US Special Forces Weapons Report Card

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My non-fiction article about Special Operations weapons and employment is now live for the Amazon Kindle.

For years a highly dubious “Weapons Report Card” allegedly written by an American soldier serving overseas has been making the rounds on the internet. Unfortunately, this report card is highly inaccurate and full of misconceptions. In this 3,700 word article written by a former Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, the weapons used by American Special Operations forces are examined and reported upon. Rather than an all inclusive, comprehensive report, this article gives a good thumb nail sketch of the wide variety of weapons currently used by US Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a special focus on exotic weapons and cutting edge systems in the process of being integrated into service. Contains seven photographs from the author’s collection, including the bizarre “Chimera Gun” that an Iraqi soldier built in his home from spare parts!

An invaluable resource for researchers, enthusiasts, and those with an interest in the military.

Sample:

M4: The M4 rifle is a shortened M16 carbine and is by far the most common weapon found in the hands of US forces today.  Special Forces troops carry the M4 and utilize the new SOPMOD 2 package which includes the EO Tech 553 holographic reflex site, LA-5 infrared laser, foregrip, the M3X visible bright light (tactical light) and associated accessories.  Also included is the Elcan Spector telescopic sight which is adjustable from 1 power to 5 power via a throw lever on the side of the optic.  While this is an interesting idea, nearly all Special Forces troops leave these sights in their card board boxes to collect dust and simply use to EO Tech 553.  We felt that the Elcan was a little bit too much and perhaps over engineered.  Now, if we had been facing long range engagements in Afghanistan, rather than precision raids in Iraq, maybe we would have felt differently.  Along with the EO Tech, the LA-5 is much smaller than the PEQ-2 and together these are the most valued items in the SOPMOD kit.

M9: The M9 Beretta pistol is essentially the military version of the civilian 92F.  I never cared for the pistol due to the double action trigger and poor placement of the decocking lever.  Another failing of this weapon is that it is chambered for the 9mm round.  Most of us would have preferred a .45 caliber hand gun.  The manner in which this pistol is carried may be unfamiliar to some so I will explain here.  To load the pistol, the slide is locked to the rear, a loaded magazine is inserted, and the slide is released to chamber the first round.  The decocking lever is then depressed to safely drop the hammer.  Next, the decocking lever is switched back up into the fire position.  Special Forces do not consider the decocking lever to be a safety and do not use it as such.  The weapon is considered to be safe while on fire with a round in the chamber due to the fact that it has a double action trigger.  At this point, the pistol is safely holstered.

As I mentioned above, I never cared for the double action trigger, it makes sight alignment difficult with such a long squeeze needed before the hammer drops.  Rumor has it that some Special Forces soldiers have taken apart the trigger mechanism and cut the springs to make for a shorter trigger pull.  I never did this myself, but one hears things.  Of course, it is highly illegal under military law for an operator to go inside and make modifications to his weapon in this way.