for the WW2 weapons nuts among us...quiz thread

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:56 am

okay, lets see who know their WW2 weapons:

we'll start with an EASY one...

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this weapon, a submachine-gun, was made by the Harrington & Richardson Arms Company in Worcester, Mass.
Caliber: .45 ACP
Length: 35.75 in.
Weight: 6lb or so.
Magazine: 12 or 20 round detachable box.
Cyclic rate: 550rpm.
Muzzle velocity: 920fps or so.

production run: several thousand, as many as 100,000 or so of this model and its brother model in total.

Ingenious design that fired from a closed bolt, though 'that' was not such a good feature of a fully automatic weapon due to heat buildup and potential round cook-off. many of the production went to USA forces (though not well recieved) and some went to Russia. this weapon was VERY prone to jamming from dirt/mud/dust and suffered a design weakness in the magazine. though it worked well for police and security forces where good care and clean conditions existed... it should never have been issued for general combat use. and it didn't take the US too long to figure that out.

Name this weapon:

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come on, some of you gun nuts....

lay it on me.

Beowolff

:FI:WillieOFS · Post by **:FI:WillieOFS** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:40 am

The designer's first name was Eugene. The thing was deemed TOO complicated for use and replaced by the Thompson which was later replaced by the "grease gun"..

Ya, I KNOW which one it is, but I'll keep quiet for a bit.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:35 pm

Not to good with this sort of thing but at a guess.... BAR

Ianus · Post by **Ianus** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:36 pm

Might be easier to know who's wrong if they sign in first,,,,,, er,, um

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:17 pm

nope, not a BAR, unless you said that in jest...

BAR or Browning Automatic Rifle was invented by John Browning and cranked out in the thousands by Colt, Winchester and Martin-Rockwell... many, many, many thousands. Also, the BAR was a cross between a rifle and a light machinegun, a sort of squad automatic weapon as it would be called these days...not a submachine-gun. the BAR was also heavy, weighing in at a hefty 16 pounds or so---without ammo. and the clincher was that the BAR was mostly (i say mostly because other chamberings do exist, though rare) chambered for the .30 caliber M1906 round.

oh yeah, there were FAL BARs too, in other calibers and with different stock and forearm configurations... but we're talking US made weapons here. and anyway, it wasn't a Browning Automatic Rife.

try again though.

Beowolff

Ianus · Post by **Ianus** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:46 pm

Hmm methinks a bit out of my depth here

Lol shows how much I know I was serious about the BAR,,

Anyone else?

Post by **:FI:Gurberly** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:57 pm

Mmm BF109 G2?
G

Ianus · Post by **Ianus** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:24 pm

I'm no expert Gurburly but I suspect that might be the wrong answer

Ianus · Post by **Ianus** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:27 pm

Oops sorry Gurburley,, neieveer coood spilll tuo weeel.. Hmm

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 3:03 am

well, buddy, least you're thinking.

anyone else for a guess?

Beo

hupla · Post by **hupla** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:56 pm

STEN MK3?

arne_and · Post by **arne_and** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:16 pm

hmm.. err.. umh.. uh....ufh.....argh! Im no gun nut!

Im gonna leave this one for of the other m8s

:FI:Spitsfire · Post by **:FI:Spitsfire** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:48 pm

6.7lbs

:FI:Igor · Post by **:FI:Igor** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:47 am

Reising M50 or M55.

Igor

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 3:23 am

give the man a cigar....! (or a beer!)

That IS the correct answer.

the Reising M50 was it... the M55 was a tad later. though the things were close enough to be twins so either one would have been okay.

these weapons were nice... many features ahead of their times... worked super great under clean, tidy, 'controlled' conditions... only they were TOO darn finicky and fragile for combat service. they hung up, jammed, mis-fired, broke, fell apart... generally did EVERYTHING wrong in the midst of hot firefights where lives depended on them. and as word spread to the combat soldiers carrying them, hundreds of the weapons quickly VANISHED in nearby ditches/swamps/lakes/lagoons/jungles.

Uncle Sam was pretty damned quick to get the message and get them out of frontline service.

kudos for getting the correct answer, pal!

Beowolff