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Thread: Meanwhile back in Finland...
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22-07-2019, 23:05 #721
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Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
I just watched an interesting shooting review on Yourube by "9 hole reviews" featuring an open sight Finnish Mosin shot out to 1000 yards. So with quality rifles and marksmen, that Russian casualty rate is self explanatory:)
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23-07-2019, 07:05 #722
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- Jan 2017
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- Finland, 60 degrees north
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- 59
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Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
The M/39 "Ukkopekka" with Lapua D166 bullet is a phenomenal shooter. Many people don't know that we didn't manufacture the actions, they all were bought from other companies like Remington, or they were spoils of war, the Soviets left hundreds of thousands of their rifles behind and we had actually fought with them for decades silently in the background (Wars for Kindred People, literally Tribal Wars)... Everything else but the action was made in Finland, the barrel being the most important component.
Here's the 9 hole review, Finnish Mosin Nagant 70 1,100yds: Practical Accuracy
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23-07-2019, 12:36 #723
- Join Date
- Jan 2017
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- Finland, 60 degrees north
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- 59
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Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
About that video I linked, there's one of my pet peeves: at 12:10 there's a promo shot of a Swedish volunteer wearing white mask (Simo Häyhä didn't use a mask) aiming with a Carl Gustaf 6,5X55 Mauser rifle (Häyhä used M/28-30 Pystykorva i.e. 'Finnish Spitz' in 7,62X53mmR Finnish). One should never mistake a Swede for a Finn, never...
When we left the Freedom Park we asked for directions to the nearest KFC, because I was craving for veggie food. The instructions by the security guy were simple and easy to follow:
"First you take left and the right and go straight, then turn left and at the robot go right, then go under the bridge and at the fourth robot turn right, then go straight and then at the fifth robot turn left and then on the second robot turn left and go straight and you see the KFC!"
"Thank youuu...?"
Camo: "Did you get it?"
Me: "Uh oh... go straight... then to the left"
After driving circles, visiting a yard of a random place of business and saying 'thank you' to the nice security guard who let us pass the gate to make a u-turn, trying to exit safely some shady backyards for the third time, ("You had one job, Captain" well, didn't see that coming...), after finding our way out of the vicinity of the Freedom Park, driving here and there in the sinful city of Pretoria, Camo finally said "I know where to find a McDonald's, shall we?" I said "Just get me something to eat, please...." my bronchitis was getting worse by the minute...
So we drove to the McDonald's and presto: across the street there's the KFC! Says Camo "I told you I'll find it, captain the map reader!"
Yeah, rub it in my friend, rub it in....
Was the overly complicated directions correct? Well yes they were, they were directions to a KFC, but the directions to the nearest one would've been as follows:
Drive straight until the street ends, then turn left. From the next robot turn right. Drive straight until you see a KFC on your left.
I think even I would've remembered that one Had my veggie-meal in a form of fried chicken and chips, and off we went. Sometimes even finding a place to eat qualifies as an adventure... At least in South Africa.
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AK-Gunner's Info-Corner
About my background as a map reader in a motor vehicle: I used to be a map reader in the motor racing sports Car Orienteering. I guess my performance was mediocre at best, since my driver stopped asking me to join him to the competitions...
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Stardate 97108.39: South African National Museum of Military History. Better known as 'War Museum' I guess... About to meet with CorditeCrazy who is very knowledgeable with the local war history and the gear used, so I'm expecting quite a treat, not just staring at deactivated cannons.
Didn't have to feel disappointed, Cordite knows his kak
Didn't take one single photo during my visit in the museum. Why? I like to imprint everything in my memory and most of the items on display can be found in the Internets, so no pics this time.
The place is well worth a visit or five, for that matter. The exhibition is very large with items from the Zulu wars to the modern day, with edged weapons, hand held firearms, artillery pieces, webbing, comms gear, rare airplanes, tanks, IFVs, APCs... The works.
We ended up having long discussions on several items, like AA-guns which I'm quite familiar with, we used to use them in coastal artillery training: we had literally millions of 76 mm AA ammo to spare and boy, did we shoot them.
"The exercise isn't over until all ammo has been used! FIRE COMMANDS! FIRE!"
The small arms section was extremely interesting with some rare exhibits, so something for everybody I'd say.
Thank you Cordite and Camo, your input and feedback made the trip to the museum a hundred times more interesting than if I went there on my own staring at shining buttons and well worn swords.
