David Stone Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Stone's Weaponry

The Boeing V 22 Osprey

David StoneYou can tell by looking at this ungainly buzzard of a bird that getting it right took a lot of time and tax-payer money. Originally contracted by the US Navy from Bell - Boeing in 1983, this fixed-wing-chopper hybrid killed quite a few good men in field trials and test flights before it finally got put into the delivery chute in early 2000. Powered by two Allison turbo-props mounted in tilting "nacelles" or swivel-housings, the Osprey can do almost everything a Chinook chopper can do and a lot of things it can't, such as carry twice the weight (including half a platoon fully-geared-up) at twice the speed (three hundred MPH) out to a range of two thousand miles, depending on the load. It can take off vertically from a carrier deck, rotate the turbo-props forward and disappear into the darkness like a Harrier, and when it gets where it's going it can slow down, hover, and, with an M 134 in the open rear bay, make life really miserable for anyone in the rotor wash. As butt-ugly as it is brutally-effective, the Osprey will soon be making an appearance at a Marine Corps base near you (they've ordered 360 of them). They'll soon be appearing in the night sky over Pakistan and Afghanistan and anywhere else that the American military and US Intelligence thinks a stick of covert Deltas rappelling out of the tail hatch in the moonless dark might help to make the world a kinder, gentler place. Naturally, I want one.

The M 134 Minigun

The M 134 Minigun

Based on the Gatling rotating barrel system, in use since the latter days of the Civil War, this electric-powered sixty-pound all-in chain gun puts out a devastating six thousand rounds of seven-point-six-two NATO in sixty seconds, and is capable of literally vaporizing almost anything it hits out to two thousand yards. Originally put out by General Electric (Better Living Through Velocity) in the mid-Sixties, this airborne or vehicle-mounted weapon burns through brass faster than the Feds can burn through gold, and anyone who's ever heard it in action will never forget that high-pitched thrumming zipping buzz it makes as it puts out a solid ribbon of yellow fire that shreds anything it touches. The newer models from Dillon Aero take the cyclic rate down to three thousand rounds a minute, which is still totally nuts. If you're the one firing it, it's all polka dots and moonbeams, but if you're the one taking the fire … well … policing up what's left of your platoon will definitely involve rubber gloves and a squeegee. May you never see one pointed at you by someone who doesn't like you. Ever.

The Colt Python

The Colt Python

"Possibly the finest revolver ever made, the Colt Python fires an extremely powerful .357 Magnum round, a round that was considered so massive that the weapon was ultimately banned by several of the upper-echelon agencies. Still, a masterpiece of the gunsmith's art. It belongs in MOMA, but don't look for one there."

 

 

The Ruger Mark II

The Ruger

"This is the updated Ruger Mark III, not the Ruger Mark II mentioned in The Echelon Vendetta, but the weapon is virtually identical. A suppressed (silenced) version firing sub-sonic .22 caliber rounds in a ten-shot magazine, this was the assassination weapon of choice for Vietnam-era Special Forces, as well as for most of the American agencies operating against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Great hand-feel and simply a really lovely weapon. In the hands of a skilled shooter, two rounds in the right spot and your work here is through."

 

 

The Barrett Fifty

Barrett Fifty

"This massive weapon, first used by the American military in the First Iraq War, is what Thor was thinking of when he asked for The Hammer of God; far too powerful to be used - and wasted - on human targets, this weapon is primarily deployed against lightly-armored vehicles, helicopters, personnel carriers. The Barrett Fifty - known in the Army as the M82 A1 along with other more colorful nicknames - is a semi-automatic ten-round .50 caliber scoped sniper system used to great effect against unsuspecting targets in Afghanistan and Iraq. Too huge to hump in the field, this thirty-five-pound weapon is best carried by 'anybody else' until you get to the firing zone. Take two rounds and call me in the ... oh, never mind. You're dead."

Remington 308

Remington 308

"Referred to in The Echelon Vendetta as 'a Remington .308', the official title for this superb sniper system is the Remington M24; Based on the classic Model 700, this military version fires either the 7.62 Nato or the .300 Winchester Magnum from a five-round magazine. Usually fitted with a Leupold ten-power scope, this bolt-action rifle has an effective range of around 800 yards and , in the hands of a skilled shooter, this rifle is one of the most-effective anti-personnel weapons in existence. Ask your mom for one today."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M249 SAW

M249 SAW

"In the fact sheet shown, the Army (God bless it) describes the mission of this 5.56 caliber machine gun as follows: " deter, and if necessary, compel adversaries ...". In this case, with the SAW, also known, for reasons that escape me as the "Minimi", the 'compel' part would include lighting the poor bastards up with a 750-round rate of fire. The weapon is what is known as a 'base of fire- weapon', and two of these are issued to each infantry squad. The SAW gunner provides what the Army calls a 'force multiplier effect' equal to ten extra riflemen. This 17 pound hog is tremendously satisfying to fire, although it tends to climb like a frenzied squirrel if you are using it in the hand-held mode. Most sensible gunners keep it to three-round bursts, which usually does the trick. But when in doubt, smoke 'em if you got 'em. I wanted one of these for Christmas but my wife said no."

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