The Ultimate Answer to Kings: I still like my M1A better, but he does have a point...

They say that Louis XIV had the inscription Ultima Ratio Regum cast into all the cannon of the French Army. It means "The Ultimate Argument of Kings," and that always struck me as one of the most honest and up-front things any ruler or would-be ruler ever said. "We can dress it up prettier than this, but when it comes down to the unvarnished truth this is what it's about: You'll do as I say or I'll send my goons to kill you."

I thought about that for a long time. If there's an ultimate argument, it seems only logical that there must be an ultimate answer. For years I thought the ultimate answer must be the bullets in my rifle, but it never seemed quite right. I've got bullets - he's got frigging Cannon Balls. I mean, if there were three hundred million rifles throwing bullets at him, then maybe. But we all know that's not going to happen. So if there's an ultimate answer to his ultimate argument, it sure as hell ain't bullets.

It finally came to me - and that's when I left the city, abandoned a goodly percentage of my goods, and gave all that was behind me a good, stiff Randian Shrug.

The ultimate answer to kings is not a bullet, but a belly laugh.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I still like my M1A better, but he does have a point...

Hee. They've been tweaking the AR design since the mid-sixties, and signs like this are still needed. Kalashnikov got it right in one.

Seen here.

7 comments:

GunRights4US said...: I just wish my M1A didn't weigh a freakin ton!; November 23, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Joel said...: Yeah, that's pretty much why I have an M1A but carry an AK.; November 23, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Tam said...: Yeah, 'cause the Army didn't have any procedures in place to clear malfunctions back when the Jammin' Jenny... er, I mean, "the M1 'Garand'" was the service longarm.

Seriously, whenever I hear someone talking about how unreliable the M16 is (or how inaccurate the AK is) I know to tune them right the fuck out as an armchair shooter.

As a matter of fact, allow me to go further and state that the M-14 is the biggest abortion of an un-ergonomic, committee-designed service rifle ever bestowed on the U.S. military since the days of the Krag-Jorgensen.

And Happy Thanksgiving! :); November 24, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Pat H. said...: Sorry, but Kalashnikov only got one thing right, he designed a disposable, mid-power rifle.

If you want to see how much MORE reliable AR-15s are versus AK, see this: AR vs. AK Dirt/Dust test

I have an M-14 (Chinese receiver, GI parts), for museum purposes, same as the Garand I own.

I own several FAL, fabulous, if heavy, main battle rifle. Far superior to the M-14.

My AR is in 6.5 Grendel caliber, 16 inch barrel carbine with mid-length gas system, the most power available in a standard AR receiver and full capacity magazine (25 rounds).; November 25, 2011 at 3:01 PM
Joel said...: As a matter of fact, allow me to go further and state that the M-14 is the biggest abortion of an un-ergonomic, committee-designed service rifle ever bestowed on the U.S. military since the days of the Krag-Jorgensen.

I wish to request, in view of the season, that the faithful of the Church of the Immaculate M1A refrain from punishing Ms. Tam for her horrid blasphemies. Burning her house down around her would be completely wrong. Really. She's only benighted, she's not really very evil.

Just saying,
Joel
High Priest, First Church of the Immaculate M1A (BPBUI); November 26, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Brass said...: The M14? Not ergonomic? No. It was just designed by men, for men.

Done a lot of shooting. See ARs jam all the time during competitions. All. The. Time.

A little Google search on official reliability tests versus other weapons would be in order, Tam.; November 26, 2011 at 3:41 PM
Pat H. said...: Tam is correct, the M-14, an attempt to modernize the 1930's Garand, is an ergonomic disaster.

There's a reason that the stocks of modern rifle are on or near the bore axis, it's to eliminate off bore leverage of the rifle when fired, leverage that magnifies the effects of recoil.

Designed by men? Well, it was mostly designed by one man, an Army LTC who was going to have a .30 caliber rifle with a wooden stock, no matter how many soldiers had to die from carrying it into combat.

The FAL is contemporary with the M-14, yet it is far superior to the M-14 in almost every way. Too bad it wasn't supplied in the caliber originally planned for it, the 7mm British.

The current AR suffers in only one area, it needs a more powerful round. Functionally, it is a very good weapon; light, accurate, ergonomic.; November 27, 2011 at 5:54 PM