It’s always encouraging to see that the bosses have their eyes fixed on the things that matter, as the Australian Army bosses did in 2003.
At least they’re shiny
IT WAS with great enthusisam that I read about our new chrome magazines. [Army, December 4]
While my unit has very few soldiers, little equipment or resources, at least we have shiny new magazines to go on parade with.
It is good to see that with a high operational tempo across the ADF we can still focus on the important aspects of military service. Time and money well spent.
Capt Brett Clarke
OPSO 7CSR
Gallopoli Barracks, Enoggera QLD
ADF = Australian Defence Force http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1089/letters.htm
That’d be Gallipoli Barracks, but you wouldn’t expect anyone running a newspaper for an army founded on what happened at Gallipoli to get that right. Maybe they thought the barracks were named after the galloping Light Horse. :rolleyes:
Captain Clarke’s letter, with a certain lack concern for promotion, refers to this:
Chromed magazine
THE Army has a new “fashion” accessory for its Steyr rifles used on ceremonial occasions - the chrome-plated magazine.
When the L1A1 Self Loading Rifle (SLR) was in service a number of the magazines were chrome plated for use by colour escorts.
The chroming process was a simple one as the magazines were made of metal.
To address the problem, Army has found a process that allows the plastic surface to be chrome plated. Extensive trials by the Small Arms Division in Melbourne confirm they remain serviceable and that blank ammunition can be fired from them.
Consequently, the CA Lt-Gen Leahy has approved their introduction.
As a result chromed magazines will be issued to all units who have an entitlement to Colours and the Army component of the Federation Guard.
Quotes for the magazines are being obtained and they will then be placed out to tender. They should be in service by mid-2004.
Units will not be required to demand them as they will have dues in and out automatically loaded to their authorised unit accounts.
http://minister.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1088/topstories/story05.htm
It’s good to know that chroming the mags doesn’t prevent blanks being fired.
It’s probably the first step to issuing all troops with chrome magazines that can fire blanks, to comply with occupational health and safety requirements that make tools visually acceptable to users without posing any risk to anyone.
P.S. I did a couple colour escorts with SLR’s, when they were in service. I’ve never seen a chrome SLR mag. Never even heard of them, until I stumbled on this crap tonight. Bloody glad I didn’t, too. Last thing I’d want to look like is those, for example, Taiwanese etc troops with chrome helmets and white silk cravats and all that crap. Smart slovenly, that’s what we were. And proud of it.