I’ve mentioned that I’m currently copy editing Ian’s new book on historic French military rifles. Inside, there are frequent references to something called a stacking rod.
I’m old enough to know what a stacking rod is, but as days went by and the subject kept coming up I had to admit to myself that I didn’t really know how they’re used. You’ve all seen an old picture of stacked rifles…
…but how did they do that? I’d never tried.
Shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Ian has a video about that, too.
As a kid in the early seventies in Venezuela I remember being intrigued by the stacks of Mausers when the local guardia nacional on training maneuvers would often set up camp in our neighborhood. They would often set up the Mausers and then stack the FALs around them.
I’ve seen those pictures but never understood them.
Isn’t it typical for an infantryman to be issued a rifle, the care of which he’s responsible for? You know, “this is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine…”
How do they keep track of whose rifle is who’s, and make sure that when they go to grab them again, that they actually get their own rifle back?
If I were going into battle with a rifle, I’d want MY RIFLE, not sumdood who might not care about maintaining it, or maintaining the zero on it, or any number of things.
The rifles are all identical. How do you get your rifle back?
Interesting.
I think that back then, for the most part, the issue of it being “Your” weapon was less common then than it is now. I believe that some military weapons didn’t even have serial numbers as late as WWI.
Also, marksmanship was less of an issue then; some rifles didn’t have adjustable sights so there was little personalization