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SeaCat

Hey, my Halo is smoking
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Sep 23, 2003
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Copied and posted from a local news channel


LANTANA, FL -- They’re called M72 LAWs or Light Anti-Tank Weapons seen in a YouTube clip of an A&E documentary.
“Light anti-armor weapon entered Army service in 1962,” the narrator explained.

We stopped by the Armory in West Palm Beach to find out more.


"The M72 is an older version of what the military currently uses, better known as the AT4 or the M136.,” said1st Lt. Raymond Nagley, of the U.S. Army Florida National Guard

Investigators say it began when a deputy responded to a call for a car in the canal north of Lantana, just west of the Turnpike. The deputy had prior military experience and noticed one of the devices in the grass, immediately recognizing it. Investigators believe they were left out anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

The Sheriffs Office contacted the U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team out of Homestead who came and picked up the devices.

Today the Sheriff's Office Marine Unit continued the search with an under water robot and side scan sonar which gives them a negative/positive image of what’s under water.

Today they didn't find anything significant and investigators say that’s the end of the Sheriffs Office involvement. They have confirmed that the devices found were U.S. Military Property, but military personnel tell us it's been a while.

“I'd say more along the lines of the Vietnam era,” said 1st Lt. Nagley.

While it's been replaced with bigger and more powerful AT4s, they're still powerful enough.

“You could cause damage to a building. Destroy a vehicle approximately a mile away,” he said.

The fact that they were built to destroy makes it even more surprising that two of them would wind up on the bank of a canal, along Florida's Turnpike.

“It's a surprise, like I said I've never seen one of these myself so it's just hard to imaging they're just laying somewhere,” he said.

While the U.S Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team picked them up, there’s no word on what will be done with them.


LANTANA, FL -- The Sheriff’s Office is only saying that they found two pieces of military ordnance yesterday but sources have told us they were actually shoulder-fired missiles.
They’re called M72 LAWs or Light Anti-Tank Weapons. There is a rocket packed inside of a launcher made up of two tubes, one inside the other.

Investigators say a deputy responded to a call for a car in the canal north of Lantana, just west of the Turnpike. The deputy had prior military experience and noticed one of the devices in the grass, immediately identifying them. Investigators have said that they were out for a period of time, anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

The Sheriff’s Office contacted the U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team out of Homestead who came and picked up the devices.

The Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit searched again this morning with an under water robot and side scan sonar. They say they didn’t find anything important.

Investigators say that’s the end of the Sheriff’s Office involvement. They have confirmed that the devices found were U.S. Military property.

Cat
 
I might have to side with gun control critics on this one. :D

I hope they find out where the hell these things came from, who had them and who was stupid enough to leave them out.
 
I do have some questions about this. It makes no mention if these were live or not. If they were not live then no harm no foul. (I have seen the empty tubes in several Army Navy Stores over the years.)

If they were live then there are even more questions. As in where did they come from as they have not been carried on the American T.O.&E. for quite some time. (No I do not know the exact date they stopped carrying them.)

AS for the Gun Lobbyists wanting these to be allowed. Hurumph. What in the hell would you want to hunt with one of these? T-Rex or one of those ever so dangerous Keys Deer?

Cat
 
... Ok, that beats losing a laptop with peoples details on it ...

You think?

Oops, excuse me officer. Has anyone turned in a couple of rocket launchers lately? I seem to have misplaced mine.

Cat
 
If they are as old as I think they are, firing one might be an interesting experience.
 
If they are as old as I think they are, firing one might be an interesting experience.

Exactly. The Taliban has RPGs left by the Russians (Sidewinders or Stingers, I forget which) but we haven't seen a single one fired because they're old, the batteries are dead and they're inert.
 
Damn...I misplaced 2 of mine but I wonder how the hell they got all the way to Florida?????????????
 
Exactly. The Taliban has RPGs left by the Russians (Sidewinders or Stingers, I forget which) but we haven't seen a single one fired because they're old, the batteries are dead and they're inert.

What????????:eek:

You just hit three completely different weapons systems in one sentance. Then again that isn't a big surprise, I've seen people do worse.

