Tag Archives: Army

What your average Tommy DMR looks like

Photos via British MoD

Photos via British MoD

Here we see the British Army’s L129A1 service rifle, sniper, better known on this side of the pond as an LMT LM308MWS. The Brits bought 3,000 of these bad boys in 2014 and are known for a sub-MOA group at 800m with match 7.62x51mm NATO ammo, which is not bad out of a 16-inch barrel. The basic optic is the Trijicon 6×48 ACOG. Also shown are the standard SA80/L-85 Enfield bayonet (note the wirecutter sheath in the top left), and the MilSight S135 Magnum Universal Night Sight (MUNS).

Not pictured is the L17A2 Schmidt & Bender 3-12 × 50 Sniper Scope for long distance work and the SureFire SOCOM762-RC husha can for when you want to spend some quiet moments in the hills looking for ISIS-types. Weight all up (with the ACOG) is 11-pounds, if carrying other sights or the can, this jumps, as does adding a bipod or scrim. She takes regular AR-10 style mags, which you will notice that the Brits use PMAGs (doesn’t everyone).

What she looks like with her shit together

With the U.S. Army looking for a new commercial-off-the-shelf Interim Combat Service Rifle (ICSR) in 7.62x51mm, you better believe guns like the LMT 308MWS are being looked at.

We have the DOD FY18 budget briefs

In brief (pardon the pun) no 600 ship Navy or million-man Army any under these budgets, which, of course, still have to run the gauntlet. On the bright side, the A-10 gets to stay.

Army Budget Director Maj. Gen. Thomas Horlander briefs Pentagon reporters on the president’s fiscal year 2018 defense budget proposal, May 23, 2017.

Air Force Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget Maj. Gen. James Martin Jr. briefs Pentagon reporters on the president’s fiscal year 2018 defense budget proposal, May 23, 2017.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Budget Rear Adm. Brian Luther briefs Pentagon reporters on the president’s fiscal year 2018 proposal May 23, 2017.

Inside the Sullivan Cup

The Army has a two-part video series about the Sullivan Cup, “This ain’t your mama’s table VI qualification.”

Big Green takes the top 16 M1 tank crews and pits them against each other in a week-long competition at Fort Benning.

The production team from the Defense Media Activity goes down to Fort Stewart, Georgia, to see two 3rd Infantry Division tank crews, “Cannonarchy” and “Count Trackula”– both from Charlie Co. 1-64 Armor— compete for a chance to go to the Army’s premiere tank crew competition.

And it’s really well done and insightful. The term “degraded engagement” takes on new meaning.

Part I

Part II

Advance to the barricade!

Fort Benning’s Army Marksmanship Unit has put out a short training film on approaching and shooting from barricade.

The AMU has been producing “Shooter’s Corner” clips for the past several months and most have focused on manipulation and nomenclature of the M4 and M9.

In the latest installment, SSG Luis Saucedo and SFC Christopher Toepfer demonstrate the Army’s technique for barricade work from both the standing and kneeling positions including working those pesky reloads.

More on barricade work and alternative shooting positions with SSG Andrew McElroy, below.

Why no polymers for Big Green?

number mags

With news the Marines have adopted a variant of the Magpul PMAG as standard, four U.S Senators with military service on their resume asked the Army where they stand on polymer mags.

The lawmakers penned a letter to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley last week, calling the branch’s top officer out when it comes to the fact that polymer mags are not currently authorized.

“We request a response as to why the Army has not approved any polymer magazines for use in combat, or in training, and an update on if the Army is considering approving them now,” noted the lawmakers, pointing out that the Marine Corps recently approved use of a polymer magazine for their rifles after a five-year moratorium on such devices by both services.

More in my column at Guns.com

An aspect not much seen

Inside a Paladin gun tube

U.S. Army Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion 29th Field Artillery Regiment at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., inspect the 155mm gun tube for calibration on the Paladin Vehicle to prepare for Decisive Action Rotation 14-10, Sept. 11, 2014. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Charles Probst)

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