Sitting in Beijing, catching up on my email…

Wow, what an airport!    I have a 4-hour layover between Singapore and Chonqging in the Beijing airport, and as it turns out, that’s a good thing!  There was an incredibly long line getting through Chinese Immigration in the Beijing airport (after spending a little over 6 hours on the flight from Singapore to Beijing), then I had to take a shuttle to another terminal, then I had to get in another long line to get a boarding pass for the 3-hour flight to Chongqing, then I had to go through security again, and from there it was a good 20-minute walk (all in the terminal) to get to my gate.  I’m sure glad I have my laptop and I’m sure glad they have free Wi Fi here.   It’s making the time go quickly.

My blog the other day on the Grand Garands elicited a couple of nice responses from our readers.  Here’s a great note from my good buddy Johnny B in Nevada…

Hello Joe,  I remember it well, the mighty M1.  I started basic training at Fort Ord, California about April first 1962.  We were issued M1s, and I remember that I only shot to the Marksman level.  I also remember our commanding officer saying at our graduation that we better be able to throw rocks at the enemy!

When I got to my permanent posting with the 124th Signal Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington I was assigned to be the commanding officers driver and was issued the M3A1 .45 cal Submachine Gun (grease gun).  It was great fun shooting this little automatic.

We did not get the M14 until sometime later.  My memory does not give me a more exact time frame, but I think it would have been sometime in 1963.  I also do not remember the M14 having the selector switch for full/semi auto.

As a younger person before the Army, I had a Winchester Model 69A, bolt-action clip fed, .22 cal rifle good for tin cans and such.  Then I found my way to the Remington Rolling Block single shot rifles.  I had two of these: one was a junker of a .43 cal and the other was a 7mm and a fine shooter. Great fun was had with all of them.

Thanks for your great blog, I look forward to reading it every day,

Johnny B

Thanks for the note, Johnny B!   If I recall, you are indeed correct:  Not all of the M14s had the full auto capability.   I think one or two riflemen per infantry squad were equipped with M14s that had a selector switch for full auto.  I believe this was a measure to conserve ammunition.   I can’t get to Google here in Beijing, but when I return to the other Peoples Republik (i.e., California), I’ll check it out.   And on that M3, well, I only had an opportunity to fire the M3 Grease Gun once when I was in the Army, but like you, I loved it.  Fierce little beast, that one was!

And hey, guys and gals, here’s another note from my good buddy Marty B just down the road from us in So Cal.  Marty’s note is on the Mini 14…

Hi Joe,

You might be interested to know that the Mini 14 is the lethal weapon in the arsenal of California’s prison towers. An escape is considered so dangerous to public safety that officers are trained to use lethal force if inmates have escaped from the perimeter of their yard and are headed for the outer perimeter. I know an officer that had to take that shot and the inmate took a non fatal wound to his rear end. His inmate partner in the escape proned out on the spot. We have a range on the grounds at Chino and it’s close enough that the inmates can hear the officers training every day. I’m sure that gives them something to think about. 

Marty

I did not know that, Marty.  That’s interesting.  The .223 cartridge is plenty potent, and if it keeps the bad guys where they belong (i.e., behind bars), I think that’s a good thing, too!

You know, it’s always amazed me how many riders share common interests.  I’m trying to recall if I know anybody who rides a motorcycle who isn’t also interested in firearms, and I’m not coming up with any names.  Another common interest is photography…that’s a topic that often emerges when I get together with any group of riders.

Well, that’s it for now.   Another hour or so and we start boarding, and then it’s 3 hours and 5 minutes to Chongqing (I’ll get in around midnight).  And then I get to see my friends from the Riding China adventure, the grandest ride ever.  While I was in the air traveling from Singapore to China earlier today, I played with the map thingamajig on the seat in front of me, adjusting the scale so I could get all of China on the screen along with the names of the major cities, and it hit me once again:   Riding China was one hell of a ride!