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Life isn't just braai and beer (nor eating veggies), a man needs something manly, like a set of the original Commie Killing Canvas. Yes, this is the term I learned during this trip: Commie Killing Canvas. I love it
So we went to an Army Surplus store in Pretoria West, asked for SADF Pattern 70 webbing. We were following the guy from the store outside to the rear of the yard, into a long warehouse built in the 19th century by the looks of it, stepped in walking on some random gear and patches, there were huge piles of boots, webbing, clothes, field phones, things unable to identify, 10 meters high piles of gear on the both sides of the long aisle which was spottily covered with gear. A Fire Inspector would probably run away and call back to close the place down as a probable cause of total human mass extinction in case of fire.
But the man new where to look for the pieces of the puzzle and he put the webbing together. Next time I'll have to go there to get me the two versions of Pattern 70 backpacks. Pardon for my incorrect version of the rifle...
Had the chance to visit the Tactical Quartermaster's HQ: lots of nice pieces of kit! We had a little meet and greet, and naturally some beer and snacks. Next time I'll try to warn you guys a bit earlier and maybe think of some other day than a workday, so it would be easier to adjust one's schedule. The turnout was now less than massive, but let me thank the nice visitor for coming to meet me
Next up: are there any shooting ranges around? Do you even Sas?
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26-07-2019, 12:06 #724
- Join Date
- Jan 2017
- Location
- Finland, 60 degrees north
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- 59
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- 1,834
Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
Captain's log, stardate 97110.73: today I'll familiarize myself with Sports Adventure shooting (Sas), a very similar sports to the Finnish Applied Reservists' shooting (Sovellettu Reserviläisammunta, SRA), of which the objective is to improve weapon handling skills and marksmanship of the Finnish reservists in a form of a competition sport. The apparent difference between these two sports is, that unlike Sas which have no SANDF status as a military training regimen, with the SRA the use of military gear and clothing is encouraged.
Even if the night was yet another more or less painful experience with my bronchitis feeling very strong, the expectations for the day were high: a day at a range is always a good day. The fact that Camo was also getting sicker by the minute didn't make me feel any better, sharing isn't always a positive thing...
The day was another nice South African winter day, sunny and about as warm as it usually gets on a normal summer day back here in Finland. Did wear extra clothing though to keep me extra warm, since my condition prohibited me from moving as much as I'd normally do, a myocarditis caused by careless overloading of your heart when suffering from a virus infection is a big no-no in my book. And it's a perfect excuse not to run, hiding the true status of my piss-poor fitness! Braai and beer, beer and braai...
I was impressed by the dedication to detail, all around safety and the can-do attitude of all participants to the Sas training. There were two men taking their Sas Level 1 test, which includes a specific list of kit you have to carry, a hike with a predetermined distance and a par time and the most important the execution of you mission objective, the shooting, and it was interesting to observe the unfolding of the events.
The test is more a trial of mental control than a physical test: the actual task is to shoot accurately after all that hassle with the checking one's gear, running and jogging, feeling uncomfortable ("Why did't I try running with my gear before the test, now I feel like falling apart my spare mags hitting my butt when running"), feeling out of breath adrenaline hitting the system, already thinking about the shooting part even if still trying to keep up with the preset time limit. It's a mental game for sure.
How to keep your head with a task like this? It's just like any other op: it folds up in stages and should be executed in stages. Let me dissect this particular task...
Preparing for stage one: make sure your kit is up to the task.
- check the list of perquisites well before the op
- put your kit together, don it and go for a run
- pick up all those mags, pieces of cleaning kit and water bottles you just sowed all over the field
- rebuild your kit, throw away those quick draw mag pouches, test and repeat until you can run donning it with maximum ease
After this you don't have to worry about stage one, the contents and functioning of your kit.
I do this a lot with my kit:
Preparing for stage two: get confidence for the hike.
- find a place where you can run, jog, walk very fast for 3,2 clicks in 40 minutes your kit on
- repeat until you find the pace you feel almost out of breath, but capable of functioning after the hike
That's 12,5 minutes per km, so you'll have to move faster than normal walking speed, but this isn't too hard for a healthy person. But you'd better train for it especially if running isn't your hobby, otherwise the mental strain caused by doubt may become immense during the execution of the drill, sucking your energy out of your body and mind: knowing your abilities makes doing things a lot easier.
