Meanwhile In Islam

LGBT means Loft Gravity Bounce Thud.

Another Day In Paradise

Another day with The Boy screaming obscenities and breaking his own stuff.

There's no apparent reason for it, it's just how he is.

Something has to give soon or I fear for my sanity.

Put The Voodoo Doll Down

Another one for Willard.

A 9x20mm barrel for his m/07 pistol.

Ever Do This

Start doing the calculations to prove a point, get it almost ready to SLAM the other guy's argument into the dirt like it deserves...

Only to discover you've overlooked an important variable or portion of the equation?

Thank goodness I had not hit publish...

The Rest Of The Story

This Is It We're All Gonna Die

The brutal storm clouds of Tropical Storm Emily.

I Have A Solution

Pilot Shortage On The Horizon.

I know why I'm not a pilot.  I cannot afford it.

Yet, I have food on the table and a roof over my head.

How is it that I manage the second, but not the first?

I don't need to be a pilot, but I do need food and shelter.

When it comes to something I need, I will find a way to fund it.

Seems to me the folks what need pilots are the airlines.  With this looming on their horizon, why is it still the prospective hire's job to pay the whole cost for licensing and training?

They need pilots, why don't they have training academies?

Why aren't there contracts where our newly winged fledgling has to either work for the airline what brought him up for a fixed number of years or recompense them for their costs?

I've said the same thing about shortages in other places.

Want to weld?  You have to show up already knowing how with certifications.

Same for machinists.

Same for mechanics.

I hear crying from businesses that need these people who can't find applicants.

Write a contract, train them!

It Doesn't Mean What You Apparently Think It Does

Minority rights does not mean rights that only minorities have.

Minority rights means giving minorities the same rights as everyone that are being, or have been, denied them.

It's not a zero-sum game.

Old Story But Told Well

Mock Up

As soon as replacement parts and tools arrive, this is what the AR-10 project will look like.

This configuration is a full 26 ounces lighter than how the original rifle came!

Update:

Here's what we're trying to evoke, a modernization of this:

Pic from James Julia Acution http://weaponsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Julia-AR-10-38-right.jpg

Oh Marv....

He is officially out of places to hang stuff.

Mystery Solved

There isn't a single G3 bayonet.

There isn't a single means for a G3 bayonet to attach to the rifle.

There's at least three main variations.

Early with the straight cocking tube.

10mm with adaptor and the tapered cocking tube.

20mm without adaptor and the tapered cocking tube.

Inside these variations are SUBvariations!

The Danish bayonet Willard bought is of the 10mm variety.

He'd bought an adaptor for a 10mm bayonet.

NOW we discover there's four subvariations of the 10mm depending on how the latch is clocked.

1 and 1A clock at 9.
2 clocks at 1:30.
3 clocks at 10:30.

Willard's adaptor is a 1, his bayonet is a 3.

Since the bayonets have become a $65 collector's item, I drilled the $15 adaptor for a new hole at 10:30.

Huzzah!

That Went Better

The latch hole for the bayonet was wrong for the Danish bayonet Willard scored for his G3.

Fixed!

Now I wonder if the German and Danish bayonet latches are clocked differently or if this one is made wrong.

Chatter Chatter BANG

Trying to drill front sight base for Willard's AR10 project.

Using a 3mm carbide end mill to do the initial hole because of the nitride coating on the barrel.

It's some brittle ass shit and when it went it took out the boss I was drilling into.

The barrel is unmarred.

Because I'm Geek And Nerdy

Marv's looking for holsters for the local 2-gun.

I comment that his choice doesn't allow for a light.

He asks, "You're going to use the light during 2-gun?"

I reply, "The night is dark and full of terrors!"

He says, "Not in the indoor range it's not."

My Reader Rocks!

Terrapod donated a nice 30gb iPod Classic to The Boy!

He officially rocks!

Note To YouTube

If you're not going to let a given channel monetize, then I will not sit through YOUR ads.

Reflexively stabbing refresh will eventually bypass the ad...

Blogging Is Dead

Long live the blog!

I guess the resemblance to a Norwegian Blue depends a great deal on what you're hoping to accomplish by blogging.

