tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post1513992113136678129..comments2023-11-10T04:17:00.492-05:00Comments on View From The Porch: I wonder...Tamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-52549477489907768752014-04-10T01:14:09.799-04:002014-04-10T01:14:09.799-04:00Army Inspector, while searching high and low for c...Army Inspector, while searching high and low for contraband, "I know you guys are smuggling something back from Iraq! I've caught everyone! You can't hide a thing in this vehicle!"<br /><br />20 minutes later...."Hmph, I guess you guys are clean. Go on through."<br /><br />Soldier driving the Iraq T-72.."Thanks."<br /><br />Saw that in a cartoon while deployed to Kuwait.Cargosquidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15109858929179841075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-80496191302674979222014-04-09T13:05:21.621-04:002014-04-09T13:05:21.621-04:00When I was in Finland for a wedding we took a day ...When I was in Finland for a wedding we took a day to ride the Ferry over to Estonia and tour Tallinn. Lovely City.<br /><br />I stuck my head in several antique shops to see what trinkets I might find. In addition to old Russian Tea Sets and various kitschy decorations most shops had at least one case full of WWII and Soviet Union memorabilia.<br /><br />Same SS Daggers, German helmets, insignia, etc. you find at gun shows here, along with Red Army lighters, insignia, cigarette cases, and even the odd Checka or KGB item. These cases were invariably surrounded by old men speaking Russian (as opposed to Estonian you heard everywhere else) in hushed tones while perusing the cases.<br /><br />At least one store had firearms--some German captures, and some Soviet stuff such as at least one PPSh and several automatic rifles on a rack behind the counter with a cable lock running through all of the trigger guards.<br /><br />There was great difficulty suppressing the squees.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-85855147434381140302014-04-09T09:44:04.186-04:002014-04-09T09:44:04.186-04:00http://wakeforestlawreview.com/imagining-gun-contr...http://wakeforestlawreview.com/imagining-gun-control-in-america-understanding-the-remainder-problem<br /><br />Apparently the official number of guns (ie., registered) in Europe is a small fraction of the estimated number in private hands. Many, if not most, of those, would be military weapons from WWI and WWII.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-10050915092038882152014-04-09T09:27:15.031-04:002014-04-09T09:27:15.031-04:00Post WWII, when the French commies were being acti...Post WWII, when the French commies were being active trying to flip France red, my French grandfather had a nice chat with a catholic ( anti-commie) parish priest whose 13th century church basement had all you you needed to equip a battalion of (german) infantry with all the trimmings for 30 days of festivities, thanks to a Wehrmacht dump that the allies had over-looked in the big rush and enterprising local farmers thought too potentially useful to just let rust. ( also, it was clogging up someones property)<br /><br />Ammo by the truck, mortars, LMG's, SMGs, rifles, radios, mines, a veritable alibaba's cave of destruction. <br /><br />I'm sure that ALL got turned over to the appropriate authorities later on. Cough. The French being so law-abiding and all.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-10387429255413642542014-04-09T08:26:22.037-04:002014-04-09T08:26:22.037-04:00After we finished invading Grenada, the Marines on...After we finished invading Grenada, the Marines onboard got to keep any bolt action rifles they'd picked up off the Cubans. However, at least one Captain got busted for trying to bring an AK back. They also found a box of russian grenades hidden in the weapons elevator machinery room. We had a quad 12.7 MM sitting in the hanger bay as well, but I don't know where that ended up.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02996122023499439670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-42961324742885755722014-04-09T04:22:17.267-04:002014-04-09T04:22:17.267-04:00The joke goes as follows:
-Granda, why are waterin...The joke goes as follows:<br />-Granda, why are watering the flower bed with oil? It'll kill the flowers!<br />-Screw the flowers, as long as the Schmeisser doesn't rust.<br /><br />Various memoirs suggest that some guns, mostly handguns were brought home as souvenirs and kept in great secrecy. When the original owners died their heirs deemed it more prudent to dispose of them.leo715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-697798008526481222014-04-09T02:20:30.442-04:002014-04-09T02:20:30.442-04:00Geodykt, when I heard it it was Ukrainians :-) Geodykt, when I heard it it was Ukrainians :-) deadcenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02735723699759249026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-49979606304014429352014-04-09T02:20:20.439-04:002014-04-09T02:20:20.439-04:00Geodykt, when I heard it it was Ukrainians :-) Geodykt, when I heard it it was Ukrainians :-) deadcenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02735723699759249026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-15912000972884892162014-04-08T23:05:51.590-04:002014-04-08T23:05:51.590-04:00A friend who was a loadmaster on C-141's said ...A friend who was a loadmaster on C-141's said that there were inspections of soldier's bags at the field before loading troops for home, circa 1991. Lots of stuff turned up, including bomblets! <br /><br />He said that there was a report posted about a soldier who mailed one home, with a note to not touch it. When he got home, it exploded when he unpacked it, killing his family. He didn't think that it made the news, though.