Monday, February 21, 2011

Praxis: The recoilless rifle makes a comeback with the Currahees in Afghanistan.


U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, familiarize themselves with the M67 90mm recoilless rifle by firing the weapon at a Forward Operating Base Orgun-E range Jan. 27th. The Soldiers fired roughly 150 rounds of 90mm ammunition. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nathan J. Hyman, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101 Airborne Division)

"There are no obsolete weapons, only obsolete tactics." -- Mike Vanderboegh


Just received this email from Parrothead Jeff:

Mike,

I saw this and thought you'd want to see it. I sent you the earlier info on the recoilless in action in some foreign mountains and figured if you liked that then you'd like this. Here's the link - http://mjm.luckygunner.com/2011/02/13/surprising-comeback-the-90mm-recoilless-rifle-returns-to-the-curahees-at-the-101st/

I found this in a post on The Firearm Blog (http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/02/21/m67-90mm-recoilless-rifle-back-in-use) where the author on that blog said something that really reminded me of Absolved:

Being the armchair-Lieutenant that I am, it has been amusing to watch how many obsolete weapons have been brought back into action during the past decade. The M14 is one notable example. Another is the M72 LAW. The Marines should be receiving their first batch of newly manufactured M72A7 LAWs in April.



Here's the article on the LAW - http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2008/11/25/m72-law-making-a-comeback/

Best wishes for quick healing for you as well as good health and prosperity for your family!


In terrain characterized by mud huts and concrete buildings (Afghanistan and Iraq)it doesn't make any kind of sense to use an insanely expensive Javelin on them -- yet that is what we've been doing. Plus, there is no hi-tech substitute for a portable cannon firing a beehive swarm of flechettes for close-in defense. Interesting too that they are bringing back the LAWs. If they're smart, the M40 series 106mm RR will be next.

M67 in training, circa 1970s.

11 comments:

Crustyrusty said...

Man, I haven't seen one of those in YEARS....

Anonymous said...

I used to hmp one of those heavy bastards

sofa said...

speaking of "Absolved"... any news?

Allen said...

I remember reading about a project to make a "dumb" rocket that could be fired from a TOW launcher for about $1000. that would fill the bill in a lot of cases.

I think the rangers still used the Carl Gustav 84mm RR. I'd rather see that than a LAW rocket. much more versatile.

J said...

Have read about the cost and tactical inefficiency of some of our weaponry against the heavy, thick mud walls and such, and I don't know who to ask, but -
WHY are we not using napalm and daisy cutters? Napalm, though nasty, often terrifies bad guys and would seem useful also against poppy fields, a major source of income for the Afghan muslim warlords.

Brock Townsend said...

106 will save ammo too with their tracer round.

Sean said...

Usta bunk with a guy who was the US Armys' top gunner, with the 106mm recoiless rifle. Damned fine soldier. Back in the day. Used it myself, too. Smokin'.

Tom Stedham said...

Might I suggest we not use the insanely heavy RR system, or the underpowered LAW, and instead put to work some of the thousands of captured RPGs?

Just my .02 worth.

Bad Cyborg said...

Hmmm, "useful in urban environments against buildings and lightly armored vehicles"
Might not be very useful against adobe walls, but it'd be DAMNED effective against buildings HERE.

When the shit starts, our side is definitely going to have to swipe some of them.

Allen said...

Bad Cyborg said...
"When the shit starts, our side is definitely going to have to swipe some of them."

exactly why we need manuals or people who know how to use them.

anyone found a manual for that XM-25 yet, or are we waiting for the final production models to get out first?

Boat Guy said...

106 is already back. SF guys have been using them in Afghanistan for a while now...