ADVERSARIES! Discuss your opposing firearms here!

[Picton]

I've been thinking about a thread like this for awhile: a place to post the bits and pieces of your collection that would have faced off at some point in the hands of bitter enemies.

Got a Garand and a Kar98? Post them together! Got an SP1 and an SKS? Tell us about what they might have done against each other in Vietnam. Charleville vs Brown Bess? Here's the thread to post them in. A 1930s Al Capone shotty vs a pre-Model 10 the G-men might have carried? Put them together, post a pic, and put it here.

Maybe this'll take off, maybe not, but it might be fun, informative, and enlightening. And even if it's none of those things? It'll be a bunch of kick-ass pics of really great guns.

I'll start off in just a bit. Let's see how it goes.

 

[Picton]

The British (or English, if you want to go back far enough) made a 700-year attempt to conquer Ireland. You can’t say they ever succeeded 100%, though, and by the 1970s the relationship between Ireland, independent since 1921, and Britain’s provinces in the northern part of the island had devolved into a series of brutal fights collectively known as The Troubles.

The weapons presented here would have been typical of the battles fought during the 1980s between the British Army and its auxiliaries, and their opponents the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).

Britain armed most of its men with its version of the FAL, the L1A1 in 7.62 NATO. This example wears some wood, some plastic: units got black maranyl as it was available, and armorers swapped the parts as they wore out. It’s got a SUIT sight, usually issued to leaders and pointmen, which looked cool but never really worked all that well. The pistol is a version of a Browning Hi-Power. The British used several types, with a variety of features replaced as needed.

The PIRA used whatever it could get, but among its most famous weapons was “the little Armalite,” the AR-180 in 5.56 NATO, usually smuggled in from the USA and paid for by Republican (in the Irish sense) supporters here. This example was actually made in England by Sterling. Their pistols were a hodgepodge of old British military weapons, S&W revolvers brought in from the States, and anything else they could find. This one is great-granddad’s old Webley Mk IV from the Boer War, in .455, most likely found in granddad’s attic.

Enjoy!

 

[amb]

Is it cheating to put my Mosin-Nagant 91/30 up against basically every other battle rifle ever? Including another Mosin. (Probably I'll go with Mosin vs SMLE, there's a whooole lot of history there.)

I think this thread concept is awesome.

 

[Picton]

Is it cheating to put my Mosin-Nagant 91/30 up against basically every other battle rifle ever? Including another Mosin. (Probably I'll go with Mosin vs SMLE, there's a whooole lot of history there.)

I think this thread concept is awesome.

Doooo iiiiiiitttttt...

 

[sieveboy]

Not much to discuss, but here’s two adversaries

 

[Picton]

That Arisaka's in great shape.

 

[fencer]

Not much to discuss, but here’s two adversaries
View attachment 753341

Would like to see more of those two rifles.

 

[fencer]

Great thread. Made me realize I do not have any firearms that were used to oppose the US.

 

[graphite]

Nice try Fed Boi, trying to get me to show you pictures of my "arsenal" with all my fully semi-automatic "weapons of war" with the shoulder things that go up - NOT HAPPENING!!

 

[Picton]

Great thread. Made me realize I do not have any firearms that were used to oppose the US.

My big thing is that I've owned US weapons in the past, but I don't have any now. And I've never owned Axis firearms. I've always gravitated more toward WWI and/or Commonwealth/ComBloc stuff.

I'd love to get into BP, with replica Enfield muskets or Brown Besses or whatever, and I'm the kind of guy who'd buy all the stupid overpriced pouches and horns and crap too.

 

[Rat187]

Nice try Fed Boi, trying to get me to show you pictures of my "arsenal" with all my fully semi-automatic "weapons of war" with the shoulder things that go up - NOT HAPPENING!!

lol...first thing that came to my mind

 

[Drix]

I got a ONG stamped shottie and a college diploma, does that count?

 

[Picton]

I got a ONG stamped shottie and a college diploma, does that count?

.....ooof.

I'm pretty sure they used Garands?

