Taking the tank to Tesco's

[Cycleops]

I see the latest DM gaffe is calling the Land Rover that Prince Phillip will be carried in a 'open top Landover' Maybe it's a cabriolet?

 

[Bazzer]

To be fair, it's like gun nuts bleating that 'AR-15' doesn't mean 'assault rifle'. To all intents and purposes, given that we're not talking about an actual combat situation, it's a flippin' tank.

I thought the original AR 15 referred to the Aramlite rifle model 15.

 

[winjim]

I thought the original AR 15 referred to the Aramlite rifle model 15.

Nobody cares. That's the point.


Edit: driving a 'tank' to Tesco is funny, the AR-15 debate less so. I just deleted a bit of a diatribe but let's keep a sense of humour about our weapons of war, at least in this thread, eh?

 

[DRM]

Please don't tell me they park it in the disabled bay when they get there!

No he puts it in 2 disabled bays

If the commander is making a brew something has gone very wrong.

I find it interesting from a safety point of view that in service it cannot be taken on the road without at least one additional crew member (normally a qualified commander) in the turret for safety reasons, but I could buy one as a civilian and drive it solo to the supermarket.

Perhaps the commander is in a generous and benevolent mood

 

[Drago]

I thought the original AR 15 referred to the Aramlite rifle model 15.

The original made by Armalite was an assault rifle. Goes back as far as the 50's as I recall. Ultimately the M16 was developed from it.

But Armalite didn't sell many and were in financial schtick, so sold the rights to Colt. Colt re-engineered it from an assault rifle into an SLR. With the M16 servicing military customers they maketed the semi-auto only AR15 for police and civilian use. Eventually the rights expired, and now the world and his dog make clones of the Colt design, and that is what the World knows today.

So sad Tackleberry types like me do care, if only for the sake of historical accuracy. Also when people get hysterical about gun crime in the states (and often it is very justifed to do so) it doesn't help their cause when they can't even accurately describe the very items they so decry. Know thy enemy.

As an aside, AR clones such as the S&W are legally available in the UK in .22 and .22LR for FAC holders. Theyre not that expensive either, about half the price of a cheapish new shotgun. They don't appeal to me though - no use as a sporting weapon, while they're great for plinking targets the ammo costs make it a horrifically expensive alternative to a nice PCP, so I can't see why they bother. Indeed, few do bother.

 

[DRM]

I seem to recall watching a documentary about the Vietnam War, they said the early versions of the M16 were responsible for more U.S Military deaths as the things kept jamming, just as the troops needed them most.

 

[Drago]

I seem to recall watching a documentary about the Vietnam War, they said the early versions of the M16 were responsible for more U.S Military deaths as the things kept jamming, just as the troops needed them most.

Yep, poor quality "sticky" ammo would cause stippages, not helped by the M16 being more complex than the M14 it replaced and requiring a more dillgent cleaning regime. G.I.s would sometimes carry a captured AK in preference to the early 16.

 

[dodgy]

Whilst we're enjoying a morning of pedantry on cyclechat, I should point out that there's no apostrophe, or second 's' in Tesco

 

[DRM]

Yep, poor quality "sticky" ammo would cause stippages, not helped by the M16 being more complex than the M14 it replaced and requiring a more dillgent cleaning regime. G.I.s would sometimes carry a captured AK in preference to the early 16.

Yes recall them saying that too, sloppy communist engineering means it just works anywhere.

 

[matticus]

Whilst we're enjoying a morning of pedantry on cyclechat, I should point out that there's no apostrophe, or second 's' in Tesco

I thought about posting that, but didn't want to risk starting a war ...

 

[matticus]

sloppy communist engineering means it just works anywhere.

goddamn "works anywhere" commie enjuneering!

 

[captain nemo1701]

I was thinking how much damage the tracks probably do to the road surface then I saw that the owner talks of tracking tank thieves by the marks left on the road. I wouldn't have thought that Highways England would be too happy with him...

It may have rubber tracks. We have the same issue if we bring heavy tracked excavators onto roads, metal would rip up the asphalt.

 

[MichaelW2]

Just found yourself as Defence Correspondent at the Daily Mail? Worried you don't know the first thing about all that confusing jargon? Don't worry, it's not remotely confusing once you do away with pesky facts... here's your cheat sheet guide to Daily Mail military recognition!

• Old aeroplane, propellor driven: Spitfire
• Grey aeroplane, jet driven: Tornado jet
• Same aircraft but painted black: Stealth plane
• Tracked military vehicle: Tank
• Wheeled military vehicle: Jeep
• Protected / hardened facility: Nuclear bunker
• Same facility, but you had to ask for directions: Secret nuclear bunker
• Pistol: Gun
• Sniper rifle: Gun
• Anti materiel rifle: Gun
• Any firearm with automatic fire: Machine gun
• Grey boat: Battleship
• Grey boat you can land a helicopter on: Aircraft carrier
• Green helicopter: Army chopper
• Same helicopter painted black: Stealth chopper
• Helicopter with two spinning bits: Chinook
• Army soldier: Squaddie
• Army surgeon: Squaddie
• RAF air traffic controller: Squaddie
• Royal Navy pilot: Squaddie

Easy, now off to the pub to write your next piece about the upcoming defence review. Triples all round!

Daily Mail milrec addednum
Special Forces Operator: Blade
Usage:
Will the Blades be OK with a Cuthbert birthday cake or should upgrade to a Colin?

 

[byegad]

It's not a tank, it's a CVRT combat vehicle reconnaissance, tracked. You need a track licence to drive one, but he should have someone it the turret to guide him, as you can't see all round.

As for track damage, the ground pressure is lower than most cars, there are rubber pads on the track so shouldn't do much damage. The sticky out bits at the edge can chow up kerb stones though.

When they first came out, powered by a Jaguar engine, they could out accelerate* out 1000cc Ford Anglia, the inward sloping rear window one, from the traffic lights. IIRC They were re-engined at some point, I wonder if they are still so nippy.
* Our local TA had both the Scorpion and Scimitar. The main difference being the gun fitted.

 

[matticus]

Daily Mail milrec addednum
Special Forces Operator: Blade
Usage:
Will the Blades be OK with a Cuthbert birthday cake or should upgrade to a Colin?

I wish you hadn't posted that - I'm already finding it hard to separate this thread from the ALDI-vs-M&S Caterpillar tracks War one!