Reply #144: You do know why they "stopped" that practice, don't you? [View All]

logistics. During the Civil War, the Army of the Potomac was trying to supply something like SIXTY-EIGHT different calibers/chamberings for small arms. It was a logistical nightmare.

I've yet to hear of a SINGLE case EVER where a US soldier was punished for taking or trying to take a personal weapon into combat, EVEN for something like a Captain's Mast or Article 15 hearing. Basically, the rule is "if you want to take it, OK, but check it with the unit armorer for transport and don't ask us to supply you with ammo for it unless it's a NATO chambering."

I know at least half a dozen Officers (O-2 to O-7) and a boatload of EM that are ALL in hazardous duty situations as we speak, and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM has at least one personal weapon with them, ranging from a Walther PPK/s to a personal beltfed. In all fairness, the guy with the personal beltfed has "more juice than God", and if the MPs tried to bust him on something so chickenshit, they (and their CO) would be looking for other work quickly. Getting BEFAT's permission to take a NFA weapon out of the country isn't a trivial exercise, but they approve it for him routinely.