Hmmm,
for me liking a weapon has more to do with its effectiveness and efficiency, and perhaps if it was innovatory, ease of use and carrying the bloody thing and drilling with it, rather than appearance or the machining of the receiver or not.
I just don’t find weapons to be appealing in any other way. Though nice lines - as in the SMLE-III - don’t hurt.
As a trained* small arms trainer, my favourite weapon was the one I ran into on the course* at the Infantry Centre.
? The L4, 7.62 NATO version of the Bren gun. Our Lithgow SAF (actory) conversions retained the long/narrow beaten zone of the original. IE the Bren was very accurate - as LMG’s go. And we had good reason to keep that feature.
I had never enjoyed using the - then recently dropped by the regs - M60 as a squad gun. It made the Bren look like a marvel, which it sort of was IMO.
It had become apparent to me - both in the reserves and on FTD - late 1960’s and 1970’s - that the M60 GPMG was not as good as it could have been - at least! as a squad/section gun. That it was heavy and awkward to carry, would not have mattered if it had been really good, rather than merely acceptable.
On the course it was very clear that all the regulars, students and instructors felt the same way. The L4 was welcomed by them.
We did have around four days on tripod mounted MG’s. Our tripods copied the recoiling fluid damped top plate of the MG42’s tripod. Two guns - the M60 - with which we all had stoppages and breakages - and the L7 GPMG - no problems. The staff were ‘assessing’ the L7 and it was soon adopted.
Later I did the Centre’s MG course, with the L7.
the faults of the M60?
running away - gun goes through a whole belt when hot!!! the sear!? - low service-life, and some wore out very fast.
No single shot option. And as it fired from an open bolt, the first burst might not go where you wanted it too.
Link stoppages - the belts links come apart as you fire and can, and do, get in the way of the feed mechanism, jamming it. Burnt fingers!!
Note that the feed was a copy of the excellent one in the MG42 - but IT used non-disintegrating-link belts. ;-)!
The changeable* barrel really wasn’t, no handle? an asbestos glove and a way too short spanner - insufficient leverage? The US Army went through a LOT more barrels then planned for in 'Nam, as a HOT* barrel wears very quickly.
*After 400 rounds IIRC, just four belts!
Stripping one in the dark was a no-no, as you could easily put the gas-piston in backwards, and still assemble the gun. Then it would fire one shot, and had to go to the armourer.
poorly balanced, and awkward, more so than the Bren, and harder to control when firing from the hip.
So, the L4 Bren is the only weapon I used enough to LIKE it. It worked, and kept on working.
The handle on the barrel for twisting it and taking it off, worked well.
With rimless ammo the magazines could be filled.
Easy to fire, controllable, even from the hip, rounds went where you meant them to.
My second favourite was the Lee-Enfield, which we all got to fire during the course. NICE. Australia’s own sniper version of the SMLE III, with a heavy barrel, and a WWII made WWI design 'scope. I often wished that I’d bought at least one sporterised SMLE action, rather than the 4 Mauser action hunting rifle I did buy. The IC museum did have a couple of P14 snipers, which our Commandos on Timor used against the Japanese.
Although I shot well with the L1A1-SLR I never got to like having a bruised cheek - aka the FN-FAL!> I enjoyed drill, eventually, let alone teaching it ;-)!!! so I didn’t HATE the thing.
I trusted the Browning High-Power pistol I was issued, one box of ammo a week down at the base’ test-range, and then you CAN hit things with them! Yep, really!!!
I was gifted a short commando version of the Armalite - which was a gift from a Yank supply sgt. Used to clip it just below the front of the seat in ‘the jeep’.
If I’d had to carry and maintain an AK47, which I’ve stripped, cleaned and fired 2-mags through I think I’d have LOVED it! Sensible rational LIGHT thing that it was.
Weapons I HATED?
- I positively FEARED hand grenades - Mills, and 26M. Most of my experience with them being teaching recruits about them, and then being in the pit with them while they threw a few live ones. I hated throwing the bloody things myself. And so should / would you have.
{:~| !!
the Enfield .38 revolver, the ‘DA only’ ones us weekend warriors got lumped with.
And the dud AT projectiles I was trained to clear. Yes, I did do ‘the blinds course’. Silly old me!
ATK rounds from the 3.5 RL and the Energa 94 RG, and the LAW, and the Carl-Gustav RCL.
Just lying on the ground’s creepy enough, but if they lodge in a shrub and fail to explode …
I’ll get out of yer way now, shall I!?
Tim B
