I came across (or was sent, I am not sure) this strangely beautiful photo of captured weapons being destroyed with diesel and incendiary grenades. The photo was taken taken on September 23, 2007 in Samarra', S-Alah Ad Din, Iraq.
(The photographer does not want photos embedded, so click the link to see it)
As an EOD technician, destroying captured weapons was always my least favorite job. Most were garbage guns held together with tape, but sometimes you’ll get a functional beauty in pristine condition. Milled Soviet AKs, webley revolvers, Mosin Sniper models, MP5′s, PPSH’s, RPK’s & PKM’s… Enough to make you cry. I always thought the government could auction off the funtional guns stateside to make some cash, but what the hell do I know?
14 
0My uncle was an EOD technician in Desert Storm, and he said the same thing. Destroying weapons is a war crime.
3 0Enfields roasting on a open fire . . . .
5 0It’s a criminal waste, end of. Who cares what the rifle has been used for, you’ve liberated it, give it a good home! Especially the Enfields, doesn’t their previous good service earn them a better retirement than this??
3 0NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 0Its a war CRIME STOP IT!!! LOL
3 0This is a sad day for all rifle-kind.
3 1I’m crying over the Enfield. What did it ever do to you?!?
2 0That poor, poor yugo. I shed tears.
2 0It would be nice to introduce them to the civilian market. It would never happen, but it would be cool.
1 0i prefer the soviet doctrine: ship the good weapons home, throw them in a barrel of cosmoline, and store them in some remote bunker/silo.
1 0Good, Couple of these weapons were prolly used to shoot some of my Kurdish homies.
1 0As an Australian, this is all too familiar to me, and it sucks.
1 0Ha, ha… I see a Quaker Oats oatmeal box on the ground. At least they’re eating their oatmeal.
0 0This is…SINFUL!!! BEGONE, SATAN!!!
0 0Wherever they are, ship them to the USA! What a travesty!
0 0I agree, this picture is sad.
0 0Why? Why not just take the rifles and distribute them on a civilian market? I know I would go for an Enfield.
0 0For perspective, remember that those weapons were likely being used by insurgents to engage US forces.
0 0Sometimes, I wonder how valuable the weapons being destroyed are. Like, imagine if you will (although unlikely), an original AK-47 with the serial code 00001 being roasted like that X_X.
0 0I don’t usually cry, but…
0 0
This is…SINFUL!!! BEGONE, SATAN!!!
i prefer the soviet doctrine: ship the good weapons home, throw them in a barrel of cosmoline, and store them in some remote bunker/silo.
Ha, ha… I see a Quaker Oats oatmeal box on the ground. At least they’re eating their oatmeal.
I’m crying over the Enfield. What did it ever do to you?!?
It’s a criminal waste, end of. Who cares what the rifle has been used for, you’ve liberated it, give it a good home! Especially the Enfields, doesn’t their previous good service earn them a better retirement than this??
It would be nice to introduce them to the civilian market. It would never happen, but it would be cool.
As an EOD technician, destroying captured weapons was always my least favorite job. Most were garbage guns held together with tape, but sometimes you’ll get a functional beauty in pristine condition. Milled Soviet AKs, webley revolvers, Mosin Sniper models, MP5′s, PPSH’s, RPK’s & PKM’s… Enough to make you cry. I always thought the government could auction off the funtional guns stateside to make some cash, but what the hell do I know?
My uncle was an EOD technician in Desert Storm, and he said the same thing. Destroying weapons is a war crime.
I don’t usually cry, but…
Sometimes, I wonder how valuable the weapons being destroyed are. Like, imagine if you will (although unlikely), an original AK-47 with the serial code 00001 being roasted like that X_X.
Wherever they are, ship them to the USA! What a travesty!
Good, Couple of these weapons were prolly used to shoot some of my Kurdish homies.
For perspective, remember that those weapons were likely being used by insurgents to engage US forces.
Why? Why not just take the rifles and distribute them on a civilian market? I know I would go for an Enfield.
I agree, this picture is sad.
As an Australian, this is all too familiar to me, and it sucks.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That poor, poor yugo. I shed tears.
This is a sad day for all rifle-kind.
Enfields roasting on a open fire . . . .
Its a war CRIME STOP IT!!! LOL