Interesting article by Army SOF on MK18 use

[Combat_Diver]

Interesting perspective the author has but then again I normally never ran a can on mine. If given the option I would prefer a 20" LB Mk17 or M14/FAL over my M4A1. I will get the experience to see what they are running downrange next month as I go back as a armorer for them.

CD

[TehLlama]

Looking at the pics, it definitely doesn't look like they were taken in the USA. The painted seams on the brickwork, the poor quality of the cement, etc...

I've gotten to play in the sandbox, that looks like the area north of Kandahar more than anywhere else on the planet I've seen in a couple of those pictures. Hence the 'If I didn't know any better'.


I did very seriously look at trying to take my Mk12 upper out to Afghanistan, even if it meant leaving it out there, but decided it wouldn't be worth the hassle or asspain to deal with it; despite the fact that we look like a Pelican Case yardsale of customs exempt stuff anyway.
I wound up being a fobbit damn near half the time anyway learning to run new gear in country, and the Bn we were attached to were able to push at least one legit Mk12 out to each augmented squad anyway, so that would have been a waste.

[docsherm]

How does that work?

Complete uppers are just parts. I would put them in my Tuff boxes in cases and pack them with the rest of my gear. I never really even asked. It started off with stocks and grips and then optics. I just started to save time and used my own uppers. My command never said anything about it because I was the one that always did most of the training and fixed all of the weapons systems. I never had any problems with customs because they are just parts. They know the law.


M4Guru hit the nail on the head....if I were a PFC in 4th ID I would be doing push ups until the world ended if I put my own sling on instead of the issued one. People are treated different when they are in different organizations.

[Magic_Salad0892]

Complete uppers are just parts. I would put them in my Tuff boxes in cases and pack them with the rest of my gear. I never really even asked. It started off with stocks and grips and then optics. I just started to save time and used my own uppers. My command never said anything about it because I was the one that always did most of the training and fixed all of the weapons systems. I never had any problems with customs because they are just parts. They know the law.


M4Guru hit the nail on the head....if I were a PFC in 4th ID I would be doing push ups until the world ended if I put my own sling on instead of the issued one. People are treated different when they are in different organizations.

Makes sense.

I am curious though, why risk breaking your own shit that you paid for, rather than just sticking your own optics, stock, and grip on an issued gun?

[Voodoochild]

Interesting perspective the author has but then again I normally never ran a can on mine. If given the option I would prefer a 20" LB Mk17 or M14/FAL over my M4A1. I will get the experience to see what they are running downrange next month as I go back as a armorer for them.

CD

Safe travels.

[Iraqgunz]

This pretty much sums it up in a nutshell. The guys I knew who had their own uppers, etc... all knew what the stakes were and they accepted it.

I make no qualms about the fact that guys did it...I know a lot of them. I was there. I also took the training to perform the unit's Customs checks before redeployment. I don't care if a dude takes his own guns, but I don't feel bad when the wrong guy from the command sees it and he gets hammered. Big boy rules doesn't mean "do what you want", it means "deal with the consequences."

My point is that do it, don't do it, whatever, there is no authorized way to add a personally owned gun to a unit's property books for the purpose of carrying it overseas in combat.

There is no "dim view" because there's no room for interpretation. It's wrong, it's prohibited. If someone does it and gets caught, you can't say you didn't know. Plenty of dudes that run this site know me personally off the web, and will tell you I'm not so much a stickler for regulation if it helps get a job done. Just be willing to accept the consequences of those actions when you make that call.

[sevenhelmet]

I know of some that used to carry only 3 extra M4 mags because if they ever got into it heavy, they'd just call CAS. Maybe something along those lines?

Going back a few pages, but my jaw hit the floor when I saw this one. The limitations of CAS and time-to-kill nonwithstanding, how many guys can say they have had 100% dedicated air coverage every time they go outside the wire?

Back on topic, this thread is an interesting read. It has me reevaluating my choice of hand guard for the 18" middie I am currently putting together.

[OMEGA9000]

I find it fascinating to hear SME's experience with different set ups and accessories. It gives us insight on what really works and what works only for recreational shooting. This thread has me reevaluating my opinion on optics. Thank you Dano, I will not be looking to buy another Elcan because of your experience, going to put that money into a NF. Perhaps we should have a thread where SME's give their experiences with various pieces of kit and what work, what didn't and why it did or did not.

[3ACR_Scout]

Not this one again...

UNITS. DO. NOT. PUT. PERSONAL. ITEMS. ON. UNIT. PROPERTY. BOOKS.

What is the mechanism to do this? What form adds your personal upper to the unit's property book? What codes does PBUSE use, and what line item name is assigned for a weapon that is not in the military system?

If you really wanted to do it, it would be as straightforward as adding any other piece of COTS equipment to the property book, just like we used to do with Eotechs, flashlights, computers, printers, projectors, and other equipment early on in the war before they were assigned NSNs. As another example, my headquarters company had a captured Iraqi pistol that was placed on the property book with its serial number included. The property book officer simply generates a non-standard NSN (one of those that you see on the books that had letters mixed in with the numbers) and assigns it a generic "place holder" LIN like "A001." The line item name is whatever the PBO manually enters in. You see plenty of those on headquarters property books, as well as a few items on line company books. My Cav Troop had 10 Eotechs on the books that someone's dad sent the unit when they deployed to OIF I. They were all broken and unserviceable by the time I took command, but they sat on a separate, made-up LIN that the PBO had assigned to them.

Having said that, of course the commander and PBO would have to both agree to do it with a personal item, and then go through the hassle of removing it later. I wouldn't have allowed that as a commander or as a BN XO. I seem to recall someone having to do it one time to dispose of a personal weapon, though. It had been abandoned by a soldier (I don't remember the circumstances) and someone insisted on it being on the books before the installation would destroy it. That memory is pretty hazy through...

Dave

[Wake27]

Going back a few pages, but my jaw hit the floor when I saw this one. The limitations of CAS and time-to-kill nonwithstanding, how many guys can say they have had 100% dedicated air coverage every time they go outside the wire?

Yeah I'm still kind of surprised by it. They'd definitely be the ones to have CAS on stand-by though.