Have you ever fired a gun?

[DuncsGTi]

Saddle bum said:

Trustmeimadoctor said:

DuncsGTi said:

Call those little things bullets? This is a real mans bullet

kinetic round ?

120mm APFSDS prac, probably american?

Yup, I got the chance to take part in an exchange program with the Montana national guard last year, spent 3 weeks throwing 120mm around the mojave desert

[aeropilot]

E24man said:

DuncsGTi said:

Call those little things bullets? This is a real mans bullet

Pffft - that's a pea-shooter shot.

Iowa class 16" shells....??

[Trustmeimadoctor]

Raise you railroad gun shell
k

[DuncsGTi]

5ohmustang said:

DuncsGTi said:

Yup, I got the chance to take part in an exchange program with the Montana national guard last year, spent 3 weeks throwing 120mm around the mojave desert

Looks like a Sabot round. You would have been at NTC Fort Irwin. I got back from there last month. Saw UK Jackals there.

Yup, that's exactly where I was

The jackals are from the Queens Dragoon Guards, I've got a few friends out there supporting the exercise

[ChemicalChaos]

Fire plenty of shotguns at clay shoots over the years.

Recently at a ranch in Wyoming, I had the chance to try out some proper guns, including an AR-15, a .308 Special, and a Beretta 9mm. Whilst i was dealdy accurate with the rifles, I found it quite hard to be a consistent shot with the iron sights on the pistols. Still awesome fun though!

[ChemicalChaos]

TVR1 said:

Your pistol shooting will always be totally all over the place with that particular stance though.

Did no one show you control? You're leaning back with your left shoulder way over your centre of gravity, with your right arm locked. Two handed grips will never work like that. Arms and shoulders should be the 'shock absorbers'. My guess is missing up and left?

Southpaw AND dominant right eye too? Thats fcucked up!!!!!

I was standing and holding the guns how the instructor said to - one foot forward, lean into it etc. I was looking out my left eye in that photo as I am left handed, its just that I was squinting into the sun.

[thenetwork]

Sportco .22 rifle [Winchester copy]

.303 rifle with a brand new barrel with windage sights.

12 gauge pump action shotie.

Automatic .22 pistol.

[TVR1]

ChemicalChaos said:

TVR1 said:

Your pistol shooting will always be totally all over the place with that particular stance though.

Did no one show you control? You're leaning back with your left shoulder way over your centre of gravity, with your right arm locked. Two handed grips will never work like that. Arms and shoulders should be the 'shock absorbers'. My guess is missing up and left?

Southpaw AND dominant right eye too? Thats fcucked up!!!!!

I was standing and holding the guns how the instructor said to - one foot forward, lean into it etc. I was looking out my left eye in that photo as I am left handed, its just that I was squinting into the sun.

For your technical pleasure....

https://youtu.be/gEHNZFTfSD8

[aeropilot]

TVR1 said:

ChemicalChaos said:

TVR1 said:

Your pistol shooting will always be totally all over the place with that particular stance though.

Did no one show you control? You're leaning back with your left shoulder way over your centre of gravity, with your right arm locked. Two handed grips will never work like that. Arms and shoulders should be the 'shock absorbers'. My guess is missing up and left?

Southpaw AND dominant right eye too? Thats fcucked up!!!!!

I was standing and holding the guns how the instructor said to - one foot forward, lean into it etc. I was looking out my left eye in that photo as I am left handed, its just that I was squinting into the sun.

Seems to be a hybrid between Isosceles and a Weaver......or rather the disadvantages of both combined into one!!

[DuncsGTi]

5ohmustang said:

They're pretty ballsy, driving with minimum armor.

Good fun though, I spent 6 months motoring around helmand province in one a few years back

[Hudson]

5ohmustang said:

Riding in a humvee is no bonus. Death trap on wheels while your legs are crushed by the AC ducts.

fun > safety

[TVR1]

aeropilot said:

TVR1 said:

ChemicalChaos said:

TVR1 said:

Your pistol shooting will always be totally all over the place with that particular stance though.

Did no one show you control? You're leaning back with your left shoulder way over your centre of gravity, with your right arm locked. Two handed grips will never work like that. Arms and shoulders should be the 'shock absorbers'. My guess is missing up and left?

Southpaw AND dominant right eye too? Thats fcucked up!!!!!

I was standing and holding the guns how the instructor said to - one foot forward, lean into it etc. I was looking out my left eye in that photo as I am left handed, its just that I was squinting into the sun.

Seems to be a hybrid between Isosceles and a Weaver......or rather the disadvantages of both combined into one!!

I was thinking he'd been instructed on modified weaver too, on account of the instructor thinking 'brit whos never shot before'.

However, speaking from experience of both straight bore/short/long arms shooting for 10 years (admittedly with a 20 years break) its his stance thats screwed him. And unfamiliarity with firearms.

By happenstance, im just reacquiring both my FAC and SGC because its a challenging but satisying sport and open to all ages.

