DIY M231 Project at AR-15.com

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by cavtroop

woah, going from light/strykers to mech? have fun

Yeah, I asked for Ft. Benning or Ft. Stewart so I could stay close to home on my next assignment. Unfortunately, that mandates a 4 out of 5 Heavy Brigade chance. Plus, it's the only thing in the Infantry I haven't really done, so...

I know that when we did our little walkthrough as part of the Captain's Career Course, they mentioned the firing ports, but they didn't say anything about the M231s or not. At the time, I didn't have the interest to ask.

[HorseSoldier]

I think the infantry Brads still have the FPWs in the rear ramp, but may be wrong these days (been a long time since I was around mech infantry). The side firing ports were plated over on pretty much all marks after the A-Zeroes.

[Raellus]

From that fairly recent photo of the crewman in Iraq, is it possible that the M231s are standard/semi-official issue personal defense weapons for some Brad crews? Maybe just the older ones that used to have the firing ports before they were uparmored? Back in the '70s and '80s, U.S. AFV crewmen used to be issued M3 Grease Guns. The M231 would be somewhat of a step up, IMO.

[waiting4something]

Originally Posted by Raellus

From that fairly recent photo of the crewman in Iraq, is it possible that the M231s are standard/semi-official issue personal defense weapons for some Brad crews? Maybe just the older ones that used to have the firing ports before they were uparmored? Back in the '70s and '80s, U.S. AFV crewmen used to be issued M3 Grease Guns. The M231 would be somewhat of a step up, IMO.

My fathers NG tanker unit in the 1990's still had M3A1 grease guns. Along with M1911A1 pistols, Winchester 1200 trench guns and M16a1's. A couple years ago my brother in law was a commander for a supply unit that that was now at where my father's old tank unit was, and he told me they still had the trench guns and M16A1's. I have to ask him if they still had the grease guns. So even if the regular army might not have the M231's a NG unit might.

[pmulcahy11b]

We had the grease guns at my national guard unit, but they were never issued out. Nonetheless, we broke them out a couple of times to shoot them -- I actually got a Submachinegun Sharpshooter's Badge. Those suckers really rattle when they shoot.

[cavtroop]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

I think the infantry Brads still have the FPWs in the rear ramp, but may be wrong these days (been a long time since I was around mech infantry). The side firing ports were plated over on pretty much all marks after the A-Zeroes.

This is true. My M2A2 didn't have the side ports (additional armor instead), but had the ports on the back ramp.

Eddie - Sounds good. I loved Mech. I still have an attachment to my Bradley that hasn't faded over 18 years I will say, however, that going from an M2A2 on Active Duty to an M901A1 in the NG was...well, the suck.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by cavtroop

Eddie - Sounds good. I loved Mech. I still have an attachment to my Bradley that hasn't faded over 18 years I will say, however, that going from an M2A2 on Active Duty to an M901A1 in the NG was...well, the suck.

I kind of fell into being a Bradley crewman. I was a mortar gunner at the time by MOS, but after recovering from an ankle injury that nearly ended my career before it began, my mortar gunner slot was gone. So I became line doggie. I still much preferred to be the airborne infantryman I became later, but it set up circumstances that led me to 2X G3 in Korea, which was definitely an assignment that was worth it (even if it was a REMF assignment).

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by cavtroop

Eddie - Sounds good. I loved Mech. I still have an attachment to my Bradley that hasn't faded over 18 years I will say, however, that going from an M2A2 on Active Duty to an M901A1 in the NG was...well, the suck.

Enhhh...I'm too in love with the Stryker. Granted, the brigade I'm going to is rolling in A3s, which have almost all of the same digital capabilities as a Stryker, but they're still louder and slower. I grew up in Ranger Regiment when I was enlisted, so I've got that bias against them as well, but from an officer viewpoint, the challenges that a Mech Company Commander has versus a Light Company Commander are much greater. I like the greater challenge. So, I'm going in with as open a mind as an old 11B can (old as when they had 11Ms to do the mech stuff).

But this is getting a little too far OT, most likely.

[weswood]

Originally Posted by Eddie

But this is getting a little too far OT, most likely.

Not really. I've never had any experience in armor, I was a RMF with the Air Wing then an Infanty Battalion, I like learning about things I've never experienced.

As an aside, there's a company that is marketing cheap 1/72 scale armor, can't remember the name but I picked up a Stryker at Target a few weeks ago for less than $5.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Eddie

But this is getting a little too far OT, most likely.

That's how the best threads start!