Q&A 24: Pistols, Puppies, and Procurement

Funny about engineering experience. Early in my career as a chemical engineer I needed to calculate the optimal size of a drying tower. I came up with a value like 14.8 ft. My boss reviews my work and says “great... 13ft ... any wider and it won’t fit under overpasses and we’ll need to build on site and that will be too expensive “ They didn’t teach you that in school

Concerning lead levels; ironically, Norwegian armed forces we had a health and safety issues when we introduced the Hk 416 due to the environment friendly steel core ammo. It turned out that since the steel core did not compress to take the rifling, it would be cut rather than pressed into the jacket. As a result, the fumes would contain enough copper dust to cause nausea and fever in some cases, and rifle training was severely limited until the issue was fixed. We literally wore industrial dust masks on the range, and the number of shooters was limited.

Chris asked the effect of Enfields and Mosin Nagants on Soviet or US Army operations and whether or not we reconsidered going to a full powered cartridge. I was US Army Infantry in Afghanistan 2006-7. While it may not have been Enfields or Mosins, the Taliban did use long range weapons and tactics. Most likely Dragunov or PKM machine guns in 7.62x54, but it was to the extent where the Army did increase the use of Designated Marksman Rifles. In fact, when I was there, I was issued an M14 as a Designated Marksman equipped with a Leupold Mark 4 4.5x14 power scope. We used M118LR match ammunition that , quite ironically, said "not for field use" on the box. The M14's had been in our armory for funeral details and nostalgia. Truly, a Forgotten Weapon. Before Afghanistan, the MOS of Designated Marksman did not even really exist. We had Scout Snipers but they wouldn't be deployed down at the Infantry squad level as they are in different units. Long range engagements in Afghanistan did affect and change US Army operations. When I was there, I even got looks and questioned by 82nd Airborne soldiers while in the chow hall because I was carrying my M4 carbine and my M14 rifle. At the time, the M14 was very rare since the Clinton administration had either given them away or melted them down. Our National Guard units had kept them. These were not even the M21 heavy barrel sniper configuration. They were standard M14 battle rifles with wood and fiberglass stocks. It was kind of funny that these 82nd guys were kind of jealous of the National Guard. In any case, the desire by the Infantry for longer range has led to the M110 SASS rifle and the .338 Norma Magnum Lightweight Medium Machine Gun as well as research into 6.5 mm caliber rifles and carbines. Had to throw in my two cents worth because I had to lug the thing around with me everywhere. One of the reasons I was gifted an M14 was because I had owned a Federal Ordnance M14 and also an M1 Garand so I actually knew how to take care of it and mount a scope on it. With the the M118LR ammo, my M14 would hold about 2-3 MOA. Not bad for a rifle about the same age as I am. By the way, the M14 is definitely less reliable than the M4 carbine in dusty conditions. Especially when the Army just expected us to use CLP to oil the rifle. I very quickly sourced some grease from a Humvee mechanic for the roller bearing. I personally own an M1A but your In Range vids are spot on about its vulnerability to dust and mud. Keep up the good work here and on In Range as well.

Handguns in the military are like shirts in soccer, something nice for the opposition to take home to remember you by.

"When you're an officer, you're supposed to be a big boy..." This should be hammered into every newly commissioned junior officer straight out of academy.

I still want an "i survived bergmann week" T-shirt

Ian as you said you read all the comments so I just wanted to say a few kind words here. Thank you for all your work here and at InRangeTV too. You might find this surprising but your videos are not only a good source of learning history but for some of us it is a good for practicing English too. Cheers from Hungary! If you ever have the opportunity to try out Pálinka (short drink) do not hesitate. You might dislike it a lot...or just a little. :)

Bergmann debacle? Nooooo. I LOVED your series following a line of development. like the bergmann, french rifle, 1911 video. I kinda wish you would do such a series on the line of mannlicher straightpulls and the contemporary licensed mauser they were making at the same time.

Bergman debacle? DEBACLE?! I loved that series of videos. Seeing the many iterations back to back was super cool. Love this channel and InRange. Thank you Ian for all your hard work.

Its only the audio thats really that important in q&a vids anyways

I loved your dog's adoption story

Please never turn off comments, for many reasons, feel free to ignore the comments but never turn them offf <3 In fact i encourage you to ignore them, just keep doing god's work

Ian, it's just a retro forgotten weapons filter, that's all

"Yes...That's why I have a therapist." This is now my go-to answer for most questions!😀

"You should never, ever read the comments on Youtube videos. Because they're one lowest forms of discourse in human social existence." - Gun Jesus, 11:08 That's a commandment I can get behind.

On the bipod issue, my father served with the IDF in the mid 80’s, and saw a few tours of combat in Lebanon. When he first was conscripted, he was issued a Galil ARM, which obviously had the attached bipod. From what he told me, it was universally and passionately hated, soldiers even went as far as to “accidentally” snap or break them off the rifles. They were never even used in training, apart from using the wire cutter portion, which was rare at best. The soldiers saw the bipod as flimsy, heavy, and always getting in the way and catching on gear. Interestingly enough, some of them even used them as a psuedo vertical grip. Once my dad really got into combat operations, he was issued a bipod-less Galil SAR, which despite its weight, is his favorite rifle until today. As per the LMG/MMG debate, the IDF didn’t really have an LMG doctrine back in the 80s, my father says the FN MAG was pressed into that role (at the peril of the user). Hope this provides some perspective Ian, love the videos!

John Browning said of his relationship with Winchester that many of the patents they bought were "fence posts", building a fence around Winchester to protect it from competition. Every patent they bought from him was a patent their competitors no longer had access to.

At least you don't have Garand Thumb's comment section?

While I totally understand Ian stand on comments on the videos taking into consideration that he works the channel in a more educational way, I personally find the light hearted humor that makes up most of the comments in the videos to be an example of some of the least cancerous communities. Therefore I find the idea of shutting down the comments over a couple jokes on how a 20mm anti tank rifle is the best conceal carry weapon or self defense weapon you could buy totally overkill. If anything Ian should be proud his content has cultivated such a non cancerous, light hearted and interactive community naturally. That's quite a feat and talks to the quality of the content.

Its just "Soft focus" Like Cybil Shepard in Moonlighting.