A few questions for Doc?

[bigdreamin]

Or any other servicemen/women...
Do you perfer your own personal rifle(s) or side arms over your issued weapons?
Are you allowd to modify your issued wepon in any way?
Would you ever be allowed to use your own personal weapon while on duty?

[SilverZuk]

I am not military, but can answer some of the questions to some degree.

1. Troops are not allowed to modify other than to maybe tape a flashlight to the forearm or something like that. There are groups in the military that have a lot of latitude on what weapons they select and what work is done to them.
I know the competition match shooters have some work done themselves and some work done by custom shops outside the military. Not sure if it is still that way.

2. No you are not allowed to take you personal (civilian) weapon. There are some that have the opportunity to bring guns from home to a range and shoot them in training scenarios, but never to a combat situations.

[Brain]

Originally Posted by SilverZuk

I am not military, but can answer some of the questions to some degree.

1. Troops are not allowed to modify other than to maybe tape a flashlight to the forearm or something like that. There are groups in the military that have a lot of latitude on what weapons they select and what work is done to them.
I know the competition match shooters have some work done themselves and some work done by custom shops outside the military. Not sure if it is still that way.

2. No you are not allowed to take you personal (civilian) weapon. There are some that have the opportunity to bring guns from home to a range and shoot them in training scenarios, but never to a combat situations.

True, some units have nearly carte blanche for weapons mods.

I know from experience that you can use a personal weapon in a combat zone if it is an authorized alternative to your issue piece. Example: You may, with authorization, substitute a personally owned Sig P228 (military designation M11) for an issue Beretta M9.

[SilverZuk]

That is news to me.
If you don't mind me asking, what where was the deployment and what situation?

I know some groups that have been forward deployed carried AK-47.
This was mainly due to logistics. They did not need to have ammo shipped, they could get it from the locals. If you ran low, just shoot an enemy and take his. It also allowed them to "blend in" from a distance because they were dressed in the local garb and carrying AK's.

[Brain]

Originally Posted by SilverZuk

That is news to me.
If you don't mind me asking, what where was the deployment and what situation?

I have a few friends who either had them prior to receiving orders to deploy or bought them when they received orders. In addition to people I know very well, I have equipped a lot of folks with "stuff" to take over to the sandbox. Even calls from over there to "resupply" with equipment of the civilian variety that works better than the issue stuff.

[usmcdoc14]

I am issued a SIG, I can live with that. If I can take my FAL I will but not have been in a situation to find out specifics if I can or not.

[aloharover]

If we are talking SoF type forces, well they are able to write their own rules to some degree.

As far as the rest of the 95% of the military, your carry what they give you. But there are instances in SWA where your carry other then issue. But it's possible to get into a lot of trouble. Believe its an issue of the Laws of Landwarfare.

But I do "know" some people that did carry additional weapons while in theater. It was never officialy approved, but some times you do whats needed.

[HalfFastFord]

Originally Posted by aloharover

If we are talking SoF type forces, well they are able to write their own rules to some degree.

As far as the rest of the 95% of the military, your carry what they give you. But there are instances in SWA where your carry other then issue. But it's possible to get into a lot of trouble. Believe its an issue of the Laws of Landwarfare.

But I do "know" some people that did carry additional weapons while in theater. It was never officialy approved, but some times you do whats needed.

Isn't that first pic just a captured piece? Thought I saw something similar in some recent reading about SandBox issues. Pic was a soldier using a captured Dragunov to cover his unit.

[aloharover]

None of the weapons were carried from CONUS to SWA. Guess I should have been clearer about answering the OP's question. Normal units are not allowed to carry POWs, nor modify their issue ones. There are however folks that order different pistol grips and forarms for their M16/M4. There are many, many Guard and Reserve units that are still carrying the M16A2 and some folks were putting collapsible butstocks on them. Justs helps when you are operating a vehicle all the time. Tons of commercial optics too. My unit was the classification of REMF unit, but we got placed on convoy escort duty. We didn't have shit for issue optics so people were buying aimpoints, eotechs, and plain old 4x scopes. There are rails that bolt down to the top of the 16s carrying handle.

Regarding non-Issue weapons, They were all picked up in country. Either purchased, barrowed, or recovered. The Sterlings were purchased 75$ ea, SVD was barrowed from a unit we were working with, and we had tons of AKs and even an HK and FAL PARA that were recovered.