[Adam Helmer]

Brithunter,

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I will comment on small arms.

1. The BREN came to the Brits thanks to design ideas from BRNO just before WWII.

2. The M1903 has a "ladder" rear sight with a battle sight (open) and if you flip up the ladder sight leaf, walla, you will see an aperature, even without your distance glasses.

3. Are you aware Savage Arms (USA) made about one million #4 rifles that have the square "S" on the receiver?

4. I have heard that old "G.I. Barracks Wisdom" about a Jap hearing the ping of the empty Garand clip and then the Jap rushing the Yank. That is a myth because a battlefield is noisy and a "ping" would be drowned out by small arms fire from many soldiers firing at the same time. Secondly, if true, why wouldn't a savvy GI carry a few empty Garand clips to "decoy" a Jap out of his hiding place by dropping an empty Garand clip on the closed bolt of his loaded Garand? A similiar myth is "hitting a man in the thumb with a .45 automatic pistol round will knock him off his feet." Some myths go on and on forever.


I hope you did not get writer's (typer's) cramp doing your essay. Be well.

Adam