What's going here with this Syrian fighters rifle?

[sthwestvictoria]

I saw this today on a Guardian Newspaper photo gallery (obviously there is a flower here as well but am not as interested in that, I am sure the Assad regime is not going flower power soft unfortunately):
70507

the original is here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2013/may/14/syria-middle-east-troops-qusayr-homs#/?picture=408819977&index=8
No one else in this photograph set seems to have anything like it on their rifle barrel.


Why have two rounds attached to the barrel with what seems to be belt links?

The little one is a 7.62x39mm and the larger ?7.62x54R but looks too conical a case with too much rim - could it be a 8x50R lebel? that doesn't make sense.

Any ideas?

[JeffinNZ]

Looks like a 7.62X54 to me.

[Hang Fire]

Typical flower child, to show my love, I am going to kill you.

[Dan Cash]

Looks like a Ducatti bike in background.

[dtknowles]

Emergency bullets? Maybe just souvenirs. One for each type of weapon issued to your unit.

[Doc Highwall]

Visual aids for new gun people.

[Dutchman]

crank up the volumn...


http://youtu.be/55FZnYhCM-Y

[adrians]

Dutchman,,,,,
:awesome:,,,,,

[Love Life]

Cool points. The arabs are silly that way.

[x101airborne]

In Iraq, even carrying an M4 most of the time, I had a couple AK mags in my ruck. Always have a backup plan.
If I could have carried a claymore with me, I would have. I can ditch my food. Water, frags, ammo, and nods are #1 priorities.

[sthwestvictoria]

Emergency bullets? Maybe just souvenirs. One for each type of weapon issued to your unit.

But why have then blocking some of the sight picture - if I am pointing my rifle and the enemy, why obscure part of the visual field of where the enemy are up to mischief?

[USSR]

But why have then blocking some of the sight picture - if I am pointing my rifle and the enemy, why obscure part of the visual field of where the enemy are up to mischief?

Haven't you seen some video of these guys shooting? "Sights? - I don't need no stinkin' sights".

Don

[swheeler]

sniff this flower and I can hit you

[JIMinPHX]

Water, frags, ammo, and nods are #1 priorities.

What are "nods"?

[bruce drake]

Night Optical Device - N.O.D.

[SciFiJim]

I am going to go with "cool factor" and thinking he is too B** A** to need to see what he is shooting at.

[Andrew Mason]

But why have then blocking some of the sight picture - if I am pointing my rifle and the enemy, why obscure part of the visual field of where the enemy are up to mischief?


AKs have really high front sights, so i doubt they are are blocking the sight,
also, these people tend to simply point and shoot, rather than a well aimed shot like we preach.


when i was in afganistan and was around the afgan army guys allot, a few of them would put a link or 2 on their barrel of their M16, and then have a 7.62x39 or 7.62x54r, and i asked them about it.
its pretty much for "looking cool".

[JIMinPHX]

Thanks Bruce.

[Larry Gibson]

Visual aids for new gun people.

Tells him the "pointy" end of the bullets go "that way"..............typical 3rd world..........

Larry Gibson

[nicholst55]

'The little one (X39) goes with this gun. The big one (X54R) does NOT.' I know some guys (even here at YPG) who could use visual training aids like that.

[popper]

It's a poppy, I think. No Larry, tell them it goes the other way.

[Larry Gibson]

'The little one (X39) goes with this gun. The big one (X54R) does NOT.' I know some guys (even here at YPG) who could use visual training aids like that.

Want to remember there are a whole lot of otherwise intelligent people in this country, let alone 3rd world countries, that think the Russians were a lot smarter than we are. Reason is in 1891 the Russians adopted the 7.62x54R, in 1941 - 43 (depending on which commie propaganda you read) they (the Soviets now) adopted the 7.62x39 and in doing so outsmarted us (the USA in particular) because we didn't adopt the 7.62 NATO until the 1950s and they can use our ammo but we can't use theirs.....pretty smart of them commies, eh! Now please lets not confuse this good barracks BS with facts about chamber/cartridge dimensions and operating psi because it's been around since pre- Viet Nam........so it must be true because I heard a DI say it in boot camp.........