After successfully and repeatedly executed this hike you don't have to worry about the hike anymore, just do it.
Preparing for stage three: go to the range.
- put a 23 cm paper plate (it's huge!) at 100 meters and shoot 10 rounds on it with no haste, keep you calm
- if the shots aren't on the center, adjust your sights accordingly
- repeat until you just can't miss ten shots on the target
- keep track of time of how long does it take to shoot those ten rounds, I think one minute will suffice quite well especially with magnifying optics, that's six seconds per shot in a minute
Why is the time of execution so important? Because after the hike you'll have four minutes to shoot ten holes on that target, but if you choose to shoot more than ten rounds, the extra rounds take away your percentage of points. To have a perfect score, you'd better let your body calm down for two and a half, three minutes and shoot just ten perfect aimed shots to the target.
Recap:
Stage one: "My kit is in perfect order and it is solid to wear"
Stage two: "I'll just repeat the task I'm familiar with thinking of nothing else but putting my foot in front of the other until I'm finished"
Stage three: "I'll just calm down and shoot ten separate perfect shots on the target"
One task at the time until the op is a success. Always one task at the time, then your mind doesn't have a true or false reason to hit the on-button of the wrong glands sending your body false alarm signals draining your energy and mental power. Adrenaline and even stress hormones are good, but only when you really need them. Just like jumping out of a perfectly functioning airplane: first make sure you attend to the meeting with the title "How to open your parachute".
This is why the teams all over the world train all the time: when you are "in the know", you don't have to think about anything else but the task at hand until you reach the point of the actual mission objective, which in this case is the shooting.
The real world is naturally more complex with the ever present element of surprise, even the prepared professionals run out of luck and meet an adversary with a cunning plan to their destruction, hence pre-trained SOP's. Again the key is training. Plus quick thinking, the people running these ops are the clever ones contrary to a popular belief.
Sorry for my babbling, I seem to do that a lot, even on a range down in South Africa, always my mouth open:
After the evals, I took part with practical drills with the rifle and the pistol, combined with movement, close range and ranges up to 300 meters, all down to earth real life valid scenarios, no range theatrics, no nonsense. Thank you Camo for letting me use your guns and sorry for me ripping the charging handle off your nice Para FAL oops...
I was impressed with what I witnessed and after thoroughly evaluating the actual live action and their training protocols, I am even prouder than before to be affiliated with the good people from the Sas via the Toiminta-Ampujat (Action Shooters Association - Finland) and I am looking for all the future events during which we'll exchange skills and knowledge on the great sports of shooting.
I was blindsided again and caught off guard: the guys from the Sas presented me this gem, a limited edition of the book Firearms developed and manufactured in Southern Africa 1949-2000. The guys know I'm a book-person and a present like this means a lot to me, plus there's a tonne of info not available anywhere in the Internets.
Thank you Bushboy, Camo, Shotgun, Q, Schütze and Honey Badger
...and there's more: Camo gave me some of his books from his very interesting library, like Commando by Deneys Reits and some others, one of them being Selous Scouts Top Secret War I'm enjoying here at my backyard...
Very interesting read.
After the range, Camo, Honey Badger and I went to have a lunch on a local restaurant (more meat, rare) and a bottle or two of beers. We spotted a guy just about to get married having his last ever innocent evening with the friends as a free man, dressed up up as a flame thrower wielding GI. Poor guy didn't really know the truth yet, but he surely was enjoying the epitaph of his freedom
After the lunch, Camo and I went for a drive on some dirt roads me driving on the -from my perspective- incorrect side of the road checking out some surroundings one doesn't really see as a tourist. It's very refreshing to just go to places with no real agenda, to see, feel and observe and just enjoy the company of a friend.
The last actual deed for the day was dismantling and cleaning Camo's SKS rifle. How to take the thing apart? Anybody know how to do it? No worries, Camo has the book I have, The legendary Small Arms Of The World which has got all the information on any weapon with any relevance to us old timers (my edition is from 1977), it says in the book:
"Hold the small of the stock with the left hand and, with the right hand, rotate the receiver cover retaining pin arm upward; then pressing on the receiver cover...."
Needless to say, mission accomplished.
Next up: The voyage home and the conclusion...
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30-07-2019, 14:32 #725
- Join Date
- Jan 2017
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- Finland, 60 degrees north
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- 59
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Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
Captain's log, stardate 97113.63: after sleeping in, and my swine flu getting even worse, I'm preparing for the next chapter of the Great Trek, The Voyage Home.
