I think most of us like to know who has what cause its trivia.. not that it meansd anything. But there are a LOT of guys who like the 45.. cause that's what the US ARMY used.. not some "wussy" european gun. Of course that reputation for reliability and "manstopping" power has its own myths and legends.. partially true no doubt to TRUE field testing.
Colt boasted a semi auto pistol that fired 6000 rounds in an army without a jam in 1911.. wow.. that was pretty cool in a time where most people still used revolvers.
So yeah.. one army or unit's torture test MIGHT be of interest to the average civilian consumer, whether its SEAL tests, or FBI or anecdotal for fun - or information only stuff.
FOR FUN ANECDOTAL ONLY Story from a green beret: Bunch of Ranger cadets are taking 5 in the shade on a field exercise.. and since they could have thier own knives.. every tom dick and harry has a big-ass rambo knife, You know crocodile dundee wanna be conan shortswords stuffed/taped to their web gear and bragging about how much this cost over that/what can you stick through a car door etc. One ranger looks over at my friend (noting no such wanna-be wakazashi graced his web gear) and says "hey dude, how come you don't have a knife" To which aformentioned pal pulls down on piece of parachute cord hanging from upper pocket, hand suddenly filling with italian ivory and six inches of stilletto blade snapping from fingers.
Sometimes.. its just about style.
My friends and I upon hearing that story ALL had a piece of parachute cord hanging out of our army jackets tied to knives for the REST of high school.. switchblades or otherwise. Its amazing to me that no one ASKED us (the 6 or so of us) what was WITH those bright hunks of parachute cord dangling away.
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Another anecdotal story relayed to me by a force recon guy I met taking Russian in college:
He's on some training manuver in Jungle warfare school in panama, playing the part of the agressor squad. he can choose anything from a mishmash of "guerilla arms" for the exercise so he grabs an AK. he's in the bush for a week or so and some reservist/officer is going to go along for an ambush. The officer takes one look at my pal and says.. son why are you carrying that COMMIE rifle? to which my pal, who has been in the bush says "SIR because this rifle WILL NOT fail to fire" He relates how his agressor team has wiped out two good guy squads whose m-16's jammed during the exercise. Ok so it was training.. and they were all blanks.. but I trusted the guys judgement that the AK was a rifle that put up well with adverse conditions (which he also described).
Does either of these stories make me a grunt? NOPE. But sometimes the advice of someone who has been there, done that can be good advice whether its about knives or guns or fieldcraft or whatever.. advice that even us civilians can use.
and sometimes it just makes for a good story.
Hope you enjoyed them,
Dr.Rob