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Week 48....28-11-2003 |
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M79 Grenade Launcher Resembling a sawn-off shotgun, the grenade launcher was designed as a close-support weapon for the infantry. It plugged the gap between the maximum throwing distance of a hand grenade and the lowest range of supporting mortars. The M79 was a single shot, shoulder-fired weapon which broke open for loading into the breech. It fired a 40 mm grenade and had a killing range of 5 metres. Its weight loaded, was 3Kg, with a muzzle velocity of 75 metres per second and a maximum range of 400 metres. |
Weapons of the ADG Vietnam |
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The Browning 9mm Self Loading Pistol is the issue side arm for the Royal Australian Air Force, and RAAF Combat Weapons Teams. This is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol that is chambered for the NATO standard 9mm x 19mm pistol round. This round is also known as the 9mm luger and 9mm parabellum. Some modern literature refers to the gun as a "hi power", early literature refers to it as a "high power", this is a translation from its original title given to it by Fabrique National d'armes de guerre (FN) "grand puissance". History The pistol was designed by John Moses browning in the 1920s for the Belgian weapons manufacturer FN, the pistol first went into production in 1935. John Browning died in 1927. The final design work was done on the pistol by an FN employee Dieudonne Saive. A quick visual inspection of the browning high power will immediately show its pedigree. it shares many similarities with an earlier browning design, the 1911 colt 45. The Browning High Power, also known as the Browning 9mm and at one time in the U.K. as the Browning 38 has been produced by several manufacturers besides FN, millions of these guns have been produced. Some armories have produced copies with the help and blessing of FN, some countries have produced unauthorized "knock-offs". Of the various clones, some are exact copies and have parts interchangeable with the FN guns, some don't. At various times during its history, the high power has been the issue sidearm in over fifty countries. what follows is a partial list to give some idea of the usage: Germany, Denmark, Britain, Iraq, Peru, Israel, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, and Malaya. Manufacturers of the high power Browning high power pistols were used during WW2 by both the axis powers and the allies. the guns the allies used were produced in Canada by John Inglis & co, pistols have also been made in Israel, Argentina, Hungary and Indonesia. The current FN production is machined in Belgium and finished in Portugal. The Argentinean model, called the FM (fabricaciones militares), is a clone made with the blessing and assistance of FN. It will interchange parts with the FN Browning and is currently in production, it is not as well finished as the Belgian models, but is functionally good. The Canadian models went out of production at the end of WW2 the Inglis models are not 100% interchangeable with the FNs. The Hungarian model the Feg fp9 is a direct copy with some differences it has a ventilated rib and is believed to have some parts interchangeable with the FN. From Israel there is a clone called the Kareen. This gun is believed to made from parts machined in Hungary. Indonesia has also produced an unauthorized clone the "Pindad". This gun has not been sold outside of Indonesia and was made to supply the needs of the Indonesian military. Basic models Obviously, over the years there have been many variations of the high power produced. This is not a list of the minor differences, but a note on the major differences. Early models were produced with a detachable stock and adjustable sights. The stocks were often wood and doubled as a holster for the gun it appears these were designed for cavalry use. The pistols designed for the detachable stock have a groove cut into the rear of the pistol grip, some models have a lanyard ring at the base of the grip. Late models often have an ambidextrous safety. The finish is usually blued. Some models have been made in nickel and chrome plate and many have been phosphated (parkerised). One finish that has also been used by FN is parkerising with black enamel paint over the parkerising. this finish is designed for military use. Guns made for the civilian market by FN are usually blued. Ammunition The high power uses the 9mm parabellum cartridge. A production browning should have no trouble feeding and firing any cartridge of this caliber, this includes various hollow point, blunt and round bulleted cartridges. Ammunition that fails to feed in modern semi-automatic guns will usually feed and fire with no problems when loaded into a browning high power. Magazines The standard magazine is a blued 13 round magazine. The standard magazine can be disassembled by removing the floor plate. The floor plate slides off by inserting a small screwdriver between the body of the magazine and the front of the magazine body, pulling the screwdriver away from the body will then allow the follower and spring to drop out of the body. The magazine is usually only disassembled to replace the spring or to thoroughly clean the magazine. Magazine safety As currently manufactured, the high power comes with a magazine safety. This means that when the magazine is withdrawn, the gun will not fire. The FN company put this in the gun so that if the