[Gun-ther]

I've got a distant cousin who's about to be shipped to Iraq. I'd like him to have more than the 9mm as a sidearm. How do our guys over there get weapons beyond standard issue?

 

[NukemJim]

How do our guys over there get weapons beyond standard issue?

Either by:

1) breaking many regulations and being very sneaky and successfull in smuggling one over and carrying it without being caught.

2) get permession in writing from very high up in HQ ( EXTREMELY difficult and unlikely)

I'm not saying that it has not been done but that it is dangerous and difficult to.

From my understanding they are X-raying all mail to the troops and having all vehicles going over and back inspected as well.

NukemJim

 

[Gun-ther]

Sending Supplies

Well, that's bad news. Can they still receive food, batteries and plates for body armor? Heh.

 

[Jim Keenan]

A reserve unit about to ship to Iraq made arrangements to have a local steel fabricator make up armor plates for their humvees. The army said no soap, as not approved. Sounds like typical bureaucracy, but it seems that with the weight of the steel they planned to use, the humvee would have barely been able to move, something the troops didn't consider.

As to smuggling in personal weapons, definitely not a good idea, and big trouble if caught, not to mention lack of an ammo supply for .45 ACP.

Jim

 

[rhino465]

The reports I've read from people over there seem to indicate they have a lot more leeway in bringing personally owned weapons than some of the messages here would suggest. There are a lot of GIs over there packing personally owned handguns of all kinds all the time. The bosses are either ignorant of it, tolerating it, or allowing it.

It wouldn't hurt to just ask the guy's superiors about it. You may be surprised.

Of course, he could always acquire something when he gets there too. That shouldn't be all that difficult.

 

[Slowhand]

Like the old saying: "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

 

[waynej1]

Just curious,does anyone know what type ammo the Army and Marine Corps are issuing for the M9 ? Is there any place that has specs on the 9mm ammo they are using?Thanks Wayne

 

[djtibb]

Non-issue weapons

Gun-ther
The folks who already replied have given good advice. Its probably not the best idea to bring a non-issue pistol here unless it is supported by your command. You'll have to supply your own ammo, gunsmith, etc. and you're still not totally safe from getting yourself and you CO in trouble when some high-strung, uptight general or colonel sees you strutting around with a 1911. I've only seen one non-issue weapon over here (besides the SF guys) and that was a SIG 9mm.

I think your better course of action, if he's going to be issued an M9 would be to have him sneak some good self-defense ammo to supplement his issued 9mm NATO ball ammo.

You have to realize that over here, a sidearm is just that. We're not carrying concealed. We're allowed to carry rifles and carbines and shotguns and SAWs, etc. The sidearm is something only to be used in a pinch or occasionally during room clearing as most of the rooms and houses here are very small.

I'm not poopooing your idea, believe me because I thought about it myself but I didn't have time to really do anything because we left too quickly. We got called up last year on 26 Dec. and were at the armory the next day.

As far as getting something while he's over here, that wouldn't be hard at all. There's weapons everywhere. Someone offered to sell my friend a SS Para Ord the other day for $600. That's the exception not the rule but if you want to buy a gun on the down-low, this is the place to do it.

I wish your cousin all the best. What kind of unit is he in and how long will he have to stay? Does he know where exactly he's going yet?

Take care
Don

 

[GRPfan]

That's $600 to "rent" the gun on that tour, though

Or it would get sold as each owner's assignment ended. Under today's procedures, there's almost no chance of getting a gun purchased over there back here.

P.S. I tried to find spec for GI ammo and couldn't (with regard to how "hot" it is loaded), but it is definitely round-nose, FMJ ball ammo. All military handgun ammo is, required by the Geneva convention. Even the SF guys who do have different pistols won't have hollow points.

 

[Skelt]

I wouldn't recommend sending a weapon right now. Like someone said earlier, they are x-raying everything right now. I had a box sent back because they caught a bottle of Segrams 7 in it and a can of shaving cream that was an "explosive object". Also, back at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti (CJTF-HOA) whenever you send out a package now you have to have it open at the post office so they can inspect it. Ammo would get caught just as easily, and I would say be looked down upon even more as it represents a greater danger to the people handling the packages. And you don't even want to imagine the trouble he could get into if someone wanted to burn him. I know Iraq has much more lenient rules than Sudan or Djibouti though. I think its great that you would do that to help out a family member like that!! Hope he's doing ok.

Just my .02 worth...

