Greetings Me Droogs N Droogettes!
So I’m behind the power curve per usual. Sorry for the delayed poasting again. I swear this’s becoming a bad habit…. Sooooo…. Just for grins I figure I’ll give a little “instructional intel” that I gained as a Armorer for the US DotMil as a contractor. Now, I was a Unit Small Arms Room Armorer when I was on active duty. Not as cool as it sounds really… it meant I was responsible for a lot of bullshit. Namely all the inventory of our Units Arms room, to include all our personal weapons M16A2s with a sprinkling of M203 grenade launchers, and 9mm M-9s as well as our ‘heavies’ the Mark 19 40mm Automatic Grenade Launchers and M2 .50cal Machine Guns.
The duties also included a retarded amount of paperwork. In fact that paperwork I think is what ‘Big Army’ actually gave a shit about. So yeah, when I got out from doing it, I was happy. I did manage to score a training session called the Foreign Weapons Armorers Course. That was a stone bitch that involved a ‘final exam’ that had 5 different foreign weapons, field stripped, in a gunny sack, in a blacked-out room/blindfolded and given a set amount of time to get ‘em back together. I missed the first time, and passed on the retest. The first test I got screwed by having three different AK variants… which made it a stone bitch to get it right.
Anyway, I scored a job post-Iraq-and-Affy as a Small Arms Repairman at an AMSA. An AMSA is an Army Material Support Activity, usually designated for the Reserves. It was a Depot Level sort of gig. Gauging, repairing, re-barreling, and issuing new weapons and weapons systems, which is what this is part of. I was a contractor who assisted the ‘regular small arms guy’ with going to ALLLLL the Reserve Units in the State of Florida, a week at a throw, and certify all their weapons. Or, if a new system was being fielded, like in this case I assisted with the issuing of the new M320 40mm Grenade Launcher, the M2A1 .50cal, as well as the M-26 MASS.
Which is the subject of tonight’s writeup.
The M-26 MASS (Modular Accessory Shotgun System) is a straight pull, bolt action, magazine fed 12ga shotgun. It can either be attached to an M-4 Carbine, or be used as a standalone weapon (see above). It came out around 2003 in some extremely limited units (mostly SPECOPS) and was rolled out to the Regular Army in 2008 +/- and the Reserves in 2014.
The weapon utilizes 2 mags, one three round, the other 5 round. It has a “AK Style” magazine feed, meaning you ‘rock it in, from front to rear:
The “large cage flash-hider” on the front is actually the ‘stand off device’ used for breaching. The pictures above show it extended. Normally, the standoff is pulled back and locked rotationally in place, and when needed, goes forward providing a 4 inch standoff for ‘blowing out the hinges/doorknob’. This pic here is it is ‘stowed’ mode:
As one can see, it’s a pretty neat system.
Me? I liked it… a bit small for me, but still:
Not the best selfie, but you get the idea…
Then again, I make all weapons systems look small:
Yeah, Dat Me. With a Ma Deuce…
To continue. Most of my regular readers know I’m a phreak of nature… what with a 26 inch neck, and even when I’m out of shape, I’m thick as a brick. So the M-26, the one(s) in question that I was issuing/servicing/instructing on was for an Army Reserve Maritime Unit of all things.
According to them, they needed ‘breach guns’ for some of the recalcitrant drug runners that they occasioned on. Not frequently, but enough so that their Chain of Command got the M-26s issued to them. They can utilize ALL 12 gauge rounds, as long as they are 2-3/4inch non-magnum loads.
Now, as to breaching a door, there are literally BOOKS worth worth of intel on them. So much info that most modern Special Operations folks have a database specifically drawn from, and built off of manufacturer’s designations and specifications. Meaning that if “Smith’s Security Doors LLC” comes out with a newer, better, improved steel security door, you can bet that within a few weeks ALL the specifics of that particular door will have been added to their (Special Operations Door Database(s) vast cornucopia of information, in order to better be able to take out said aforementioned door.
Doors for the most part have the following points:
The Hinge Points of Attack on the right are the approximate location of the targeted hinges, that is if you’re looking to take out hinges. The lock point includes both the door lock, as well as the deadbolt. Realize however that there is so much that can’t be known.
Things like:
Is the door reinforced?
Is the frame metal or wood? If metal, what type? Steel or Aluminum framing?
Is there a ‘non-traditional’ hinge setup? (4 instead of the common 3, i.e. European style)
Is there a secondary blocker? If so, Can it be defeated?
Secondary blocker being defined as a dead-door-stop like you can get on the Zon for a couple of bux:
Things like that -will- slow down a breach team, however, there is no stopping a fully determined opponent. Food for thought.
Myself?
I like the “bar the door” approach…
Put a few of these into the actual framework of the house, get a 2x4, add some decorative handles and paint it up so Wifey didn’t complain too much about being able to now hold off some jokers for a few minutes longer than they expect, and Voilà… something to delay hostiles, possibly long enough to give them a “warm(er) reception” than they may have been expecting:
Yeah, I’m not right…
But hey, neither is this Fallen World we currently inhabit either…
Amiright?
So, Hope You Enjoyed. I unfortunately have to cook dinner for the Gran who’s here for the weekend. I swear I’m a short-order cook for a 5 year old…
Jes’ Sayin’
Big Country
Awesome vid! Enthusiasm contagious!
Short order cook for a five year old is one of the best jobs out there. It generally comes with snuggles while watching a movie after. Enjoy.