Folks - I know there are many variables, but give me an idea of what the average soldier/Marine carries these days when he leaves base and begins a patrol.
How many AR mags?
How many pistol mags?
And again, I know there are variables, but how close is re-supply? If he burns through several mags does every Hummer in the area have a few crates ready to re-supply?
If you happen to know the same information regarding what modern LEO carries in a Stack, I'd like to know.
More later. Long 3 weeks, big events recently and I have a complex budget/revised Business Model to prep ASAP, and I am going to annoy my PostMaster tomorrow for certain - but those are tales for another day.
K
6 or 7 mags. For M249 saw gunners then its 1200 rounds.
ReplyDelete.mil 7 30 rd mags for a rifle
ReplyDelete3 mags for the pistol.
Both include the one in the gun.
Saw gunner is doctrinally 600 rounds though some carry more.
I have been reading reports of DHS ammo&weapons caches being stored in (desert or woodland camo)steel shipping containers that are being placed around the country, hint: start looking in the fenced areas around those cell towers, and other inconspicuous locales.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the same rumor. Be nice to find one?
DeletePapa Mike
III
When i was in Afghanistan a couple years ago, the "basic combat load" was 210 rounds for rifle (6 mags + 1 chambered) 3 mags for pistol, and each crew served was 1200 rounds on the truck. Saw gunners 600 rounds. But we learned real quick that was a pathetic amount of ammo, as anyone who got into a tick was black within ten minutes. So Id say resupply is as far away as the base is and no they dont have crates of mags ready in their trucks. Some units might but it is not typical. We had to beg borrow and steal to get the ammo we felt we needed.
ReplyDeleteJD
Good on the military. They got stuff and a way to resupply it. Hope they'll defect when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteThis old guy has got to tote his own. No mags for me. No POS .223 either.
Bolt action, or die. Make every shot count. Resupply from your caches.
Semper Fi
The (fairly) current government issue MOLLE II "Fighting Load Carrier" vest in the 'Rifleman' configuration- as opposed to "grenadier' configuration let say- is (2) 3-mag shingles and (3) 2-mag pouches, for a total of (12) magazines, or 360 rds., plus the one in the rifle.
ReplyDeleteThe FLC vest in Rifleman configuration also comes standard with (2) grenade pouches,(2) gen. purpose/canteen pouches, (1) IFAK pouch and (2) Grimlock d-rings.
How about thermal imaging devices? Do they carry them and if so what is the man sized target detection range?
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. TWS I (officially the AN/PAS-13 weapons-mounted thermal sight) has been around for a nearly a decade, but the new version addresses a long list of user complaints and suggestions. Basically, TWS II is lighter, easier to use, and easier to keep supplied with batteries. The TWS II comes in three sizes; light (for M-16 type rifles, weighs .86 kg/1.9 pounds and is good out to 550 meters), medium (for light machine-guns, weighs 1.27 kg/2.8 pounds and is good out to 1,100 meters) and heavy (for .50 caliber weapons and 40mm grenade launchers, weighs 1.73 kg/3.8 pounds and is good out to 2,200 meters). The light sight batteries last 5-25 hours, while the heavier models are good for 6.5-18 hours.
DeleteCompared to TWS I, the new versions are about a third lighter, and use standard AA batteries. This was something the troops were emphatic about. TWS I used special batteries, which, too often, the users could not get replacements for. But you can always get AAs. Even during combat, troops have found local Iraqi or Afghan shops selling AAs, and were able to keep their electronic gear going as a result.
Over 20,000 TWS II sights have been produced so far. And everyone wants one. The army alone expects to eventually spend over $2 billion on new thermal sights, and it will be another three years before production catches up with demand for helmet and weapons mounted thermals
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My squad's SOP was "Everything you can haul" I carried 10 mags in my pouchs, one in my M4. 6 additional mags in my assault pack. I always had 10 203 HEDP on my rack with another bandoler of 6 in my pack. I had a drop leg with 2 smoke and one starcluster and one parachute flare. I also had a belt with 14 more HEDP. I also carried either a LAW, or an AT-4, or a SMAW-D tied off to my pack. I wouldn't let my SAW gunner leave the wire without at least 1,200 rounds. We did store extra ammo in our trucks, but we weren't always mounted. We kept at least 6 100 rd boxes of .50 in the MATV, and 4 more in the back, and a makeshift ammo box in the turret with another 1,500 rounds. We were in the Pech River Valley, and resupply would come in on birds, after dark. The crew chief would just kick a duffle bag out the door with a chemlight on it. Not the best system, but it worked okay. This was Afghanistan 2010-2011, with the 101st.
ReplyDeleteHOA! 3rd Brigade
DeleteRakkasans Lead the Way!
Thx to both anons for that
ReplyDelete