Regarding the FAL in Canadian service, there was a fully automatic version called the C1D used by naval boarding parties. These weapons were fitted with a change lever and trigger plunger from the automatic C2 version, though without the C2's heavy barrel and bipod. The rifle was identified with a large A on the side of the butt near the rear sight, painted in either red or white. Some C1Ds were eventual placed in service with land force units.  Another detail is the "Arctic trigger" that allowed the trigger guard to be removed so the weapon could be fired with heavy mitts on.

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 9):

Cool.

M16/M4 trigger guards are actually just held on at the front by a detent pin so you can open them up (theoretically using the tip of a round) to allow use with heavy gloves.

Besides Diemaco, I've been taking a look at the gun manufacturers in Canada that could have a sort of imprint in the game's timeline. Para-Ordnance comes to mind. Although it ended up fully owned, operated and moved down South it did have some interesting M-1911 based products.

Also, there is decent size Savage  arms factory on Ontario. Not long ago I recall they won a UK contract to supply the cadets with a .22 cal rifle. Seems that Savage is present in Canada now for more than 50 years and a facility like that could be turned into a government asset of sorts.

Other assets in country include Prairie Gun Works, nowadays they specialize in high precision rifles and they seem to be quite good at it.

Century Arms/Century International Arms?  They mainly handle imports, but they do some manufacturing (poorly) themselves.

You could also make an argument that some US manufacturers closer to the border might move north or decentralize into Canada; Colt's HQ is in Connecticut.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Sat 27 June 2020.

Heard horror stories about Century.

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 13):

I have a couple from them.  The aforementioned FrankenFAL.  The reason the barrel was terrible was because, in order to comply with silly importation regs, they removed the flash hider & threading by literally taking a chopsaw & cutting the barrel right behind the threads.  Totally removing the crown.

That's why I had to have the barrel swapped.  It also had a hideous thumbhole stock...

My AK-clone from them isn't great either.  It works, but they've built ones before with a canted gas block/front sight; not good fro several reasons.  People have also seen them wear prematurely due to low-quality metal.

Thank you for sharing. Definitely confirmation of my scuttlebutt.

And those thumbhole stocks... I've seen some sheer ugliness back in the days. Was that a California thing?

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 15):

I’m not sure.  I bought it in Texas (yeehaw), but I’m not sure of it’s providence previously.  It may also have just been an import thing.  Or maybe they just suck.  I don’t know why Century does the things it does.

Looks like it may be related to the 1994 assault weapons ban. "Sporterizing" an existing AR using a thumbhole stock and limiting the mag capacity would render the weapon legal.

Ah, the nineties...

That may well be it, although Century still does perplexing things.  I’ve seen their (semi-auto) AKM-clones being sold at a chain store nearby.  They had the slant-cut brake removed and replaced with a thread protector that was tack-welded on.  Why?  Who the fuck knows.

Hit and miss and then the botched jobs. Seemengly they are slowly clearing their act. There always be Bryco types out for the taking.

Gaston Glock surely is a hard nut to crack. Old article that narrates his survival to a vicious plastic hammer attack and his no less ferocious response:

https://www.forbes.com/global/...20.html#27061bec3eb5
This message was last edited by the player at 20:33, Mon 29 June 2020.

Yeah, he’s a tough ol’ bird.

For as much as I enjoy Glocks, I should try to get one of his e-tools or knives...

That article reads like a Tom Clancy novel!

In reply to Christopher Little Hawk MacDonald (msg # 22):

Indeed it does. More of a Forsyth flavor if you compute the old mercenary hired for the hit.

I remember the late 80s ads of the Glock pistols being featured nicely paired with a black, sharp looking knife of the same brand. I can't tell about the quality but surely be decent.

Regrettably there are also common blades out there riding the banner of well known companies to further business on that account. Similar to the Mauser brand use for anything from pocket knives to a rotating barrel pistol with fleeting success.

Smith & Wesson has a line of knives that are generally crap.

That said, the first Glock handgun was '17' because it was his seventeenth submitted design; he had previously contract with the Austrian military for knives & entrenching tools, so he has some pedigree.

Weird...

I happen to own an 1895 Chilean Mauser (Mauser Chileno Modelo 1895) manufactured by Ludwig Loewe Company.

I don't think about the company as much as the patent, and the late 20th century is rife with examples of brand exploitation in particular.

Yes, the 17th patent. I've seen some Smith and Wesson blades and wasn't impressed. But that crap sells. Same as the S&W Sigma sold to unsuspecting customers back in the day. A female Sargent I knew got it because "it was the same" as the Glock that was already sold out...

Quality always comes with a price tag and there always be car salesman to sweeten the deal.

Mauser was a brand name for several decades but after being reduced to an autogun maker, like that of the Tornado or Eurofighter, not much is left of the previous glory but a well known brand name, especially in Europe.

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 26):

For blades I usually stick to Kabar, SOG or Gerber (excluding mil-surp).  Plenty of other good makers I'm sure out there, but those are ones I have used a lot of & trust.

Back in the late 1990s, SAMCO GLOBAL ARMS of Miami Fl. imported a good deal of chilean 1895s, rifles and carbines. Superb quality. The '95 was a variant of the '93, maybe not as strong as the original but totally fine for handling the 7x57. Bayonets and scabbards were also available  These were manufactured by Weyesberg, Kirhsbaum & Co. of Solingen. German center of excellence for blades.

Gerber, SOG, etc are great brands. I'm mulling over getting my hands on a CRKT folder. My current everyday carry is a "John Deere" 2 inch pocket knife. Useful as hell. That and a Pentax 8x24 UCF pair of binoculars.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:47, Tue 30 June 2020.

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 28):

I forgot CRKT (at least their folders).  I have had several of their folders over the years; they're great quality.  I would definitely recommend them.

I still have the Buck 119 I wore on my webgear from 88-94, though I now favor a Gerber Strongarm instead.  I have had a lot of Gerbers, and they seem to walk off, my Buck never walked off.

I prefer Victorinox, Leatherman, and Kershaw folders.

As far as binos, I got a GREAT deal deal on surplus UK L12 binos a ways back.

I have a Gerber Prodigy, which is the slightly shorter version of the Strongarm; wonderful knife.  I think the only fixed blade I actually carried was a an M7 bayonet I procured myself (issue would have been the M9 bayonet, but they didn't actually issue those out anyway).

GM, how's it coming with Jack?  Get him to join us here in the OOC so we can get to know him!

Ah, the truncated binocs!

IIRC the L12 got a bad rep at the times of the Falklands War. Taras, my character, is currently hauling a pair of 1970s vintage civilian Bell & Howell 8x40 EWA (Extra Wide Angle). Also with a good deal of truncation (I bought them for $18 at a charity shop). Great japanese optics as the time demanded, before everything went "Made in China". Also, my current Pentax are truncated.

While the design allows for a more compact approach that is always useful, more so in a pocket bino, for a full size military issue like the L12 makes "point and shoot" not as intuitive as in a more streamlined design like a roof prism. This and issues with a loss of collimation were the main concerns I believe. This is true, I have porro prisms as well as more traditional layouts and it is noticeable in activities such as bird watching or plane spotting. But essentially the best binocular is the one that you have on you. The reduced size of the Pentax always fit in a bag pocket. Luckily I paid CAN $10 for them brand new from a lady on facebook. Bless her.

I believe the UK Forces are currently issued with the cute Steiner 8x30 with a reticle to replace the old L12. Me wants! Is Christmas yet?
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Wed 01 July 2020.