Now very OT:Re: RT - the rude, the bad, and the ugly

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Mon Jan 11 18:17:42 1999

-----Original Message-----
From: Miles O'Neal <meo_at_netads.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, 10 January 1999 5:46
Subject: Re: RT - the rude, the bad, and the ugly


>Ward Donald Griffiths III said...
>|
>|> >The high bidder would get to step out back onto the rifle range
>|> >(why have 5 acres in Texas without a rifle range?), and put a
>|> >7.62mm bullet into the RT's evil, beating heart.
>|
>|Crappy NATO 7.62 renaming of .30 cal. Jerks. Gimme a Winchester
>|.308.


>Crappy Soviet 7.62x39 military ammo.

That too. :^) But a 7.62 NATO is a little shorter than the 7.62 Russian.
I was taught that an AK47 would chamber and fire a 7.62 NATO round, (a
bit loose, but it's fireable) but the 7.62 Russian won't fit in an SLR,
FN or M60. I doubt this is an accident.

>But find me a new gun in .308 for $99, and I'll buy it.


Got to Indonesia. We sold them the contents of the factory that made
our 7.62mm NATO/.308 SLR's
(Self Loading Rifles - Basically an FN rifle with a few refinements) You
could probably buy one dirt cheap.
I wouldn't vouch for how legal it would be. It's not a full auto
weapon, (the L1A1's we had, anyway) so it should be importable to your
country at least. There was an auto version (L2A1, IIRC) but it wasn't a
big hit.
Our Armed Forces downgraded (IMNSHO) to a locally made/modded version of
the 5.56mm F88 Steyr (Bullpup style)
They have already discovered that:-
1: If you go to ground the wrong way, you will smash it to bits (it has
a lot of plastic). Magazines and the butt are particulary vulnerable.
Magazines are transparent plastic.
2: It's not as accurate as they hoped because the scope gets beat up by
belting it around in the bush.
3: It's not as accurate as they hoped because the barrel/breech fit gets
stuffed up becaus of the brass hats insisting that the grunts have to
take the barrel off (a twist fit) when carrying out safety on the
weapon. You are supposed to pull off the barrel and squint into the
breech to make sure it's empty. This is not good for the weapon, as it
wears the lugs that latch the barrel to the receiver, eventually the
weapons accuracy (which is very good out of the box) reduces to a point
where it's only somewhat better than an AK47.
4: It's less reliable, lot's more little moving parts.
5: The round does less damage at long range than the heavier 7.62,
particularly, it doesn't penetrate anywhere near as well.
6: The troops hate it.
7: WOD's/RSM's hate it. The rifle drill movements looks like S...
"Reverse Arms" is a joke with this weapon.
8: It's capable of full auto and it weighs less than the SLR. About the
only positive statement I've heard about it, so far.
9: It doesn't have a bayonet fitting.

>But, like an IBM 3101 terminal, you can toss an SKS or AK off a roof,
>run over it with a truck, drag it through the mud, and it will *still*
>let you log on and do its job. Um, I mean, shoot as well as it ever
did.

This is not exactly inspiring. An AK is probably the most inaccurate
assault rifle ever built.
(As I'm sure you know already);^)

>[Which isn't that great, but fine for what it was intended for.

Useful at short range, but then so is a 9mm SMG.

>Just like an IBM 3101. Truly the Mack Truck of ASCII terminals.]


No experience with IBM 3101's, so I'll take your word for it. B^)
It would have to be truly awful to beat an ADM3 though. I have one of
those.
I used it as a console for a Vax for a while. (Shudder)

Cheers

Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Marks College
Port Pirie South Australia.
My ICQ# is 1970476
Ph. 61-411-623-978 (Mobile)
      61-8-8633-0619 (Home)
      61-8-8633-8834 (Work-Direct)
      61-8-8633-0104 (Fax)
Received on Mon Jan 11 1999 - 18:17:42 GMT