Me?

I need to say what I'm saying, someplace, or I go more nuts.

I'm not expecting to change anyone's mind about anything.  If someone is moved by what I've argued and changes their mind, so much the better; but I'm not ranting to get people to change their minds.

I'm ranting to save my mind.

I will rant, and have, when I knew there was nobody reading.  That was Livejournal...

Weer'd got me to come to Blogger.

My audience is small.  About 1,000 people a day stop by, with 240 or so being from France.

I don't get much for comments.

But I am not going away until Google nukes the platform, and even that won't nuke me completely.

Sooner or later the photo-hosting thing is going to drive me to host my own pictures.  That will likely drive me to spend the money on setting up my own server.  Once I've done that, why depend on Google for hosting the blog?

Or What Lindsey?

If Trump fires Sessions you're going to what?

Obstruct the bills that support his campaign promises?

Delay his appointments?

What are you going to do that you're not already doing?

2,000 Of 400

Five times the rated time on the battery.

OK, I'm impressed.

Perhaps Expected

I know that when I am punished for something I did not do, I have a strong temptation to immediately start doing it.

For how many months have we been hearing about how anti-LGBT President Trump is?

Perhaps he's just decided that if he's going to be treated like a bigot, he's nothing to loose by acting the part.

Besides, while the press is all focused on this "outrage" what's he slipping behind their backs?

If you can panic them by rearranging deck chairs, will they notice what you did in the engine room?

Oh Noes!

Hollywood is going to hate President Trump now?

Now?

Now?

Now?

NOW?!?

What was it before?

Edit.

Now we get treated to another round of LGBT bullying from Hollywood.

SIGH

Remember, if you're not stealing from Hollywood, you're paying them for this.

Identity

The problem isn't that LGBT people want to serve in the military.

The problem is far too few are identifying primarily as SOLDIERS.

When you identify as something else, you're not going to be a good soldier and that is a huge problem.

It's also not helped that the defacto spokesperson for transgender in the military is Chelsea Manning.  A traitor.

Look, LGBT people, you want to serve, then be a soldier first and everything else second.  Make it a distant second.

You want to know something odd, we military types honor personal sacrifice for honorable service.  Think on that.

For the record, the military has had crackdowns on Catholics for being adherents to their religion before their oaths as soldiers; don't feel too put out at being singled out here.

A Thought Occurs

With Eric Holder complaining that elections are rigged by Republicans...

I am starting to wonder if the Democrats were expecting a different outcome and their rigging failed.

Like they hired a veterinarian to dope the horse and got a placebo instead.

It fits the pattern of complaint.

This Hasn't Happened In A While

More than one B-29 in the air at the same time.

You Just Know He's Seething

I found that BM-59 and had nothing but silence from Willard today.

This is how he gets when he's checking magazine prices and availability.

Also, I have pains in the normal places from him sticking pins in his voodoo doll of me.

Information Bleg

Is there an A2 style upper receiver for a DPMS 308 AR out there?

I recall there once being such things, but cannot google my way to them.

I'll Be The One To Say It

Wouldn't it be better for everyone if Senator McCain were to succumb to his illness, rather than continuing on?

I would have said "to resign" but the DIABN just can't bring himself to do the right thing.

With a Republican Governor in Arizona, it won't even upset the numbers.  But it will upset the votes as a reliable traitor to his party would be eliminated.

Practice

Hard to get the tripod to settle down to get a centered shot at max magnification.

7.62x51mm Magazine Massathon

Well, weight because 'Mercia!

FAL 8.6 oz.

CETME 9.8 oz.

G3 (Steel) 9.9 oz.
G3 (Aluminum) 5.1 oz.

M14 (USGI) 8.3 oz.
M14 (Aftermarket) 7.5 oz.

AR10 (DPMS LR308) 7.5 oz.
AR10 (Magpul PMAG-20 LR/SR Gen M3) 5 oz.

The weight of 20 rounds of 7.62x51mm NATO is 17.6 oz.

Anyone got a BM-59 or a Type 64 magazine and a scale?

How about a real AR-10 magazine?

Poor WIllard

Poor, poor Willard...