shooter touched the trigger while inserting a magazine the gun would not fire if there was still a round in the chamber. Many civilian owners remove this safety, it is done for two reasons. First of all, many owners want to gun to be in fireable condition without the magazine so a fresh magazine can be inserted during combat. The other reason is that the magazine safety prevents the empty magazine dropping freely out of the magazine well. The German military during WW2, told the FN company to leave the magazine safety out, they did this so the gun would always be in fireable condition. When FN took back the factory at the end of WW2, they continued making guns without the magazine safety for a while. These guns have an "a" in the serial number prefix. Field stripping The high power is easily field stripped, it can be done in the dark. When disassembled, it should consist of the following pieces: the frame, the slide, the barrel, the magazine, the slide locking lever, the main spring and the main spring guide. seven pieces including the magazine. |
Glock 9mm Pistol |
In 1986, Gaston Glock, an Austrian inventor who specialized in polymers (a high-tech
form of plastic), released his model 17 9mm semi-automatic handgun on the US
market. This act would revolutionize handgun design. However, to get to the highly
respected point the Glock pistols hold in the world handgun market was no
easy task. When the first Glock pistols were released, they were plagued by rumors including that they could pass undetected through airport metal detectors, and that they were unsafe. Both of these rumors were totally untrue. While the bulk of the receiver on Glock handguns is made of polymer (earning them the nickname "Combat Tupperware"), the slide is totally composed of steel. Thus, there is no way it can sneak through metal detectors. As for the rumors of a lack of safety, they were based on the fact that Glock handguns were one of, if not the first, semi-automatic handguns designed with no external safety lever. However, there are more safeties on a Glock handgun than there are on any revolver. The Glock handguns all have three safety mechanisms: 1) the trigger safety, 2) the firing pin safety, and c) the drop safety. The only way a Glock handgun will fire is for the trigger to be pulled fully to the rear. The Glock is neither a technically true Single Action, nor a Double Action. Glock calls its action the "Safe Action", which is close to a Double Action. The rumors of a lack of safety also stem from the integration of polymer into the receivers. Up until the Glocks were introduced, Americans were used to all-metal handguns (maybe some wood or plastic grips, but the rest was metal). To integrate something like plastic into a handgun was tantamount to allowing Fisher Price to build your weaponry! However, the polymer used in Glocks is actually stronger and more durable than steel, does not rust, and is far lighter. The metal parts of Glocks are coated with Tennifer, which is a diamond hard coating that seals out moisture and corrosion. This is not the black matte finish, which is applied over the Tennifer. There are several models of Glock pistol in production, in many different calibers. These are: Glock 17 - full-size 9mm, 17 round magazines (currently for LE/military use only) Glock 17L - competition 9mm (long barrel), 17 round magazines. Glock 19 - compact 9mm, 15 round magazines Glock 26 - sub-compact 9mm, 10 round magazines Glock 18 - full-size 9mm, select fire (full-auto capable), 33 round magazines available LE Agency, or Military ONLY. Glock 22 - full-size .40-cal., 15 round magazines Glock 23 - compact .40-cal., 13 round magazines Glock 27 - sub-compact .40-cal., 9 round magazines Glock 24 - competition (long barrel) .40-cal., 15 round magazines Glock 25 - full-size .380 auto, 15 round magazines (not available in US) Glock 28 - compact .380 auto, 10 round magazines (not available in US) Glock 20 - full-size 10mm, 15 round magazines Glock 29 - compact 10mm, 10 round magazines Glock 21 - full-size .45-cal., 13 round magazines Glock 30 - compact .45-cal., 10 round magazines Glock 36 - slim-line .45-cal. (same size as Glock 30, but thinner), 7 round magazines (I think!) Glock 31 - full-size .357 Sig, 15 round magazines Glock 32 - compact .357 Sig, 13 round magazines Glock 33 - sub-compact .357 Sig, 9 round magazines With the exception of the slim-line .45, all Glocks of the same caliber are able to use the magazines of the larger models of the same calibers. For example, the Glock 27 will accept the magazines from the Glock 23 and the Glock 22. This is a great plus when selecting a duty/back-up combination in handguns, which helps explain why 65% of all US police departments use some model of Glock as their issue sidearm. |
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L to R . The Pom/ Simmo / Tiny / Blue / Braz / Becky / Sluggo / Lawrie / John King / Col Davies. This pic although taken about 3 yrs ago show's many of the faces that will haunt you if you don't attend the 2004 reunion in Newcastle. |
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The old hit them once hit them hard squad. |
The ADG hit men |
Peter Beckwith informs me that he has many more names for our reunion list following
the mail out to all our old mates Details on site soon |
More submitting to the ADG hit squad |
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Top Rear John Fitzpatrick. Centre, Pommie Cornwell/Blue Fulton/John Linabury/Harry Fridd/Peter Beckwith/Mick Hayes/George Schubert/Paul Pannowitz/John Downs/Ray Price/Max Demery/Dutchy Wilderbore. Front Row, Alan Brazil/John Kerins/Lawrie Gay/Steve Hicks. |