Lot's of packing, all the books, all the gifts, have to leave all the biltong (damn customs restrictions on meat), also have to leave the extraordinary WWII era ammo box behind (>SIGH<) for it's weight and size, will take all the excellent local sweets I was given (no restrictions there), count my socks and stuff, it's all there, blades and all.
And now the greatest task of any major op, after all the planning, all the heat of the action, all the ups and downs, all the celebration of job well done and mission success, comes the moment of realization like an ice cold shower shivering down your spine:
What should I bring back to my wife?
Like always, after restarting my neural network, I calmed down and did what an officer has to do in order to have the job done properly, rule number 51: ask an expert.
Mrs C, help pllleeease!
"Now we'll go shopping: to Mall of the South!"
And shopping we went, Mrs C, Camo and I, and thank's to Mrs C, I found something my wife really loves and is wearing right now this very moment. Actually, at first I tried to find something else but jewelry, but after wandering all around the mall, we ended up in a nice high quality jewelry store, helped the local economy survive another day thus making my walled easier to carry, job well done.
Thank you Mrs C, you are a lifesaver
We did go for a dinner with Camo's whole family, The Hound: lovely food and a lovely place with lots of mementos of the South African past. I'll visit the place again for sure, the pork belly was delicious and I want to eat through the whole menu..eventually.
Camo took me to the airport early, couldn't ask him to wait all the way until the night, since his condition was also deteriorating by the minute thanks to the bloody virus. That said, I had lots of time to spend on the airport: what to do? One thing I sometimes do just to relax is nothing, absolutely nothing.
So be it, find a relatively quiet corner, sit on your luggage and commence idling... A skinny European looking guy with a bit smeary clothes enters the scene, initiates his target acquisition sequence, locks the mark and homes at me like an AA missile at the blowpipe of a jet fighter.
"Afrikaans-Afrikaans-Afrikaans."
"Sorry mate, but I don't speak Afrikaans."
"Oh... I'm from Zimbabwe and I ran out of money and now I'm jaddajaddajaddajadda..."
"Oh that's so sad, here's all the cash I've got, get yourself a dinner and buy something nice to your wife."
...the oke looks at the coin of 20 Eurocents mumbles something and leaves the scene. I did notice his similarly dressed equally European looking colleague observing the unfolding of the request for funds and our obvious monetary transaction thereafter, and I made a mental note "We'll meet in not earlier than 10 minutes..."
15 or so minutes later, enter the similarly dressed equally European looking Zimbabwean-in-trouble number two:
"(No Afrikaans) Hello! I'm from Zimbabwe and I ran out of money and now I'm jaddajaddajaddajadda..."
What is the thing with the Zimbabweans stuck on this airport, really?
"Sorry mate, but I gave my everything to your countryman few moments ago so I'm out of funds, but he's now loaded with money, I'd go hang with him if I was you. Spread the word please."
The Zimguy number two hasted away swearing on some unknown to me dialect, but I wasn't bothered anymore.
The flight back home was what it was, sitting and coughing, sneezing and trying to sleep at the same time. Everything was fine until the last leg from Amsterdam to Helsinki: every sinus in my head was blocked, so when we landed I literally gasped air in pain making my co-passengers look pretty worried, lucky me not bursting my eardrums. That was quite uncomfortable, but I made it back home without hearing loss or other lasting defects.
Or maybe not without lasting defects, if a craving for more South African experience is a "defect"...
Conclusion
The Republic of South Africa earned her place in my heart and this is mostly due to the efforts of my most generous hosts Grobbie, Bushboy and Camouflage762 who made this whole trip possible and made it an unforgettable sensation.
Thank you again guys and extra thanks to your lovely families
What I'll tell people about RSA?
- the people are great. They just are. Everybody from the floor mopping guy to the rich man with three kids, spending half a million a year per kid for their annual tuition, they are just great.
- there are no traffic laws, there are just suggestions. Or at least it seems like that...
- the white lines painted on the streets and roads are just waste of paint
- the food is excellent and made from meat. You can order some meat on the side, but it's usually just meat. The veggies are made from chicken.
- their wors is better than ours. True story, I used to appreciate Finnish sausages, but no. We have a new wiener...winner.
- did I say the people are great? They are.
