I was very tempted to open this envelope because I'd never seen one before.
It's a .45 ACP cleaning rod.
We didn't have them in my line unit. We used M16 cleaning kits.
To find that there was a supply, still in the wrapper, is really disheartening.
Well, not really still in the wrapper. This rod was encased in this wrapper in July 2004. No idea if it was was turned in and wrapped or unwrapped from old stock, inspected and re-wrapped.
What I do know is we didn't have them. In a line unit. In Germany. At the height of The Cold War.
There's one with pics on ebay.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ebay.com/i/323454754477?chn=ps
What's odd is that in 2004, I thought most units had transitioned to the Beretta.
We'd transitioned to Beretta by 1989 (kinda)... 9mm at any rate.
DeleteIt's not uncommon for new old stock to be unwrapped, inspected and rewrapped. I've gotten M16A1 parts with early '90's dates on the wrappings when it was definitely a 1960's part.
I'm just amazed that there were such things in the system and retained with the long-term storage of the guns when we couldn't get them for love or money when we were issued the guns they go to!
I understand what you are saying. During Desert Shield/Storm the XO asked me for an M-79. Told him it wasn't part of our ToE, but I ordered one and it arrived about 2 weeks later. He walked around with it, and later it was a pain to return it to the supply system.
ReplyDeleteNot surprising at all. You see, the stocks people must keep x amount of stock in stock. To issue y amount to you line-apes, who would lose it within a week and request more, would leave the stock people with x-y amount, which would require them to order y amount to replenish, but if it isn't a current stock item, then it most likely isn't available for purchase, therefore to release any stock from x amount would be a problem, because then they wouldn't have x amount anymore.
ReplyDeleteNo. Seriously. This is how large corporations and the government work. See that spot. It is for 4 flamabagingers, which are critical supply, as they are a critical but rarely worn part of the Mahiginger Machine. There is no longer a maker for a flamabaginger, which cost $12.00, so we must keep 4 just in case.
Oh, the Mahiginger Machine just blew a flamabaginger. We must keep 4 in stock of the flamthingy. So let's buy a new model Mahiginger Machine at 1.2 billion Euros (because we don't make them anymore in the USA) and not buy spares because of Just-In-Time inventory. So the old Machine goes away but our records show we need those 4 flamabagingers for the old Machine because they are Critical Spares!!!!
Yes. I worked in Parts. Ordering parts, the machines to get rid of parts, the machines to install parts. Why again are we ordering yet another portable band saw for to remove the broken parts that...