Re: Best Cypherpunk long gun (fwd)

[Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org>]

On Tue, 23 Dec 1997, Jim Choate wrote:

> Forwarded message:
> 
> > Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 01:08:04 -0700
> > From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
> > Subject: Re: Best Cypherpunk long gun (fwd)
> 
> 
> > For sniper work, a bolt-action is by far the most popular piece.
> 
It's difficult and expensive to build semi-autos that lock as well as a 
bolt action. 

As Tim pointed out earlier, for this type of shooting, 
sight-picture recovery generally outweighs the time it takes to operate 
the action, anyway. Also - if you are talking about counter-sniper work, 
the less shots you take, the less a target you make of yourself; taking 
between 0 and 1 shot is the recommended approach. :)

> Really? Watch a few more of those silly police shows on at night. Pay
> particular attention to the long-term hostage episodes. I generaly see the
> break-in team carrying MP-5 or shortie M-16's. I have yet to see the backup
> or sniper team using a bolt-action. Learning base tactics is about the only
> thing these shows are good for.
> 

If you can see the sniper, he's not doing his job very well. You seem to 
be confusing the "cover men" trailing the entry team with "snipers."

Since "most" LEA SWAT units operate in urban areas, their snipers are 
probably within 100 yards of the target. An AR-15 easily accurate enough 
at that range (even without a scope, although 4x-6x works well at that 
range). Most would likely use a bolt-action, though.

Most of the higher-end bolt-actions will shoot tighter than the average 
user can hold them (without resorting to sandbags and a lot of time to 
set up their shot).

Sorry for following the off-topic thread. I was going to throw in some 
ascii art, but I gotta go mix up some rum punch and stir the C4, or vice- 
versa.

Happy Holy-Daze.

-r.w.

p.s: William Craig's "Enemy at the Gates" has some interesting accounts 
of sniper/counter sniper action in and around Stalingrad during WWII. 
Much of the naritive is based on Zaitsev's "notes of a sniper" and 
interviews with Tania Chernova.