 

[guy sajer]

I sent a roughly 15 lb package earlier this month

Sent it to one of our mods here at 1911 , Stormmaster. He's in the 1st Armored in a Blackhawk , still stationed at Baghdad Int Airport as far as I know .
I included AA batteries , cd's , food stuffs in many types of containers . He received it in about 2.5 weeks in good order .

I don't think it's a good plan to send anything controversial . Although , I did send an SI swimsuit issue

As far as guns go , about 2 weeks ago we got a request from a Marine's father for a Kimber TLE (I believe) . His son is a communications specialist in a Force Recon unit and was approved to bring the Kimber TLE as it was named specifically as an approved model . I contacted my man at Kimber and told him the story . They overrode the normal several weeks delivery and we had it in 2 days .

 

[crougeux]

I don't know what you guys are looking for, but is this it?

http://www.natchezss.com/ammo.cfm?c...=FA&subgroup=592&CFID=181978&CFTOKEN=10250789

All you men and women in the armed forces, Please Keep safe!

 

[CastleBravo]

Like the old saying: "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

...with Court Martial being the likely result. Military law not being famously forgiving.

I've only seen one non-issue weapon over here (besides the SF guys) and that was a SIG 9mm.

Actually, the armed forces do issue some Sig P228s as well (as the M11). So it could have been issued, too.

All military handgun ammo is, required by the Geneva convention. Even the SF guys who do have different pistols won't have hollow points

Wrong. The Geneva Convention says nothing about ammunition. You are thinking about the various Hague conventions, which we interpret as meaning that we can't use expanding ammo.

I think your better course of action, if he's going to be issued an M9 would be to have him sneak some good self-defense ammo to supplement his issued 9mm NATO ball ammo.

Only if you want them sent to Leavenworth if they use it.

 

[pcf]

Times have changed, getting caught with a personal weapon is big trouble. I can't even have a knife with a blade over 3" in the barracks, those have to go in the armory. Now days losing a round will result in a minimun of a page 11 entry, or more likely NJP.
The ammo we've been using in the M9s is Winchester white box, I never have paid attention to the bullet weight, if its +p, and what not.
If you want your cousin to carry a more powerful pistol, and insist on playing with matches, get a beretta 96.

 

[EvilEmpiresInc]

Ya, we arnt suspost to have knives with blades over 3 inches, but everyone has their Ka-Bars, and such. I know plenty of Combat Engineers with shotguns in their lockers, and Inf with pistols in theirs.

 

[UnSafe]

My 0.02 from 21 years in the Army and many, many deployments- Anything is possible. If you want to get a specific gun or ammo in or out of the current conflict in Iraq (Or Afganistan, PI, etc..) It can be done without much difficulty. The issue is- Is it worth it? Getting caught may result in a pat on the back for being "Operationally Focused" to harsh UCMJ punishment. Imagine successfully repelling a close ambush with your own .45 or with some 9mm Win Ranger JHP's/ CorBon/GD- Great! Now imagine some Iraqi holding the brass headstamp (And lifeless body of an "Innocent" bystander) up to the Al Jazeera or CNN cameras- Bad. Really Bad! Mark Geragos will probably accept the wrongful death case.. Don't expect mercy from the higher level bosses, they answer to all of the elected officials and press.

I absolutely support the concept of winning the fight at any cost, Better an unlawful survivor, than a lawful casualty. But (Another "But") you, or the recipient of your "gift" have to stand ready to accept responsibility for all actions. Keep it cool and don't tell everyone about your Li'l Friend. Soldiers are lousy secret keepers.

 

[Fraser]

Funny how I occasionally see a NY National Guardsman at Penn Station NYC carrying a 1911 in a leather holster.

 

[ALBY]

i see the National Guardsman in Penn Station too, but I see an M9 on a lanyard.

 

[Bob Reed]

Hello Gunners:

This is not a answer to the question at hand, but it might be of some intrest. www.sightm1911.com click on news, then scroll down about 1/2 way and click on "MEU's(SOC) in Iraq" and almost to the bottom and click on "Some MEU's still carry proven m1911 .45's".

ROCK~N~ROLL, "THE SOCKMAN"

 

[CastleBravo]

I don't know what your military experience is but this would be a wrist slap in most cases in a combat unit.

U.S. Army 1995-2001, including 2x 3rd world "field trips" :biglaugh: , both with armor battalions. People who snuck stuff they weren't supposed to out OR in got hammered, and hard.