tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post7483966089655848174..comments2023-12-06T00:23:28.790+11:00Comments on Press gallery reform: Andrew Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-47829579623229619752010-10-21T15:47:26.092+11:002010-10-21T15:47:26.092+11:00Hello David Irving,
No water pistol eh. Fair enoug...Hello David Irving,<br />No water pistol eh. Fair enough.<br /><br />The Steyr its defects –<br />Sight elements come loose (standard integral sight)<br />Sight difficult to adjust even with button tool<br />S-Sight almost impossible to adjust in field<br />Sight reticle adjustment screws can be adjusted past point of no return whereupon reticle cannot be returned to centre without disassembly of sight turrets.<br />Camouflage face paint melts plastic stock<br />Insect repellant melts plastic stock<br />Plastic trigger group malfunctions in about 12 major ways<br />Safety catch is definitely NOT safe (as you mentioned)<br />Quick detach barrel can gall its housing in receiver<br />Limited rounds fired per minute due to overheating (both S/L and Auto modes)<br />Different point of impact depending upon position of foregrip<br />Fully loaded magazines can be galled by rounds vibrating against mag sidewalls (in transport etc.)<br />Different ammo natures can cause fouling<br />Different ammo natures can cause stovepipe jams<br /><br />The Steyr, after all that (no more than I can dredge up from memory) IS reasonably accurate, can be adjusted for left hand operators – but is relatively high maintenance inasmuch as the thing needs a readily accessible spares inventory – better than issue cleaning kit – a regular supply of fresh magazines – and the correct ammo - while those opposing our grunts in a prolonged firefight better be prepared to have smoko while the Steyrs cool down.<br /><br />I’d go so far as to suggest that our team would definitely have lost it at Long Tan were they equipped with the Steyr.<br />I’d suggest every ex-owner/operator of an L1A1 would agree with me.<br />As to the Armalite and its funny gas system foibles – well, the septics cured the propellant problem years ago – fitted a heavier barrel on some new models, increased the rifling twist, tweaked this and that and now some marks are benchresters.<br /><br />None of which excuses the fact that what our soldiers need is a good reliable Australian designed Personal Weapon of heavier calibre.<br />If Ms Gillard and/or Mr Abbott were doing their job after meeting our blokes that’s what they’d be telling Angus.CALLIGULAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-40581475997101571392010-10-19T13:00:03.397+11:002010-10-19T13:00:03.397+11:00I always quite liked the Steyr, Calligula. Certain...I always quite liked the Steyr, Calligula. Certainly a much more pleasant weapon than the Armalite, and considerably more accurate. (The safety leaves a bit to be desired though.)<br /><br />As to the mag being not quite full, I' surprised they trusted him with any live ammunition at all - I would've been dubious about giving him a water pistol on any range I was running, back in the day.David Irving (no relation)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-19514262289491949742010-10-15T18:49:03.287+11:002010-10-15T18:49:03.287+11:00See my posts when Joel Fitzgibbon was first made D...See my posts when Joel Fitzgibbon was first made Defence Minister - thought he'd focus on this sort of stuff, but no. Still think it's worth pursuing.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-70355775259401123132010-10-15T17:52:18.155+11:002010-10-15T17:52:18.155+11:00Hello there.
Interestingly the recent shot of TA p...Hello there.<br />Interestingly the recent shot of TA plinking with the plastic fantastic illustrates quite well the need for reequipment in the OzArmy.<br />I mentioned some of this elsewhere but the sight is obsolete, the underbarrel grenade launcher is single shot and fires ammo natures that might be sub standard for some Afghani scenarios.<br />I note that the mag wasn’t full (perhaps displaying a Steyr shortcoming) and the Steyr itself has certain unresolved problems perhaps best not mentioned here.<br /><br />I reckon if TA wants to play Colonel Blimp he should emulate the actions of a certain Colonel Ferguson who purchased improved breech loading flintlocks for his regiment.<br />They did quite well with their rifles in the Revolutionary war but the sad bit is that the good Colonel somehow managed to get himself bumped off.<br /><br />Don’t need to say more, do I?CALLIGULAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-7066428108587658192010-10-14T18:22:45.306+11:002010-10-14T18:22:45.306+11:00I realise that Tim, but there's nobody left to...I realise that Tim, but there's nobody left to tell him to pull his head in. There's also an issue with basic gear like boots, and PTSD counselling, quite apart from over-engineered you-beaut gizmos like the next generation of submarines.<br /><br />Jez, we've reached a point where the press are as clueless as the pollies, which means the press have stopped adding value.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-53289326135201869922010-10-14T10:58:36.871+11:002010-10-14T10:58:36.871+11:00Andrew
What I meant was some surely someone is te...Andrew<br /><br />What I meant was some surely someone is telling Abbott to pull is head in about inflaming divisions between defence command and the soldiers?<br /><br />And I meant to make a seperate point about the need for public debate on Defence now. I know 99% of defence decisions are made in-house but the one big one we need to make now is to increase expenditure to refit our Defence force for this century. I cant imagine upping the defence spend to 3% of GDP without some public discussion.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-5942305713706185412010-10-13T21:16:19.584+11:002010-10-13T21:16:19.584+11:00The dumping of bipartisanship with respect to defe...The dumping of bipartisanship with respect to defence, and the politicisation of the INDEPENDENCE of the court-martial, are both deeply troubling.<br /><br />Why, then, aren't we getting serious commentary where it matters (Jonesboy???) to question WTF Mr Abbott is on about? And more to the point, about his fitness to lead?<br /><br />Or is there another agenda in play? <i>Surely</i> not...Jeznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-21776406637224603352010-10-13T20:58:35.791+11:002010-10-13T20:58:35.791+11:00Tim, you can have quiet words or you can have publ...Tim, you can have quiet words or you can have public words - which is it? The great conundrum of defence policy. For all Labor's wittering about redemocratising their party, do you think that Curtin paid any heed to public debate? Which faction is responsible for Singapore?<br /><br />MS, the politicisation of the court-martial is really pissing me off. Brigadier McDade is a person of genuine substance and it galls me that Abbott and Alan Jones are climbing all over her, and by extension the entire military.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-50844232598377058432010-10-13T11:13:20.248+11:002010-10-13T11:13:20.248+11:00Andrew, what gets me going is this whole kerfuffle...Andrew, what gets me going is this whole kerfuffle about politicising the war was all started by Johnston with his half-arsed comments about tanks.<br />That the media shows no sign of holding the Coalition to task on their part in the beat up really shows how far they have diverged from credibility.MassiveSprayhttp://sprayoftheday.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-32637244419197263312010-10-12T23:45:33.298+11:002010-10-12T23:45:33.298+11:00Surely there are some heavyweights in the Australi...Surely there are some heavyweights in the Australian IR/Defence establishment who are having quiet words with like-minded folk in the party about this.<br /><br />I desperately wanted some political debate in Australia about Defence but I could have never imagined it turning out like this. Its dismal. He is dismal.Timnoreply@blogger.com