SEALs: Tools of the trade...

[A10]

Thanks Squid, I often wondered about the leg holsters. They never seemed to me to be more practical or accessable, and I always thought they would be more likely to hang up on stuff. Interesting about the knifes you use, I always wondered how much of what we civilians hear is fluff and nonsense.

The Safariland bit is hilarious!

 

[squidsix]

Do yourself a favor: When you want to truly be entertained, go ovwer to ARFCOM and read the posts there about "our" high-speed tactical gear. Every single post is just plain wrong. And it seems 15-year olds can't sort out their grammar long enough to fake frogman.

 

[squidsix]

[/QUOTE] Also, I would like to know why your disdain for the MP5. I was always lead to believe it was the Rolls Royce of subguns. Thank you.

Regards,

Dave[/QUOTE]

Dave,
The Rolls Royce of subguns is now, has always been, and will always be the Swedish K. All others are distant runners up.
When in theater, I really, really like getting my mitts on local stuff, to use and throw away. I had a Beretta 85 in 380 for a few months. Shot it once, handed it to another guy, etc.
Also had a VZ61 once, and tried to illegally import it, but no joy.
If I had my druthers, and of course I do not, I would get us pistol caliber uppers for the M4, with intergrally supressed 9mm 11 inch barrels. They have proven very reliable, and they use Sten mags, which are everywhere, and of course 9mm ball isn't hard to get. This would allow just the upper in a backpack or an ammo can, and then when we need quiet and easy, the switch is two pins and a mag adapter. Stock is the same, trigger is the same, grip is the same. This is more important than most folks think.

 

[The Tourist]

Mr. Squidsix, I often do work for soldiers and Marines about to be deployed. I fix they're edged tools.

Having never served, what's more important and useful, a polished edge and spritz of Rustoleum, or a toothy one? Which one lasts the longest in reality?

I did send a Spyderco Native III in VG-10 along with a female soldier a few years back. She reported that it stayed sharp. It sounded like all it did was open MREs. If it had to routinely slice cable ties, my fear was that it would have been completely useless in a few weeks.

Do you have an opinion?

 

[squidsix]

There has never been a place in the world I would not get at a half-way rolled down car window. The best sharpening device I have ever found.
A "plain" edge is far easier to maintain.
One caveat: If I am operating in cold weather in a waterborne environment, like in an RCB up the Tigris river in the wintertime, I ALWAYS have a Spyderco "rescue" model, which is blunt tipped, but the entire edge is serrated. It's the only way to cut wet nylon line fast in cold water.

I applaud you for taking care of deployers. It's a rare thing indeed. PM me your info, and I'll send you a couple of knives.

 

[guy22]

You ever notice how everybody is, was, or wants to be a seal.
How many SEAL books are out there???
SEAL's seem to love talking about their gear, and how bad they are!!!

You don't hear much out of Marine Recon, or Delta. Are SEALs that much better???

Guy22

 

[squidsix]

No. In fact, we have often said "we can't do that one. It's a Ranger mission"

 

[WargameHub]

This is one of the most interesting threads I have read in a long time on any board.

While I have been in Spec Ops it wasnt in any of the more interesting ones and spent time at the JFK Special Warfare school. I've also spent a lot of my life studying military history and special operations in particular. The background and purpose of each group (SF, SEALs, Rangers, etc) can be very interesting. Especially the changes over the last decade.

Sent from my SPH-P100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

I know I wouldn't want this bunch comin' after me!

f.t.

They don't look so tough... I bet I can squash them like little bugs


only because the 1:12 scale action figures... don't send the real SEALS after me

 

[GatorFarmer]

Is the new armor an improvement over the Eagle Maritime CIRAS? One of the DIs here had previously been with MARSOC. He showed me his armor. They had Kimber 1911 s in his unit so it was set up with 45 mag pouches on it. (The Marine museum even has a special display for the 1911 so beloved is it.) Anyway he was odd man out since most guys had Eagle Scalable Plate Carriers. But his broke a buckle so they issued him the CIRAS. He made the comment that it was what the SEALs had - was he correct?

It had the SOCOM spec inserts for soft armor dated 2005 and standard ESAPIs.

His unit armorer gave him GI green follower mags after he said he had problems with P Mags. He had never seen one the HK expensive mags alleged to be issue for SOCOM. He had all Wilson mags for his 1911. I remembered that though stainless some had rust stains.

