Just making sure everything is solid between us all. Only 40% of what people write or text is interpreted correctly do to lack of inflection or facial registry, so every now and then, it doesn't hurt to clear up any confusion.

And my trusty Glock 21 takes it's place on the night stand.

If looked at as a sub-rifle or submachine gun (which it technically was, as the .30 Carbine is a pistol round), the M1 Carbine is a very effective design. It's light, reliable, accurate, and the .30 carbine bullet has similar stopping power to a .45 at closer ranges. But being looked at as a rifleman's weapon, it doesn't really meet the requirements. The M2 Carbine, if addressed as a submachine gun, would have really been effective issued in higher numbers.

My martial arts teacher fought in Vietnam for special forces, and he had a knack for modifying guns (even after he left service, he continued to smith other's guns and ship them back) and built an M2 Carbine with a cut-down barrel (he relocated the sights) and a para-stock. He said for run and gunning, it was extremely effective.

I think the M1 Carbine should be rebuilt to modern standards today. A lot of the war bring backs from WWII/Korea/Vietnam are beat up, and the top cover of the forends are the first thing to wear out. I shot my dad's M1 that was issued during WWII, rearsenaled for Vietnam, captured by the NVA, and recaptured by the US (as far as the marking tell), the forend top flew off the gun when I shot it.

If someone made a modern one, say in stainless steel with a re-designed forend, it'd be a pretty nice weapon.

Eh, I was just never fond of the .30 Caliber Carbine, nor of the sub-gun concept in general.

Speaking of Vietnam customizations, Pop's carried an Ithaca 37, with the barrel cut down all the way to the magazine tube cap and a pistol grip. He wore it in a custom leather rig with pistol belt hooks and a leather thong to strap it own his thigh.

Mind you, I've only seen pictures, but Pop's always looked pretty badass wearing that thing on his right hip, Ka-Bar on the other, a tiger stripe flight suit, with the arms tied around his waist and a M-1911A1 in a shoulder holster with his Air Commando brimmed hat.

Another weapon my Chung-Si was fond of was the M79 Grenade Launcher. Apparantly, his unit was issued 40mm buckshot and experimental flachette rounds. If you saw The Expendables, you have an (albiet exaggerated) idea of what the buckshot rounds could do, where as the flachette rounds are geneva convention banned dart-shaped rounds that could punch through trees. Probably the most insane story he told me was when he shot an enemy soldier at close range with a HE round. It failed to detonate due to the proximity, but lodged into the guy and messed him up pretty bad. So they took him with them in the chopper and tossed him out to see if they could make it detonate. I don't believe it did.

One of Pop's friend was in the 5th SFG, and as such had access to a variety of 40mm grenades, including buckshot, which he carried in a cut down M-79 that he liked to carry while walking point.

Pop's made the switch to the Ithaca after "zapping" an NVA guy three times center mass with his CAR-15 and still not dropping him. It took a blast of #4 Buck from his partner to drop him for good.

Pop's said that he had flopped down and was struggling to get his .45 out and working.

Cracks me up every time.

http://i51.tinypic.com/2ldy981.jpg

In Romeo & Juliet, we've just read the scene where we're introduced to Juliet's Nurse. I keep picturing the Nurse as Eddie Izzard in a drag.

Taking a muscle relaxer and going to bed didn't make the pinched nerve stopped hurting. It keeps getting worse

Go to a chiropractor, something's probably out of whack.