ADG Reunion Taree 98 Lawrie Gay / The Pom ( Bob Cornwell )/ Blue Conway / Ian Wheat ( Sluggo )/ Fred Barber /George Shubert. |
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OUR NEW ERA THE Air Force’s F-111s could be retired from 2010 and a mix of manned and unmanned aircraft could replace the Orions from 2015 as a result of the Defence Capability Review (DCR). Minister for Defence Robert Hill said the review stemmed from changes in the strategic environment, recent operational experience and an assessment of costings. CAF Air Marshal Angus Houston said the capability needed to replace the F-111 would dictate the time of its retirement. “We think that will be somewhere from 2010 onwards and we’re very much focused on the capability that the Joint Strike Fighter will provide,” AIRMSHL Houston said. “By 2010 the F-111 will be almost 40 years old and studies suggest that beyond 2010 it will be a very high-cost platform to maintain.” He said the F-111 would not be withdrawn until Air Force had fully upgraded the F/A-18s and its weapons systems, and the AEW&Cs and tankers were in service. “The F/A-18 will be capable of dropping not only laser-guided precision munitions but also satellite-guided precision munitions and will also be capable of delivering a follow on stand off weapon, which will also be fitted to the AP-3C,” he said. With the likelihood of a phased withdrawal from 2010 some of the planned upgrades to the F-111s will be reviewed. AIRMSHL Houston said he had great faith in the aircraft as a strategic capability, with upgrades to the avionics and the wing-replacement program contributing to its ongoing successful operation. “Last year’s success at Red Flag is a great example of what the aircraft still has to offer as a capable strike platform. Recent experiences have highlighted that the risks associated with retaining it in the medium term are moderate, however, after 2010 those risks and the costs, become high.” AIRMSHL Houston said the use of unmanned vehicles would grow in the future. “In terms of the UAVs that we might get for surveillance, I think we need something of the Global-Hawk type. It can stay up for over 24 hours and with two Global Hawks, or that sort of platform, you can do the work of five, six or seven P-3s with much reduced manpower. So it’s a very persistent way to provide a surveillance capability,” he said. “We have spent a reasonable amount of money upgrading the P-3 to the AP-3 standard but the reality is that the airframe will only last until about 2015 and will then have to have some form of replacement. “What we need to replace the maritime patrol capability, which involves a lot of surveillance, is to go for a mix of unmanned and manned platforms. The manned platform would be capable of performing all the operational tasks that the AP-3 currently does - underwater warfare and anti-surface warfare.” He said the Air Force remained on target to acquire up to 100 Joint Strike Fighters. The C-130 and multi-role tanker would remain the mainstay of our transport fleet and the Caribou, which “was proving its worth right now in the Solomon Islands”, will continue to contribute as detailed in the Defence White Paper. AIRMSHL Houston said that protected and sustainable airbases were fundamental to the ability to deploy forces. “Our future air power capabilities will depend on a continued, viable combat support structure. While the capital acquisition programs are vital to our future combat effectiveness, so too is our ability to support our weapon systems, to sustain a well trained workforce and provide and sustain the relevant supporting infrastructure. |
Afghanistan, Albania, Bougainville, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Ethiopia,
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mozambique, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu. Are there ADG's serving in these areas mentioned above. |
RAAF Areas of service |
Signs your spouse is trying to kill you! |
Hi everyone. We are at the end of yet another year. It has been a very emotional
year with the death of my mother in July and the subsequent sale of her house
etc. Sandie and I were very happy that Joshua and Claudia are engaged
to be married. Jon and Tania are off to New Zealand to visit Tania's relatives
and to see as much of the place as they can in few weeks. Naomi is still in the UK and we hope to be able to go and see her next year. Sandie and I have our house up for sale and if all goes well we will move into a new house in the middle of January. We have been very busy with cleaning out twenty years of kids toys and the like and having the house and garden all ready for sale. We will let you know what our new address is once the dust settles. We look forward to a quieter year next year and to having some time to see you all more often. We take this opportunity to wish you and your families all the best for the coming festive season. Take care over the holidays and we will see you all next year. Sandie and Gerry Mapstone |
A quick note from Uncle Gerry |
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We have found "Darth Vader" |
Pom Love the new look for the website, having a squiz through it while i've got some down time over here. The bloke you got for photo of the month has gone to the dark side and become a bloody PTI. Though he still knows were his heart is Cheers Kev SGT K. AULD GNDOPS SGT TG 633.2 Good Judgement comes from Bad Experiences, and a lot of that comes from Bad Judgement |
