operation: Vorpal Bunny

Due to oversight on the part of several active (Level One qualified)
militia members, we found ourselves almost forced to squeeze in an attempt to re-qualify on Dec. 9th, at an undisclosed location (Camp X) in Monroe County.

   Training had been scheduled for the whole weekend, but due to a CCW class, we deferred until Sunday. As we do with hunting, we will schedule our training around CCW classes. It isn't that training is unimportant,but as hunters are usually out there to put some food on the table, and CCW students are learning (as required by law...) proper techniques in defending their own lives, we keep our priorities straight.
  

It seemed to me that this would be a last minute, hurry through, get four or five guys to re-qualify for Level One (so we can have a few more people who can vote and otherwise have a say in things), rush job.  I honestly looked at this as sort of a "going through the motions" kind of training day, and my enthusiasm was not nearly as positive as it should have been.

                                      Damn glad I went. Seventeen people showed up, including several new guys, and a large contingent from Macomb County. Seventeen might not sound like a lot to you, except that these seventeen were dedicated and committed enough to show up in the cold of early December to qualify. They care that much. Give me these seventeen people or so over any other hundred who lie abed this day in England. Really.

   What a lot of you miss by not coming out is the exposure to a vast
array of weapons. We can see dozens (or more) of rifles and pistols that
we might not otherwise get a chance to look at and even "pop off a few",
and I am just talking about Ken M, here. The rest of us have quite the
soirée of  Liberty Teeth as well, including the Denis "old bolt-action
rifle of the week" that I always find amusing.

   Out of about 12 or so that actually made a run for the Level One
qualification, everybody but two made it. One fine gentleman made an
excellent effort along the walk, but had to rest a seriously injured leg.
He tried, many didn't. I will pick him for my team. Another, newer young
fellow (no offense intended), also passed everything except for the
shooting, and he consistently scored one shot less than necessary. This
was frustrating, and I am sure that he will easily hit with the
bolt-action .308 next time. He was using an AK variant this time. These
are terribly reliable, dependable weapons. They are not terribly accurate
ones. (My personal take on this is that the big piston being driven back
while the round is still exiting the barrel will throw the point of
impact off. I am not a gun-ologist like Dave, but that is how it feels to
me. I am sure to hear conflicting reports about this, many of which will begin with, "Lee, you idiot..." If they are really entertaining, even at my expense, we will print some...).
  

Nick kept everything running along as calmly and as patiently as he could. he was kind of the default checker--guy, because he had the notepad.

  The gear check went well. Any deficiencies were made up by the presence of other people's extra stuff. Rubber gloves and gauze for the first-aid
kits were passed out (Thanks, Tom), somebody had some extra oil and extra
cleaning patches. See, we WANT everybody to pass this Level One. It is
wonderful to see how people are adapting and adjusting their personal web
gear to themselves and their weaponry. This is something you miss if you
are not there. Kudos to Lou with his chest pouch for the CETME mags, the
camel-back water set-up, and generally very neat and cool gear. Come and see this.

   After the gear check, we had to break down our rifles for field
cleaning. After some rifles have collected dust for many moons, one may
tend to forget how they come apart. It will come back to you after a
minute, surely. Basically, you need to demonstrate that you can take the
bolt out and run a patch down the barrel. It is interesting to watch
weapons with which you are not familiar being broken down. Pay attention
to this, you might have to break you buddy's rifle down someday...

  Then we went on the wonderful two mile walk. Nobody who intended to
complete this came up short. The yahoos in front sometimes tend to make
us more relaxed folks think that we need to sprint to finish within the
allotted time (40 minutes), but we didn't have to. Two miles in forty
minutes is not a leisurely stroll, but it is no race, either. You should
all be able to do this, barring certain medical conditions. Of course,
some of the folks broke a sweat, which was not good, given the cold
temperatures. Extra shirts should be brought along for this purpose, just
in case. Cheers to the folks who carried their rucksacks along on this
march, you are hardcore, people...

