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Mr. Luddite

On 9/2/2014 4:36 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:12:18 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 9/2/2014 2:33 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:55:40 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

I've "handled" and shot a Colt LE 901. Damned thing weighed more than 10
pounds with a mag and all the usual "tactical" crapola on it. Not a
rifle to be shot off hand.

When did we become such sissies? The M1 weighed about 10 pounds and
the skinny kids in the 40s had no problem carrying them across most of
Europe and the Pacific islands.
I carried one most of the day in boot camp, including during
calisthenics (PDUA). Do some situps holding this over your head and it
will put hair on your chest.
My M1A is about the same depending on which magazine I have in it.
With a 30 round it is probably over 11 pounds.
I am not sure I would want it much lighter shooting 7.62 NATO rounds.

What was that exercise routine called using a M1? 96 Count Manual or
something like that. It was a series of exercises done to the beat of
some John Phillips Sousa march played through a PA system. I remember
that after 4 or 5 iterations your arms felt like lead.

They just called it PDUA for us. (Physical Drill Under Arms)
It made you look forward to the regular, before breakfast, PE.
We didn't get any music either, just a first class boatswains mate
yelling at us.
I don't remember most of the exercises but the situps still put a knot
in my stomach ;-)

Most of it was just lifting the rifle over your head from different
positions.

I just tried googling it. It *was* called the "96 Count Manual" but I
couldn't find any examples or videos of it. Apparently it is no longer
done in boot camp.

All I remember was the march music playing and you lifted that rifle
over your head three times, then straight out 3 times, then to the left,
the right, down and whatever ... over and over and over until you
reached the count of 96. Then you started all over again. After a
half hour (or more if your company commander was sadistic) it got tough
to lift the damn thing over your head.