The carbine is a BHI-15 outfitted with a Trijicon sight and SureFire mini suppressor. The magazine is a Magpul PMAG fitted with a MagPod prototype. Look ma, no stoppages!
Archive for the ‘weapons’ Category
MagPod in Action
Friday, May 18th, 2012RPG Accidents – They’re Real
Friday, May 18th, 2012Yesterday, questions arose over information published by SSD regarding the PG-7 grenade. A rather distinguished reader read the comments and shot us a link to this three year old video showcasing the standoff for the PG-7 grenade. Notice that there isn’t any (minimum arming standoff). This round doesn’t spin to arm.
BHI Foreign Weapons Course – Day 3
Friday, May 18th, 2012On day 3 we concentrated on former Soviet bloc marksmanship weapons like the SVD and FRK (PSL) as well other foreign weapons such as the Moison Nagant, SKS, .303 Enfield, G3, and FN FAL. The SVD isn’t a sniper rifle by any stretch of the imagination. It just isn’t built to the accuracy level needed for true sniper operations but it does offer a more accurate alternative to the standard AK.
As usual the day began with lectures and hands on practice. This time with the RPG-7. Unfortunately, due to the availability of rounds, we were unable to do any live fire. This block of training was followed by Russian marksmanship weapons in addition to various .30 weapons from around the world.
Later in the day, at the unknown distance range, we employed the guns we went over in class as well as a couple of others. We also had the opportunity to fire the BHI-15 with SureFire mini suppressor. The video is of the FRK also know as the PSL. Think of it as an AK blown up to 7.62 x 54R. It kicks pretty hard.
The day ended with a great deal of weapon cleaning and individual testing which consisted of a huge pile of parts laid out on a table. Students had to assemble the weapons and perform a function check, all the while answering questions regarding ammunition and nomenclature.
Today the class will meet on the range to conduct some weapon drills followed by a final Practical Examination which is the culmination of everything we have learned. They’ve kept us in the dark about what will happen but I’ll tell you more in my next installment.
Let’s Play The Name Game
Friday, May 18th, 2012
Who thinks they can name all of the weapons contained in this rack, left to right? I’ll give you a hint. I shot all of them yesterday at the BHI Foreign Weapons Course.
RPG Accidents – They Happen
Thursday, May 17th, 2012
Blackheart International showed me this this battlefield recovery of an RPG7. Remember, RPG (PG-7) rounds are always armed. This is what happens when a bad guy gets shot and then falls forward. Don’t stand close to the RPG gunner.
BHI Foreign Weapons Course – Day 3
Thursday, May 17th, 2012Yesterday, I had a rare opportunity to live fire a DShK (dush-kah) which is a Russian produced heavy machine gun. Blackheart International offers the only hands on, live fire instruction for heavy foreign weapons in the United States.
Day 3 of the BHI Foreign Weapons Course was all about Machine Guns…big, dangerous looking, Soviet Machine Guns. Over the course of a career, you might get to handle foreign weapons and maybe even shoot an AK, but rarely if ever do you get the opportunity to not only get into the nitty gritty of how to use and maintain them, but actually fire them as well. It’s training like this that promotes adaptability, going beyond simply demonstrating a capability to a student. Blackheart ensures you know how to do it.
Once again, we began the day with lecture paired with hands on application. Using the same methodology as previous days, our instructors gave us history of each weapon followed by a demonstration on how to make it safe, load it and maintain it. Due to the variety of machine guns we completed the lecture portion before starting a round robin with students rotating between the RPK, RPD, PKM and DShKM. In addition to the weapons themselves we also learned about accessories such as the tripods and cleaning kits. Below are examples of amazing cleaning kits provided to Russian troops with these weapons. Not shown is the DShK kit which includes a hammer!
PKM Cleaning Kit
RPD Cleaning Kit
Employment tips would come later in the day, at the range. We had one left to do before we could head out the door. After loading our DShKM links with specially produced 12.7 x 108mm ammo, we headed to the live fire range.
Once we set up the weapons, we were given the opportunity to load ammo belts and magazines and then put them to good use. The range was an unknown distance affair with various targets out to 800m. This meant that we would employ the range settings on the sights of the various weapons we had learned about during the morning’s classroom portion. Everything Blackheart does builds on what is learned previously and reinforces it.
Firing the RPK
Firing the PKM
Firing the DShKM
We all also fired the RPD.
Then, we headed back to the classroom and cleaned the machine guns. This not only provided critical maintenance but once again reinforced the day’s lessons. Due to the length of the training day, we capped it off with a written quiz on weapons nomenclature and calibers after a quick briefing on some of Blackheart’s other training courses and technologies.
Once the class arrived back at Sugar Creek Lodge, the class was surprised with a home cooked meal. Prepared by BHI’s very own Miss Carolyn, it was delicious and really hit the spot. Big thank you from all of us! It really means a lot to attend a course and be able to go back to a homelike atmosphere with all of the amenities. In addition to a great view of the West Virginia countryside, the lodge even has a workout room in the basement. Service like this allows you to concentrate on the training.
Today, we familiarize ourselves with the RPG and get some hands on time with the SDV, Moisin Nagant, and SKS.
BHI Foreign Weapons Course – Day 2
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012The AK family of weapons were the subject of day 2’s instruction. As soon as we took our seats we jumped right into two-and-a-half hours of lecture and discussion on the history and variants of the AK family of weapons. All the while, the instructors would quiz us on what we had just learned, further reinforcing the information with anecdotes. I began to see the significance of encountering certain variants and what that might imply. This block of instruction further instilled my thoughts that this is a great course for intel personnel as well as EOD. Oftentimes, they are the go to guys for info on munitions but not necessarily on the actual weapons.
Once we were exposed to the different models of AKs and their naming conventions we moved to hands on work. First, the instructor demonstrated how to handle and maintain the most commonly found model; the AKM. Then he contrasted various differences between the models. Next, with each student working with a different weapon, we practiced loading and clearing them and then broke them down and put them back together. Then, we swapped weapons so that everyone got a shot at a couple of different variants.
Once we were on the range, teaching didn’t stop. Here an instructor discusses the AK’s unique sighting system.
The BHI instructors took every opportunity to show you details on the weapons. While rare, stoppages were used as teaching points as well, helping us to earn about the root causes of malfunctions. We had ample opportunity to familiarize ourselves with both 7.62 x 39mm as well as 5.45 x 39mm AK variants in a variety of models and from a variety of manufacturers. For example, here I am, firing an AK-74.
After about an hour of familiarization, the steel targets came out and we moved back to 100 yards for some distance firing. After we were satisfied with our progress, we moved back once again to 200 yards and reengaged. This really demonstrated how the combat setting on the iron sights works and what is going on with the projectile.
Once back in the classroom, we once again broke the weapons down for cleaning with further reinforced the day’s instruction. After we were satisfied with our efforts, the Practical Exercise began. As with the day before, each student encountered a bench with a pile of parts, magazines and dummy ammunition from various weapons covered over the past two days. The point of the exercise was to separate the parts, build them into the proper weapon and associated magazine and ammunition and preform a function check. The student was expected to also be able to identify the proper nomenclature of the weapon and its ammunition and answer any other questions the instructor might have.
The constant reinforcement through verbal quizzing and hands on application is very effective and I am gaining a great deal of confidence in my ability to work with these weapons.
Today, we break out the DShKM. I can’t wait.
M240L Collapsible Bipod MWO
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
In addition to the M240L these will also go on the M240B.
