This is a picture from a gallery by John Moore, a kick butt shooter (photo) who’s been in Afghanistan for a while during the last month.
I posted it because I want to see how quickly our well-informed DT readers can spot … well, WHY I thought it was a cool picture.
Moore’s caption reads simply: “U.S. Marines scan for Taliban insurgents as Afghan forces search a house for weapons October 25, 2008 in the Korengal Valley of Kunar Province in eastern Afghanistan.“
Make sure to check out the entire gallery. It really brings back memories…
– Christian
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Is that a wood stock on that m-16? O wait, I see it now.
yeah i saw it immediatly that the marine on the right didn’t really use an officially issued weapon… :p
well, good for him, if he believes it will help him do his job better.
V.
“Is that a wood stock on the m-16?”
That made me laugh. Pretty cool seeing one of ours use a Dragunov.
Soviet Dragunov 7,62x53R sniper rifle as post in comment #103 on article picture link.
In fact he’s holding a dragunov SVD sniper rifle… pretty nice find :p
Are you sure that guy with the Drag is a Marine? It looks like he is wearing a keffiyeh around his neck. Maybe ANA?
If you go to the linked website in the article you’ll see these guys are listed as Marines. With the different weapons and alternate clothing I’m guessing these guys as Force Recon maybe? The article pointed out the base only had 2 marines so I’m guessing these guys aren’t typical grunts.
Though it looks very similar to a Dragunov, I believe it’s actually an Eastern block knock-off of a Dragunov.
Might it be a Romanian FPK Dragunov? It looks new.
Looks to me like the guy holding the Dragunuv (or knockoff) is the same guy as in pic 10 (U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Debose). Watch on same hand, same scarf around the neck. Wonder why he switched rifles though, cause looks like the rifle in pic 10 doesn’t have the same wood stock.
The AK equivalent of the M110?
Is that a “marker” mortar round that has been put on the position? :P
Ok, now that we have all come to the same conclusion about the Dragunov(or knock-off), what is your reason? Please let it be a suprise!!!!
Marines in Kunar? Not enough M-14 or AR-10 DMRs to go around.
I was under the impression that Marines were mostly in SW-Astan. The East is mostly Army.
Whatever it takes to get the job done, Semper Fi Marine.
what about the guy far left of picture wearing old camouflage
Thats not a Dragunov…the magazine is too close to the trigger and the stock has a cheek weld riser on it. You arn’t the first guys to make that mistake.
Its a Romanian FPK. The “X” in the magazine sheet metal is another give away.
I don’t think they are real. The one standing on the rock sure looks like a toy soldier
Looks like West Virginia
The guy on the left is GySgt Magdaleno and the guy on the right is SSgt Debose, yes they are Marines and they have been there since Feb 2008 when they replaced the last team of Marine combat advisors. And for all of you that are wondering he is holding a Russian SVD becasue his ANA Plt Sgt was using his M-4 w/surefire light to search houses. Once again they are not Romianian, Afghan or anything else other than battle hardened Americans.
The guy on the left is GySgt Magdaleno and the guy on the right is SSgt Debose, yes they are Marines and they have been there since Feb 2008 when they replaced the last team of Marine combat advisors. And for all of you that are wondering he is holding a Russian SVD becasue his ANA Plt Sgt was using his M-4 w/surefire light to search houses. Once again they are not Romianian, Afghan or anything else other than battle hardened Americans.
The RIFLE is romanian, and it is not an SVD…look it up. I never said the Marines were romanian.
“Is that a “marker” mortar round that has been put on the position? :P”
It’s WP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_phosphorus
The follow up photo shows a fire burning the impact area.
My friend I do not have to look it up, because I have the fortune to be in Kunar as a combat advisor and you are looking at “my” team leader in the picture. I didn’t say “YOU” said he was Romainian I was just clearing up the air for all those who read this. So for the all of you reading, just know that you are looking at an SVD.
My mistake…and yours. It is not an SVD. Its a common mistake. There is about an inch of space between the front of an SVD trigger guard, and the magazine. The SVD has a separate cheek weld riser and not one molded into the stock material. The SVD magazines have a “waffle” pattern with no X while the FPK has the very prominant X in the sheet metal. I do not know if the magazines are compatable. Also, the interface between the rear of the receiver and the pistolgrip on the stock are not the same.
Internally, IIRC, the SVD uses a Tappet type system to unlock the bolt while the FPK has a fixed gas piston attached to the bolt carrier. FUNCTIONALLY they have the same job, but the FPK is not and SVD. Compair the pic posted to the pics on the world.guns.ru site and you will see I am right.
God bless you and your team leader A, but unless that is the ONE SVD that had the trigger moved up to butt up against the magazine well, it ain’t an SVD or and SVD clone.
IF you have access to that rifle, or have contact with someone who does, ask them to look at the reciever markings.
The picture shows two soilders, the rifle he is carrying is Romanian. The name is a PSL-54c.A.K.A.:SSG-97,Romak 3,FPK. You’ll be suprised that even though they look the same, The Dragunov and the PSL interchange not one part.They are available here in the U.S.. I think that its awesome that an American is using one!!!Keep the enemy on their toes, so they never know what your gonna come with next time!!GO USA!!!!!
Romanian FPK/PSL- Not only the mag identifiers and trigger distances, but the handguard is visible split with the top handguard starting further back than the lower… This is another Romanian feature, along with the LONG side vent holes right next to the upper/lower split.