    Then things proceeded smoothly to the shooting for record. We shot in
groups of four. No coaching allowed, no benchrest, either. You can only
use gear (and weapons and ammo) that you carried along on the walk. If
you carried your rucksack, then you could shoot from behind it, using it
like a sandbag. (This actually helps people, and some of us throw our web
gear down to shoot from behind...)

  In the almost five years doing this, nobody had ever, ever, qualified
with an AK. This is not to poke sport at this fine rifle, but it is a
matter of fact. Well, this day, we had two people do it. (More on this in Denis's commentary, attached.) The first group had two folks do it on the first try, and went pretty good from there, with all but one person eventually getting at least eight out of ten on the plate at 100 yards.

The only person that didn't was using an AK as well. He also has a .308 Enfield, which will easily hit the requirement next time out. (We offered
to let him do another quick two-miles, with the Enfield and its ammo..we
will walk with anyone who needs to re-carry a different weapon. Or you
can carry two on the walk....and qualify with either or both of them....)

    Lou hit 12 out of 12 with his CETME .308, without, it seemed, much
effort. Damn good rifle, there...I think it is an excellent choice for a
battle rifle.

    The people who wanted to be "scope-o-riffic" (Kristin's word, not
mine..) spent some time dialing in their glass. There was even one rifle
that had a scope, but no iron sights at all....(I am still impressed with
the weight of this Carbonlite rifle, though.) But at the end of the day, I
was confident that everyone was tightening their groups and getting in
good range time. It is heartening to see bunches of people hitting the
targets. It is uplifting, indeed. Even a 9mm carbine qualified, despite
all of my snide commentary.

    I had fun shooting other folks' stuff, too. I was thrilled with Lou's
CETME. That is a rifle that I have perhaps been underestimating for a
long time, until I shot one. (More on the CETME in the last Nov/Dec
newsletter, and maybe more elsewhere in this one.) Be nice to pick one
up.....sigh....

   Thanks to Frank for letting me shoot his VEPR. I am not a big fan of
AK types (even if they are all black...), but the VEPR shot really well.
It had a nice feel to it, though some people claim it feels
"front-heavy".

    Thanks to Camp X for letting us come and shoot. Thanks to Lou for the
ride. Thanks to Nick for keeping things moving along. Great to have Mike
W and the Macomb guys come out. They are good, dedicated people. Thanks
to Lou and Ken (and everyone else)who used the spotting scopes and helped
with coaching. Welcome to the newer folks, Todd and Keith, we hope to see
you again out there...

    Everyone who came made this, for me at least, one hell of a good
session.  I will look forward to seeing more and more of you out there in the
year ahead.     Happy New Year To All...

  -Lee

********************************
Yesterday, December 9, 2001, a day that will live in wonder, not one, but
TWO shooters of AK derived rifles succeeded in qualifying for level one
accuracy. In the (four, five or six?) years we have been having
qualifications, great time and effort have been expended by AK owners to
try to accomplish this goal; at least hundreds, if not thousands of
cartridges have been sent downrange, without success. Since this is truly
an epochal watershed of militial accomplishment, the occasion should be
properly documented and recorded for posterity.

 
I know that one of the successful rifles was an NHM-91 with a heavy
barrel and bipod, fired with iron sights. I don't remember seeing the
size of the group on target, but all 10 shots were on the plate.
Kristin's message tells me the shooter's name was Keith.

 
Tom was the other successful  AK-ist, and I only got a glance at his
rifle so I don't know what it was. The stock looked vaguely Bulgarian,
but if he could provide accurate details on the rifle and ammo, that
would fill in the blanks much better.

All in all, yesterday's qualifications were an illustrative example to
prospective shooters that one doesn't need an expensive or accurized
rifle to get the job done. Mine was a scoped $40 Turkish Mauser with
shallow, worn rifling. Stamped 1935, it fired corrosive mil-surp
ammunition made in 1944, one (out of the ten) of which misfired and had
to be recocked and fired again. Nevertheless, it was capable of putting
all it's shots in a 9" circle at 100 yards. Even though one other AK
shooter did not succeed in qualifying yesterday, we now know that there
is at least the potential for  practically any rifle to do it.

D.C.