How many vent holes is too many vent holes???!

[mrclark303]

Morning all,

A mate sent me this picture, its new to me, I haven't seen this much wood whittling since the Boer war Mausers .... or perhaps very OCD termites in Vietnam...

Attachment 84646

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[enbloc8]

Morning all,

A mate sent me this picture, its new to me, I haven't seen this much wood whittling since the Boer war Mausers .... or perhaps very OCD termites in Vietnam...

Attachment 84646

LOL, indeed!

I wonder why they felt the need for so much venting...assuming they don't have a go-fast switch grafted on to it, I can't imagine the solid handguards getting *that* hot in normal service.

[browningautorifle]

ssuming they don't have a go-fast switch grafted on to it, I can't imagine the solid handguards getting *that* hot in normal service.

Well, actually I had mine "That" hot many times with single rounds many times. If you go through four mags at normal rate during a session you'll have it just cooking.

[Peter Laidler]

There's not a lot of wood thickness at that part of the handguards so I'm surprised that they've stayed intact. They look well done but there's a drawback. One of the problems we encountered was that on hot steamy days - as opposed to the hot steamy nights in Singapore that the other more uncouth lads used to tell me about - after a few rounds you'd get heat haze from above the handguards. Not that it'd put you off, you just point-aim if it does. But extra holes alongside the red hot gas cylinder would(?) just exacerbate the situation. They can't act as gas cylinder vents as such because there is already a horizontal vent hole there for the exhaust gas. Can't see the shirt to identify whether its a Pom, Oz or NZ but probably Oz or NZ as there's no sling loop. But it is a godforsaken xxxxhole he's in

[mrclark303]

There's not a lot of wood thickness at that part of the handguards so I'm surprised that they've stayed intact. They look well done but there's a drawback. One of the problems we encountered was that on hot steamy days - as opposed to the hot steamy nights in Singapore that the other more uncouth lads used to tell me about - after a few rounds you'd get heat haze from above the handguards. Not that it'd put you off, you just point-aim if it does. But extra holes alongside the red hot gas cylinder would(?) just exacerbate the situation. They can't act as gas cylinder vents as such because there is already a horizontal vent hole there for the exhaust gas. Can't see the shirt to identify whether its a Pom, Oz or NZicon but probably Oz or NZ as there's no sling loop. But it is a godforsaken xxxxhole he's in

I would think NZ or Oz and Vietnam Peter, going by the mods to the rifle and his personal "jewellery" I would also guess this is another "go faster" special L1A1...

[Ovidio]

In any case, it sure looks cool!
But probably it doesn't get cooled.
Funny situation;-D

[CINDERS]

Is that a piece of pipe behind him, he appears pretty done in perhaps just in from patrol after dumping his kit and some one said smile which would be the last thing on his mind, rest and a cold beer if there was one......

[Peter Laidler]

Cinders, thread 7. It looks like the makings of what we used to call a 'basha'. He does look all-in and tired. Maybe he's the inner cordon sentry. What does intrigue me is the fact that someone has a camera for two reasons. It was taboo to take a camera on ops - absolutely taboo! I won't go into why but it was a lesson that should have been learned by the poms later........... The constant rain and moisture played havoc with optical instruments and out there there's absolutely nothing that is waterproof. His camera wouldn't last a week! You can put clean dry socks and pants in a poly bag and they'll still be damp when you decide to change them after a few days............. You do it for the first day of the JW course, like carrying orange in one of your water bottles. But after that you just do what the DS suggest - and get on with it

[Aussie48]

Ah Peter the dreaded Canungra and heartbreak hill

Dick

[mrclark303]

Cinders, thread 7. It looks like the makings of what we used to call a 'basha'. He does look all-in and tired. Maybe he's the inner cordon sentry. What does intrigue me is the fact that someone has a camera for two reasons. It was taboo to take a camera on ops - absolutely taboo! I won't go into why but it was a lesson that should have been learned by the poms later........... The constant rain and moisture played havoc with optical instruments and out there there's absolutely nothing that is waterproof. His camera wouldn't last a week! You can put clean dry socks and pants in a poly bag and they'll still be damp when you decide to change them after a few days............. You do it for the first day of the JW course, like carrying orange in one of your water bottles. But after that you just do what the DS suggest - and get on with it

I recall spending some time in the Mekong Delta during a trip to Vietnam back in the early 1990's, the humidity was a killer for all the electronic kit we carried, my camera actually packed up after three days and only came back to life when left in an air conditioned hotel room when we got back to Saigon!

As you say Peter, after a few days everything is soaking wet, no matter how hard you try to keep it dry, it's an impossible task, the air is just so water laden.

It gave us a short insight in (and a huge amount of respect for) those who have seen service in such conditions.

Fighting and living in those conditions must have been absolutely miserable, eaten alive by insects and your kit literally rotting on your back due to the unrelenting heat and humidity ... Never mind being shot at by angry men!