Soldiers

[gunwhatgun]

Are soldiers allowed to equip their rifles any way they want? I sitting looking at some pics and noticed that you really never see two rifles the same. It does seem that ACOGS seem to out number eotech and aimpoint. Other than that there seems to be nothing that is standard issue.

[c.a.willard]

Some units are sticklers about it, but a lot of them will allow you to put your personal optic on your rifle for deployment.  The ACOG and the Aimpoint are both standard issue items.  Some units have eotechs issued to them but not as many as the ACOG and aimpoints

[scoutfsu]

Depends on unit issue and indivdual knowledge/competence.

[TMF]

Nowadays you'll normally see standard issue being M68s, EOTechs and ACOGs.  There's some other stuff with SOF units, but that covers the vast majority.  Each unit is going to be different in what their SOPs are regarding optics.  Some may mandate optics, such as designated marksman having ACOGs and everyone else having an M68 on their rifle.  Others may let them put on their choice.

 

A long time ago, before many units even had M68s, you'd see all kinds of non-standard optics that Soldiers bought with their own money.  I've seen M4s with cheapo $50 Walmart scopes on them and that was the designated marksman for the squad... no joke.  Now most, if not all, active duty units have ACOGs and M68s; EOTechs are the next most common after those two.

[whitewolf001]

Nowadays you'll normally see standard issue being M68s, EOTechs and ACOGs.  There's some other stuff with SOF units, but that covers the vast majority.  Each unit is going to be different in what their SOPs are regarding optics.  Some may mandate optics, such as designated marksman having ACOGs and everyone else having an M68 on their rifle.  Others may let them put on their choice.

 

A long time ago, before many units even had M68s, you'd see all kinds of non-standard optics that Soldiers bought with their own money.  I've seen M4s with cheapo $50 Walmart scopes on them and that was the designated marksman for the squad... no joke.  Now most, if not all, active duty units have ACOGs and M68s; EOTechs are the next most common after those two.

 

I have to see this, that would just make my day all the brighter knowing some Jihadist bit the dust to a Tasco...

[rhyfelwr]

My brother was the M249 gunner for his squad (Engineers), he said he had his weapon setup with a forward pistol grip on a single point sling so he could shoulder it. He said the officers looked at him kinda funny when he did carry it that way but they didn't stop him.

[TMF]

My brother was the M249 gunner for his squad (Engineers), he said he had his weapon setup with a forward pistol grip on a single point sling so he could shoulder it. He said the officers looked at him kinda funny when he did carry it that way but they didn't stop him.

Well that's how you're you're supposed to do. I recall this brand new unit years ago that was just showing up in country. There was a E4 who carried the 249. He had fashioned a sling (nylon) that he wrapped the front end around the barrel, just north of the front sight. I asked him if he had shot it since he put the sling on. Obviously his answer was "no". Sometimes it amazed me how little some folks understood how to properly employ their weapons. This was an infantry unit, BTW.

[scoutfsu]

I've caught 2 people in the past month with backwards Aimpoints.  They had no idea it was wrong.  One was a SPC and one was a SFC :down:

 

I've seen SAWs with the Grip Pod in place of the bipod.....but I don't know about a straight up VFG.  Maybe in Iraq where it was mostly urban but here in Afghanistan, I wouldn't give up a bipod, espeically on a crew served weapon.  And no fucking way would I put a 30ish pound SAW on a single point sling. 

 

 

Hey TMF, what happens when retard needs to change out the barrel during a sustained TIC?!?!?!  Lol, I guess it would've burned through by that point......but geez.  For a military that is full of weapons, we sure don't know how to properly employ them.

[whitewolf001]

Well that's how you're you're supposed to do. I recall this brand new unit years ago that was just showing up in country. There was a E4 who carried the 249. He had fashioned a sling (nylon) that he wrapped the front end around the barrel, just north of the front sight. I asked him if he had shot it since he put the sling on. Obviously his answer was "no". Sometimes it amazed me how little some folks understood how to properly employ their weapons. This was an infantry unit, BTW.

 

I'm sure they figured out real quick, "Oh!!! Barrel hot, Nylon melt!".

[TMF]

I'm sure they figured out real quick, "Oh!!! Barrel hot, Nylon melt!".

I was nice enough to explain it to him. Didn't want to hear about him accidentally shooting himself when that sling melted through.

[Spots]

I haven't seen anything funky, but the Marines seem to generally be stricter about what is and isn't allowed on weapons for standard units. We all used 4 x 32 ACOG's, I personally have never seen an EOtech or Aimpoint on a Marine Corps rifle. Not saying they don't exist, just that Ive never seen one. Of course the Marines still use the M16A4 in far greater numbers than the Army who has switched almost entirely to M4's. For Marines the ability to kill the enemy at a distance is a still a big point of pride, thats why 98% of the Corps standard infantry uses magnafied optics, M16A4 rifles instead of carbines and we qualify out to 500 yds.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[gunwhatgun]

It was the slings and foregrips and grip pods that y'all are making fun of that I was actually talking about :rofl: . I was trying to find repectful way of saying that you see some strange collections of equipment.

[TMF]

It was the slings and foregrips and grip pods that y'all are making fun of that I was actually talking about :rofl: . I was trying to find repectful way of saying that you see some strange collections of equipment.

Oh, well in that case the last time I saw a unit that had standardized all that crap it was 8 years ago. One of the BCTs out of the 101st had a ridiculous SOP; so much so that they had to mount their carry handle on the handguard rail of their M4 so it wouldn't get lost. Nowadays everyone has their own type of sling and different issued grips. The grip pods are popular with Fobbits so that they can set their rifle down easily when in the chow hall. Personally, I think those things are a tactical nuisance; I have one that I only throw on when I'm zeroing. Too heavy, long and they would get hung up on everything.