He could have lived the rest of his life not knowing about this.

But here's a link to it anyway.

NATO Rifles

Everybody knows that when the NATO nations standardized on 7.62x51mm; everyone (except the US) picked either the FAL or G3... well mostly.

Belgium, Fabric National (FN) FAL.

Canada, Canadian Aresenals Ltd. C1A1, an inch version of the FAL.

Denmark, H&K Gv M/66 and M/75.  G3A3's made for or leased to, respectively, the Danish Army.

France, Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne MAS-49, in 7.5x55mm because De Gaulle was a staunch advocate of being a NATO member and ensuring equipment interchange, especially ammo... oh wait...

Greece, first the FN FAL, then the H&K G3A3.

Iceland, no army.

Italy, Beretta BM-59, a derivative of the M1 Garand using a detachable 20-round magazine.

Luxembourg, FN FAL.

Netherlands, FN FAL.

Norway, Kongsberg-Våpenfabrikk AG-3.  G3A3's made locally.

Portugal, both!  Fábrica de Braço de Prata m/961, a G3A3; FN m/962, an FAL; and Artillerie Inrichtingen AR-10.

Spain, Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de Materiales Especiales (CETME) Model 58, definitely NOT a G3.  Or designed by Nazis.  No Nazis here.  REALLY!  Why doesn't anyone believe us?  Look in Argentina!

Turkey, FN G1, an FAL; and Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Kurumu (MKEK) G3A7 (G3A3 under license).

United Kingdom, Royal Small Arms Factory L1A1, a different inch version of the FAL.

United States, Springfield National Armory M14, a derivative of the M1 Garand using a detachable
20-round magazine (but totally different from the BM-59).

West Germany, they tried to do the FAL (as the G1) and SIG SG 510 (as the G2) but settled on a local design imported from Spain, the H&K G3.

Of the 16 15 14 NATO nations who adopted a 7.62x51mm battle rifle:

8 adopted the FAL and issued it.  1 never issued it.  2 made their own version.  2 later adopted the G3.

6 adopted the G3.

3 developed their own gun altogether; one of which was further developed into the the G3!

M80A1

Just for the record:

The 7d pi of standard 7.62x51mm ball ammo becomes 7d pi+ when you apply my newly created EPB modifier to it.

That changes the damage to 10-63 points (36 average).

One wonders which other rounds this tech will be applied to.

Love Hate

It seems there's little that H&K does better than polarizing people's opinion.

Their G3 is one of their first examples.

It's shorter and just as heavy (or heavier depending on the magazine) as the FAL that preceded it.  It replaces the FAL in many armies because while it's not as nice as an FAL, an FAL is not three times as nice as a G3.  And a nation-state ordering for their army got the volume discount and could buy three G3's for the price of a single FAL.

In the US civilian market, most of these 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifle clones are hovering around the same $1k price point, give or take a couple hundred.  It boils down to the one you like better.

The PTR GI shown above has a feature long missing from G3 clones.

A paddle magazine release.

It comes apart just like its more militant cousin:

The bolt head is just as @%#&#^^@%#&$##* (fucking) irritating as it's always been to get back on.  But I discovered a trick!

The handguard will fit the bolt head and give you that extra bit of grip and leverage to overcome that bear of a locking tab spring; plus it's always with the rifle!

It's Getting To Be A Problem

Before the internet, if something was widely read, it would outlive the author; nearly forever.

Now it lives until the payment on the domain expires.

Surplus Rifle is gone.

Hi Powers and Handguns is gone.

How many others?

Rebound

The AR-15 is a shrunk AR-10.

Modern .308 ARs aren't really more developed and refined AR-10s; they're enlarged AR-15's.

The trigger group is the most obvious place to spot differences.

The reason for this is pure economics.  Why reinvent the wheel?

Keeping parts commonality with the smaller AR-15 means you get to take advantage of the scale of production already established and you also get proven parts.  Win win.

It's a little amusing how most .308 ARs share parts with AR-15's, but except for those commodity parts, don't share parts between manufacturers.

Statting The M855A1

M855 from a 14.5" M4 barrel is 4d+2 pi.

