Skirmish Prop.

[PJ Hardtack]

Now that is a scary thought ....

I came upon a young fellow at our range one time. It was a warm summer day and he was wearing surplus GI clothes,  a WWII gas mask and shooting a couple of tricked out .22 LR semi-auto rifles with all the after-market goodies he could mount on them - barrel shrouds, folding butt stocks, extended controls, large cap magazines, tactical red dot sights, etc.

He had just about exhausted his ammo supply by the time I arrived (the ground was littered with his brass), never removed the mask to speak to me and got into his vehicle still wearing the respirator.

I often wonder just what kind of fantasy world he was living in .....

[pony express]

From my limited experience shooting with a gas mask on, I would guess that however much ammo he brought, it probably wasn't enough to be any danger to the target. The only way I could line up the rifle sights, my eye, and the prescription lens insert on the gas mask was to hold the M-16 at arm's length in both hands like a pistol, with my head tilted at an add angle.(Which of course, they wouldn't let me do).

[pony express]

Or the Gator.   

That's a thought, it would even have "period correct" reliability then! 

I keep thinking we're gonna have to have a dual ceremony to retire The Gator as well as the The General..