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Interesting day in history today...

By The Armorer on September 21, 2006 | | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (1)

1780 Benedict Arnold gives British Major John Andre the plans to West Point. Such is the price of consorting with double-turncoats.
1792 French National Convention abolishes the monarchy, cutting off the head of the government, so to speak. Well, the following January, at any rate.
1858 Charleston: Black freedmen sail in sloop Niagara for Liberia - a nation that has strayed disastrously from the promise of it's founding.
1872 James H. Conyers becomes the first black USNA midshipman.
1941 The first Liberty-ship, Patrick Henry, is launched. The Liberty ships were a triumph of US industry and wartime logistics.
1942 First flight of the B-29
1944 Last British paratroopers holding the bridge at Arnhem surrender. I met John Frost, standing on his bridge (well, the replacement) during the 40th Anniversary observation during REFORGER '84.

In honor of that... how about some PIAT Pr0n?

The PIAT in the holding of the Arsenal of Argghhh!!! in the hands of a Brit Para re-enactor at a militaria show at Fort Leavenworth.

The PIAT in the holdings of the Arsenal of Argghhh!!! in the hands of a Brit Para re-enactor at a militaria show at Fort Leavenworth.


I hadda keep an eye on this guy... he *really* liked the PIAT!

The thing's a bear to cock, with that 220lbs-resistance spring in there.

The thing's a bear to cock, with that 220lbs-resistance spring in there.

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8 Comments

By jim b on September 21, 2006 9:35 AM
When I was a kid. The guy next door, a former paratrooper liked to play with what I would call "low rent" nearly military stuff. One 4th of July he buried a pipe in the ground and made a mortar. I came over to watch. He asked me if he could borrow my softball. I lent it to him. He lit a cherry bomb placed my softball on the top of the pipe, and hit it with a hammer, driving it down the tube some. Ka Frigginnnnnnn Blaaaamooo! My softball went waaaaaaay the fudge up and out of sight. It never came down. He turned to me and asked, "Got another one?"
 
By Dan Patterson on September 21, 2006 12:11 PM
A softball in orbit. That will aleviate some PTSD I'll bet. How the allies made any progress at all with some of the junk used for weaponry is a miracle all by itself. A spring-loaded firing system for an anti-tank weapon. Hilllll-a-rious. God bless the men who made the best of what they had. Dan Patterson Arrogant Infidel
 
By kat-missouri on September 21, 2006 12:42 PM
I saw two desert colored APCs being carted down I 435 yesterday and wondered if John was expanding his collection.
   
By John of Argghhh! on September 21, 2006 1:08 PM
Dan, in their defense - the spring is to absorb recoil. The actual launch of the projectile is via a blank cartridge. But 2.5 pounds going out with enough force to go 300 yards is a lot of "equal and opposite" reaction to deal with!
   
By Murray on September 22, 2006 2:28 PM
According to one "victim" of this weapon the PIAT crew consists of four men. One to load, one to fire, two to carry the mug that fired it and smahed his shoulder. Questions exist about the effectiveness of the recoil absorbsion system. Hands up anyone who has ever been issued a stirling as a personal weapon and marveled that ANYONE would go into combat armed with such a thing. I had pisses more deadly.
 
By John of Argghhh! on September 22, 2006 3:01 PM
Oooo! Oooo! Me! Me! Well, to be more accurate, I've carried it on exercise and shot it with ball and blank (no, not in the same magazine, snarkers - which does bring to mind the eventual MI officer and the way she loaded a magazine...) You definitely have to maintain a "good stock weld" or recoil is going to make your shoulder hurt, if not splinter. Just like shooting a 13-20mm anti-tank rifle. I never liked the Sterling stock - I lost too much skin to it.
 
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