Despite the steel penetrator, it's not considered armor piercing.

This is mostly because the 600m distance to punch the DR 4 of a steel pot is well within the 800 yard 1/2D distance of the 5d pi from the 20" M16A2 barrel and the 750 yard 1/2D distance for the M4.

The minimum damage from both an M4 and M16A2 penetrate that helmet.

The 1/2D for M193 from an M16A1 is 500 yards, the minimum damage from 5d pi won't penetrate now.

With me so far?

From the physical description of the M855A1 bullet, it conforms to how High Tech describes TL6 Armor-Piercing (AP) ammo.  That would change the damage to 4d+2(2) pi-.  The problem with this is M855A1 appears to perform no better against armor or barriers than M855 and is comparable to M80 ball in tissue.  pi- would be worse soft tissue performance than before when the reports are saying it's better.

7.62x51mm NATO M80 ball is 7d pi.

M855A1 fired from an M4 is reportedly doing comparable soft tissue damage to M80.

OK.  Giving M855A1 hollow-point status brings the damage to 4d+2(0.5) pi+.

7d pi does 7-42 points of damage.  24 average.

4d+2 pi+ does 9-39 points.  24 average.

That is comparable.

The niggling problem now is the (0.5) armor divisor for going hollow-point.  By all accounts, M855A1 doesn't behave differently than M855 against barriers or armor.  (0.5) would give unarmored targets DR1 and would double the DR of armored targets.

Thus 4d+2(0.5) pi+ shouldn't penetrate the, now, DR 8 of a steel pot with minimum damage.  Yet, it does.

The way the round appears to behave is 4d+2 pi+.  Not sure what generic label to apply to it here though or what it should do to the cost per shot, especially since it's shaping up to be not a lot more expensive than M855.

This going to matter because they're applying this technology to 7.62 as well in the M80A1 round.

One way to explain it can come from M855 being the US version of FN's SS109, which was developed in the 1970's, and is thus a TL7 round, 1980 being the cut-year between TL7 and TL8.  Thus M855A1 is a TL8 round.

There's only three TL8 kinetic energy bullet types listed in High Tech and they're all depleted uranium armor piercing rounds.

I think I shall call it:

Enhanced Performance Ball (EPB) (TL8)

This ammo is made from a hardened steel tip with a lighter metal core and is designed to cause more damage to soft tissues via tumbling and fragmentation, without sacrificing penetration against armor or barriers.

Change damage type: pi- becomes pi, pi becomes pi+, and pi+ becomes pi++ (no effect on pi++).  Multiply CPS by 1.2.  LC2.

7.62x51mm Showdown

I have no doubts as to which 7.62 NATO battle rifle is the best.

Just one of them served me without fail when it mattered.

None of the other contenders were present.

An unfair position to take?

Perhaps.

But...

One does tend to love one's first love forever.

I am not alone in my rather biased opinion.

Now that we've established which rifle is bloody best...

We will concede that the other contenders have their merits.

But they're not best, are they?

All These Years

Did you know that the gun on top of an M1, M1(IP), M1A1 or M1A1(HA) wasn't an M2HB?

I didn't.

Officially the tank mounted gun is an M48.  It's also been standardized since the M48 tank, where it was mounted in a cupola.  The M48 designation for both the gun and the tank is coincidence.

In essence, it's an M2HB without sights or spade grips with a charging cable instead of a handle.

It's What You Wanted

The Lovely Harvey has an ex-employee whose husband just got arrested for thieving from an elderly relative whom he had taken fiduciary responsibility.

The ex-employee, is also a man.

They rushed out to get married as soon as it was legal.

Now the ex-employee is fretting about how his accounts might be frozen as his husband's were against the near half million dollars that were allegedly embezzled from the elderly person's accounts.

"How can they do that?!?" he wonders.

Well, it's Florida, Jake.  Doesn't matter whose name it's in, you're married it's joint.

And if your spouse is accused of stealing or embezzling, your accounts are his accounts too.

Welcome to the big leagues!

Oh, wait, you just wanted the benefits of being married without the liabilities, didn't you?

I think we tried to warn you.