Larry Gibson

[mace2364]

It might just "feel lucky" to that guy. I have found that enough time in combat makes you something like superstitious. Hell I wore 2 helmet covers on my 4th tour, just for that reason. I was told I had to get another cover because mine was wore out, but I hadn't been hit the year before when I wore it, so I put the new one on over top of it. I put the same combat patch in my pocket every time, and I listened to the same few songs before every major operation. I'm sure this all sounds crazy, but I also know I was not the only one who did stuff like this. I knew some that would change their entire patrol up, if there were 13 people on the roster, to make sure that the head count was anything but 13. War can do some strange things to you.

[bmiller]

To all the Vets, Thank you for your service and sacrifice!!!

[Ed in North Texas]

snip
The little one is a 7.62x39mm and the larger ?7.62x54R but looks too conical a case with too much rim - could it be a 8x50R lebel? that doesn't make sense.

Any ideas?

Why would 8mm Lebel not make sense. France had Syria as a Protectorate from 1920 until 1946. 8mm Lebel makes perfect sense. Whether that IS an 8mm Lebel round is another question.

[Ed in North Texas]

Want to remember there are a whole lot of otherwise intelligent people in this country, let alone 3rd world countries, that think the Russians were a lot smarter than we are. Reason is in 1891 the Russians adopted the 7.62x54R, in 1941 - 43 (depending on which commie propaganda you read) they (the Soviets now) adopted the 7.62x39 and in doing so outsmarted us (the USA in particular) because we didn't adopt the 7.62 NATO until the 1950s and they can use our ammo but we can't use theirs.....pretty smart of them commies, eh! Now please lets not confuse this good barracks BS with facts about chamber/cartridge dimensions and operating psi because it's been around since pre- Viet Nam........so it must be true because I heard a DI say it in boot camp.........

Larry Gibson

Had me going there for a bit. I know you know better, I just thought you might be having a senior moment. For me they come with increasing frequency these days.

[MtGun44]

LOL! Looks pretty dumb to me.

Bill

[leadman]

Saw a Syrian fighter on the news today that was using a BAR. Would live to have one of those. Are they cast friendly??

[Multigunner]

Want to remember there are a whole lot of otherwise intelligent people in this country, let alone 3rd world countries, that think the Russians were a lot smarter than we are. Reason is in 1891 the Russians adopted the 7.62x54R, in 1941 - 43 (depending on which commie propaganda you read) they (the Soviets now) adopted the 7.62x39 and in doing so outsmarted us (the USA in particular) because we didn't adopt the 7.62 NATO until the 1950s and they can use our ammo but we can't use theirs.....pretty smart of them commies, eh! Now please lets not confuse this good barracks BS with facts about chamber/cartridge dimensions and operating psi because it's been around since pre- Viet Nam........so it must be true because I heard a DI say it in boot camp.........

Larry Gibson

I figure this myth came about from resistance fighters salvaging reloading components from captured ammo of their enemies.
Pulled 7.62 NATO bullets and powder could be used by the Viet Cong to reload 7.62X54 and 7.5 French cases.
Bullets and powder from .50 BMG ammo could be used in reloading the Russian 12.7 rounds.

I've heard that a 7.62X51 might be fired in a 7.5 French chamber, though I would not recommend trying this.
.30-06 ammo has been cut back and resized for use in 7.62 FAL rifles in Africa.

In the old days Afghan bandits sometimes used spent .303 MkVI bullets dug from range berms to handload reduced charge loads for their Khyber Pass rifles.

During WW2 the Germans made great use of captured ammunition manufacturing equipment and supplies, they stripped the Greek ammo companies of all that could be shipped back to Germany.
Japan did the same with Chinese equipment and components that they could adapt to their use.

[deces]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY1QYYygkzI

[deces]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EsCle4ooM0&feature=player_embedded

[Four-Sixty]

I wonder if the two bullets on the end of the barrel could be trophies from kills he made. Perhaps he took them from the chambers of rifles of men he killed.

Just a wild guess...

[5.7 MAN]

I've seen pictures of guys using the same thing on rifles in afg. and Iraq. it must be some wird middleast thing.

[303Guy]

Those rounds are actually offset from the sight. Interesting to see them side by side for comparison.