[TMF]

Hey TMF, what happens when retard needs to change out the barrel during a sustained TIC?!?!?! Lol, I guess it would've burned through by that point......but geez. For a military that is full of weapons, we sure don't know how to properly employ them.

Barrel change??? These guys were still at the "brass to the grass" level of training. I won't say the unit out of respect for the vets here from that unit (wasn't 101), but these guys were yahoos. I remember when they shot up a couple of unarmed civilians from a static position from only 200m. They fired somewhere around 50-100 rds out of a 240 at these two and only wounded one in the leg. I wasn't sure which on to make fun of them for; shooting unarmed civilians or not being more successful at it.

[Dolomite_supafly]

We had one guy try to be tacticool and camo his AR with duct tape. Wrapped the barrel all the way to the end. We even tried to warn him but he didn't listen. He realized how much of a mistake it was when we went to zero. I don't think he ever got all that crap off the barrel. It sure as hell smoked a lot after the first mag.

[TMF]

We had one guy try to be tacticool and camo his AR with duct tape. Wrapped the barrel all the way to the end. We even tried to warn him but he didn't listen. He realized how much of a mistake it was when we went to zero. I don't think he ever got all that crap off the barrel. It sure as hell smoked a lot after the first mag.

Reminds me of some house property coax 240s that were desert camo painted, to include the barrels. Now, I still don't understand the need to camo a crew served machine gun which sits atop a big ol' humvee, but I found it hilarious that the barrels turned the spray paint camo pink after they heated up.

[Spurholder]

The grip pods are popular with Fobbits so that they can set their rifle down easily when in the chow hall.

That's some funny ish right there.   Besides, it makes the CSM's nervous when rifles hit the DFAC floor.  :pleased:

[173rdABN]

Ugh don't even get me started with backwards optics and retardation with POGs and even some infantry units. Let alone the national guard I've seen..... How can people not train their Joe's properly, let alone themselves, or even read the TM on the stupid things. That's just blue falcon material right there.

In my unit we had the choice of optics, and people could use their own. 99% of us ran ACOGs TA01NSN mostly but some took some TA11s or 31s. The M68 was a total joke to us so we ditched them like a hot potato. On our m21s we usually ran leupolds m3 or m3a's unless you wanted to run a ACOG, which again was preference. On our belt fed guns we always used M145s. We always had long distance engagements accept for a couple handfuls of close ambush stuff. Nothing major, but still something I'd rather have an ACOG for. There was one guy that ran an Eotech he personally owned, and a couple that ran Leupold mk4 CQT's. you might have seen a random other optic, but that's the vast majority out of my company. Oh, Barrett's got mk4 LRTs and 110s got m3a's.

Furniture wise, stocks could be whatever you wanted, only thing you couldn't do was take the gun apart to add stuff. So anything snap on was good to go. Not many uses pistol grips, some used bi-pods, everyone used a PEQ2, that's about it.

Like others have said, that's all unit to unit stuff. I have a nasty girl friend that wasn't allowed to use his own optic or even touch his rifle in any way but how he got it.

[Spurholder]

^Yep.  Buddy's only half a word.

[whitewolf001]

OKAY, so as far as the PEQ2, those are only really meant for NVG's I assume correct or am I wrong?

[TMF]

OKAY, so as far as the PEQ2, those are only really meant for NVG's I assume correct or am I wrong?

 

Yeah.  Now a lot of units have LA-5s or whatever they're called now.  They're smaller than the PEQ-2A and run on a 123 battery.  In addition to the IR beam, these ones have a visible laser on them too so you can scare Hadj and screw with feral cats; I'm pretty sure that's what it said its purpose was in the manual.

[TMF]

Besides, it makes the CSM's nervous when rifles hit the DFAC floor.  :pleased:

 

I know of a Cav CSM that solved that problem by making his joes eat with their weapons slung to their chests.  Makes sense in spirit I guess, but in an already cramped chow hall it makes it difficult to get around folks because they're sitting 3 feet from the table.

[173rdABN]

yeah, everyone is running PEQ15's that i used to run with now. things have a couple good secret things to them. really wish we had them back in my day. and the new thermal monocular thats replacing the PVS14's is the $hI7 as well. Got to play with one right before they got issued at a little preview of our new gear they were about to give us about a month before i left italy.

[c.a.willard]

I always chose to run an ilwip on my rifle.  Got lots of grief about it because i was the only person that didnt leave my assigned one locked up in the arms room.  So every inventory they had to track it down. 

 

For those not familiar with it the ILWIP is designed to be a pistol light with white light, red lazer, IR light and IR lazer.  Since we were almost always urban i prefered running it because it gave me the benifits of a tac light/ PEQ 2 without having as much bulk on the rifle. 

 

Every one else left them in the arms room because they gave us the lights without a light bearing pistol holster and apparently didnt care about saving on size and weight.

[scoutfsu]

Yeah.  Now a lot of units have LA-5s or whatever they're called now.  They're smaller than the PEQ-2A and run on a 123 battery.  In addition to the IR beam, these ones have a visible laser on them too so you can scare Hadj and screw with feral cats; I'm pretty sure that's what it said its purpose was in the manual.

 

We have PEQ15's.......you cool guys have LA5's.  Slightly different lasers.
 

 

173rd - we had a few of those new thermals my last tour too.  I can't remember the designation but they're pretty badass.  For those who don't know, they're the size of '14s but give you thermal capability, 2x zoom, and recording capability (IIRC).  Very expensive though....