RN> >         Mostly because it's cheaper than coming out with dedicated
  > > firing port weapons like we did for the Bradley. The fact that the
  > > weapons in question aren't terribly effective, whether it's the French
  > > or British bullpup configured rifles or our purpose built firing port
  > > weapons, didn't seem to enter into the question of adoption. The funny
  > > thing is that when the US Army was first experimenting with firing
  > > port weapons back in the early 70's using M3A1 Greaseguns, it was
  > > obvious then that firing port weapons were a bad idea, but everybody
  > > decided to try em anyway because the Russians were issuing BMP mounted
  > > troops AKMS rifles so that they could use the firing ports in that
  > > vehicle. Forget one's own experience, if the Russians have got to do
  > > this kind of thing, we have to do it too, no matter how boneheaded it
  > > is.
RN>The M3 is something best forgotten ;-)
        Now I wouldn't say that. Back when I carried one, I rather liked
it. It was extremely reliable, fairly accurate for an SMG, brutally
simple and easy to maintain, and best of all, it wasn't an M-16. Now
granted, it's not the delightful piece of engineering that your old L2A3
or L34A1 is, but it's far from the piece of junk that some folks make it
out to be. If I had to carry a submachinegun again, (and somebody else
would have to be paying for the ammo because I can't afford it) I'd be
quite happy with an M3A1 and it's very effective .45 cartridge, and of
course, I'd much rather still carry an M1911A1, (Which I still do at
work) than the Beretta M-9 or the SIG M-11.
RN> >         True, but it's not like they were issued a real rifle and in
  > > the meantime you've still got to eat. Most important things that I
  > > carried in my pack was Tabasco Sauce, Curry Powder and Salt & Pepper.
RN>Yep,I picked up the tabasco and curry powder habit :-)
        Ever notice that women hate the fact? It's like they're insulted
by the fact that most food is rather tasteless without a small libation
of Tabasco added.
RN> RN>> BTW,I know that its off topic to mention the politics of gun
  > >> control here,but can you point me to an echo that allows this ?
  > >
  > >         Try FIDO-RTKBA, Politics, and the Paul Revere Network feeds
  > > PRN and Militia are gated into FIDO. They're all on the Zone 1
  > > Backbone so you should be able to get em too, because I've seen
  > > traffic from Zone 3 on those off and on. If you can get the Military
  > > History conference, MILHISTORY, we discuss it a lot there too.
RN>Thanks I'll look for them.
        I'll be looking forward to seeing you there.
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 X SLMR 2.1a X M-60A1 (RISE) One of the eat a T-80 for Lunch, Bunch!
--- Maximus 3.01
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