<br /><br />Aircrew got a bit fanatical about looking for stupid stuff after that.<br /><br />Was told there were inspections of aircraft at both ends of those flights, for contraband. Tight enough that he never ended up with anything that could shoot, AFAIK.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722792638246578812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-90857570404524805772014-04-08T21:54:07.357-04:002014-04-08T21:54:07.357-04:00I have one of the VOPO Lugers. I wish it could ta...I have one of the VOPO Lugers. I wish it could talk, having been built at DWM in 1918, carried and lost at Stalingrad, refurbed by the Soviets, and later issued to the East Germans until the Iron Curtain came down. It has a couple really neat shrapnel dings (collateral to the former 6th Army owner's demise?) that don't harm the gun's form and function, so I'm leaving them alone. Gewehr98https://www.blogger.com/profile/14440119702457734221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-50215608775272794992014-04-08T19:20:09.384-04:002014-04-08T19:20:09.384-04:00I will note that during the Besylan massacre, the ...I will note that during the Besylan massacre, the local police had exhausted their ammunition. The poor oppressed people, with their children being held hostage, showed up, and dropped off 30 round AK magazines of ammunition, by the hundreds.<br /><br />Of course they might have had magazines and ammunition, but no rifles... but unlikely.<br /><br />As a rule of thumb, every Soviet factory had a back door. They had entire factories designed to produce soap in large quantities, that worked all year, and produced minimal quantities of soap. There were smugglers all over the old Soviet Union, running anything that could be produced, and working a sophisticated barter system.<br /><br />I bet rifles too. I would suggest that most of the black market rifles had no serial numbers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-12301135064779792892014-04-08T18:58:35.522-04:002014-04-08T18:58:35.522-04:00Angus:
"What should we do about it?" Sa...Angus:<br /><br />"What should we do about it?" Says the news media 40 years after it has occurred, as if it is some national emergency.<br /><br />"Someone could get HURT!"<br /><br />40 years later, after no one has been hurt, they fret...<br /><br />It makes me laugh a belly laugh at these hand-wringing simpletons. As if intelligent, sentient human beings are incapable of owning weapons without hurting themselves or others with them. <br /><br />I'd be really surprised if 90% of these "surplus" arms even had ammunition available for them at their place of storage. The gun, yes, but bullets that actually work for that gun? Probably less common. <br /><br />My grandfather had a jap rifle for years and never once even owned ammunition for it, much less fired it. Gooberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07358115439453465833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-30092835993540355432014-04-08T18:26:57.869-04:002014-04-08T18:26:57.869-04:00As those above stated, the NKVD probably scooped m...As those above stated, the NKVD probably scooped most of it up. <br /><br />I am sure some of it was recycled back to the West and Third World with the various insurgencies and liberation movements before the arrival of the semtex and AK-47's. A few untraceable weapons placed in the hands of agents and provocateurs can really pay off developing turmoil. A nascent insurgency armed with a motley collection of guns does not look like something organized by a meddling super-power. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-75848727033539266842014-04-08T18:24:05.083-04:002014-04-08T18:24:05.083-04:00Ivan's smart enought to succesfully smuggle a ...Ivan's smart enought to succesfully smuggle a weapon home, were probably smart enough not to tell anybody.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18176167494666126324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-2596076532424994662014-04-08T18:03:22.697-04:002014-04-08T18:03:22.697-04:00I know at least some of the guns of Western Europe...I know at least some of the guns of Western Europe made it into the Ukraine and Baltic Republics.<br /><br /><i>Why do estonians pour oil in their flower beds?<br /><br />To keep the guns from rusting.</i>Geodkythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328915597574377444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-31478935396359974822014-04-08T17:31:33.249-04:002014-04-08T17:31:33.249-04:00The French mentioned in the way back of the late &...The French mentioned in the way back of the late '80's that there's definitely a lot of ordnance out there IN FRANCE from the war that nobody bothered to announce they'd liberated from zee Germans. The news at the time was them fretting about what, if anything, they should do.