any other houses, down a field which was bordered by a large forested area.

The damned prettiest thing I ever did in the military, though, was night-fire exercises. Tracers are beautiful and mesmerizing to watch.

[rs911t]

"Humping a 60" .... "Prick 25" .... I sure hope there's nothing we need to worry about while huddling for warmth this weekend ...

[cmartin]

Not that there's anything wrong with that...