He had been issued a Benchmade Nimravus and an Armed Forces Automatic. Neither looked to have been used. But he had sone big folder made in Italy stamped Xm 1 or some such that he gave me. It was thick and apparently he had pried apart all sorts of things with it. Everyone also had Gerber EOD tools. Was that a SOCOM thing or a Marine thing?

 

[squidsix]

We're still using London Bridge scalable plate carriers with soft inserts like before, but now the advantage is the hard plates themselves are much lighter.
I have used the wilson 1911 mags and liked them, but they cost a fortune and aren't any better than the metalform ones. We don't have 1911s in the armory of any flavor, so the only ones I have are at home. I used to be a die hard 1911 guy, but now it's just another pistol. Give me a 4506 over it any day. (An old Chief has to dream about SOMETHING)
I don't know a guy who doesn't have either the issued gerber multi-tool or a leatherman of some kind. (greatly prefer the leatherman)
I have never seen an "issue" knife of any kind that wasn't a bayonet. (yes, Mr. President, we have a whole bunch of those)

 

[Badkarma 1]

Yo squidsix, why no mention of the SIG P239, or HK45c? Or that 4 inch 66s were in the inventory years back? Dale

 

[squidsix]

No sig P239 in any US Military arsenal. Also no HK45C. Don't know about the 66 four inch. They are before my time in the service. The only reason I know anything about the 66 is because of the one on the plaque at the Dam Neck compound.
I have personally NEVER seen a Sig 239 or HK45C in the hands of ANY uniformed service members. I know one NCIS guy who has a 239 DAK he carries from time to time.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Thanks again, Squidsix. When I served (Post Viet Nam), I had a buddy that was a gunship pilot who did photo recon and BDA work for the CIA. He was always on the look out for either a Swedish K or a S&W 76 as he said the CIA guys always toted the Swedish K, and thought it was "the big medicine".

Regards,

Dave


Also, I would like to know why your disdain for the MP5. I was always lead to believe it was the Rolls Royce of subguns. Thank you.

Regards,

Dave[/QUOTE]

Dave,
The Rolls Royce of subguns is now, has always been, and will always be the Swedish K. All others are distant runners up. [/QUOTE]

 

[PALADIN85020]

A cousin of my wife's owned a S&W 76, which as you probably know, is pretty much a clone of the Swedish K. I had the opportunity to fire it on his property in southern Ohio, and found it to be very controllable, if a bit bulky compared to an Uzi. Although I didn't get off a lot of rounds, it never bobbled. I've also fired an MP38, and it was a delight - just like squirting with a garden hose and almost no recoil at all. I have a semiauto Sterling, and it's been very reliable; I suspect the full-auto versions are about the same.

John

 

[squidsix]

Yeah, I fired a bunch of different weapons of the world in Iraq in 2008. We had PILES of them from all over the country.
The ones I really liked were the FNAB-43 from Italy and the PPSh. Both are FAST cyclic rate and very accurate. I have about 10,000 rounds through the Swedish K over many years, and still like it above all others. There were none to be had in Iraq back then.

 

[kwill1911]

Since this is a S&W Forum, I hope you don't mind an old school SEAL revolver, heretofore undocumented.


Regards,
Kevin Williams

 

[squidsix]

Now THAT is interesting. Thanks for showing us. Made my whole weekend!

 

[Cyrano]

PPSh 41, Plus and Minus

The minus first: Mine, a Tula 1944 production, broke the ejector. This part is riveted to the receiver; difficult to replace in combat. Just have to throw it away and get another. Also, the magazine catch spring on mine is so worn it won't retain a fully loaded drum magazine when firing. The thing falls off. I think nowadays everyoen uses the stick magazine, but retention might be a problem if handled roughly.

The plus: The barrel is easily removable and 9mm Luger barrels are available. Apparently they work fine; the Germans rebarreled a bunch of captured PPSh 41s. I don't think they modified the magazine. And 9mm may be a lot easier to find than 7.63X25.

 

[beemerrider]

Very interesting and enlightening thread. I owned a select-fire MP5 for several years and it was my favorite full-auto to fondle and shoot. I had suppressors on this and my Uzi, so I could shoot them down in our woods without having the neighbors freak out.
I have 1 Sig 220, a 225, 2 SIG 226's, a 228, 229, 230 and 239, for a total of eight, so I guess this means I like Sigs pretty well. All of these have proven to be accurate, dependable and durable.
There is only one company that lays claim to more real estate in my safes, and yes, you guessed it; Smith & Wesson at 21 revolvers and one semi-auto.