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Comment by James F. Burgos on November 10, 2009 at 9:22am

Tomorrow is Nov. 11. Veterans Day. I would just like to wish you all a happy Veterans Day and ask you to remember all who have served. Now, with my eldest Grand Daughter, my family will have 6 generations who have served, or are serving, in the U.S. Army. Toujours Pret.

Comment by James F. Burgos on October 28, 2009 at 9:32am

Jeff, I remember the bruise very well. More than once I would leave the Mountains of the Cajon Pass with it. I finally rigged a shotgun recoil pad to the butt plate. Looked like hell but it worked. Another thing besides the power of the cartridge was the noise !! When I fired the M-14 for the first time in Basic Training i wondered " what is wrong with this thing?? ".. It just sounded like a firecracker.

Comment by Bruce Lantz on October 27, 2009 at 2:18pm

That's why I prefered the M-68----the recoil didn't bother me

Comment by Jeff Stamper on October 27, 2009 at 11:22am

James,
My cousin has an Enfield Mk.1, and I have put a lot of rounds thru that weapon. That .303 round is a hard hitter too and the weapon is pretty damn accurate too. The thing I remember the most about that Enfield was the brass butt-plate. If you spent a summers day in a t-shirt firing that Enfield all day, you would have a bruise the size of the butt-plate on your shoulder. Didn't matter how you held or cradled it into your shoulder....It would still lay one on ya.

Comment by Bruce Lantz on October 25, 2009 at 12:45am

It was in the same place as on the M-14----and served the same purpose. I had a chance to play with the 14 too. But I prefered the M-1 It seemed to be much more reliable. Just my opinion.

Comment by James F. Burgos on October 24, 2009 at 9:20am

Bruce, it has been decades since I handled an M 1 and I forget where the gas cylinder plug is located. In 68 & 68 we had the M 14 and the plug was in plain sight under the barrel. We always made sure that the plug was only finger tight. Some of us kept spares in one of our pockets. Loading the piece was much safer as the weapon had a bolt hold open device on the left side of the receiver. You placed a 20 round box magazine through the bottom, released the bolt, and you were ready to rock and roll. Also on the left side was the " selector switch " for full auto. You needed a special key for that BUT all you really needed was a pair of pliers ! heh heh heh

Comment by Bruce Lantz on October 23, 2009 at 12:08pm

Of course I did. Along with just about everyone else. I think that was just part of the qualification course for that weapon.
I drew a rifle to go to the Border once. That nite, the Vopo's locked and loaded on us. We did too. Then in the morning, I found that the guy in the arms room had left the gas cylinder plug out. Needless to say, he and I had a headed conversation and I learned to check my stuff

Comment by James F. Burgos on October 23, 2009 at 2:59am

Sorry Bruce, just an afterthought. Did you ever get an " M-1 thumb "??

Comment by James F. Burgos on October 23, 2009 at 2:52am

Bruce, if you were qualified with the M-1 , you know what a sweet weapon that was. My brother, Art, ( Vietnam Vet ) still owns one. Back in the 60's 30-06 was surplus and cheap and we really went to work on the Calif. desert. HOWEVER, if you could put 6 rounds into a 5 " group at 600 yards ( back in the day ) I wouldn't want to be on the other end of your muzzle ! My Enfield #4 Mk 1 could hold a 5 " group at 1,000 yards all day long and I think that the .303 is vastly overlooked in the U.S.A. I just wish that I still had those 16 year old eyeballs ! Now the rifle is the same, just we are not. Tempus Fugit

Comment by Bruce Lantz on October 23, 2009 at 12:07am

Now I do feel old.
I went thru basic with the M-1, and carried one when went went to the Border. Fired a BAR on a Leclerc team when I was in the 1st Bn, 14 ACR in 1959. Used to be able to cover a 6 round shot group with a closed fist-----from the 600 yard line!

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