An RPG is the generic term for a Rocket Propeled Grenade. Usualy used to describe the old Communist Block or Russian Weapons. (They did make an anti-aircraft version.)

The Sidewinder is a type of heat seaking air to air missile.

The Stinger is a shoulder launched heat seeking anti aircraft missile.

Do the Taliban have old RPG's and Stingers? I'm sure they do. Do they not use them because the batteries are dead? Most unlikely but then again I wouldn't put it past some people not to change out the batteries.

Cat
 
Exactly. The Taliban has RPGs left by the Russians (Sidewinders or Stingers, I forget which) but we haven't seen a single one fired because they're old, the batteries are dead and they're inert.

---------------------------
It would be Stingers if they were American provided and yeah the batteries would be dead.

Sidewinders are air launched IR missles.

RPGs are wholly different than LAW's

I imagine that some old jewish lady forgot where she put her bank busters?
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OOps Seacat beat me to the post.
 
I hope you don't mind if I stand a good distance away. ;)

LOLOLOL

You won't see me launching one of these antiques. Not from my shoulder at least.:cool:

Now give me an AT4 and I'll be having a blast.:devil:

Cat
 
The Stingers I could see because there's so much more to them than just propellant, explosive and a firing system. The guidance system is undoubtedly delicate and really unlikely to be working after twenty years.

On the other hand, RPG, their ammo and maintenance gear are very easy to get on the world's weaponry markets. I think something like twenty nations manufacture the stuff.
 
I do have some questions about this. It makes no mention if these were live or not. If they were not live then no harm no foul. (I have seen the empty tubes in several Army Navy Stores over the years.)

If they were live then there are even more questions. As in where did they come from as they have not been carried on the American T.O.&E. for quite some time. (No I do not know the exact date they stopped carrying them.)

AS for the Gun Lobbyists wanting these to be allowed. Hurumph. What in the hell would you want to hunt with one of these? T-Rex or one of those ever so dangerous Keys Deer?

Cat
I've heard those things can be quite vicious! :cattail:
 
Damn! I don' know whadded be funnier t'watch, Bubba with a 40-year-old LAW or some fool noodlin' catfish. Gimme a hit on that beer, Dave.
 
...we haven't seen a single one fired because they're old, the batteries are dead and they're inert.

When you're talking about shoulder-fired rockets (or air-intercept-missiles) there is a huge difference between "non-operational" and "inert." In fact, the "chain-link" stinger (or sidewinder) warheads and rocket motors would make exceptionally effective IEDs.

I don't think the mujahadeen were ever given any of the US Army's ground based Sidewinder systems, but they could have gotten some. They don't use batteries, but are powerd by the transport/launch vehicle.
 
An RPG is the generic term for a Rocket Propeled Grenade. Usualy used to describe the old Communist Block or Russian Weapons. (They did make an anti-aircraft version.)

Cat

Actually, the initial weapon was the Russian words for "reactive anti-tank grenade launcher." The acronym was stated as RPG, since there are not symbols in English for the Russian alphabet symbols. The phrase "Rocket Propelled Grenade" was then back formed from the incorrect acronym.
 
Last time a saw a LAW was back in the 70's when I was stationed in Korea. But if I want to bust a tank, give me a Javelin or a SRAW.
 
Damn! I don' know whadded be funnier t'watch, Bubba with a 40-year-old LAW or some fool noodlin' catfish. Gimme a hit on that beer, Dave.

HAW HAW HAW HAW!!!!

FWIW, it is--or was, at least--LEGAL to own LAWS rockets in Washington State. A friend of mine who was big on weaponry explained that you could legally own the LAWS rocket firing unit and also legally own the 35mm (may have that wrong) test rounds, but that you couldn't legally own the 72mm (ditto) live rounds. Then he smiled and said that he had both the armor-piercing AND the high explosive versions of the live rounds.

Okay, I can see owning all kinds of semi-auto pistols and rifles and understand the case for owning them, even if I don't always agree with it. I can even see a case for owning full-auto devices with heavy licensing. But I am unable to understand why a private individual EVER needs to own military-grade equipment that is designed to blow up large things at a great distance. If it's for "self-protection," I don't ever see a need to be blowing up blue whales or balrogs because they're trying to rob your house.
 
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