Shooting US Vietnam War Weapons

A fun video to watch

https://greatamericanoutdoors.com/2022/03/this-is-a-blast-from-the-past-vietnam-era-u-s-firearms/

SWMBO and I fired Nam era weapons at Cu Chi - M16, AK47, M1.

Lucky you - I hope to do that one day.

I did it in Army R.O.T.C. summer camp and at Signal Officers Basic Course at Ft. Gordon. Never fired at all in Vietnam although I had a .45 Colt and an M-16.

Tom

I am pretty fortunate that I've gotten to fire just about every weapon used by ground pounders, and some specialty ones to boot, including M-79s. One of my favs was an M-60 with the timing yanked so it fired as fast as an MG42. Very scary with those bigger bullets! And here's an odd thing: the old tri-prong M-16 flash guards? I swear they worked better than the M16a1 cylinder types.
Still on my list to fire:

Stoner system rifle and LMG
Sawed off RPD
Russian 14.7mm heavy AA mg
M700 sniper rifle
Water-cooled MMG
any recoiless rifle
Owens SMG

The M2 .50 cals I have fired were all more recent than the 80's types, so I don't know if one should be on the list.

Cool I have seen all the above in museums (apart from the M700 and the Stoner) but have never touched them.

To think I got paid to shoot all* of our Vietnam small arms. We were still using them in the 1980s. ;-)


*Not quite true. Never did get to fire an Owen, they had well and truly been retired. Had the chance to shoot the AK at Disneyworld-Cu Chi but couldn't be arsed and didn't fancy hanging around longer than I needed to.

I must be about the last generation to have had basic training on a bolt Action rifle - Lee Enfield .303. I've fired SLRs and Sterlings here in Scotland plus a Garand, AK 47 and M16 at Cu Chi.

uglyfatbloke wrote:SWMBO and I fired Nam era weapons at Cu Chi -  M16, AK47, M1.

I have done the same at the same place, great experience.