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Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss Profile picture
@historicfirearm
Feb 25, 2023 • 6 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
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🧵FN FALs in Ukraine!

Yesterday I shared a video looking at the use of FN FALs in #Ukraine. Both fixed stock 50.00s and folding stock 50.61s have been seen in theatre. 1/
The PARA FALs began to appear in October with photos of crates of them shared. These are 50.61s which have a folding stock but full length barrel. Their exact origin is unclear but there's some interesting theories and leads I'm still investigating. Belgium is 1 likely source. 2/
I was able to speak with several Ukrainian servicemen who have been equipped with the FAL - one loved it, one hated it.
Check out their thoughts/insights here: armourersbench.com/2023/02/24/rig… 3/
There have even been some interesting adaptations done to the rifles. A TDF Sergeant painted his rifle and added some fur fabric he found in #Bahkmut. Full story on this here: armourersbench.com/2023/02/24/rig… 4/
Massive thank you to Dmytro who shared his insights and many of his photographs from his last deployment. He's now back at the front again, reunited with his FAL.

Check out the article & video here:
armourersbench.com/2023/02/24/rig…

#Ukraine #UkraineRussiaWar #smallarms #FNFAL 5/5 Dmytro's IG - https://instagram.com/mrachnik?igshid=YmMyMTA2
FAO:
@FNHerstalUK @LeighJNeville @LivFaustDieJung @nicholadrummond @Gabriel64869839 @oryxspioenkop @war_noir @AbraxasSpa might interest you guys.

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More from @historicfirearm

Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss Profile picture
Mar 20
Seeing more and more visual evidence of shotgun use against drones. Here's a member of the 53rd Mechanised Brigade firing a 12ga 870-pattern shotgun at a Mavic-type drone.

Source:

#UkraineRussiaWar #SALW #Ukraine
Image
I'll emphasise that engaging a generic quadcopter drone is still pretty difficult even with a skilled shooter and the right choke and cartridge type. But it is the one kinetic method that can be put into action right now.
Have spoken to UA armed forces personnel who have pushed for issuing of shotguns at platoon & squad level for trench use and anti-UAV. 1/
Read 7 tweets
Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss Profile picture
May 27, 2023
THREAD: SMArt 155

While identifying use of SMArt 155 in videos is often difficult due to resolution, camera angle and framing one clear indication of their use in #Ukraine are the jettisoned parachutes and ballutes which arrest the submunitions flight. 1/ Image
SMArt 155 is one of two 155mm munitions (the other being BONUS) that contain a pair of submunitions capable of scanning the target area and firing down on targets. Below is a cutaway of the round with the two submunitions inside. 2/ Image
This clip from GWIS (the manufacturer) shows how the ballute and parachute slow the slight of the submunition to allow it to find its target. 3/
Read 5 tweets
Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss Profile picture
Feb 6, 2023
🚨THREAD🧵

The UK-led OP Interflex is training 20,000 Ukrainian troops in 2023, just over 10k last year. They are providing basic infantry training, for this they need rifles.

The latest of these are Bulgarian Arsenal AR-M9Fs in 5.56x45mm. Here's why that's interesting... 1/
January saw the first photos of Ukrainian troops with these Bulgarian AKs shared by UK, Australian & Canadian defence departments. They join a plethora of 7.62x39mm AK pattern rifles procured last year.
More on that here: armourersbench.com/2022/07/25/uk-… 2/
What's most interesting is that the new rifles come with Blank Firing Adaptors for use in manoeuvre training/drills. Until now we'd seen Ukr troops training with British L85A2s - probably because of a lack of 7.62x39 blank & BFAs

More on that: armourersbench.com/2022/08/07/ukr… 3/
Read 7 tweets
Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss Profile picture
Dec 16, 2022
🧵This is Russia's 'silent' mortar.

Well, it's not really silent, it's rated at around 135dbs. A Russian operator in the field describes it as "not louder than a clap of hands”.

I've looked at them here: armourersbench.com/tag/2b25-morta… Image
It uses the spigot mortar principle (a bit like the PIAT, but the spigot is fixed so its more like the Blacker Bombard) coupled with the captive piston principle where the gases are retained in the bomb tail. 2/ Image
Developed by the central research institute Burevestnik, it is manned by a two man team and can be transported in a backpack. 3/ Image
Read 8 tweets
Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss Profile picture
Dec 15, 2022
Remember the MT-12 mounted on the MT-LB? Now thanks to Ukraine's @U24_gov_ua we have some footage of an older 100mm T-12 AT gun mounted on another MT-LB. This one appears not to have any protection for the gun crew.

Video here:
#Ukraine #ATWeapons
While this version doesn't have the armour shield of earlier version, it does have the rear support struts at the back of the vehicle. (IIRC one example of these improvised vehicles hasn't had them). The T-12 and M-12 share the same ammunition.
Here's my earlier video/article on an MT-LB with an MT-12 mounted:
armourersbench.com/2022/08/21/ukr…
Read 4 tweets
Historical Firearms | Matthew Moss Profile picture
Apr 22, 2021
OK, this morning FN Herstal set the hype train rolling and announced they are introducing a new machine gun next month. Let's take a look at the teaser...
#NewFNMG
Oooh look, triangles. This looks like the a forend raised up for a long uninterrupted top Picatinny rail.
This is significant hype from a company not known for 'hype'.
Read 7 tweets

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