Article about: Ahahahaha I'm in Afghanistan right now but didn't even even found an old splinter! Only Russian scrapyard with some Mig and Tanks... I went to the local market but they reproduced everything
The photo isnt working at the moment but hopefully it will come up. It shows over 1000 rifles found in a old textile mill in Afghanistan. I could see Lee Enfield No1 Mk3s, Martini Action (Henry/Metford/Enfield?), PPSH and many other antique arms. What makes me wonder is the fact there all obsolete weapons, this to me sounds like a publicity stunt by the Afghan Army. If they were of use, the locals would have had them away and hidden them.
Similar happened when I served in Iraq, the Iraqi Army would inform us they had found hundreds of items of ordnance on a raid and would we come and collect it. The IA would get a pat on the back, given aid (Usually tools and equipment etc) and get their photos in the local rag. We would then collect the stuff (supposedly where it was found) and we would notice that some items were brand new in wrappers and some had just been dug out of the sand where its laid for the last 20 odd years. So obviously a set up!
Anyway, I digress. All these weapons were destroyed in what looked like a fire pit or possibly blown to pieces. Good job I wasn't there, I'd have checked every one and had the best away for deactivation! (UK)
That's an interestinng story, but as you say, those rifles are quite possibly going to be a mound of obselete, unusable weapons from varioius different places and piled up to look like a significant haul of weapons captured from insurgents by the brave lads of the Afghan army, when in actual fact any insurgents in the area would be quite able to get their hands on AK-series rifles, M16s, FALs or whatever and would have had little want or need for the worn out remains of old Martini-Henrys and Lee Enfields. I suppose the Afghan army might hope mainly to gain hearts and minds locally by making it seem as though a significant haul of enemy weapons has been taken and the insurgents are now 'on the run' so to speak. The RAF meanwhile can try to convince the British public, or at least some of it, of the same and gain some propaganda benefit of their own.
The Taliban still use antique weapons in Afghanistan. I have seen some captured with M1 Garands, Tommy Guns, Stens and Bren Guns. I even saw an old Vicker's water-cooled MG with Chinese markings. In Iraq, German WWII guns turn up frequently, like MG42 and MP44. So don't assume they all have new guns. Even their AKs are sometimes in a shitty state. They also cut the buttstock off as aiming is for those infidel bastards Better for us infidels of course!!! Danny
I spent 4 months outside the wire on EOD duties and all I found was a SKS in a scrap yard, a 1936 BSA made Lee Enfield No.1 Mk3 converted to punt gun with electrical conduit, and 2 identical blank firing guns converted to fire converted blanks. I did find S**t loads of ordnance, especially Ex Brit and US stuff on the Iraq/Iran border, and Ex soviet/Iraqi copied stuff everywhere else. We also found a number of chinese 107s on improvised launchers that we were supposed to be on the other end of.
I even had a military contact in the UK who I could legally send anything special too.
The photo isnt working at the moment but hopefully it will come up. It shows over 1000 rifles found in a old textile mill in Afghanistan. I could see Lee Enfield No1 Mk3s, Martini Action (Henry/Metford/Enfield?), PPSH and many other antique arms. What makes me wonder is the fact there all obsolete weapons, this to me sounds like a publicity stunt by the Afghan Army. If they were of use, the locals would have had them away and hidden them.
Similar happened when I served in Iraq, the Iraqi Army would inform us they had found hundreds of items of ordnance on a raid and would we come and collect it. The IA would get a pat on the back, given aid (Usually tools and equipment etc) and get their photos in the local rag. We would then collect the stuff (supposedly where it was found) and we would notice that some items were brand new in wrappers and some had just been dug out of the sand where its laid for the last 20 odd years. So obviously a set up!
Anyway, I digress. All these weapons were destroyed in what looked like a fire pit or possibly blown to pieces. Good job I wasn't there, I'd have checked every one and had the best away for deactivation! (UK)
Hi Guys, as links which get posted often die over time, it is usually worth saving the text and the photo and adding it to the thread for posterity:
RAF Regiment Gunners in Afghanistan have uncovered a cache of almost 1,000 firearms.
16 December 2009
In the biggest operation of its kind, they worked with the Afghan National Police (ANP), US troops and local villagers to make the find.
Acting on intelligence gathered over a period of weeks, Gunners from 27 Sqn RAF Regiment led the operation that uncovered the hoard in an abandoned textile factory just outside Kandahar.
The haul practically covered the entire floor space of the building.
Patrol Commander Flt Lt Peter Hammond, of B Flight 27 Sqn RAF Regiment, said: “The weapons were in various states of repair but there is no doubt that many of them could have been used in attacks on our Forces.”
An eight-vehicle convoy had to make a 15km journey to the site
from Kandahar airfield. It took more than an hour as the convoy had to stop to check for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Gunners were joined at the site by American bomb specialists who made sure the building was not booby-trapped.
Flt Lt Hammond added: “The ANP gave us intelligence that there was a cache of weapons hidden in a warehouse.
“We moved to the location with them and met up with US troops who were part of the same investigation team.
“What we found was unbelievable. The floor was covered with these long-barrelled rifles.
“Nobody expected there would be quite so many weapons.”
For some of the Gunners involved in the operation it was a successful introduction to life on the front line.
SAC Alan Pownall said: “This is my first tour and so far this is the biggest weapons find we have made. It’s good to know that these guns are now destroyed and will not be used against us.”
27 Squadron RAF Regiment, who return to RAF Honington in January, have been providing Force Protection around Kandahar airfield ensuring the safety of air assets using it.
They regularly police an area of 500km around the air station, home to around 20,000 coalition personnel.
The weapons find is the biggest operation they have undertaken to date, but they regularly uncover IEDs – an average of three a week.
A MoD spokesman said: “This is a classic example of partnership working between the Afghan National Police and the RAF Regiment around Kandahar Air Base to ensure the security of the local population and the military forces.
“This is Afghanistan in action. The RAF Regiment and the ANP have had a good find and should be justifiably proud of their achievement.”
Afghan Haul over 1000 rifles.
.
i like my hands too much
Better for us infidels of course!!! Danny
by m3bobby
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