#LessonsLearned

For those of us so blessed to have served with open-bolt machine guns, we know that clearing malfunctions can be a real chore. Where standard shoulder-fired small arms like the M4 are truly difficult to get to cook-off temperatures, belt-fed weapons can get to those short, fast, and in a hurry. In fact, this is the very reason why (including accelerated barrel wear) that most belt-fed weapons have a provision for quick barrel changes.

The overall point of the WW II Live Fire, apart from creating an episode for our Youtube Channel, was to gain information and knowledge about these small arms that were used in World War II in ways that we couldn’t have gathered from shooting them on a square range or individually. Something that I think we really need to focus more on from a researcher or historians outlook is that these weapon systems weren’t developed and used in isolation. Sure, the M1 is a fantastic rifle for CMP matches but in all honesty that was very far from John Garand’s mind when he worked on the design. These weapons were designed to used by units of men, working very closely with each other, to accomplish an objective of overcoming an enemy force. Reenactments accomplish this well, but they don’t simulate the treatment these firearms would have gone through in combat due to the presence of live ammunition and actually trying to hit an enemy target at a distance. Bear in mind that we didn’t stage a reenactment, we staged a recreation, because we were literally trying to recreate history. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, please give it a look and then continue to read the article because it will make much more sense.

I know, I know. I’ve been a bit remiss at completing the Home-Based FFL series complete. Fortunately, there are many passionate TFB readers who are able to light, maintain, and grow a bonfire on my derriere to keep it moving. My thanks for the motivation!