Time to add a new caveat, because from email it's not clear to some folks (mind you, if you don't read this it won't matter...) Being an open post, people (collectively, the Denizens) other than I post in the H&I. They sign their work (most of the time) - keep that in mind when you want to flame someone in email please - if it doesn't say "The Armorer" or "John" then I didn't write it! And honestly - if you don't like something said or posted... leave a comment, and hash it out (within the context of The Rulez which are clearly posted on the comment form, I would add).

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First up: Awwwwwwwwww! [FbL sez: via comments, Wolfwalker points us more on the owl.]

F-18 FOD - U.S. airmen aboard the aircraft carrier USS Truman discovered a screech owl in the left-main wheel well of an F/A 18 Hornet during a pre-flight inspection, March 17, 2008. Nicknamed 'Fod,' short for foreign object debris, the bird was nursed back to health by an airmen who is a licensed U.S. falconer, then transported to land and safely released. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Matthew Bookwalter

Second up: Gimme summoradat!

A Paladin fires its 155mm Howitzer from Badoush Prison near Mosul to expose enemy movement, March 29, 2008. The Howitzer belongs to Howitzer Battery, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas. U.S. Army Spc. John Crosby

-the Armorer

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Heh. Heard about Randi Rhodes getting suspended for potty-mouthing Ms' Ferraro and Clinton?
You can catch that here, at Wake Up America, if you'd like (NSFW language warning). Along with some links to things she's said about Republicans that apparently aren't worthy of getting Ms. Rhodes, as Susan puts it, "Kicked to the curb." Indeed. -the Armorer

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Heh. *Everybody* is sending me links to this story - about a PIAT that was seized in a bust of a criminal enterprise.

Even without a live round, deputies showed off the power of a WWII-era grenade launcher Thursday (weapon details). It was one of more than 20 weapons seized in an eight-month investigation into an organized crime ring dealing in drugs, guns and stolen property in places like Polk, Osceola and Orange counties.

Heh. What they showed off, perhaps, was the power of the recoil spring. Which is pretty powerful (but does not, as many people think, have anything to do with the *launching* of a projectile, except to initiate the cartridge and absorb the recoil). You have to be powerful to absorb the recoil of a 3 pound projo being launched 150 meters or so without breaking the operator's shoulder. Before anyone gets too excited - the PIAT was removed from the NFA list... because ammunition for them isn't available. They're legal to own Federally, without restriction. I just love this kind of breathless reportage.

Not.

The Sheriff says they were told it was test-fired into a lake. If it was in that configuration - I have no idea what they might have been launching - but I bet they were just letting the spring-loaded spigot go forward, which wouldn't have launched much very far. This is truly a "stupid criminal tricks" episode. I do like that dangerous "bandanna" (hey, that's what the Sheriff called it) on the end of that Yugo SKS. No doubt there's been a lot of drive-by bayonetings and rifle grenadings, a virtual epidemic. As for the "full-auto" weapons, I would note that private ownership of those is legal in Florida - and would really like to know if those were legally held... I'm betting they were not NFA-registered weapons. I am also, honestly, bemused and amused by law enforcement agencies who have their CLEO wear 4-star rank. It seems kinda, pretentious all things considered. I'm not slamming the Sheriff here - if that's the uniform, that's the uniform, he probably didn't have anything to do with it - it was some predecessor of his.

Nice example of the PIAT, though. Late model, and they have the sub-caliber training round tray in it. 'Bout $1-1.5K worth of PIAT. And not illegal, however much I'm sure they want it to be.

Yes, the Castle owns a PIAT. We've even got inert rounds. Heck, we've got something else the bad guys didn't have - a (expended) launching cartridge. All the loaded guns - that's a story. The breathless concern about the PIAT? Misplaced. Bozos didn't even have the butt pad for it - if they'd ever *really* fired it, they'd have been *really* unhappy. H/t, Too Numerous to Mention! -the Armorer

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