<br /><br />I expect that's true of all the combatants.<br /><br />It wasn't all that long ago that an FG.42 was found where the last person it was issued to simply walked away from it. Sat in the hay loft for decades unnoticed without anyone trying to hide it.Angus McThaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09295013525738248801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-16182718599106134972014-04-08T17:11:36.946-04:002014-04-08T17:11:36.946-04:00The 45th Infantry Division museum used to get stuf...The 45th Infantry Division museum used to get stuff given to them either by GIs or family who found it after Dad/Granddad/Uncle died and they didn't know what else to do with it.<br /><br />One of the people there said there have been times they'd find a box at the front gate in the morning, never did know what would be in there. One day it was a Sten, some mags and a hand grenade; those were usually from people who found it in the attic and were afraid to take it to the cops or ATF, so they left it at the museum.Firehandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04562365951182027709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-73640513558379204562014-04-08T16:33:36.986-04:002014-04-08T16:33:36.986-04:00Uhmmmm, it'a all in my sock drawer (hardly any...Uhmmmm, it'a all in my sock drawer (hardly any room for my socks).JPDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03117684285970280362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-60134329423920205242014-04-08T16:30:38.174-04:002014-04-08T16:30:38.174-04:00(I once had an old guy I knew by sight if not by n...(I once had an old guy I knew by sight if not by name come up to me at a gun show, back when I was on my Japanese kick and acquired the Type I and Type 38 right on top of each other. He asked if I wanted to buy a Nambu. I said "<i>I dunno, outside of Buffalo Arms, 8mm Nambu is hard to find, and that ain't cheap...</i>"<br /><br />And he goes "No, <i>Nambu</i>!" and mimes firing an LMG, one hand on the pistol grip and the other over the buttstock of his air gun.<br /><br />"<i>Oh, dude, that'd be cool, but I don't know if I can afford it, plus the paperwork...</i>"<br /><br />"What paperwork?" he says.<br /><br />"LALALALALALALALA!" says I with my fingers in my ears.<br /><br />ATTN NSA: I'm fairly certain the old guy's dead now, and I only ever knew his first name, which I can't even remember because this was, like, twelve or thirteen years ago.)Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-18819290856379578622014-04-08T16:23:06.449-04:002014-04-08T16:23:06.449-04:00Angus,
Yeah, I was talking about handguns because...Angus,<br /><br />Yeah, I was talking about handguns because those seemed more likely for Ivan to get home in a boot top.<br /><br />I have heard bring-back tales, credible ones, mind you, that would curl your hair over the years.<br /><br />MP-40s? Chicken feed! :DTamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-81729422332431280442014-04-08T16:19:28.606-04:002014-04-08T16:19:28.606-04:00PPK hell, there's MP.40's turning up here ...PPK hell, there's MP.40's turning up here and there that never had war trophy paperwork or tax stamps.Angus McThaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09295013525738248801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-78698649980812851312014-04-08T16:05:44.860-04:002014-04-08T16:05:44.860-04:00In Soviet Russia, PPKs kept Ivans.
Come on...some...In Soviet Russia, PPKs kept Ivans.<br /><br />Come on...someone had to do it. <br /><br />-RobRevolverRobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-58875252560701369522014-04-08T16:03:42.241-04:002014-04-08T16:03:42.241-04:00"Isn't this one of the reasons for 9x18?&..."<i>Isn't this one of the reasons for 9x18?</i>"<br /><br />Always been a pet theory of mine. Various permutations of .380, 9mm and 9mm Makarov pistols/ammo are useless/dangerous unless the ammo matches the pistol. <br /><br />Annnd since Ivan can't just trot down to WallyWorld and pick up a couple hundred rounds of Winchester White Box...<br /><br />And original unit of issue for Makarov ammo was a 16-round box. rickn8orhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911803300343351338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-25775401312497206312014-04-08T14:57:19.150-04:002014-04-08T14:57:19.150-04:00You bring up a sad memory.
April 1991 my battal...You bring up a sad memory. <br /><br />April 1991 my battalion is back in Saudi Arabia and getting ready to go home. An officer reads us the riot-act about how much jail time anyone caught trying to bring home a captured weapon will get. <br /><br />A giant pile of AK's, Dragunovs, Makarovs, and all kinds of other assorted captured weapons materialized over the next day. We all stood sadly watching our booty tossed into a Saudi truck and driven away. <br /><br />BastardsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-46708764113631876952014-04-08T14:44:53.978-04:002014-04-08T14:44:53.978-04:00I think what it means is that they are all far bet...I think what it means is that they are all far better armed than their masters think they are. And it makes me happy. oghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07551049745184408924noreply@blogger.com