[OT] BHD

Dawgface wrote (in a much more palatable lower case - thanks Dawg!):

i am  struck dumb at the idea of anyone considering the m-16 safety
switch/fire selector being considered difficult or complicated to use .
. . .

[Tomb] Safeties aren't hard to use. Yet people in crisis situations have
failed to flip them off successfully, even those who are nominally
considered soldiers. The situation is worse for cops - especially in
Canada. I've known officers who have _never_ drawn their firearm in the
line of duty. Some qualify with firearms only once a year. Just imagine
how much stress you'd be under if someone suddenly opened up. It is so
outwith your normal day-to-day activity that you just get shaken and
f*ck *p. This kind of thing has happened in ostensibly trained
militaries and it has happened to cops. Not saying it should, or that
more training wouldn't help, but this is the observation of time. 

as far as the great old .45 ACP goes, there are 3 safeties designed into
it.

the lever safety is just one.  half-cock is  two. and the  squeezable
grip safety is three.

[Tomb] Yes, half-cock is another handy thing. Truth is, as much as I
like the modern .45 Glocks, the M1911 is still an amazing tool. Just
like the 9mm Browning HP - you can tell how good they are by how long
they've been around. 

i need to look, but that S&W autopistol the RCMP carry probably has a
built in safety device of some sort that does away with an external
safety. 

[Tomb] Point is, once you have one up the spout, there is nothing you
have to do save squeeze the trigger. (The Glock some municipal forces
use has an oddball trigger safety that is supposed to be fairly
effective too). You can't screw up the safety switch if there isn't one.

political agenda of the  clinton administration was the that task force
ranger was  dispatched, and then denied the armor and other  support
that the commander  requested.

[Tomb] Yes.... like you (I'm sure), I shudder whenever I hear of
politicians doing more than defining when to start and end a conflict
and the broad aims. ROEs and other operational level futzing about often
cost lives.

and why did not the UN membership ( other than the USA) provide elite
troopers  from other member countries to run this  scum and his henchmen
to ground?

[Tomb] There is some question about what anyone was doing there.... 

the whole somalia operation, to me, appeared to be stupid, risky, and a
perfect example of mission creep.

[Tomb] Undoubtedly.