Regarding stances, I had a very educational converse (to me) with one of our Esteemed members fon here that hails from Baton Rouge. He introduced me to the C.A.R stance. Very comfortable, passive but quick on target. Ranges, even in America dont like you using it though.

A very different technique. The idea is that the pivot point is your waist, rather than shoulders. Allowing a locked uper body and neck, combined with bringing the firearm close to your sightline. It also allows accuracy without the need to mess around with accurate sights, in difficult circumstances. 'Where you see is where you shoot'.

ETA: i hope that I have explained that correctly (please correct me if i've understood incorrectly Jimbeaux)

Anywho....

To lighten things,

I can still (just)

Strip- and more importantly- put back together, amongst others, an AK47, browning HP, walther P38 (kurtz as well as standard) broomhandle, FNFAL (British edition but can modify the trigger for overseas. Engagements) Luger, baby browning, Beretta a302 multi choke, , SPAS 12 ( that was interesting turning up at Sundayclays at the age of 15) automag 44 before IMI copied the idea with the desret eagle. Last but not least the Bren 10mm.

I never really got to grips with the AR frame but that wasnt really around in the UK in the 80's.

Edited by TVR1 on Thursday 6th October 23:30

[Dr Jekyll]

And can you still?

[creampuff]

^ You cannot own semi-automatic centerfire rifles in the UK. You can own stuff that looks like an AK/AR, but it falls into one of two categories:

- .22 rimfire semi-auto which looks like an AK/AR. Semi-auto rimfires are legal. Infact you can even get high capacity magazines and suppressors.
- non-self loading centerfire AK/AR, this means it has to be bolt action but more than that it must be built from scratch like that, so no or greatly reduced gas system and can't be returned to semi-auto. Straight pull rifles seem to be popular, but they still look like an abomination to me. I'd rather just have a rifle which was made from scratch with the intent of being a bolt action.

[yellowjack]

Do rockets and lots of explosives count?

Giant Viper!!!


The 'old skool' GV in it's box on the trailer, prepared for firing with rockets mounted.

The result...

...although admittedly this is the replacement 'Python' system in use.

Viper video here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHszRV5-bd4

...filmed in BATUS - 'British Army Training Unit, Suffield'. Alberta, Canada. As has been pointed out in the comments below, this is also the more modern (and reliable!) 'Python' in action.

Another video of Python in action, this time in Afghanistan... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmpjjuMczFc


As a qualified GV/Python instructor, I've been involved with four 'live firings' of GV, plus loads with a dummy hose that needs stuffing back into the box in a specific manner afterwards, and is quite frankly the most horrible job I've had to do in peacetime.

I also fired a ZSU 23-4 in Iraq in 1991. We unloaded most of the ammo by hand, dismantling the feed trays as we went along. But it's such a complex feed system, and such a cramped space, that the last of the ammo couldn't be unloaded (we didn't have the manual available to show us how!) so we just "pointed it in a safe direction" and fired what was left. That piece is now at either the Army Air Corps museum at Middle Wallop, or behind the IWM Land Warfare Hall at Duxford, it came back as 'spoils of war', hence us having to unload the fecker instead of just blowing it up in situ.

[ben5575]

creampuff said:

^ You cannot own semi-automatic centerfire rifles in the UK. You can own stuff that looks like an AK/AR, but it falls into one of two categories:

- .22 rimfire semi-auto which looks like an AK/AR. Semi-auto rimfires are legal. Infact you can even get high capacity magazines and suppressors.
- non-self loading centerfire AK/AR, this means it has to be bolt action but more than that it must be built from scratch like that, so no or greatly reduced gas system and can't be returned to semi-auto. Straight pull rifles seem to be popular, but they still look like an abomination to me. I'd rather just have a rifle which was made from scratch with the intent of being a bolt action.

Following on from previous post, I shot the 9mm Glock, .357 Magnum and this in the UK last year:

[RizzoTheRat]

yellowjack said:

Do rockets and lots of explosives count?
As a qualified GV/Python instructor, I've been involved with four 'live firings' of GV, plus loads with a dummy hose that needs stuffing back into the box in a specific manner afterwards, and is quite frankly the most horrible job I've had to do in peacetime.

I used to work with an ex RE WO1 who moaned that they took 4 of the things to Iraq and wasted one for Kate Adie (and the rest of the press to be fair) when they were worried that they might need to use it for real.

[Shakermaker]

Did a bit in the cadets with whatever the cadet single-shot thing was, bit of fun

Also a couple of times done some clay pigeons

And also in Prague we went to a shooting range and for about £30 had a few shots with each of 6 different guns, from handguns, to rifles, to shotguns, if I remember correctly.

[aeropilot]

5ohmustang said:

At any time before the gun ban, could you own ar's or ak's in the UK?

Yes, prior to the 1988 Amendment of the Firearms Act (after Hungerford) that banned semi-auto centre-fire rifles, you could own a semi-auto only version of a AR/AK etc., and many did, as Practical Rifle comps were very popular in the UK.

[Dr Jekyll]

Why the legal distinction between centre fire and rim fire?