- they drive on the wrong side of the road and it drives you nuts even when riding shotgun. "We are doing 110 km/h on the left lane and there's a semi truck heading to us. And we are STILL ON THE FRIKING LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD!"
- the universe is coded differently there. The moon acts up, like goes straight up or something, not from left to right on a shallow path like normally. And the Sun... No that's not south you are looking at, there's north. Aand it moves the wrong way too, but the night sky is unbelievable with quadrillion more stars than we can see here up north.
- the richest guy in the South Africa sells fences and barbed wire. True story.
- they let the wildfires burn and let them extinguish themselves. That would never happen here.
- there are people walking in the streets between cars and beggars in the robot controlled street crossings.
- they call their traffic lights "robots". Another true story.
- there are lots of intense contrast: brand new government facilities a few meters from an area with people living in self made shacks and after that a shining new housing project with an enormous mall.
- the contemporary architecture is...kak (will explain the word).
- the nature is both beautiful, alas some of the animals you will meet think you are a dinner. Or just a nuisance to be stung or bitten and left for dead. There's lots of nature, so bring your hiking/hunting gear.
- the winter days are mostly like our summer days, but the nights are pretty chilly. Bring a hoodie.
- the houses tend to be cold during winter, no central heating (our room temperatures are +21 - +23C all year around)
- there are mountains. True story.
- there are difficulties with the infrastructure, mainly with electricity, BUT the tap water is drinkable. That's not so usual in the world.
- there are lots of people doing insignificant jobs, but then again, kick them out and give coupons from the welfare system? No easy answers here either.
- possibilities for hunting are excellent, especially if you "know a guy". Lucky me I know a guy (thanks again Grobbie)
- the history of the South Africa is both complex and interesting (no dork, it's not just to apartheid or not to apartheid)
- the military history of the South Africa and the surrounding areas is extremely complex and interesting. Lots to study for me, lots of points of views.
- there are more white bakkies in there than there are people (will explain "bakkie"). True story, cross my heart.
- the country would thrive if they only had more water
- the people are great
- just go there, skip the bloody annual trip to Thailand for once and go experience Africa!
Btw, two days ago it was exceptionally warm day, but today we are back to +15°C day temperature... Oh the summer in Finland.
A few more words about my Great Trek. My journal is in the large scale of things a good recitation of my trip, but not at all a complete and accurate transcription: there were little things and a bit larger things I chose not to mention, details I left out, interactions with people I left out, people not mentioned at all nor quoted, serious and not so serious conversations not heard of since the fact, mission critical details not readily shareable, but I think this is better read than the most autobiographies are, since I didn't outright lie to you guys.
South Africa is...like Africa: hard to define, but something everyone should experience. I'm only in the beginning of my journey of getting to know the place, next visit will be next year in the late South African summer.
Cheers
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30-07-2019, 14:48 #726
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Location
- GP, but in my mind, hunting for Ivory in the 1930's
- Age
- 43
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- 6,260
Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
Hay hay! Glad you enjoyed the trip AK!!
Don’t take life too seriously, no one gets out alive.
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30-07-2019, 18:34 #727
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- Apr 2009
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- 3,502
Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
Thanks for an excellent AAR. As for the dreaded lurgy you caught, I think I should come clean. Mia culpa, sorry ne.
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30-07-2019, 18:57 #728
- Join Date
- Jan 2017
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- Finland, 60 degrees north
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- 59
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- 1,834
Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
All my bad, since I very well knew you were sick, as was a member of your family who I met the day before, but I didn't play it safe myself either. Here I'm receiving the GSSA Knife by HARM and naturally shaking your hand regardless of your condition
Yes Cordite, I really did, till the next time brother
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31-07-2019, 13:17 #729
- Join Date
- Jun 2017
- Posts
- 841
Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
Meanwhile back in South Africa ...
I found some reading about some VERY fascinating history -- South Africa and Finland -- and the damned Brits
Did you know
That there was an OBW detachment that went to fight in Finland ? -- the De La Rey Battalion
That Herman Charles Bosman had been to Finland and had written a story about the Boers in Finland
So much stuff I had NO idea about .... ( although I knew about the Winter War )
Here you go
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewto...2747&start=345
Absolutely fascinating stuff
NEVER NEVER believe what the MSM and the politicians tell you
Apologies for -- "hi-jacking" your thread
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31-07-2019, 13:28 #730
Re: Meanwhile back in Finland...
That is very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
live out your imagination , not your history.
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