 

[fencer]

My big thing is that I've owned US weapons in the past, but I don't have any now. And I've never owned Axis firearms. I've always gravitated more toward WWI and/or Commonwealth/ComBloc stuff.

I'd love to get into BP, with replica Enfield muskets or Brown Besses or whatever, and I'm the kind of guy who'd buy all the stupid overpriced pouches and horns and crap too.

I've always been partial to the 03 Springfield. My Dad served in the Pacific and spent some time with the rifle. He said that on more than one occasion, the platoon's "sniper" was the best shot out of whoever was left. The old man was a pretty good shot.
I've only fired one a handful of times, but loved it. The 03 is just a sweet rifle

 

[Picton]

I've always been partial to the 03 Springfield. My Dad served in the Pacific and spent some time with the rifle. He said that on more than one occasion, the platoon's "sniper" was the best shot out of whoever was left. The old man was a pretty good shot.
I've only fired one a handful of times, but loved it. The 03 is just a sweet rifle

I grew up with SMLEs, so my preference is usually for Enfield actions over Mauser. Meaning, if I did get a US bolt-action, it would be the 1917.

I used to own a Pattern 14 (the British version of the M1917), and that thing was an incredible rifle.

 

[Brad.in.IL]

1982 - The Falkland Islands .. both sides used the FAL .. The Brits had the semi-auto version, the Argies a full auto version.
When possible, the Brit soldiers swapped their issue rifles for any Argie rifles they could pick up.

 

[Picton]

1982 - The Falkland Islands .. both sides used the FAL .. The Brits had the semi-auto version, the Argies a full auto version.
When possible, the Brit soldiers swapped their issue rifles for any Argie rifles they could pick up.

Yeah, I've got one of each. I'll be posting one of those as soon as I can get a pic taken.

They both used BHPs, too.

 

[whacko]

The British (or English, if you want to go back far enough) made a 700-year attempt to conquer Ireland. You can’t say they ever succeeded 100%, though, and by the 1970s the relationship between Ireland, independent since 1921, and Britain’s provinces in the northern part of the island had devolved into a series of brutal fights collectively known as The Troubles.

The weapons presented here would have been typical of the battles fought during the 1980s between the British Army and its auxiliaries, and their opponents the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).

Britain armed most of its men with its version of the FAL, the L1A1 in 7.62 NATO. This example wears some wood, some plastic: units got black maranyl as it was available, and armorers swapped the parts as they wore out. It’s got a SUIT sight, usually issued to leaders and pointmen, which looked cool but never really worked all that well. The pistol is a version of a Browning Hi-Power. The British used several types, with a variety of features replaced as needed.

The PIRA used whatever it could get, but among its most famous weapons was “the little Armalite,” the AR-180 in 5.56 NATO, usually smuggled in from the USA and paid for by Republican (in the Irish sense) supporters here. This example was actually made in England by Sterling. Their pistols were a hodgepodge of old British military weapons, S&W revolvers brought in from the States, and anything else they could find. This one is great-granddad’s old Webley Mk IV from the Boer War, in .455, most likely found in granddad’s attic.

Enjoy!

View attachment 753320

Great post. Had to reply and post one of my favorite songs.



View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ehukpdse8_w&pp=ygUSbWUgbGl0dGxlIGFybWFsaXRl

 

[Picton]

I picked up a Galil yesterday, and I couldn’t wait to bring it out into the sun.

Israel declared their War On Terror around 1979, when they grew tired of a wave of plane hijackings and terrorist attacks that various Palestinian nationalist groups pulled off in the 1960s and ‘70s. So, in 1982, they invaded Lebanon.

This pic could have been shot somewhere in the Beqaa Valley that year, maybe down by the river. The PLO had many fighters, seasoned by the Lebanese civil war and the many conflicts against Israel dating back to 1948. They drew their weapons from supporters all over the world.

This AK is a Maadi from Egypt with a Chinese magazine; the Chinese government provided much military aid to leftist groups all over the world. For a pistol, I chose a Czech vzor 50, typical of the mix of Combloc weapons you might have found in many terrorist organizations. Their emphasis was on concealibility for assassinations and personal defense. I know where this pistol has been since 1999; it has Balkan provenance.