I recently had the occasion to take a trip to Central Queensland to visit my family in Biloela. Hot, dusty and dry….and that's all I'm going to say about that. On my way back I took the chance to call in to have a talk to Tex Bryson at his home at Redbank Plains. I pulled up to Tex's place at mid morning and was greeted by Tex and was directed to a cool spot under his house. Imagine my surprise as I got a look at the blacksmith's forge that he has set up there. The equipment in the workshop consists of multiple tools, a portable forge, a mighty steel anvil, a timber anvil, a linisher and a good sized mechanical hacksaw that was in the process of being overhauled and done up. Of sours ether is a lot of other gear there but I'm sure you get the point. I expressed my puzzlement at this particular style of workshop and was shown to a room at the opposite end of the house. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Tex had a complete Roman Legionary armour from the Imperial period. The armour was made exclusively by Tex and is complete and correct in almost every detail. I use the term armour although this is much more than that. It is in fact a soldiers uniform with armour being part of that uniform. Tex later informed me that the armour was from the period of Emperor Trajan. (53-117A.D.) In fact this is considered the most warlike time in Roman history which is really saying something! He did mention the legion that the uniform is based on but I didn't write it down….If you are interested I'm sure Tex will be only too pleased to enlighten you. This armour is probably the best known style to most people because of the Hollywood influence………. As I had a closer look at the armour I was, and remain, gobsmacked at the standard of the work. Every part of the set was made by Tex including the horse hair crest ( from 8 horses), all leatherwork, weapons ( consisting of a Gladius (sword ) and a Pilum ( Iron and wood spear)) although I'm not too |
In the first century AD, a lot changed about the sword. The new style of sword,
referred to as the "Pompeii" type, was shorter and had a double-edged blade
with a sharp point (Bishop 69). The dimensions of the new blade were approximately
16 inches by 2 inches. This type of sword is found on one of the most famous
Roman structures, Trajan's Column. It is suspected that this style of sword
was very popular, since almost all of the swords depicted on the |
sure whether he sewed the cloak or not, but if he did he is officially elevated to
the level of workshop genius! To appreciate what I mean about workmanship,
have a look at the scabbard…….! The armour is not only skilfully made but lined with leather where needed and a high level of etching is to be found on the helmet's cheek guards. In order to make the bone handle for the sword Tex had to send to the USA for a genuine bone to make the handle and then he had to form the bones to the shape of a grip. It seems that the only concession made to modern material is the use of stainless steel as opposed to burnished iron and steel. The sandals, general purpose, are made of leather with a thick layer of stiff leather fixed to the sandal by the use of studs which give the hobnail effect. Tex informed me that he had worn these GPs and they were exceptionally comfortable…… One problem discovered by Tex was how slippery they were on tiled surfaces…… Could be a problem in Rome I would think……… But I bet the Romans found a way around this problem…….Maybe they were a campaigning style with softer soled sandals used in barracks……..Just a theory of mine! This is not meant to be a treatise on the Roman soldiers battle dress but when you see something like this it certainly stirs the interest……. The manufacture took Tex eight months so it was obviously a steep learning curve to work out methods and materials from two millennia ago….. |
column are Pompeii style (Oakeshott 90). Four of these swords were found at an excavation
in Pompeii, hence the name (Bishop 71). These four swords must have been
made before AD 79, when Pompeii was buried, and they have been dated to around
64 AD. The sheaths for these Pompeii swords were odd in that they did not have
guttering, which was the "U-shaped copper alloy binding along the edges to prevent
damage from the sword blade during sheathing or unsheathing" (Bishop 71).
Instead of guttering, the sheaths were highly ornamented with decorative metal
plates. Cavalry swords during this period were much longer, of course. This blade
was called the spatha. The spatha was a long, straight single-edged sword
of iron or steel with an average blade size of 27 inches (Evangelista 507). The
spatha has been found in a couple of places. Pieces of these swords have been
discovered in Rottweil and Newstead. The Rottweil piece (34 in, 1 ¾ in) is much
longer than the Newstead piece (24 in, 1 in) (Bishop 74). A whole spatha blade
was found in the Vimose bog in Denmark. It is almost 40 inches in length, with
a bronze guard (Oakeshott 98). |
Have a look at the pics and I'm sure you'll agree that this is a rare work of art
especially when you realise that Tex is self taught and had to do his own research……BRILLIANT! At this point I would like to apologise to Tex for drooling on his carpet……Couldn't help myself! J |
Fronting the Boss's Office ...............................By Peter Beckwith |
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