Israel, by 1982, would have been using a mix of Uzi SMGs, M16 rifles, and their own home-grown Galil, an excellent AK derivative based on the Valmet. This rifle is actually a Norinco conversion in 7.62x39, but I cheated with a 5.56 mag. The pistol is the ubiquitous BHP, pressed into Israeli service (this example has IDF markings) and used for several decades.

 

[StevieP]

All my guns are American made. That actually came into my purchase decision-making when deciding to exercise my Second Amendment rights.
S&W
Ruger
Sig
Remington
My ARs are all made from American components (uppers, lowers, barrels, triggers, etc.)
No MilSurps. Everything is post 2008

I may never own an FN, H&K, Glock, or even an AK

 

[drgrant]

All my guns are American made. That actually came into my purchase decision-making when deciding to exercise my Second Amendment rights.
S&W
Ruger
Sig
Remington
My ARs are all made from American components (uppers, lowers, barrels, triggers, etc.)
No MilSurps. Everything is post 2008

I may never own an FN, H&K, Glock, or even an AK

Lol all of the above are made in USA now, to some degree or another.

 

[tuna]

Would a modern version be a compound bow and a Blackhawk?

 

[amb]

I'm pretty sure they used Garands?

I believe so. I always wondered if those rifles ended up cycling through the CMP--like they say, "own a piece of history!"

 

[Picton]

Britain had a rough go of it after WWII: they lost their empire, but some of those losses were worse than others. Places like Jamaica, for example, had an amicable divorce; the Malay Peninsula was another story entirely. They fought there, brutally, in a vicious climate for more than a decade against Communist guerillas supplied by China and the USSR, but they couldn’t call it a “war” for insurance purposes. Hence? The Malayan Emergency, a shockingly bloody insurgency that featured horrific war crimes by both sides.

The Russians had plenty of Mosins to send because they were busy modernizing at this time with the SKS and then the AK. The Communist MNLA would have used these Mosins, as well as PPsh burp guns and whatever pistols they could scrounge, though pistols weren’t a high priority. This rifle was made in 1901 and, given its condition right here next to my driveway, it probably did not actually go to the Malay States!

Britain was modernizing during the Emergency too, and the L1A1 would see service there alongside No 4 and No 5 Enfields. This No 5 was made at Fazackerley in October ‘46. It probably did serve in the Emergency. The British took many MNLA guys prisoner, and they’d have been herded with the bayonet until, most likely, being massacred. The pistol is the last version of the Webley revolvers Britain had been using since 1887. This Mk IV .38 fires an anemic round and is not finished all that well; they were transitioning to the BHP as quickly as they could.

Enjoy!

 

[jkelly1229]

All my guns are American made. That actually came into my purchase decision-making when deciding to exercise my Second Amendment rights.
S&W
Ruger
Sig
Remington
My ARs are all made from American components (uppers, lowers, barrels, triggers, etc.)
No MilSurps. Everything is post 2008

I may never own an FN, H&K, Glock, or even an AK

O do you hate good guns?

 

[AJK129]

O do you hate good guns?

Dont FN HK and Glock all make guns in the US too?

 

[jkelly1229]

Dont FN HK and Glock all make guns in the US too?

Let's not tell him sig is a german company either..... shhh

 

[StevieP]

Let's not tell him sig is a german company either..... shhh

German company, but my TTT is American-made.

 

[jkelly1229]

German company, but my TTT is American-made.

So are all my glocks...berettas... and fn handguns lol

Itar is a pain in the dick so all manufacturers usually just build a factory here

 

[Picton]

O do you hate good guns?

Yeah, it's very difficult to make a good argument that "only Americans make the best guns."

I mean, I get "buy American," and to each his own, but I'm a gun enthusiast, not an American gun enthusiast. There are just too many awesome and well-made designs that came from elsewhere.

The post-2008 thing makes no sense to me either, but again, to each his own. Thankfully we live in a country where we're reasonably free to choose the guns we want, even in MA.